Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10
Journal of Discourses,
Volume 10
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, September 28, 1862
Brigham Young, September 28, 1862
ETERNAL EXISTENCE OF MAN.--FOREKNOWLEDGE AND PREDESTINATION.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, September 28, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
1
We have had a very interesting journey to the southern
settlements. In twenty-five days we have travelled nearly eight
hundred miles, held thirty meetings, and spoken to thousands and
thousands of Saints. I am somewhat fatigued, and would like to be
excused from speaking long to-day.
1
My heart is full of blessings for the people; I feel to bear them
continually in my prayers before my Father in heaven.
1
I trust we shall be benefited by the discourse we have just heard
from Elder Amasa M. Lyman. We should seek to understand and know
the principles he has advanced, striving continually to know the
things of God for ourselves. All the works of mankind amount to
but little, unless they are performed in the name of the Lord and
under the direction of his Spirit. Let every man seek to learn
the things of God by the revelations of Jesus Christ to himself.
The Gospel we have been hearing this morning I am seeking
continually to understand. I reduce the Gospel to the present
time, circumstances and condition of the people, and I can say
truly, that the longer I live, and the more experience I gain,
the more I see the weakness of humanity. We are but children, and
are far from being capable of beholding the great things of
eternity.
2
As far as we can compare eternal things with earthly things that
lie within the scope of our understanding, so far we can
understand them. We can think of the greatest earthly wealth,
grandeur, magnificence and power that it is possible for mortals
to attain, and somewhat understand how great a blessing it would
be to be entitled to the possession of all this throughout
eternity; but, to be told that there never was a time when there
did not exist an earth like this, peopled with men and women as
this is, is a declaration that reaches far beyond the limits of
our comprehension. No man can comprehend that there did not exist
an enemy to God, that there never was a beginning to the order of
creation in which we find ourselves situated. Who can comprehend
the duration of time? To return to our friends after an absence
of some time and greet them with a glad heart, to mingle our
mutual joy, happiness and congratulations, is one of the sweetest
phases of human bliss, and were we told that there never would be
a time when this heaven of happiness cannot be enjoyed, we could
partially understand it; we only understand it so far as we are
capable of appreciating the co-mingling of kindred joys at the
re-union of parted friends. The present is that portion of time
that more particularly concerns us, and the greatest and most
important labour we have to perform is to cultivate ourselves.
That man may know his fellow creatures, it is necessary that he
should first know himself. When he thoroughly knows himself, he
measurably knows God, whom to know is eternal life.
2
We have been hearing that Jesus Christ is our elder Brother. Yes,
he is one of us, flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone, and became
a partaker with us of all that is earthly. He also inherited a
greater portion of the divine nature than we can possess in this
life. He was the Son of our heavenly Father, as we are the sons
of our earthly fathers. God is the Father of our spirits, which
are clothed upon by fleshly bodies, begotten for us by our
earthly fathers. Jesus is our elder Brother spirit clothed upon
with an earthly body begotten by the Father of our spirits.
2
Our heavenly Father delights in his good children, he delights
continually to bless them, yea, "He maketh his sun to rise on the
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust." All are equally his children. We are all the children of
our common Father, who has placed us on the earth to prove
ourselves, to govern, control, educate and sanctify ourselves,
body and spirit, unto him, according to his will and pleasure.
When all that class of spirits designed to take bodies upon this
earth have done so, then will cometh winding-up scene of this
particular department of the works of God on this earth. It is
his will that we should prepare ourselves to build up his
kingdom, gather the house of Israel, redeem and build up Zion and
Jerusalem, revolutionize the world, and bring back that which has
been lost through the fall.
2
The inhabitants of the earth are ignorant of the way to secure
their present and future happiness, but, if we are faithful, we
shall see the time when we can speak to the understandings of the
people. It is now very difficult to do that. Their minds are
closed against every conviction that would lead to their present
and eternal welfare. They take the downward road. This is very
lamentable. Let all who call themselves Latter-day Saints walk in
the path that points to eternal life. I mourn and lament when any
of my brethren come to me and confess that they have been guilty
of this or that crime, especially when I learn that they have
been in the Church for years. We are yet subject to sin, and more
or less give way to it; and in so doing we more or less disgrace
the Priesthood and the high vocation to which we are called.
Latter-day Saints should live their religion, as they would that
their neighbors should live it. If I delight to see my brother
walk in the path of obedience, let me pursue the same path,
saying come, brethren and sisters, walk as I walk, and follow
Christ as I follow him. Were this the case, but few could be
found who would raise their voices against the kingdom of God
upon the earth.
3
To say that sin is necessary is an unusual saying. Sin is in the
world, but it is not necessary that we should sin, because sin is
in the world; but, to the contrary, it is necessary that we
should resist sin, and for this purpose is sin necessary. Sin
exists in all the eternities. Sin is co-eternal with
righteousness, for it must needs be that there is an opposition
in all things.
3
I exhort the Latter-day Saints to live their religion and learn
to take care of themselves. The elements with which we are
surrounded are as eternal as we are, and are loaded with supplies
of every kind for the comfort and happiness of the human race. It
is designed by the Great Architect of the universe that our
bodily wants shall be supplied from the elements, and by
judicious and well-directed labour and a reasonable amount of
industry, the wealth of food, clothing and shelter can be
obtained by all.
3
It has been supposed that wealth gives power. In a depraved state
of society, in a certain sense it does, if opening a wide field
for unrighteous monopolies, by which the poor are robbed and
oppressed and the wealthy are more enriched, is power. In a
depraved state of society money can buy positions and titles, can
cover up a multitude of incapabilities, can open wide the gates
of fashionable society to the lowest and most depraved of human
beings; it divides society into castes without any reference to
goodness, virtue or truth. It is made to pander to the most
brutal passions of the human soul; it is made to subvert every
wholesome law of God and man, and to trample down every sacred
bond that should tie society together in a national, municipal,
domestic and ever other relationship. Wealth thus used is used
out of its legitimate channel. If a man wishes to stamp an
honorable fame upon the tablets of eternity, he can do so only by
living a holy and virtuous life. While stations, emoluments,
sceptres, thrones, or any honor this world can give, do not in
the sight of God raise the possessor above the standing of the
poor, humble, hungry supplicant for bread at his gate. God is
cognizant of the acts of all men, and dictates the results
thereof to his glory, to the salvation of his people, and to the
interests of his kingdom on the face of all the earth. "Are not
two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall
on the ground without your Father's notice; but the very hairs on
your head are numbered."
4
There cannot be a more truthful saying than that this people do
not yet fully know how to take care of themselves, and hence they
expose themselves to many unnecessary sufferings and
inconveniences. After we have smoothed the path through this life
all in our power, by accumulating around us all the common
creature comforts, and done all in our power to make those who
depend upon us happy and comfortable, still, there is enough of
trial to sufficiently prove to God and the faithful ones, whether
we will be true to him and to our holy religion, or false to him
and to our best interests. Let God be first in our thoughts when
we awake in the morning, and let our actions through each day
reflect honor on ourselves, credit on the cause of God, and
secure to us the confidence and good-will of all good and holy
beings. While we should be diligent and industrious, filling
every moment of our time to some advantage and profit to
ourselves and others, we should not suffer a covetous and
grasping spirit to take possession of us. It is lamentable to see
the ignorance manifested by many of this people in that respect,
for no man who possesses the wealth of wisdom would worship the
wealth of mammon. Let the people build good houses, plant good
vineyards and orchards, make good roads, build beautiful cities
in which may be found magnificent edifices for the convenience of
the public, handsome streets skirted with shade trees, fountains
of water, crystal streams, and every tree, shrub and flower that
will flourish in this climate, to make our mountain home a
paradise and our hearts wells of gratitude to the God of Joseph,
enjoying it all with thankful hearts, saying constantly, "not
mine but thy will be done, O Father."
4
The earth must be redeemed, and it and all that have dwelt upon
it be brought back into the presence of God, for all have
suffered more or less by the sin that has entered into the world.
This is indeed a great work, and our God has given us the
privilege of taking part in it; then let us prepare ourselves for
this stupendous undertaking by seeking above all things to
understand the things of God, by seeking studiously to understand
ourselves, remembering that no man can know himself without so
far knowing God. There is no mystery in the Gospel of salvation
for those who are heirs of salvation, and they can readily
comprehend the truth in many places of the Bible where the
language does not do justice to the principles designed to be set
forth.
4
Brother Amasa M. Lyman, this morning, quoted the following
passage, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to
be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did
predestinate, he also called, and whom he called them he also
justified: and whom he justified them he also glorified." The
Apostle understood full well the principles here advanced, but it
would have filled volumes to have written them out in full as
they were revealed from God by the power and gift of the Holy
Spirit. God foreknows all, and has predestinated all who believe
the truth to the possession of eternal life, and this in short is
all there is of it. He foreknew Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and
placed him upon the throne of Egypt for the express purpose of
showing forth his power to Israel, and to the wicked nations of
the Gentiles. The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart in the same way
that he hardeneth the hearts of his enemies at the present day,
after they have rejected the testimony of his servants and
oppressed his elect.
5
The Lord has led this people out of bondage with a high hand and
an outstretched arm. No man acquainted with the history of this
people is ignorant of the almighty power of God that has been
manifested in the organization, growth and present condition of
the Church, though they may be unable naturally to account for
it. And the more we grow and prosper, the more our enemies are
angry with us. They are angry with us because we told them,
thirty years ago, that calamity would come upon this nation.
Their anger still increases, while they are drinking of the
bitter cup; and at the same time the Saints are increasing in
numbers, in faith, in hope, in wealth and in power. I have talked
with men who professed to be gentlemen and dispensers of life and
salvation to the people, who, Pharaoh-like, declared that they
would rather be damned than believe that Joseph Smith was a true
Prophet of God. I promised them they should have their choice.
Who is to blame for this? Moses was not to blame because
Pharaoh's heart became more and more hard. He was not to blame
because an overwhelming destruction came upon that devoted army.
Neither is God, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, myself, or the
Apostles and Prophets of this last dispensation to blame for the
unbelief of this nation, and for the dark and lowering tempest
that now threatens to overthrow them with a terrible destruction.
Still, as Pharaoh's heart became harder and harder, so will it be
with the persecutors of God's people and purposes in the latter
times, until they are utterly destroyed.
5
Not only did God foreknow the wicked and predestinate them, but
he also foreknew the righteous and predestinated them; he knew
that they would be conformed to the image of his Son and live
according to the words of Christ, while he knew that the wicked
would not fulfil the terms requisite to be conformed to the image
of his Son, but would do the works of the Devil whom they would
list to serve. It is written that God knows all things and has
all power. He has the rule and command of this earth, and is the
Father of all the human beings that have lived, do live and will
live upon it. If any of his children become heirs to all things,
they in turn can say, by-and-bye, that they know all things, and
they will be called Supreme, Almighty, King of kings, and Lord of
lords. All this and more that cannot enter into our hearts to
conceive is promised to the faithful and are but so many stages
in that ceaseless progression of eternal lives. This will not
detract anything from the glory and might of our heavenly Father,
for he will still remain our Father, and we shall still be
subject to him, and as we progress, in glory and power it the
more enhances the glory and power of our heavenly Father. This
principle holds good in either state, whether moral or immortal;
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be
called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government
and peace there shall be no end; upon the throne of David, and
upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment
and with justice from henceforth even for ever." There will be no
end to the increase of the faithful. What a pleasing thought! We
shall enjoy each other's society in purity, in holiness and in
the power of God, and no time will ever come when we may not
enjoy this. Such great happiness is beyond the comprehension of
mortals.
5
There never was a time when man did not exist, and there never
will be a time when he will cease to exist. Eternity is without
confines, and all things animate and inanimate have their
existence in it. The Priesthood of God, that was given to the
ancients and is given to men in the latter-days, is co-equal in
duration with eternity--is without beginning of days or end of
life. It is unchangeable in its system of government and its
Gospel of salvation. It gives to Gods and angels their supremacy
and power, and offers wealth, influence, posterity, exaltations,
power, glory, kingdoms and thrones, ceaseless in their duration,
to all who will accept them on the terms upon which they are
offered.
6
It is very pleasing to dwell upon the glory to be revealed in the
future, but while our thoughts are thus occupied we should not
fail to give our attention to our present wants and necessities.
Do we know how to procure the means for our present subsistence?
Have we learned how to handle the things of this life in the name
of Israel's God to his glory, for the building up of his kingdom,
for the bringing forth of his Zion, for the redemption of the
earth, for the establishment of everlasting righteousness, and
for the endless happiness of those who will thus be made happy? I
am satisfied that there are hundreds of people in this community
who would starve to death, if they were not continually told how
to obtain the means of subsistence. Do they know how to cultivate
the earth and draw from its bosom beauty and embellishment? No;
they would do no more towards this than the Indians do, unless
some person not only tells them how, but also shows them by his
own works. How many of the ladies present have made the ribbons
they wear? How many of them have made the bonnets and hats they
wear? The time is at hand when you must make them or do without
them.
6
I love to see the human form and the human face adorned, but let
our adorning be the workmanship of our hands, from the elements
with which we are constantly surrounded. I love beauty whether
adorned or unadorned. I love chaste and refined manners,
especially when they are founded upon virtue. The etiquette that
is of the world is not after God and godliness. It bears upon it
a false gloss; it has not for its purpose the happiness of
mankind. The etiquette which is after God is to make my brother
of my sister as happy as I am, if they will accept of it. It is
to teach men how to rise from a state of degradation to an
honourable standing in the society of the just.
6
In the days of the Apostles it was written, "And all that
believed were together and had all things common; and sold their
possessions and goods, and parted them to all men as every man
had need. And they continued daily with one accord in the temple,
and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with
gladness and singleness of heart, &c." This was all right in the
Apostles, to show a certain principle that was hereafter to be
acted upon. It does not require more than common enlightenment to
discover that such an order of things, if persisted in, would
result in poverty, hunger, nakedness and destitution. I say to my
brethren and sisters, come let us learn how to gather around us
from the elements an abundance of every comfort of life, and
convert them to our wants and happiness, filling our storehouses
with wheat, wine, and oil, filling our wardrobes with woollen
cloth and fine linen, with silks and satins of the finest quality
and patterns from the looms of Deseret, going onward and upward
until the whole earth is filled with the glory of God. Let us not
remain ignorant with the ignorant, but let us show the ignorant
how to be wise.
6
I am constantly trying to teach the people how to extract from
the elements the means for their present comfort and
independence, and how to first become perfectly obedient to the
Gospel of Christ, and then children will be obedient to their
parents, and in the Church and kingdom of God every person will
learn to act in his order and station, and wisdom will take up
her abode with us. Let fathers be willing to be taught by the
Holy Priesthood, then let them in all mildness, by example and
precept, teach their families; and let wives be one with their
husbands in this labor of salvation, that the rising generation
may be a better class of people than is the present.
6
I have promised the people South, that if they will cultivate the
ground and ask the blessings of God upon it, the desert shall
blossom as a rose, pools of living water shall spring up on the
parched ground, and the wilderness shall become glad. The Lord
has planted the feet of the Saints in the most forbidding portion
of the earth, apparently, that he may see what they will do with
it. I may confidently say that no other people on the earth could
live here and make themselves comfortable. If we settle on these
deseret and parched plains, upon the sides of these rugged and
sterile mountains, and cultivate the earth, praying the blessing
of God upon our labors, he will make this country as fruitful as
any other portion of the earth. May the Lord bless the people.
Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Daniel
H. Wells, October 26, 1862
Daniel H. Wells, October 26, 1862
ENJOYMENT OF LIBERTY UNDER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Remarks by President Daniel H. Wells, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 26, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
7
The Gospel of salvation is interesting to me, to you, and should
be to all the world, for by it we are to be judged. This test
will be put to all. The principles of life and salvation the
Gospel offers to us, which if we neglect will be brought up
against us in a day to come. The light of truth has been revealed
by the Savior, and through the mercy of the Lord he has sent
forth his servants to proclaim this Gospel to all nations. What
for? To injure them? No; but to bless them. The time has come in
this age of the world when God has set himself to take the rule
and the power of the earth into his own hands. He has sent forth
Joseph, and Hyrum, and Brigham, and Heber, and Jedediah, and
Willard, and Daniel, and the Twelve Apostles and the other
authorities of the Holy Priesthood which is established upon the
earth. The communication has been opened up between the heavens
and the earth. He has sent forth a message to all nations,
saying, "Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his
judgment has come." It has been proclaimed to the world by
faithful men for many years--it has been sounded in the by-ways
and highways, in city and hamlet, and in the nooks and corners of
the earth; and, in a coming day the people will be judged by it,
because it has been sent forth by the direct counsel of Heaven.
7
It is our duty to sustain the principles of truth, virtue and
integrity, and every principle that has been revealed from the
Almighty to his children on the earth. If it is the duty of one
man to do this, it is the duty of every man to do the same; and
every man will be found wanting unless he obeys this Heavenly
message. How shall we do it when we are compassed about by all
the powers of earth and hell to overcome, overthrow and destroy
us? By cleaving to the Lord of hosts, who is mighty to save, and
by cleaving to those holy principles of life and power which he
has revealed. The more the floods of iniquity surge up against
us, the closer let us cling to those principles, for they will
bear us off victoriously to exaltation and glory in this world
and in the worlds to come. The same principles have exalted our
Father and our God to his present state of glory and power, and
they will exalt you and me and all who will bide them in the
scale of human existence and eternal progression. They are the
same principles which have been revealed in the latter days for
the salvation of mankind, and for their exaltation to the
presence of God the Father in heaven. They have always existed,
and always will continue to exist. They will abide after the
refuge of lies has been swept away. It is not now as it has been
in days and years gone by. The kingdom is now established; it is
upon the earth never again to be prevailed against or to be
overcome by sin and iniquity.
8
All men have their volition, and are responsible to God alone for
it. As the kingdom of God grows and becomes mighty upon the
earth, laws will be given suited to the condition of the children
of men, in their respective governments and nationalities,
according to their views and principles. The supreme law of the
world will be the law of God, and all people will choose to obey
or disobey as they list. All will be governed according to their
circumstances and the principles which will be revealed from time
to time for their best good. This is not the work of a day, but
of eternity--it is without beginning of days or end of years.
8
I feel gratified that I live in this day and age of the world; I
am thankful for this privilege. "Would you not have preferred to
live in the days of Jesus?" says one. No, nor in the days of
Moses, nor in the days of Noah. Had I lived in Noah's days I
might have been drowned in the great flood. I prefer to live
now--to-day--in the days of Brigham and Heber, and in the days of
the great Prophet Joseph and Hyrum, although they did not stay
long with us. They are not far away from us, neither is the Lord.
Brigham is here, Heber and Daniel are here, and the Twelve
Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ are here, and the organization
of the Church and kingdom of God is here, with the Holy
Priesthood which is after the order of the Son of God; and this
is the great chain which opens up a communication between the
heavens and the earth, and in it there is safety; and through it
truth will prevail over the face of the whole earth, and by its
power the kingdom of God will be established upon the earth no
more to be prevailed against. What matters it to us who speaks in
anger against it? The truth is all the same, no matter who walks
it under their feet. The eternal principles of salvation and
exaltation are the same, no matter who does despite to them.
8
In trying to injure the truth, and impede it in its progress,
they only injure themselves, and will bring upon themselves swift
destruction and a righteous judgment according as it shall be
ordered by our Father in heaven. God is merciful and forbearing.
Can we forbear as well as he can? We can, although we are far
from being as good as he is. If he can forbear many years with a
man who will not say grace over his meat, or bend his knee to his
God in acknowledgment of his mercy, we surely can bear a little
with the infirmities of our brethren, and the ignorance of the
ungodly world.
9
As a people and community we have borne much; and all we have
ever asked of any people or government has been our rights in
common with the rest of mankind; but these they seek to withhold
from us, which they have no right to do, hence they are under
condemnation, and we shall go free. We believe and worship as we
choose, and live under a Government that guarantees unto us that
right. Inasmuch as they do not give us those rights, they violate
one of the holiest and most sacred provisions of the Constitution
of our country, and destruction will be the consequence. The
fathers of the revolution fought and bled to secure this holy
right to their children so long as the world should last or the
Government continue. We are therefore bold in declaring our
principles, and in defending our rights. There are countries in
the world where imprisonment would be the penalty of the free
expression of principles and rights; but they do not live under
and enjoy the blessings of the Constitution which we live under.
Yet even in this free country some have sought to deprive us of
the free enjoyment of the privileges granted unto us in the
Constitution of our country, and they will have to pay the
penalty for so doing, for they trample under foot the
Constitution that grants to them their own liberties, and thus
subvert their own liberties, which it becomes them as well as us
to preserve inviolate. It becomes us to cleave to God and our
holy religion, trusting in him because in him there is power--in
him there is strength; and if we remain faithful, we shall come
off victorious, and walk under our feet every principle that is
calculated to destroy, and rear the standard of truth and
righteousness in the world in spite of hell and all the hosts
thereof. Let us be encouraged, and go steadily on in the
performance in our duties, cultivating the earth, and bringing
from the elements all we need for our sustenance that we may be
free and independent, so far as we can, by depending on our own
resources with which the Lord has abundantly blessed us. We are
greatly blessed in that the Lord has planted our feet in these
quiet valleys from those who sought our destruction; while he has
brought an overwhelming destruction on them, he has brought
safety to us. We can see his wisdom, and his mighty hand
manifested in this. Let us henceforth put our trust in that arm
which has been so prominently made bare in saving the righteous.
May God add his blessing. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Wilford Woodruff, July 27, 1862
Wilford Woodruff, July 27, 1862
FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY.--POWER OF THE GOSPEL.--CONSISTENCY
OF ITS PRINCIPLES.
Discourse by Elder Wilford Woodruff, delivered in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, July 27, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
9
Brother Taylor gave us a very interesting discourse this morning
upon the first principles of the Gospel, contrasting them with
the religion of the Christian world, showing the authority by
which they administered in different ages the ordinances of
religion according to the traditions of their fathers. He
remarked that the Elders of this Church went forth as the
Apostles did in the days of the Savior, promising to the people,
on conditions of obedience, the gift of the Holy Ghost; and he
remarked that no other people would do that, because they do not
possess the authority to do it.
10
I do not know that I can spend the few moments that I may speak
here, better than to read a little on the authority that we have
for pursuing this course. This portion that I am going to read,
is the word of the Lord to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, as well as to the whole world:--
10
"Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of Him who
dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I
say, hearken ye people from afar, and ye that are upon the
islands of the sea, listen together; for verily the voice of the
Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape, and there is
no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear,
neither heart that shall not be penetrated: and the rebellious
shall be pierced with much sorrow, for their iniquities shall be
spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be
revealed; and the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by
the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last
days, and they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the
Lord have commanded them.
10
"Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my
servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which
I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the
earth: wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people, for what I the
Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled. And verily, I say
unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the
inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on
earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious; yea, verily,
to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be
poured out upon the wicked without measure; unto the day when the
Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his
work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he
has measured to his fellow-man.
10
"Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth,
that all that will hear may hear: prepare ye, prepare ye for that
which is to come, for the Lord is nigh; and the anger of the Lord
is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall
upon the inhabitants of the earth; and the arm of the Lord shall
be revealed. And the day cometh that they who will not hear the
voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither
give heed to the words of the Prophets and Apostles, shall be cut
off from among the people; for they have strayed from mine
ordinances, and they have broken mine everlasting covenant; they
seek not the Lord, to establish his righteousness, but every man
walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose
image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is
that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon,
even Babylon the great, which shall fall.
10
"Wherefore I, the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come
upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph
Smith, jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him
commandments; and also gave commandments to others, that they
should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it
might be fulfilled, which was written by the Prophets; the weak
things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty
and strong ones; that man should not counsel his fellow-man,
neither trust in the arm of flesh, but that every man might speak
in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; that
faith also might increase in the earth; that mine everlasting
covenant might be established; that the fulness of my Gospel
might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of
the world, and before kings and rulers.
11
"Behold, I am God and have spoken it: these commandments are of
me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the
manner of their language, that they might come to understanding,
and inasmuch as they erred it might be made known: and inasmuch
as they sought wisdom they might be instructed; and inasmuch as
they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent: and
inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and
blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time:
and after having received the record of the Nephites, yea, even
my servant Joseph Smith, jun., might have power to translate
through the mercy of God, by the power of God, the Book of
Mormon; and also those to whom these commandments were given,
might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to
bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only
true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with
which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church
collectively and not individually, for I, the Lord, cannot look
upon sin with the least degree of allowance; nevertheless, he
that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be
forgiven; and he that repents not, from him shall be taken even
the light which he has received, for my Spirit shall not always
strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.
11
"And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth, I
the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh,
for I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall
know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is
nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the
devil shall have power over his own dominion, and also the Lord
shall have power over his Saints, and shall reign in their midst,
and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world.
11
"Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and
the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be
fulfilled.
11
"What I, the Lord, have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not
myself: and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word
shall not pass away, but all shall be fulfilled, whether by mine
own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same; for
behold and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record,
and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever.
Amen."--[See Doc. & Cov., pages 65-68.]
12
What do you think of that revelation, brethren? Does this look
like a Yankee scheme, or something made up to cheat somebody? No,
this is the word of the Lord; it is a sermon of itself. The Lord
has sustained that revelation from that day to the present, and
that is the reason why brother Taylor and the Elders of this
Church go forth declaring the words of life, and they know that
they have not taken this honor upon themselves, but that they
were called of God as was Aaron. I do not care how illiterate an
Elder in this Church is, if he has been faithful to his calling;
it is a matter I care but little about if a man can neither read
nor write, if he has been called and ordained to the Priesthood
in this Church and kingdom by Joseph Smith, or any of those
ordained by him to that Priesthood which was given unto the
Prophet by Peter, James and John, who by commandment came and
ordained him to the Melchizedek Priesthood. John the Baptist held
the Aaronic Priesthood, and the authority commenced there, and by
those men that held the keys of the kingdom of God in former
dispensations. It is that authority that has inspired this; it is
this that has inspired the Elders of Israel from the commencement
to the present day.
12
Why should the Elders and people now think it strange that those
messengers who have gone forth, shouldering their knapsacks and
travelling thousands of miles to preach the Gospel, should be the
especial objects of his favor? The Almighty has proven them all
the day long, and he has been with them, and in fact there has
never been any portion of the Priesthood officiating in sacred
ordinances but God has been with them. In this revelation the
Lord calls upon his servants, and says, "I, the Lord, am willing
to make this known to the children of men, that I have called my
servant Joseph, that the world may be left without excuse."
12
Joseph Smith knew just as well as the Lord knew that he was
called of God, and that he was called to perform a work for the
redemption of man. Has he ever disappointed anybody when he has
made a promise to them? Has he ever disappointed a Prophet or
lawgiver in any age of the world? No, never. But he has declared
that the heavens and the earth shall pass away, but his word
shall never pass away, but that it shall all be fulfilled. It is
just so in our day. All the words which the Lord has spoken
through his servants will be fulfilled to the very letter,
whether those words are in reference to the salvation of the
righteous or the condemnation of the wicked. Christ had his mind
upon this point when he said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my words shall not pass away."--Matthew xxiv, 35. Again, it
is written, "For I will hasten my word to perform it;" and when
the Lord spake through Isaiah upon this subject he said. "So
shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not
return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." The Elders
go forth to preach the Gospel to the nations of the earth,
knowing that the Lord will back up their word by the power and
demonstration of the Holy Ghost.
12
There is but one Gospel, neither will there be any other for the
salvation of this, nor of any other world that we know of; but
this we do know that this Gospel preached in any age of the world
will produce the same effect. We also know that any man who
receives this Priesthood, and is faithful thereunto, will receive
the same blessings and power in any and every age of the world.
On this account and for this reason, Utah--the valleys of Deseret
are being filled with the children of men. The Almighty has sent
his servants to preach the Gospel they have not gone upon their
own authority: had they done so, they might have called upon the
inhabitants of the earth till doomsday, and they would not have
been successful, but this land would still have been a desert,
occupied only by Indians and wild beasts. But the hand of God was
with us, and hence we had no fear of telling the people our
message, and now there are tens of thousands who know the truth
as well as we do, for they have embraced the Gospel and received
this testimony for themselves. There never was a man that
embraced this Gospel, but has received this testimony of the
truth, if he has done so in sincerity and in truth. The Lord has
always been ready to redeem his promise, and in giving that
testimony which was necessary for the establishing of them in the
most holy faith.
13
The Lord has sustained us as a people in all places and under all
circumstances. We have gone forth as sheep among wolves; among a
people full of tradition and superstition, and we have had all
these things to cope with in our administrations among the
people, but the Lord was with us wherever we went, backing up our
words by the testimony and power of the Holy Ghost, and the
people to whom we administered received the same testimony as had
been given unto us.
13
We are beginning to realize that the things which the Lord has
promised things which the Lord has promised unto us thirty years
ago are now being fulfilled to the very letter. Is there much
peace in the world of mankind? No, there is not: peace is fast
being taken from the children of men. We are at peace in Utah,
but let me tell you that the Lord has foretold by the revelations
of Jesus Christ all these things that are now fulfilling before
our eyes.
13
I copied a revelation more than twenty-five years ago, in which
it is stated that war should be in the south and in the north,
and that nation after nation would become embroiled in the tumult
and excitement, until war should be poured out upon the whole
earth, and that this war would commence at the rebellion of South
Carolina, and that times should be such that every man who did
not flee to Zion would have to take up the sword against his
neighbor or against his brother. These things are beginning to be
made manifest, but the end is not yet; but it will come, and that
too much sooner than the world of mankind anticipate, and all
those things spoken by the mouths of his Prophets will be
fulfilled.
13
We are gathering together here for certain purposes understood
and in the mind of the Lord, one of which is that we may be
sanctified and prepared for the great work of the future. We have
carried this work to the various nations of the earth, and the
people to whom we have preached have thought of us saying that
there was no other Gospel than that which we had to proclaim, as
was clearly and demonstratively set forth to-day. The Gospel of
Jesus Christ is perfect in all its parts. The words of the
Psalmist David will apply to our religion, where he says:--"The
law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of
the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the
Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord
is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and
righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea,
than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."
13
According to the vision of John the Revelator, there are to be
"six hundred, threescore and six" false sects of religion: how
many of these already exist is a matter of dispute among
theologists, but I suppose that the number is nearly complete.
Let me now ask if you think things look or indicate that these
contending creeds are all of God. It is certainly not like the
order carried out in the days of Christ and his Apostles. It is
much more like the confusion of the Pharisees, Essenes,
Herodians, Sadducees and Stoics, for they had different creeds,
principles and notions by which they were governed, and it is
just so now with the sectarian world. It is composed of every
sect and party that profess religion upon the face of the earth.
But the honest in heart will be gathered out of all these creeds
and systems and be brought home to Zion.
14
There have been thousands of men and women who have listened to
the preaching of the Elders of this Church, who have not embraced
it for fear of their good name; and there have been many
clergymen who have listened attentively to the Elders of Israel,
and they have spent days and nights in meditating upon the things
of God, and studying what to do, realizing within themselves that
if they received this testimony they would be dishonored in the
eyes of the world. They fear becoming a hiss and a by-word among
the children of men in this generation. Hence the majority of
them have rejected it.
14
Many celebrated men have investigated this subject, and far more
of them have had fears that it was true than that it was false. I
visited folks in Long Island in 1837; I talked with one minister
named Newton, in fact I stayed with him some twelve days and
preached the Gospel to him. He attended meetings, and finally
became so that he could neither eat, drink, nor sleep, he was so
troubled about the Gospel; but instead of embracing it, sent
after a minister who lived on the south side of the island, for
the purpose of having me put down or silenced. I persevered and
soon baptized most of the members of Mr. Newton's church. Mr.
Douglass, a Methodist minister of the south side of the island
came, stayed a short time and then returned. I followed him home
and succeeded in baptizing most of his church; and instead of
these men getting any honor by opposing me they were both brought
into disgrace. They lost their religion, their church and
members, and were really disgraced. When I was there last, one of
them was in the Penitentiary for one of the worst crimes that a
man can be guilty of, except murder, and the other was travelling
the streets peddling small articles for his bread. The chastening
hand of the Lord will always follow those that oppose the truth
of Heaven as revealed through the Prophet of God. This is in
accordance with the experience of all our Elders. The Holy Ghost
has been with them to back up their words, and I can say for all
that, we have not done a thing but it has been backed up by the
power of the Almighty, so far as we have labored for the
upbuilding of the kingdom of God.
14
In regard to holding office in the Priesthood, I can truly say
that I never asked any man for any office in this Church, and I
believe I never asked any man for any office in this Church, and
I believe I never asked the Lord but once, and my asking the Lord
came about in this way. I went up to Missouri in Zion's camp; I
saw the Prophet every day, and I knew he was a Prophet of God.
About this time I had a great anxiety to preach the Gospel; this
desire increased upon me, and I finally resolved to ask the Lord
to open my way, so I went down into a hickory grove and prayed,
during which I asked him to give me the privilege to preach the
Gospel. I prayed fervently to the Almighty to give me the
privilege of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and when I got
through praying I started for the place from whence I came, and I
had not walked more than about forty rods before I met a High
Priest, and the first thing he said to me was, "It is the will of
the Lord that you go and preach the Gospel." I told him I was
ready and willing to do anything the Lord required of me; I was
therefore ordained a Priest and sent to labor in Arkansas.
15
I will now name a circumstance which I have never named in public
before. I went into Arkansas, travelled a hundred miles out of my
way to see a man that had embraced the Gospel some time before I
went there. He was full of wrath and indignation when I went in;
he railed against Joseph Smith, Bishop Partridge and Father
Morley. The Lord showed me the night before that I had enemies in
that town. I talked over my feelings with the brother who
accompanied me, and he wanted to leave the town, but I said no, I
would not go away, for I wanted to see what the Lord wanted of
me. All the people were mad with rage, and we could not get
anybody to preach to; in fact they were all full of rage till
they were mad with it. For some time I could not see my way
clearly, but we finally called upon an old man named Hubbard, and
engaged to go and clear timber. During the short time that we
were employed at that the Lord sent me three times to visit that
old apostate, and each time when I went there I could only bear
testimony to him of the truth of the Gospel. When I went the
third time he followed me out of the house as full of wrath as
the Devil, and he had not followed me more than about eight rods
when he fell dead at my feet. This is a short story and a very
singular one.
15
At that time I had not power to lay on hands for the gift of the
Holy Ghost, only holding the Aaronic Priesthood, but the Lord
sustained me and his work just as well as if I had been an
Apostle. We baptized father Hubbard and his wife, after which we
went on our way rejoicing. The Lord has fed and sustained his
servants, and manifested his power according to circumstances,
and so he will continue to do through life to all that are
faithful and true to their covenants.
15
When the United States sent an army to this land for our
destruction, the Lord had his eye upon us for good and he
delivered us from all our enemies. The wicked have designed our
destruction from the first organization of this Church and
kingdom, but our leaders have been inspired by the gift and power
of God. Who frustrated that army in their design? The Lord our
God; and now the judgments that have come upon the nation in
consequence of their treatment to this people, are a sore
vexation to them, but it is the hand-dealing of the Almighty and
we cannot help it. Every Elder in this Church who lives his
religion knows that this which is now transpiring is according to
the mind and foreshadowings of the Holy Spirit, and those out of
the Church may know if they will. If persons will believe the
Bible, the Book of Doctrines and Covenants, and the Book of
Mormon, they can therein learn the fate of the world, for it is
there pointed out in great plainness. Who can stay this war that
is devastating the whole nation both North and South? No human
hand; it is out of the power of man, excepting by the repentance
of the whole nation, for they have shed the blood of the
Prophets, driven this Church and people from their midst, yes,
the very people that hold the keys of salvation for the world
they have banished from their midst, they have turned those keys
that will seal their condemnation, and for this the Lord our God
has taken peace out of their midst. Will there ever be any more
peace among them? No, not until the earth is drenched with the
blood of the inhabitants thereof. When the spirit of the Gospel
leaves any people it leaves them in a worse condition than it
found them, the spirit of ferocity, darkness and war will take
hold of that people, and the time will come when every man that
does not take his sword against his neighbor will have to go to
Zion for safety.
16
These things sound strange in the ears of our neighbors of the
nation with which we are connected, but let me tell you they are
strictly true. Remember Christ's words in regard to the temple,
viz., "There shall not be left here one stone upon another that
shall not be thrown down."--Matthew xxiv., 2. The Lord Jesus
Christ is as truthful now as he was then, and no power can stay
his hand. Have we any fears of the consequences of what will
transpire? No, we have not, for we know that God is at the helm.
When this kingdom commenced it was like a mustard seed, very
small, but the Lord has sustained it and he will continue to
control it to the end of time. Although peace is being taken from
the earth yet this kingdom will thrive and prosper until every
kingdom and government shall be broken to pieces, and every power
shall be subject to the God of heaven.
16
Here are Elders who are faithful and true who have preached the
Gospel from Maine to Texas, and from the Atlantic to California,
and the warning voice has been lifted in Europe and in the
Islands of the Sea, and thousands have embraced it and been made
to rejoice in the truth.
16
We know that this work is of God, and that it will roll forth and
prosper though all the world oppose. War is only one of the
troubles that the United States are going to receive; and I can
further testify, that there is no nation that will escape the
judgments of the Almighty. There is no ear but what has to be
penetrated with the sound of the Gospel of Christ; and by-and-by
the Elders of Israel will be taken from those nations where they
are now preaching, and there will be another set of Missionaries
sent amongst the people; there will be the voice of lightning,
the noise of war, and of all those judgments which have been
enumerated and prophesied of since the beginning of time, and
they will go forth among the nations until the land is cleansed
from the abominations that now reign upon the face of the earth.
16
When this Gospel was first proclaimed to the world, darkness
covered the earth; and wherever this doctrine is preached by
those having authority and it is rejected, that people become
more dark than they were before, and go blindly along like the ox
to the slaughter, and they will sooner or later be overtaken by
the judgments of the Almighty.
16
This is the nature of our testimony, brethren and sisters, we
know that this work is true; we also know that Joseph Smith was a
Prophet of God, and the Bible could not have been fulfilled
unless the Lord had raised up Prophets to declare the everlasting
Gospel unto the children of men; he never could have brought his
judgments upon the nations until he had raised up those Prophets
who were ordained to come and warn the world. The Lord is now
doing this work of warning, first by his servants and then by his
judgments. In speaking of the kingdom of God I will here remark,
that it is always alike, or in other words it is always governed
by the same laws, by Apostles and Prophets, and you cannot have a
Church of Christ without these officers; there never was such a
church since the beginning of the world. If any person will show
me a people that were acknowledged of God, who did not have
Prophets to lead them, I will confess that to be something which
I have not found.
17
Paul says, speaking of the Church of Christ, "And he gave some
Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some
Pastors and Teachers." Then, in another part of the writings of
the same Apostle, he shows that with such an organization one
part cannot say to the other "I have no need of thee," but that
all are necessary in the Church of Christ. It is just so with the
gifts and graces of the Gospel. A great many of you have seen men
without some of their limbs, and just as quick as I come to a man
who has lost an arm I see it. I remember once seeing a man in
London without any legs, dragging along as best he could, and of
course it was very inconvenient for him to travel; but I will
tell you one thing which I never did see, I never saw any man
going around without any head. A man can live without arms or
without legs, but he cannot without a head, and it is precisely
so with the Church of Christ; one is just as impossible as the
other. No other order has been manifested in this our day. We
have a Prophet to lead and govern this people; we also have
pastors and teachers, the Holy Ghost and the revelations of Jesus
Christ right from heaven unto us, and we are realizing every day
the fulfilment of these things that are promised to the faithful.
17
Brethren and sisters, we ought to be truly thankful to our Father
and God, for he has been merciful to us, he has bestowed upon us
his Spirit so that our ears have been opened to hear and our
hearts to understand and to rejoice in the good things of the
kingdom of God. And how lamentable it is that so few in the
present generation have embraced the fulness of the Gospel,
perhaps not one in ten thousand have received the truth. The Jews
have suffered long and grievously for their rebellion, and they
will continue to suffer for some time yet, but woe unto the
Gentiles when they reject the light that is offered, for when
that stone, which is spoken of in Scripture, falls upon them they
cannot escape the crushing power thereof, it will grind them to
powder.
17
Let us be faithful, serve our God and trust in him, and then,
through the influence of his Spirit we shall know the signs of
the times, and be prepared and made meet for our Master's use.
17
I ask that this may be our portion, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, October 6, 1862
Brigham Young, October 6, 1862
NEVER ENDING CHARACTER OF A SAINTS' MISSION.
ORGANIZATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Discourse by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
17
We have opened our Conference to present before the congregation
such principles and doctrines and to transact such business as
may be necessary for the instruction and edification of the
Saints and the advancement of the cause of truth.
18
It has been remarked by some of the Missionaries who have lately
returned, that though they had arrived at home, they did not
consider their missions at an end. When persons become subjects
of the kingdom of God they enter upon a mission that will never
end. They may turn away from the holy commandments, and forsake
the kingdom, but so long as they remain faithful so long will
their missions as advocates for God and his righteousness be
continued. There may be intervals of rest, of relaxation from the
more arduous duties of their missions, but in such times they are
not by any means to consider their missions ended. Christ will
not cease his labors pertaining to this earth until it is
redeemed and sanctified ready to be presented spotless to the
Father.
18
Luke records the words of Christ as follows:--"But rather seek ye
the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto
you." Matthew records the saying still fuller:--"But seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these
things shall be added unto you." Jesus Christ did not exhort his
followers to seek something they could not find, something that
was not within their reach. He did not exhort them to ascend up
to heaven to bring the kingdom down, nor to descend into the deep
to bring it up, but he came to establish that kingdom, and it was
nigh unto them. I would say to the Latter-day Saints, seek to
know that the kingdom of God has been organized in our own time.
When this kingdom is organized in any age, the Spirit of its
dwells in the hearts of the faithful, while its visible
department exists among the people, with laws, ordinances, helps,
governments, officers, administrators, and every other appendage
necessary for its complete operation to the attainment of the end
in view. Seek to know that the kingdom of God is organized upon
the earth, and be sure to know that you have an interest in that
kingdom, and enjoy the Spirit of it day by day, for this is, or
ought to be, nearer to our hearts than all earthly
considerations. This privilege is within the reach of all, when
the Gospel is proclaimed to them. When men truly and heartily
repent, and make manifest to the heavens that their repentance is
genuine by obedience to the requirements made known to them
through the laws of the Gospel, then are they entitled to the
administration of salvation, and no power can withhold the good
Spirit from them. Cornelius is an instance of this. The Holy
Ghost fell on him and his household, through their faith and
earnest repentance, before they were baptized.
18
That we may understand things as they are, and thereby learn to
sanctify ourselves before the Lord our God, it is essentially
necessary that we practically live our religion. Every true
believer of this Gospel is anxious to gather to the home of the
Saints. I think I am safe in saying, that if there was a highway
cast up from England to the shores of the continent of America,
there are men who would be willing to measure the ground with
their bodies to reach this place. Even this does not tell their
anxiety to be here; it must be seen in the spirit, to know it as
it really is. We are agreed in gathering the Saints, as well as
in the initiatory ordinances of the Gospel of peace.
19
It may be said that the tug of trials has commenced when the
Saints begin to cross the plains to this place. This temporal
duty puts all their spiritual attainments to the test. There are
but few persons who thoroughly understand how to organize and
lead a company across the plains, and in this alone arises many
inconveniences and trials to the immigrants. How many hearts are
prepared to meet the difficulties, privations, trials and labors
to be encountered on the plains, without murmuring and
complaining? I should think but few. To believe the Gospel and
embrace it, to believe all that is written in the Bible, Book of
Mormon and Book of Doctrine and Covenants, is but a small matter
compared with giving up comfortable homes, friends and relatives,
being tossed upon the boisterous ocean, confined in narrow
limits, and being jostled in railway cars, exposed to the insults
and ridicule of rude and wicked persons that always assemble on
the public highways, and suffering the hardships and privations
incident to travelling over the plains.
19
I wish the people not to lose sight of one thing: that every
day's labor, every moment's toil, every prayer and exertion which
they make points to the building up of the kingdom of God upon
the earth. Let us seek daily to know that the kingdom of God is
established among us, according to the pattern in the heavens.
Under this knowledge our actions will constantly point in the
right direction, and every move we make will enhance the
interests of the general cause. When this kingdom is established
in its two-fold capacity--spiritually and temporally--then it is
given unto us to know how to secure everything else that is
necessary to enjoy on the earth. But it is our duty first to seek
to know that the kingdom of God is established and organized upon
the earth, that we have an interest in it, that that interest
above all others is the nearest and dearest to our hearts, as our
present and eternal welfare is embraced in it, and that we
possess the Spirit of this kingdom and enjoy it day by day.
19
Remarks have been made relating to the Saints travelling in
independent companies. When an independent company undertakes to
travel across the plains, they are generally too independent for
their own safety and good. There never was and never will be a
people in heaven nor on earth, in time nor in eternity, that can
be considered truly and entirely independent of counsel and
direction. Our independent companies entertain the same mistaken
views of independence as people generally do of the independence
of a Republican Government. Man in his ignorance is impatient of
control, and when he finds himself from under its influence he
supposes that he is then independent, or, in other words, that he
is a free man. Independence so viewed and so employed, either
individually or collectively, religiously or politically, must
open a wide arena of action for all the evil, selfish and
malignant qualities of depraved men, introducing distraction into
every ramification of society, destroying confidence, checking
the onward progress of industry and universal prosperity, and
bringing in famine, pestilence and destruction everywhere. An
independent company of immigrants can appoint their own captain
to guide them across the plains, and they can also dispute every
act of his for their good. They can find fault with him for
camping too soon or too late; for camping in this, that or the
other place; and if he offers them good advice, reject it because
they are independent and free, as they suppose. Individual
self-government lies at the root of all true and effective
government, whether in heaven or on earth. Those who govern
should be wiser and better than the governed, that the lesser may
be blessed of the greater. Were this so, then the people would
willingly repose their dearest interests to the trusts of their
rulers or leaders, and with a feeling of pleasure bow to and
carry out to the letter their instructions and conclusions on all
matters that pertained to the general good. This will apply to
great kingdoms and mighty nations, to small companies of
immigrants crossing the plains, or to the home circle. A
Republican Government in the hands of wicked people must
terminate in woe to that people, but in the hands of the
righteous it is everlasting, while its power reaches to heaven.
20
I had the pleasure of leading the first company of Saints to
these valleys, assisted by a few of my brethren. In this business
we have had a good experience.
20
I will here take the liberty of relating a little of my first
career in "Mormonism." In 1834, brother Joseph Smith the Prophet,
started with a company from the State of Ohio, picking up others
as he passed through various States on his route until he arrived
in Missouri. We had grumblers in that camp. We had to be troubled
with uneasy, unruly and discontented spirits. This was the first
time we had ever travelled in the capacity of a large company,
and it was my first experience in that mode of travelling.
Brother Joseph led, counselled and guided the company, and
contented against those unruly, evil disposed persons. When we
arrived in Missouri, the Lord spoke to his servant Joseph and
said, "I have accepted your offering," and we had the privilege
to return again. On my return many friends asked me what profit
there was in calling men from their labor to go up to Missouri
and then return, without apparently accomplishing anything. "Who
has it benefited?" asked they. "If the Lord did command it to be
done, what object had he in view in doing so?" I was then
comparatively ignorant, to what I am now, in regard to the
spirits and actions of mankind. But I then learned that those
persons who asked me such questions were weak in the faith and,
like a faulty column in an edifice, could not bear up under the
burden designed to rest upon them. This has since proved to be
the case. I wish this fact to sink into your hearts, that when
men or women have doubts, they also have fear; and when they have
fear, they are in danger of what? Of themselves. Want of
confidence is the parent of moral imbecility and intellectual
weakness. Hear it, ye Saints, that man or woman that is crowned
with crowns of glory, immortality and eternal lives will never be
heard to grumble or complain. I told those brethren that I was
well paid--paid with heavy interest--yea that my measure was
filled to overflowing with the knowledge that I had received by
travelling with the Prophet. When companies are led across the
plains by inexperienced persons, especially independent
companies, they are very apt to break into pieces, to divide up
into fragments, become weakened, and thus expose themselves to
the influences of death and destruction.
20
I sometimes think that I would be willing to give anything, to do
almost anything in reason, to see one fully organized Branch of
this kingdom--one fully organized Ward. "But," says one, "I had
supposed that the kingdom of God was organized long ago." So it
is, in one sense; and again, in another sense it is not.
Wheresoever this Gospel has been preached and people have
received it, the spiritual kingdom is set up and organized, but
is Zion organized? No. Is there even in this Territory a fully
organized Ward? Not one. It may be asked, "Why do you not fully
organize the Church?" Because the people are incapable of being
organized. I could organize a large Ward who would be subject to
a full organization, by selecting families from the different
Wards, but at present such a Branch of the Church is not in
existence.
21
I am satisfied that the mechanical ability of the people of this
Territory will rank with that of any other people, but there is
not one in five hundred that knows how to husband his ability and
economize his labor when he first comes to this new country. They
are for a time like a feather in the wind, until some
circumstances occurs to settle them in some position where they
can begin to do something to provide for themselves. It is not
easy to find a Bishop that knows how to settle, in a proper way,
the smallest difficulty that may occur in his Ward. There are but
few men that can guide themselves, and gather around them the
comforts and wealth of this life. In the settlements I passed
through during my late visit south, I saw comparatively little
wisdom manifested in the style and extent of their improvements.
Men who have been in this Church ten, fifteen, and twenty years,
and in this country from the first settlement of it, possessing
flocks of sheep and herds of cattle and horses running upon the
plains, what kind of houses have they? Log hovels and mud huts.
What have they in their houses? Two tin plates, a broken knife,
and a fork with one prong. If a person calls for lodgings, "O
yes, you can stay and welcome. Come wife, bake some potatoes and
squash, and roast some meat, bake some biscuit, and stew a little
of that fruit I bought at the store," and all this the poor woman
has to do in one little bake kettle. A good natured man enough,
an easy going sort of person, and his hair looks as though it had
not been cut or combed for years. After supper you retire to bed,
and before morning you are made fully satisfied that you are a
man of feeling. Is such enterprise worthy of Saints? Is this the
way to build up cities and make the earth like the garden of
Eden? Do such people know that the kingdom of God is set up on
the earth? "O yes, I have it in me." You have the spiritual
kingdom within you, but there is literal kingdom to build up.
21
There are scores of Elders in this Church who can preach, baptize
and lay on hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, that do not
know how to produce a livelihood for themselves, a wife, and one
child. It requires but little experience to do this, and much
less do they know how to build a good house, how to lay out and
build up a city, how to lay the foundations of Zion, &c., &c. Can
they lead a company of Saints across the plains? They can try,
and very likely the company will break to pieces, unless the
power of God is among them. This gives us a striking proof of the
necessity of the people's having faith and power with the
heavens, that if their Bishop does not know what he ought, their
faith will keep him in the right path and the Spirit of the Lord
will open to the vision of his mind the things that he should do.
That is the duty of the people.
22
We have a kingdom to organize, and I say, Seek to know that you
have the kingdom within you and that you are in it. Seek to
establish the kingdom of God upon the earth, for that will give
you wisdom to add to yourselves everything necessary. The Lord
will not himself plough our grounds, sow our grain, and reap it
when it is ripe. The man that understands the kingdom of God will
seek to understand the elements in which he lives, and to know
something of his own organization, the design of it, and the
designs of Heaven in it. Is the kingdom of God in its perfection
on the earth? It is not. True, we believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ, we believe in his ordinances. We believe that the Lord
called Joseph Smith and ordained him an Apostle and Prophet to
this generation, giving him the keys and power of the Holy
Priesthood. We believe in the gathering of the house of Israel in
the latter days, in the redemption of Zion, in the building up
and establishment of Jerusalem, and in the gathering of the Jews
from their long dispersion; in short, we believe all that the
ancient Prophets have spoken, but where is the people that is
willing to buildup the visible kingdom of God and that is capable
of dictating this great work.
22
The Lord will make the people willing in the day of his power.
This cannot refer to making the people willing to acknowledge
Jesus to be the Christ; it must refer to something else. Shall we
wait until we are whipped from among the wicked before we are
willing to gather out from among them and flee to Zion? This has
been the case with some, and what are such persons good for when
they get to Zion? I do not, however, wish to disturb anybody's
feelings; I am glad to see them come to a place of safety when
they are obliged to; but I would rather have seen them come in
the beginning, when they could have helped to kill the snakes,
build the bridges, make the roads, and manifest their faith that
we could raise fruit, grain and every staple necessary of life in
this country, help to open the kanyons, build the mills, bring
out the lumber and build towns and cities. But we are glad to see
them as they are, and we will do the best we can with them. There
are more coming.
22
Which will be best eventually, to go to with our might to build
up the Zion of God on the earth, or wait until we are whipped to
it? I can only broach the subject of building up the kingdom of
God as it must be built up in the latter days; I will leave it
for others to talk upon during the Conference, or not, as they
please. I know what I have to do, and that is to teach this
people to appreciate their own present lives. There is no life
more precious than the present life which we enjoy; there is no
life that is worth any more to us than this life is. It may be
said that an eternal life is worth more. We are in eternity, and
all that we have to do is to take the road that leads into the
eternal lives. Eternal life is an inherent quality of the
creature, and nothing but sin can put a termination to it. The
elements in their nature are as eternal as are the Gods. Let us
learn, under the guidance and direction of Heaven, how to use
these eternal elements for the building up, establishment and
sending forth of the kingdom of God, gathering up the poor in
heart to begin with, and the further things we will learn as we
progress.
22
Some of you may ask why the Lord did not perfectly organize at
least one Branch of the Church? When a great blessing is bestowed
up a people, and that blessing is not strictly honored and lived
to, in proportion to the greatness of that blessing, over and
above what has been previously enjoyed, it will be a curse to
them. I recollect that Joseph once said to me, when he was taking
upon the principle of the Lord's raising up seed to himself upon
the earth--a royal Priesthood, a holy nation that can offer
sacrifices acceptable to God--"Brother Brigham, it will damn many
of the Elders of Israel." There are but few men in this kingdom
that are now worthy of that blessing, yet all who are in full
fellowship must enjoy it.
22
We will wait patiently until we can get the people to know how to
secure to themselves the comforts of life, good houses, for
instance, and know how to raise fruit as well as bread. The best
fruit I ever saw in any country I saw exhibited in our recent
fair. It has been told the people, from the first of our coming
into this country, there existed in these elements as good
material for fruit as can be found anywhere. Then let us go forth
in faith and plant seed in the ground, and cultivate mother earth
and pray over the earth and over our crops and over all we
possess, and the curse will be removed, and God will restore
geniality to the atmosphere and fertility to the soil.
23
I wish to teach the Elders of this Church how to lead a company
across the plains, as well as how to preach the Gospel; to learn
them how to be a Bishop, a father to the people, as well as how
to kneel down and pray, or to rise up and preach. I wish to learn
them how to reconcile the people one to another, how to build
cities, how to beautify and redeem the earth, how to lead and
guide this people to life eternal, how to preside over their
families, and how to conduct themselves in the common avocations
of life. I have all this and more constantly before me.
23
Brethren is your Mission ended? No, it is as much upon you here
as when you are out in the distant parts of the earth preaching
the Gospel. Jesus Christ made water into wine by calling together
from the elements the properties of wine. He fed thousands of
people with five loaves and two small fishes by calling the
elements together to compose bread and fish; and he says,
"Greater works than these shall ye do, because I go to the
Father." It is our privilege and our duty to continue to learn,
until we shall have wisdom enough to command the elements as he
did, and until the earth is brought back to its paradisiacal
state. But we must first redeem ourselves from every root of
bitterness that may be in our nature, striving daily to overcome
the evil that is in the world and in ourselves, sanctifying our
hearts and affections until there shall be nothing abiding in us
contrary to the Holy Ghost in its perfect and full fruition of
enjoyment to the creature.
23
I think it likely that after a while I may be able to so humble
myself and become like a little child, as to be taught more fully
by the Heavens. Perhaps, when I am eighty years of age, I may be
able to talk with some Being of a higher sphere than this. Moses
saw the glory of God at that age, and held converse with better
beings than he had formerly conversed with. I hope and trust that
by the time I am that age I shall also be counted worthy to enjoy
the same privilege.
23
I pray you not to forget what I have said to you this morning,
but lay it up in your hearts, and pray that it may bring forth
fruit for the more perfect establishment of the kingdom of God
upon the earth. Amen.
24
FUTURE STATE OF EXISTENCE.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
24
I will offer a few remarks in relation to the difference between
this and the next state of existence. The next state of existence
is a spiritual one. The spirit which is now clothed with mortal
flesh will be set free from that encumbrance, and the spirits of
Saints will be free from the power of sin and Satan.
24
This state is a trial, wherein the spirit clothed upon with flesh
labors to sanctify, redeem and save the flesh, that in the
resurrection the spirit and the body may be made eternally one,
through the power of the atonement and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
24
The next state of existence is the paradisiacal state of the
spirit, a state of waiting until the body shall pass through the
purification and refinement given to it by passing through death
and the grave; then cometh the resurrection which bringeth to
pass the reunion of the body and the spirit. "O, how great the
plan of our God. For on the other hand, the paradise of God must
deliver up the spirit of the righteous, and the grave deliver up
the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body are
restored to each other again, and all men become incorruptible
and immortal, and they are living souls," &c.
24
From the state of embryo to the time of birth, and from infancy
to ripe old age, unseen dangers lurk in our path to mar our
bodies or to render our senses inefficient; hence we see the
lame, the maimed, the blind, the deaf, dumb, weak, sickly and so
on.
24
I think it has been taught by some that as we lay our bodies
down, they will so rise again in the resurrection with all the
impediments and imperfections that they had here; and that if a
wife does not love her husband in this state she cannot love him
in the next. This is not so. Those who attain to the blessing of
the first or celestial resurrection will be pure and holy, and
perfect in body. Every man and woman that reaches to this
unspeakable attainment will be as beautiful as the angels that
surround the throne of God. If you can, by faithfulness in this
life, obtain the right to come up in the morning of the
resurrection, you need entertain no fears that the wife will be
dissatisfied with her husband, or the husband with the wife; for
those of the first resurrection will be free from sin and from
the consequences and power of sin. This body "is sown in
corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor,
it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in
power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."
"And, as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly."
25
God has done his part towards putting us in possession of
celestial glory and happiness, by providing the means whereby we
may attain to it; and if ever we possess it, we must do so by
conforming to the means provided. God has given the children of
men dominion over the earth and over all things that pertain to
it, and has commanded them to subdue it, and to sanctify
themselves before him, and also to sanctify and beautify the
earth by their industry, and by their wisdom and skill which
cometh from God. Learn, for instance, how to yoke together a pair
of oxen, how to manage and drive them across the plains, how to
get timber from the kanyons, how to make brick, and how to hew
stone and bring them into shape and position to please the eye
and create comfort and happiness for the Saints. These are some
of the mysteries of the kingdom. To receive the Gospel and
believe and enjoy it in the spirit, is the simplest part of the
work the Latter-day Saints have to learn and perform.
25
God has made man lord of all things here below, and it is the
labor of man to bring all things unto subjection to God, by first
subjecting himself to the will of God, and then subjecting all
things over which he has control, in their time and order. The
will of God is eternal life to his people and to all they
control.
25
May God bless you. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, June 8, 1862
Brigham Young, June 8, 1862
DESIGN OF THE LORD IN GATHERING TOGETHER HIS PEOPLE.
WISDOM AND ECONOMY IN DOMESTIC AFFAIRS.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, June 8, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
26
The miracles wrought in the days of Moses for the deliverance of
the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, as they are
recorded in the Old Testament, appear to be wonderful displays of
the power of God. I need not here rehearse the history of the
children of Israel, with which the majority of this congregation
are well acquainted, but I wish to say that if all instances
where the power of God has been displayed through the Elders of
this Church were written, we should find that as great and
wonderful miracles have been wrought among this people as have
been wrought among any people in any age of the world, and yet
this Church is only in its infancy. The children of Israel, it is
written, were brought out of Egypt with an high hand and an
outstretched arm, to inherit a land flowing with milk and honey;
we have assembled in those distant valleys for the trial of our
faith. They were delivered out of a dreadful bondage, leaving
none behind; we have willingly sold and otherwise left our
possessions, at the same time leaving friends, parents,
companions, &c., behind. The distance to their land of promise
was but a few miles from the country of their bondage, while a
great many of this people have traversed over one-half of the
globe to reach the valleys of Utah.
26
Brother Goddard spoke this morning in relation to the words of
the Lord pertaining to the saving of paper rags. His remarks were
amusing, and had he coupled some of the ancient revelations and
sayings, recorded as the Lord's, with his remarks concerning
paper rags, those remarks would have been still more amusing;
such for instance, as "If a bird's nest chance to be before thee
in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young
ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young or upon the
eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young; but thou shalt
in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it
may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days."
Again, "Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together."
Again, "Thou shall make thee fringes upon the four quarters of
thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself," &c., &c. Seeing
many such instances as these in the Bible, we cannot marvel at a
man's talking about paper in rags in a religious meeting, and
saying that it is the word of the Lord or at least the word of
wisdom that we should save our rags.
26
Let us realize one fact in addition to the great miracles that
have ever been exhibited among God's people. From the beginning
of the world to this time, when the Lord has gathered together a
people to be a chosen people to him, he has always begun to
educate them by instructing them in the little things pertaining
to life, which he never does when his people remain mixed with
the wicked. Before the Lord, through Moses, called upon the
children of Israel to leave Egypt, he had no such instructions
for them as we have quoted; he had nothing to say to them about
governing themselves, nor about driving out their enemies before
them, nor taking a course to sustain themselves: in fact, they
were far below this people in the scale of independence and
civilized life. In righteousness this people far excel the
ancient Israelites; indeed, I would not wish to compare the
righteousness of the children of Israel with the righteousness of
the Latter-day Saints, for multitudes of the Latter-day Saints
will enter into the rest of the Lord, but only two persons out of
the hosts of Israel were permitted to do so.
27
While the meek of the earth remain scattered among the wicked,
the Elders of this Church can go forth with the Old and New
Testament in their hands, and show what the Lord is going to do
in the latter days, the great miracles he will perform, the
gathering of his people, the saving of his Saints, the building
up of Zion, the redeeming of the house of Israel, the
establishing of the New Jerusalem, the bringing back of the ten
tribes, and the consuming of their enemies before them,
overthrowing kingdoms, &c., &c., and this is proclaimed to both
Saint and sinner. But when the people of God are gathered out to
one place, they are then taught the so-called little things that
pertain to every day life, which they cannot be taught while they
are in a scattered condition. Many come here under a mistaken
impression; they think they are gathered to this place to be told
how people live in heaven, to receive a minute description of the
inhabitants of heaven, to be told how they associate together,
whether they live in cities, of what the houses are built, what
kind of architecture prevails there, how the cities are laid out,
and how the heaven of heavens is built, who dwells there, where
the inhabitants came from, their stature and complexion, whether
God is a personage of tabernacle or not, what means for
locomotion he uses when he visits his friends, what he eats for
breakfast, how often he changes his clothes, what style of
clothing he wears, of what kind of material it is made, whether
they have winter and summer in heaven, seed time and harvest,
&c., &c. But no, my brethren, this is not what you have come here
for; the Lord has called the people together expressly to teach
them the things which pertain to this world and to this life,
that they may know how to honor the life he has given them here.
27
The inhabitants of the earth are ignorant with regard to the
design of their being; they are as ignorant in this respect as
the wild animals that roam over the plains. They may be very
religious, but the religion that is popular in the world now is
entirely another thing from the ways of the Lord. Many of their
traditions are good, and many of the people possess much good
moral religion; I may say, so far as morality goes, that they are
just as good as people can be, but they are not taught how to
govern and control themselves, they are not taught the worth of
their present life. The whole drift, labor, and exertions of the
priests of the day among the people are to prepare them to die. I
never had such a mission given to me, nor received such a calling
from the heavens; I have been called to preach life, and not
death. It is my business to teach mankind how to live, how to
honor their present existence, how to treat their bodies so as to
live to a good old age on the earth, and have power to do good
and not evil all their days, and be ready to enter into the rest
prepared for the Saints.
28
Almost any Elder in this Church can preach the Gospel, if he is
humble before God; he can tell all that the wicked would need to
hear from the Old and New Testament. Many of the Elders are
scholars, and when they preach we expect to hear almost a Bible
and a half preached before they get through; they can carry you
through the historical portions, repeat the sayings of the old
prophets, dilate largely upon the doctrinal portions of the New
Testament, gauge the morality of the present age by repeating
verbatim the moral lessons of the Savior, are at home among the
beasts of the Apocalypse and the prophetical heads and horns of
Daniel, are thoroughly posted in the time, times, and
half-a-time, know the contents of the vials, when they will be
poured out, can delineate to a nicety the different parts of
Daniel's metal image--in a word, they are paragons in Bible lore,
but if you ask them whether they know how to raise potatoes to
feed their wives and children, their answer is "No." Do you know
how to raise grain for your bread? "No." Do you know how to raise
pigs for your meat? "No." Do you know how to raise chickens?
"No." Do you love to eat them? "Yes." Do you know how to raise
calves? "No." You may give them a cow and calf, and two years
will not pass before they have neither cow nor calf. Do you know
how to improve your fruit? "No." And thus they live without
trying to produce for themselves these necessaries and comforts
of life. Finally, what do you know? "Why, we know that we must
prepare to die." There are people who have been in this city
twelve years, and have not planted in their gardens a single
fruit tree. The Lord wishes us to know how to provide for
ourselves all things necessary for our comfort in bread, fruit,
and clothing.
28
Sisters, do you know how to make woollen cloth, linen cloth, or
cotton cloth? Probably a few of you do. Almost any female can
knit a stocking, for this seems to be their employment when they
sit down to rest. Children are taught to knit, but the majority
never progress any further than this in the art of manufacturing.
In addition to this, needlework is generally understood by the
female portion of the community, but as a general thing what do
they know about making cloth? Very little. They need to be
taught; yet they know as much about these matters as the children
of Israel did. They also need to be taught, when their husbands
bring into the house a hundred weight of flour, not to throw it
out of the door; and when they make bread of it to make it light,
palatable, and healthy, instead of making cakes as indigestible
as a whet-stone, that when your husbands come from work and your
children from school they may have bread to eat that will sit
easy of their stomachs. Many husbands are made sick and many
children are sent to an untimely grave through eating badly
prepared food, the result of ignorance or carelessness.
28
This is the place to become acquainted with this knowledge. It is
for the husband to learn how to gather around his family the
comforts of life, how to control his passions and temper, and how
to command the respect, not only of his family but of all his
brethren, sisters and friends. It is the calling of the wife and
mother to know what to do with everything that is brought into
the house, laboring to make her home desirable to her husband and
children, making herself an Eve in the midst of a little paradise
of her own creating, securing her husband's love and confidence,
and tying her offspring to herself, with a love that is stronger
than death, for an everlasting inheritance. There is a saying
that a wife so disposed can throw out of the window with a
tea-spoon more than her husband can throw into the door with a
shovel. I am sorry to say that this is too much the case. A good
housewife disposes of her cooking utensils, dusters, towels,
floorcloths, barrels, buckets, &c., in a neat, cleanly, and labor
saving manner. A good mechanic has a place for every tool, and
when he has done using a tool it is returned to its place as by
magic, without any apparent effort. I have watched our mechanics
here, and, take them first and last, their ways, if not strewed
to strangers, are strewed to nonsense. A good farmer takes care
of his implements of husbandry. Instead of leaving them scattered
all over the farm, they are carefully gathered together, properly
cleaned and greased to defend them from rust, and put in a safe
place until they are wanted.
28
There are very few of our farmers that know how to prepare the
ground and plant the seed in a way to secure a ready germination
and quick growth. I told my farmers this spring how to prepare
the ground for sugar-cane, and to plant the seed three-fourths of
an inch deep. I waited ten days for the plants to show
themselves, when I found the seed was put away six inches below
the surface, and I thought well laid away from the frost of the
winter of 1862-3. It is now beginning to show itself, five weeks
since it was planted.
29
I would that people knew more than they do about these important
matters, but we are where we can be taught. Will they people be
taught? Will they cheerfully receive instruction and profit by
it? I hire the best gardeners I can find, and they are ignorant
of their business; they scarcely know one apple from another or
one fruit tree from another. If I spend five hundred dollars to
have a strawberry-bed made, I may perhaps get a quart or two of
the fruit; I may safely say that I shall not receive enough fruit
to half cover the outlay. I can instruct any man how to improve
seedling fruit, and have it as good as the imported kinds. The
best fruit that ever grew will deteriorate under bad management
and neglect. I advise farmers and gardeners to understand their
business and make it profitable; also to mechanics would I give
the same advice. And I would advise the sisters not only to save
their paper rags, but to learn how to properly and profitably
dispose of new cloth when they get it.
29
Cleanliness and neatness of person are desirable and good to see,
but this may be carried to an extreme that is both tiresome and
expensive; there is a class that is more nice than wise. Nothing
less than linen pocket-handkerchiefs by the dozen will answer for
some of our ladies. "Husband, don't get me less than three dozen
handkerchiefs, for I must have from three to half-a-dozen a-day,
it is so nice to be clean." When they have used a handkerchief
twice or three times, it is thrown into the wash-tub to be rubbed
to pieces and wasted away. In this way you get no good of your
money; the article is not worn out in service, but it is washed
out. Then, when you hang and pin your clothes on the clothesline,
they are left to be whipped to pieces in high wind, and are more
used up in one operation of this kind than if they had been worn
three months. It is useless for husbands to suggest to them the
expediency of taking the clothes in, for they will let them
remain notwithstanding, and be worn out. Go into the kitchens of
these very nice, neat wives who can nurse a pocket-handkerchief
to a charm and apply it to their nasal protuberances with such
refined grace, and you hear Sally asking Sue for the dishcloth.
"Where is the dishcloth?" It is found stuffed into a mouse-hole,
or Jim has just come in from the kanyon and is washing his feet
with it. Then there is an outcry for the knife they cut meat
with. "Where is the butcher knife?" Billy has had it out of
doors, and has left it in a neighboring ditch. They may have
bread and meat, a bread knife and a meat knife, but neither of
these articles has a recognized home in the house, and you are
just as likely to find them in one place as another. "Where is
the bag of flour?" "I don't know; I think I saw it under the
stairs this morning when I was rummaging about." It is at last
found stuck in a dirty corner, with dirty clothes thrown over it,
and perforated with mouse-holes. The bread pan is lost; the
rolling-pin and board is found it has been converted into a
checker-board, and then used in the chicken-coop; and when the
broom is wanted little Jack is astride of it in the street,
deliberately walking through a mud hole. Instead of their houses
being houses where order and economy reign, confusion, disorder,
and waste prevail.
30
Some of our professed good housekeepers, in my opinion, come far
short of really deserving that character, at least I should think
so, were I permitted to see them cook breakfast. There are
potatoes to boil, bread to bake, meat to cook, and fruit to stew.
Perhaps the first thing that is done is to put the tea to
steeping, then fry the meat, then prepare the potatoes for
boiling, and about the time the potatoes are done the bread must
be mixed; while the bread is baking the tea is spoiling, the meat
and potatoes are getting cold and unfit to eat; when the bread is
ready, as likely as not the fruit is forgotten, and a great
effort has to be made to prepare the fruit; much bustle,
confusion, labor, and time have been expended to get the food
ready, and when it is served up the tea is not worth drinking,
the potatoes are tough, watery, and cold, the meat is dry, hard,
and unpalatable, the biscuits are baked too much on the outside
and not enough in the inside, while the fruit is only half
cooked; and taking it altogether, it would be better for the
stomach to reject such a meal of victuals, if there existed a
prospect of dining upon a more wholesome and better prepared meal
at noon.
30
We have been gathered together in these valleys to be taught. We
must first learn to control ourselves before we can think to
control our fellow creatures. The Lord has given extensive lines
of operation to both Saint and sinner, but when he gathers his
family he expects them to first master these so-called little
things; he wishes us to learn to live with each other, and to
surround ourselves with all the common necessaries and comforts
of prepared to receive the greater blessings, for if we had them
now we should not know what to do with them. It is our business
to live, to learn how to preserve our lives, and labor to make
the earth into a Garden of Eden; unless we do this, we are
unworthy to possess eternal life. "And he said unto him, Well,
thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very
little, have thou authority over ten cities." He that is not
faithful in the things of this world, who will commit unto him
the things which pertain to eternity?
30
All things belong to the Lord, and we belong to the Lord, and if
we are faithful until we have passed the ordeal and proved
ourselves worthy before the heaves to receive our crowns, then we
shall receive a deed of that which the Lord gives to us. Until
then, that which we hold we hold only as stewards for the Lord.
It is our privilege to grow and increase continually, to receive
knowledge upon knowledge, and prepare to enter upon the higher
duties of eternal life. We thus proceed from one step to another
until we merge into immortality. We do not become another kind of
beings in passing through the resurrection, but we are more
refined through the application of the laws of the Gospel to our
lives and passing through the grave. The grave will take away
every deformity from the mortal organisms of the faithful, and
they will be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.
31
We have now space to prove ourselves worthy to receive the glory
that God has in store for the faithful, but we have to learn the
little things first. We are brought here expressly, in the first
place, to raise potatoes, grain, fruit, wool, flax, and every
other necessary and mortal comfort we can produce in this
climate. Some of our Elders will preach until they preach the
people blind, and will die in their ignorance and go to hell,
unless they learn what their lives are worth and how to preserve
them. I am speaking to the Saints. If we do not learn what God
has brought us here, and the nature of the missions he has given
us, we may preach the Bible until we are blind and old as
Methusela, and die and be damned at last. It is our duty to learn
how to govern ourselves, and how to conduct ourselves pleasingly
in the sight of heaven towards our friends, families, and
neighbors, building up cities and towns, opening farms, planting
vineyards and orchards, and improving our country, until finally,
we shall be ready to rule.
31
May God bless the faithful, and overthrow the wicked and ungodly,
and establish his kingdom no more to be thrown down is my daily
prayer. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Orson
Hyde, April 7, 1862
Orson Hyde, April 7, 1862
BISHOPS AND PRESIDENTS.
Remarks by Elder Orson Hyde, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
31
Brethren and sisters, I have been highly edified this morning, as
I presume you all have, and I doubt not but the seed has fallen
upon good ground, and when we return to our homes we shall feel
sensibly that the seed sown has done good.
32
It has been in my mind to remark that the office of both
President and Bishop are in our President, and therefore he has
the undoubted right to place those two offices on one man, or to
ordain two separate men as he may see proper. There may possibly
arise circumstances that may appear to cause the authority of the
two to conflict, and thus to be incompatible one with the other,
but this is only on account of the ignorance of the people. We
ought so to live as all to be capable of being Presidents and
Bishops, for there is certainly ample room for us all to do the
good we can; but I have thought in the present state of our
limited knowledge it would be better to dispense with the office
of President in the country settlements. I am happy to inform you
that I have never heard of any feeling of difficulty between the
President and Bishop at Spanish Fork. Brother Young did not know
of a single exception to the rule, but I am informed by all
parties that these brethren have never conflicted. [President B.
Young: I wish I had never heard anything to the contrary.] My
reason for desiring to have this matter brought here was to have
the duties of Bishops and Presidents defined, thinking that
probably the result of the investigation would be the abolishing
of the office of President for the present in the country
Branches, and I can truly say that I feel thankful, brethren and
sisters, for what I have heard, and I can say with regard to the
people in the region where I have labored there is a good degree
of union there among the people. In fact, I rejoice to say that
there is no schism in that region; we have no difficulty there
with our High Priests, none with our Seventies, only what we have
been enabled to arrange. A good feeling exists there, and I am
glad and happy to know that there is an increase of good feeling
with the people of Sanpete. I feel thankful that when the people
from all quarters meet here with the spirit and the atmosphere
seem to bear witness to what I have said.
32
Well, brethren and sisters, I have spoken before, and I do not
wish to occupy much time at the present, but the spirit that is
here is good, and all things that have been done feel like a balm
to my soul.
32
God bless you all. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, April 8, 1862
Brigham Young, April 8, 1862
FORMING A STATE CONSTITUTION.--RAISING AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTS.--TRUE RICHES.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 8, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
32
I wish to inform all the inhabitants of the Territory of Utah,
Jew and Gentile, bond and free, male or female, black and white,
red, copper-colored and yellow, that, in organizing a State
Government, we shall not infringe in the least upon the
Constitution of our country, upon any principle contained in the
Declaration of Independence, nor upon any constitutional law that
has been enacted by the Congress of the United States. Will this
step bring upon us the disapprobation of the Government of the
United States? That is not for me to say; it will be as God may
direct.
32
As the kingdom of God rises and advances upon the earth, so will
the power of Satan increase to impede its progress until God
shall purge that power from the earth, and so give the Saints the
victory, that they can bear off his kingdom triumphantly in spite
of the powers of Satan and wicked men. But so far as the power of
Satan extends, just so far will be seen his operations to
overthrow all righteousness. There is nothing that would so soon
weaken my hope and discourage me as to see this people in full
fellowship with the world, and receive no more persecution from
them because they are one with them. In such an event, we might
bid farewell to the Holy Priesthood with all its blessings,
privileges and aids to exaltations, principalities and powers in
the eternities of the Gods.
33
I can say with confidence, if we will live so as to enjoy the
revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ to ourselves day by day,
overcoming every passion, feeling and desire that has been sown
in our nature through the fall, overcoming all that is contrary
to the law of Heaven and the principles of salvation that is
purchased by Jesus Christ for us, which is the plan of God has
devised to exalt the human family to immortality and eternal
lives, if we will let that Spirit and power of God reign within
us; we shall never be afflicted more than we can bear, and that
is as far as I can promise.
33
We have seen the power and wisdom that have been displayed by our
enemies since we have been in these mountains, which has all
amounted to but little toward accomplishing what they desired. No
more will be accomplished than has been.
33
Brother Orson Pratt's remarks on the powers of the Congress of
the United States are strictly correct. It is well known that the
Congress of the United States has no power granted in the
Constitution to organize a Territorial Government, and every
power that is not named in the Constitution for Congress to act
upon is reserved to the people. But Congress assumes powers that
does not belong to it, and if it continues to do so, soon the
last vestige of the free, independent, Republican and Democratic
Government we have enjoyed will be merged in a military
despotism, if there is anything left.
33
Our Government is at present engaged in an expensive war. It has
been supposed that the South would soon be subjugated, that they
would yield the point and submit. They will not, and the war has
scarcely commenced.
33
The slave States do not as yet appear to be whipped or conquered.
Both North and South are in the hands of the Lord, and so are we.
33
Let us from this time strive more diligently to overcome our own
evil passions. We may talk about Priesthood, about power and
authority, about blessings and exaltations, about the kingdom of
God upon the earth, about gathering the house of Israel, about
redeeming Zion and enjoying its fulness, about preparing for the
coming of the Son of Man and enjoying celestial glory with him,
but all this is vain if we do not sanctify ourselves before God,
and sanctify the Lord our God in our hearts, We wish you fully to
comprehend this; and when you go from this Conference, we do not
wish to hear of contentions. And as soon as Elders have wisdom
sufficient to magnify their calling and Priesthood, we will give
to every Branch, no matter how small the Ward, both a Bishop and
a President.
34
It is our privilege and duty to sanctify our own hearts. Perhaps
I have as much acknowledgment to make as anybody for sometimes
suffering my feelings to be a little ruffled. I cannot say that I
felt entirely free from vexations at remarks made, by one of the
speakers this morning, upon the impurity of seeds in our
Territory. Notwithstanding so much has been said upon that
subject, there does not seem to be care enough in the heads of
Israel to provide even for themselves, to say nothing about
setting a proper example to the people. If it were left to such
men, there never would be a grain of pure sugar cane seed in the
country. Where is your care for Israel? You will preach the
spiritual things of the kingdom, and let your bodies and the
bodies of the people go into the grave. Before you preach to a
starving man to arise and be baptized, first carry him some bread
and wine; first unlock his prison house and let him go free. Is
there a Bishop in this Territory that knows whether there is a
particle of pure cabbage seed in the Territory, or in his Ward?
whether there is a peck of clean, pure flaxseed, &c. Bishops, how
much flaxseed is going to be sown in your respective Wards this
season? "Don't know." How much wheat, oats and barley? "Don't
know. I have a little speculation on hand, and I wish to provide
for my own family, for the convenience and comfort of my own
household, for this I esteem to be my first duty."
34
There was a Bishop in Far West, who, as Trustee-in-trust, held
the property of the Church; no other man had the means he had to
help the poor Saints. I tried to get my voice to his ears for
days, and could not. At last I accosted him and said:--"Bishop,
what are you going to do toward helping the poor Saints out of
the State of Missouri, as we agreed?" He was irritated in a
moment. I supposed that he thought it was none of my business,
but I knew that it was, and calculated to attend to it. He did
not speak good naturedly, although naturally a mild-tempered man.
At last he said, "I am going to take my family and leave the
State, and the people may take care of themselves." Many of our
Bishops feel like that; they will plant their potatoes, take care
of their calves and themselves, and the people may go to the
devil for ought they care.
34
I, perhaps, ought not to find fault about such things; but why
not my brethren of the Twelve take an interest in such matters,
and not leave everything of that kind for me and my Counsellors
to attend to?
34
I ask the Agricultural and Manufacturing Society of this
Territory, if they have one ounce of pure cabbage seed on hand,
or know who has. It is doubtful whether an affirmative answer
could be given to this question. But if you have a few excellent
peaches, or a basket of choice apples to give them to eat, they
will be as proud as a little boy with a new top, and boast long
and loud about what nice things we have in this Territory. I
cannot complain of the vigilance of the tasting committee, but
what do they do for the benefit of the people? To eat the
people's fruit and praise them for raising it, calling them
"beloved brethren, and won't you bring us in a little more next
fall?" &c., may be well enough, but what does this Society do?
What do the Twelve and the First Presidency do in teaching this
people to sustain themselves? We all take care of ourselves, do
we not? Is that all? No. There is not a thing my eye is not upon,
that will enhance the welfare of this people. Who imported the
first carding-machine to this country, and the only good ones
that have been brought here? Who imported the nail-machines, the
paper-machine, steam-engines and other valuable machinery? I use
everything I can rake and scrape together for the interest of
this people. I only need a little food and a small amount of
clothing, and as for the rest the people are welcome to it.
34
I wish the other brethren to look after the welfare of the
people, as well as myself. I do not wish to again hear any of the
leaders of Israel complain that there is not any pure sugar-cane
seed, flaxseed, cotton seed, &c., in the country, but I wish them
to be fully informed as to where pure seeds of all kinds can be
had, and as to what is going on among the people in every part of
each Ward or district; and then I want to inform the Bishops, and
direct their tongues to speak and their hands to act. I wish this
particularly to apply to those who preside where the First
Presidency do not go.
34
The Agricultural Society ought to make arrangements to have and
keep on hand the best varieties of all kinds of garden seeds, the
best varieties of fruits, of grain, and every useful product of
the soil, that all may be able to procure the purest and best
seeds, scions, fruit and shade trees, shrubbery, &c. Brother T.
W. Ellerbeck and a few others have done considerable in
introducing several valuable varieties of fruits and seeds.
35
Brother Lorenzo Snow says, that the Lord will bless my brethren
and sisters. He says that all the mules in the Territory can not
haul away the gold that is concealed in these mountains. Riches
do not consist of gold and silver. It may be said that with them
we can buy all the comforts we need for the body. That may be so
under certain circumstances; still gold and silver are merely a
convenient means of exchange. Earthly riches are concealed in the
elements God has given to man, and the essence of wealth is power
to organize from these elements every comfort and convenience of
life for our sustenance here, and for eternal existence
hereafter. The possession of all the gold and silver in the world
would not satisfy the cravings of the immortal soul of man. The
gift of the Holy Spirit of the Lord alone can produce a good,
wholesome, contented mind. Instead of looking for gold and
silver, look to the heavens and try to learn wisdom until you can
organize the native elements for your benefit; then, and not
until then, will you begin to possess the true riches. All the
riches, wealth, glory and happiness that we shall ever possess in
heaven will be possessed on and around this earth when it is
brought up into the presence of God in a sanctified and glorified
state; and the sanctified ones who enter through the gate and
pass the sentinel into the New Jerusalem, and into the presence
of the Father and the Son, are the ones who will inherit the new
heavens and the new earth in the presence of God, for here is the
eternity, the glory and the power. When we possess all things, it
will be when we possess power to organize the native elements
that fill the immensity of space, bringing forth and organizing,
bringing forth and organizing, again and again, dealing out the
providence of God, dictating, guiding and directing the kingdoms
that will be made for ever and for ever. This is eternal
riches--it is eternal life.
35
"What did Jesus mean, when he said, Lay up treasures in heaven,
&c. What mortal ever went there to lay up treasures? Is there an
apartment, a business house there, a Dr. and Cr. account, &c.?"
Ask the Lord yourselves, what he meant by that expression, and if
you have the Spirit of Christ, you will find out the truth. I
think that the Savior referred particularly to laying up in pure
and sanctified bodies, holy principles that belong to the
heavens, until we are brought back into the presence of the
Father, and we, with the earth upon which we stand, are cleansed
and sanctified beyond the power of Satan.
36
I will now say that we wish to go on with the Temple this year;
we shall also send out teams to bring home the poor, send
Missionaries to the nations, &c., &c. If the hearts of this
people are right, if they are filled with faith in God; if they
act with an eye single to his glory and the building up of his
kingdom on the earth, they will lock up their teams, secure their
seed grain and farming utensils, will look and live for rain, for
water in abundance to irrigate their lands, for sunshine, for day
and night and everything, that will give us a fruitful season
this coming summer. What will you do with the increase of your
fields? Will you strew it to strangers? Some complain at the hand
of Jehovah for giving them wheat. I have heard it said, "It is a
curse to us; it annoys me to see so much wheat." There never has
been a land, from the days of Adam until now, that has been
blessed more than this land has been blessed by our Father in
heaven; and it will still be blessed more and more, if we are
faithful and humble, and thankful to God for the wheat and the
corn, the oats, the fruit, the vegetables, the cattle and
everything he bestows upon us, and try to use them for building
up of his kingdom on the earth.
36
There will be no lack of teams for doing our work, if we will go
to with our mights to bring the poor Saints here and to build
this Temple. There will be teams to bring us the rock from the
quarries; and let the young men come and learn to cut stone. I
wish to hurry the building of the Temple, for I would like to
have it completed before we are called to more important duties.
36
God bless the righteous. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / John
Taylor, April 27, 1862
John Taylor, April 27, 1862
POWER ACCOMPANYING THE FAITHFUL ELDERS.
Remarks by Elder John Taylor, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 27, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
36
I have felt very much interested, as doubtless you all have, in
the remarks which we have heard from those brethren who have
addressed us this morning, and who are going abroad to proclaim
the everlasting Gospel of peace. I never see the Elders go forth
on missions to preach the Gospel, but I consider that they are
going forth to take part in one of the greatest works ever
committed to the human family.
36
Whatever their feelings may be, they go forth as the angels of
mercy bearing the precious seeds of the Gospel, and they shall be
the means of bringing many from darkness to light, from error and
superstition to life, light, truth and intelligence, and finally,
to exaltation in the celestial kingdom of our God.
37
When these brethren go forth, it may be a new work to them, but
they will have to combat the errors of ages, to contend with the
prejudices which they themselves stated to you held such a
powerful influence over them ; they will also have to preach to
and reason with men who have no regard for truth, much less for
the religion which we have embraced, yet these Elders go forth as
the sent messengers of the Lord Jesus Christ. They go to proclaim
that God has established his work upon the earth, that he has
spoken from the heavens, and that the visions of the Almighty
have been opened to our view; the light of ages is being revealed
to the servants of the Most High, the darkness which has
enshrouded the world for ages is being dispersed, and these
chosen Elders of Israel are sent forth to proclaim these glad
tidings of salvation to the dark and benighted nations of the
earth. I consider it a great privilege for any man to be set
apart to so honorable, so praiseworthy and so important a
mission; and I am glad to find that these brethren who have
spoken to us this morning feel the importance of the mission in
which they are soon to be engaged. They go forth and they shall
come back rejoicing, bearing precious sheaves with them, and they
will bless the name of the God of Israel, that they have had the
privilege of taking a part in warning this generation.
37
As regards the circumstances of their families, it is proper and
correct that men should have some feelings for those they have
left at home. It is true there ought to be sympathy and some care
for those with whom they have been immediately associated; yet
their families as well as our families, and all of us and our
affairs, are in the hands of God, and, inasmuch as they go forth
putting their trust in the living God all will be peace, and they
will find peace and contentment from this time forth until they
return, inasmuch as they will magnify their callings and lean
upon their God. In this is their safety, in order that they may
be enabled to bear a faithful testimony to the world among whom
they may travel to deliver their message of warning and of glad
tidings of great joy to the honest in heart.
37
There was one remark made by brother Sherman that would be a
lesson to any man going on a mission. If they possess the
principles of intelligence and truth, there will be a power and
an influence manifested in and accompanying all their words, and
it will be just as he felt when he went to brother Spencer's, he
was convinced that brother Spencer was sincere, and believed him
to be a man of God. If you go forth with the same sincerity it
will manifest itself to others. Just so with brother Richard
Attwood, he first heard the Gospel preached in an unknown
language, a tongue that he did not understand, and yet he knew
there was a power accompanying the man who was preaching, and
that power accorded with his own feelings and spirit, and if we
live as we should there will be a halo around us continually, and
wherever we go, if there is a spark of sincerity in men's bosoms
they will know that whether "this man is a sinner or not, the
power of God is with him." They will know, whether they know that
the doctrine is true or not, that the influence is good, and that
whether they have much language or little they have the Spirit of
God with them, and it will accompany every faithful Elder of
Israel. And if there are sheep they will hear, because, says
Jesus, "My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me, but a
stranger they will not follow."
37
I feel to bless these brethren in the name of the Lord, and I
would say to them, brethren, be faithful and true to your
missions, to God and to his work, preserve inviolate your
integrity and not a hair of your heads shall perish; your
families shall be comfortable and happy during your absence.
37
Brethren, God bless you all, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, March 9, 1862
Brigham Young, March 9, 1862
CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS OF THE CONGRESS OF THE
UNITED STATES.--GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, March 9, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
38
I am very much gratified with what I have heard from our brethren
today. I think they have spoken well. I have been interested and
instructed.
38
As I have often told you, I am unable to draw the dividing line
between the spiritual and the temporal. We set apart one day in
the week for the purpose of meeting together to administer the
sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and to speak upon things which
pertain to building up the kingdom of God on the earth. This is
our business--this labor is upon us--and I do not know that we
have anything else to do, for it comprehends the whole existence
of man. Thus far we have been successful in this great work; in
it we have been blessed, and in it we delight to be blessed.
38
Every person is seeking after happiness, and all persons pursue a
course that seems to them to lead to the possession of happiness;
when they pursue an opposite course to that they are fully aware
of it. The most profligate and wicked person is always ready to
acknowledge, when willing to tell the truth, that he knows that
he does wrong and is not happy in doing so; and that, if he ever
enjoys happiness, he must cease to do evil and learn to do well.
We wish to obtain happiness; we wish to obtain our rights.
38
In regard to our political rights, I will ask, have we ever seen
a day, since Joseph found the plates from which was taken the
Book of Mormon until this day, in which the Christian, the moral
and the political world, or any other portion of the inhabitants
of the earth, ever gave to Joseph Smith and his brethren one
blessing that they could possibly keep from them? They have
withheld every favor, every blessing, every accommodation that
was possible for them to hold from the Latter-day Saints. Yet
every move they have made has actually tended to sustain, build
up, strengthen and increase the very power they were trying to
destroy. They have tried to destroy the truth, to hinder the
increase of the Latter-day Saints, to lessen their numbers, rob
them of their location and homes, and last of all drive them from
what is called civilization. But the results of all these acts,
instead of accomplishing what they desired, have given the
Latter-day Saints territory and comparative independence. All the
evil they have sought to bring upon us the Lord, through his
inscrutable providence, has converted into blessings for his
people.
39
We are infinitely more blessed by the persecutions and injustice
we have suffered, than we could have been if we had remained in
our habitations from which we have been driven--than if we had
been suffered to occupy our farms, gardens, stores, mills,
machinery and everything we had in our former possessions. Had we
not been persecuted, we would now be in the midst of the wars and
bloodshed that are desolating the nation, instead of where we
are, comfortably located in our peaceful dwellings in these
silent, far off mountains and valleys. Instead of seeing my
brethren comfortably seated around me to-day, many of them would
be found in the front ranks on the battle field. I realize the
blessings of God in our present safety. We are greatly blessed,
greatly favored and greatly exalted, while our enemies, who
sought to destroy us, are being humbled.
39
We want our political rights, and they are here within our reach;
we need not go to California, Oregon, Washington Territory,
Nebraska, Missouri, nor New York to obtain them. The people are
here, and they possess rights. We have a right to labor, to
accumulate food and clothing, to gather the various products of
the earth, to cut the timber and saw it into boards, to make
adobies and quarry rock and build habitations, and then we have a
right to inhabit them. We have a right to drink of the water that
flows from the mountains, and we have a right to get up in the
morning when we are sufficiently rested. We have a right to go to
the kanyons after wood, or to harness our teams and go on a visit
to Davis, Utah, or any other county. We have also a right to
assemble, as we did a short time ago, in the capacity of a mass
meeting, and we have a right to say that we will have laws, rules
and regulations for the public good, and officers and
adjudicators of the laws. It is our right to frame our own laws,
and to elect our own officers to administer them.
39
We were told this morning, that some brethren prayed but did not
believe they would receive an answer. I do not find fault with
them for this, but I say, pray on until you can make yourselves
believe that your prayers will be fully answered according to
that which is best for you to receive. Self-argument is the most
effectual argument that can be used. Let each person argue
himself into the belief that God will grant to him his request in
righteousness. Some people are naturally of a doubtful mind, and
have to contend continually against unbelief.
39
The enemies of God and truth do not love us any better this year
than they did last year, nor will their love for us increase in
the year that is to come. They would dethrone the Almighty, and
would have destroyed Joseph Smith, when he had not three men to
stand by him, had they the power to do so; and they would blot
out every vestige of this kingdom if they could. The body may be
destroyed, but the spirit still lives.
40
According to the Constitution of our Government, we have rights
in common with our fellow-countrymen. We have a right to settle
in any unoccupied and unclaimed part of the public domain owned
by our Government, where the machinery of the Government has not
extended, and there govern and control ourselves according to
republican principles; and the Congress of the United States is
not authorized in the least, by the Constitution that governs it,
to make laws for that new settlement, and appoint adjudicators
and administrators of the law for it, any more than we have a
right to make laws and appoint administrators of the law for
California, Ohio, Illinois, or Missouri. This, however, is done
by the Congress of the United States; but it is an assumption of
power not within the Constitution of the American Republic. When
Congress, or the President of the United States, appoints a
governor for a territory, that appointment is not according to
the Constitution, though it is according to laws enacted by
Congress. In "Amendments to the Constitution of the United
States," articles nine and ten, it is definitely stated that "The
enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not be
construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to
the States respectively, or to the people."
40
We were told this morning that we shall not always be driven.
Were we driven in 1857 and 1858? No. And they might have
travelled up and down Ham's Fork to this day, and we still would
have remained here enjoying our safe retreat. They had no power,
and did not exercise any.
40
I say to the enemies of truth that I can tell them the words that
are spoken in their private counsels. The very thoughts of their
hearts are made known to me. They lay their plans to accomplish
such and such a work in so long a time, and then plan a movement
to destroy the "Mormons." That is what they talk about and what
is in their hearts, but they will be disappointed in it all.
Every time they make a movement against this kingdom they will
sink still lower in the scale of national power, while the
kingdom of God will rise more and more in influence and
importance in the eyes of all people.
40
If any of you are afraid, think not that you can escape danger by
fleeing to the States east, or west to California, "For it shall
come to pass that he who fleeth from the noise of fear shall fall
into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit
shall be taken in the snare." Again, "The fear of man bringeth a
snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."
40
The valleys of Utah are the safest places in the world. There is
not another place upon this globe where a people can with more
safety assert their rights before the heavens and in the face of
all men. Look at those ranges of rocky peaks with which we are
surrounded, for "He that walketh righteously and speaketh
uprightly--he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that
shaketh his hands from holding bribes, that stoppeth his ears
from hearing of blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he
shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions
of rocks: bread shall be given him: his waters shall be sure."
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of
the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations
shall flow unto it." "The noise of a multitude in the mountains,
like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of
nations gathered together; the Lord of hosts mustereth the host
of the battle." Therefore, O Israel, fear not. If any are afraid,
search out among the caves of the impregnable rocks safe places
to store up grain and other nutritious substances, and when
trouble comes you can retire and crawl into your hiding places,
while the more courageous of your brethren shall fight your
battles, and we will whip your enemies soundly, God being our
helper.
41
When I think of the weakness and littleness of men, and the folly
of their trying to thwart the purposes of the Almighty, it makes
me feel like the Prophet Elijah:--"For it came to pass at noon,
that Elijah mocked them and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god:
either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on a journey,
or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked." I laugh at their
folly; God laughs at their folly. So long as the Latter-day
Saints will live their religion, they shall never be confounded,
worlds without end. Never be afraid; your hearts are brave, your
arms are strong, and God is our defence. There are those among us
who are timid, and are apt to flee from under the protecting care
of our heavenly Father, and be caught weak and unprotected by the
very enemy they are trying to escape from.
41
We will cling to the Constitution of our country, and to the
Government that reveres that sacred charter of freemen's rights;
and, if necessary, pour out our best blood for the defence of
every good and righteous principle.
41
I heard a gentleman say, not long ago, that he was going to stick
to the Union. When the Southern revolt transpired, it was asked
of him, "Where is the Union now? There are now two Governments,
instead of one." His reply was, that he should stick to the
Government that protected him in the possession of freemen's
rights. The spirit and letter of our Constitution and laws will
always give us our rights, and under them we could have served
God in Missouri and Illinois as well as in the courts of high
heaven. But the administrators of the law trampled it under their
feet, and wilfully and openly desecrated the holy principles held
forth in the Constitution of our country.
41
The kingdom of God has sustained me a good while, and I mean to
stick to it. We shall form a State Government, and you need not
fear any consequences that may arise from such a course. You may
tell your neighbors that in this step we do not violate any law,
nor in the least transcend the bounds of our rights. If we do not
do this, we are living beneath those rights set forth in the
Declaration of Independence, and the privileges granted to us in
the Constitution of the United States which our fathers bought so
dearly for us. Let us unfurl the stars and stripes--the flag of
our country; let us sustain the Constitution that our fathers
have bequeathed to us in letters of blood; and those who violate
it will have to meet the crushing and damning penalties that will
bury them in the mire of everlasting disgrace. If we sustain it,
it will be sustained; otherwise it will not.
41
Let us so live that the spirit and power of our religion will be
constantly with us; that the Holy Ghost will be our constant
companion, opening for us an unobstructed intercourse with our
heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ, and all is right--there
is no danger then. Our own evils make for us danger; and if
chastisement comes upon us, it is the result of our own
unrighteous acts. But if we live our religion, honor our God and
his Priesthood, then we shall honor every wholesome government
and law there is upon the earth, and become aliens to all
unrighteous, unjust and unlawful administrators, wherever they
may be found. In the various nations, kingdoms and governments of
the world are to be found laws, ordinances and statutes as good
as can be made for mortal man.
42
We have forsaken the kingdom of darkness have come out in open
rebellion to the power of the Devil on this earth, and I for one
will fight him, so help me God, as long as there is breath in my
body, and do all in my power to overthrow his government and
rule. And if he complains that I am infringing upon his ground, I
shall very politely ask him to go to his own place, where he
belongs. If any among this community want to sustain the
Government of the Devil, in preference to the kingdom of God, I
wish them to go where they belong. I want to sustain the
government of Heaven, and shall stick fast to it, by the help of
God. If we sustain it, it will build us up and crown us with
victory and eternal life.
42
There is not a man upon the earth who can magnify even an earthly
office, without the power and wisdom of God to aid him. When Mr.
Fillmore appointed me Governor of Utah, I proclaimed openly that
my Priesthood should govern and control that office. I am of the
same mind today. We have not yet received our election returns;
but, should I be elected Governor of the State of Deseret, that
office shall be sustained and controlled by the power of the
eternal Priesthood of the Son of God, or I will walk the office
under my feet. Hear it, both Saint and sinner, and send it to the
uttermost parts of the earth, that whatever office I hold from
any Government on this earth shall honor the Government of
heaven, or I will not hold it.
42
There was a notice read to-day for the High Council to meet next
Thursday. I would like to see the High Council and Bishops and
all Judges filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, that when a
person comes before them they can read and understand that
person, and be able to decide a case quickly and justly. When men
have a just appreciation of right and wrong, their decision can
be made as well the first minute after hearing a statement of the
case, as to waste hours and days to make it. I would like the
Bishops and other officers to have sufficient power and wisdom
from God to make them fully aware of the true nature of every
case that may come before them. But there are some of our great
men who are so ignorant that a personal favor will so bias their
minds that they will twist the truth and sustain a person in
evil. This principle is to be found, more or less, in the old,
middle-aged and youth. Some, with a trifling consideration, can
so prejudice the mind of a High Councillor, a High Priest, a
Bishop, or an Apostle, that he will lean to the individual
instead of the truth. I despise a man that would offer me money
to buy me to his favor. Goodness will always find stout
supporters in the good, and need not to buy favor. The man who
triest to buy the influence of another to cover up his iniquity,
will go to hell.
42
The kingdom of God is indebted to no man; though a man should
give to it all he possesses, he has only given that which the
Lord put in his possession, and is not excusable in sin on that
account, for in giving his all to the kingdom of God he has done
no more than his duty. I hate to see a man bought. I hate to see
High Councillors bought. It is good to hold on to an old friend;
and, no matter how many new friends I have, I always hold fast to
the old ones and never let them go, unless their wicked conduct
breaks the thread of fellowship between us. But with all the
friends I have, I hope in God never to see the day, while I live,
that I cannot decide a case as the Almighty would, whether it
goes against friend or foe. What my friends have done for me, and
the deep affection I bear them, are not taken into account into
the consideration of right and wrong. Let me judge in
righteousness before God, if it cuts off every friend I have.
42
May the Lord bless you. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Heber
C. Kimball, May 4, 1862
Heber C. Kimball, May 4, 1862
PRACTICAL RELIGION.--INSTRUCTION TO ELDERS GOING ON MISSIONS.
Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, May 4, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
43
I feel continually in my heart desirous to do good. Our religion
is a practical religion. We administer the sacrament, for
instance, in remembrance of Jesus Christ, which ordinance he has
established to imitate the things he has suffered. We break bread
as an imitation of his body, which has been broken; and we pour
out wine (which should be of our own make) and drink of it in
imitation of his blood, which was poured out that our sins might
be remitted. Our sins are forgiven, on condition that we observe
these ordinances before all people, before the Father, before the
Son, before the Holy Ghost and before all the holy angels that
God sends to take charge of us. To repent is to forsake our sins
and sin no more. When we thus repent, it is a repentance that
needeth not to be repented of. True repentance requires
restitution to the injured, and such satisfaction as the wrong
demands. For by this you may know that a man truly repents of his
sins, and that the Father has forgiven them in the name of his
Son Jesus Christ. There are people out of the Church and in it,
who are stubborn and will not make satisfaction to those they
have injured, disobeyed or neglected, and will welter under it
for weeks and months before they will make an humble
acknowledgement to give satisfaction to the injured party.
Remission of sins is given by going down into the water with an
authorized servant of God, who, after saying, "Having been
commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in water for the
remission of your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost," immerses him in the water. After this
ordinance has been administered, remission of sins is as sure as
that repentance and restitution have been truly made. This is the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth and practiseth it; which will be in
them and round about them, until they are full of the living
oracles and attributes of the Father and the Son. Paul says that
baptism is not the washing away of the filth of the flesh, but
the answer of a good conscience before God.
44
How can a man's conscience be good, if, after the truth is made
known to him, he shall wilfully neglect to comply with it? Then,
after baptism, the servant of God, having authority given to him
through the holy Priesthood, lays his hand on the baptized
persons for the gift of the Holy Ghost. When an authorized
servant of God lays his hands on a person, he receives the gift
and power of the Holy Ghost as surely as though God had
administered the ordinance himself. This authority the Father has
given us, and we should honor it. It is impossible to honor God
and his authority except we honor his ordinances; neither can you
honor him, and, at the same time, dishonor his delegates and
authorities he has sent.
44
In all these ordinances of the Gospel, we imitate Christ--we go
forth in his authority, and administer as he administered. He
received his authority from his Father and gave it to his
Apostles, they gave it to Joseph Smith, Joseph gave it to us and
we place it upon you Elders of Israel. The authority is one--the
same as the roots and branches of a tree are one; and the power
of the Holy Ghost will dwell with you the same as it does with
us, showing us things to come and bringing things to our
remembrance that we may have a foreknowledge of future things,
and all this in proportion to our faith, confidence and integrity
in God and in his authority.
44
Baptism is an imitation--the candidate is buried in water in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, in
likeness of the death of Christ, and then he is raised up out of
the water in likeness of his resurrection. The Holy Ghost
descended on the Savior in the form of a dove after he was
baptized; in imitation of this, we receive the Holy Ghost by the
laying on of hands. Even in the endowments, there is not a
solitary thing but what is an imitation of the Son or the Father
in some way or other; and all this is done to keep us in
remembrance of him. When we sit down to eat food, we ask God to
bless it and sanctify it to our benefit, that we may partake of
it in remembrance of his kindness, generosity and blessings unto
us. We ask the Father to bless our wheat, to bless all the seeds
we sow in the ground, to bless the earth and to give us power and
wisdom to nurse and take care of the tender plants, which are an
imitation of his bountiful goodness to us. Our religion is not
artificial--it is a reality; it is natural. It teaches us how to
keep ourselves pure, that we may not become tainted with the
world, the flesh and the Devil, but hold ourselves sacred and
pure as the children of God.
44
Let my brethren who are going on foreign missions remember these
things, holding them in view; all of which are comprehended in
the imitation of Christ and the sufferings he passed through; and
I will promise them, in the name and by the authority of Jesus
Christ that is in me and my brethren, they shall be blessed as
they never were blessed; they shall win souls unto Christ, and
when they come home they shall bring some of them with them. I do
not know how I could get along upon any other principle, as a
preacher of righteousness among nations, than by the dictation of
the Holy Ghost and doing as we have been told, which is to teach
nothing but repentance to this generation and baptism for the
remission of sins, administering the sacrament of the Lord's
Supper to believers, that they may have Jesus in remembrance. It
is the business of the Elders of this Church, when they go
abroad, to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel, carrying
the salt with them, or the power and the authority of the holy
Priesthood; let them go with their hearts full of the power of
God and their mouths full of the good words of life, suffering
themselves to be used by the Almighty as a musician would use an
instrument of music, letting God speak through them as the
trumpeter would speak through the trumpet.
45
Let the sheep lick a little salt through your fingers; do not
give them a handful at once, or it may blind them, but give them
a mere trifle, and that will make them hungry for more. If you
wish, in the soonest and most effectual manner, to destroy a
flock of sheep, over-feed them. Under such a circumstance, you
may call "Nan, nan, nan," until you are tired, and they will not
take any heed to the voice of the shepherd, for they are
surfeited with too much food. Let the Elders gather the lost
sheep of the house of Israel, bring them home, and put them into
the fold; then go to the Good Shepherd and ask him if you may
have one, and if you receive one upon the principles of honor and
righteousness you will be blessed in the gift.
45
Preach the Gospel by the power of the Holy Ghost, and it will
melt the people into humility, and God will be with you to bless
your labors to that degree that they have never been blessed. You
receive light and knowledge here, and your minds begin to expand;
yet some imagine that they had more religion when they were first
baptized than now. This, however, is not so; your experience now
is much greater than then, according to your age in the Church
and your integrity and submission to the will of God and his
authority. Your information is increasing, and your power to ask
of God, in the name of Jesus, and receive, is greater now than
when you first received the Gospel: "Ask and you shall receive,
seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you."
Learning is good, but learning does not give the power of God to
man. An unlearned man, with the power of God upon him, can build
up churches and gather the sheep of Israel into the fold; and it
has been the case that learned men--men who trusted in their
learning not in the power of the Holy Ghost--have stepped forward
and taken charge of the sheep that the unlearned man had
gathered, trying to supersede him in their affections by
preaching some great and learned sermon, seeking to destroy the
influence of the true shepherd. Such men were not after the
sheep, but the fleece; and they have gone over the dam. Instead
of commencing at the root, where that poor, unlearned man
commenced, they go to the top of the tree he has planted, and
jump from limb to limb, knocking off the precious fruit. I have
had an experience in the vineyard labor, having travelled and
preached near twenty years of my life not only in America but in
England, and I know the nature of men and things pretty well.
When I was on my mission abroad I lived humbly before God. I did
not know much--I know but little now--but I knew that God worked
and spake mightily through weak instruments. A poor speaker may
suppose his language is nothing, that it is very small, yet God
can make it pierce like a javelin to the hearts of Saints and
sinners, and the honest will conceive the truth and bring forth
fruit, while others will hear and will not receive the
truth--they will see but do not perceive.
46
The same cause will produce the same effect now as thirty years
ago. God is the same, the Gospel is the same, baptism is the
same, repentance is the same; none of these principles have
changed in the least. Then why should we leave the doctrine of
Christ to go on to perfection? For no man can become perfect in
God without a constant faith in, and observance of, those first
principles of the doctrine of Christ, any more than we can
progress in learning and leave out of the question the alphabet
of our language and the first rudiments of education. After
people are baptized and confirmed into the Church, the first
ordinance that is attended to is the sacrament of the Lord's
Supper, that they may think of Jesus and what he suffered to
bring to pass the remission of sin; that they may think of his
Father and our Father and God, who has organized this earth and
placed everything in it that is in it. And when he came into the
world we came with him; the earth is his and the fulness thereof,
and he has handed over to his Son the work of redeeming it, of
making it perfect, when he will deliver it up to the Father. Not
a single soul of us will be lost if we will do as well as we know
how, keeping these things in view and practising them. When we
practise them we honor them; and we honor the Father by honoring
his words and the words of his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy
Ghost takes up his abode with us to comfort and cheer our hearts.
There are thousands of good and wholesome principles that people
do not see, because they have no spirit of comprehension nor
understanding of the works of God. The South and the North are at
war with each other--are slaying each other--and if they were not
doing that they would be trying to slay us; this they do already
in their hearts, and the sin is the same upon the nation as
though they did it in reality. I am a martyr in the sight of God,
and so is brother Brigham and other men of God whose lives they
have hunted. God will chastise them and all those who had a hand
in seeking our destruction. There is great blessing to be placed
upon faithful men in the latter days--they are to be sealed up
unto eternal life, and against all sins and blasphemies, except
the shedding of innocent blood, or consenting thereunto, which is
the same in the eyes of God. The wicked are slaying the wicked,
and the North calculates to use up the South in a few days; in
this they will be mistaken. They will whip each other, first one
then the other. Let the Saints acknowledge the hand of God in it
all. War and bloodshed will follow the Gospel of the Son of God,
until it has spread over every nation, tongue and people who
reject the Gospel after it is proffered to them, and have spilled
innocent blood or consented to it. If you see these principles as
I do, you will see them clearly, though, in my weakness, I may
not have been able to make them plain to your understandings.
46
Ye Elders of Israel, never try to circumscribe each other, but
build each other up. God does not look with the same eyes that we
do. He looks at the hearts and intentions of men, and he will
honor those he can work with. When I worked at my business, and
the clay was rebellious and stiff, I would throw a little water
upon it, and soften and molify it, and then put it into the mill
where it is ground up. When it is passive, it is again brought
upon the wheel after it has been well cleared of all foreign
matter, and it is turned into pitchers, into jugs, into churns,
milk-pans, bowls and cups, and every kind of vessel to adorn the
kitchen and the palace, and to make the Church and kingdom of God
interesting, and more magnificent than all the glory of the
kingdom of the world. All these vessels are made at the dictation
of the master potter.
47
When the brethren arrive at their fields of labor, brothers
Brigham, Heber and Daniel, and the Twelve Apostles will not be
there to dictate you. When I was sent to England twenty-five
years ago, I felt myself one of the very weakest of God's
servants. I asked Joseph what I should say when I got there; he
told me to go to the Lord and he would guide me, and speak
through me by the same Spirit that dictated him. He also told
brother Brigham when he got there he would know all about it. My
experience is, the more I preach upon the first principles of the
Gospel, the more I discovered limbs and branches of the subject I
had never seen, leading to the fountain of life. The Holy Ghost
led me all the time, and God spake through me when I would let
him. I have related a little of my experience for the benefit of
my brethren who are going out on missions. When you get to
England, the Saints will rejoice to see you, expecting you will
tell them all about it. Here is brother John Smith, the
Patriarch, at the head of the Church, he knows everything they
will say, and he will tell us all about wives we had in heaven or
earth or in hell. Now, brethren, go in the name of Jesus Christ
and preach the first principles of the Gospel, and tell the
brethren and sisters to gather to the fold of Christ, where all
things shall be told them. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Orson
Hyde, April 6, 1862
TRUSTING IN THE ALMIGHTY.
Remarks by Elder Orson Hyde, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
47
Brethren and sisters, I am called upon and requested to make a
few remarks to you this afternoon, in which privilege I feel
thankful to my heavenly Father, and also for the privilege of
meeting with the Saints in general Conference.
48
The representatives of every part of the Territory are here, and
to be privileged to speak, though perhaps but a few minutes,
still it is a gratification; and to look upon you and your
countenances is a privilege that I prize. If we were prepared to
enter into heaven, to do according to our ideas of heaven, or as
we have been used to believe, and should get up there in the
presence of God, or in the presence of the spirits that are
greater than we are, and undertake to teach and instruct them it
would not seem exactly in place, and yet perhaps it might be in
place, for those spirits might wish to know what was in us. It is
in this manner that I do it at this time; it is not with a wish
to instruct those that bear rule in the kingdom of God, but I
suppose that they would like to know from us who have been at a
distance, to know what kind of spirit we possess. Therefore as
liberty is given to speak upon whatever subject is desired by the
person addressing you, it may be supposed that every speaker will
speak upon some favorite theme, that our spirits may be weighed
in the balances and compared with the principles of the Gospel. I
feel when I contemplate the principles of our holy religion very
much as I do when I go into a very nice orchard and get hold of a
good ripe peach, I naturally exclaim, this is excellent! I taste
another, and say that is very good; of another I say it is
luscious. Then I meet with some apples; I get hold of Rhode
Island Grening in the season thereof, and of course I say this is
the finest going; then I get hold of a golden pippin and I think
this is the finest of all. So I think with the spirits of great
and good men in the Gospel; they are all best, and I do not know
which to select of the principles of life and salvation.
President Young gave us a key some time ago, to certain
principles, and I thought I would make a few remarks upon a
principle that seem to present itself to my mind. Suppose that
there is in this town a man of honor, a man who fulfills his
contracts, who never was known to cheat the laborer or cut him
down in his price. His character is known; you enlist in
employment, and you have no doubt but you will be rewarded, and
you know he is abundantly able and qualified to fulfil his word
and promise, and you have no doubt or hesitancy in regard to
receiving pay for your labor. You go on working and laboring, and
you are confident that you will get your pay; not the least doubt
in the world. Well, really, that is no more than we should do; it
is no very high compliment to us, if while trusting in that
individual and believing that we will get our pay and get justly
rewarded unless we turn the tables and ask the question to
ourselves, "Has that individual who has employed us got
confidence in us, that we will execute and perform according to
his wishes?" It is good to trust in the Lord, to repose
confidence in what he has said to us, but it is better to secure
and be sure that we have the confidence of the Almighty. When a
man that you have employed in this service has proven that he is
worthy, that he is faithful, wise, discreet and understands what
belongs to his duties in every branch of his profession, and who
understands well how to keep all things in order, then he can be
trusted and promoted according to his master's pleasure.
48
Your employer has looked down upon you and seen your wisdom and
the interest that you have taken in his affairs, till by-and-bye
it comes to something that is wanted to be done, then the
employer goes to his master and says, "Sir, how shall I execute
this piece of work? In what manner shall I perform this branch of
business?" "Why," says the master, "you understand that I have
full confidence in you, therefore go and do it in a manner that
will suit yourself." Now, an employer won't say that to every
individual, but he might say it to one in whom he had the most
unlimited confidence. May we not arrive at a point where we can
secure the confidence of the Almighty, so that he will say,
"Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. You know my
policy; I have full confidence in you, indeed the light of Heaven
shines in your hearts, and with this go and do as seemeth good
unto you?" Arriving at this point may we not get the entire
confidence of our heavenly Father in regard to all the duties
that lie before us.
49
Now, it would not be a very high compliment for us to trust in
that wealthy man who has plenty of means and who never violated
his word, still it is good to trust in him; it shows that we
consider him abundantly able and willing to fulfil his contracts.
It is good to trust in the Lord, but what fool would not? There
are some men who would not, especially if that trust touched
their pockets. The gold, the silver, and everything that we own
belongs to him, and we cannot trust too much in him. It is no
very high compliment for us to say that we trust in the Lord;
still it is good, it shows that we appreciate his policy and
goodness; but when we can take a course of life to cause the
Almighty to trust in us, and whenever he can find us to be a
people in whom he can trust, then all those blessings referred to
by the President this morning will be poured out upon us. What
will he put upon us when we show our obedience to his laws? He
will take from the world their sovereignty and leave only
desolation and confusion, and he will take the power which they
claim to have and will transfer it to his chosen and anointed
ones, just so soon as he can feel safe in doing so.
49
Well, brethren and sisters, I just wanted to impress this idea
upon our minds. I say our, because I take it to myself, and it is
my determination to pursue that course in all my teachings and in
all my operations that will secure to me the confidence of our
heavenly Father, the Lord being my helper. My heart is fully set
to secure the confidence of the Almighty, and also of all the
just ones.
49
May this be the desire and determination of every heart, is my
prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / John
Taylor, May 18, 1862
John Taylor, May 18, 1862
VASTNESS OF THE WISDOM AND INTELLIGENCE OF GOD.
IMPOTENCY OF MAN TO GOVERN RIGHTEOUSLY.
Discourse by Elder John Taylor, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, May 18, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
49
We have just heard that
"Angels from heaven, and truth from earth,
Have met, and both have record borne."
49
We have also been hearing of things pertaining to the kingdom, of
the events that are about to transpire, and that are transpiring
in these last days.
50
Jesus said in his day, when speaking of a certain class of
individuals, "Because they seeing, see not; and not hearing, they
hear not; neither do they understand."--Matt. xiii, 13. It has
been so in almost every age, and it is so at the present time in
the world, and to a certain extent among the Saints of the Most
High God. It is difficult for us, sometimes, to see and
comprehend, and to appreciate our privileges. Mankind have
labored under this difficulty in every age of the world. We come
into existence; we find ourselves surrounded with blessings; we
entertain ideas in relation to the Great God who rules and
overrules in the affairs of the universe, but we are more or less
beclouded in our minds in relation to the great principles of
eternal truth. It is so among the people in the world, and also
among this people, although we see things more clearly and with a
different vision, and understand things more correctly than the
rest of the human family, yet we do not comprehend our true
position and relationship to each other. If we do, we do not walk
according to the light which is given unto us the Spirit of
eternal truth. What is more pleasant, naturally, for the mind of
man to reflect upon than the things of the kingdom of God? The
power, the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Eloheim in his
works and designs, and our relationship to him, to the world, and
to each other? How deep and sublime and incomprehensible to us,
at present, is that wisdom and intelligence that governs this
world and all others, that regulates the planetary system, that
produces seed time and harvest, summer and winter, that causes
all the vivifying influences that operate to supply the
necessities of animal life in the myriads of the creatures of
God, that spreads throughout the universe and fills all worlds as
well as ours with life, being and existence. What could be more
joyous and pleasing than for this and every other world to be
under the control of that intelligence and wisdom that governs
all animate or inanimate matter. In relation to this world, it
has been a thing that the Prophets have delighted to dwell upon
in days that are past and gone; it is a theme that the poets have
sung about; they rejoiced in the prospect of the new heaven and
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness; they have also
delighted to dwell upon that which shall exist in the animal
creation, where the stronger shall no longer press upon the
weaker. They have also deplored the fallen condition of mankind
generally; they have lamented over the evil passions and feelings
that prevail among the human family. They have deplored the
crime, the war, the bloodshed and strife, and in their songs they
have rejoiced in the prospect of the time coming when these
things shall be done away, when the Lord shall take the
government into his own hands, when the lion and the lamb shall
lie down together, and the leopard become docile and harmless,
and when there shall be nothing to hurt nor destroy in all the
holy mountain of the Lord. But the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
51
Among the "Red Republicans" of France, as they are called, a
great many of the leading and prominent infidels think that by
their influence they will be enabled to bring about the
millennial glory. They deprecate all those influences that lead
to evil, and they would like another state of things to be
introduced among the human family. In fact, as the President
stated here not long ago, it is not natural for men to be evil.
All men admire that which is good; all men admire virtue and
truth, whether they possess them themselves or not, they still
admire that which is good in others. You may go to the most
wicked man that exists and talk to him upon this subject, and he
will say at once, "I am not an example, but such a man is and
there are certain principles that I admire, and if I could see
them carried out I should be glad." Who does not admire the
truth? And if men carry out good principles in their lives, all
others admire both them and the principles. Who is there that
does not admire virtue, no matter how lascivious they may be
themselves? However dishonest the man may be himself, there is a
feeling of admiration of honesty in others. This feeling prevails
among the children of men. The only thing with them, and that
which puzzles is, how shall the world be redeemed? How shall
mankind be purified and correct principles be introduced among
the human family? Men know that their hearts are evil, and they
are ever ready to charge this upon others. The question now is,
how shall good and godlike principles predominate among the human
family? and how shall fraud and unrighteousness be put down and
correct principles rise to the rescue of a fallen world? This is
the problem that philosophers have tried to introduce, and that
wise men in all ages have endeavored to solve. Great men in every
calculated to do away with the evils that have existed; and to
this end they have introduced something which they thought was
more noble, more dignified, pure and philanthropic, principles
more holy than those that have prevailed. This subject has
attracted the attention of all men, and the design of many of
these philanthropists has been to lead mankind in the way of
life; to introduce correct principles amongst a fallen world, to
bring people to a state of truth, light, life, happiness and
exaltation in this world or in the kingdom of God.
51
What is it that missionary institutions are put on foot for? To
convert the heathen, that they may introduce among them correct
principles, supposing that they have got them themselves, and
that all the world may be brought under this Divine influence
which they suppose they possess, and be civilized and evangelized
and obtain an exaltation in the kingdom of our God. All kinds of
societies have been organized in the world, which have had for
their object the amelioration of the condition of the human
family. For instance, almost all have seen that drunkenness was
an evil, and hence men have introduced temperance societies,
which are very good; but that does not constitute the kingdom of
God, but it shows what feelings have inspired the human bosom,
striking at the foundation of evil.
52
Another large class of men have supposed that war was a great
evil, and so it is; and they have striven to introduce peace; and
some of the most influential men in Europe have united together
to form peace societies, but what do their efforts in this
respect amount to? What have they accomplished? Nothing; there is
nothing done; iniquity abounds just as much as it did before they
tried to prevent it. Temperance societies have tried to make
people sober, but people are as much given to intemperance as
they were before the temperance societies were introduced. There
does not seem to be any difference. Their agents have been sent
forth, and their missionaries for years and years have been
laboring to ameliorate the condition of mankind and to lead them
to the knowledge of God, and what have they done? Let the world
answer. What have they done among the heathen nations? What have
they done among what are called Christians? The Peace
Society--what has it done? Let the United States answer; let the
present powers of Europe answer; let the world answer.
Notwithstanding human exertions may have been very necessary in
many of these moves to try to better the condition of the world,
it must be acknowledged that they have signally failed, and that
unless something more be done, a more powerful and a better kind
of temperance, of philosophy, a better kind of morality, a more
wise and liberal kind of government, and a better code of laws
instituted, the world has got to go on as it has done, without
any amendment; in fact it is getting worse and worse, instead of
better and better. The great problem, it is presumed, will have
to rest with us and the Almighty in relation to this matter. It
requires something more potent, intelligent, powerful and wise
than anything that has existed heretofore among men to introduce
that change which is so desirable. Man by searching cannot find
it out. Man with the utmost stretch of his intelligence, is
unable to comprehend or introduce the kingdom of God upon the
earth, and all the earth, and all the various societies separate
and combined have failed to introduce any principle commensurate
with the wants of humanity, and in all respects of the human
family, and to place them in the condition in which the Prophets
have beheld them when wrapped in prophetic vision they beheld the
opening glories of the kingdom of God. Who doubts the sincerity
of many of the reformers, whether religious, social, moral or
philosophical? No man. Many of these men have been sincere,
noble, brave and ingenious, and have tried to stop and torrent of
iniquity; but their means have not been commensurate to the end
designed; iniquity, like the mountain snow when the sun shines
upon it and the south wind blows, is loosed from its
resting-place and comes down like a mighty avalanche breaking
down all barriers, bursting all bonds and deluging and destroying
all before it, leaving morality and religion aghast, destroying
social order, deluging philosophy and proving that man alone may
as well attempt to blow out the sun or stop the wheels of time,
as in his pigmy efforts to regulate the world. How shall these
things be accomplished?
52
I think we shall have to say as John Wesley said:--
52
"Except the Lord conduct the plan,
The best concerted scheme is vain,
And never can succeed."
53
I think that unless there is a more comprehensive philosophy than
that which has entered into the brains of our learned men, that
there can be none of that intelligence that dwells in the bosom
of the Great God, to control and guide a man's feelings and
desires and to bring them into subjection to some law, by which
all can be managed orderly and systematically. There is something
in the designs of God and in all his operations that so far
outstrip the operations of man in his most mighty efforts, for
they are all puny, weak and childlike. Look, for instance, at the
embarrassments which the United States at present labor under in
providing for their armies; at the difficulties they are placing
themselves under. In a very short time, unless some change takes
place, they will be bankrupts, and doubtless obliged to dishonour
their contracts; and yet the United States are a wealthy and
powerful nation. What is it they are running in debt for? To feed
their armies and their navy. There is upwards of 30,000,000 of
people in the United States, and about one million of them are
engaged fighting each other, and the others are busy supplying
their friends' wants. It would really seem as if they were all
bankrupts, notwithstanding all their financiering, their
resources and their wealth; and not only is that the case with
them, but look at Great Britain and what they have tried to
accomplish; with all their professed wisdom they have depended
upon obtaining cotton from this land and now cannot do it. It is
supposed that they can never get from under their indebtedness,
which places a great part of the nation in a state of vassalage
and poverty. What is the case with other nations? They are just
the same or worse. They are maintaining their large standing
armies to preserve their dignity and their pride in the midst of
the proud spirited aristocrats of the old world. What does their
present condition show? It shows there is a weakness and a want
of union and of confidence one in another.
53
Let us look at the acts of the Almighty and compare them with the
acts of men. Look at the human family: there is from 800,000,000
to 1,000,000,000 that inhabit the face of this earth, on the
right hand and on the left, in the north and in the south; and
who is it that provides their dinner, supper and all their
supplies? Why, it is the Great God--Him who hears the young
ravens when they cry, whose wisdom is infinite and who is capable
of taking care of the human family. Then look at the hills and
valleys and the animal creation; the fish in the sea, the beasts
of the forest, all teeming with life, and yet this intelligence
which in the Almighty, and the knowledge by which he controls all
things, and which enables him to take care of and provide for all
creation, the myriads and myriads of beings that fill the air and
sea, and yet, notwithstanding they exist in countless numbers,
his wisdom provides for all of them, and he is not bankrupt, but
is still abundantly able to meet his engagements for fifty years
to come just as well as he is to-day. Now contrast the difference
between one thing and the other.
53
Well, it is not necessary to dwell long upon these things; enough
perhaps may have been said to show the wisdom, the knowledge and
the forethought of the Almighty. Now, what is it that we want? If
we could have it and know how to obtain it, and if there was any
way of accomplishing it, we want to get that wisdom which dwells
in the bosom of God; that intelligence which governs the
universe, that produces seed-time and harvest, and causes
everything to progress in regular order, under the sanction of
that care, forethought and comprehension and power that enables
the Lord our God to provide for all his creatures, to supply our
wants; and this shows something of that beneficence that dwells
in his bosom, that enables him to feel for the wants of his
neighbors as for his own, and to seek after common welfare and
interest. If we cannot get God to be interested in our cause, if
he won't put his hand to the wheel, we may despair of ever
bringing about that thing the Prophets have spoken about, just as
much as Moses did in former days when Israel had sinned against
God. After that the Lord led them by the pillar of fire by night
and a cloudy pillar by day. If they had been faithful the Lord
would have allowed them to accomplish their journey through the
wilderness in a short time, but in consequence of their
hard-heartedness and their rebellion against the servants of God
and the principles that he introduced, the Lord got angry, as he
had a right to do, at the corruption and the prevarication and
rebellion that prevailed among that people. For their
hard-heartedness he got angry with them and said, "I won't go any
longer with this people, you can go, Moses, but they won't be
governed by my advice, therefore you can take them along." Moses
knew very well that he could not do it, and therefore, he said,
"Oh Lord, if thou go not up with us, let us not go. There are
difficulties to contend with and the Philistines will be against
us; we have got to depend upon thee to feed us with manna from
heaven. We have had to depend upon thy wisdom thus far; we shall
be swept from off the land if thou go not up with us, therefore
carry us not up hence."
53
This was the feeling of Moses when he stood in the midst of the
rebellious children of Israel. Well, what is it that we are
engaged to do now? Why, we are engaged in just the very thing
that we have been singing about, viz.:--
53
"Angels from heaven, and truth from earth,
Have met and both have record borne."
55
God has sent his angels, and he has declared that he would
introduce his kingdom and his government, and establish his
dominion and authority according to the saying of one of the old
Prophets, "The Lord is our king, the Lord is our judge, the Lord
is our law-giver, and he shall reign over us." That was the kind
of feeling the people had in those days when they felt right, and
this is the kind of feeling the people have in these days when
they have the right Spirit; and this is the feeling that we
profess to carry in our bosoms, and which we profess to carry out
in our lives. We have generally been able to see through the
fallacy and weakness of all human institutions. We believe that
the Lord has revealed himself from the heavens, and that the
manifestations of the power of the heavens have been revealed,
and the intelligence that dwells in the bosom of the Almighty and
the records that have been hid up for ages we have found; they
have been developed and made known to us in connection with the
revelations of the Spirit of the Most High God, for the purpose
of establishing the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the
earth, and bringing in a reign of righteousness, freedom and
peace. These things have been introduced for the very purpose of
developing and accomplishing those things that have been hid up
in the bosom of Jehovah from before the commencement of this
earth. He well understood his designs ere the morning stars sang
together for joy; he knew that what he was to accomplish years
and years ago, before any of our fathers had an existence upon
the earth; and for this reason the earth was organised and
framed, and for this purpose we came here. God had designs
generations ago to accomplish his purposes, and those purposes
which he designed from the beginning will be accomplished in
spite of all the combined influences of earth and hell. What was
the object of our formation and the formation of the earth and of
all intelligent beings upon it? God in his own due time, after
the folly, strength, weakness and vanity of the human family have
exhausted themselves, and after trying all their experiments, and
all their wisdom being exerted to find out God, then the Almighty
will show them that he can accomplish his purposes. It is our
business to lean on the Lord and seek unto him for wisdom and
intelligence. The Lord has opened up this work by opening the
heavens, by communicating his will and unveiling his purposes and
designs to the children of men, by the introduction of the Holy
Priesthood and by the manifestation of his power, and by the
marvellous deliverance which has been wrought for us, for our
guidance; in this way he has given proof upon proof, and
intelligence upon intelligence, and testimony upon testimony; and
evidence upon evidence have been given to convince us of the
position that we occupy and of the will of God that has been
communicated unto us. The Spirit of inspiration has been given
unto us, and we have had our testimony made as firm and sure as
the Rock of Ages, upon the principles of eternal truth, and all
this that our steps might not waver and that we might yield
obedience to the laws of heaven and continue in the observation
of the statutes. But, notwithstanding all our privileges and
blessings, a great many of us seem to have ears to hear but hear
not, hearts but we understand not, and although we are made
partakers of the munificence and goodness of God, and
notwithstanding his intelligence continues to be poured out upon
us from day to day and from year to year, we seem to treat
lightly the blessings he has showered out upon us. This is not
the case with all; I believe the great majority of this people
feel it in their hearts to do right, to keep the commandments of
God and to yield obedience to his laws, and to magnify their high
callings and help to build up his kingdom on the earth. This is
the feeling and desire of the great majority of this people; and
probably as others learn more and comprehend more, they will feel
a stronger desire to walk in accordance with the commandments of
God and fulfil all his behests.
56
If we could see and feel our position we should feel, when men
surround us with their temptations, and tell us of privileges--we
should feel something like a man that was building the Temple in
former days, he said "I am doing a great work, hinder me not: why
should I come down?" If we as Elders, as Saints of the Most High,
could comprehend the responsibilities that rest upon us, and the
obligations that rest upon us, we should feel when these little
things come in our way, and we should say, "Get thee behind me
Satan." We should feel as this man said, "I am doing a great
work, and I, myself, and my family and all my interests, and in
fact everything that I have are bound up in the kingdom of God. I
am a servant of the Great Jehovah; God is my father, he has
established his kingdom upon the earth. I am one of his servants,
one of his Elders, and I am trying to help to build up his
kingdom, and to introduce a reign of righteousness, to roll back
the dark cloud that has overspread the world, and to do something
that will tend to roll forth the Redeemer's kingdom, and
therefore I cannot condescend to the worldly vanity that I see
around me." This would be the feeling of all the Elders and of
all Saints, if they felt right and realized their true positions
and responsibilities, and they would feel, moreover, a good deal
as all good men feel who know themselves and feel correctly their
calling. They would likewise feel, that if men for generations
past have been erring and going astray for want of the knowledge
of the laws of God, and that if God called out men to carry the
message of life and salvation to this generation, that they would
go and try, if they died while trying, and thus enable mankind to
approach God and to conduct themselves aright; and also teach
their families the first principles of true government, that,
peradventure, with the united efforts and co-operations of the
Priesthood and the members of the Church and kingdom of God upon
the earth, they might be able to introduce a reign of
righteousness into the world. This would be the feeling that
would exist. It is just as some men are over a picayune. Don't
you know how men will twist and pick and cringe to get hold of a
dollar or two? If men would be as valiant in trying to pray to
God to give them wisdom and power to control themselves and their
thoughts and passions, then in all their business transactions,
they would feel that they know themselves to be accepted of the
Almighty. They would feel and know that they had ears to hear and
hearts to understand and comprehend the mind and will of God;
they would then feel ten thousand times more interest in the
kingdom and to work for the spread of true and holy principles,
and in all things pertaining to the great work in which they are
engaged, than in those little temporal matters. Yet,
notwithstanding all our experience, how anxious we are about the
one and how careless about the other; yet our father is merciful
and remembers that we are but poor, weak, erring creatures. He
knows the things that are transpiring, and he comprehends all our
faults and infirmities, and hence he is merciful unto us, and
really we ought sometimes to be ashamed of our own acts.
56
Many of you have doubtless heard people talk, and say, Why I
thought I could get a living better, get more money and clothes
and everything I needed. yes, this is the way many felt, and they
came here to the gathering-place of the Saints with a view to get
rich, that they might eat and drink, get plenty of beer, spirits
and wine, such as was made in the old countries and in the
Eastern States, whereas men should come with a feeling to build
up the kingdom of God. Not that you need be united with the
Temperance Society, for our religion comprehends all that is good
in that society. Is there a temperance society or principle
necessary? We have it. Is there any good principle in the Peace
Society? We have it with us; it is all comprehended in our holy
religion.
56
Now, Jesus said to his disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." In
another place he says, when speaking to his disciples, "Let not
your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In
my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
56
Peace is the gift of God. Do you want peace? Go to God. Do you
want peace in your families? Go to God. Do you want peace to
brood over your families? If you do, live your religion, and the
very peace of God will dwell and abide with you, for that is
where peace comes from, and it don't dwell anywhere else. We had
peace societies in the world, it is true, for many years, but
what have they done? Simply nothing; but peace is good, and I say
seek for it, cherish it in your bosoms, in your neighborhoods,
and wherever you go among your friends and associates, for they
are good principles and dwell in the bosom of God all will be
right.
57
Remember that it is a great deal better to suffer wrong than to
do wrong. We have enlisted in this kingdom for the purpose of
working righteousness, growing up in righteousness and in purity
that we might have a heaven in our families, in our city and
neighborhoods, a Zion right in our midst, live in it ourselves
and persuade every body else to abide its holy laws. Philosophers
have been seeking after and searching into philosophy. The Lord
has revealed unto the great family of heaven and of earth, and he
is continually communicating his will and giving us good
principles. Others have been trying to understand the things of
God by their various creeds and systems, but we have got all the
truth combined, instead of having a multitude of systems. There
is not a religion upon the face of the earth but has truth in it
that is embraced in our religion, for it embraces all truth that
has or will exist, so far as we can comprehend it. Consequently,
our religion is something like the religion of Moses. You
remember that Moses had a rod, and the magicians had rods; the
magicians cast down their rods, and through some power and
influence they became serpents. When Moses cast down his, through
some power and influence superior to that of the magicians, it
swallowed up theirs. We have cast down our rod, we have set up
our standard, and it will swallow up all the rest. Is there a
true principle of science in the world? It is ours. Are there
true principles of music, of mechanism, or of philosophy? If
there are, they are all ours. Is there a true principle of
government that exists in the world anywhere? It is ours, it is
God's; for every good and perfect gift that does exist in the
world among men proceeds from the "Father of lights, with whom
there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." It is God
that has given every good gift that the world ever did possess.
He is the giver of all good principles, principles of law, of
government and of everything else, and he is now gathering them
together into one place, and withdrawing them from the world, and
hence the misery and darkness that begin to prevail among the
nations; and hence the light, life and intelligence that begin to
manifest themselves among us.
57
But, again, in relation to government, who can govern the human
family? The world have tried it, with all their great spirits,
with all their power and authority, and what have they done among
the nations of the earth? They have had misery pressed down,
shaken together and running over. At the same time there have
been many good principles among the nations of the earth; many
good and equitable laws; and among the rest religion and politics
have had a liberal share, and everything else that has had some
good in it; but mankind have not been able to introduce the
millennial reign, and who knows how the Lord and those to whom he
will give wisdom, will govern mankind? It cannot be known; man
never could and never will be able to govern his fellows, except
the power, the wisdom and the authority be given from heaven.
57
We have had a great deal of talk about Republican Governments,
and look what a specimen we have before us. Look at the
desolation and destruction that prevail through this once happy
land. I ask the question, can man govern himself? No, he cannot;
and unless the Lord takes the government and introduces correct
principles, it cannot be done; the intelligence we have will
never do it, and in fact nothing but the light and intelligence
of the Most High will enable us to progress in the things of the
kingdom of God; and how few there are that can govern themselves.
What will enable you, brethren and sisters, to govern yourselves?
The Spirit of God; and you cannot do it without the Spirit of the
living God dwelling in you,--you must have the light of
revelation, or else you cannot do it. If you get the gift of the
Holy Ghost and walk in the light of the countenance of the Lord
you can govern yourselves and families, that is, if you retain it
by your good works. You may govern people in a certain kind of
way, as they have done in former days, but you will need the
Spirit of the living God to dwell in your bosoms. What would be
the effect of such a government? If carried out, it would be as
we sing sometimes, that:
57
"Every man in every place Will meet a brother and a friend."
58
When you get the Spirit of God, you feel full of kindness,
charity, long-suffering, and you are willing all the day long to
accord to every man that which you want yourself. You feel
disposed all the day long to do unto all men as you would wish
them to do unto you. What is it that will enable one man to
govern his fellows aright? It is just as Joseph Smith said to a
certain man who asked him, "How do you govern such a vast people
as this?" "Oh," says Joseph, "it is very easy." "Why," says the
man, "but we find it very difficult." "But," said Joseph, "it is
very easy, for I teach the people correct principles and they
govern themselves;" and if correct principles will do this in one
family they will in ten, in a hundred and in ten hundred
thousand. How easy it is to govern the people in this way! It is
just like the streams from City Creek; they spread through the
valleys and through every lot and piece of lot. So it is with the
government of God; the streams of life flow from the Great
Fountain through the various channels which the Almighty has
opened up, and they spread not only throughout the world,
wherever there are any Saints that have yielded obedience to the
commandments of God. The fountain is inexhaustible, and the
rivers of life flow from the fountain unto the people.
58
The Lord said that his people should be willing in the day of his
power, and this principle commands the influence of his good
Spirit, connects with the fountain, with the intelligence that
dwells in the bosom of God, it is that which lights and fills
every bosom, and enters into every house, and every family and
heart; all are made glad with the joys of the Spirit of God;
under its begining influence they are made to feel that the yoke
of Christ is easy and his burden is light. This is the feeling
that governs the Saints and controls them in all their acts, and
this spirit has commenced to spread abroad and will continue to
spread until the earth shall be full of the knowledge of God as
the waters cover the great deep.
58
Some in speaking of war and troubles, will say are you not
afraid? No, I am a servant of God, and this is enough, for Father
is at the helm. It is for me to be as clay in the hands of the
potter, to be pliable and walk in the light of the countenance of
the Spirit of the Lord, and then no matter what comes. Let the
lightnings flash and the earthquakes bellow, God is at the helm,
and I feel like saying but little, for the Lord God Omnipotent
reigneth and will continue his work until he has put all enemies
under his feet, and his kingdom extends from the rivers to the
ends of the earth.
58
Brethren, God bless you, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / George
Albert Smith, April 7, 1862
George Albert Smith, April 7, 1862
NECESSITY OF UNDERSTANDING THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE
GOSPEL.--OF UNION AMONG THE PRIESTHOOD, AND
ATTENTION TO TEMPORAL DUTIES.
Discourse by Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
59
"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that
one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles
of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of
strong meat. For every one that useth milk, is unskilful in the
word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat
belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason
of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and
evil."--Hebrews v. 12, 13 and 14 verses.
59
It may seem to my brethren and sisters a little surprising, that
I should introduce the remarks which I have the privilege of
addressing to you this morning, by reading the sentiment which is
conveyed in this text. For when for the time we ought to be
teachers, we have need that one teach us again the first
principles of the oracles of God. But how often it is necessary,
and has it been necessary, for those who are inspired of the Lord
to complain of the brethren making such slow progress in the
things of the kingdom of God? How often do we hear our Presidency
lament the ignorance, folly and vanity that are exhibited by many
of those who are called upon to be and who should be teachers
indeed. I have thought that in some circumstances there was a
neglect in the Branches of preaching to and rehearsing in the
ears of the rising generation, those first principles of the
Gospel which were taught to us when we received the Work of the
last days, and especially the principle of faith. We grow up in
this community and the principles of the Gospel become, to a
great extent, natural to us. But many of the young are untried
and without experience, and they lack the power to contrast the
principles of truth with those of error, and hence it is regarded
as important by the Elders that they should have the opportunity,
at some period, of going abroad to preach the Gospel and have a
chance to test, by actual experience, the power of the principles
of truth when brought in contact with the wild fanaticisms which
the world has dignified with the title of religion.
60
It was remarked yesterday, that the progress of the people was so
slow, that the Presidency could not develop those principles
which were for the benefit of the people, for their glory and
exaltation, only at a very slow rate, powerful as we may think
the "Mormon" mill to be. The President tells us that he has to
regulate the feed very moderately, or injure the weak minded.
Some of the brethren, for want of a more perfect understanding
perhaps, give way to temptation and turn away, and become to a
considerable extent like a man who comes out of the dark into a
well lighted room, he is blinded with the light, his eyes are
unprepared to meet such brilliancy. This is illustrated very
clearly in the organization of the several Branches, settlements
and stakes of Zion throughout Deseret. To use a figure, in almost
all the Branches containing from one hundred to three hundred
families, it has been found necessary to combine all the
authority of Presidency in one man, at least I will say this has
been the case in many instances; there are a few exceptions to
this rule, but not many. A Bishop while he presides at the
meetings looks after the spiritual welfare of the settlements; he
preaches on the Sabbath day, gives counsel to the people,
spiritual and temporal; he gives counsel in relation to the
donations, public buildings, the erection of school-houses; and
almost everything is made to devolve upon the head of the Bishop.
60
In the first instance many of these places were organized with a
President and Bishop who were expected to act in concert, and,
with their counsellors, work and exert themselves for the general
good of the people, and with a strong hand all pull together and
strive to strengthen each other. And when for the time these men
ought to have been teachers they have proven that they required
to be taught, for the very first question that would arise, was
"which of us is the biggest man, for it is important that we
should know the precise line between our authority, to know where
the jurisdiction of the one ends and the other begins." A man of
this disposition and feeling would want a rule and tape-line to
draw his line of jurisdiction on the ground and stake it out.
Then it would be, Bishop you must toe this line, and President
you must keep your side of it. No familiarity. You must not tread
on my toes, remember that.
61
Now, I have had experience in these matters to some little
extent, by visiting and attempting to regulate, explain and set
in order these difficulties. At one place, containing about three
hundred families, the President held the doctrine that the Bishop
was a mere temporal officer, and therefore he had no right or
business to talk on the Sabbath day on temporal matters. If he
wished to talk about donations, emigration, teams, building
meeting-houses, or of Tithing, he was told that that was temporal
business and that he must call a meeting on a week day. Elder E.
T. Benson and myself went to that place after they had been
contending upon this subject, and it had become well understood
that no man must talk there on temporal subjects on the Sabbath
day. But we occupied the whole day in telling how to make bread,
build cities, make farms, fences, and in fact we told them how to
do every useful thing that we could think of. We asserted that a
certain amount of temporal preparation was necessary in order
that a man might enjoy his religion. We also asserted, that if a
man made no preparations for the future he was constantly
subjected to annoyances. For instance, a man lives in one of our
agricultural villages, and he makes little or no preparation for
taking care of what he has around him; he neglects to fence his
field and stack-yard. Now, I have thought that a man could not
enjoy his religion as he should do unless he had a good fence
around his field and stack-yard; for if he has no fence, or only
a poor one, when he gets ready for praying there is perhaps a rap
at the door, and when the door is opened, the message delivered
is, "there are twenty head of cattle destroying your wheat in
your stackyard." "The Devil there is," says the man, "and whose
are they?" He puts them in the astray pound, and he puts an
exorbitant tax upon them, and charges the pound-keeper not to let
them go until he gets this pay, say, damages to the amount of
$50. The next thing is, another neighbor who is religious also,
but perhaps a little later in his devotions, is aroused by the
report, "your cattle are all in the astray pound and there is $50
damage against them." "The Devil they are, who put them there?"
Why brother ------; his feelings of reverence and devotion having
been badly shaken by this report, he rises from his prayerful
mood in a rage and uses very violent language; and, suffice it to
say, that much trouble is caused by men not having a good fence,
and it is exceedingly doubtful whether many men can preserve an
even temper of mind under such circumstances. Now, all this was
the result of ignorance. If that Presidency had known their
duties they would never have closed a meeting without asking the
Bishop if he had anything to say, or any business to attend to;
it was a matter of courtesy and of duty also; and instead of
pulling against each other they should have united and all pulled
together for the accomplishment of the same object. For this
reason we have had to organize several Branches with a Bishop and
his counsellors only, and, as I express it sometimes in the
settlements where I visit, we have had to use a wheel-barrow
instead of a six horse coach. The Bishop must do this, that and
the other, in fact everything. He must preach, collect the
Tithing; for if we set another man to assist him, men are so
ignorant, they have learned so little that they will immediately
start up and strive for the mastery, and hence contentions have
risen among the brethren acting in the capacity of Bishops and
Presidents.
61
In most of the settlements there have been quorums of High
Priests organized, and they call meetings and watch over each
other, blow the coal and keep the fire alive within each other's
bosoms, and see if they can keep one another wide awake. The same
thing has occurred in reference to the Seventies, and the
organizations are very numerous. Well, the question arises have
these Quorums a right to call meetings at the same time the
President has called a public meeting of the whole Branch? Here
comes a question of jurisdiction. For instance, when half of the
males in a Branch are Seventies, the President of the Mass Quorum
notifies that they are to have a meeting at 10 or 11 o'clock, the
very hour that the President of the Branch has his meeting. Has
the President of the Seventies a right to do this? No, he has
not; it is a discourtesy. Every Quorum should so arrange its
appointments that there will be no difficulty, no necessity for
any law to regulate the matter, but that of common decency and
common manhood, and it does seem that a man with less than half a
share of discernment could see that while the meeting called by
the President is going on all the Branch ought to be there, and
therefore that there should be no other meeting holden at the
same time.
61
Brethren, we should so arrange our appointments when our High
Priests and whatever other Quorums meet, as not to conflict, and
in this way have and show our respect to the President of the
Branch. Have our meetings of course, but submit to the President
of the Branch as the first to be attended to, and then have our
other meetings subordinate in point of time.
62
Well, now, almost any man in the world would say that a man is a
fool that would raise such a question, but men that have been
ordained Elders, High Priests and Seventies are just such
teachers, for when, for the time that they should be teachers,
they have need to be taught, for they seem to operate like
children and pull against each other; they labor to define each
others duties, to mark out the whereabouts of the line of
demarcation, whereas they should each and every one strive to
build up the kingdom of God, and so live as to enjoy the Holy
Spirit; each man should strive to be humble instead of exalting
himself; instead of drawing the line and saying I belong just
here and nobody must interfere with my rights, he should feel to
sustain the hands of his brethren. I will here say that there
have been places where these two organizations have existed for
years without any difficulty, and there are other places where
the two have existed at the same time, and the matter has been
taken up by the people and worked at until it has been found
necessary to reduce the organization by uniting the Presidency
and Bishopric in one person, or, as I term it, the wheelbarrow
arrangement, or if you please, a three wheeled coach.
62
There was one settlement where the people got so very wise that
the Bishop had to have two sets of counsellors, and they had to
be selected according to the wishes of the parties that took
sides with the President, or rather that were in favor of having
one, and then those who were willing to be contented with a
Bishop had to have their choice, and thus was formed what I call
an unlimited democracy.
62
The fact is that as soon as the brethren can realize that they
are to be servants of God, and that it is their individual duty,
to sustain each other and put away that jealously which in many
cases, exists at the present time, and which in fact is the chief
cause of all this trouble; and so soon as they find that they are
not to be as large as they desire to be, and as they think they
ought to be, it will be found that these organizations will be
increased in numbers; they will also increase in faith, in good
works and in power and influence with the heavens, and if they
will be faithful the idea will be fairly illustrated that a man
with a wheelbarrow cannot travel as fast nor accomplish as much
as the man who drives a four horse coach. Still, I know, that
owing to the ignorance and short-sightedness of the people, a
case of this kind will occasionally occur. There seems to be a
disposition to put everything in a nut shell. For instance, a few
years ago, there were some Bishops sent out of Salt Lake City to
explain to the country Bishops their duties. These brethren would
go into a settlement where there were both a Bishop and a
President, and they would go on and tell the Bishops what their
duties were, and in doing so, embrace the whole circle of duties
required of both Bishop and President, and never think that in
that Branch of the Church those duties were not united or centred
in one man but divided between two. And in some instances, there
would be a sort of half sharp-looking fellow get up and ask what
the President was to do, if all those explained and fully defined
duties were centred in the Bishop. "O," they would say, "we were
not sent to instruct anybody but the Bishops;" and as might be
expected, the result was a contention, if not among the
authorities, among the people, and I had some of these
difficulties to settle, and I found that the best way to do it
was to dispense with one of the officers.
63
There are several stakes of Zion in the country, where High
Councils have been organized, composed of twelve Councillors and
a President of the Stake and his two Counsellors, in settlements
where, in the commencement, the inhabitants were very small in
numbers, and it was natural that some member of the Council
should represent or be personally interested in each and every
party in the town that might be litigant before that body. In
some such instances it has become necessary to dissolve the High
Council altogether. The fact is, that every High Council should
have enough of the Spirit of the Lord with them to investigate
every case, so that when the decision is given, it will be the
decision of Heaven. Instead of this, little petty disputes arise
among the brethren, and two or three members of the Council,
perhaps, would have their minds made up beforehand what they
would do. There is one thing I have noticed in regard to High
Councils; the organization is well understood. One portion of the
Council takes the side of justice and investigates the facts in
the case, presenting them as they should be presented by an
honest attorney; then the other portion of the Council brings up
the defence and shows what the side of mercy is, in an
unprejudiced manner. After the Council have investigated the
subject before them thoroughly, the case is submitted by both
complainant and defendant. There have been cases where men have
tried to drag in attorneys to plead their cause before these
councils, and in some instances, it has been permitted. If this
kind of practice were allowed, and petty-fogging, contriving
lawyers allowed to practice before the High Councils, the
organization of heaven would soon be superseded altogether. I
wish to see all High Councillors magnify their own callings. I do
not know that I would carry out this rule strictly myself, but I
believe that, if I were a judge, and a lawyer were to come before
me and assert an absolute lie, and I should find it out, I never
would allow him to plead in my presence again; I should set him
down as a lawyer not of good moral character, and not legally
entitled to be a member of the bar. It appears that I have got
off from religion to law, still I believe that however a man may
try to pour on the oil and soft soap, the decision of the High
Council will be according to the principles of equity. If there
is to be an investigation before a council of this kind, it is
the duty of that body of men to strive to learn the truth for the
sake of doing justice to both parties; and if a man for the sake
of a fee, for the sake of gain, if bound and will come into court
or council, and state a lie, he has no business there, and I am
sorry to believe, if this principle was tried, it would pinch
some of our brethren who have dabbled in the law. (President B.
Young: I wish it would pinch them to death.)
63
I believe that there never was a more correct organization of a
court on earth than our High Councils, for these men go to work
and investigate a case, hear the testimony pro and con, the
Councillors for each party litigant present the case, it is
submitted to the President who sums up, gives his decision and
calls on the Council to sanction it by their vote, and if they
are not united, they have to go to work and try the case over
again in order that they may ascertain more perfectly the facts
in the case and be united in their decision. Why, all the courts
in the world are boobies compared to it. It is an organization
that shows it own authenticity and divine origin.
64
Perhaps it is not well for me to further describe the operation
of the High Council, but I will take the liberty of saying that
men occupying this high position in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints should constantly cultivate the principle of
justice and study to know what is right and what is wrong, always
keeping within them the Spirit of the Almighty. If they have got
prejudices against anybody, they should do as the President said
yesterday. And so long as a man acts upon this principle upon
which President Young gave us instruction, he has me for a
friend, and just so sure as a man comes up without envy or
prejudice, simply to learn what it right, and I understand my
position and my duty, and so long as I can vindicate myself, I
will put that man in the path of right and in the way of
salvation.
64
What has caused the corruption and wickedness that exist in the
world at the present day? It is the feeling that exists among the
people that one man cannot tell another his faults, because he
tells them to everybody else to the injury and prejudice of the
guilty party. The Prophet Joseph in his day would tell a man of
his faults to save him from error and destruction, but he
offended many because he told them of their faults; they thought
he wished to injure them, because they were unwilling to forsake
their follies, but his purpose in thus reproving was to redeem,
to bless and to save. It frequently happens that men who commit
faults are not aware of it. The man who can will show you your
faults, your follies and blindness, and make you fully aware of
your position, can awaken up in your mind those reflective powers
that will cause you to square yourselves up with correct
principles and cause you to prepare yourselves to inherit life,
light and glory. But the very moment that a "Mormon" Elder can be
instructed by the wicked, and allow those acts of folly and vice
to creep in all their hideous deformity, that man is on the road
to destruction. The Elder, Priest, Teacher or any man in this
kingdom that will suffer position to cause him to compromise
principle for wealth, is blind and cannot see afar off, and is
bound to destruction.
64
We have got to turn right round from that track, if we have been
walking in it; if we have coveted other men's goods, if we have
suffered or caused our hearts to fall in love with property that
is not our own, we are laying the foundation for destruction.
64
I can look over the history of this Church, the great apostacy
there has been from it at different periods, and I can see that
the apostacy of many has been the result of dishonesty, adultery,
selfishness and wickedness in general, and this has been the key
to the whole trouble.
64
These are my sentiments, the honest convictions of my heart,
drawn from long experience and attentive observation; and I know
that the man who would stand upon the holy hill of Zion, his
hands must not be filled with bribes.
64
Brethren, I know these principles to be true, and it is my desire
to walk so that I may be prepared to stand upon the holy hill of
Zion. This is what I labor and strive for. I can tell you, if you
encourage a spirit of fault-finding and complaining, you will
suffer the canker worm to gnaw at your vitals, to cause you to
distrust everybody, and you will begin to say that you have not
been respected, put in office and encouraged as you ought to have
been. Suffer these feelings to come into your bosoms, and they
will speedily gain possession and control of the whole passion.
64
What a glorious thing it is for men to meet the Elders of this
Church, as some met me in the States in 1856! They would say, we
should have been with you still if we had been treated right!
What a glorious consolation it will be when a man lifts up his
eyes in hell and says, I should have been up there in heaven if I
had been treated right!
64
Brethren and sisters, let us ever remember that it is our
business to treat ourselves right.
64
May the Lord enable us to do right, is my prayer in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Ezra
T. Benson, April 7, 1862
Ezra T. Benson, April 7, 1862
GRATITUDE FOR THE BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL.
Remarks by Elder Ezra T. Benson, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
65
I have the privilege of making a few remarks to my brethren and
sisters, upon the condition that I stop speaking or pumping when
the pond is out. This may seem a singular introduction, but I
feel perfectly free and at home when I meet with you in general
Conference.
65
I have enjoyed myself very much during this Conference, and I
really feel that we have been well instructed on the great
principles of our holy religion. I am fully satisfied that our
brethren who have spoken from this stand have laid before us the
things that we need, and especially for the benefit of those that
are laboring in the different portions of Utah, or, as I was
about to say, in different portions of Deseret.
65
I am proud of the name of being a Saint of God, for there is
something that is sweet--there is something that is glorious
about it.
65
I rejoice that we have the privilege here in Deseret of naming
our own children when they are born; it is not so in the nations
of the earth, but here we have organized a State Government; the
child is born and we have given it a name, and it is one of our
own choosing. We are a blessed people. How are we blessed this
morning? We are blessed by being taught of the Lord; we are
instructed in those things that pertain to our peace; we are in
possession of those heavenly principles that have been so plainly
laid before us; they are things that immediately concern us as
Saints of the Most High. If we have been gathered here to these
valleys of the mountains to be taught of the Lord, if we do not
have the spirit of humility, how can we be taught? And if we are
taught, what good will it do us? We require to be in that state
of mind that will render us susceptible of instruction; then, at
the close of this Conference we shall all have it to say that we
have been well paid for coming together to worship the Lord, and
we shall also feel that the teachings and instructions have been
applicable to our organizations and circumstances in the
different departments of the Holy Priesthood, which the Almighty
has conferred upon his servants in these last days.
65
I feel that it is indeed good to be here; it is good to
listen--to dwell and rejoice in the midst of this people, for
this is the work of the Lord; and we are the only people upon the
face of the earth that are so highly favored at the present time.
We can meet together in peace, as we are doing to-day, and
worship God according to the dictates of our own consciences;
yes, here we can do this, where the true liberty guaranteed in
the Constitution of the United States is fully carried out, and
extended to all people who wish to reside in our community.
66
I feel to take up the admonitions and treasure them up in my mind
and carry them home in my bosom. Every time that I come to a
Conference, I can see where I can do a little better, and
discover where I have been a little slothful in regard to the
duties of my calling.
66
You are aware that I hail from the northern part of our
flourishing Territory, (Cache Valley,) and I am really proud of
the county and of the desire they have to aid and assist in
building up this kingdom.
66
With reference to the Quorums of High Priests and Seventies, I
have to say that we have them with us, and we try to make them a
blessing to the people. We have the piety, the principles and
order of the Gospel among us, and I feel that such doctrine as
was taught yesterday is a blessing to the people who hear, and I
know it. But where people are trying to get all the honor,
influence and power to themselves it is then a detriment instead
of a blessing. Well, then, it behoveth us as Elders, Presidents
and Bishops to lay these principles to heart and have them
riveted to our minds; to lie down and sleep and wake up again
with them fresh in our minds in the morning, and go forth
attending to the duties required of us by our callings in the
Priesthood; and then we will profit by these instructions. Do not
let us allow these wholesome teachings to go in at one ear and
out of the other.
66
I do not wish to make many remarks this morning, but I feel truly
thankful to God and my brethren that I hold a standing in this
kingdom, and I intend to labor and do all I can for the spread of
truth, and strive to the best of my ability to endure unto the
end. And may this be our happy position and desire is the sincere
prayer of your brother in the New Covenant, in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / George
Albert Smith, September 4, 1859
George Albert Smith, September 4, 1859
THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SAINTS TO ENJOY THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY.
A Discourse delivered by Elder George A. Smith, September 4,
1859,
Reported by G. D. Watt.
66
At the request of my brethren, I arise to offer a few remarks.
And in order to give them to some extent the character of a
sermon, I will read the seventh verse of the third chapter of the
Prophet Amos:--"Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he revealeth
his secret unto his servants the prophets."
66
It is my design merely to draw the attention of our friends to
the subject presented in this text. When God has a people upon
the face of the earth he can own and bless as his, he always has
Prophets among them. "Surely," says the Prophet Amos, "the Lord
will do nothing, but he reveals his secret unto his servants the
prophets."
67
Now, it is not certain that the Prophet always reveals those
secrets unto the people. It may happen in many instances, that
the Lord will reveal unto his servants the Prophets many things
that are to come, and yet leave those who are not enlightened by
the Spirit of Prophecy to wait unto those things transpire before
they are apprised of them.
68
There appears to be in the midst of the Saints a very great
stress laid upon the word "prophet," and the words of Amos seem
to be definitely pointed at in the minds of a great many
individuals, to show, as it were, there was but one. But when the
Spirit of the Lord was poured out in the camp of Israel, and
Eldad and Medad began to prophesy, persons whose minds were
contracted went to Moses and complained that Eldad and Medad were
prophesying. "Would to God," said Moses "that all the Lord's
people were Prophets!" There are in the Church a variety of
gifts, and these gifts are all combined together, and are
necessary for the development of the principles we understand,
the diffusion of knowledge, and the complete organization of the
whole body. There are Apostles, Prophets and Teachers, and all
these officers bring about the great and complete organization of
the whole. In tracing through the history of the sacred writings,
we find that the Lord in some instances chose men that were
ignorant. I presume he did this in many instances from necessity,
for those who had been learned in the world were seldom found to
possess humility enough to humble themselves before the Lord to
get the Spirit of Prophecy, and to be a Prophet is to have the
Spirit of Prophecy, and to have the testimony of Jesus, "for the
testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy," nothing more nor
nothing less. The man who can testify that Jesus is the Christ
has this testimony, and as he improves upon his gift he becomes a
Prophet. It is not one individual, it is not three, it is not
twelve individuals, but it is for all the Saints who have the
testimony of Jesus and live in the exercise of that testimony. A
man that does not foresee by the Spirit of God, who does not
learn things to come by it, is not living up to his privilege and
profession, is not living in the enjoyment of that testimony
which he has received; he is blinded by the mists of darkness and
is liable to fall into a snare. The Apostle Peter in exhorting
his brethren tells them that it was necessary they should add to
their faith, virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge
temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they
make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, that you will be
made partakers of the Divine mind, the Holy Spirit dwelling in
you, you will know for yourselves of the principles and the
doctrines which you have received. The storms of adversity which
surround us amount to nothing with the man who has this knowledge
planted in his breast, he cares not for slanders, for abuse, for
sacrifices or losses of earthly goods. He who does not possess
this testimony, and is not made a partaker of the Divine nature,
and does not struggle to attain to exaltation, is turning away
and falling into darkness. It is strange to me that persons who
have been many years in this Church, who have borne their
testimony of the truth of the work of God in the last days many
times, should finally come to the conclusion that they have gone
astray, and must go in some other direction. Why is this? It is
simply because they have suffered the mists of darkness to
overcome them; they have not lived up to the principles they have
professed, and instead of advancing to be made partakers of the
divine nature and overcome the wiles that are in the world
through lust, they suffer them to have dominion over them, and
they fall back into darkness. When the storm of persecution
surrounds us, then, of course, we are apt to be zealous, but when
we are as it were left to ourselves we are tried in another way;
and when the Lord commenced giving revelations to this people he
said to them, through his servant Joseph, that they should be
tried in all things. If there is any one thing that is calculated
to try us more than another, that thing we may expect to
encounter. I know this people will bear poverty and affliction,
they will bear persecution, they will suffer their houses to be
burned, their property to be destroyed, and sacrifice what the
Lord has given them of earthly goods, expose themselves to
suffering and hardship for the sake of the principles they have
received, joyfully; but how many of these, when the smiles of
Providence have beamed upon them, when prosperity has surrounded
them, and they have been blessed and are in affluent
circumstances, have forgotten the Lord, like the Prophet said of
Jeshurun, "They waxed fat and kicked, and forgot the Lord." Such
is the fact with hundreds of Latter-day Saints. Now a man that
expects to be exalted to thrones and dominions must be just as
good a Saint when he is surrounded with wealth, with the comforts
and blessings of life in abundance, as he is, when he is in
poverty--when being robbed of his possessions, and deprived of
the means of subsistence; and the one condition is just as
necessary to try some individuals as the other condition is to
try any other.
68
From the time that I first became acquainted with the principles
of this Church, I have watched the progress of the development of
the Spirit of Prophecy among the Saints. I have never made
pretensions to prophecy, though many things have been made
manifest to me before they were fulfilled. I have foreseen many
results which have been astonishing, in many instances, to
others. The man that wishes to know the future let him study well
the present, let him be careful that the present is all right;
that the principles which he professes are not abused; that he
lives up to the doctrines which he has received, and that he
maintains his integrity towards his fellow-beings as God requires
at his hands; let him do this, and the future will be unfolded to
him, and he will be prepared for it just as fast as necessary.
69
As Elder Middlemas said, he knew some things that were manifested
to him, and knew how it would be beforehand. There are hundreds
that can foresee by the Spirit of the Almighty, the Spirit of
Prophecy, things that are to come to pass, without being able to
know the precise manner how it will be effected. But I can tell
you from the day of Joseph Smith's first commencement to testify
of the things of God unto the present, that the very results that
have been predicted have come to pass, but the manner has seldom
been understood until it came. When the Saints were in Jackson
County, surrounded by our enemies who were determined to destroy
us, and had no other idea but what the steps that were being
taken would put an utter end to our organisation as a religious
society, the future was as plainly laid open to thousands, and
the present time was as plainly understood by hundreds of the
Saints as it is now. The future is before us and many can look
into it and know its results. This is the work of the Almighty.
God has set his hand in the last days to establish a people on
the earth, he has not only commenced to do it, but it is now
accomplishing it,--all the efforts of our enemies to hinder it to
the contrary; and all efforts to stay its progress will be
futile. They may cast men into prison, cause men to make great
sacrifices, cause them to be brought into trying circumstances
and endure much suffering, but the result is a fixed fact, no man
can help it, no power can interfere with it, even the folly and
corruptions of men that profess to be associated with the Saints
cannot stay its progress. The work has commenced and onward it
will roll, and no power can stay it. I know it is so. They may
destroy my life, they may destroy yours, they may cause us to see
much sorrow and trouble, place us in a hundred unpleasant
positions; the corruptions of our own brethren may cause our
hearts to bleed; our blood may be spilled, our enemies may beset
us on every side, but we are engaged in the work of the Almighty
God who says in the Doctrine and Covenants, "I will save those
who fall in the defence of Zion." Brethren, let us then be
faithful, and diligently observe and do all things that are
required at our hands by our heavenly Father, that the light of
his countenance may constantly shine upon us, for we are engaged
in the great and glorious work he has commenced in the last days.
His hand steadies the ark, his arm guides and sustains it, his
Divine mind, will and power control it, and all that has been
done by those who have interfered with it, simply shows the
weakness and vanity of men that think to stay the hand of the
Almighty. And this testimony I bear continually. It is a day for
us to act, to act upon principles, to conquer ourselves by doing
right we are enabled to control others. What we do, we should do
because it is right, and refuse to do wrong.
69
And the great questions that should reign in our breast are What
is right? What is wrong? And when we are not certain, wait until
we understand, until we know we are right, and then go ahead. May
the blessing of Israel's God rest upon us, is my prayer in the
name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Orson
Hyde, October 7, 1862
Orson Hyde, October 7, 1862
HOW TO OBTAIN A PART IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.--ASSISTING THE POOR
TO
EMIGRATE.--CLASSIFYING LABOR.--THE TIMES WE LIVE IN.
Discourse by Elder Orson Hyde, delivered in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 7, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
70
Brethren and sisters, being invited to address you, I cheerfully
arise to make a few remarks, for I truly feel thankful for the
privilege I enjoy of speaking to you this morning. Be patient, my
friends, I will start on as high a key as I can so as not to
break down. I feel thankful for the opportunity of meeting with
the Saints in General Conference, and of mingling my testimony
with this vast number of Saints in endeavoring to advance the
interests of the kingdom of God, according to the intelligence I
possess; and I feel truly thankful to the Lord for the experience
I have had. I do not know that I can feel thankful for all the
experience I have had, but suffice it to say that I am spared by
our heavenly Father.
70
I do not at present know what I shall select for the foundation
of my remarks. Sometimes I take my text from the spelling book,
sometimes from the Bible, also from the Book of Mormon and from
the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, besides another Book which
seems to be above all other books--the Book of Nature; one page
above and the other beneath. There we behold the finger of God;
it is plain and legible to every heart that is inspired of the
Almighty, that is filled with the love of God, and burning with
the light of truth.
70
On this occasion there is a scripture that occurs to my mind,
where our Savior in his parables puts forth a sentiment like
this, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in
a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy
thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that
field."--Matt. xiii., 44. The Savior taught a great deal in
parables, and the servants of God in these days teach by parables
and comparisons in order that we may understand the more clearly,
and that we may take a larger view of things than we should or
could from the plain, simple statement of facts in common
language.
71
Now, brethren and sisters, we are all seeking the kingdom of God,
we are seeking to become heirs of that kingdom, to be lawful and
loyal subjects of the same. With this a question arises, whether
we shall attain to a place in that kingdom at any less cost than
did those I have quoted the Scripture about in your hearing. The
man purchased the field and hid his treasure there. He went
silently, lest, if he made a great bluster, some other individual
might go and steal the march upon him and purchase the field of
treasure, then the bargain would have been complete; but no, he
was wide awake, and sold all that he had and purchased that
field, for he was determined to have that treasure. It took all
that he had to purchase it, but the treasure concealed there was
far beyond the cost of purchase in value, and in purchasing it he
knew that it would increase in time and throughout all eternity,
for that treasure was the kingdom of God, and salvation to that
man's soul.
71
A question comes up in the minds of some; I have frequently heard
persons say, "What becomes of our Tithing? And what is the
propriety of paying so much? The calls come from this quarter and
calls from that; and what are we doing when we are buying that
field in which the treasure lies concealed?" Did we ever think
when responding to the calls on the right and on the left, that
we were purchasing that field, and that having gone to the extent
of our power and ability in that transaction, that there is our
deed and title to the kingdom of God, signed, sealed and
delivered?
71
Look back upon our privations that we have undergone, and there
is joy and gladness, there is hope which is full of immortality.
The kingdom is ours. We have purchased it, and by it our
salvation is secured, by faithfulness in the kingdom. Now do we
expect to get something for nothing? If we do, the transaction is
not suspended upon an even balance. To expect something for
nothing is just what many in our community want to do in their
trading and trafficking, and putting on prices that are far above
the standard. You naturally call such persons dishonest, and such
they truly are. If you expect to gain the kingdom of our God
without purchasing it by your labors, with me the question is,
Will you not be mistaken in your calculation?
71
This parable to which I have invited your attention is a good
lesson for all of us, and we should endeavor to so conduct
ourselves as to show that with us the kingdom of God is all in
all. This parable is an ensample for us to copy and adopt. A word
to the wise is sufficient on this subject. You have considered
this matter having read about it, and by reciting it over it may
be of service to you. It is no matter what that man did, or what
the other said, so far as the field spoken of is concerned, for I
do not suppose the purchaser gave him any trouble whether he paid
it for; he wished to have the field containing the treasure. It
is not the price we pay for the kingdom, it is the kingdom of God
we are bound to purchase at any price.
71
Enough upon that subject. As short sermons seem to be the order
of the day, I may be allowed to touch upon that which will
benefit myself, that which will increase our faith and tend to
our education and good, that we may go to our homes rejoicing in
the truth and in the privileges of the new and everlasting
covenant.
72
Now with regard to the poor, I have a few words to say. I have a
text about sending to the Missouri river to bring home the poor.
The Lord says, "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord
will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him
and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and
thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies."--Psalm
xli., 1, 2. Such an one will be blessed of the Lord for sending
out his beasts, and for taking the poor, even the stranger to his
house; his light shall shine in darkness, and shall appear as at
the noon-day. Now then we have considered the poor, we have sent
our teams, our oxen and all that was necessary to bring them to
our houses. And I will here observe that I wish, that inasmuch as
they have come to our mountain home, to the threshhold of Zion,
that every man would so conduct himself as to meet with the
approving smile of Heaven, then their light would break forth and
shine in the darkness as resplendently as the noon-day sun. We
all want our brethren and sisters at home; then let us lend a
helping hand. Now just go down there to the public square and see
what you can do. Take the poor home to your houses, and God
Almighty bless you from this time henceforth and for ever. It is
our imperative duty to walk in the light, to see that our pathway
is clear and plain before us, and let us so live that it may be
clear.
72
Bishops, allow me to say a word to you. In the vicinity where I
have been laboring for the last two years and-a-half, I have seen
the evil of spreading out so far. We are and have seemed to be
anxious to take up all the land that we could find, and then keep
putting in seed until the first we put in is ripe and ready for
harvesting. This has been the case with all of us, more or less,
in fact it has been so much so that neither man nor woman has had
time to clean out the filth and bedbugs, so much so that they
have got the upper hand of us. We talk of subduing nations, of
becoming kings and priests unto God, but amidst all our great
talk we have not subdued the vermin with which we are pestered in
our newly created homes. We sometimes talk about messengers
coming from heaven to visit us, but I doubt whether the angels
will come to commune with us until we are in a different
situation.
72
I will now go back to the wheat field, and speak a little of
that. The brethren in our section thought they would not plant so
much grain but let the ground rest. In process of time the wheat
came up in large quantities; we had water plenty, and we had such
immense crops that we had not men enough to reap the grain that
was raised, and hence we had all the work to do ourselves. We did
all we could, but much of the grain has gone back into the earth
because we had not help enough to gather it. Our wives and
sisters volunteered to assist their husbands and fathers, and
they did all they could. We hear a great deal of talk about
women's rights at times, but if you will come down to Sanpete you
will see women's rights conventions, and they take especial
pleasure in doing as they like.
72
To return to the subject of grain, I can truly say that we can
sustain our present population and all the emigration that is
coming this year. We have this to say of our blessings in return
for sending all our teams to gather the poor; no we did not send
them quite all, there was one yoke of oxen left to five farms,
after filling up the bill for the Missouri river. In addition to
these we had a few first-class horse teams, and thus we managed
to put in a little grain, but a great deal of it grew without our
doing anything to it ourselves, and thus the Lord blessed us with
the desires of our hearts, and with a rich reward for what we had
done towards the gathering of his people.
72
We are now showing that we can raise fruit down there, and
by-and-bye I may have the satisfaction of eating the fruit of my
own raising in Sanpete, for I have no doubt but our apple trees
will produce good fruit in due time.
72
Our teams are now returning; I met some of them as I was coming
to Conference, and I felt to say the Lord be praised, you have
performed a good mission, and the Lord has blessed our labors and
also the labors of those who have been out on the plains. I feel
that the crops that have been raised in such great abundance with
so little labor have been by the goodness of the Almighty, and I
feel that we have worked ourselves almost into life everlasting.
73
You may think that I am going into a great many things, but I do
not expect to hit them all, but I shall touch a few of them as
they come up before me. I want to say to the Bishops, that it is
their business to direct the energies of the Saints, and where
they see a man who is inclined to spread out and sow some forty
or fifty acres of wheat, I want them to tell such men to go to
work and build good houses. Tell the blacksmiths to go to
blacksmithing, the carpenter to his trade, and every other
mechanic to his business, and do not let us be as we have been
heretofore. When a man has wanted anything doing by a mechanic it
has been almost impossible to get it done. For instance, I would
go to a blacksmith's shop and say I want a horse shod, "Oh," says
the smith, "I can't, I must go and cut my grain, or I must go and
irrigate it;" and there are perhaps half-a-dozen men that are in
this manner cut short of their labor, by one man refusing to work
at his trade, and all men being determined to be farmers. Then I
say let the blacksmith attend to his blacksmithing and let him
charge a reasonable price for his labor, and not, as has been the
custom, charge three or four prices. Let the joiner do likewise,
working constantly at that which will most conduce to the
building up of Zion, and let the farmer raise the grain. Where
you find a man who has plenty of grain to serve him from three to
five years, and plenty of teams and wagons too, tell him to go to
work and build for his family a comfortable dwelling house, and
point out to him that he is in this way finding employment for
the mechanics, making his family comfortable and building up
Zion. Teach each man to work at his trade and calling, and let
the farmer take hold with his might of that which is his
profession, but have a little time to breathe and rest. As it is
now, we go into the garden and we work like Sam Hill, leaving no
time for rest. "By-the-bye that means me," but I must hew to the
line, no matter who is hit. (A voice: Never mind yourself, just
go ahead.)
73
Now then for the flax. Have we got it on hand that we can make
our own ropes? No, only a very little in comparison to the
demand. We have a rope factory, and we have hemp growing in our
county, and we have made many attempts to raise flax, and we do
raise a little but we never use it. It is either left in the sun
till the coat is burnt off, or we allow it to be trampled down in
the yard by the cattle. In this country we cannot rot the flax in
the dews, we must put it into water, a shallow pond is the most
suitable, so far as I understand the matter. Now, it is better
for each of us to raise about ten acres of wheat, and then devote
the rest of our time to the flax and hemp. I was raised to wear a
tow frock, but the tow would wear off in a short time. If we
would raise some and devote a little time to the proper culture
of it, attend to each department in its season, the rotting, the
hetcheling and the spinning and the weaving we should be much
better off than we now are. But no, it takes us the whole time,
and it seems that we must devote the entire season to raise and
take care of our grain, and especially the wheat. The time has
now come for us to classify our labor and change our policy. I
believe I have said as much as is necessary on these subjects, as
I wish to say a few things concerning the times and seasons.
74
Now concerning the times and seasons in which we live. The Lord
says by the mouth of Isaiah "Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and
thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have
taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of
the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: but I will
put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said
to thy soul, bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid
thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went
over."--Isaiah li. 22 and 23. What are you going to do with this
text, my friends? I will put it into the hands of them that have
afflicted thee. What was that army up here for? They were sent as
agents of the Almighty to take away this cup of trembling, which
had afflicted us for so many years, and they carried it away with
them down yonder, and they then began to drink of it and have
been drinking of it ever since. Do you know that there was a kind
of tremor with some of us at that time? But I tell you what it
is, the nerves have become settled, and those who sought to make
us drink the dregs are drinking them now, and they will continue
to do so until the dregs are all drunk out. I have no feeling
against any one, and I regret exceedingly that those of whom I
speak should have brought upon themselves these terrible
calamities which now afflict our once happy country.
74
If I understand the spirit that I am of, those that do the will
of God will not hereafter feel that pitta-pat of trembling which
they have been accustomed to feel, for the Lord says, "I will
take it away from them," and he has done it, and we feel it. If
they have not got the cup full yet, and do not get it in 1863,
all I can say is I will wait till they do, for the Almighty will
make them that have afflicted his people drink the dregs of that
bitter cup of trembling. And this is not all, I can look very far
into the future, but as far as I can see it is a dark and gloomy
picture. I could not but be forcibly struck with the remarks of
brother Young in relation to the nation growing more guilty and
more corrupt, therefore are they being scourged so severely. The
Prophet and Revelator John says, "And I heard a great voice out
of the temple, say to the seven angels, go your ways, and pour
out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first
went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a
noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the
beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second
angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the
blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea. And
the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains
of waters: and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the
waters say, Thou art righteous O Lord, which art, and wast, and
shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the
blood of Saints and Prophets, and thou hast given them blood to
drink: for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar
say, even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy
judgments."--Rev. xvi. 1-7.
74
Did not the enemies of the Lord attempt to feed the martyrs
Joseph and Hyrum Smith with the flesh of their brethren? Look at
the testimony of Hyrum Smith. Now they have set the example of
war, of cruelty, and it will come double upon their own heads;
but, says the Lord, upon my house shall it begin. And now these
afflictions have been rolled off from our shoulders on to them,
and they will be sorely punished for their iniquity. These things
will come to pass. I need not predict anything about these
calamities, greater men than I am have predicted in reference to
these things, therefore I only need to bear my testimony to the
truth of that which has been predicted. In the fierceness of the
battle the fainting soldier will bow down to slake his parched
thirst with the blood of his fellow. If this has not transpired
it may in the future, for the horrors of war will be terrible to
contemplate. Many curious things lie hid in the future which will
astonish the world.
74
Brethren and sisters, I do not wish to occupy more than my share
of the time, therefore my remarks I bequeath to you with the best
feelings of my soul, and I feel that if the services of such an
humble individual as myself can be of use, I shall feel ever
ready to render this service.
74
God bless you for ever. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Heber
C. Kimball, October 6, 1862
Heber C. Kimball, October 6, 1862
OUR DUTIES TO GOD PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER
OBLIGATIONS.--DANGER OF SPECULATION.
Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
75
I wonder if there is a person in this vast congregation to-day
but what feels that all those instructions given apply to
himself. I feel disposed for one to take what has been said to
myself, and I do not think there is a man here who is so
righteous that he cannot apply the greater portion of what
brother Brigham has said to himself. I know it is very common for
us to make observations like this when any of the brethren have
been chastised: Well, I guess some of the brethren have received
a pretty good chastisement to-day, but it don't touch me. Don't
you know that this is very common? That jacket does not suit me,
says one. Why did it not suit you? Because you did not put it on.
If you had put it on, it would have been like a piece of raw hide
or a piece of India-rubber, then it would have pinched when it
became dry. Now I do not believe that there is a person here who
might not be benefited by these lessons of correction and
instructions, for we can all make improvement in ourselves, in
our daily walk and conversation. I know that I can cultivate
myself and improve in many ways, and I feel that I am improving
and advancing in the things of God.
75
Some will say, are you not too old to learn? I say no, for I
consider if I am too old to improve, I am too old to live. When a
man has done learning, he had better leave and go hence.
75
I think I understand correctly what President Young has been
talking about, and he wishes every one of us to accept of it and
put it in practice.
75
In regard to those independent companies alluded to, I really do
not know whether I would lead them or not. I know that the first
company that I was gathered with, of which President Young has
spoken to-day, and which embraced nearly all the male members
there were in the Church, brother Joseph said, come brethren,
bring your money with you and bring all you have. We gathered
brethren from Nova Scotia and from all the States where we had
any, and then we travelled forty miles in an independent
condition, that is, every man had his money in his pocket and was
calculating to have, but when we got to Portage, Joseph called
upon that independent company and organized it with captains of
hundreds, of fifties and tens, with officers to lead and control
them. Then he nominated and we accepted a pay-master and
treasurer, and every officer necessary to a permanent
organization. Then he said, Brethren, I want you to come
together, and bring your money with you. I do not want any
donations, but I want every one to bring every cent he has got.
Some had not any, some had a hundred dollars; some had a
shilling, and the brethren handed over what they had to the
pay-master. We were then taught that we should be subject to the
law and government of God.
75
It is an important thing for a man to lead the people of God, and
unless they will subject themselves to him and to the officers of
the Church a Prophet cannot lead them; it is an impossibility.
This course of obedience is the one we have to take. Talk about
building up the kingdom of God on the earth, how can you do it
except you go to work with your might to practice as well as
preach, and labor and toil with all your might by day and by
night, and by this means every man in the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints will become independent. I was reflecting
upon these things when brother Joseph brought things to terms.
Then if we are ready to do as we are told, to follow the counsel
of the servants of God, won't our offerings be accepted? I say
they will.
75
When we went on that journey, Joseph told us there was an
endowment laid up for us; for what? Because we had done just as
we were told; and I can bear testimony that we received that
endowment. Have we got through with our endowments? No, we have
not; we have only just commenced, merely received the initiative
ordinances, and we are only children in these things yet, but if
we are faithful, we shall receive all that our hearts can desire,
for the Almighty will withhold no good things from them that love
him and keep his commandments.
76
You will doubtless recollect reading of a certain woman in the
Scriptures who was rather ambitious, and therefore wished to have
her sons occupy a conspicuous place about the Savior's person.
The account of the circumstance is related by St. Matthew in the
following language:--"Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's
children, with her sons worshiping him, and desiring a certain
thing of him. And he said unto her, what wilt thou? She saith
unto him, grant these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right
hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus
answered and said, ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink
of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with: but, to sit on my right hand,
and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them
for whom it is prepared of my Father."--Mat. xx 20-23.
76
Here we find set forth by the Savior the doctrine that it belongs
to the Father to give each one his place in that kingdom,
hereafter to be inherited by the faithful Saints. Now let me ask,
can we walk with Jesus in the regeneration that is spoken of? But
before I proceed further, let me ask, what is the regeneration? I
should call it an improvement, or an advancement in the things of
God. By some it is said to be the change and renovation of the
soul by the Spirit and grace of God. Then, again, it is called
the new birth. Titus is somewhat more explicit upon the subject.
He says, "But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior
toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved us, but the washing of
regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed
on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being
justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the
hope of eternal life." And our Savior speaking to Nicodemus,
says, "Verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God." In another place Jesus
says:--"Verily I say unto you, that ye which followed me in the
regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of his
glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel."--Matt. xix. 28.
76
Many other passages might be quoted to show how the doctrine of
regeneration was taught by Christ and his Apostles, but these
will be sufficient for my purpose at the present. I know that we,
the Elders of Israel, are walking with Jesus in the regeneration,
and we are becoming regenerated in Christ Jesus, and the
blessings of the kingdom are being multiplied unto us day by day,
and we shall continue to be enriched for ever and for ever. What!
in property? Yes, and in every thing that is good. If it were not
so, how could you possess all things, which are certainly
promised through progression and faithfulness.
76
I suppose I felt as the Apostles did anciently, when I went with
the Elders into the State of Ohio, and through the New England
States to the State of Maine. We called the people together and
organized them into Conferences, and we went to work and selected
wise men to receive and take the moneys of the brethren and
purchase lands in Missouri. We performed our duties and were
faithful unto the Lord, and if all the people had been as
faithful as we were we should have gained an advantage; but as it
is, I know that the day will come when we shall possess that
land, and I can tell you that I expect to have and possess all
that I merit, in the own due time of the Lord. When the kingdom
triumphs, every man will be rewarded according to his works, and
will receive that which is designed for him, and in all things be
blessed according to his merits. By merit I mean that which a man
earns, and you will see the day when you will get nothing but
what you earn by your works and your integrity to God and your
brethren.
77
I recollect when we returned from our mission to Missouri, Joseph
said, "Now, brethren, it is a good time to get property; now is
the time for you to get rich." Well, it was one of the most
trying times the Church ever saw. Most of the Twelve went into
speculation, and half of them turned away. I went to Joseph and
asked what I had best do, and he replied that it was a good time
to get an education, or, said he, you may go a preaching, just as
you please, and God will bless you in either. I went out
preaching, and also some others, and some went to speculating,
and we have never seen them since, excepting one or two of them.
It was so with the ancient Apostles. When Jesus was crucified his
disciples said, "Come, brethren, let us go a fishing," and off
they went fishing. But they did not make much till Jesus came
along by the sea side, made a fire and broiled some fish, and
when he asked them if they had any meat, they answered him, No.
Then he said unto them, cast the net on the right side of the
ship, and ye shall find.
77
In regard to this work, I know that it will roll on, and the
kingdom will be built up, the elect gathered, and the chosen ones
go back to the centre stake of Zion. There are a great many that
are remaining in the States till we go back, but I can tell them
they will have to come here, for this is the only way there is
for the true Saints to get to Jackson County, and they will find
it out to be so in due time. Let us serve God, brethren and
sisters, with all our hearts, minds, might, souls and strength,
and all will go well and we shall triumph. As it was anciently,
so it is in this age, the Saints must come to the mountains, the
depot of the kingdom of God to get their blessings and prepare
them for the future glory of Zion.
77
Let us take that course which will make us independent of all
other people upon the earth; I know that this is the course for
us to take all the time. Then we should put our minds together,
and our mites also, to build up the kingdom of God; and if we
will do this, being of one spirit, we shall prosper in all
things. I know of no other way for us to become of one heart and
one mind in regard to the things of the kingdom of God. By
pursuing this course we shall increase in the knowledge of the
truth, and ere long the angels will come to visit us, and Father
will talk to us in relation to his purposes and the introduction
of his government. Let us endeavor to attain these blessings, for
they are ours through faithfulness and diligence in well-doing.
77
No good man wishes to force anybody into heaven, but it is for
every one of us to strive and labor in righteousness to secure an
interest there for ourselves. The righteous have no reason to
fear, though all the combined powers of the wicked, visible and
invisible, be arrayed against them; faithfulness will preserve
them.
77
Brethren and sisters, we should all be like clay in the hands of
the potter, and I want the people to learn that we shall all be
rewarded according to the amount of our works, just as the potter
is paid for his labors, in proportion to what he does.
77
God bless this people for ever. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Orson
Hyde, January 25, 1863
Orson Hyde, January 25, 1863
GOD ALONE BESTOWS THE EVIDENCES OF HIS DIVINE
INTERPOSITIONS.--OPPOSITION
TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. COMING EVENTS.
Remarks by Elder Orson Hyde, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, January 25, 1863.
Reported by J. V. Long.
78
Notwithstanding the inclement and uncomfortable state of weather,
the wheels of time do not cease to roll and bring a few of us
together on the morning of the first day of the week, to worship
the King and Lord of Hosts.
78
I am grateful for this opportunity of addressing you, my brethren
and sisters, for a short time. It is not the weather, it is not
the might and power of nations that can stay the progress of
Jehovah's designs. We are living, as you all know, I trust, in a
momentous period of the world. I will here remark that in the
course of some conversations I have recently had with certain
individuals, we have had occasion to enquire somewhat into the
purposes and designs of the great Creator in these days in which
we live. It would be impossible to point out all his purposes and
designs; suffice it to say that it is highly satisfactory to the
just and to the upright that we can know somewhat concerning
them; and the fact of our being called as co-workers with him to
labor in the carrying out of his purposes and designs is an honor
to us that few can appreciate. We are permitted to assemble here
and in other places also from time to time to be instructed in
the ways of the Lord, for the express purpose of making us
acquainted with his purposes designed in the bosom of eternity,
to be brought about and accomplished in this dispensation, called
the Fulness of Times; and this, that we may be the better
prepared to co-operate with our Lord and Master in the bringing
of them about, and also be better prepared to meet those events
when they shall transpire.
79
A short time ago a gentleman asked me if I really knew this to be
the work of God, for, said he, "If I did, most cordially would I
embrace the doctrines which are taught by your people as
emanating from the Most High; yes, I would willingly resign all
worldly honor and my position in life also, and bow with humble
submission to the requirements of your faith." I observed
something like this, We are not to be the judges of the amount of
evidence required to bring mankind under condemnation before God
for rejecting the truth. We may fancy to ourselves that we would
like to see the dead raised from their sleeping tombs; we may
fancy that we would like to see the mountains broken down, the
valleys exalted or the floods in their course stayed at the
behest of the servants of God; we may indulge in ideas and
desires similar to these, yet said I, if there be an amount of
evidence addressed to your understanding, which seals conviction
upon your heart with regard to the truth, how will you meet that
conviction in a coming day, when we come to stand before God and
the spirits of just men made perfect? Do you think you can then
open your mouth and say, "I knew thee that thou art a hard man,
reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast
not strewed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the
earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His Lord answered and
said unto him, "Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest
that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I had not
strewed? thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the
exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own
usury. Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him
which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be
given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not
shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the
unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth."--Matthew xxv. 24-30. Or will you be like
the man who was found in the assembly without the wedding
garments, and unto whom it was said "Friend how camest thou
here?" What argument did he make, and what had he to say for
himself? He was dumb. Remember then, I say, that it is the Judge
of all the earth that parcels out the evidences of his divine
interposition unto man, not according to man's traditions but
according to that wisdom which is in the bosom of the Eternal,
knowing just the calibre of men and what it will require to turn
the scale of reason and to penetrate the soul of every
individual. It is for High Heaven to do this, and the Lord
Almighty will not judge according to our desires, but he will
judge according to the amount of evidence that he himself is
pleased to give to each person.
79
A few remarks upon this subject, brethren and sisters, may not be
amiss at the present time. I have noticed the providences that
have attended this people form their origin in the year 1830, and
I have noticed this, that a prejudice has been indulged in, by
those who did not choose to embrace the Gospel, against the
people of the Saints. There has ever been a kind of feeling
indulged in by the world that the Saints were going to do
something very bad, something dreadful; but what have they done
up to the present time? The reply is, Why really nothing that we
can establish against them. This is the view that has been taken
of the Saints by those who know us not, but the very course that
we are now taking has been the course that has thwarted the
wicked in their every design. The way their sails are now set
indicates that they design some evil, some mischief, and they
have said within themselves, Let us forestall the pending
difficulty and remove the danger before we encounter it. This has
been the feeling of the world, so far as my acquaintance extends
in connection with the progress of events and advancement of this
people. Storms have been drawn around us repeatedly, and caused
us to be broken up and expelled from the land where we had made
our homes; not that we had done anything, but because the wicked
foolishly believed that we were going to do something that was
dangerous and desperate.
80
Now all the world is against us, and the learning of this world
has ever been opposed to the righteousness of God. In the
beginning of this work those that were sent to advocate the
Gospel were unlearned; as a general thing they were unskilled in
the ways of the world. Uncultivated and untutored boys were sent
forth to proclaim the words of life, and what was the simple
message they were sent to bear? Repent, for the hour of the
visitation of Jehovah is at hand, repent and embrace the Gospel.
It did not require much learning to make this announcement; it
was a plain simple message. If, for instance, your house was on
fire, and the news went to the sources of help, the most
illiterate could declare the fact as well as the most learned man
in the world. He would simply have to say, such a man's house is
on fire, and everyone could understand that. The simple
proclamation of the Gospel was just as easy to be understood.
Now, if it were some difficult diplomatic negotiation which
required to be entered into, it would require all the
embellishments of art to secure it a passage through, but the
simple message of the Gospel required no such learning, it was
simply to call upon the people to repent and to inform them that
the chastising arm of Jehovah was about to fall upon the nations.
We went forth, we made this announcement throughout the length
and breadth of the United States, not only once but twice and
thrice, and in fact all the day long until we created such a
storm around us as to drive us beyond the confines of civilized
man, and how cruel was the ordeal! It was no less cruel on the
part of those that inflicted the wrong, although on the part of
Jehovah it was an act of mercy to allow the wicked to drive us,
or to cause us to be placed in these valleys of the mountains.
The Heavens foresaw the danger, but we knew it not; but our
Father knew it and that was enough. Was there not a Providence
over us? Did he not deal kindly with his people? And has he not
done so from the beginning?
80
When the Saints escaped from Missouri and subsequently from
Illinois; when we wandered over the prairies and found a resting
place for a season in an Indian country, and when we furnished
five hundred of our best men, leaving our women and children
unprotected in an Indian country, while they went to fight their
country's battles, and to secure to the country that had
permitted us to be driven from our homes the very land upon which
we now dwell was there not, I ask, a kindly Providence over them
that went and also over them that remained? Yes, there was. We
came into these valleys under the protecting care of our heavenly
Father. We came with a few old crazy wagons, and many of us but
very poor teams, for be it known unto you that the people who
took our homes put them at their own prices and paid out their
own commodities; and if they had an old wagon which they thought
would bear up till we got beyond the confines of civilization
they would turn it out, considering that would be long enough for
it to last us.
81
In this way we came to these valleys, and had to so live till we
got something from an untried soil, not knowing whether a peck of
wheat, corn or potatoes could be raised from it, but Heaven blest
our labors, Providence smiled upon our exertions and we made out
to continue along until the land became abundantly blessed, and
now our granaries are filled with plenty. If the wrath of God had
been against this people to the same extent that the wrath of man
was against us, where would we have been to-day? Annihilated!
Nothing would have been left of us, and our career would have
been highly colored on the pages of history, and sent down to
posterity with the sting of the Anathemist upon it. But the wrath
of Heaven was not upon us; it was only the wrath of man. Do you
not see the difference between the wrath of Heaven and the wrath
of man? If our enemies had been one with the Almighty, or if he
had been one with them, we should have been obliterated long
before this. But here, in us, is the evidence that the world and
the Almighty do not exactly agree. They never did, and they never
will agree, and hence I say the Saints will live when the ungodly
shall wither and die; when the wicked are in ruin and disgrace,
this people will flourish under the blessing of our Father and
God.
81
These things, although silent, are upon the pages of history,
they are still in the memories of men, but though silent they
speak in language too powerful for the world to conceive their
strength and weight in the balances which shall determine their
future destiny. Like the other portions of Jehovah's creations,
the great family of planets revolve around their centre, they
move in their majesty, although in silence; you can see them but
not hear them; they cease not to move; the course of their speed
and their velocity is the same continually, and yet, though they
move in silence, they speak in language too powerful to be
misunderstood, and in thunder tones declare the voice of the
Almighty. Well mighty an individual say, who does not consider
these shining works of the Creator, O, that I had some evidence
that these are the works of the Almighty, I would adore him for
ever! Bless you, these are better evidences that the Almighty
exists and rules in the heavens above than any that mortal can
adduce, showing hourly, daily and nightly, that they are governed
by law, and proclaiming to all nations that the Lord is God, that
by him they are made, by him they are controlled, and that he
views all the works of his hands with an impartial eye.
81
Whosoever will look upon the history of the Saints and see the
providences of the Almighty that have attended them, must see
that these Divine interposition speak in evidence too powerful to
be resisted. I confess that these are arguments more potent than
I am capable of adducing at the present time. Now he that will
look at these things and run them over in his mind, will readily
see that these are evidences of divinity in our religion. Where
is there another people over whom Heaven has exercised these
peculiar providences? Why is the world at war with us? It is
because we are not like them. If we would go to work and
establish about forty tipling shops, as many gambling houses, and
as many houses of ill-fame, bless you we could get into the Union
without any trouble; the track would be clear, the wheels
greased, and we would go right in; but, because we are not so
inclined there is a good deal of friction about it, they fear
that we are going to do something dreadful. Now, I can tell you
that we are not going to do anything very wonderful nor very
shocking, but if we are faithful and keep ourselves unspotted
from the world, our God is going to astonish the nations; he is
going to do something both wonderful and mighty, and it will be
dreadful to the wicked; he will show this and every other nation
that lift their hands against his anointed that they will
henceforth cease to be a nation. He has commenced his work
already, but he is only giving the alphabet now, we shall be
getting into the pictures by-and-bye. When I was a boy and went
to school we studied Webster's spelling book, and when we got
along a piece with our lessons, we used to say I have got over to
the pictures now, and the time is near at hand when we shall see
such pictures exhibited by the hand of the Almighty as were never
before witnessed by mortal eye; that will be a trying time.
82
The field of learning is boundless, and I venture to say that the
most learned man in the world is far more studious when he gets
into higher branches than when he first commenced his studies,
for he can discover fields of learning which before he could not
conceive of, and so it is with the works of Jehovah; there is
always a field in which the Almighty can display his power and
his goodness, and it is enlarging all the time.
82
Brethren and sisters, I do not feel disposed on this cold morning
to detain you any great length of time, but suffice it to say
that I am glad of the opportunity of meeting with you, and I feel
in my heart to say God bless the Saints--Heaven's blessing be
with them. This is my desire, it is my earnest prayer, and if we
can so live as to be without spot, and blameless in the day of
the coming of the Lord Jesus it will amply compensate for all our
toils, all our privations, and for all our labors of love in the
kingdom of God.
82
That this may be the case with us, is my earnest and sincere
prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Amasa
M. Lyman, October 7, 1862
Amasa M. Lyman, October 7, 1862
THE OBJECT OF GATHERING.--THE HAPPY EFFECTS OF OBEDIENCE TO THE
GOSPEL.--THE MEANS BY WHICH THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS TO BE
ESTABLISHED ON THE EARTH.
Discourse by Elder Amasa M. Lyman, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, October 7, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
82
I do not know that it is necessary for me to tell you that I am
glad to be here. If you have but a little of the feeling that
influences me, you know very well that I am glad to be here. I am
not glad to be here because my mission is ended, for such I do
not consider to be the case at all. We often say we have been on
a mission, and have fulfilled a mission, and have returned as
though that something had been completed and accomplished. I have
been on a mission, but I have not come from a mission, or from
that mission. I have been on a mission; I have come home on a
mission; I am still on a mission. The obligations of that
mission, I feel, are not ceasing, not becoming less, but they
increase from day to day and from year to year with the increase
of knowledge and understanding and the apprehension of the
principles of truth. I am here to-day for the same purpose, for
the prosecution of the same labor that I have been in, in every
place that I have occupied as a minister of the truth since I
first became acquainted with its principles, and by such
acquaintance I became connected with the Work of God.
83
My text is furnished me in the people that are before me to-day.
Who could look upon this assembly and be so dull, so stupid that
the inquiry would not arise in his mind, What are we here for?
Why all this gathering together of this mixed multitude of
people; people from so many nations; people of different tongues,
of different customs, different traditions and notions, yet
having one and the same feeling in reference to a few of the
details that make up the great aggregate of life's actions? For
what purpose have we been gathered together from distant nations?
Some may have thought that our gathering here was only for the
sake of being together, for the sake of creating a multitudinous
community. The multitude we see assembled here to-day are here
because the kingdom of God is to be built up; for if the kingdom
of God is to be built up, there must be people to constitute it;
there must be a people to be ruled, or the rulers would have
nothing over which to rule. If the mere assembling of the people
together constitutes the kingdom of God now, why has it not
constituted the kingdom of God at other times? People have
assembled together before; communities have existed before, yet
the existence of such communities has not and does not now
constitute them the kingdom of God. One reason why the gathering
together of the people does not constitute the kingdom of God is,
that the mere gathering of the people is not particularly an
intellectual operation, it does not of itself particularly inform
the judgment or enlighten the mind in reference to God, and man's
relationship to God and his purposes.
83
We commenced our labors with you in lands far distant from this
we preached the Gospel to you; listening to that, and receiving
the testimony of the servants of God and following the course
that was indicated by them, you have become changed in your
circumstances and locality. You were located in other parts of
the globe and were citizens of other nations, but now you are
here located in the peaceful vales of Utah. It is now time for
the gathered Saints to begin to learn still more, if they have
not already begun to do so; and if they have begun to learn, to
continue to learn something of the reason why they are gathered
together, that they may be able to discover the true relationship
between the actions they perform, the labors, duties and services
that are required of them, and the development, increase and
growth into strength and power of the kingdom of God on the
earth. When we talk about the kingdom of God our thoughts are apt
to travel away from scenes of earth, as though it were a matter
of the ideas alone and not connected with our earthly operations,
labors, duties and services.
84
There is no action in life, no labor that we perform, no
relationship that we sustain to God and one another, but what
should be connected directly with the development of the kingdom
of God. Says one,--"We must become perfect and holy; we must
become God-like; we must become like the angels or like the
spirits of the just who dwell with God." This is true; but where
is that transformation, that change in our condition, feelings
and circumstances to be wrought out--in heaven or on earth, at
home or abroad? Where is the school in which we are to be taught
the plain, simple, unvarnished administrations of truth in a way
to bring it within the range of our feeble comprehension of truth
that we may understand it? Are we to learn it in any one place to
the exclusion of all others? No. Are we to learn God and truth
where we live? Yes. If not, where in Heaven's name do you expect
to learn of him? Do you live in heaven with God and his angels?
No; you live here on the earth, here in Utah among the rugged
mountains that are around us. All you know you know here, and all
you can learn you must learn here while you are here. To acquire
a knowledge of God is eternal life. That appears to many to be a
great something. I say something, because people know nothing of
God. Where are you going to obtain a knowledge of God.
84
People talk about going to heaven, but when we find ourselves in
heaven we shall find that we have reached it without going to it.
Heaven is a development of internal powers and external changes.
We learn to know God now as human beings, influenced by the
effects of sin and folly, degraded and surrounded with darkness,
misery and wretchedness. Shall we wait until these are put off
before we can learn of God and get to know that which will
constitute in us that knowledge which is eternal life? No. We
came here to the valleys of Utah in obedience to the requirements
of the Gospel, simply that we might here continue to be taught.
We came to this distant region to learn of God. How? By, in the
first place, learning ourselves. Can we know God in this way?
Yes; we can know him in no other way. We cannot go to where he
is, to be taught of him personally and to associate with him.
What have we in this world that gives a truthful indication of
his character to the mind that is open to the light of truth? We
have ourselves been made in the image of God. Then it is
essentially necessary that we should learn ourselves as an
all-important step to the knowledge of God. We must learn to
correct our lives and our actions; we must learn to govern
ourselves and sanctify our affections, that we may be prepared to
hold communion with heavenly intelligences.
84
The kingdom of God is established now for the development and
increase of its principles within us, to reflect light on the
darkness that surrounds us and reveal to our understanding the
true relationship we sustain to God, and the reason why the
requirements of the Gospel are laid upon us and why we can be
saved by listening to them, and why we are not saved if we refuse
to listen to them.
85
When the sound of the Gospel first reached me, I used to have
this childish idea, that if I ever knew the truth it must be
because the heavens would be opened for me to gaze upon the glory
that is within the vail, and this would be the only assurance I
could receive that the Gospel is true. I lived under the
influence of this idea until I passed measurably from the
condition of childhood, of hearing as a child and understanding
as a child. When I began to approximate towards a riper condition
of mind, I became satisfied that it was not by merely looking at
something that the mind became enlightened; that it was not by
merely guessing at something that is incomprehensible that
knowledge is developed in the soul. I learned that the Gospel was
true in a very simple way. The Gospel required me to pursue an
upright, just, virtuous, honest course of life with all the world
around me and to live at peace with all men. I commenced living
in the world without quarreling with anybody; I followed the
dictation of the Gospel and its requirements, and it has saved me
from war, contention and strife with my fellowman, from
quarreling with my family, with my brethren, with my friends and
with my neighbors. In this way I found out that so much of the
Gospel was true, and I did not have to go to heaven to find this
out neither. This is the way I want you to begin to learn God,
and the consequences will be peace and the joy that springs from
peace. Then heaven will be in the home where you dwell, in the
land and country where you live, in your associations with your
friends and neighbors and kindred in all life's varied relations.
Another consequence will be a constant in-dwelling of the Spirit
of God; that Spirit that brings life and light, and knowledge and
understanding to the soul of man, that quickens the intellect of
man and sanctifies every power to hold communion with still
higher and holier principles.
85
We say we want the Holy Spirit; then let us so live our religion
that we may have the Holy Spirit, which will improve our
condition continually, making us better and better citizens of
the kingdom of God with every degree of gain over ourselves. In
this way we may cultivate and develop in us individually the
principle of immortality that will constitute, when applied to
the great body of the people of God, the immortality of his
kingdom, the basis of its eternal and deathless perpetuity. Then
the development of the kingdom of God in power on earth,
temporally, depends upon the self-culture of its members, upon
the culture of the feelings that rule the soul and that give
character to the action of the creature. When we consider that
purity of life is necessary and requisite to qualify a man to be
a citizen of the kingdom of God, we shall cultivate that quality
and labor for its development and increase. To how many of the
infinitesimal details of life's actions does this principle
extend? It should extend to them all. We cannot do any wrong that
will render us acceptable to God and make us better. That is
right which improves and gives life. There is a right way and a
wrong one to all we do.
85
If we cultivate the ground there is a way which, if pursued, will
be fruitful of consequences the most disastrous, while an
opposite way will produce profit and reward us for our labors.
There is a way that is fruitful of noxious weeds where something
better should grown, and this is as truthfully the result of the
conduct of the farmer as is the rich harvest of healthy grain
that affords him bread and sustenance. Some people think they can
pray the weeds out of their fields and gardens, but their prayers
can only be effectual when accompanied with a reasonable amount
of honest labor rightly and wisely applied. I am in favor of
praying. I love to pray myself, and I love to have the Saints
pray. But when you have a great many weeds growing on your land,
pray for your land, and do not forget to go out on to that land
pull up, remove and destroy by your diligent labor the
weed-plants that so much annoy you.
85
We have been told that the Lord will not plant our grain for us
and cultivate our fields. We are here to learn how to do that for
ourselves, if we do not know. This part of our education we have
to gain, if we have not already gained it; and this will enable
us to aid in the building up and development in its greatness and
power of the kingdom of God. Let our labor be so applied, that
when we bow down before our heavenly Father to ask him to bless
anything we have or do, that we can do so consistently. Let us
hoe up the weeds and enrich our fields, and ask God to give us a
bountiful crop to reward our toils. We will do all we can do, and
then ask God to bless that labor and leaven the result with him.
If your wagon has been fixed in the mud get hold of the wheel
yourself and lift all you can, and then ask somebody else to help
you if you need help.
86
There is another field that is equally taxed with the support of
a noxious growth: I refer to ourselves at home. We carry about
with us our notions, our habits of thought; and our habits of
thought give character to our actions. When, for instance, the
storm of passion is aroused in our bosom, we yield ourselves up
to it without an effort and unresistingly allow ourselves to be
carried away by its influence from a course of propriety and
right, and we do wrong and say wrong things. Let rising anger be
suppressed; let the place where it had its incipient being become
its grave. Never let the mouth utter the word that should not be
spoken. This counsel is just as applicable to myself as it is to
you. I have learned long since that I was not called to preach
the Gospel because I had no improvement to make on myself, or
because I could not become any better. I have come to the
conclusion that the more I talk about the right and the less I
talk about the wrong, and the more I become occupied with the
right the less danger I shall be in of becoming occupied by the
wrong. This is good for me, and, being good for me, I recommend
it to the Saints. I want them to live peaceably and quietly with
one another and learn to do the little things in life's duty
right. That we may learn to do this, it is necessary that we
should control our passions, for if we do not control them they
will control us, and under such control we do wrong. When we
control ourselves, the result it equanimity of feeling such as is
necessary to the exercise of an enlightened judgment, if such
judgment exists within us. Cannot God help us? It altogether
depends upon whether we are disposed to help ourselves or not.
God will help and bless us when we pursue the course that is
acceptable to him. If we strive to subdue stormy passions within
us, he will assist us in the good work until the Spirit of God is
not merely a casual visitor, but a constant dweller within us to
increase our store of knowledge, extend our views and make our
conceptions of God and truth more as they should be. Let us live
in this way and we shall speak kindly of one another and be more
charitable to all men.
86
The result of our education is differences of feeling and
differences in our way of life; we have brought these differences
with us from our distant homes. We have brought with us to Utah
more or less of the old notions that have grown with our growth
and strengthened with our strength; throughout our lives their
influence has been upon us. So far as these are in opposition to
the truth and the right, they must be overcome, for as we learn
the truth we must exchange our incorrect notions for notions that
are correct in reference to living with one another and in
reference to our general conduct in life. It is not some service
we have to perform at some remote place from where we are now
living that will benefit us, but it is how we deport ourselves
here towards one another and towards God; how we shall make our
farms, cultivate our grounds, and how to use that which we have
been blessed with as faithful stewards of the manifold mercies of
God. We have much yet to learn; the improvements we have not yet
made are all to be made, whether they relate to the cultivation
of our fields and gardens or to the cultivation of our minds; it
is our duty to garnish and embellish them and make them beautiful
and lovely as the residence and heritage of intellectual men and
women. This will bring into existence God's temporal kingdom on
the earth; then the sanctified and holy and acceptable of his
children will dwell in palaces, will be surrounded with wealth,
and there will be no desire of their hearts but what may be
satisfied. There will be a fountain opened to them where they may
satisfy their thirst, however intense it may be for ought that is
good, great and ennobling.
87
Learn, sisters, when you teach the truth to your children who
prattle around your knee, and are trying to cultivate a love of
it in them, that you are determining their destiny and your own,
and their relationship unchangeably with the increase, perpetual
and eternal growth of God's kingdom. Think of this, and do not
for a moment pass by those labors of love to your children as
matters of comparatively little value, for in them are your hopes
of glory, heaven, happiness, bliss and joy in that great future
of glory we are looking for. How can a mother teach her children
the right if she is reckless of it herself? How can a father do
that if he neglects to set before his household the example of
propriety that should constitute the constant and ceaseless labor
of a father? Then, let us remember that all this work is upon us;
it is to redeem the earth, to be learning how to cultivate and
improve its condition; it is to bring into existence a holy
nation of men and women before God.
88
Who are they which constitute the bright hosts that worship
around the throne of God? They are men and women and children,
such as we see here to-day; intellectual beings like ourselves,
who have been educated, taught, trained, led onward and upward
from a condition of ignorance to the possession of that
infinitude of knowledge that makes so incomprehensible a
difference between us. As we are, so were they; and as they are
in all their brightness and glory around the throne of God, so
may we be with our wives and children, friends and associates in
the kingdom of God on earth, when we have travelled along to that
state of exaltation to which they have attained, when we have
learned to vanquish the monster of sin and death, rising above
him to live in the elements of truth and holiness in a state free
from corruption and sin. This has had its beginning here in all
our life's labor, care and relationship to one another; the
existence beyond this is only the finished constellation of the
glory which is commenced here, and advanced stage of its
development. We are not so blind and dumb that we cannot
comprehend the difference between the household where the words
of righteousness are uttered, where examples of purity are set,
and that household where such noble examples are not seen. Would
you see your children around the throne of God? Would you see
them clad in glory and crowned with immortality and eternal
lives? Then teach them truth while they prattle around your knee;
learn them to lisp the truth, teach them to love it ere they can
fully know its worth, and as they grow in capacity to reason and
understand they will then bless the father and mother that taught
them truth and purity, and to hate and despise the wrong and
choose the good. Truth will regulate all life's details; I care
not how numerous they may be, all will yield to the saving,
sanctifying, hallowed influence and supreme love of truth. When
we teach the truth to our children, it is one of the best proofs
that we love the truth ourselves with all our minds, might and
strength. If we take this course we shall see the kingdom of God
growing; its outward embellishments will appear, its wealth will
increase and its power will spread abroad on the right hand and
in the left until untold millions of earth's children will repose
in security, safety and happiness, and be blessed beneath its
banner. Then, its temples will rise in beauty, grandeur and
glory, and the home of every Saint will become a temple where God
will delight to reveal the richness of his blessings to his
faithful children. If our God shines as the perfection of beauty
out of Zion, Zion must reflect that beauty; it must have an
existence in Zion reflecting its beauty outwardly upon the world
around. The glory of Zion must be created by the children of
Zion. We cannot attain to this all in a moment. We first begin to
make our homes tidy and to subdue every enemy to our peace, that
we may have more comfort. If we wish our children to have an
exalted taste for the lovely and beautiful, create something
lovely for them to look upon, let them behold a practical example
and exhibition of the beautiful and lovely when they are at home;
when they go into the garden let them see the development of
beauty, and when they come to maturity and remove far away they
will think of the paternal home with delight and pleasure as the
place where peace reigns, where joy is developed, where the odor
of sweet flowers are inhaled by visitors, greeting our early
rising or cheering us when we retire to our rest. This is the
picture of the home of a Saint, of him who loves to beautify Zion
and exalt the children of Zion above all other people on the
earth.
88
It does not follow of necessity that the poor man must possess
broad acres. If your garden is no larger than this stand,
cultivate it properly, plant fruit trees and other useful plants,
and rivet the attention of your growing family to the
contemplation of their duty; let them see an example in you from
day to day and from year to year which will exercise a salutary
influence upon the minds of your children throughout their future
lives. If I have not myself been able hitherto to make such a
home, it is the home that lives in my mind. I show you the ladder
over which you may travel from any condition of degradation and
ignorance to all that is noble, exalted and Godlike. We must
start from where we are, and we shall soon see better houses,
more fruitful and lovely gardens; the residences of the Saints
will grow into beauty and the cities of the Saints into
magnificence.
88
The Prophet Joseph once took me by the arm in the street, and
said, "I have so many blessings, and there is nothing but what
you can enjoy in your time and place the same as I do, and so can
every man." But I have prayed this prayer, "If the bestowal of
wealth upon thy servant, O Lord, will make him a fool and cause
him to forsake the truth, may I remain poor until I can bear it."
We might as well complain that we were not all born at the same
time as to complain of any disparity that may exist between us in
pecuniary matters. Let the Saints who have just come to these
valleys from their fatherland learn to be contented in whatsoever
position they are placed in, that is, when you are in
circumstances that neither you nor your friends can change for
the letter. To complain of circumstances that cannot at the
present be improved would simply be a waste of your time, and
your time is precious, for we are not going to live many years
according to the common course of things to improve ourselves
here. It will be to our advantage to live in this world as long
as we can improve, and the longer we live here and improve, the
stronger grow the ties that bind us to this existence. I want to
see the kingdom of God grow from this small beginning that is
right around us, until the whole earth is filled and blessed with
its glory as it now blesses and fills the valleys of Deseret in a
degree. We are connected with an enterprise that is great, noble
and honorable, with an enterprise that is not satisfied with a
limited acquisition, with a small victory over sin, but it is an
enterprise that grasps the world's emancipation from sin,
darkness and death; it looks at no smaller object than the
world's freedom from sin and its consequences.
89
Being connected with so great an enterprise, I do not feel any
more that I am a worm of the earth, but that I am associated with
the Gods of eternity, and that angels are my kindred and of my
family. This is the way I want the Saints to feel. If they feel
this way they will shun all wickedness, and seek for right and
try to do it all the time. I for one am engaged in the great work
of building up the kingdom of God upon the earth, and I want to
get the Saints to see the value of that practical purity of life
that will utterly destroy the power of sin, purge out the
transgressor from our assemblies and render us more and more
acceptable to God all the time, because better calculated to
bless the world.
89
God bless you: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Charles C. Rich, October 6, 1862
Charles C. Rich, October 6, 1862
PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES OF OBTAINING A KNOWLEDGE OF
THE PRINCIPLES OF TRUTH--IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING THEM.
Remarks by Elder Charles C. Rich, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
89
I feel great pleasure in meeting with the brethren and sisters,
having just returned from a mission. I do not speak of this
because of a feeling that I am now relieved from a mission, for I
feel that I have been on a mission all the time, and I expect to
remain a Missionary from this time henceforth and for ever. This
is the height of my ambition, that I may have the pleasure of
laboring to build up the kingdom of God on the earth.
89
The instructions we have had today have been joyful to my heart
for they are those principles that are calculated to save, to
exalt and to prepare us to dwell with the Gods in the eternal
worlds. I have often said that of all the people upon the face of
the earth the Saints of the Most High God have the greatest
reason to be thankful. This is my feeling and has been ever since
I embraced the Gospel; and the longer I live, the more I see and
experience, the more I feel and know that we are the favored
people of the Lord. If we can appreciate this as it is, it will
lead us continually to take that course that will be right and
proper in the sight of Heaven.
89
While I have been absent from this Territory I have been laboring
wherever my lot has been cast to convince the inhabitants of the
earth of the truth of the principles of our holy religion, and to
point out to them the path of life, and how far I have been
successful I shall leave for a higher power to judge.
90
I find that we are all like children, so far as knowledge is
concerned: that is, we know nothing, excepting what we have
learned from others or by observation, and inasmuch as we do not
now know anything but that which we have learned, the prospect is
that what we may know in the future we shall have to learn. We
are in a school, one which our Father has prepared for us, and in
which he designs to instruct us, to give us counsel and point out
the course that we should take day by day, in order that we may
be saved. If we adopt the principles that have been revealed they
will bring to us happiness and an abiding joy, and that, too, at
the time and in the place where we are in need.
90
One reason why I consider that we are so much more highly favored
than other people is simply this, that in generations that are
past and gone there was no man capable of rising up and pointing
out the way of life and salvation--there was no man to dispense
the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them that were
willing to embrace the truth. But it is not so now, for the
kingdom of God has been established upon the earth, a knowledge
of the ordinances of the kingdom has also been committed to man
upon the earth, and the keys of that kingdom have been given, and
the principles which pertain to that kingdom can now be taught to
us. We have now the power to embrace the principles of life,
because they are presented to us by those having the authority to
teach. The principles of our religion have emanated from our
Father and God, with whom there is no variableness, nor the least
shadow of turning; and these principles have been revealed for
the express purpose that we might embrace and practice them and
thereby bring about our own salvation and secure that happiness
which is promised to the faithful sons and daughters of God.
90
When we are in the world and hear the sectarians teaching their
peculiar dogmas about heaven, hell and many other topics, their
discourses sound empty, foolish and incomprehensible. Their
subjects are generally very distant; in fact altogether beyond
this world. When we hear individuals talking about having a
father and a mother we do not then understand them to be talking
about anything that is very remote, but it is something that is
right here with us, and so it is with the kingdom of God. When
the servants of the Lord commence to teach the human family
principles pertaining to that kingdom, it is brought right home
to us, so that we can understand it in this present life. This is
the way the Gospel came to us when it was first sounded in our
ears; it was brought home to us, no matter what kind of place we
were in, and it set before us salvation, not after this life
particularly, but it offered salvation to us at the time we heard
it. The kingdom of God being established on the earth, the
salvation of that kingdom was announced in our ears, and we had
the offer of its benefits. If we saw proper to embrace the
doctrines presented, we had the privilege of doing so; and
inasmuch as we adopted and do now adopt the principles of that
kingdom it brings to us a present salvation; and if we do not
have a present salvation it is for want of adopting the
principles that have been revealed. This is a matter that we
should inquire about, and see and know for ourselves whether we
have adopted those principles which the Almighty has made known
for our salvation. If we have adopted them in our lives, then we
are in the path of life and truth, which gives us salvation all
the time; but if we have not, then we do not partake of that
present salvation which is offered.
91
When the Savior was upon the earth he told his disciples to pray
that this kingdom might come and that his will might be done upon
the earth as it is done in the heavens. We might with the same
propriety ask in our prayers, that the will of God might be done
upon the earth in our day as angels do it in heaven. Is there
anything upon this earth that will prevent the establishment of
the same principles and the imparting of the same blessings that
are enjoyed in the eternal worlds? If there is, the prayer of the
Savior which he taught his disciples could not be fulfilled, and
we know that our Father in heaven would not set us to do that
which could not be accomplished. We can adopt the principles of
that kingdom and practice them in our lives, and this will make
us precisely what we are praying for.
91
Happiness is what we are striving for in this life, and this is
what we want in the life which is to come. That happiness is
obtainable upon the principles of truth and right that have been
and that will be revealed from heaven. As I before remarked, we
are in a school, and it is our business to be industrious in that
school. It is our business to work diligently to learn that which
is taught in the school of Christ, to make ourselves acquainted
with the principles of salvation as far as revealed unto us. I
can say truly and bear testimony that the people have never had
to wait for the knowledge of God; the time never has been when it
has not been poured out faster than the people were ready to
receive. Principles of light and truth have all the time been
taught faster than the people were ready to adopt and practice
them. It has always been the good pleasure of the Lord, and it is
still his wish to enlighten our minds and enlarge our
understandings in reference to the things of his kingdom, that we
may have just conceptions of his ways, and understand correctly
the principles that pertain to the development of all that wisdom
and knowledge necessary for our present and future advancement in
the principles of eternal life. We should endeavor to appreciate
and continually feel thankful for the blessings bestowed upon us,
and strive to improve upon all the gifts of God that are
bestowed.
91
There are a great many people, and I have met with some of the,
who are very anxious to know all abut haven, the other worlds,
and all about the people that dwell in eternity; but I will tell
you how I feel, it is that I want to discharge the duties that
devolve upon me, and strive to comprehend the object and design
of everything that is required of me. We should all seek for a
knowledge of those duties that pertain to us at the present time,
and we should practice principles that will bring present
salvation, and we should labor to learn that which will be both
for our present and future good.
92
What we have been told to-day is good and strictly true, and we
ought to understand that we are as much in the midst of eternity
as we ever shall be, and our chances and opportunities for
gaining knowledge and salvation here are as good as they will
ever be. We have all the opportunities of learning the principles
of heaven just as good as we shall ever have. Then if we do not
improve upon these opportunities we are certainly to blame, and
we are injuring ourselves more than anybody else, and the time
will come when, if we are deprived of any blessings and salvation
pertaining to the kingdom of God were presented and we despised
them. Then we will find that the scripture is true which says,
"Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant."
In view of this, then, it is for us to be awake to that which we
have presented to us, to those principles which God has revealed
from the heavens, for he has revealed them for the express
purpose of having us practice them upon this earth. Those
principles were not revealed with the intention that we should
wait till we got to heaven, but everything is for us to practice
in this life. Now, if we do not adopt the truth in this life,
what is there to make us believe that we will adopt it in the
life to come? I look upon our opportunities as being as good to
know things in this life as they will be to know them in the life
to come, for light and truth are before us, and they will only be
before us there. WE have no time to spare; all our opportunities
should be laid hold of. If we have not adopted the principles of
salvation in this life, there is no assurance that we shall adopt
them in the life to come. What is there to make you and I think
that we shall have power to apply them to ourselves hereafter? WE
ought to think of this, in order that we may be ready day by day
for the performance of any duty required of us; we ought to know
the principles so perfectly that we can apply them to the
performance of every duty and feel and know that we are
right--understand them for ourselves that we may be capable of
applying them both in this life and in that which is to come. If
we could do this, it would be a very good sign that we could
apply these doctrines in the future life; but if we are to be
told every day what we have to do, the probability is that we
should be in the same situation in eternity.
92
We have the privilege of working out our salvation before God,
and we have the opportunity of testing the practical workings of
these principles, and in doing this our minds would expand to see
the necessity of our words and our actions being right. Supposing
the actions of every man and woman were right and in strict
accordance with the doctrines of our religion, where would be the
evil? If everybody always said and did right, the evils that we
now find in the world would no more afflict the human family.
92
The evils that we do find grow out of two causes, and mostly out
of one, and that one is ignorance. But there are some who are
fast to do wrong; others do it ignorantly. There must be means
adopted for teaching such persons the way of life, that where
they do not know how to do right they may be taught; and then,
when they are taught the right and embrace it with full purpose
of heart, they can act upon the principles that are right and
proper for them in this great school, in which we are being
taught by the servants of God those duties that are required of
us day by day, even those principles that will produce happiness,
contentment and salvation. These things are being pointed out to
us from week to week and from time to time, just as they have
been this forenoon. How rich these instructions! They will be
worth nothing unless we practice them in our lives. We read of a
time when the knowledge of God shall cover the earth as the
waters cover the great deep; and we live in a time when that
knowledge is being taught by the Prophets of God, and when it is
the privilege of all mankind to be exalted upon principles of
obedience to the laws of heaven.
93
Why are we not divided and distracted as the world are? and
especially the country round about us? The reason is, we are and
have been taught correct principles. How easy it would be to put
the world of mankind right, if they would be set right and if
they would hearken to the voice of God. In this age, as in all
others, the inhabitants of the earth have been told what would
come upon them, but they heed not the warnings of the servants of
God. When we view the kingdom of God in the heavens we view it as
an eternal kingdom. This is its condition, because truth and
nothing but the truth exists with the inhabitants; they are
governed by it in all their actions. Let the same principles be
with us, and we shall find that the effect produced will be a
oneness of purpose; our labors will be to promote happiness upon
the earth and our lives will be peaceful ones. It is a good sign
for us to adopt those principles that we can test and prove to be
good or bad. I am perfectly willing to trust all in this kingdom,
and to look to the world to come for an exaltation with the
sanctified, and I know that all will be right if I continue
faithful.
93
I can bear testimony that the Saints of the Most High God have
not been waiting for labor; there has always been sufficient laid
out to occupy their attention, and if they have attended to their
duties they have no time to complain of anybody else. There is
nothing very difficult for us to do, but there is enough to keep
us busy all the time. And there are a great many safe-guards
which our Father has placed in his Church for the purpose of
taking care of the sheep and pointing out to us those individual
duties which are daily required at our hands. We find Presidents,
Bishops and counselors in every direction, ever ready to impart
to us a word of comfort and consolation; and if we are not taught
we are to blame ourselves and nobody else. God has always spoken
through his anointed servants, through those holding his
Priesthood and authority, and he will be obeyed; and it is our
duty and the duty of all men to give heed to those instructions
and to receive knowledge from God by his servants as well as by
his Spirit, for unless we do enjoy that Spirit and be guided by
its influences we shall lack the perfection we are destined to
arrive at.
93
We have a great labor to perform, and we have a great enemy to
meet and overcome, and therefore it will well for us to take a
safe course and do a few things right, for should we attempt to
do many things and fail we shall be sorry for it. I feel to
rejoice in the plan of salvation, and I rejoice to have the
privilege of laboring to establish these principles upon the
earth. The more we do the better we feel. While we see mankind
going to ruin because of their wickedness, I rejoice in the
prospect of seeing the kingdom of Gid rising in splendor and
greatness, and I do feel that we have abundant reason to be
thankful, for we have been led by the hand of the Almighty from
the first organization of this Church.
93
It is our business as Saints to put away from us everything that
is wrong, that tends to corrupt the people of God. WE are called
upon to honor our callings and to labor to perform what the
Bishops and Authorities of the Church require of us. Evil will
produce evil, and good will produce good, and a bitter fountain
will produce bitter water, and so it is throughout all the
ramification of the kingdom to which we belong. I trust that we
shall all so live as to secure happiness and obtain peace with
ourselves, so that we may live in peace at home. I do not want to
see any of us neglect our own welfare, but I wish to see every
Saint live as a man of God, as one who is striving to secure
eternal life in the kingdom of our heavenly Father.
94
If I understand the principles of life and salvation, and with
this understanding should lay down this body, I should then
continue the good work which I have commenced here. All that
wisdom and knowledge which we have obtained we will carry with us
to the spirit world, and this, you can readily perceive, would
make just about such a heaven on the other side of the vail as we
have made on this side. I do not think we would make it much
different. Of course we will have to learn beyond the vail as
much so as have need of learning while here. Then, let us
endeavor to feed upon those principles of life and salvation day
by day, and labor to put them in practice while in this life,
then we shall have joy, happiness, peace and a present salvation
right where we are. We have the power to prove these principles
all the time, and we can bear testimony to their truth, for we
experience their benefits and blessings in our everyday life.
94
Let us be faithful and love the truth more than we love anything
else, for these is a fulness of it offered to us; and we ought to
know that there are no other principles or system that has a
fulness of truth to offer to us. Now, there is not any of us that
would be satisfied with anything short of a fulness of all that
knowledge and wisdom which are hid up in the eternal worlds. But
we need not think of attaining that position upon any other
principles than those offered to us by our heavenly Father, for
if we do, we deceive ourselves and are preparing for ourselves
disappointment, and at the great day of reckoning we shall find
ourselves disappointed, simply because we have not adopted the
principles that alone will secure what we want in time and in
eternity.
94
I do not feel to occupy more than my share of them time, but I
feel exceedingly well, and, as some of the brethren have
remarked, I always intend to feel well, for I intend to do the
best I can all the time. When I first embraced the Gospel, I had
a testimony of its truth and I have had evidence increasing with
me all the day long. I have often remarked to individuals that I
would pursue if there was no other life than this; I would do
this because it brings the most good, the most happiness, more
than anything else I know anything about. Let us be humble and
faithful in keeping the commandments of God and in performing the
labors that are allotted to us; and sanctify ourselves before God
that we may constantly have within us the light of the Holy
Spirit; be guided by his Priesthood, that when we come to lay
down these bodies we may be prepared for that which is to be
enjoyed on the other side of the vail, having been faithful and
diligent on this side, which I pray may be the case, in the name
of Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, April 7, 1862
Brigham Young, April 7, 1862
AUTHORITY OF BISHOPS--BRANCH ORGANIZATIONS.
ASSISTING THE MAIL AND TELEGRAPH COMPANIES.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
95
This is the place to give items of instruction to the people. I
am satisfied that it is my duty to improve this opportunity, and
should be very happy if I could speak with ease; if I could do so
I should talk a great deal more than I do.
95
Ask a Bishop by what authority he is acting as a Bishop; "I
suppose I am a Bishop according to the Priesthood." By what
Priesthood do you act as a Bishop? "I really cannot answer that
question." Are you a High Priest? "Yes." Why do you so officiate?
"Because I have been ordained to so officiate; the First
Presidency ordered Bishop Hunter to ordain me a High Priest, and
set me apart to be a Bishop in this district." After a person is
ordained a High Priest he then has authority to act in all the
duties of the lesser Priesthood, when called upon by the proper
authority so to do. Some of the Bishops understand their true
position and some do not, for which reason a few remarks in
addition to those I made this forenoon will, perhaps, not be
amiss.
96
There is no retrograde movement in ordaining a High Priest to the
office of a Bishop, for, properly speaking, he is set apart to
act in that office. When we ordain a man to officiate in a branch
of the Church as a Bishop, he does so according to the best of
his knowledge; and now and then one believes that he has a right,
when ordained as a Bishop, to officiate and preside over every
temporal and spiritual interest in his district by virtue of his
Bishopric; he believes that he ought to go into a Seventies'
Council in his Ward and preside because he is a Bishop: and under
this impression he dictates, guides and directs all things in his
district; he baptizes, confirms and administers the sacrament as
a Bishop, performing, under this impression, every spiritual and
temporal duty. Were we to inquire of the Bishops of this Church
what duties are assigned to the Aaronic Priesthood they hold, and
what are assigned to the Melchizedek, those who could answer
correctly are in the minority. I am satisfied of this, for I have
been placed in positions that made it necessary to propound
questions to some of our most intelligent Bishops relating to
misunderstandings and difficulties that have occurred in their
districts touching their authority, when their answers convinced
me that they knew little about it; perhaps from not having an
opportunity of finding out, or, in a word, they have not so loved
that the heavens have been opened to them to teach them so fully
and effectually their duties that they need no man to teach them.
The duties and powers of a Bishop cease the very moment he steps
over the Aaronic Priesthood, which is to officiate in temporal
things; when he passes this he immediately begins to officiate by
the authority and power of the Melchizedek Priesthood, though he
may not know it.
96
We have scores of branches of this Church in different parts of
this country, and had we better now place officers, helps and
governments in these branches, or wait till the people come to
understanding, and learn to appreciate and honor such
appointments? It is chiefly because of the ignorance of the
people that we often concentrate in one man these different
offices and callings, but when the people are sufficiently
informed and have advanced further in the knowledge of the truth,
it will not be so, but every branch will have its full quota of
officers--a Patriarch, President, Bishop, High Council, and all
officers that are necessary for the work of the Ministry, and the
edifying of the body of Christ. Until the people can receive and
honor these helps and governments, and be benefited by them, the
different offices will be concentrated in as few men as possible,
for men will contend for power, and as to which shall be the
greatest, until they are better informed.
96
If the people fully understand and would observe the relationship
these offices have to each other, there would never be a word of
altercation. In this city we have no altercation about
authorities. We but seldom get up a trouble for a High Council
case. When the people come to sufficient understanding, we shall
not put the onerous task upon one man to act both as President
and Bishop, but we will give you a full organization of helps,
governments, &c.; but at present we shall take a course to
confine the offices of the Church in such a manner as to give the
least cause for contention and trouble. There are men who have a
contentious disposition; they will contend against a Bishop, a
Magistrate, a Judge, or any man holding an office; in short, they
wish to destroy every power in Heaven and on earth that they do
not hold themselves. This is the spirit of Satan that was made so
visibly manifest in Heaven and which proved his overthrow, and he
now afflicts this people with it; he wants to dictate and rule
every principle and power that leads to exaltation and eternal
life, and those whom he influences wish to walk underfoot every
person who stands in authority over them.
96
I now wish to say a few words about assisting the mail and
telegraph companies. It has been asked, "Shall we assist these
companies? Shall they be supplied with grain and that help which
is necessary to facilitate the expeditious and safe carrying of
the mail?" I say, ye. Shall the telegraph company receive favors
at our hands? Yes. I do not know of two greater temporal
blessings of the kind that can be bestowed upon this people. If
we happen to lay in bed a little later than usual, by the aid of
the telegraph wires we can read the news of the morning from
Washington and New York; and by-and-by we may be favored with the
news of yesterday from London, Paris, and St. Petersburg, and all
the principal cities in the old world. We are among the people of
this world; our bodies are of the earth, and our spirits are like
the spirits of other people and from the same source, only we are
trying to establish the kingdom of God on earth, to introduce
righteousness, and prepare the people for the reign of Jesus
Christ on the earth. One man says, "I have agreed to do thus and
so." Then go and do it. Fulfill your contracts and sacredly keep
your word.
97
What should be the course of this people in these matters? Let
them act by the counsel of the men who understand such things
better than they do. When I say supply so much labor, or so much
grain, or do so much hauling, you will be justified, otherwise
you will not. If I might dictate this matter and get my pay for
it, I would fill this whole mail route with "Mormon" boys who
would labor faithfully, conduct honorably, and see that the mails
were carried safely and promptly. If it were left to me, I would
fill this whole route, as we would have done a few years ago if
the contract had not been unjustly taken from us, with a line of
conveyances, wherein men might sleep by day or by night in
perfect safety as tot their persons and property; and if a pocket
book dropped out of a pocket it would be as safe as though it
were under lock and key, so far as its being stolen is concerned.
How is it now?
97
If A, B and C say they will begin to sell whisky, then if it is
right for them to sell whisky in the streets of this city, it is
right for me. Whisky is useful in making vinegar, and we need it
for cutting camphor gum, for medicine, washings, &c., but is it
necessary to keep a whisky shop? No. And if it is right for one
man to keep a whisky shop, it is right for another, until all
become whisky peddlers and whisky drinkers, and all go to the
devil together. It does not require much illumination of mind to
comprehend that unless the selling of spirituous liquors is
managed by proper persons, it will result in the ruination of
many of the community. So with the selling and disposing our
produce to outside interests; for those who expend their means
and labor in a way that does not enrich and build up Zion will
apostatize and go out of this kingdom, sooner or later. When you
are appointed to haul grain here or there, you will feel
justified. Or, if you wish to drive a train, or to go as a guard
on the mail route, or to attend to this or that, and the counsel
is yes, go, and be honest and upright before God and man and deal
justly with everybody, and if you do not so conduct, you will be
brought home and dealt with, then, if you go in this way, you
will be justified. Whatever is done let it be done by counsel and
common consent; then we can be paid for our labor and our
produce; wealth will increase around us, which we can put to use
in gathering home the poor Saints from all nations by hundreds
and by thousands. In the course the people have taken they will
make themselves poor, while might be rich. I feel very friendly
towards Mr. Street and many others connected with the telegraph
line. They have treated this community as gentlemen will. I have
rendered them some assistance, and am ready to render them more;
and they have been very accommodating to us. The Overland Mail
company brings our letters, books, magazines, &c., and is as
great an accommodation as can well be until we have a railroad
through here, which I hope we shall have ere long, if it is
right. They should be assisted, and that by the Counsel of the
Kingdom of God in these mountains; and let it be done by common
consent, or no longer say that we are one with the main branch;
if you are not thus one, you will be severed from the vine and
will wither and die.
97
May the Lord bless the Latter-day Saints, is my prayer all the
time. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Ezra
T. Benson, March 8, 1862
Ezra T. Benson, March 8, 1862
OBEDIENCE TO COUNSEL.--THE BEAUTIFYING AND BUILDING UP OF ZION.
Remarks by Elder Ezra T. Benson, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, March 8, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
98
I do not arise with any desire to interfere with the call of
brother George A. Smith for brethren to go to the cotton district
of our Territory, for I am very much in favor of brethren going
to locate in the different settlements of Washington county to
raise cotton and such other staple articles as are necessary for
the welfare and prosperity of the Saints, and for the building up
of Zion in the last days.
98
I live in the north part of the Territory, in Cache Valley, as
most of you are aware, and I wish to say to those who are not
wanted to go south, that if any of you feel like moving into the
country, we would like to strengthen the settlements in our
valley, and especially in the northern part of the County. By way
of inducement we can promise you plenty of bread, if you will go
there and help to till the earth and put in the seed in the
season thereof, paying proper attention to your crops in the
season when irrigation is required. It is a new country,
possessing good facilities for stock raising, and in fact every
facility for making home and friends comfortable and happy.
98
So far as I am individually concerned, it matters not to me what
part of the Territory I go to labor or to reside in, if I can
know and feel that I am doing the will of Heaven and carrying out
the counsel and instruction of my brethren who preside in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From the experience
I have had in travelling with the President on his last mission
south, I am able to say in all sincerity before God and my
brethren, that all my prejudices are removed, and I feel
perfectly willing to labor in any part of the Lord's vineyard
wherever my services are required.
98
Now we want about a hundred good sturdy fellows that feel
themselves able to go to work to raise wheat and cattle, and to
do all that is necessary for the beautifying and building up of
Zion. It is a good place to raise flax, hemp, and vegetables. To
be sure the altitude is considerably greater than it is in many
other parts of the Territory, but this should not prevent us from
performing our duties. If we are called to labor there that is
the place for us to exert ourselves. it is sometimes argued that
there is too much water there, and others will urge that there
are too many Indians there; but, my feeling and the feeling of
the brethren up there is to follow the counsel of our President
and leader, and to labor in concert with all those who are set to
guide our footsteps in the building up of Zion. We feel perfectly
satisfied in doing this, for we know that while we pursue this
course we are performing the duties that devolve upon us as
Saints of God. We feel satisfied with our lot and place, and
rejoice in the blessings that are bestowed upon us in that
portion of our mountain home, and we feel to pray that we may
ever be so in whatever position we may be called to labor for the
accomplishment of the purposes of the Almighty.
99
May the Lord our God bless us and enable us to carry out the
instructions that have been given us this day. This conference
has been a happy time, and I can truly say that I have never felt
better in our holy religion than I do to-day, and I know that the
counsel that has been given to us is for our salvation.
99
You all know when you feel well, and you all know the Gospel of
the Son of God, and there is nothing will give you satisfaction
but the doctrines taught by the servants of God.
99
I bear testimony to the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as
revealed by the Prophet Joseph, and to the correctness of the
organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints;
also to the revelations given through the prophets of God both
ancient and modern.
99
May God Almighty preserve us in the faith, enable us to round up
our shoulders, and assist in bearing the burden of the kingdom.
When we have anything to say to our families let it be according
to the counsel of the Spirit of God, that union may prevail. We
all know that there is plenty for the Saints to feast upon, but
some are too apt to look upon the dark side of the picture,
instead of remembering the blessings promised to us by the
Prophets of God. Why should we shrink from our position for one
moment, when we have so many glorious blessings promised unto us?
99
Let us strive to be of one heart and one mind and all will be
well with us. God bless you, my brethren and sisters, is my
sincere prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Heber
C. Kimball, February 6, 1862
Heber C. Kimball, February 6, 1862
HOW TO GAIN ETERNAL LIFE.--THE GATHERING OF THE SAINTS AND THE
AGENCY
BY WHICH IT IS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.--ANGELS--WHO AND WHAT ARE
THEY.
Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, February 6, 1862.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
100
The spirit and the body are the soul of man, and one is not
perfect without the other, any more than we can be perfect in the
immortal state without those who have gone before us, or they
without us. There will be a restitution of all things in heaven
and on earth to make things perfect. That which we call this
present life, in reality, has no end; that which we call time is
in reality eternity. We say the dead have departed this life as
though they had departed to some other life. This, however, is
not so; dying is like going from one room to another, or from one
part of the earth to another, the life still exists though the
body decays, but the life which dwelt in it is indestructible. We
read of men who have been translated, but they pass through a
change which is equal to death, for it is appointed that all men
shall die, and after that cometh the judgment. These things are
not new to you, but it is well to speak of them that we may
constantly be reminded that we shall live for ever in some state.
If this were not so, then immortality would be as an idle tale,
and utter annihilation must follow the dissolution of this body.
By observing strictly the precepts of the Gospel, we can learn
how to live forever, and how to receive our tabernacles again in
the morning of the first resurrection, to dwell on this earth for
ever. To attain the possession of these blessings, we must live
worthy of them.
100
There is no sin more heinous in the sight of God than the sin of
ingratitude. All beings that pertain to this earth, whether
visible or invisible, draw their sustenance from it. The heavens
and the earth associate together and minister one to the other.
If the earthly is separated from the heavenly, or the temporal
from the spiritual, then is the earthly or the temporal dead; the
one is necessary to the other for a fulness of joy and an endless
duration. The earth abideth the law by which we were made, then
we forfeit our title to exaltation and eternal lives. The earth
is the mother of us all, and from its bosom we are fed, and
receive our growth and strength as an infant receives its
nourishment from the maternal breast. I want us to obtain power
to dedicate and consecrate the earth unto God, that his Spirit
may continue upon it for ever; that by this means the earthly may
partake of the attributes of the heavenly, and become sanctified
and prepared to enter the presence of God.
100
It is often said here that this people are blessed above all
other people; this is truly so. We are in the mountains; we did
not come here of our own accord, but we came by the will of the
Father. We are in the tops of the mountains where the prophet
said the people of God would be in the last days.--"And it shall
come to pass in the last days, that the mountains, and shall be
exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it." The
ancient prophets have joy in seeing the fulfilment of the words
they spoke when they were upon the earth. Jesus spake a parable
to the Pharisees and Scribes, saying--"What man of you having an
hundred sheep, if he lose one of them doth not leave the ninety
and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is
gone astray? And when he cometh home, he calleth together his
friends and neighbors, saying unto them, 'Rejoice with me, for I
have found my sheep which was lost.' I say unto you that likewise
joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than
over ninety and nine just person which need no repentance." We
are here at home in the tops of the mountains; and there was joy
in heaven when we embraced the truth and were gathered into this
safe fold. The sheep that are still scattered need our aid and
pity. Those that are at home, many of them, think they ought to
be pitied now more than anybody else, when there are thousands
still wandering from the true fold. We shall be the saviors of
men sooner or later if we are faithful, and shall have power to
redeem and save mankind through the atonement made by Jesus
Christ.
101
Why should those who are in the house, well fed and clad, be
jealous and envious of a poor sheep I may seek and save? If we
cannot save a person temporally, it is a very hard case to save
him spiritually, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation."
That is, let every man save himself as far as he can. The Saints
that are as good people as we are, but they cannot get away from
their present bondage; they have not the means necessary to work
out their temporal deliverance. This year we will probably give
you a chance to help to gather in the sheep that are still
wandering in the desert, seeking the friendly shelter of this
fold which we so happily enjoy. I understand President Young
intends to call for five hundred teams this season to send to the
frontiers for the Saints. Some have supposed that so many teams
could not be loaded. The teams we sent down last year were loaded
to the brim, and those this year will to their utmost capacity.
It is a true saying that "God helps them that help themselves;"
and the Savior says, "Draw near unto me, and I will draw near
unto you." If we send down teams and say to the poor Saints among
all nations, Come--shall we be frustrated in our noble design? We
shall not, for that would not be in keeping with the character of
God, nor with the character of his angels.
101
Who are his angels? They are men who stood fast through
tribulation; they are prophets and apostles and patriarchs who
once lived upon the earth, and bore testimony of the truth of the
Gospel of the Son of God, the same Gospel that we preach. If we
try to gather the poor, the Lord and his angels will help us and
open the way before us, and as we return with the poor Saints to
this land he will shut up the way behind us. It is our privilege
to step forth and show ourselves approved, and if it is not the
mind of the Lord we should prosper in the way and at the time we
wish, let us be contented, knowing that we have shown our good
will. If the Lord tells us to do anything and our enemies hinder
us, the Lord will require it at their hands and they must pay
that debt, and fully satisfy the demands of justice. One half of
the people we gather may not be true Saints, but that makes no
difference, for if there is not more than one Saint to ten who
profess to be Saints, the Almighty will preserve the ten unworthy
persons for the sake of the one good Saint. For the sake of a few
true-hearted Saints travelling in a large company, the Lord will
preserve their ships, the cars they travel on, and their teams;
this I know from actual experience from the first day I entered
into this Church to this day. God is the same to-day as he was in
the days of the great flood, he loves and respects his friends,
and so should we love and respect the faithful and true, and
nourish and cherish them. We have not proved the Saints that are
scattered abroad, nor they us; they may have proved themselves
with their brethren in their own country and kept the
commandments; but out of a thousand persons whom we emigrate, if
we get only one hundred Saints how great will be our joy with
them in the kingdom of our Father.
101
Let the brethren be ready when the call is made upon them to
supply teams, and if the call is not made, then they are prepared
to go to plowing and cultivating the ground and filling the earth
with seed.
102
We are now partaking of the sacrament of the Lord's supper; when
we partake of the bread, let us pray the Father that strength may
be given to our bodies that they may not wither, but be
strengthened to reach a good old age; when we partake of the
wine--or water, which is emblematic of his blood, let us ask the
Father that our blood may never be spilled unless it is necessary
for the advancement of his Kingdom and the glory of God. We are
in the true fold and are fed with the bread of life, the Word of
God, which, if we receive faithfully and truly, will create
within us that which will be as a well of water, springing up to
everlasting life, and we shall never be barren nor unfruitful in
the knowledge of God, for we shall partake of the attributes of
our Heavenly Father. My prayer is that our hearts may become
pregnant with the word of God and with the power of God, showing
our connection with God, with Jesus Christ, and with the Holy
Ghost, with the angels, and with the prophets and apostles that
dwell in heaven.
102
I will make another remark regarding angels. God sent an angel to
John on the Isle of Patmos, and John says, concerning it, "and I
fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, see thou do
it not; I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have
the testimony of Jesus--worship God." Men are made a little lower
than the angles for the suffering of death, but when men are
clothed with the holy priesthood and sent forth to minister the
word of life, the comparison between them and the angels is
somewhat different. "And of his angels he saith, Who maketh his
angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." While in the
act of ministering the Gospel, the servants of God may be
considered angels. "Be not forgetful to entertain angels
unawares." The servants of God are angels in one sense, sent
forth to gather the house of Israel from the four corners of the
earth; and the Elders of this Church in their labors have
fulfilled, partly, the sayings of the Savior, when they have
found two working in the field, one has received the Gospel and
been gathered, and the other left; two working in a mill, one has
been taken and the other left; two lying in a bed, the one has
been taken and the other left. But no doubt these sayings will
have their final and complete fulfilment about the time of the
second coming of the Savior. "For as in the days of Noah that
were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the
ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so
shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." Again, there are
hundreds who profess to receive the Gospel from our hands, and
the sacrament, but they do not receive the power of God, and do
not gather with the true sheep into the sheep-fold. There are
scores of people in England that I baptized twenty-six years ago,
who are there yet, firm and steadfast, so I hear,--they will be
gathered to the fold in due time. The angels of this Church
travel without purse or scrip, they are destitute of the means
necessary to bring them along; but we are watching for an
opportunity to deliver them, before the universal destruction
shall come upon the wicked nations.
103
The Lord sent three angels to watch over Abraham and Lot
anciently. They stayed with Abraham, and Sarah baked a cake
a-piece for them; Abraham killed a calf, and supplied butter and
milk to refresh them, after they had washed their feet. Jacob, on
one occasion, wrestled with an angel all night long, but could
not throw him. Jacob had hold of a being full of spring and power
like unto a man, and he did not know the difference; he was a man
and an angel. We are exhorted daily to conduct ourselves like the
angels of God, to try and be like them; we are exhorted to be
godlike; and to be godlike is to do as God wishes us to do. God
feeds the wicked and the good, clothes the righteous and the
unrighteous, and is merciful to all the workmanship of his hands.
I see the necessity of being more pure, more merciful, more
faithful, and more true. If we pursue this course, my brethren
and sisters, how great will be our blessings. No blessing will be
withheld from the truly faithful. When a man is placed to preside
over us, let us nourish and sustain that man as though he were an
angel direct from the presence of God. I wish you to understand
and appreciate what I say, and treasure it up.
103
A man who raises up his puny arm against the priesthood of God on
the earth, is measuring arms with the Almighty. If an unfaithful
wife shall raise the standard of war against her husband who is
faithful to God, she is making war against the Almighty, and she
will be wasted away, and she will ultimately curse God and die.
103
May God bless his people from the rivers to the ends of the
earth, in all their settlements and abiding places. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, March 8, 1863
Brigham Young, March 8, 1863
THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE SAINTS.--THEIR LOYALTY TO THE
CONSTITUTION.--THE
MORMON BATTALION.--THE LAWS OF GOD RELATIVE TO THE AFRICAN RACE.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, March 8, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
103
I do not wish to confine myself to any particular subject this
afternoon.
103
The rise of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and
its history up to this day are vividly portrayed in my memory. I
referred to that subject this morning, and to the persecution we,
as a people, have received, and the persecuting the Prophet
Joseph Smith unto death. I have also in my mind the condition of
the Christian world, as well as the revealed religion of the
Savior; also the Jewish as the forerunner of the Christian
religion.
103
This morning I referred to the intelligence we have, and the
position of the world. The people want to know a great deal--they
want to know all, but it cannot all be learned in one day nor in
a short period of time. We expect to learn to all eternity.
104
This people are an object of derision and astonishment to our
Christian neighbors, and to the whole world an object of
reflection and serious thought. Almost every man occupying a
public position in the political, religious or heathen world
wishes to possess great influence and to extend his power. There
is only one way to obtain power and influence in the kingdom of
God, and only one way to obtain foreknowledge, and that is to so
live that that influence will come from our Creator, enlightening
the mind and revealing things that are past, present and future
pertaining to the earth and its inhabitants, and to the dealings
of God with the children of men; in short, there is no source of
true information outside of the Spirit of revelation; it maketh
the dispositions of communities and of individuals. By possessing
this Spirit, mankind can obtain power that is durable,
beneficial, and that will result in a higher state of knowledge,
of honor and of glory. This can be obtained only by strictly
marking the path of truth, and walking faithfully therein.
104
We are objectionable to our neighbors. We have a warfare. As the
Apostle says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities and against powers, against the rulers of
the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places." This warfare commences within us.
104
The spirits that live in these tabernacles were as pure as the
heavens, when they entered them. They came to tabernacles that
are contaminated pertaining to the flesh, by the fall of man. The
Psalmist says, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did
my mother conceive me." This Scripture has established in the
minds of some the doctrine of total depravity--that it is
impossible for them to have one good thought, that they are
altogether sinful, that there is no good, no soundness, and no
spiritual health in them. This is not correct, yet we have a
warfare within us. We have to contend against evil passions, or
the seeds of iniquity that are sown in the flesh through the
fall. The pure spirits that occupy these tabernacles are operated
upon, and it is the right of Him that sent them into these
tabernacles to hold the pre-eminence, and to always give the
Spirit of truth to influence the spirits of men, that it may
triumph and reign predominently in our tabernacles the God and
Lord of every motion. We not only have this warfare continually,
day by day, within ourselves, but we also have an outside
influence or pressure to resist. Both the religious and the
political world have influences to contend against that very much
resemble each other; they are more or less exercised, governed
and controlled by surrounding influences. We Latter-day Saints
have an influence of this kind to contend against.
105
The inquiry has often been made of us in the course of our
history, why we do not contradict such and such statements, "Why
do you not confute this or that?" "Why do you not enlighten the
people in regard to certain statements which are urged against
you, and disabuse the public mind?" Our position at the present
day is far superior to what it was sixteen, twenty and thirty
years ago. Sixteen years ago we were on the inhospitable
prairies, and in an Indian country. Five hundred of our
able-bodied men had been taken from us by the call of the
Government, and went to fight the battles of their country. There
are women and children sitting here to-day, whose husbands, sons
and fathers went on that campaign to prove to our Government that
we were loyal, who became widows and orphans in consequence of
that requisition. Those noble men left their wives and children
and their aged fathers and mothers houseless and without
protection upon the wild prairies and surrounded by savages,
exposed to all the rigors and changes of the weather, to heat and
cold, to rains and storms without protectors, until many sank
under it and left their lifeless remains to be laid beneath the
prairie sod. When this call was made upon us, to put to the test
our loyalty, we had travelled from Nauvoo and were resting in the
western part of Pottawattamie county, Iowa. Had we boots and
shoes to our feet? No. A few had, but the majority of the people
had not. Had our wives clothing to last them five years? No. Had
our children clothing to last them that length of time? No. The
great majority of the people had not clothing nor shoes to make
them comfortable a single day. We were obliged to leave our
property behind us, with the lame and blind and feeble who were
pounced upon while we were absent to find them a safe abiding
place.
105
This is the outside pressure. It forced us from Ohio to Missouri,
from Missouri to Illinois, and from Illinois into the wilderness.
We were accused of disloyalty, alienation, and apostacy from the
Constitution of our country. We were accused of being
secessionists. I am, so help me God, and ever expect to be a
secessionist from their wickedness, unrighteousness, dishonesty
and unhallowed principles in a religious point of view; but am I
or this people secessionists with regard to the glorious
Constitution of our country? No. Were we secessionists when we so
promptly responded to the call of the General Government, when we
were houseless and friendless on the wild prairies of
Pottawattamie? I think not. We there told the brethren to enlist,
and they obeyed without a murmur.
105
With regard to our going into the wilderness, and our there being
called upon to turn out five hundred able-boded men to go to
Mexico, we had then seen every religious and political right
tramples under foot by mobocrats; there were none left to defend
our rights; we were driven from every right which freemen ought
to possess. In forming that battalion of five hundred men,
brother Kimball and myself rode day and night, until we had
raised the full number of men the Government called for. Captain
Allen said to me, using his own words, "I have fallen in love
with your people. I love them as I never loved a people before."
He was a friend to the uttermost. When he had marched that Mormon
battalion as far as Fort Leavenworth, he was thrown upon a sick
bed where I then believed, and do now, he was nursed, taken care
of, and doctored to the silent tomb, and the battalion went on
with God for their Friend.
106
That battalion took up their line of march from Fort Leavenworth
by way of Santa Fe, and over a desert and dreary route, and
planted themselves in the lower part of California, to the joy of
all the officers and men that were loyal. At the time of their
arrival, General Kearney was in a straitened position, and
Colonel P. St. George Cooke promptly marched the battalion to his
relief, and said to him, "We have the boys here now that can put
all things right." The boys in that battalion performed their
duty faithfully. I never think of that little company of men
without the next thoughts being, "God bless them for ever and for
ever." All this we did to prove to the Government that we were
loyal. Previous to this, when we left Nauvoo, we knew that they
were going to call upon us, and we were prepared for it in our
faith and in our feelings. I knew then as well as I do now that
the Government would call for a battalion of men out of that part
of Israel, to test our loyalty to the Government. Thomas H.
Benton, if I have been rightly informed, obtained the requisition
to call for that battalion, and, in case of non-compliance with
that requisition, to call on the militia of Missouri and Iowa,
and other States, if necessary, and to call volunteers from
Illinois, from which State we had been driven, to destroy the
camp of Israel. This same Mr. Benton said to the President of the
United States, in the presence of some other persons, "Sir, they
are a pestilential race, and ought to become extinct."
106
I will again urge upon this people to so live that they will have
the knowledge they desire, as we have knowledge not of all, but
only of that which is necessary. Have we not shown to the world
that we love the Constitution of our country and its institutions
better than do those who have been and are now distracting the
nation? You cannot find a community, placed under the
circumstances that we were, that would have done as we did on the
occasion of furnishing the Mormon Battalion, after our leading
men had been slain and we had been compelled to leave our farms,
gardens, homes and firesides, while, at the same time, the
general Government was called upon in vain to put a stop to such
a series of abuses against an innocent people.
106
The people said, "Give us redress for our wrongs?"
106
Government: "Did you say anything? Hard of hearing; can't hear a
single word you say."
106
"Mr. President, Mr. Senator, Messrs. everybody else, can you hear
the cries of the widow and fatherless?"
106
Government: "Did you speak?" Can't hear you gentlemen; mark what
I say, I can't hear you."
106
After all this, to prove our loyalty to the Constitution and not
to their infernal meanness, we went to fight the battles of a
free country to give it power and influence, and to extend our
happy institutions in other parts of this widely extended
republic. In this way we have proved our loyalty. We have done
everything that has been required of us. Can there anything
reasonable and constitutional be asked that we would not perform?
No. But if the Government of the United States should now ask for
a battalion of men to fight in the present battle-fields of the
nation, while there is a camp of soldiers from abroad located
within the corporate limits of this city, I would not ask one man
to go; I would see them in hell first. What was the result a year
ago, when our then Governor, and I thank God for such a Governor
as we had a year ago, called for men to go and guard the mail
route? Were they promptly on hand? Yes, and when President
Lincoln wrote to me requesting me to fit out one hundred men to
guard the mail route, we at once enlisted the one hundred men for
ninety days. On Monday evening I received the instruction, and on
Wednesday afternoon that hundred men were mustered into service
and encamped ready for moving. But all this does not prove any
loyalty to political tyrants.
107
We guarded the mail route; but they do not know what we know with
regard to guarding this route, and they will find that out by and
by. We do not need any soldiers here from any other States or
Territories to perform that service, neither does the Government,
as they would know if they were wise. I will, comparatively
speaking, take one plug of tobacco, a shirt and three cents'
worth of paint, and save more life and hinder more Indian
depredations than they can by expending millions of dollars
vested in an army to fight and kill the Indians. Feed and clothe
them a little and you will save life; fight them, and you pave
the way for the destruction of the innocent. This will be found
out after a while, but now it is not known except by
comparatively a few. We complain of the barbarity of the red men
for killing innocent men, women, and children, especially for
killing women and children. They are to blame for this. But
remember that they are savages, and that it is an usage among
them to kill the innocent for acts of the guilty.
107
I will ask every person who is acquainted with the history of the
colonization of the Continent of North and South America, if they
ever knew any colony of whites to get along any better with their
savage neighbors than the inhabitants of Utah have done. Talk
about making treaties with the Indians! Has there been any one
treaty with the Indians fulfilled in good faith by the
Government? If there is one, I wish you would let me know. But we
call them savages, while at the same time the whites too often do
as badly as they have done, and worse, when difference of
intelligence and training are taken into account. This has been
so in almost every case of difficulty with the red skins. When
soldiers have pounced upon these poor, ignorant, low, degraded,
miserable creatures, mention a time, if you can, when they have
spared their women and children. They have indiscriminately
massacred the helpless, the blind, the old, the infant, and the
mother.
107
I am a human being, and I have the care of human beings. I wish
to save life, and have no desire to destroy life. If I had my
wish, I should entirely stop the shedding of human blood. The
people abroad do not generally understand this, but they will.
Like Paul, they do that they would not do, and leave undone that
they would do because of the sin that reigns in their members.
The nations of the world may apply this same text to their own
case. They want to do something, but what to do rightly they do
not find.
107
We have not only the man of sin to contend with, but also the
outside pressure. Now then, what should we say concerning this
people? I will answer. There has never been a time or
circumstance since this Territory was organized, but what the
civil law has reigned triumphantly in the hearts and acts of this
people. The outside pressure now is that this people, called the
Latter-day Saints, are secessionists in their feelings, and alien
to the Constitution and institutions of our country. This is
entirely false. There is not another people upon the face of the
earth that could have borne what we have, and still remain as
loyal to our brethren as we have been and are. They might be
displeased with some of the acts of the administrators of the
law, but not with the Constitutional laws and institutions of the
Government.
108
This people are filled with patience and long suffering, clinging
to the institutions bequeathed to us by our fathers as closely
and as tenaciously as ever babe clung to the Maternal breast, and
we would that the Government had always been so wisely
administered as to bind the best feelings of the people together,
and to create and still continue to create a union instead of
alienation. The affections of the masses of American
citizens,--both of the people in the North and in the South, are
alienated from each other, and they are divided. We would it
could be otherwise, but this is the result of the acts of leading
politicians of our nation. When the people's affections are
interwoven with a Republican government administered in all its
purity, if the administrators act not in virtue and truth it is
but natural that the people become disaffected with
mal-administration, and divide and sub-divide into parties, until
the body politic is shivered to pieces. There is no other
platform that any government can stand upon and endure, but the
platform of truth and virtue.
108
What can we do? We can serve God, and our own business; keep our
power dry, and be prepared for every emergency to which we may be
exposed, and sustain the civil law to which we are subject. We
have an adjudicator of the law in this Judicial District who has
been here some eight or ten years. Has he found any difficulty or
trouble in the performance of his official acts in this district,
which we may say is the brain, the lungs, the vitals of the whole
Territory? Has he met with any difficulty in administering the
civil law here? He has not, except in the case where tyrants have
sought to interrupt the even course and administration of it.
Those who aim to soar to power and fame by taking such a course,
pluck out the pinions of their own wings, and rob themselves of
the glory and power which they so earnestly seek.
108
We have our own difficulties to encounter as a people, arising
from influences that cannot be fully comprehended by those who
are not of us and are not living with us. As for offering
refutations to charges made against us, it would be impossible to
keep pace with the thousands of freshly invented falsehoods that
the powers spiritual and the powers temporal would produce to
feed the credulity of the ignorant masses. Bunyan says that it
requires a legion of devils to watch one Christian; it would
require a legion of refutations to keep pace with one infernal
liar, therefore we say, "lie on, falsify every thing you want to
falsify, and say what you please; there is a God in Israel, and
if you have not yet learned it, you will learn it."
108
Some of my friends and brethren have lately thought that there is
an influence being got up against us. I would not give the ashes
of a rye straw for any influence that our officials here, who are
operating against this people, have in Washington. If their true
characters were only known there, their influence would be devoid
of weight in the mind of any right thinking man. I am in no way
concerned about what they can do against us. I wish one course to
be pursued by this people, and all the rest will be right. If
they will walk faithfully in the path of their duty, in
uprightness before God, clinging to right, and so conducting
themselves that no being in the Heavens, on the earth, under the
earth, or in hell, can say in truth that they are guilty of any
unjust of wicked action committed knowingly, all will be right.
God rules in the Heavens, and he does his pleasure among the
inhabitants of the earth, he causes victory to perch here, and
defeat and disgrace there, as he will, and contending armies know
not the cause of their victory or their defeat. It is God who
rules.
108
We are in the midst of these mountains, and we have good and
salutary laws to govern us. We have our Constitutional laws and
our Territorial laws; we are subject to these laws, and always
expect to be, for we love to be. If there is any man among us who
has violated any constitutional law, try the law upon him, and
let us see whether there is any virtue in it, before we try the
strong arm of despotism and tyranny. I stand for Constitutional
law, and if any transgress, let them be tried by it, and, if
guilty, suffer its penalty.
109
In 1857 it is estimated that eleven thousand troops were ordered
here; some seven thousand stared for this place, with several
thousand hangers on. They came into this Territory when a company
of emigrants were traveling on the south route to California.
Nearly all of that company were destroyed by the Indians. That
unfortunate affair has been laid to the charge of the whites. A
certain judge that was then in this Territory wanted the whole
army to accompany him to Iron county to try the whites for the
murder of that company of emigrants. I told Governor Cumming that
if he would take an unprejudiced judge into the district where
that horrid affair occurred, I would pledge myself that every man
in the regions round about should be forthcoming when called for,
to be condemned or acquitted as an impartial, unprejudiced judge
and jury should decide; and I pledged him that the court should
be protected from any violence or hindrance in the prosecution of
the laws; and if any were guilty of the blood of those who
suffered in the Mountain Meadow massacre, let them suffer the
penalty of the law; but to this day they have not touched the
matter, for fear the Mormons would be acquitted from the charge
of having any hand in it, and our enemies would thus be deprived
of a favorite topic to talk about, when urging hostility against
us. "The Mountain Meadow massacre! Only think of the Mountain
Meadow massacre!!" is their cry from one end of the land to the
other.
109
"Come, let us make war on the Mormons, for they burnt government
property." And what was the government doing there with their
property? They were coming to destroy the Mormons, in violation
of every right principle of law and justice. A little of their
property was destroyed, and they were left to gnaw, not a file,
but dead cattle's bones. I was informed that one man brought five
blood hounds to hunt the Mormons in the mountains, and that the
poor devil had to kill them and eat them before spring to save
himself from starving to death, and that he was fool enough to
acknowledge it afterwards in this city. This is the kind of
outside pressure we have to meet with. Who wanted the army of
1857 here? Who sent for them? Liars, thieves, murderers,
gamblers, whoremasters, and speculators in the rights and blood
of the Mormon people cried to government, and government opened
its ears, long and broad, saying, "I hear you, my children, lie
on, my faithful sons Brocchus, Drummond and Co.," and so they did
lie on until the parent sent an army to use up the Mormons. Now I
say, for the consolation of all my brethren and sisters, they
cannot do it; and that is worse to them than all the rest; they
cannot do it.
109
The rank, rabid abolitionists, whom I call black-hearted
Republicans, have set the whole national fabric on fire. Do you
know this, Democrats? They have kindled the fire that is raging
now from the north to the south, and from the south to the north.
I am no abolitionist, neither am I a pro-slavery man; I hate some
of their principles and especially some of their conduct, as I do
the gates of hell. The Southerners make the negroes, and the
Northerners worship them; this is all the difference between
slaveholders and abolitionists. I would like the President of the
United States and all the world to hear this.
109
Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If
the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with
the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on
the spot. This will always be so. The nations of the earth have
transgressed every law that God has given, they have changed the
ordinances and broken every covenant made with the fathers, and
they are like a hungry man that dreameth that he eateth, and he
awaketh and behold he is empty.
110
The following saying of the prophet is fulfilled: "Now also many
nations are gathered against thee, that say, let her be defiled,
and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of
the Lord, neither understand they his counsel; for he shall
gather them as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thrash O
daughter of Zion, &c." God rules in the armies of Heaven and does
his pleasure upon the earth, and no man can help it. Who can stay
the hand of Jehovah, or turn aside the providences of the
Almighty? I say to all men and all women, submit to God, to his
ordinances and to His rule; serve Him, and cease your
quarrelling, and stay the shedding of each other's blood.
110
If the Government of the United States, in Congress assembled,
had the right to pass an anti-polygamy bill, they had also the
right to pass a law that slaves should not be abused as they have
been; they had also a right to make a law that negroes should be
used like human beings, and not worse than dumb brutes. For their
abuse of that race, the whites will be cursed, unless they
repent.
110
I am neither an abolitionist nor a pro-slavery man. If I could
have been influenced by private injury to choose one side in
preference to the other, I should certainly be against the
pro-slavery side of the question, for it was pro-slavery men that
pointed the bayonet at me and my brethren in Missouri, and said,
"Damn you we will kill you." I have not much love for them, only
in the Gospel. I would cause them to repent, if I could, and make
them good men and a good community. I have no fellowship for
their avarice, blindness, and ungodly actions. To be great, is to
be good before the Heavens and before all good men. I will not
fellowship the wicked in their sins, so help me God.
110
Joseph Smith, in forty-seven prosecutions was never proven guilty
of one violation of the laws of his country. They accused him of
treason, because he would not fellowship their wickedness.
Suppose the land should be cleansed from its filthiness and the
law of God should predominate, if a man or woman should be found
who had corrupted themselves and thereby become diseased, that
man or woman would be placed by themselves, as the lepers were
anciently, never more to commune with the human family. Purify
your flesh and blood, your spirits, your habitations and your
country, and then you will be pure before God. This change has
got to be before this earth will be taken back into a celestial
atmosphere.
110
Find fault with me because I have wives! They would corrupt every
wife I have, if they had the power; and then they cry to the
government, "You had better do something with the Mormons; they
are deceitful and disloyal!!" I am disloyal to their sins and
filthiness. Cleanse your hearts and the whole person, and make
yourselves as pure as the angels, and then I will fellowship you.
110
I say to every man and woman in this community, suffer not your
affections to wander after that which is unholy; do not lust
after gold, nor the things of this world. Sanctify yourselves
before your God and before one another, until you are pure
outside and in and all around you, and see that you faithfully
perform every duty.
110
Now, as we are accused of secession, my counsel to this
congregation is to secede, what from? From the Constitution of
the United States? No. From the institutions of our country? No.
Well then, what from? From sin and the practice thereof. That is
my counsel to this congregation and to the whole world.
110
May God bless everybody that wishes well to his kingdom on the
earth. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Orson
Hyde, October 7, 1862
Orson Hyde, October 7, 1862
ALL NATIONALITIES MERGED IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
THE UNITY AND HAPPINESS OF THE SAINTS.
Remarks by Elder Orson Hyde, made at the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 7, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
111
I do not wish to monopolize the time to the exclusion of my
brethren, and I do not design to detain you long, still a few
remarks, perhaps may not be unacceptable. I thank my Heavenly
Father for the privilege and blessing of meeting with the Saints,
and for allowing my spirit to mingle with yours, to increase each
other's joy.
111
The words of edification and instruction we have had from our
brethren are truly cheering to all of us, and I trust that the
spirit of the living God may continue to abide with us, that
wherein we have received an increase of light and truth we may
carry it to our homes, and revive the work of the Lord in our
towns and villages, and in short carry this feeling and influence
to every quarter and part of the kingdom of God. Truly the
remarks made this morning were cheering and good. The spirit of
the Lord is calculated to remove everything that may be in the
heart which is opposed to that which is good, to Godliness and
peace.
111
Much is said about the tribes of Israel from which most of us are
supposed to have descended. With some there is quite a feeling of
choice in regard to the tribe from which they sprang, but let me
say that whether we sprang from Judah, Ephraim, Manasseh or from
a family of gentile origin, that of all these tribes and classes,
whoever receive the Gospel and are moulded and fashioned by the
spirit of the living God, will entitled to a place in the kingdom
of our Heavenly Father. Hence it is written "For by him were all
things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: All things were created by him, and
for him." And again it is written, "And have put on the new man,
which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created
him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor
uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is
all, and in all."--Col. i. 16 and iii. 10. 11.
111
I feel that in these two particulars we are distinguished from
the world, while we are made one by being baptized into one
spirit and all embracing the one faith, becoming members of one
body, having one common father, even the king of Heaven. And by
submitting to be guided by his spirit, and obeying the precepts
that are given by him in our daily deportment we are transported
into the image of that lovely being of whom it is said, that at
his name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.
112
Brethren, I feel happy and childlike in your presence to-day, and
I intend to continue in well doing that I may ever have the
Spirit of the Lord to guide me aright. If, by my labors, I can
make others feel as well as I feel myself, it is the joy of my
heart, it is that for which I labor and toil. I feel at many
times that I would rather sit down and muse in silence than to
speak.
112
When I think of our friends in the east I feel sorrowful; their
condition is deplorable. I have no enmity towards any one, but my
general feeling is, Heaven bless the Saints and may Heaven
destroy every influence that is arraigned against Zion. And the
Lord will do this; and I will prophesy in the name of the Lord
God of Hosts that if we continue to walk in the light of truth,
to labor to build up Zion, that cup of trembling spoken of by the
Prophet Isaiah shall never return to your lips nor to our
habitations, but we will float along increasing in power and
strength from day to day, continually rejoicing in the truths of
our holy religion.
112
God bless you all for ever: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / John
Taylor, February 22, 1863
John Taylor, February 22, 1863
REFLECTIONS ON THE SACRAMENT, THE ATONEMENT
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS.
Discourse by Elder John Taylor, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, February 22, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
113
"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto
them, saying, This is my body which is given for you, this do in
remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying,
This cup is the new testament of my blood, which is shed for
you." There is nothing very peculiar in this ordinance, though it
is rather a strange institution when we reflect upon it. This
ceremony has been attended to throughout generations that are
past, and still it is attended to. Jesus said also, "Do this
until I come again." Notwithstanding the great falling off--the
great apostacy since the days of Christ and his Apostles, this
ordinance has generally been adopted by the Christian churches,
so called, however they may err in many other principles of faith
and doctrine. This ordinance has been renewed to us, and is part
and parcel of the new covenant God has made with his people in
the latter days. It was practised among the ancient Saints who
resided upon this Continent, long before it was discovered by
Columbus, as well as upon the Continent of Asia among the Saints
that lived there. When we attend to this ordinance we do it upon
the same principle that they did anciently, whether among the
Saints of God on the Asiatic Continent or among the Saints on the
American Continent. I was a little struck with the hymn that was
sung:--
113
"Behold the Savior of mankind."
My mind was led to reflect back to the time when he was upon the
earth, and to the time previous to his sojourn here, and to the
way and manner in which he came upon the earth, and the designs
of his heavenly Father in his coming here, also the designs of
God relating to the world and to his Saints in particular. As we
find ourselves upon this stage of action, it is very natural that
we should inquire something about the position that we occupy
here and our relationship to God, and something about the plan of
salvation and about those who have acted and operated in this
plan. It would seem from all that we can gather, both from old
and new revelations, that God has had a design to accomplish in
relation to the world whereon we dwell, and also in relation to
the inhabitants that have dwelt and will dwell thereon, and also
in regard to the heavens; in relation, also, to those spirits
that have not yet come into existence, as well as those that
have; in relation to those who have lived and died without the
Gospel, as well as those who have had the privilege of the
Gospel--to bring to pass things that he has contemplated before
the world was. We, as a portion of the human family, are
interested in these events, and ought to understand our position
in relation to them and also to God, and, at the same time, we
ought to comprehend in some measure our relationship to each
other. We ought to know what course to pursue to secure the
approbation of our heavenly Father, and fulfil our destiny upon
the earth in the best possible manner, and aid with all our might
to accomplish those things God has designed before the world was.
114
It would seem that the coming of the Savior to the world, his
suffering, death, resurrection and ascension to the position he
occupies in the eternal world before his heavenly Father, has a
great deal to do with our interests and happiness; and hence this
continued memorial that we partake of every Sabbath. This
sacrament is the fulfillment of the last request of Jesus Christ
to his disciples. "For as often as ye eat this bread and drink
this cup ye do show forth the Lord's death till he comes." Faith
in this ordinance would necessarily imply that we have faith in
Jesus Christ, that he is the only begotten of the Father, that he
came from the heavens to the earth to accomplish a certain
purpose which God had designed--even to secure the salvation and
exaltation of the human family. All this has a great deal to do
with our welfare and happiness here and hereafter. The death of
Jesus Christ would not have taken place had it not been
necessary. That this ceremony should be instituted to keep that
circumstance before the minds of his people, bespeaks its
importance as embracing certain unexplained purposes and
mysterious designs of God; they are explained in part, but they
are not fully comprehended. It is not fully comprehended why it
was necessary that Jesus Christ should leave the heavens, his
Father's abode and presence, and come upon the earth to offer
himself up a sacrifice; that he should, according to the
Scripture saying, "Take away sin by the sacrifice of himself;"
why this should be, why it was necessary that his blood should be
shed is an apparent mystery. It is true that we are told that
without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins; but
why this? Why should such a law exist? It is left with us as a
matter of faith, that it was necessary he should come and, being
necessary, he shrank not from the task, but came to take away sin
by offering up himself. Jesus Christ is spoken of in the
Scriptures as "The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the
world." What sins of the world did he take away? We are told that
it is the sin which Adam committed. We do not know much about
Adam nor what he did; but we know that this sacrifice took place
and that we are in the position we now occupy, and we are ready
to believe from the testimonies we have received in relation to
this sacrifice that it was the will of God he should thus offer
himself up and that he came here for that purpose. He was "The
first begotten of the Father full of grace and truth;" and
suffered his body to be broken and his blood to be spilled, doing
"Not his own will but the will of him that sent him," not to
accomplish his own purpose particularly but the purpose of him
that sent him, and hence we are told to observe this rite until
he comes again.
119
There is something also to be looked to in the future. The Son of
God has again to figure in the grand drama of the world. He has
been here once and "In his humiliation his judgment was taken
away." It would seem that his ancient disciples upon this
Continent or upon the Continent of Asia actually looked forward
to the time when Jesus would come again and hence he is
frequently spoken of in the Scriptures having a reference to his
second advent, that to those who look for him "He would appear
the second time without sin unto salvation." Again, Isaiah, in
speaking of him, says, "All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we
have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on
him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he was brought as a lamb
to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so
he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut
off out of the land of the living: for the transgressions of my
people was he stricken," &c. Again, the same prophet spoke of him
as coming in power, glory and dominion, and as having his wrath
and indignation kindled against the nations of the earth. "Who is
this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This
that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of
his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel and thy garments like him
that treadeth in the wine-vat? I have trodden the wine press
alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread
them in mine anger and trample them in my fury, and their blood
shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my
raiment. For the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of
my redeemed is come." Jesus accomplished what he was sent to do,
and, feeling satisfied of this, when he was about to leave the
earth he said he had finished the work his Father gave him to do.
But there was another work, another event that was to transpire
in the latter days, when he should not be led as a lamb to the
slaughter or be like a sheep before the shearers; when he would
not act in that state of humiliation and quiescence, but when he
will go forth as a man of war and tread down the people in his
anger and trample them in his fury, when blood should be on his
garments and the day of vengeance in his heart, when he would
rule the nations with an iron rod and break them to pieces like a
potter's vessel. There must be some reason why he was allowed to
suffer and to endure; why it was necessary that he should give up
his life a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and there must be
a reason why he should come forth in judgment to execute
vengeance, indignation and wrath upon the ungodly. In these
reasons we and all the world are intimately concerned; there is
something of great importance in all this to us. The whys and
wherefores of these great events are pregnant with importance to
us all. When he comes again he comes to take vengeance on the
ungodly and to bring deliverance unto his Saints; "For the day of
vengeance," it is said, "is in my heart and the year of my
redeemed is come." It behoves us to be made well aware which call
we belong to, that if we are not already among the redeemed we
may immediately join that society, that when the Son of God shall
come the second time with all the holy angels with him, arrayed
in power and great glory to take vengeance on them that know not
God and obey not the Gospel, or when he shall come in flaming
fire, we shall be among that number who shall be ready to meet
him with gladness in our hearts and hail him as our great
deliverer and friend. In relation to all events that have
transpired and to the designs of God connected with the earth and
all grades of men upon it, and to the events that transpired
before we came into this existence, if there is anything we
cannot clearly comprehend we can leave it for the future to
reveal. True it is the privilege of a certain class of people to
have the Holy Ghost that Jesus said should bring things past,
present and to come to their remembrance and lead them into all
truth. We can have a portion of that Spirit by which we can draw
back the vail of eternity and comprehend the designs of God that
have been hidden up for generations past and gone; we can go back
to our former existence and contemplate the designs of God in the
formation of this earth and all things that pertain to it;
unravel its destiny and the designs of God in relation to our
past, present and future existence. If we can comprehend all
these things so much the better. If we do not understand
everything in relation to every event of the past and the future,
it is necessary we should know something about the things that
now exist, something about the position of the world we live in,
and something about our relationship to that God who still lives
and will continue to live, and something about our relationship
to that God who still lives and will continue to live, and
something about our interests in that redemption wrought out for
us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose death and
sufferings we are now commemorating. We should know enough about
this to save ourselves and to know how to save the generation
with which we are associated; enough to know how to save our
families and to teach them the laws of life and the way that
leads to God and exaltation; enough to know how to live and enjoy
life and how to avoid the calamities that are coming upon the
earth and how to prepare ourselves for celestial glory in the
eternal worlds. How shall we know the laws of life? How shall we
know anything about God? How shall we know anything of futurity?
I know of no other way than that which has been communicated to
man formerly; I know of no other way than the way that Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, Enoch, Moses and the prophets, Jesus and the
Apostles obtained their knowledge, and that was by revelation.
Jesus said, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and
no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man
the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will
reveal him." No matter what ability and talent a man may possess,
all must come under this rule if they wish to know the Father and
the Son. If knowledge of them is not obtained through revelation
it cannot be obtained at all. Hence we are told, "This is the
stone which was set at naught by you builders, which is become
the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved," and unto him every knee shall bow and every
tongue shall confess, and hence he is called the Mediator of the
New Covenant, and hence we are told to ask for blessings in the
name of Jesus Christ and to approach the Father in his name. We
are told that to know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent is
eternal life. This knowledge cannot be obtained independently of
revelation. We cannot come to God except through Jesus Christ; he
is the only medium through which we can approach the Father.
"When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked
his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man,
am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some
Elias, and others Jeremias or one of the Prophets. He said unto
them, But whom say ye that I am? and Simon Peter answered and
said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonas;
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father
which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it." What rock? The kind of evidence he
had that Jesus was the Christ,--the principles of revelation;
flesh and blood had not revealed it unto him, but his Father in
heaven, and upon this rock Jesus built his church. Upon the same
principle that we know that Jesus is the Christ and that God is
his Father is the church of Christ built in this and has been in
all ages. This principle alone can give the knowledge of God
which if life eternal and the only power by which a man can stand
unscathed in the trying hour. Those who possess this principle
are one with Jesus Christ and one with the Father, as says Jesus,
"I in them and thou in me, that they all may be one even as I and
the Father are one, that they may be one in us." They are
baptized with the same baptism, they are baptized with the same
Spirit, they are in possession of the same knowledge and they
know God, whom to know is life everlasting. When built upon this
rock the storms may blow, the rains may descend and beat upon the
house, but it cannot fall because it is founded upon a rock.
These are some of my reflections in relation to this ordinance of
the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. As to the whys and wherefores
of this, there are a great many of them; the world is full of
them, and eternity is full of them; all comprehensive, just,
true, reasonable, all scientific and according to the strictest
principles of philosophy, if we could only understand the
philosophy. The philosophers in the world understand something of
the rules of natural philosophy; but those rules will never lead
a man to the knowledge of God; if he ever obtains this knowledge
it must be by the principle of revelation. All the works of God,
whether on the earth or in the heavens, are constructed on
strictly philosophical principles. We understand in part the
things of earth; when we see things as God sees them, we shall
then understand the philosophy of the heavens: the mysteries of
eternity will be unfolded and the operations of mind, matter,
spirit, purposes and designs, causes and effects and all the
stupendous operations of God will be developed and they will be
found to accord with the strictest principles of philosophy, even
the philosophy of the heavens. In regard to the events that will
transpire on the earth, we have had a thousand ideas and many of
them probably correct. We have believed that God had an object to
accomplish in relation to this world; we believe we came here for
this purpose and that the myriads of human beings that have
inhabited this earth since its organization have come and gone
for a certain purpose. We have believed that there have been
conflicting elements and conflicting spirits and powers, and we
have believed that God has designed ultimately to root out and
remove from the earth everything that is contrary to his will,
designs and purposes in relation to the earth. As a people we
believe that God has commenced in these last days to build up his
kingdom and root out the ungodly from the earth and establish
correct principles. We believe there is an antagonism in the
world to God and to his laws and to the principles of truth, not
only with the bodies of men but with the spirits of men who have
left the earth and the spirits who are in opposition to God.
There are various influences at work to oppose God and his laws
and the establishment of his kingdom upon the earth. We believe,
moreover, that he will ultimately accomplish his own purposes,
establish his own government, root out the wicked, take the reins
of government into his own hands and possess the kingdom himself.
We are not singular in this belief. The same things have been
believed by every man that has known God in all ages of the
world; all who have ever been inspired by him have had the same
views in relation to these matters that we have, hence Paul says,
"That the times of restitution have been spoken of by all the
holy Prophets since the world began." So all men who are inspired
of God know him and can look into futurity; and all who ever have
lived who were thus inspired looked through the vista of future
ages to the time we are speaking of, and which we commemorate
when we partake of the emblems of the broken body and shed blood
of Jesus Christ. They looked forward to the time when he would
come again and when a reign of righteousness would be introduced
on the earth. The next time he comes he will see that right bears
the sway and the meek of the earth increase their joy in the Lord
and the poor among men rejoice in the Holy One of Israel; when
trouble and sorrow shall have an end and the scorner shall be
consumed and those who watch for iniquity shall be cut off.
Righteousness will take the place of error, wrong give place to
right, falsehood and guile to truth and sincerity and every
principle that has demoralized, corrupted and enthralled the
inhabitants of the earth will be destroyed; when not only one
people, one individual, or an isolated few will participate in
this blessed state of things, but every knee shall bow to him and
every tongue confess to him that he is the Christ to the glory of
God the Father, who authority will be acknowledged throughout the
world. The earth no more will groan under corruption and sin, and
its inhabitants will no more suffer from the powers of darkness,
but will be fully and thoroughly redeemed from the thraldom
thereof, and truth, righteousness, judgment and equity will reign
with universal empire. We believe the commencement of these great
changes has come in our day. We believe that God has revealed to
the human family, through Joseph Smith, the great principles upon
which the latter-day kingdom is founded. We believe that God has
begun now to gather together his elect, as the Scriptures have
foretold he would do. We believe the Lord is beginning to put
forth his law as fast as the people will listen to it and feel
willing to obey his precepts. Says John the Revelator, "And I saw
another angel fly in the midst of heaven having the Everlasting
Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every
nation, kindred, tongue and people, saying with a loud voice:
Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is
come: and worship him that made the heaven, and earth, and the
sea, and the fountains of waters." This Gospel, it appears, was
again to be sounded in the ears of all people, all the world was
to be made acquainted with the revelations God had communicated,
and they were to be told to fear God and give glory to him for
the hour of his judgment is come. We believe that God has
commenced this operation, and that we are gathered for this
purpose that we may learn the way of life and be instructed in
the things of God, to be prepared for all that is about to
transpire. In the old world and in the new world I have mixed up
with philosophers, divines and politician, and with all grades of
men, but I never found anybody that knew anything about these
important matters. Years ago I found a man by the name of Miller,
who took up certain Scriptural numbers and began to calculate
when Jesus would come; he found himself, however, under a great
mistake, for Jesus did not come at the time he had set for him to
come. He might have known that, for no man can know the things of
God but by the Spirit of God. This people have obeyed the Gospel
and felt the effects of it, notwithstanding all our infirmities
and weaknesses. This people know something of God; and if they do
not there is not anybody under the heaven that does. But do we
know how to regulate, manage, control and dictate the affairs of
the Church and kingdom of God? No--if we are destitute of the
principle of revelation; and if we have it, only then according
to our Priesthood and calling. God has organized his kingdom and
set in order his Priesthood, setting every Quorum in its place
and position, and it is for all the Saints to bow and yield
obedience to it and be governed by it; if they do not, what
better are we than the world? It would be with us as with some of
the ancient Saints, who were told they had commenced in the
spirit and sought to be made perfect in the flesh; they commenced
with the wisdom of God and sought to perfect themselves by
worldly wisdom and human judgment. To know God and the ways of
life is infinitely more important than any worldly consideration.
"What will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Jesus said, "And
fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the
soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and
body in hell." We ought to know something about God and the laws
of life and the laws of his kingdom, and seek to be made
acquainted with the events that will transpire in the latter
days, events with which we are intimately associated at the
present time. Things take place that we cannot always reconcile
to our judgment. I do not know why Jesus should leave his
Father's throne and be offered up a sacrifice for the sin of the
world, and why mankind have to be put through such an ordeal as
they have to pass through on this earth; we reason upon this, and
the Scriptures say that it is because man cannot be made perfect
only through suffering. We might ask why could not mankind be
saved in another way? Why could not salvation be wrought out
without suffering? I receive it in my faith that this is the only
way, and I rejoice that we have a Savior who had the goodness to
come forth and redeem us, and I rejoice that we have a Savior who
yet looks forward to the redemption of the world. I rejoice that
we are watched over for good by invisible agencies of God who are
determined ultimately to put an end to sin, darkness, confusion
and misery with which the world has been enveloped, and deliver
us and not only us but the spirits of the dead. O what a glorious
principle this is when we reflect upon it; our progenitors will
not be lost. When I first read the revelation which was given to
Joseph Smith upon this subject, I thought it was one of the most
sublime revelations I had ever read. God will bring order out of
all the confusion that existed, measure out mercy to all Adam's
posterity and give to all a fair opportunity of being saved. What
a glorious thought. If it is a delusion, it is a pleasant one. I
have thought over these things and rejoiced over them, as I do
this day. If I cannot understand all the whys and wherefores
about the purposes of God if he brings to pass all that is spoken
in the revelation I have referred to, with the many glories
mentioned, and we discover that God has extended mercy so far as
he possibly could to the veriest wretch that ever crawled on the
earth, and has brought forth and redeemed all the human family,
as far as possible, and exalted them as far as they are
capacitated to receive exaltation, we can afford to excuse a
great many things we cannot now comprehend in relation to God and
in relation to his laws and dealings with the human family. It
might look curious to some for God to talk of treading the people
in his anger; but as we have to do with eternity as well as with
time, and as it is necessary the earth should be purged and
righteousness should take the place of corruption, which will
some time have an end here, we can then conclude that the Judge
of all the earth will do right. We should seek to magnify our
calling and honor our God, being co-workers with God in the
things he has engaged to do. The Lord has begun to vex the
nations, beginning with our own nation; he is vexing it and will
vex other nations, and his judgments will go forth and all the
wicked nations of the world will feel the avenging hand of God,
and he will continue to overthrow nation after nation until He
whose right it is will take the government into his own hand, and
he will continue to increase and progress until every creature
which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and such
as are in the sea, and all that are in them shall be heard to
say, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, and might, and
majesty, and dominion be unto him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Shall we be found among that
number who will thus magnify the name of God, crying,
"Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth?
119
I pray God this may be the case, that we may not be compelled to
call for rocks to fall upon us and mountains to hide us from the
face of Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of
the Lamb. May God bless us and guide us in the way of peace, in
the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / George
Albert Smith, October 8, 1862
George Albert Smith, October 8, 1862
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MISSION TO THE COTTON COUNTRY.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, October 8, 1862.
Reported by J. V. Long.
120
Brethren, there is a subject which has been spoken of during this
Conference in regard to the mission to the cotton-growing
district of our Territory, to which I desire to again call your
attention.
120
We have been instructed in the principles of the kingdom to a
wonderful extent during this Conference. The instructions which
we have received have been of a character that they may be
reduced to practice by every person whose feelings are so
disposed.
120
The President remarked that he desired to strengthen the missions
to the cotton country by sending down two hundred more families.
It will be recollected that a request was made last year for the
brethren to volunteer to go on that important mission. There were
a few who came up and gave in their names, but the great mass of
the brethren did not feel to do so. They were aware that it was
the wish of the Presidency that certain things should be done,
but they seemed as though they needed taking by the ears and
shaking to make them sensible of the great importance that ought
to be attached to this mission. It appeared as if some of the
brethren (to use a figurative expression) had become fastened to
the earth with tremendous roots, so that it was with considerable
difficulty that they could be got up, but they had to be taken up
root and branch.
121
We, as a Conference, voted that the President should call, but
none of us felt like volunteering. [President B. Young: I
volunteered, on the condition that the people would consent to
it.] Yes, the President volunteered, but it is well known that
the Presidency are required here; most of the time they must be
present to superintend the building of the Temple and direct the
affairs of the Church in all the world, but the Elders are set
apart to go into all the earth and labor as directed by the
Presidency. It is also well known that the master builder has
influence and power here and that he understands how the
foundation, the walls, the timbers, the roof and all connected
with the Temple of our God should be put together. It is likewise
well known that the Presidency never ask men to do a service
except that their labors are required in that new position. One
particular remark which I wish to make is, that notwithstanding
the unprecedented high water in Washington county and the damage
and disappointment consequent upon the flood, the settlements
made by the last year's mission have proved a decided success.
That mission has proven the nature of the climate more perfectly
than it had before, it has tested the soil, and accomplished many
other things of immense advantage and worth. It was stated by
many that the mission would prove a failure, that there was no
country there, but the truth is, that the elements, including the
water, the soil and all that surround them are actually aching
for the brethren to combine them together and make them into good
cotton and other choice productions of a mild climate; all these
elements are ready to render aid to build up Zion.
121
I consider that we should feel ready and willing to do anything
that may be required of us, to lend our exertions to establish
the kingdom of God permanently upon the earth.
121
When the people first settled in San Pete Valley some were
discouraged, they never thought that wheat could be produced in
such a country as that; they did not believe that anything would
grow there; the white-colored soil alarmed them, but it is now
the granary of the mountains. Now, there has recently been just
such a feeling in regard to Washington country, but the past
year's experience has demonstrated more fully that most excellent
cotton, sugar cane, grapes, peaches and many other commodities of
life can be successfully raised there in that desert-looking
country.
121
There are quite a number of men who have remarked to me that they
would willingly go if they were called on. I wish to say to such
brethren that they are called on now, and I sincerely wish that
two hundred brethren would volunteer to-day by giving in their
names to me at the Historian's office. By going this fall you
have all winter to prepare, and the advantage can be taken of the
early spring season, thus giving the brethren an excellent
opportunity to raise a crop of cotton the first year. By sowing
wheat in October tolerable crops can be raised, and by planting
corn early in March two crops can be raised in one year, or one
good crop of cotton. The fact, in brief, is, that so far as the
country has been tried it has proven a success, and many of the
brethren have said that the country is a great deal better than
they expected to find it.
121
I hope all that has been said by the brethren in reference to the
culture of hemp, flax, indigo, and in fact all that will tend to
build up Zion will be attended to, for let it be remembered that
it is coming to this necessity of producing for ourselves or to
go without, and the question resolves itself into the simple
proposition, "Clothes or no clothes." We must make our own
woollen, flax, hemp and cotton goods or we must go naked. We
cannot get these articles much longer from the States, according
to the present prospect. The vengeance of the Almighty is
sweeping the land with the besom of destruction; millions of men
are forsaking their industrial pursuits for the purpose of
destroying each other. Let us each and all attend to this, that
the beauty of our garments may be the beauty of the workmanship
of our own hands, or we shall find ourselves without many of the
necessaries of life altogether.
121
May God bless the people, in the name of Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / John
Taylor, March 1, 1863
John Taylor, March 1, 1863
THE DISCORD AND WARS AMONG CHRISTIAN NATIONS
CONTRASTED WITH THE UNITY OF THE SAINTS.
Discourse by Elder John Taylor, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, March 1, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
122
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the most
comprehensive subjects that mankind can reflect upon. It not only
embraces things as they now exist, associated with the human
family, but it takes us back to days that are past and gone, to
the organizations of this world and of other worlds, and by the
principle of revelation it develops, unfolds and makes manifest
unto the human family the great purposes of God as they shall
transpire throughout every succeeding age. There are thousands of
details or minutae mixed up with these great projects, purposes
and designs, some of them we comprehend correctly, or think we
do; others are not so clear and comprehensible to our minds.
123
There are some things we, as a people, have to do with perhaps
more than any other people that exist, though they have to do
with all people, if the people would have to do with them. But,
in relation more particularly to the position that we occupy
before God, before the world and before each other; and the faith
we have in God, in his Work, in his ordinances, in his laws and
in his kingdoms--and the reasons of that faith are to me and to
all Latter-day Saints matters of very great importance--we are
led to inquire upon what is our faith based, why are we
Latter-day Saints? why do we believe, as we do, in the doctrines
of this Church? and whence do we obtain our faith or our
knowledge, as the case may be, in relation to these matters? Why
is it that there has been so singular a religious movement as
that which has taken place within the last thirty years,
introducing views that are contrary to the commonly established
views of the whole religious world? Why is it that this people,
say in this Territory, embracing a scope of country of some five
hundred miles in extent, with a population that, comparatively
speaking, may be called dense for a country like this, has
assumed the proportions of a body politic, if you please, that
have organized themselves into a Territory and have asked for
admission as a State into the great American Confederation? Why
is it that a thing so singular as this has taken place? Is it
because there has been a desire among the originators of this
Work, or any part of them, to establish a political power? I am
not aware that this is the case. If there has been any such
feeling and desire apart from other leading principles it is
something I am not acquainted with. We have commenced to gather
ourselves together under certain influences, certain principles
and under a certain faith. We have gathered ourselves together
from various parts, and although there has been a strong
influence used to separate us, to scatter us abroad, to produce
disunion, to sever us one from another; yet no influence, no
power, no reasoning, nor anything whatever that has been brought
to bear on this people to accomplish that object has succeeded;
there is some cause, some reason for this. There are mighty
motives underlying, overruling and overreaching all motives of a
political character. The first thing that ever was proclaimed by
the Elders of this Church was the Gospel of peace on the earth,
and good-will towards men has continued to be preached, and among
other influences there has been a certain influence that has
gathered the people together. There has been no influence that
could be brought to bear upon this people that could sever or
separate them.
123
There must be, therefore, some reason for movements of this kind.
Such movements are not very common in the world. It is common for
various religious societies to arise in the world; but,
generally, they are very narrow and contracted in their notions.
They are not adhesive or cohesive, they do not unite or combine.
You may take the Methodist society, the Presbyterian society, the
Baptist society, the Episcopalian Church, the Roman Catholic
Church or any other you please, and you will find that motives of
a political character will separate them and make them enemies to
one another and make them take up arms against one another, fight
one another and shed each others blood. They not only seek to
destroy each other, but they all pray to the same God to help
them to do so. There is nothing strange or singular in this; for
there is no motive, principle or power to cement or untie them
together further than a sort of fancied religion which does not
possess the principles of union; for instance, in some of the
great wars that took place in Europe some years ago; one of the
last with which we are the most familiarly acquainted, was
between Russia, England and France. Who took up sides in the
struggle? There was the Greed Church under the Russians,
Protestant England, Catholic France and the Mohammedan or Turk
fighting against each other. The Catholics were Christians, the
Protestants were Christians, the Russians were of the Greek or
Christian Church, the Turks were Mohammedans; all worshippers of
the same God, under different forms. These were arrayed against
each other in deadly strife all praying to the same God to give
them power over their enemies, and their enemies were also
Christians; then they went to slaying and destroying each other.
Let us notice the difficulties between France and Italy against
Austria. In this case there were two Catholic powers engaged
against another power which was also Catholic. Religions
considerations do not confine or control them in the least. They
fought just as hard to kill their fellow-Christians, as the
Mohammedans or any other people would fight to kill their
enemies. They were all in the same church, all partaking of the
same sacrament, all believing in the same doctrines and
worshipping the same God.
123
How has it been in the United States? Precisely the same. Who
were the first to separate? It was the religious communities of
the country that separated first, Baptist from Baptist, Methodist
from Methodist, Universalist from Universalist, &c. The churches
made a division long before the States divided, showing that
there was less virtue or unity in churches than in the state of
the body politic. The Northern and Southern armies are composed
of members of these different sects that exist in the Federal and
Confederate States.
124
I mention these things to show you that there is no adhesive
principle sufficiently powerful to unite the people of any
portion of the earth, similar to the one that has sprung forth in
our day and right among this people; if there is anything of that
sort abroad in the world I am not acquainted with it. Then it
follows, as a natural consequence, that if there is nothing to
unite the people together they are deficient in some principle,
doctrine, faith or practice. Philosophy has not united the people
together; politics has never done it; no social principles have
ever accomplished it.
125
Freemasonry is one of the strongest binding contracts that exists
between man and man, yet freemasons are mixed up in those
different armies, trying to kill each other, and so they have
contended against each other for generations past. There must be
something, then, to control this people different from that which
seems to control other people socially, religiously, politically
or any other way. There is some kind of a cohesive power, some
kind of an attractive principle, something that unites and
concentrates this people together in a manner altogether
different from that of any other people under the face of the
heavens; and so singular is it, that it attracts the attention of
philosophers, of statesmen, of politicians and of leading men of
every grade--they wonder at it, as they wondered at Jesus when he
was upon the earth; they wonder what this state of things will
grow to; they are fearful of the consequences and results of this
union. We are naturally led to inquire how these things
originated; from whence springs this principle, this influence,
this power, for it is a very important one. It has dragged us
from our homes; it has sent hundreds of Elders wandering up and
down the earth for these ten, twenty and thirty years past; it
has made us, in the estimation of our friends we used to
associate with, laughing-stocks and fools, and it has finally
brought us together in this place; it has also assumed a
political power as a natural consequence or result, simply
because there was no other course for us to pursue. Whenever a
body of people are thrown together, the inevitable consequence is
a political power. It cannot be otherwise. They must have
organizations, representation, laws and administrators of law;
there must be a body politic formed whenever a body of people re
gathered together as we are; and the very fact of our
organization, religiously and politically, the very fact of that
oneness that so universally prevails among this people produces a
terror to evil-doers and to those who are opposed to us. Why is
it that a principle of this kind should exist among this people?
for we can readily discover, in looking abroad in the world, that
it does not exist anywhere else. Is it because we are more
learned than they are? Is it because we are more intellectual and
refined? because we are greater philosophers, better statesmen,
more acquainted with cause and effect, have studied more
extensively the position of the world generally and its
government and laws? I do not so understand it. There is
something besides this; naturally, we are not smarter than other
men and no more intelligent than they are; but there is a kind of
principle of some sort that infuses itself into our very nature,
is a great principle in our body politic and is mixed up with our
religion and with our morals; it is a sort of secret spring of
some kind that governs, actuates, controls, unites and cements us
together in a manner that no other people under the face of the
heavens are united. I would like to try to make it plain to
others, if the Lord will help me, why it is that these things
have taken place. To begin, we will go back to the time when this
movement first commenced. It would seem that a record had been
hid up upon this continent for generations past. It would seem
that a people had lived upon this continent who were full of the
Holy Ghost, who had a knowledge of God, who possessed revelation,
who had Prophets inspired by the Spirit of God, as they were on
the Asiatic continent and with the men of God in former ages, had
looked forward to a time that we read of in the Bible, called the
"Dispensation of the fullness of times; when God would gather
together all things in one, whether they be things in the heavens
or things upon the earth."
125
It would seem that these Prophets had recorded these things in
this record, that in the time of the dispensation of the fulness
of time, when God should commence his great Latter-day Work, that
among other things men should be taught the laws of life and the
knowledge of God, and that the coming forth of this Work was to
be the starting point of a great event; one of sufficient
magnitude to have attracted the attention of all the ancient
Prophets that ever did live; one of sufficient magnitude to
influence the attention of the Gods in the eternal worlds; one of
sufficient magnitude to cause that a medium of communication
should be opened between the heavens and the earth, that light
should again burst forth from the heavenly world, that the spirit
of prophecy and revelation should again be unfolded, that an era
should be inaugurated pregnant with life, light, and intelligence
unto those that then lived, that they might have an opportunity
of becoming acquainted with God, of knowing his laws, purposes
and designs, his Gospel, the principles of eternal truth, the
laws of life, that men should again be acquainted with things
that had been, with things that were and with things that were to
come.
125
The ancient Prophets of the two continents foresaw that the
issuing forth of that record was to be the commencement of the
Latter-day Work; one said, "Truth shall spring out of the earth;
and righteousness shall look down from heaven." "The meek shall
increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men rejoice in
the Holy One of Israel." It is one of those sticks that Ezekiel
saw should be written upon, even the stick of Joseph which should
be written for Ephraim, and be united with the stick of Judah,
and become one stick--one in prophecy, one in revelation, one in
doctrine, one in ordinances, one in unfolding the purposes and
designs of God, and in leading mankind to a knowledge of the
truth, as it was to be introduced in "the times of the
restitution of all things spoken of by all the holy Prophets
since the world began."
126
The revealing of these records was to be one of the starting
points in relation to this matter. Then it needed some
instrument, some individual, some messenger, some communication,
because it would be impossible without something of this kind
that these things could transpire. There needed some authorized
messenger, some communion from the Lord to reveal, unfold and
make these things manifest. To talk about the world as it is, and
the authority they have to preach the Gospel and administer the
ordinances and dictate the affairs of the kingdom of God, is
foolishness to reason upon; but we will merely give it a passing
notice. Where did the different religious sects get their
authority from? who ordained them to administer in the name of
God? who gave them that authority? The Church of England gave
authority to all the seceding sects that have sprung out of her,
and they left her because she was corrupt. Where did the Church
of England obtain her authority? From the Church of Rome, which
they say is the mother of harlots and the abomination of all
things. Where does the Church of Rome obtain her authority? They
tell you that they get it down in an unbroken chain of descent
from the Apostles' times. Their statement is the most reasonable,
rational and consistent of them all. The Greek Church professes
to be governed by the same authority. When we apply a test to
them we find that they do not stand upon a very good foundation.
When, and wherein, and how have they departed from the true
authority of God? I will quote a certain Scripture by one of the
old Apostles, "He that transgresseth and abideth not in the
doctrine of Christ hath not God." Do they abide in the doctrine
of Christ? I think not.
126
Who taught them to sprinkle little children? Did the Gospel of
Jesus Christ teach them this? No. But they rely on an unbroken
descent for their authority. In answer to this, the Protestants
tell them that the chain of their Popedom has been broken at
different times. I do not care whether it has or not. If the Pope
transgressed, it is not to say that the bishops and priests and
the whole community did; this would not be a sufficient argument
to satisfy me that the Roman Catholics had departed from the
faith of Christ; but when they gathered together the authorities
of the church from all the world in a solemn conclave, as they
did at the Councils of Nice and Trent, and passed resolutions
which admitted of doctrines and principles in direct violation of
the laws of God and of the Church of God, then as a church, with
the voice of their representatives they forsook God and
introduced the doctrines of men. "He that transgresseth and
abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God;" and if they
do not abide in the doctrine of Christ they do not retain their
priesthood and authority to administer in the ordinances of God.
Then we are left without authority on the earth.
126
Shall we go to the Greek Church for the true authority? It is
based pretty much upon the same principle as the Roman Catholic
Church is, and all the sectarian bodies of Christendom are as
destitute of the true authority of God as the mother church is.
126
Where shall we look for the true order of authority of God? It
cannot be found in any nation of Christendom. There is no people
that have held communion with God, no true church, priesthood or
authority, no medium of communication between God and man for
church government, to dictate, regulate, manage and control the
affairs of his kingdom upon the earth.
129
How did this state of things called Mormonism originate? We read
that an angel came down and revealed himself to Joseph Smith and
manifested unto him in vision the true position of the world in a
religious point of view. He was surrounded with light and glory
while the heavenly messenger communicated these things unto him,
after a series of visitations and communications from the Apostle
Peter and others who held the authority of the holy Priesthood,
not only on the earth formerly but in the heavens afterwards.
That they hold it in the heavens we know from the Scriptures. In
them there are certain principles revealed in relation to that
matter that nobody could reveal unless they were acquainted with
the principle of revelation. Moses and Elias were seen with Jesus
on the mount, when Peter and his brethren saw them, who said,
"Master, it is good for us to be here, let us build three
tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses and one for Elias." Who
was this Moses? He was a man who had officiated before on the
earth, had held the holy Priesthood, had been a teacher of
righteousness, and who, with the Elders of Israel, had talked
with God, and had received revelations from him, holding the
Priesthood that administered in time and eternity. When he got
through with this world his official duties were not ended, for
he appeared to Jesus, Peter, James and John upon the mount, to
confer on them certain principles, authorities and Priesthood,
that they might also be enabled to administer in the ordinances
of salvation, and officiate as the representatives of God upon
the earth. And hence, when Joseph Smith came, those who had held
the keys before came to him, so he told me and others, and
revealed unto him certain things pertaining to the kingdom of God
upon the earth, and ordained him and set him apart to the
ministry and Apostleship unto which he was called. He presented
himself before the world and informed the people that God had
spoken, and that he had spoken to him. He told them that the
heavens had been opened and that angels clothed in light and
glory had appeared to him and revealed unto him certain things.
Then we have Oliver Cowdery, who tells us something about these
things, and gives his testimony as a living witness. Again, there
were eleven witnesses in relation to the Book of Mormon, who
testify that the Book of Mormon was a divine revelation from God.
And some of these witnesses tell us that an angel of God came and
laid before them the plates from which the Book of Mormon was
translated, and they knew that their testimony was true and
faithful. Others tell us that they saw and handled the plates
from which the record was taken. I have conversed with several of
those men who say they have seen the plates that Joseph Smith
took out of the hill Cumorah; I have also conversed with Joseph
Smith, who has told me of these things and many more that it
would be unnecessary on the present occasion to relate. Here,
then, is an abundance of testimony that assumes a supernatural
agency--an interposition of the Almighty--an opening and an
unfolding of something to the human family with which they have
been acquainted. These things are left for the human family to
reason upon; they are presented unto us in that capacity, just as
things were presented formerly to others. We were told formerly
that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, and
how can they hear without a preacher, and how can he preach
unless he be sent." Here, then, was a medium introduced by the
Almighty to excite the faith or unbelief of the people. Here are
certain records unfolded, and here is a man presenting himself
before the people, declaring that God was about to usher in the
dispensation of the fulness of times; and for this purpose he had
introduced an ancient record that had belonged to the aboriginal
inhabitants of this continent, together with that, he tells them
that the so-called Christian churches had gone astray, and all
mankind were laboring under gross darkness, and that darkness had
covered the whole earth. He furthermore tells them that God had
it in his mind to reveal unto them his will, and draw back the
dark vail that overspreads the minds of the people--to introduce
the principles of eternal truth, and that he came as a messenger
from God, having been set apart by holy angels sent by the
Almighty for that purpose, that, in the first place, he might be
acquainted with correct principles, and then be able to teach
them to others. This is the phase which this thing assumed at
that time; and the people felt about it as the old Jews did when
Jesus told them that they were deceivers, whited walls and
painted sepulchres; they said, Away with such a fellow from the
earth. When Joseph Smith told the priests, the good Methodists,
the righteous Presbyterians and the holy Roman Catholics that
they were all wrong, how could they endure it. But you must
endure it, for God has spoken and the word has gone forth. The
Lord, in the first place, commanded all men everywhere to repent
and to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, giving them a promise that they should receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost. This is different to anything that has been
before in the world. That which was before, assumed no shape and
came with no authority from God. The various sects of the world
imagined that they had the Holy Ghost, but they forgot that it
was to lead men into all truth. That spirit which they have
mistaken for the Holy Ghost has led them into confusion,
contention and strife, and consequently it is not the Holy Ghost
spoken of in the Scripture. Joseph Smith, having found and made
manifest these things, and having turned the key that unlocks the
destinies of the human family, having had committed unto him the
key of this dispensation, he began to unfold and make manifest
the things of God to the world, to all who were desirous to
listen and yield obedience thereunto. A good many felt as the
people felt when Jesus came, that "This man speaks with authority
and not as the Scribes;" there were other principles and another
spirit introduced developing other precepts, laws, ordinances,
manifestations and doctrines, and a greater power was associated
with it than had been with any previous manifestations. What
then? Why, the Lord was reasonable--he always has been; he is a
good and gracious God, a benefactor and friend, suiting his
doctrines and principles to the capacities of the human family.
What was the consequence when men heard those principles? Many of
them had a portion of the Spirit of the Lord among them, and as
light cleaves to light, truth to truth, and intelligence to
intelligence, wherever there was the light of the Spirit of God
in the mind of man it discovered, comprehended and embraced the
truth. What is it? God has spoken; a record has been revealed,
making manifest the events that have transpired on this
Continent, and prophecy, and revelations, and visions, and the
purposes of God, &c. This agrees with the Old Record; there is no
need to bring argument here on that question, for it has been
argued and investigated throughout the world. What then? Did I
know because Joseph Smith knew? Not exactly. Joseph Smith had
certain things revealed to him, and he was commanded to
communicate those things unto others. What then? He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost and shall know for himself of the
things which he has believed in. This was the principle upon
which my faith was based at the commencement. For instance, an
Elder came to me and preached the Gospel and told me all these
things. I was struck at once with them. I was well acquainted
with the Bible, yet I had never heard such teachings before; had
never seen such principles developed; had never listened to such
words as came from his mouth, illustrating, making manifest and
explaining the Scriptures, the Book of Mormon and the revelations
of God, and opening the heavens as it were to my view. It was to
me one of the greatest things I had ever heard. He said to me,
"If you will be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,
inasmuch as you go in faith, and humility and obedience to the
law of God and forsake your sins," &c. This was precisely the
same thing that Peter told the people in his day. Said he,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ, for the remission of yours sins, and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost." What will it do for us, Peter? "It
will cause your old men to dream dreams, and your servants and
handmaids shall prophecy; it will bring things past to your
remembrance, lead you into all truth, and show you things to
come." Here was quite a chance for a man to detect whether Peter
was an imposter or not; and there was a favorable opportunity to
detect whether the Mormon Elder was an impostor or not, for he
promised the same things that Peter promised to believers, and
all the Elders do the same. Can you find a Methodist, a
Presbyterian, a Baptist, an Episcopalian, a Roman Catholic that
dare tell you what Paul said anciently, "I am not ashamed of the
Gospel of Christ?" Why? Have you not been persecuted and
afflicted and been let down in a basket over a wall, been driven
from place to place and considered a deceiver? Yes. "But I am not
ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth, and therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith." I have obeyed
the same Gospel. What then? Did the signs follow? Yes; I believed
before I obeyed, and after I had been baptized in the name of
Jesus for the remission of sins, and received the Holy Ghost by
the laying on of hands, that Holy Ghost took of the things of God
and showed them unto me, so that I then knew for myself. But did
I believe particularly because I heard tongues and prophesyings
and saw healings? No; but these made me glad, for in them I saw
the ancient order of things brought back again. It made me
rejoice to see the sick healed, the lame to leap for joy and the
blind receive their sight, the deaf to hear and the dumb speak.
This was a certain amount of testimony for the doctrines that had
been advanced. But, besides this, there was an inward
evidence--an invisible manifestation of the Spirit of the living
God, bearing witness with mine that this was the work of God that
he had established in the last days, and I knew it for myself and
not because anybody said so. At first I believed it on the
testimony of others, and then obtained a knowledge for myself. If
there is no other man under the heavens that knows that Joseph
Smith is a Prophet of God I do, and I bear testimony of it to
God, angels and men. How did it operate upon others? In the same
way, inasmuch as they were sincere and faithful, and diligent in
observing the laws of God, and hence, as the Scriptures say, "You
are all baptized into one baptism, and have all partaken of the
same Spirit," and that is the Spirit that first commenced to be
revealed through Joseph Smith, and the administration of holy
angels, and the development and restoration of the holy
Priesthood. If you do not know in the same way that I know this
is the Work of God, I would not give a straw for your religion.
130
Having received this knowledge, it operates the same upon all and
hence the union that exists among us. It is the same in Canada,
the same in the Northern States, the same in the Eastern States,
the same in the Western States and the same in the Southern
States; the same in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France,
Denmark, Germany, the islands of the sea and the different parts
of the earth wherever this seed has been sown and the Elders have
gone forth in the name of Jesus Christ bearing the precious seeds
of eternal life. Wherever that has rested in good hearts it has
produced the same results, giving the same signs, if not the same
degree of evidence, and this has cemented and united us together;
it is the little leaven that begins to leaven the whole lump; it
is a part of the Spirit of God--a living spark that is struck
from the fire of his eternal blaze that has made itself manifest
on the earth; it is the still small voice that whispers peace to
the soul--the thing that Jesus spoke of when he said,--
130
"My peace I give unto you; my peace I leave with you; not as the
world giveth give I unto you. You believe in God, believe also in
me. In my Father's house are many mansions; I go to prepare a
place for you, that where I am, there you may be also."
130
They feel the peace that passeth all human understanding. They
possess the Spirit of God, though they cannot always tell the
whys and wherefores. It is not because a man is learned and
polished after the learning of this world that he knows, but
because he comprehends and listens to the whisperings of the
Spirit of God speaking peace to his bosom and giving him
understanding that he is accepted of his Heavenly Father,--"I in
thee and thou in me," &c. It is this which has drawn us
together--this that has cemented and united us, that has led us
from our homes to the position we now occupy in these mountains.
131
An Elder whose mind was darkened once came to me to tell me that
something was seriously wrong in the Church. How am I to believe
you? said I. I was told by you one year ago that I were to obey
the Gospel I should know of the doctrines whether they were of
God. I have obeyed and I know for myself, and am no longer
dependent upon your testimony, and you cannot make me now unknow
it. No matter what your ideas and notions are, now I know for
myself. God is our teacher; he has organized his Priesthood and
government upon the earth, which is the cementing influence that
unites this people together, and as the Lord said formerly, "If
you are not one you are not of me." I remember on a certain
occasion in Liverpool we were told not to say anything about the
gathering. A lady came to me and said she had had a singular
dream. "I dreamed," she said, "that the whole Church was going
off to America, and that you was there; we were going on board of
a ship and leaving for America." What was the reason of this
singular dreaming? She had embraced the Gospel, and it revealed
certain things to her that she could not know in any other way.
"Your old men shall dream dreams," &c. Can you keep people in the
dark in relation to these things? No. And when a people live
their religion, and all the Quorums of the Church are walking up
to their privileges, then a certain ancient aphorism would be
correct, "The voice of the people is the voice of God," and the
voice of God is the voice of the people--it would suit either
way. It is upon this principle that we are united; and hence, no
matter where this people come from nor what their former views
and prejudices, they may have been different in regard to many
things and opposed each other previously in politics,
governments, rights, morals, religion and theories, yet they will
all agree now that they know this to be the Work of God.
131
The Gospel of Jesus Christ produces the same results among all
people and in all generations, and if they cannot fully
understand the whys and wherefores about it, they feel a good
deal as the man did about Jesus and the child that had been
healed. When Jesus had healed the child, some of the righteous
people said, "Come, now, give God the glory, for we know this man
is a sinner." The man replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not I
cannot say, but I do know that this child was blind, and now he
sees." So with the people of this Church, they know that, whereas
they were once blind, now they see. Having partaken of this, what
can separate us? "Shall life, or death, or principalities, or
powers, or things present, or things to come, or anything on
earth, in heaven or hell, separate us from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Hence the secret of the union of
this people.
131
One of the most irrefragable proofs of the Divinity of this Work
is found in one thing--that everything that has been spoken by
Joseph Smith in relation to these things has thus far been
literally fulfilled, and you are his witnesses, as also is the
Holy Ghost that bears witness of him. What next? Why, it is as it
was in former times, "All are yours, and you are Christ's, and
Christ is God's," we are one with him, and one with the Father.
"I in thee, and thou in me, that they all might be one, as I and
the Father are one." This is the reason we are found together in
a religious capacity, and why we are not disunited like the rest
of the world. This is the reason why we are united politically,
because this is bound to follow. You get some thousands of people
together and they are obliged to be governed by law, and form
themselves into a body politic. We have been kicked and cuffed
and abused almost all the day long, yet we are not much hurt, so
far. We are here, and all is right, all is well, and we are bound
to grow and increase.
131
Do you think the Lord, and the holy Prophets that have existed on
this and on the other Continent, and the Gods in the eternal
worlds have started this thing to end here? No. It is simply a
nucleus of light, of intelligence, of truth, of virtue, of
correct principles, of the holy Priesthood, of the revelations of
God, and of something that has got to spread and to grow,
increase and expand until it becomes a great nation and fills the
whole earth; until all that has been spoken of by the holy
Prophets shall be fulfilled in relation to these matters; until
error shall give place to truth, wrong to right; until corruption
and tyranny shall give place to justice and equity: instead of
man bearing rule and having his own way, "God shall be king over
the whole earth, and his name one;" "and unto him every knee
shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ to
the glory of God the Father." We are only just commencing in this
Work, which will grow, and spread, and increase, and no power on
this side of hell shall stop its onward progress; it is onward,
onward, onward, until the purposes of God and all he has designed
shall be fulfilled and accomplished.
132
This is truly a great Work--a Work with which God and angels and
Saints that have lived before us, and the souls that are beneath
the altar praying unto God for the accomplishment of these
things, are engaged in. The heavens and the earth, at the present
time, are in communication, and God is our judge, our ruler, our
law-giver, our guide and director to lead us on in the ways of
life, and no matter about events that may transpire; no matter
whether our path is very rough and rugged or smooth, it makes
little difference: it is for us to do right, maintain our
integrity, honor our calling and magnify it and honor our God and
one another, obeying faithfully those who are placed over us. Do
I know that Brigham Young is called of God to lead this people? I
do, upon the same principle that I knew Joseph Smith was. What
can any of us do without God, without his law and without the
principles of eternal truth?
132
I pray that we may be enabled to work righteousness and be
exalted into heavenly places in Jesus Christ! that we may fear
God in our hearts, do the thing that is acceptable to the Most
High, prepare ourselves for a celestial inheritance and an
exaltation in his kingdom, in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Daniel
H. Wells, March 29, 1863
Daniel H. Wells, March 29, 1863
THE GREAT BLESSINGS ENJOYED BY THE PEOPLE IN
DESERET.--THE GATHERING OF THE SAINTS.--PROPER
TRAINING OF CHILDREN.
Remarks by President Daniel H. Wells, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, March 29, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
132
I feel thankful for a part and lot in the great Work of the last
days. It is a calling that ought to engage all our interests and
welfare, being inculcated in the maintenance of those principles
which alone can bring salvation to the human family. My soul
delights in them. They must be sustained, though all the world
should rise in opposition.
132
We live in that age of the world which the ancient Prophets have
foreseen, when the wicked would "make a man an offender for a
word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and
turn aside the just for a thing of nought." I have often thought
that the world does not know what righteousness towards God
consists in; they place great stress upon this, that and the
other doctrine or principle as being necessary to salvation,
which has not been thought of by any person who has been sent of
God to lay before the children of men the true way. They have
made laws and rules of faith, and set up church governments that
cannot be drawn from anything to be found in the holy Scriptures
or in any revelation I know anything about.
133
Obedience towards God is righteousness towards God. "Jesus
answered and said unto them, If a man love me, he will keep my
words; and my Father will love him," &c. In order to become a
holy and righteous people, it is necessary to listen to and obey
every word that proceeds from the mouth of God through his
servants whom he has placed to guide his kingdom on the earth.
This is righteousness towards God. It is said we can do nothing
for the Lord, that if he was an hungered, he would not ask us for
bread, &c.; but we can perform the duties we owe to him by the
performance of the duties we owe to each other; in this way we
can show ourselves approved before our Father who is in heaven.
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto
you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Who has a greater
opportunity of doing good to the brethren than the Latter-day
Saints? Who has a finer chance of showing their faith by their
works?
133
The gathering of Israel I will mention as one of the many
opportunities that this people have of showing their good works
to their brethren in distant nations, who are now suffering for
want of the common necessaries of life; who are pleading day by
day with their brethren and with the Lord continually for
temporal deliverance. In these Valleys the people are well
provided for, are wealthy and exceedingly prosperous, and can
well afford to prove their loyalty to the heavens in expending a
portion of their means to gather Israel. A great many are doing
what they think they can do, but I think we might do more, as a
people, in aiding to gather Israel, which is one portion of the
great Work of the last days. This is a part of our religion, to
do all the good we can in aiding and assisting our brethren in
distress who are of the household of faith, and in placing them
in a condition like unto ourselves in these quiet vales of the
mountains, where they can be freed from the thraldom of sin and
oppression in which they have lived to the present time. We have
so far effected our deliverance, and in this the Lord has been
extremely kind to us, in planting our feet in these goodly
valleys where we have been blessed and prospered. No person here
need go without the common necessaries of life. How much will we
devote to the deliverance of our brethren, who are as anxious as
we are to identify their interests with the kingdom of God at
head-quarters, where they, like us, can be benefited in the
instructions we receive here from time to time? I have often
thought that we do not fairly comprehend the great mercies and
blessings the Almighty has conferred upon us; if we did, we
should show our appreciation of them by our actions in aiding
those who are so anxious to be delivered from Babylon to be
planted in these valleys and participate in the blessings we
enjoy.
134
As I said in the beginning, the world is opposed to us, but we
have nothing to do with them in one sense, but to do our duty and
sustain righteous principles with an eye single to the glory of
God; in this he will sustain us and bring us off victorious at
last. We have great reason to be thankful this morning for the
great peace and prosperity which attends us as a people; we have
great cause to rejoice before the Lord of Hosts, who has been a
kind Father unto us from our early infancy to this time. What has
he not done for us? Do we not live in an age of the world in
which he has revealed his holy Gospel and sent his messengers
with the light of the Gospel, and have we not become the happy
participants of this knowledge? Are not our feet planted upon the
rock of salvation? Has he not delivered us from the power of
wicked, ungodly and designing men, and given us an inheritance
far from their power, where we can worship him, none daring to
make us afraid? Has he not blessed this land in a miraculous
manner to bring forth for the sustenance of his people? He has
shielded us from the savage foe, and given us influence over
them, whereby we can travel to and fro among them and from place
to place in comparative safety. How can we render unto him
sufficient homage, thanksgiving and praise to prove unto him that
we do appreciate his great and manifold mercies? I know of no
better way than to be obedient to the calls made upon us from
time to time, to respond to them in that free way that shall
prove to God that all we have and all we can do is held and
devoted to the promotion of the cause we have espoused,
regardless of the consequences.
134
We should not hesitate when anything is proposed to be done for
the promotion of the cause of God on the earth, but should say,
Make way, prejudices; go by the board, whatever traditions would
rise up. When the Lord speaks, let everything else give way; as
the masses of the people would fall back on the approach of the
king, so let our own ideas and prepossessed notions give place to
the word of the Lord and to the wisdom that emanates from him;
let everything else become subservient to those principles,
doctrines and truths. This is the way I have always felt since I
became acquainted with this Gospel and with this people.
134
This Work is not done in a corner, but it has been sent to the
whole world, and all men have the privilege of adopting the same
principles of truth which we have embraced, if they shall choose
to do so; but because they do not choose to do so, it should not
become a rock of offence and a stumbling block to them nor to us.
We have undertaken to sustain these holy principles which have
been revealed in the last days. Shall we now falter? or shall we,
because others point the finger of scorn at us, be ashamed of
this holy cause and back out from it? Does it make any difference
as to what other people think of it? No. It is for us to cling
together and go onward continually in the path we have chosen to
walk in.
134
There are few, probably, in this Church and kingdom but what have
in their possession some kind of a testimony which proves to
their satisfaction that this is the Work of Heaven; it has
touched their hearts. Thousands who do not belong to the Church
have evidence of its truth, but will not admit it. The mind is
bound to receive and to believe the truth according to the amount
of testimony given and the evidence produced, but through pride
the majority of the human family will not admit the truth openly,
although they may do so secretly and believe in the same
doctrines we do. Let them do as they please, that is no reason
why we should falter, change our course in the least, or alter
our views; but let us press onward continually and prove to the
Lord that we are true and faithful to him.
135
We live in a land of liberty, where the power and the control
rests with the people, or should do so; to a great extent it does
so. We have great liberty, we have great freedom, notwithstanding
the efforts of some to abridge our liberties and our freedom;
still the Lord is not unmindful of us, for he directs and governs
the affairs of the children of men, more especially now since he
has commenced his Work in the last days: I think I might qualify
this a little, by saying more especially to our understanding. I
have no doubt but what he has always done so; but the heavens, in
a manner, have been shut up to the vision and view of mankind for
a long time, but now his dealings with them have become more
manifest than in ages gone by; we can now see his foot-prints
more clearly and can realize more sensibly the Work in which he
is moving, bringing to pass his purposes for the redemption of
the world, for the overthrow of sin and iniquity and for the
establishment of his kingdom, which Prophets, long ages past and
gone, have seen would be set up in the last days. We have
undertaken to do our part towards establishing his kingdom, which
will eventually reign over the whole earth, where all nations,
kingdoms, tongues and people will acknowledge Emmanuel's sway and
the earth be lit up with the glory of God and be prepared for his
kingdom and coming.
135
In these valleys of the mountains a nucleus is finally formed of
a people who have been gathered out from all the nations of the
earth, for the express purpose of sustaining holy and righteous
principles which the Almighty has revealed from the heavens and
to form a community that shall be self-sustaining. Latter-day
Saints associate together in a community to prove to the Lord and
to the world that they can sustain themselves; that the doctrines
and principles God has revealed to them are self-sustaining in
their nature--so much so, that a whole community may be sustained
by practicing and living faithfully up to them. Hence it is that
the shafts of the enemy are directed against us for the overthrow
and destruction of those holy principles.
135
We know of a verity that the Work in which we are engaged is of
God; we know we have the knowledge of God our Father and of his
Son Jesus Christ, whom to know is life everlasting; we know in
whom we have put our trust; we know the principles which we have
espoused are based upon a solid and sure foundation; we know they
are true, and truth is eternal and will lead to exaltation in the
kingdom of God if we are true to each other and to the principles
which have been revealed. We are not guessing at these things,
nor groping our way in the dark in relation to them. Should not
our course be to turn aside every shaft of the enemy aimed at our
brother as well as at ourselves? When we see danger, should we
not warn our brother against it and use every exertion to assist
each other to walk faithfully in the right way, shielding each
other from the power of the enemy and endeavoring to pick up
those who are wandering into bye and forbidden paths, pointing
out to them the right way and exhorting them to walk in it? We
should guide the footsteps of the young and ignorant, and teach
them the principles which have a tendency to bring them into the
path of life and glory. We should try to overcome all weaknesses
and eradicate from our bosoms every unholy desire and remove from
our footsteps every evil way. We too often see carelessness and
indifference in the midst of this people with regard to these
small matters; I call them small, because they are so often
passed by and neglected.
136
We ought to instil into our children a nice sense of honor and
truthfulness in their words, that when they come to act in real
life they may receive and reverence principles of holiness that
will lead them ultimately to the possession of eternal life and
salvation. People often speak jestingly of the holy things which
we hold, or should hold sacred. I have heard people do it, and
always tell them they would satisfy my feelings much better if
they would not make a jest of things I hold sacred. I remember a
man in Nauvoo, who was conspicuous in this Church, once at a
party saying to the fiddler, "Let me lay hands on that old
fiddle, and then perhaps you will not have so much trouble with
the strings." I was then a Gentile, as they called them, and he,
no doubt, thought that such jesting with holy things would please
me, but I always despised him afterwards for making use of such
an expression and making use of such an expression and making
light of one of the holy ordinances of God which he professed to
believe in. Jesting on sacred matters grates on my ears. I do not
suppose people mean any harm when they do it, but it has a
deleterious influence upon our children, whom we ought to teach
to reverence sacred things. I would like their sense of honor to
be such that they will do right because they love to do right,
and not refrain from doing wrong merely because they are afraid
somebody will see them do wrong. Let the love of right be bred in
them, that feeling of honest consciousness of doing right, and
not evil, that shall preserve them in the hour of temptation. Let
the love of right be instilled in their young and tender minds,
that it may grow with their growth and strengthen with their
strength, learning to love the truth for its beauty and the
things of God because they are worthy of being loved. Often
people are deterred from doing right because of what the world
will say and for fear of the pointing of the finger of scorn.
That is not what we should care about; we should care to please
God and do the things that are right before him, and then let the
world wag as it will. This ought to be our motto, and we ought
constantly to seek to instil this feeling into the bosoms of our
children, that they may act upon the principles of right because
they love them and prefer them because they are good before the
Lord, and eschewing evil because it is hateful to them. The child
is naturally inclined to this way. It is their associations with
the wickedness that is in the world that teaches them hypocrisy
and evil of every description, and the fear of the world's scorn,
their laugh and ribald jest have their influence upon the mind of
the child. Hence it becomes necessary that more pains should be
taken in instructing them and showing them the propriety of
truthfulness and honest uprightness of conduct to strengthen and
protect them in the hour of temptation.
137
This great work in regard to training our children should not be
neglected, because it is while they are young that we can have
the greatest and most lasting influence over them. It is the
privilege of the Latter-day Saints in these valleys of the
mountains more especially to attend to this sacred duty, because
when we mingled with the outside world we could not there enjoy
the rights, the liberty and the freedom we enjoy in these
mountains. No child is laughed and scoffed at here because his
father and mother are Mormons. Then let us attend to these
matters and govern ourselves by the holy principles that have
been revealed to our understandings, live our holy religion
faithfully and bring forth the blessings of peace, the blessings
of the Almighty which are ready to drop from the heavens upon us
as fast as we are able to receive and use them profitably to
ourselves and to the Work in which we are engaged. The child
needs first to ripen in judgment and good understanding before
the father can commit any great trust to his charge. So it is in
the dealings of our Heavenly Father with his people; he knows
better than we do when to bestow great blessings upon us and what
is for our best good. We should improve upon the blessing he has
already given us to the fullest extent of the light and
information we can get, and not trouble ourselves as to what is
in the future, because that is just beyond our reach. If we
travel in the path I have been trying to mark out, we shall
attain everything we can ask for in due time. By improving upon
what we have, by keeping ourselves unspotted from this untoward
generation, by walking in faith and obedience before our God, we
can attain to more than we have now any knowledge of. "Eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of
man to conceive the things that are in store for the faithful,"
when they shall attain to that stature in Christ that will
entitle them to receive them.
137
I do not, however, wish to throw the mind of the community upon
something great in the future to the neglect of present blessings
and present duties. Let us count over the blessings we this day
enjoy; let us look into the past and mark the constant flow of
blessings with which the history of this people has been attended
from the beginning. Neither do I wish us to stop here and say
that we have all we need; but while we are desiring blessings
that are still future to us, let us not neglect the things which
are now within our reach day by day, but live constantly our holy
religion, being faithful and diligent in all things that are for
us today, cleaving closely to the Lord, knowing that we are in
his hands and that we are his children, having all confidence in
him and in his constituted authorities on the earth, then will
our knowledge and intelligence increase and our blessings will
continue in a steady flow. This is all the business we have on
hand to attend to, to serve our God and make ourselves
comfortable and happy, securing from the elements everything we
need for our sustenance and support, building houses, making
roads, opening farms, planting orchards and vineyards, bringing
from the mountains timber and lumber and all things else we need.
All this labor is necessary to sustain us, and that the Lord may
have a people who are zealous of good works and who will do his
bidding, and through whom his kingdom may be established upon the
earth and become a self-sustaining community, being governed and
controlled in every particular by the revelations of the Most
High, and by the principles which he has revealed. We are now the
best governed people in the world, and for the best of all
reasons--we have the best Government and the best Governor; our
Heavenly Father is at the helm, from whom emanates all wisdom,
truth and righteousness. No matter what the difficulties are
which we are called upon to overcome, still we have everything to
encourage us; we can go to the great fountain of all good;
nothing can compare with this. Should we not feel encouraged and
rejoice, and give praise and thanksgiving to God, who is so good
a Father to us, who has watched over us to this day, to say
nothing to the glorious future which is opening up before us
continually.
138
This people have a future which the world little dreams of. They
will see the time when those who seek to destroy them from under
heaven will come bowing and scraping to them obsequiously and
sycophantic enough, no doubt. That, however, does not affect us
one way or the other; it is for us to do right and please our God
with full purpose of heart, that his will may be done on the
earth as it is done in heaven. The Lord will not slacken his hand
nor look backward, but will progress onward with his people who
will abide faithful and true to him. Righteousness must
predominate in the midst of this people, and iniquity will have
no part or lot with them, but if any among them wish to work
iniquity and do not delight in holy principles, this is not the
place for them; they had better go where there are influences
more congenial, where they will not be abridged of their desires
to do evil. No man has liberty to do evil, though he may have the
power, nor has he any right to do evil. There is no law against
doing right, but the law is against doing wrong. Man has power to
do right or wrong as he pleases, but he is held responsible for
that power and the exercise of it.
138
May God bless us and help us to do right, to keep his laws and
commandments and statutes holy, and be obedient to him in all
things, is my prayer in the name of Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Daniel
H. Wells, April 6, 1863
BUILDING THE TEMPLE AND A NEW TABERNACLE.--LABOR
TITHING.--CALL FOR FAITHFUL LABORERS.
Remarks by President Daniel H. Wells, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
138
Right here we want to build a Tabernacle, to accommodate the
Saints at our General Conferences and religious worship, that
will comfortably seat some ten thousand people; and over there we
want to build a Temple. These two items I wish to call your
attention to to-day.
138
We have organized the different districts throughout the
Territory so that fifty teams can be at work for the Temple,
hauling granite rock from Big and Little Cottonwoods. There has
been some hauling done, but I wish to suggest a little amendment
on our present operations and plans touching this part of the
work. We shall want the same number of teams this season. We have
never had as many as was designed in the first place, which was
fifty, at any one time. If we could have even twenty-five or
thirty teams constantly at work, they would keep the stonecutters
employed. There was a difficulty last season about feed for the
animals engaged on this work, but we are prepared to feed hay
this year, but grain must be furnished by the Wards.
139
I wish to say a word in regard to the teamsters. Send men to
drive the teams and not boys; men who will have some interest in
the work they are sent to do; men who will not sell the grain
sent to feed the teams to buy whisky with; men who will not take
their teams to haul wood with instead of rock for the Temple. Let
the teamsters be fitted out with at least one spare shirt, that
they may not be placed under the necessity of wearing one shirt
five or six weeks, and then leave the work to go home if they are
not supplied with more; this same remark will apply to shoes
also. Either send men that do not use tobacco, or send them with
a supply, that they may not come to me and tell me they will have
to leave the work if they are not supplied with tobacco. Some of
the Bishops sent word if I would find the men from the Wards
tobacco they would pay for it, which they have not done, and you
may expect that in the future we shall not find them in this
article. We expect these things to be found them and men sent who
will take care of their teams and wagons. It is a heavy tax upon
us to repair unavoidable breakages; this we expect to do. We have
a pretty good road to the rock, and if men will be careful in the
management of their teams they need not break wagons as much as
they have.
139
On the heel of the teams going down to the States for the poor,
we want the teams ready for the hauling of rock. I will make a
suggestion here, that the city be divided into ten working Wards,
each Ward to pay its tithing labor punctually every tenth day,
that we may have all the common labor we need on labor tithing
and not be placed under the necessity of hiring labor with
available means. This tithing labor can be done by the people in
this city; but, you say, the hauling of rock and sending teams to
the States takes up all the tithing labor we owe. If this be so,
you may call the hauling of the rock and teams going to the
States a free-will offering if you please. I care not how you fix
it. I know there is a great portion of the community who care not
much which way it applies. Those who have teams are the ones who
supply both the hauling of rock for the Temple and going to the
States. A great mass of the people do not do any labor of this
kind. Let the Bishops in each Ward look to it and find out who in
their Wards do not pay labor tithing in sending teams to the
States. We want the common labor on the block, this season, to
excavate, to attend masons and do a variety of work that is
necessary to be accomplished for the building of our contemplated
Tabernacle. Let there be an organization of the people in order
to bring a portion of that labor on this block.
139
The labor tithing of mechanics cannot be settled by sending a
person to work at a dollar and a-half a day if the Bishop
understands his business. All our tradesmen made more than a
dollar and a-half a day; they should pay what their tenth day's
labor is worth. The shoemakers can furnish boots and shoes, which
can be used to a good advantage. If there is an objection raised
to paying the material on labor tithing, it can be credited on
their property tithing. We would not wish our tradesmen to leave
their shops to work out their labor tithing in common labor with
the shovel, the pick, &c., for they would not earn as much as a
common laborer would who daily follows this kind of labor. We
want them to pay their tithing in the kind of labor they are
constantly employed at, and the products of this we can place to
an excellent use. Common labor is more plentiful than mechanical
labor.
139
I have been particular in noticing this matter. Great abuses are
springing up among us for want of proper attention to the
business of tithing labor upon the public works.
140
Sometimes men are found fault with because they spoil the work;
they do not, for instance, cut the stone to line and do not
improve in their work as much as they should. If anything is said
to those persons they feel gouty and as though they did not care
whether they continued to work or not on the public works; "For,"
say they, "my work is as good as the pay." Perhaps you do not
know what kind of pay you get. What does the Tithing-office pay
to the hands on the public works? It pays money, it pays
clothing, it pays good flour and plenty of it, all that the hands
need; it pays vegetables of every kind that is raised in these
mountains, it pays molasses, chickens, eggs, butter, beef and
pork, some hay and wood. I wish to ask if this is not good pay,
and especially when you consider that the public hands get all
their wages and more too; for in many instances they are behind
on the books. They get all they earn and more, unless they are
more diligent than some generally are, because we pay high wages.
These are facts that cannot be truthfully denied. Men who work on
the public works should be satisfied and contended, and give
their best services, and try to improve and do the best they can;
a good many do this. There is no place in the Territory that pays
better pay and better wages than is paid to the hands that work
on the public works, upon an average. If they can better
themselves, why do they not do it? Some would quickly leave the
public works in the best season of the year for a few dollars in
money, and in the winter, when employment is scarce elsewhere,
return to the public works; this is not righteous before God; men
who do this do not do their duty as Saints. If any person can do
better than to be a Latter-day Saint and abide the counsels given
to them, why do they not do it? If there is more peace and
comfort and salvation in the world than among the Saints, why did
they not stay in the world? And if, after they come here, they
think they can enjoy themselves better somewhere else, why do
they not go there instead of staying here as grumblers in the
kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is as independent of all such
men as the Lord himself and it will be built up whether they
assist in the Work or not.
141
I speak thus plainly that you may know how we feel about such
things, and that you may realize that you are equally interested
in the building up of the kingdom of God as I am or as anybody
else is. It is as much your duty to come here and spend your time
as it is mine, whether you get anything for it or not. I am no
more interested in building up the Temple than any other
Latter-day Saint is. I am no more interested in building a new
tabernacle than you are; it is nor more the business of the First
Presidency or Twelve Apostles than it is yours. This, however,
may need qualification; some feel a slothful interest in it that
we do not have. It is as much your duty as ours, and I expect we
can do as well without it as you can. We, however, expect to
accomplish this work whether you aid us or not; but we call upon
the people in this sense, it is your privilege to aid us if you
feel willing to do so. We expect you to do as you shall be
directed and abide the law you have enlisted to obey; this is
your privilege. We expect you will guide your labors according to
the rule laid down for you to follow. We wish to proceed with
this labor immediately upon the close of this Conference. Let the
men who seek labor, seek it not so particularly for individual
aggrandizement as for the interest of the kingdom of God. This
work will be an equal benefit to all, if we will be diligent and
contented. There is no job men can be engaged in that will pay
half as well. Those who will cling to the faith and work on
faithfully, diligently and humbly, will be the best off in the
end. I do not care what inducement is offered to them, there is
no enterprize in which we are engaged, or half so profitable,
though we may not realize all things we desire or need at the
present moment as fully as we would like. Look at the faithful
laborer who is putting forth his hand in building up the kingdom
of God, even if it is connected with the bringing of rocks from
the quarry, lumber and timber from the mountains, &c.; that soul
has peace and quiet within, though in temporal matters
comparatively destitute. But in this country no person need
suffer for the common necessaries of life. It is not so in
distant nations where many of us came from. Remember the appeals
that are made to us for assistance, for starvation has entered
their dwellings; it is not so here. Do we realize the blessings
we enjoy in contrast with those of our brethren in distant
countries? While we are doing all we can to aid them, let us
remember not to slacken our hands in endeavoring to build up the
kingdom of God, in answering to the calls made upon us here.
141
No person can release us from the duties that devolve upon us as
individuals. We each of us should shoulder our responsibilities
and rejoice to embrace the privilege of performing the duties
devolving upon us to do good in the Church and kingdom of God in
the last days. This is an inestimable privilege which, once
neglected, may never again return. No person should lose the
opportunity of doing good, if they do they will be sorry
afterwards. Look back upon your own history and experience in the
Church and kingdom of God, and point out a single duty that has
been manfully and righteously performed that does not to this day
bring to you a feeling of great satisfaction and gratitude to the
Almighty that you were called upon to perform that duty, and you
are glad that you did perform it faithfully before you God and
your brethren. I do not believe there is a single individual who
has ever performed a single duty in the Church and kingdom of
God, but what is grateful to the Almighty that they had strength
and power and ability to perform that duty. Then so let it be in
the future; whenever we are called upon to perform a duty let us
hasten to perform it with a free and glad heart and with a ready
hand, doing it as it should be done with all the wisdom, ability
and power that we can bring to bear on it, feeling grateful to
the Almighty for the privilege, and we shall have joy and
rejoicing before the heavens. This is the true light in which we
ought to look at this matter. There is a great labor before this
people, it is a life-time work, and then it will be taken up by
those who will follow after us, who will continue to develop the
things which the Almighty is trying to establish upon the
earth--the work of the salvation of our dead and the great
millennium. The work we are now doing is preparatory to that
work, and that work is preparatory to another that shall follow
after.
142
We will build a new Tabernacle of sufficient dimensions to
accommodate the people much better than they can be at present,
and the time probably is not far distant when we may commence to
administer for our dead. But the duties of to-day and all the
work and labor we are called upon to perform is preparatory to
something else; if we perform this work faithfully it will tell
in its place in the due season and time of the Lord. Then let us
be faithful and never neglect the opportunity of doing good when
presented to us, be it ever so small in our estimation. There is
nothing so small but what is necessary, when we are told to do it
by those who preside over us. Small things reach to great things.
We cannot baptize for the dead without a font, and we cannot get
a stone to build it of without going to the stone quarries to get
it. It looks a small thing to quarry rock and to pick up the
pebbles and cobble rock or to take the spade and go and labor a
single day's work, but those small matters form together a grand
whole in bringing to pass the great purposes we are anticipating
will come to pass in the Lord's due time. Then let us listen to
and respond to the calls made upon us by our Bishops, by our
Presidents, by those who are appointed to direct and govern and
control and shape our labor. It is the business of this people to
build up this kingdom in any channel and direction in which they
are called to labor. Let us abide these teachings and calls, for
in this we can attain an exaltation in the presence of our Father
in heaven. Let us seek to be exalted therein and enjoy eternal
lives in the mansions of the blessed. This is my sermon for
to-day.
142
May God help us to do these things is my prayer in the name of
Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / George
Albert Smith, April 6, 1863
George Albert Smith, April 6, 1863
MISSIONARY FUND.--SUPPORT OF THE FAMILIES OF ELDERS WHO ARE ON
MISSIONS.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
142
I have been a witness for many years, to a considerable extent,
of the labors, toils and exertions of the Elders of this Church.
I have rejoiced in the result of their labors and the blessings
which God hath bestowed upon them. Though many, as has been
observed, have fallen out by the way, yet a large majority of the
Elders of Israel who went in early days to proclaim the Gospel
are still in our midst, or have died in the honorable discharge
of their duty, with promises of salvation and eternal life upon
their heads.
142
Circumstances have changed. When Presidents Young, Kimball and
others left Nauvoo to go to England without purse or scrip, they
left a few houseless, homeless people, a great proportion of them
sick, lying out of doors, with no covering only the broad canopy
of heaven, on the banks of the Mississippi, robbed of everything
they possessed by the benevolent Christians of the State of
Missouri, and driven away into Illinois, and from exposure and
overexertion and suffering reduced by disease and sickness to the
last extremity of human endurance. It was under such
circumstances as these that the brethren started forth on their
mission to England. When they had gone a few miles they were met
by an old friend, who, on seeing their sick and wan condition,
inquired who had been robbing the burying ground. These are
circumstances which have passed into history.
144
What is our condition now? We can hear occasionally from our
brethren in England; many of them who have been long years in the
Church, saying to their children, "I will give you a little bit
to eat, but when you get to Zion you can have as much as you
want, but now you must make this little do." In the
cotton-spinning districts of Great Britain there are thousands of
such cases among persons belonging to this Church; they are
reduced to the last extremity of want in consequence of the great
revolution in America.
144
We should not send Elders there to beg of them a division of
their scanty pittance, or to solicit aid in paying their passage
back again to America, or to give them something to carry home to
their families; not at all. God has given us possession of this
goodly land; the labors of the brethren and the blessings of God
have caused it to bud and blossom as the rose. Where desolation
dwelt, now is the abode of plenty. We are under no necessity of
sending forth the Elders of Israel in the condition that we have
hitherto had to do; in fact, it would not be safe for a man to
shoulder his valise and tramp through the States as the Elders
used to do. Bloodshed, robbery, murder, jay-hawking (a polite
name for robbery,) stalks abroad throughout the land, and the
only chance for safety is for every man to pass along about his
business and be silent; this is the case in many parts of the
country.
144
The fact that Joseph Smith predicted the present trouble and
state of affairs--prophesied the result of mobbing the Saints in
Missouri and elsewhere, enrages them; instead of the fulfillment
of that prophecy making the people of the country friendly to us,
it makes them bloodthirsty, more filled with hell, more eager to
waste and destroy and crush out the last remaining particle of
truth that may exist on the face of the land.
144
Again, the places of our missionary labor are a long distance
away, and it is important, when an Elder leaves here, that he
should commence the exercise of his calling at the place he is
destined to labor at the earliest practical moment. A few dollars
contributed to this purpose will pass the Elders directly to the
fields of labor to which they are appointed. Perhaps when a
missionary gets to Italy, as my brother tells me, he would be
cordially received and treated to a few honeysuckle leaves put
into some water, boiled, seasoned with salt and dished up for a
meal. A man could make a meal of this with a loaf of bread by the
side of it and a shank of good Tithing-office beef to season it.
Some of the Elders have had cause to rejoice at receiving from
the hands of the poor and needy a small pittance of this kind;
and, perhaps, when the cold weather comes, these poor persons may
be found crawling among the sheep to keep from freezing. We do
not want to take any donations at the hands of such people, and
where men are working for ten cents per day and paying eight
dollars per cord for wood, we do not expect them to contribute
much to the Elders. Such is the condition of a great number of
Saints in Switzerland.
145
In relation to the families of the Elders at home, there is
plenty in the land. If we have listened readily to the call made
upon us to-day to donate to the support of the missionary
interest, there will be no difficulty whatever. The suggestion of
placing in the hands of the families of our missionaries cotton,
flax and wool, and the means for them to work it up, is very
important; I recommend it especially to our wool and flax growers
in this country. Remember this in your donations: let the wives
and daughters of our Elders, some of whom have been absent six
out of eight years in foreign lands, have an opportunity of
making some homespun clothing and of fixing up something that is
comfortable to wear. Let us be diligent in these matters and
thoughtful, and remember that when we do these things we
participate in the blessings of sustaining the Elders who are
preaching the Gospel to the nations of the earth--a great duty
which Joseph, the Prophet of God, has laid upon this people.
145
May God bless us to accomplish this work is my prayer: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / John
Taylor, April 6, 1863
John Taylor, April 6, 1863
THE BLESSINGS THE SAINTS WILL ENJOY--HOW THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS TO
BE
ESTABLISHED.--BUILDING TEMPLES, TABERNACLES, AND
HOUSES.--GATHERING THE POOR.
Remarks by Elder John Taylor, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
146
This morning we have heard a number of things, in which we are
individually and collectively interested as a people. It is
difficult, however, for us to comprehend our true interests and
the things that would be for our best good; this arises
frequently from want of a correct understanding of matters that
are laid before us, from which cause we arrive at wrong
conclusions. I do not know of any way whereby we can be taught,
instructed and be made to comprehend our true position, only by
being under the influence of the Spirit of the living God. A man
may speak by the Spirit of God, but it requires a portion of that
Spirit also in those who hear, to enable them to comprehend
correctly the importance of the things that are delivered to them
and hence the difficulty the Lord and his Saints have always had
in making the people comprehend the things that are especially
for their interests. We all consider that if we could be taught
of God it would be very well; I suppose the world generally would
consider it to be a great blessing. Then the question arises in
their minds, whether the teaching they receive come from God or
not. How are they to know that ? I know of no other way than that
which is spoken in the Scriptures, "There is a spirit in man, and
the inspiration of the Almighty giveth it understanding." And,
again, we are told in the New Testament, that "No man knoweth the
things of God but by the Spirit of God." Hence all the wisdom,
all the intelligence, all the reasoning, all the philosophy and
all the arguments that could be brought to bear on the human mind
would be of no avail unless the mind of man is prepared to
receive this teaching--prepared by the Spirit of the Lord, the
same Spirit which conveys the intelligence. Hence we frequently
make a very great mistake in relation to our duties, in relation
to our responsibilities, in relation to the obligations that rest
upon us, in relation to the Church and kingdom of God upon the
earth and its government, its laws, its influence and the bearing
of those laws and their influence upon us, and what part we have
to act in relation to these matters. But if we had the Spirit of
God, and walked in the light of revelation, and were guided by
the principles of truth, and were in possession ourselves of the
same Spirit by which the truths of God are communicated, then it
would be plain and comprehensive to our understanding, and
everything we try to accomplish would be easy, pleasant,
comfortable and joyous, and we should all of us feel that we are
the children of the living God, that we are basking, as it were,
in the sunbeams of heaven, that God is our friend, that we are
his friends and are ready to unite with him in the accomplishment
of his Work under any and all circumstances whatever; and I
frequently consider that it is in consequence of the ignorance
and darkness and short-sightedness of the Saints of God, that we
do not walk up more readily to enjoy our privileges and fulfil
the various obligations that devolve on us to attain to.
148
Now, ask yourselves, when you have been living up to your
privileges, and the Spirit of God has beamed upon your minds, and
your souls have been enlightened with the candle of the Lord,
with the intelligence of heaven, and you have walked according to
the light of eternal truth, if in these moments you have not
always felt ready to fulfil any obligations that were required of
you, and whether you have not always performed your duties with
pleasantness and satisfaction to yourselves. But when our minds
are carried away with the things of this world, when we lose
sight of the kingdom of God and its interests, its glory, the
happiness and well-being of the human family, and the events that
we are expecting to transpire on the earth, and the part that we
are to take in them; when we lose sight of our various duties as
fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and children, and get carried
away with our own notions, ideas and selfishness, and we become
involved in evil, it is then that it is difficult for us to
comprehend the things of God. We say that we are the Saints of
God, so we are. We have repented of our sins, we have been
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
we have received the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy
Ghost: we have become a part and parcel of the Church and kingdom
of God upon the earth. We have believed that we were forsaking
the world and its devices, evils, corruptions, frauds and vanity;
and we have possessed and do possess the principles of eternal
life. We have believed and do believe that God has spoken, that
angels have appeared and that God has opened a communication
between the heavens and the earth. This is a part of our faith
and creed. We believe that God is going to revolutionize the
earth, to purge it from iniquity of every kind and to introduce
righteousness of every kind, until the great millennium is fully
introduced. We believe, moreover, that God, having commenced his
Work, will continue to reveal and make manifest his will to his
Priesthood, to his Church and kingdom on the earth, and that
among this people there will be an embodiment of virtue, of
truth, of holiness, of integrity, of fidelity, of wisdom and of
the knowledge of God. We believe that there will be a temporal
kingdom of God organized that will be under the direction and
auspices of the Lord of Hosts, and that in all our affairs,
whether they relate to things temporal or things spiritual, as we
have been in the habit of calling them, we shall be under the
direction of the Lord, as the Scriptures say, "It shall come to
pass that all the people shall be taught of the Lord." This is
part and parcel of our creed. We believe that we shall rear
splendid edifices, magnificent temples and beautiful cities that
shall become the pride, praise and glory of the whole earth. We
believe that this people will excel in literature, in science and
the arts and in manufactures. In fact, there will be a
concentration of wisdom, not only of the combined wisdom of the
world as it now exists, but men will be inspired in regard to all
these matters in a manner and to an extent that they never have
been before, and we shall have eventually, when the Lord's
purposes are carried out, the most magnificent buildings, the
most pleasant and beautiful gardens, the richest and most costly
clothing, and be the most healthy and the most intellectual
people that will reside upon the earth. This is part and parcel
of our faith; in fact, Zion will become the praise of the whole
earth; and as the Queen of Sheba said anciently, touching the
glory of Solomon, the half of it had not been told her, so it
will be in regard to Israel in their dwelling places. In fact, if
there is anything great, noble, dignified, exalted, anything
pure, or holy, or virtuous, or lovely, anything that is
calculated to exalt or ennoble the human mind, to dignify and
elevate the people, it will be found among the people of the
Saints of the Most High God. This is only a faint outline of some
of our views in relation to these things, and hence we talk of
returning to Jackson county to build the most magnificent temple
that ever was formed on the earth and the most splendid city that
was ever erected; yea, cities, if you please. The architectural
designs of those splendid edifices, cities, walls, gardens,
bowers, streets, &c., will be under the direction of the Lord,
who will control and manage all the matters; and the people, from
the President down, will all be under the guidance and direction
of the Lord in all the pursuits of human life, until eventually
they will be enabled to erect cities that will be fit to be
caught up--that when Zion descends from above, Zion will also
ascend from beneath, and be prepared to associate with those from
above. The people will be so perfected and purified, ennobled,
exalted, and dignified in their feelings and so truly humble and
most worthy, virtuous and intelligent that they will be fit, when
caught us, to associate with that Zion that shall come down from
God out of heaven. This is the idea, in brief, that we have
entertained in relation to many of these things. If we could keep
our eyes upon this a little while, and then look back to where we
came from, examine our present position and see the depravity,
ignorance and corruption that exists where we have come from and
that yet exists among us, it is evident that some great
revolution, some mighty change has got to transpire to
revolutionize our minds, our feelings and judgment, our pursuits
and action, and, in fact, to control and influence us throughout,
before anything of this kind can take place, and hence it is when
the light of heaven come to reflect upon the human mind, when we
can see ourselves than we have when unenlightened by the Spirit.
No wonder that Joseph Smith should say that he felt himself shut
up in a nutshell, there was no power of expansion, it was
difficult for him to reveal and communicate the things of God,
because there was no place to receive them. What he had to
communicate was so much more comprehensive, enlightened and
dignified than that which the people generally knew and
comprehended, it was difficult for him to speak, in every move he
made, and so it is to the present time. Yet this being a fact and
these being part of the things we expect to accomplish, there
must be a beginning somewhere; and if the chips do fly once in a
while when the hewer begins to hew, and if we do squirm once in a
while it is not strange, because it is so difficult for the
people to comprehend the things which are for their benefit. We
have been brought up so ignorantly and our ideas and views are so
contracted it is scarcely possible to receive the things of God
as they exist in his bosom.
149
It is easy for us to talk about heaven, and about going to
Jackson county, and about building up the kingdom of God, &c.; it
is easy to sing about it and pray about it, but it is another
thing to do it; and hence the difficulty the servants of God
labor under all the day long is in consequence of the ignorance,
weakness and infirmities of those they have to do with, and yet
we are more enlightened in regard to these things than any other
people and have made more progress; yet how far we come short.
What does it necessarily resolve itself into? We are Saints of
the Most High, and we actually, all of us, believe in those
doctrines embraced in our creed. I question whether I could find
a dozen here but what believes in these things I have spoken of.
Who does it affect? The kingdom of God has to be built up, and a
revolution must necessarily take place, not only here but
throughout the world. We expect we are going to accomplish the
things of which I have spoken, for they are a part and parcel of
our religious faith. How shall we do it? Who will do it? Do we
expect the folks in the States will do it, or do we expect the
Government of England to establish the kingdom of God, or the
people and nations of any other part of the world? I could not
get five men in this congregation that would believe this. We
suppose that the honest-in-heart from different nations will be
gathered together for the accomplishment of these purposes, but
we do not believe the other nations will do it. In fact, it is as
much as a bargain to get them to believe some of the first
principles of the doctrines of Christ; then, when they have made
out to do that and have arrived here, it is a little more than a
bargain to get them to believe other things as they are revealed,
notwithstanding we all believe somebody has got to do this Work,
that it has to be done somehow and somewhere. Then, if they won't
do it in any other nation, who has to do it? We are the only
people under the heavens that are making an attempt at it, and a
blundering one it is, no doubt. The majority of this people
really do feel in their hearts a strong desire to keep the
commandment of God and help to establish his kingdom when they
can comprehend correctly. How shall these things be accomplished?
The nations of the world will not do it, for they are opposed to
God and his kingdom. If ever the latter-day glory, which we have
so often spoken of, sang of, prayed about, and about which the
ancient Prophets have prophesied, is brought about, it will be
done by this people, for there is not another people under the
heavens that will listen to it. Then it is a matter that attaches
itself to every one of us, from the President down. We are bound
to the Lord by a covenant to help to build up his kingdom upon
the earth. How shall we do it? Shall we do it by every one of us
having our own way? No; we had that where we came from as much as
they would let us. We hear people say sometimes that things are
not done here exactly as they are done in England and in the
United States; of course they are not; we do not expect it--we do
not look for it.
149
We are associated with the Church and kingdom of God, we are
individual members of that Church and kingdom, and individually
we are under responsibilities in that kingdom. Taking this view
of the matter, have we joined this great interest and come to
this country to build up ourselves, to seek our own will and
pursue our own plans, and let our children grow up in the same
way we have grown up, in the same ignorance and darkness, folly,
weakness and imbecility, or shall we try to lead out in another
path, seek the guidance and direction of the Most High God, lead
out in the paths of righteousness ourselves, and let our wives
and children follow our example and learn to be better and more
intelligent and wise than we are. If it is only to live that we
have embraced this Gospel, we could have lived somewhere else--if
it is barely to exist, that we could have done in another place;
but if it is to build up the kingdom of God upon the earth, then
there is a great work devolving upon us to attend to individually
and collectively, and that is whatever the Lord reveals to us.
For instance, there are ordinances to attend to of what has been
termed of a spiritual nature; we are required to build a Temple,
this labor we have got to perform. It has always been a maxim
with the Lord that "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to
hearken than the fat of rams."
149
Here, then, is a Temple to be built, the foundation of which is
laid, and considerable rock has been hauled for the walls, and
large amounts of heaving done. This work must be consummated, and
in doing that, we are learning to listen to the word of the Lord
to us and becoming used to the harness. It is a nice thing to get
our endowments, and there is something yet to be got which we
have not yet received. The Scripture says, "First temporal and
then spiritual," and the temporal things are mixed up with
spiritual things; but before we are worthy of the one we must
take hold of the other.
150
One plain matter of fact connected with that Temple is, somebody
will have to go to quarrying rock, to breaking up rock, others
have got to take Buck and Bright and hitch them on to a wagon,
and feed and take care of the cattle, and drive them, and bring
the rock safely, without breaking things, where it can be
prepared for the wall. It does not show a man smart because he
can break a wagon, for any fool can do that. It is generally
fools that break wagons. And suppose you do not get everything
you want while you are building this Temple. You would like to
have better clothing and better food; do the best you can and let
everybody do the same, and when you have done that thank God for
it, and thank God that you have the privilege to help to build up
a Temple unto the Most High. By and bye you will go into that
Temple, and when you have received your endowments in it and the
spiritual blessings that you can get, you will learn more about
building another Temple, and then will come temporal things
again. The Temple we are now building, in comparison, is no more
than a little plaything, but in doing it we shall learn better
how to perform temporal things and spiritual things.
150
Then the Saints have to be gathered; it is the Lord's work and it
is our work. The Lord will influence his people to help him to
gather his poor from the four quarters of the globe, and the Lord
puts it into the hearts of his servants to call for five hundred
teams to help in this work. This is the greatest honor that could
be conferred on us--to build a Temple to the name of the Most
High God, and your children after you will be proud that their
fathers were engaged in such a work, in building a Temple wherein
thousands can receive their endowments. The adverse circumstances
in which this work was done will not be thought of. The young man
takes his ox goad in his hand, and becomes a Missionary to redeem
the poor from bondage and bring them here to participate with us
in the blessings of Zion; he goes with his heart vibrating with
the love of God, and he brings the poor Saint over the Plains,
who look upon their temporal deliverers as saviors; in after
time, when the kingdom of God has become powerful and mighty on
the earth, as it will be, these young men will say with pride, "I
participated in the labor of laying the foundation of this great
Work, and my fathers and brothers all helped." I do not say that
this people are not forward in doing these things; from what I
have heard I believe they are. There is a general desire to turn
out teams, and they are not backward in going themselves or in
sending. I think this is much to the praise of the Saints of God
in the mountains. There may be a few who will not aid in this
Work; those who do will receive the blessing, and there are
plenty who have the means and the disposition.
151
Then, here is a Tabernacle to be built; we want a building of
this kind to convene the people, to protect the people from the
wind, sun and rain while they are worshiping God. Then, the
President is continually preaching to us to make good
improvements, good buildings, good gardens, and make ourselves
more comfortable, to elevate ourselves in the scale of existence,
that our children after us may become more elevated also in their
sentiments and ideas, and learn to comprehend their position in
the land of Zion and magnify it. If we understand ourselves and
our position, it ought to be with us, The kingdom of God first
and ourselves afterward. If we can learn to accomplish a little
thing the Lord will probably tell us to do a greater, because we
are prepared to do it. If we were to build a very nice house
nobody would be troubled about it, or if we were to make a pretty
garden and cultivate good taste; or if we could educate ourselves
and our children in the arts and sciences and in everything that
is calculated to extend our search after intelligence. In this
manner we can do ourselves and children great good, and aid much
in building up the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth. If
we are the people of God, and he is trusting to us to accomplish
these great purposes, we have got to do a little more than we
have done, and we have got to be willing and obedient to the
dictation of the Spirit of the Lord and his servants whom he has
placed over us. If we do this, every labor we engage in will be
joyous and pleasant to us, peace will reign in our bosoms and the
peace of God will abide in our habitations, the Spirit of the
Lord will brood over us, and we shall be full of joy and
rejoicing all the day long, and so it will be to the end of the
chapter. I know of no other way to accomplish all this Work only
to be taught of the Lord, and for that purpose he has organized
his holy Priesthood. We all pray for President Young continually,
that God would inspire his heart and the hearts of his counsel,
that he may be able to lead Israel in the path they should go.
Let us add another prayer to that, that the Lord our God would
inspire our hearts to receive their teachings when they come
through them from the Lord of Hosts; then all things will move on
well and no power under the heavens will be enabled to injure the
Saints, but they will go on increasing from strength to strength,
until the kingdom of God shall be established and all nations bow
to its scepter.
151
God bless you, in the name of Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Ezra
T. Benson, April 6, 1863
Ezra T. Benson, April 6, 1863
PRACTICAL DUTIES OF THE SAINTS.--BLESSINGS
RESULTING FROM THEIR PERFORMANCE.
Remarks by Elder Ezra T. Benson, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1863.
Reported by J. V. Long.
151
I feel thankful for the opportunity of meeting in Conference, for
I feel that thereby I may be posted and instructed in those
principles that are necessary to qualify us in the building up of
the kingdom. I need not say that we are a blessed people, for we
all know it, and to some extent we realize it. At least I can say
for one, or, in other words, I can speak for myself. So far as I
am concerned, I can realize, and I fully believe more than ever
since I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
that God our Heavenly Father is with this people, and that his
hand is over us to preserve us all the day long, and as Saints of
the Most High we ought to be grateful to the Giver of all good
for the many tokens of his beneficent care.
151
If we inquire after the welfare of the Latter-day Saints, we are
told that all is peace and quietness. How did we come by these
glorious principles of life and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost?
Where did they emanate from? They came from God our Heavenly
Father, by embracing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in faith and in
sincerity. And our testimony to this effect has been felt from
the rivers to the ends of the earth. And by carrying out these
principles the Gospel has brought thousands into these valleys.
152
There is no necessity for the Work of the Lord to stop in its
present condition and circumstances. Why so? Simply because the
kingdom of God, as an organized body, is just like the
introduction of the doctrine of plurality of wives, it has got a
first-rate good start, and I know that the Devil and all the
emissaries from the infernal regions cannot stop it. The Devil
don't like it, but he cannot help himself, for the Work of God
will roll on as long as there is an opposing power upon the
earth, and then it will continue to spread after every species of
opposition is banished from the earth.
152
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been
organized thirty-three years to-day, and according to the success
and spread of the Gospel of the Son of God at the time when it
was first presented to the human family, if we may judge
comparatively, it will not take thirty-three years more to redeem
Zion and to usher in the reign of righteousness and peace which
we all anticipate and for which we all pray most devoutly.
152
In the days of Jesus there was just as much opposition as there
is to-day; then the Work had but just commenced--it was in its
infancy, and did not God our Heavenly Father bear off his kingdom
then? He certainly maintained it till he saw that the Priesthood
could no longer remain upon the earth. He did then and he bears
it off to-day and will so continue until his kingdom triumphs and
those who get under the wheel will be crushed to powder.
152
My testimony is, that this is the Work of God, that it emanated
from the Father of light, and I know that it will roll forth and
prosper until the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ. I know
that God is able to make the wrath of man praise him just the
same now as he was in the days of the Prophets of old. Who can
frustrate the Work of God? It is written, "The wisdom of the wise
shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid."
It is verily so in this age and generation, for we see the Elders
of Israel going forth without purse and without scrip, preaching
by the power of God the peaceable things of the kingdom to those
who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and they confound
the gainsayer and put to silence the fault-finder. Then, when I
see the wisdom that is displayed through the ministers of this
Church, I ask myself the question, Are we doing our duty as
Saints? Because if we are not, it is time we were waking up to a
sense of our obligations to the Almighty and to his cause.
152
I am fully satisfied that we are the happiest people upon the
face of the earth, and it has been brought about by our union and
by our faith in God; but have we been doing the best we could to
live our religion according to the best light and knowledge we
have possessed? If we have, we have within us the satisfaction of
having done our duty.
152
Now, the order is to call a number of Missionaries to go to the
European nations, and we are selecting our young men, the sons of
the Apostles and Elders of Israel, so as to give them an
experience in preaching the words of life, and that they may feel
their dependence upon God our Heavenly Father. These young men
are going to gather the people home to Zion that they may enjoy
the society of their brethren and friends here in the valleys of
Ephraim, and participate in the blessings of that counsel that is
so liberally imparted unto us by our leaders.
153
We have come here to build temples and tabernacles for the
purpose of worshiping our God therein, and if we do not do these
things we shall fall short of accomplishing that great Work that
is laid upon us to perform. Then, I say, let us build temples,
let us gather up our teams and send for the poor and thereby
accomplish the Work that God has set on foot in this our day.
Notwithstanding we are weak creatures, yet we can do something in
the rolling forth of the kingdom of God. I wish a great many
times that I could do a great deal better than I do, but, at any
rate, I can say that I am trying with all my soul to combat the
powers of darkness, and I intend to out-general the common
adversary of our souls. Supposing we are united as the heart of
one man, then what have we to do with the world? A great many
think that we want to fight the world, but I tell you it is all
nonsense, excepting so far as that spiritual warfare is
concerned, in which we are all engaged more or less. Our enemies
imagine that we want to wage war with them, but they are greatly
mistaken, for we are only at war with their corruption, meanness
and degraded conduct. We are upward, and we have taken steps
forward in the kingdom of God, advancing from one degree of light
to another, and the world are mad about it, but we cannot help
that, our business is to serve God and keep his commandments, and
therefore we should endeavor to walk uprightly, remembering that
the promise is, "I will not withhold any good thing from them
that walk uprightly."
153
Do we expect to realize a fulness of these blessings to-day. No,
but we expect to realize some of them--a little to-day and a
little more tomorrow, and thus go on from step to step and from
grace to grace until we find ourselves safely landed back in the
presence of our Father in heaven. As regards preaching to this
people and gathering up the poor from other lands, I can truly
say that I have never seen a time in my experience when there was
such a willing spirit in Israel as there is at the present time.
I can truly say that we have raised the fifty-three teams this
year just as easy as we did the thirty last year, and there is
quite a difference between thirty and fifty-three. And I feel
that this people will be more blessed in their fields, in their
teams, in all their stock and in their labor of every kind than
they were last year. Did we miss our teams last year? We might
miss them from our sight, but the Lord so abundantly blessed us
that we scarcely ever heard them unmentioned: everything moved on
harmoniously during the entire season. The Lord blessed the seed
that we put into the ground; he watered the earth from the
heavens, and the Saints of God felt amply rewarded for their
labors to help to build up the kingdom of God.
154
Though many may have felt a little faint-hearted because of the
war-cloud that has hung over us, but which has now burst without
doing anybody any harm, yet I feel to say that if we go to war it
will be in self-defence, but at present there is no danger of any
serious trouble. We delight not in the shedding of blood, and my
testimony before High Heaven, before this people and before the
nations of the earth is, that we are for peace, and we intend to
have it, if we have to fight for it. You know it may be possible
that a man may have to fight for his religion. This may seem
strange, but if a man has got wives, children, flocks, herds, and
Priesthood and gifts from God, and would not fight for them, I
would not give much for him. I say we will fight like the angels
of heaven, upon Jesus Christ, upon the Prophets and upon the
Spirits of just men that have perfected themselves in the Gospel
of the Son of God, and then by their help we will win every time,
and the Devil knows it. Is this boasting? No, not one particle;
but if we do boast we boast in our God, and in those liberal
principles which our Father has revealed unto us.
154
Brethren, let us attend to our duties, and let it ever be
uppermost in our hearts to build up the kingdom of God. The
promises have and are still being fulfilled. I have seen the
wonder-working hand of the Almighty ever since I have been in
this Church, and I have realized, to some extent, when preaching
the Gospel, that the power of God has accompanied my words. The
Lord has sustained his Work wherever the Elders have gone forth
preaching the Gospel, and he will continue to do so; he will feed
them and clothe them, and his Work will roll forth under the
administration of these young men; the blessings of God will go
with them. This is my testimony to you young men who are called
upon to go on missions.
154
Jesus said to his disciples, "If I go away I will send you
another Comforter, and when he is come he will reprove the world
of sin and of righteousness and of judgment." This Spirit will go
with these, our young brethren, and it will back up their words
when they stand up and bear testimony to the truth. Then let us
all try to keep this Spirit within us; let us also labor to build
temples, tabernacles, and all necessary public buildings; let us
labor to gather the poor and then the Lord will bless us in all
things; prosperity and peace will attend our every effort to
build up God's kingdom on the earth.
154
May God bless you, brethren and sisters, is my prayer, in the
name of Jesus Christ: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Orson
Hyde, April 7, 1863
Orson Hyde, April 7, 1863
DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON.--HOW THE SAINTS ARE TO
BECOME SAVIORS OF THE WORLD.
Remarks by Elder Orson Hyde, made at the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1863.
Reported by J. V. Long.
155
Brethren and sisters, I feel thankful for this opportunity of
speaking to you for a short time. I feel under obligation for
this privilege of speaking a second time before an assembly like
this, and I will try not to infringe upon the time of the
brethren who have not yet spoken to you, but who I know are
anxious to do so. To this end, I will endeavor to confine myself
to matters that are directly before us and to present them as
they appear to me.
155
I may refer to some things that are a little foreign to the texts
we have had given to us, but I hope I shall not be tedious.
156
We discover that the nation and people from whom we have come are
engaged to the utmost of their ability in waging war upon each
other. In consequence of this, there is tax upon tax, or rather I
should say one tax levied after another to pay the enormous cost
of this fratricidal war. One draft after another is being made to
bring into the field as many men as possible, the best and those
that will be the most efficient to fight the battles of the
nation. It is also perceivable, by reading the late dispatches,
that there are apprehensions of a serious war with the Indians
and a partial squinting at a foreign war with England and
possibly with some other power. How this may be and how it may
turn out, it is not necessary for me to predict, but as the life
springs to these deliberations and to these transactions that are
now going on, I refer you to the predictions and revelations
given of the Lord through Joseph Smith. Brethren and sisters, the
nation of them that afflicted Israel have now found a way to use
all their muscular power, and have they not use for all their
beef cattle, for all their horses and for all the mules and
wagons that they can muster into service? The nation go to war
for the purpose of saving themselves, for the purpose of
protecting themselves in their nationality, and they intend to
make the banner of the nation universal, swayed without let or
hindrance. Well, now, the question, How will these things result?
What will be the result of them? They saw fit to decline the
offer that Heaven made to them when it presented to them the
sceptre of peace through the everlasting Gospel. The means used
was by many considered to be too insignificant and too degrading;
but I have seen a something before now wrapped up in a very
ordinary style that has presented a somewhat rough exterior, but
inside the cover there has been contained true, genuine wealth,
and when it became visible it astonished its beholders, and it is
and will be so with "Mormonism." It was wrapped up by
circumstances in the beginning, and, in fact, it is still out of
sight in the estimation of the world. It was wrapped up--in what
shall I say? In swaddling clothes, arrayed in a very unseemly
garb; but those that have unrolled it have discovered the
valuable treasure, and some few of them can appreciate it, for
they have learned that it is the gift of heaven, given to the
earth, born upon the earth and cradled there. Much too low a
region to secure the privilege of the society and consideration
of the great and noble. Those few that have looked to the healing
balm, to the merits of the thing itself, instead of to the
misrepresentation of its enemies, have not only been healed, but
healed and saved by it, and some of them are now basking in
heavenly realms of light; for despite of all the disadvantageous
circumstances by which they were surrounded in this life, there
were a host of friends ready to hail them in that blessed world,
where they are beyond the reach of mortal foe and all the powers
of darkness.
156
The nation of which I was speaking is employing all these means
to which I alluded with a view to safety; but the question is,
whether infinite wisdom and the economy of God will not cause
these means to prove their ruin and to produce ends and results
the very opposite to what they anticipate. My opinion is, that
the results will show that the wisdom of the wise shall perish
and the understanding of the prudent be hid. Now, if the nation
employ all these means to make their own breastworks and
bulwarks, secure themselves against an outward enemy and against
a day of famine, they would do well. In their own estimation and
feeling they are displaying superlative wisdom, but in the
estimation of the Almighty they are destroying all their vitality
and power. If this be the design as a chastisement from the
Almighty for the transgressions of the people, then they will
weaken and waste away each other until retributive justice is
satisfied. While they will make such efforts and exertions for
their kingdom and government, which is but one of time, what
should we do and what exertions should we make to build up a
kingdom in which there is life, exaltation and glory for
evermore? Should we not labor to clear away and to demolish the
great Babylon of corruption that has afflicted the human race
with increasing strength from the fall of man? This great fabric
will be destroyed in this generation. And I ask, How much
exertion should we make towards building up the kingdom of God,
which is destined to fill the whole earth?
156
I can tell you that this nation is going to be furnished with all
the business they can attend to, and I expect when they have
issued their last dollar in specie they will then issue their
scrip by tens and by hundreds of millions. While this is going
on, we shall have all the business that we can attend to, and we
shall see more than ever the necessity of faithfulness and
fidelity to the kingdom of God.
157
We have heard some good remarks about this Tabernacle; we have
also had some good instruction relative to the building of the
Temple, the emigration of the poor, the sending out of
missionaries to preach the Gospel of life to the nations, and to
this end we have been called upon to provide a fund for their
assistance, and also for the assistance of their families during
their absence from home, that is, such of them as have families
who will be dependent upon the fund. This is an important call,
and one that should be attended to as far as we have the means to
comply with the requisition. Not only has this matter been laid
before us, but we must remember George A.'s sermon, in which he
was so emphatic in regard to raising hemp and making ourselves
hemp coats to prevent our being placed in as bad, if not a worse
condition than our natives are at the present time in these
mountains.
157
With all these matters before us, it really seems as if there
would be plenty of business for us all, that is, if we are
attentive to the requirements of the Priesthood. Let me say
further, that if we task our energies to the utmost of our
capacity, there will then be no troubles from without. It does
seem that every nerve has got to be stretched and every possible
means within our power used for the building up of the kingdom of
God. We shall be required to employ ourselves indefatigably for
the promotion of truth, for the strengthening of the stakes of
Zion; and then if there be no more strength remaining for us to
defend ourselves against the pitiless foe, then, I say, if all
our means, ability and powers are exerted to build up the kingdom
which the Almighty has established, he will say, "Let them alone,
they have enough to bear; their sacrifices and labors are
accepted." If we do not do this and neglect to comply with the
requirements made of us, perhaps the surplus strength which we
possess may be called into requisition by an enemy from without.
This is an item worth remembering by all Saints.
157
Now, here is a Tabernacle to be built, and what argument shall I
need to urge in its favor. Here are to-day I do not know how many
thousands of people exposed to the wind and dust under this
Bowery, and at this early season of the year we are very liable
to have rain or snow. Not only so, but the winter, although only
just passed, may be said to be again approaching, and in that
season of the year we have representatives coming from all parts
of the Territory to legislate for the good of the community, and
to have their feelings cemented together by the power of the Holy
Spirit, to be instructed themselves in the important duties of
their callings, then to return to their several and respective
localities and labor to edify the Saints and to keep them posted
up with regard to the things required of them.
158
It is important that we have a comfortable place to meet in, and
I hope the brethren will bear in mind the necessity there is for
having this building erected. Now, here with us there is
everything to be considered that is requisite to make life
comfortable; and while upon this point let me ask you one thing,
or, in other words, present a figure to you. I will suppose that
we are standing by a large dock, and while there we see a ship
out at sea, and she has sprung a-leak, and the pumps are playing
to endeavor to keep her afloat, but she is going down, and there
are lots of women and children, and they are crying out, "For
Heaven's sake, save us, we are going down." Now, if those on
shore would not fly to the rescue, but would allow that ship,
with her passengers and crew, to go down, their cries unheard,
what would all the world say of such inhumanity? They would say,
"You are a set of unfeeling wretches." Well, now, on the other
hand, supposing that we should employ every means in our power
and get all the help we could, and thereby save those unfortunate
creatures and bring them safely to shore, what would they say?
Why, they would say, "You have done well, you have done nobly in
rescuing falling and sinking humanity and bringing them to land."
What is that sinking ship of which I figuratively speak? Why, it
is old Babylon, and she is fast sinking through the leak, and the
parties interested may rig all the pumps and employ all the hands
they can to work them, but she is sinking, sinking; and who are
those that are crying for deliverance, who are chained by
afflictions, bound by poverty and confined to the sinking ship,
and whose cries are ascending up to God for their deliverance?
Well, it says in the old Prophets, "There shall be saviors come
up upon Mount Zion;" and if this be so, we have to save the
world, for we have the character and reputation of professing to
be those saviors spoken of.
158
Babylon the Great is that ship of distress of which I have been
speaking, and many of the passengers thereon are crying, "For
God' sake, deliver us." And if we can supply the place of boats
with wagons and teams, the passengers can be brought home in
security. Then, instead of applying the oar, let the teamsters be
in readiness with the necessary fitout; let the wagons be in
order, and, to the best of our ability, let us supply those who
are going on this mission with the necessary comforts of life. If
we cannot do this as well as we would, let us do the best we can.
Our business is to build up the kingdom of God, and we should
each do what we can for its accomplishment. I have been on board
of ships a great deal, and probably I feel the weight of this
figure more than those who have not had this experience.
158
I will suppose an individual case; for instance, here is a man,
his wife and three children on board a vessel that has sprung a
leak. This man has a good deal of money and other property on
board, and he discovers that the vessel is fast letting in water,
and the man says, "O, my wife; O, my children: my wife and
children and my money will all go down together;" with such a
family, under such circumstances, such an ordeal is terrible.
Now, in such a case as this, a man loses all that he has got; his
money, his wife, his children and his all.
158
Now, we will try this case on the other hand. Supposing the ship
to be in a dangerous condition, and the man, with thought as
quick as lightning, says, "Money, take care of thyself; wife and
children, let us do the best we can to save ourselves." With this
he pulls off his coat and stuffs it into the hole where the
leakage is, and by this and other means does all he can to stop
the ship from sinking. By taking this course he manifests an
independence of character, a fortitude and a determination to
live, and thereby saves the ship and many of its passengers. The
ship is hauled into port, and the man says, "I have lost all, but
I have saved all."
158
In regard to building up and embellishing the kingdom of God and
preparing the way for the coming of the Son of Man, let me ask is
there anything we will not be willing to sacrifice for its
accomplishment? I believe not, for those that make the sacrifice
will be crowned with laurels of honor, they will be sanctified
among the angels, and be pointed at as the ones that have held
out the hand of deliverance to the poor and oppressed Saints. But
says one, "I withheld my cattle and my means when called upon;
they dwindled, they pined away, others were stolen, and thus I
lost them all. I wish I had them now; I wish I could have done
something that would have been spoken of as honorable by the
sanctified ones; but now, poor, penurious, wretched soul that I
am, I have wasted my substance; I have wasted it and lavished it
upon the pleasures of life, and, alas! I have no inheritance in
the kingdom of God."
159
Brethren and sisters, let us build a Temple, let us build the
Tabernacle, and then we shall feel as comfortable as I
anticipated we should when I heard George A. speaking of it.
159
I feel thankful for the privilege and honor of standing before
you. I know that our religion is true; I know that it came from
heaven, and I know that in these days it is as it was spoken by
the Prophets of old, "Touch not mine anointed, neither do my
Prophets any harm." Why not? it may be asked. Simply because they
will have the management of your affairs by and bye, and they
will bring the blush upon your face, should any of you interfere
with them now. Be wise, therefore, and be instructed, ye judges
of the earth; "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry with thee and thou
perish on the way."
159
I would merely add that we have the mouth-piece of the Almighty
with us, and it speaks to the nations and to the people of the
whole world. Go where you will to find the word of God,
circumscribe the universe, and where will you find a man that can
stand up and say, "Thus saith the Lord God Almighty?" You may
search the world over, and you will not find one; but here are
men having responsibility pertaining to the kingdom of God. In
the world you may find men of eloquence, strength and refinement;
but can you find that peculiar leaven of righteousness that is
here? No, gentlemen; corruption stalks abroad in the land, and
the tempter stands forth presenting to the unwary all the
allurements which lead to the abominations of Great Babylon.
Could I speak with the voice of an angel, I would say that God
has spoken from the heavens through his servants in the last
days, and that here is the mouthpiece of the Most High, ready to
instruct, to correct and to impart the principles of eternal life
to every inquiring soul. Inquire, then, for it is not too late
yet; to obey is life everlasting; in this Church is peace and
happiness, and out of it misery and woe.
159
God bless the Saints for ever, and God bless all that bless them
and all that feel to sustain the servants of the living God. Let
the blessings of everlasting peace be with them, which is my
prayer in the name of Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Charles C. Rich, April 7, 1863
Charles C. Rich, April 7, 1863
BUILDING THE TEMPLE.--GENERAL DUTIES OF THE SAINTS.
Remarks by Elder Charles C. Rich, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1863.
Reported by J. V. Long.
160
I can truly say that I have been very much interested in the
remarks made by the brethren who have addressed us during this
Conference, thus far, for the speakers have all treated upon
subjects that are calculated to interest us as a people. All
people that I have been acquainted with interest themselves in
something, and so it is with us, we interest ourselves in such
subjects as are most congenial to our feelings and dispositions,
and the subjects that have been brought up before us for our
consideration are subjects that we cannot pass by with
indifference and do ourselves justice. If we look at these
improvements that are before us in a point of light that would be
selfish, as the world generally do, and think that we will
benefit others more than we do ourselves, and that we must have
an eye single to the almighty dollar and work for own glory, we
shall make ourselves the most miserable beings upon this earth,
and we shall have nobody to blame but our own dear selves. But if
we do that which is pointed out for us to do, having an eye
single to the welfare and advancement of the kingdom of God upon
the earth, we shall all the time be doing that which is and will
hereafter be for our best good in this life and in that which is
to come.
160
If we desire to obtain the blessings of the Almighty in a Temple
prepared for that purpose; if we esteem these blessings to be of
any importance, and if we do not feel to do without them, what
should be our policy and course in such a matter? Why, I should
say, let us build the Temple, in which we may receive our
blessings from the Almighty. We have no interest with other
people; we have a separate community, and our interests are our
own; then let us build the Temple.
160
What shall I say in regard to the Tabernacle? We can see at once
that we can enjoy the comforts of a new Tabernacle; we need the
blessings of such a house at the present time. If we put it off,
when will it be built? When that house is built we can then enjoy
the benefits and blessings which it will afford. The same
principle may be applied to everything we take in hand and with
which we have to do, whether it be to build a Temple, a
Tabernacle, to send teams to the frontiers to gather the poor, or
to do any other work that is required of us. Nothing that is
required will be performed until we go to work and do something
ourselves. We have no other people to lean upon, and, therefore,
it remains for us to go to work and perform well our part.
161
In one respect we are highly favored; that is, we can have
pointed out to us the work that should be performed and that will
be acceptable in the sight of our heavenly Father. All the works
that he requires us to perform are for our benefit and salvation.
Then, seeing that this is the case, cannot we perform cheerfully
that which is laid upon us? I think we should take courage and do
all we do with a cheerful heart. The Work in which we are engaged
is to prepare us and to exalt us to enjoy the blessings that are
promised to the righteous in this world and in that which is to
come.
161
This is the view that I take of these matters, and I believe that
it is the view generally entertained by all good brethren and
sisters. Then let us go on cheerfully and harmoniously,
remembering that we are free to do good, but that when one party
moves in one way and another in a different one, that produces
division.
161
We are a people that profess to be the people of God; and, if we
are, we cannot be divided, for his people are always one, and if
we are one, of course we will act upon the principle of oneness,
and in all things do as we are directed, working for that which
will be for our best good both for the present time and for the
future. I know very well that there are a great many people who
speculate in regard to the future and calculate what is to take
place; but, so afar as we are concerned, it should satisfy us to
understand the duties of the present. We cannot reasonably,
without assuming new responsibilities, know the truth any faster
than we are ready to believe and willing to perform it. If we
knew and understood the labors required of us to-day, that is
sufficient for us to know; then, if we are ready and willing on
our part to perform, that is all that is requisite and all that
will be required. Then, I will say to one and all, let us be
awake to our own interests and welfare, and ever be ready to
perform the work that is necessary to be done for the building up
of the kingdom of God, and we shall never be sorry for having
taken the industrious part, but if we have any fault to find, it
will be for not having done more in the work of righteousness. In
order that we may have no regret of this kind, let us be awake to
the labors and duties of to-day. I know very well that there are
some people that never get it into their minds, they do not seem
to comprehend that they can perform as much as they really can.
When we look at the history of men in ages that are past and
gone, we can see that there were men called at many times to
perform important works that had but little ability; but we also
see that if they put that little ability into exercise and
labored as faithfully as they could, they were enabled to bring
about much righteousness. We want the same feeling and influence
with us, then we can perform the works that are required of us,
and do what we do cheerfully and with a good heart and in that
manner which will be acceptable in the sight of High Heaven, and
in this way we shall prosper in all our laudable undertakings,
and we shall receive the blessing of our heavenly Father and the
approbation of all good men.
162
From the time this Church and kingdom was established upon the
earth to the present day, we have never been at a loss to know
what to do; but we have, at all times and under all
circumstances, had the path of duty made plain unto us and our
individual line of duty marked out unto us; and whenever we have
taken the counsel given, we have been prospered and made happy,
while those that have take a contrary course have met with
disappointment and been thereby rendered very unhappy. We are all
probationers, passing through a state of trial; but still there
is a labor that we can perform in this probationary existence
that will aid in the rolling forth and building up of the kingdom
of God, and we can thereby obtain the blessings that pertain to
that kingdom.
162
We are all looking forward to a time when we shall receive in
that Temple that is to be built, but which we do not expect to
see finished for a short time to come, all the blessings of
endowments and Priesthood that have been promised unto the
faithful. We are called upon to engage in this all-important
work; and while we are laboring at this, let us consider well the
endowments that we have so much need of between this and the time
the Temple of our God is finished and made ready for the
additional outpouring of the Spirit of the Most High. If we do
not gain experience and obtain the necessary endowments as we
pass along, we shall find ourselves very poorly prepared for the
great and glorious endowments that are to be received in that
Temple. If we do not prepare ourselves, those endowments, if we
are permitted to receive them at all, will be not better for us
than the endowments given to some in Nauvoo--that is, they will
prove a curse instead of a blessing.
162
For one, I feel to rejoice in the blessings of peace that we
enjoy and in the union and fellowship of the Holy Spirit which
prevails in the midst of this people, and I know that these good
fruits which are amongst us grow out of those glorious principles
we have embraced. We are united in the truth, and it is by the
truth that we are kept together and that this oneness is made to
abide with us continually; and it is this truth and the Spirit
thereof that leads us in the right direction. By this Spirit we
are led in the way of peace, of salvation and of happiness, while
principles that are adopted by the world do not bring with them
salvation.
162
I have noticed in my experience with this people that the
principles of our faith, revealed through the Prophet Joseph,
produce joy and peace such as the world cannot give, for our
principles bring with them present salvation, and all the
principles of the Gospel that have been and that are to be
revealed do and will continue to bring a present salvation.
162
This is the way to be saved, and if we continue to act upon this
principle all the time we shall obtain salvation in this world
and in that which is to come. It makes very little difference to
the faithful Saint whether he be called to labor in this world or
in the world of spirits, so that he embrace and live by those
principles that will bring a present deliverance from bondage and
sin and produce within our own bosoms peace and happiness.
162
We are blessed with the power to know the right way, for we have
around us and in our midst those men that can point out to us the
course to be pursued in order to secure life and light, and to
obtain the blessings promised by the practice of the truth. We
wish to be freed from the error and from the evils of the world,
in order that we may be happy in this life and prepare ourselves
for glory and exaltation in the life which is to come.
163
There is one thing that is positive and certain, and that is,
that it will require some labor and exertion on our part in order
to secure the great blessings that pertain to the kingdom of our
God. We must, therefore, reflect and apply our minds and our
energies to the acquirement of knowledge, or we shall not receive
the promised treasures. I repeat, we must apply our minds to the
principles of life if we ever expect to obtain their benefits and
blessings. I have often thought that there were a great many
people who thought too much of other matters; their minds seem to
be upon gold and silver and worldly riches, instead of devoting
their time to the obtaining of that eternal store of knowledge
which is necessary for every man and woman to enjoy who are
preparing for the society of the sanctified. The principles of
life that we are being taught are better than the gold that can
be found in the mines, for they will teach us the way of
salvation, and by observing them we shall be made to partake of
the benefits and blessings that flow from them.
163
If our minds are led to look at matters in this light, our
thoughts and feelings will be to obtain the richest treasure
there is within our reach, and when we obtain that treasure it
will be the means of doing away with the evil that is in the
world. If there was no evil amongst mankind there would be no
corruption to encounter; therefore, let us practice the principle
of truth and thereby do away with the influence and power of
evil. Let us learn and thoroughly digest the principles of truth,
and then we shall be blessed with all those choice and desirable
blessings which flow from obedience to the pure and holy
principles we practice.
163
Now, that each one of us who profess to be Saints may be ready to
do these things in faith and full assurance of having a part in
the first resurrection, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Heber
C. Kimball, April 6, 1863
Heber C. Kimball, April 6, 1863
BUILDING THE TEMPLE.--ENDOWMENTS.--COUNSEL TO MISSIONARIES, ETC.
Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1863.
Reported by J. V. Long.
163
Brethren and sisters, I perceive that the wind is blowing so very
strong that it will be very difficult for the loudest speakers to
make you all hear, and, therefore, I shall have to depend upon
the stillness of the congregation. Then, again, I must have faith
and we must all have faith together, and, therefore, let that
faith come up before the Lord our God as the faith of one man,
and if that faith is concentrated we shall obtain what we desire.
Jesus says, "Ask what ye will and it shall be given unto you." My
prayer is that the winds may cease for a little while that I may
be able to speak so that you can all hear.
164
I remember, when I was crossing the ocean in company with
President Young, it seemed as if all creation had combined to
bring together the most boisterous elements, for the wind blew
most furiously and brother Parley actually thought the ship was
going down before we got out of the Irish Channel. The wind drove
us away from our proper course towards the north of Ireland, and
we were really afraid that the bulwarks would be blown and beaten
off.
164
Brother Wells has been laying before you, in much plainness (and
you know I delight in plainness,) the practical items of business
which are necessary to be attended to. When a man speaks plainly
of his views and sentiments and the items of business that he has
to lay before this people, it pleases me. Brother Wells is the
Superintendent of Public Works, and I can truly say that what he
has laid before the congregation is true. I see these things of
which he has been speaking; I understand them, and am sorry a
great many times because of the things I see and hear. I am aware
that a great many of this people do not realize their
responsibilities; many of them do not seem to know that they have
anything to do, any further than to take care of themselves, and
in many instances that is done very poorly. The people are too
careless, and, consequently, never think that there is anything
for them to do; but it is just as much the duty of each one of
you, whether Elders or members, to put forth your hands, to use
your means and your influence for the building up of the kingdom
of God, as it is mine or President Young's, or any other member
there is in the Church.
164
In your prayers, you say, "O God the Eternal Father, bless
President Young, bless his counsellors and the Twelve Apostles;
give them power to bear off this kingdom in triumph over all its
enemies." This is the nature, if not the precise form of the
prayers that most of you offer up to our Heavenly Father. But,
notwithstanding this, there are those who act as if they thought
the First Presidency could do all the work and bear all the
responsibility; but this is not the fact, for we can all do
something towards the accomplishment of so great a work. How far
can the Presidency of this Church bear off this kingdom? Why,
they can only do that which devolves upon them; they can only do
their share the same as any other persons.
164
If you will reflect for a moment, brethren and sisters, you will
see it is one of the easiest things in the world for us to build
that Temple. Here are the men who understand quarrying and
cutting the rock, and laying them up; then, what do we want else?
Why, says one, we want the means; what will the Temple cost?
Never mind what the entire cost will be; what is required of us
now, is to lay up the walls, and we can do this by our own labor.
Men are wanted to go and quarry the rock; others to haul it to
the Temple block; then others to cut the stone according to
order; then it is the duty of others to raise the grain, the
beef, the pork, to make the clothing, and, in fact, supply
everything that is necessary to sustain those men that are called
to work upon the Temple.
165
I have sometimes taken the liberty of speaking about men that
work on the Public Work, and I have said that they did not earn
more than about one-half of what was paid to them. They say, in
reply, if we do not do right, why not call us up before the
Bishops of our Wards? We have known and now know men that have
been grumbling ever since they were upon the Public Works, and
with them there never is anything right, and it would be but
little use to bring such men before their Bishops. We have a
Presiding Bishop, and President Young and myself are his
Counsellors, and in due time he will deal with such men as I am
speaking of. It is not right for a man to neglect his duty,
whether that duty consists in mechanical work or common labor,
for it is the business of every man and woman to do all they can
to advance this great Work. It is for the advantage of the people
individually as well as collectively. Then let us go to work and
build up this kingdom to the utmost of our ability; let us build
a Temple wherein to receive our further blessings.
165
There are but few here who received the endowment that was given
in the Temple at Kirtland; many of those who did receive it are
dead, quite a number are turned away, for the apostacy was very
great in those days considering the number of the people, hence
there are but few now with us who partook of that endowment.
There are still endowments that were given to a very few in
Nauvoo, and which we do not vie here at present, but which will
be given to the faithful when that Temple is finished, if not
before.
165
How do you think we went to work when we were building the Temple
in Kirtland? I could enter into the particulars, but let it
suffice for me to say that the Lord gave a revelation, calling
upon all the strength of his house to go up to Missouri to redeem
Zion and reinstate our brethren upon their own lands. To use a
plain expression, we raked the United States from one end to the
other wherever there was a man that belonged to the Church, and
we gathered up all the strength of the Lord's house, and every
one of us went, except perhaps a dozen old gentlemen who were not
able to travel, and there were a few went up that were over
sixty, and I do not know but a few that were over seventy.
[President B. Young: I think there was one or two of the brethren
seventy years of age.] While we were absent on that Mission, the
sisters went to work and made stockings, pantaloons and jackets,
and when we came back they put in those various articles of
clothing for the benefit of the men that went to work on the
Temple, and this was a universal thing with the sisters. Now,
what have you done that you should be released from care and from
putting forth your dollars, your pairs of socks, your shirts, or
any other kinds of wearing apparel or bedding that are required
for those men who are called to work upon the Temple? Are you
excused from these things, ladies and gentlemen? No, you are not;
we went forth and did our duty, both male and female, and the
same is required of you.
166
We went and performed that journey, travelled two thousand miles
in a little over three months. We walked forty miles per day when
we were not hindered, we walked the entire journey there and
back. Such as were designated by the Lord were permitted to
return home to their families, but the single men were told by
the Prophet to go and preach the Gospel in the country round
about. When we arrived in Kirtland, Joseph said, "Come, brethren,
let us go into the stone-quarry and work for the Lord." And the
Prophet went himself, in his tow frock and tow breeches, and
worked at quarrying stone like the rest of us. Then, every
Saturday we brought out every team to draw stone to the Temple,
and so we continued until that house was finished; and our wives
were all the time knitting, spinning and sewing, and, in fact, I
may say doing all kinds of work; they were just as busy as any of
us, and I say that those women have borne the heat and burden of
those early and trying days and God will bless them for evermore.
And besides all this, they have stepped forward and done the
works of Sarah, and the first men of this Church have done the
works of Abraham, and they will inherit the earth with them when
it is redeemed and cleansed from sin. I feel to bless all such
men and women, and pray my Heavenly Father to bless them in all
things that will be for their good and for the honor and glory of
his holy name.
166
I feel that the Spirit of the Lord is here and that we shall have
a good Conference and a happy and joyous time together.
166
Brethren, do not forget to come on with your teams to haul the
rock for the Temple as well as your teams to gather the poor.
166
Then, in regard to this new Tabernacle that we contemplate
building, if you will take hold with us we design that you shall
have the privilege of meeting in it next winter. According to the
plan which is already designed, it will be larger than this
concern which is polled over our heads here, and when complete it
will have the advantage of both comfort and convenience for a
large congregation, neither of which are afforded by this Bowery
in stormy weather. Then let us step forward and do our duty as
men of God. And if a sister says, "Can I do anything to help to
roll on the Work of God," I say, yes you can assist if you
choose; you can pull off your jewels, take your ornaments out of
your hair, your earrings; you can knit some stockings and get
some cotton and make some shirts or anything of the kind. Will
such works as these advance the kingdom? Yes, they will help
considerably. To another sister who asks if she can assist in the
good work, I will say, yes, take some of the children of those
that labor on the Temple and teach them how to read and write and
how to sew. Then let another sister say, "I will wash for the men
on the Temple."
166
I make these remarks to rouse up your minds in relation to the
Temple. Have you not had your endowments, sisters, and been
sealed to your husbands? Yes, many of you have, and now let me
ask if there is anything more than what you have received, any
further ordinances to be received? Yes, lots of them. There were
but a hundred and thirty who received a part in advance of the
ordinances of endowment that were revealed by the Prophet Joseph.
Bless you, it will be one endowment after another till we pass
through the vail into the other world, and until we have passed
all the ordeals requisite to prepare us to enter into celestial
glory and exaltation.
166
If the Lord should come to visit his people, where has he got a
place to stay and rest himself while he communicates his will to
his sons and daughters? That man that has engaged and is working
for the accomplishment of such a great design as this is, to
prepare a place that will be fit and suitable for the Almighty to
dwell in for a short time when he comes to visit his servants,
ought to feel highly honored and favored of the Almighty.
166
When remarking upon the building of the Temple, brother Wells
said they who had worked upon the Temple had received their pay,
and I can say more than this, I know of quite a number that are
in debt and they are the ones, generally, that find so much
fault. The brethren should think of these things, and for the
future strive to be Saints in very deed. Let us all honor our
calling, keep sacred and holy our covenants before the Lord.
167
To refer again to what I know, what I have seen and experienced
in my travels and my associations with the Prophet of the living
God, I will remark that you have here with you a few of us that
have travelled with him from the beginning, and we know his
trials and sufferings, and we know that the greatest torment he
had and the greatest mental suffering was because this people
would not live up to their privileges. There were many things he
desired to reveal that we have not learned yet, but he could not
do it. He said sometimes that he felt pressed upon and as though
he were pent up in an acorn shell, and all because the people did
not and would not prepare themselves to receive the rich
treasures of wisdom and knowledge that he had to impart. He could
have revealed a great many things that we could not receive
because we lacked that diligence and faithfulness that were
necessary to entitle us to those choice things of the kingdom. He
revealed the doctrine of celestial marriage, and the abuse of
this holy principle caused many to stumble and fall away from the
Church of the living God, but that was their own fault and they
have nobody else to blame.
168
Now, I will turn my remarks to the brethren whose names will be
called to go on missions. We want them to get ready as quick as
possible, and to go direct to their missions as fast as the
teams, railroad cars and steamships will take them, so that they
can do some good. And we want brethren who remain here to hand
over your "greenbacks" to help the Missionary Fund, and we have
no objection to taking those merchants' "shinplasters," I suppose
they are worth fifty cents on the dollar, and we will also take
your gold and silver if we can get any. I do not want of your
money, but the Missionaries do and the families of those that are
already on missions need help from that fund, and we want to
clothe them decently and make them feel happy during the absence
of their husbands and fathers. We are going to call upon young
men that have no families this time, and we want them to go and
preach by the power of God. We want them to learn to be men, to
put away their boyish actions and trust in the living God whom we
serve. They will not do this while they stay here to that extent
that they will if we send them abroad. We want to send them out
into the world among strangers--to place them, as it were, in the
midst of a strange ocean where there is no bottom, and you all
know there is little danger of a ship that is out at sea when it
gets beyond the rocks, but when in the channels and near to the
shore there is great danger, and it is with our sons; and,
therefore, in order to depend upon the Lord and upon the guidance
of his Spirit, we send them into the world to preach the Gospel.
Is it not better for your sons to be placed in circumstances
where they will have to call upon the Almighty, than it is to
allow them to remain here where they are under the droppings of
the sanctuary and are continually receiving the counsel of their
earthly fathers? You could not confer a greater blessing upon
them than to send them into the vineyard of the Lord. It would
delight my soul to see my sons and the sons of my brethren
following in the footsteps of their fathers. I will also say that
it is the greatest blessing that can be conferred upon the
mothers in Israel to have their daughters connected to men of
this kind. Such mothers will bring forth sons and daughters that
will be a crown of glory to their parents for ever. Some of you
would ask, "Would you go, brother Heber?" Just try it. Remember I
have been there twenty-six years ago, and then I went again a
second time, and I can truly say that those were the happiest
days of my life. Here are hundreds in this Territory who have
seen me in England as happy as an angel, preaching and baptizing
for the remission of sins all those who believed and repented
before God, and they saw me laying hands on the people for the
reception of the Holy Ghost, and every good man will bear me
witness that the Spirit of the Lord was with me. Let me say to
those young men and to all Israel, live so as to respect
yourselves just as your leaders have done, and then you are just
as sure of salvation as we are that we are here to-day.
168
My remarks upon this subject are intended for the Elders.
Brethren, do not yield to temptation, but live pure and holy
before the Lord. Now, all the Elders who are in favor of carrying
out of the counsel that is given, let them say yes. (Loud
response of "Yes.")
168
We want to feed the wives and children of those that are gone on
missions, as well as to assist those that are now going. We want
pork, beef, eggs and butter and all kinds of clothing, and do not
forget to bring on your wood and everything that is necessary to
make families comfortable. Now, do you not see, by complying with
this instruction, you are helping to preach the Gospel as well as
those that go abroad for that express purpose? And how blessed
are the women that step forth to help to build the Temple of our
God! I can see women in this congregation to-day that would have
sold all they had to help to build the Temple in Kirtland, and
for this they are and will be blest, for the Lord loves a willing
heart and an obedient spirit.
168
Brethren and sisters, do you know this to be the Church of Jesus
Christ? Do you know this positively for yourselves? If you do,
remember your duties, be faithful before God and your brethren,
and prosperity and peace will attend you.
168
We want the families of those who are on missions to be supplied
with the necessaries and comforts of life, and we do not want the
Elders to beg from the poor that are scattered among the nations.
We who first went did not have this done for us, but the
circumstances are different now. We went to preach without purse
or scrip, and there were men around who were ever ready to strip
our families of what little they did possess; some of them are
now dead. We went forth almost sick unto death to preach the
Gospel, and when we called on the brethren in Kirtland they would
not give us a cent, because we were sick and looked pale and they
said it was because the curse of God was upon us. They will have
to reap the reward of that some day, while those who were kind to
us will be rewarded of the Lord and be blessed with an exaltation
in the kingdom of our God if they continue faithful. It was
designed once in Nauvoo to raise a subscription for us, but
Joseph said, "You shall not have a cent of it; you must go and
make your own way;" but now the time is come when the Gospel is
to be preached to all nations, and that, too, more quickly than
it has ever been before, and it is the word of the Lord that we
shall sustain the ministry at home.
168
We went and preached the Gospel in London--that is, President
Young and myself; we established the Work there, and we never
asked the people for a penny. We paid off debts amounting to some
two hundred pounds and we emigrated hundreds of people out of our
own funds, circulating the Book of Mormon among the people and
did many other things that were necessary for the advancement of
the kingdom of God.
169
We travelled with the Prophet Joseph when we were poor and
penniless many times, and when we were sick, and we wept like
children; but we called upon our Father and our God to strengthen
us, and he did so by the power of his Spirit. Some men laid down
and died on the way, and brother Taylor almost died once or twice
in the ordeals through which he had to pass. I might also refer
to the trials consequent upon the introduction of the doctrine of
plurality of wives, but the time is about expired, and,
therefore, I will defer it till some other time. When we have
passed through trials and privations of this life, we shall be
exalted to enjoy that happiness which is promised to the people
of God; and when that time comes many of you that have had such
easy times will be sorry that you have not passed through more.
169
Brethren, I want to tell you that my blessing and the blessing of
the God of Israel are upon this land, and these blessings shall
continue unto this people for ever. This land shall prove a
blessing unto them but a curse unto the wicked, and the
evil-doers shall not have pleasure here at all but the curse of
God shall be upon them. And I will further say, in regard to the
man that was sent here to rule over us, let the curse of God be
upon him from this day forth and for ever, unless he repents.
169
Now, brethren, be prepared when the call is made to hand over
your money, your shoes and whatever is called for that will be
useful to put into the hands of those women and children whose
husbands and fathers are preaching the Gospel to a dark and
benighted world. Let us subscribe and put into this fund all that
is necessary and we shall all be blessed together.
169
I feel to bless all Israel, wherever they may be in the remotest
parts of the earth, and I say, let us continue to increase in
everything that is good and heavenly from this time henceforth
and for ever. This is my prayer, in the name of Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, May 24, 1863
Brigham Young, May 24, 1863
HOW AND BY WHOM ZION IS TO BE BUILT.--SANCTIFICATION.--GENERAL
DUTIES OF THE SAINTS.
Remarks by President Young, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, May 24, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
170
I am thankful for the privilege of meeting with you here this
morning, and I pray that we may all be able to properly
appreciate the blessings we enjoy in the many opportunities we
have of worshiping the Lord our God in peace and quietude.
170
Two weeks ago this day, we met with the people in the city of St.
George, situated in what is called "Mormon Dixie." Our
congregations there were nearly as large as the congregations
that commonly meet in this Tabernacle. We met a great many
familiar faces, and for a moment we could have almost imagined
ourselves in Great Salt Lake City.
170
Our southern journey has been one of great satisfaction to me,
more so, I think, than any journey I have formerly taken to visit
the Saints in this Territory.
170
Until this year brother Kimball has not been further south with
me than Harmony. He could not refrain from speaking in fervent
terms of the good spirit that was manifested through the
thousands of cheerful countenances that were uplifted in the
settlements to greet us as we passed along. This, and numerous
other indications and manifestations in their cordial greetings,
bespeak a great improvement in the moral and physical condition
of the people. We cannot be deceived in coming to this
conclusion, for whoever enjoys the light of truth and has so
lived as to increase the Spirit of truth within himself can
testify to the workings of that Spirit upon the hearts, the
understanding and works of the Saints generally. I speak for
myself; I am sensible of the increase of the knowledge and Spirit
of God within myself. This being the case with myself, I can
easily realize the increase of the same Spirit in my brethren.
This is a matter of great joy and rejoicing to me and my
brethren. I do not think that brother Kimball attended one
meeting where he did not express his thankfulness because of the
improvement visible among the Latter-day Saints.
170
It would take some time to give you a detailed account of our
journey. The Deseret News correspondent has, through the paper,
given you a pretty fair account of our travels, and what of
interest has not already been laid before the public will appear
in due time. I do not deem it necessary to make lengthy
statements touching our journey south. Suffice it to say that in
the short space of thirty days we travelled some eight hundred
and fifty miles and held thirty-nine meetings. I spoke in all the
meetings except one, speaking comforting and encouraging words to
the people. I believe that brother Kimball spoke in nearly all
the meetings we held during our journey.
171
It would be a source of great joy to me if I could speak of all
the Latter-day Saints in the same terms of commendation that I
can of a few. As people increase in the knowledge of God and
godliness their joy will increase, though some seem to think that
knowledge does not produce joy, peace and glory. So far as my
experience has taught me, the knowledge of God possessed by
persons of good understanding gives great satisfaction and joy,
not only under ordinary circumstances but far more in the midst
of deepest affliction. Where the spirit of happy submission to
the providences of God is not to be found, I conclude at once
that there is a lack of the knowledge of God, pertaining to his
purposes and designs regarding his people individually and
collectively. As a people advance in the knowledge of God, joy
will increase with them, and, whether in bonds or free, they can
behold the goodness, the mercy and the long-suffering of God to
the workmanship of his hands. If we could understand ourselves,
our own organization, the great plan of the heavens, and the
attributes with which we are endowed, exercising them to
accomplish the purpose for which they were placed within us, we
could be constantly happy in every circumstance and under every
providence of God in which we may be placed. Let our minds once
be opened to behold only in part the handiworks of God, the
stupendous machinery of the heavens and the earth, the power by
which all things are sustained, the harmony that pervades all the
works of God's hands, distributing his favors to all impartially,
causing his sun to shine on the just and unjust, then can we be
happy, indeed, in every changing scene and shifting circumstance
of life. We are made to enjoy all that God enjoys, to inherit all
he inherits, to possess all the power that he possesses, all the
excellency with which he is endowed--all things are to be brought
into subjection to him by his faithful children, that they may
enjoy all things with him; these considerations bring peace to
the heart that is opened to understanding.
172
Our teachings to the brethren and sisters south have been such as
would meet their circumstances and wants, as our teachings are to
the people here. You can readily understand, without any
particular explanation, that the teachings of the Heavens to men
on earth have, I may say, a certain amount of sameness, varying
as the providences of God vary. He instructs people according to
their circumstances, locations, wants and the dispensations in
which they live. We have not preached faith, repentance, baptism
for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the
reception of the Holy Ghost with the gifts and powers of the
Gospel, &c.; but we have taught them how to build up a literal
kingdom of God here upon earth. The first principles of the
Gospel have been taught this people in the countries from whence
they have been gathered, the ordinances of the Gospel have been
administered to them, and in this they have experienced great
joy, but they were, at the same time, taught to gather to Zion
where they might be instructed how to live one with another
without sinning, how to overcome every evil propensity in their
nature, how to rise in the morning, how to take care of and
sustain their bodies through the day, how to go to rest at night,
how to feel one towards another and towards their God; not to
bring heaven down, not to unvail the beauties and glories of the
upper world, not to unvail the face of Him who sits upon the
throne, whose face we could not behold in our present state and
live, but to make heaven here by teaching the husband how to live
and deal with his wife or wives, with his sons and with his
daughters; by teaching the wife how to live with and treat her
husband and her children, and the husband, wife and children how
to live with their neighbors, that all anger and malice and all
sin may be overcome by the people and never again gain mastery
over them. These are the mysteries that belong to the kingdom of
God upon the earth; as to the mysteries pertaining to the Father
and the Son, to angels, and to the powers of the heavens and the
fulness of the glory of Zion, we shall learn in good time.
172
Tradition has taught us that the great purpose of religion is to
prepare people to die; that when they have passed through a
change of heart, become converted, then they are ready for glory
at any moment and to dwell with the Father and the Son in the
heavens to all eternity. This is a mistake; for they have to
improve, become substantially changed from bad to good, from sin
to holiness, here or somewhere else, before they are prepared for
the society they anticipate enjoying. They would not be nearly so
well prepared for the society of the sanctified in heaven as a
person brought up in the lowest classes of society would be
prepared to properly present and conduct himself among the
highest and most polished grades of mankind. Those who are
counted worthy to dwell with the Father and the Son have
previously received an education fitting them for that society;
they have been made fully acquainted with every pass-word, token
and sign which have enabled them to pass by the porters through
the doors into the celestial kingdom. We have been traditioned to
think that to rise up and speak in a meeting is to bear the cross
of Christ. How often we have been exhorted to take up our cross
by telling our experience before our brethren? This is but a
small part of the experience and labor of the faithful Saint. I
will prove you and try you, saith the Lord, by placing you in the
most abject circumstances you can be placed in; I will surround
you with your enemies, expose you to their derisive laugh, to the
finger of scorn and to the hatred of the wicked, then will I see
whether you will acknowledge me and bear your cross manfully. All
this and more has to be taught the people in Zion. They must
learn there how to sanctify themselves and become steadfast in
the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.
172
We have taught the brethren, during our southern trip, what
pertains to their every-day life, just as we teach you. We want
all the Latter-day Saints to understand how to build up Zion. The
City of Zion, in beauty and magnificence, will outstrip anything
that is now known upon the earth. The curse will be taken from
the earth and sin and corruption will be swept from its face. Who
will do this great work? Is the Lord coming here to convert the
people, and then drown the whole of them as the Catholic priest
served the Jew? No. Is he going to convince the people that he
will redeem the centre stake of Zion, beautify it and then place
them there without any exertion on their part? No. He will not
come here to build a Temple, a Tabernacle, a Bowery, or to set
out fruit trees, make aprons of fig leaves or coats of skins, or
work in brass and iron, for we already know how to do these
things. He will not come here to teach us how to raise and
manufacture cotton, how to make hand cards, how to card, how to
make spinning machines, looms, &c., &c. We have to build up Zion,
if we do our duty.
173
In the first place, we have to become sanctified; and I may here
say that our views of sanctification differ very much from the
views held by some of the popular sects of the day, for they
think that sanctification consists in shutting the door and
securely bolting it against fulfilling the first commandment that
God gave to our first parents. I will put my own definition to
the term sanctification, and say it consists in overcoming every
sin and bringing all into subjection to the law of Christ. God
has placed in us a pure spirit; when this reigns predominant,
without let or hindrance, and triumphs over the flesh and rules
and governs and controls as the Lord controls the heavens and the
earth, this I call the blessing of sanctification. Will sin be
perfectly destroyed? No, it will not, for it is not so designed
in the economy of Heaven.
173
All the Lord has called us to do is to renovate our own hearts,
then our families, extending the principles to neighborhoods, to
the earth we occupy, and so continue until we drive the power of
Satan from the earth and Satan to his own place. That is the work
Jesus is engaged in, and we will be co-workers with him. Do not
suppose that we shall ever in the flesh be free from temptations
to sin. Some suppose that they can in the flesh be sanctified
body and spirit and become so pure that they will never again
feel the effects of the power of the adversary of truth. Were it
possible for a person to attain to this degree of perfection in
the flesh, he could not die neither remain in a world where sin
predominates. Sin has entered into the world, and death by sin. I
think we shall more or less feel the effects of sin so long as we
live, and finally have to pass the ordeals of death. Do not
understand that in the flesh we shall ever overcome the power of
sin to such a degree that we shall never taste death. I do not
look for any such thing, though what we call death, or laying
down this body, is only the door to a higher state of life for
the faithful. If we live our religion it will enable us to so
overcome sin that it will not reign in our mortal bodies but will
become subject to us, and the world and its fulness will become
our servant instead of our master. Those who list to obey sin are
the servants of sin. We should never list to obey that which
corrupts, for in so doing we become servants to corruption. We
should so live as to make the world and all its natural blessings
subservient to our reasonable wants and holy desires.
173
The Latter-day Saints are improving, and I am rejoiced; my heart
is filled with joy on this account. Do they improve in building?
Not as much as they should. Do they improve by manufacturing the
things they need to wear? Not as much as they should. Do they
improve in educating their children? Not as much as they should.
But they improve in their faith and in their love one to another;
they improve in the light of the holy Gospel. The people are
generally improving in these respects, and we are glad of it.
174
Great Salt Lake City is the first established city in the
mountains, and we look for more improvement in the spirit of the
people here than in any other settlement. The Lord expects this
place to advance faster than any other place among all the
settlements of the Latter-day Saints. Do we know how to rise in
the morning? Do we leave our couches in the morning with anger in
our hearts? Do we feel disconsolate, afflicted and oppressed by
the Adversary? We can get rid of all this by going down upon our
knees and praying until we overcome that feeling of discontent
and misery and become kind to our companions and offspring, to
the inmates of our habitation, to our flocks and herds, to our
neighbors and to every creature God has made. We may say that our
work drives us and that we have not time to pray, hardly time to
eat our breakfasts. Then let the breakfasts go, and pray; get
down upon our knees and pray until we are filled with the Spirit
of peace. I may say, my wife is hurrying me and I feel out of
sorts; perhaps I have not had very pleasant dreams, have thought
somebody was abusing me or got angry with somebody in my sleep,
and I rise in the morning tired and feeling unpleasant with
myself and everybody around me: while the Elder who has dreamed
of preaching the Gospel to the nations, of building up Zion and
laboring for the Gospel all night in his mind and feelings, being
filled with the Holy Ghost, rejoices in his sleep; his slumbers
are sweet to him and he rises in the morning filled with the good
Spirit, and with him it is, "God bless you wife, God bless you my
children." He feels to bless his house and his gardens, his
orchards, his flocks and his herds, and everything looks pleasant
to him and he rejoices exceedingly in the works of God's hands.
He cherishes no malice, no anger; the spirit of the enemy has no
place in him. How happy is such a person when compared with the
man who is constantly laboring to amass gold and property, making
this his only end and aim. How the Devil will play with a man who
so worships gain.
174
Let me say to the brethren and sisters, when you are chastened by
any of your leaders, never consider that the enemy does it, but
receive it always as a kindness from the hand of a friend and not
as from an enemy. If your Presidents were your enemies they would
let you alone in your faults. If you are beloved of the Lord you
will be chastened; receive it with joy.
174
We are in one of the strongholds of Zion; let us, therefore, so
live that our days and nights will be pleasant unto us, and never
spend an hour without the light of truth beaming upon our
understandings. I ask my friends who are with me daily, I ask my
family, "When do you see my out of sorts?" You say, "We do not
expect to see you angry, brother Brigham; we do not expect to see
you anything but just right." If you expect to see me just right,
why do you not try with a little more determination to become
just right yourselves? How is it, my brethren and sisters? If I
am expected of our Heavenly Father to live just right, is not the
same expected of you? If I am are you not also in duty bound to
so live as to enjoy the Spirit of truth, light and intelligence?
Are you not under the same obligation to purify your hearts as I
am? If any of the First Presidency or the Twelve should speak an
angry word, you consider it to be very much out of character, but
are you any more privileged to speak angry words or to indulge in
scolding at and quarreling with one another? The First Presidency
have no such privilege, and if they have no such privilege why
should you have? Let each of us begin at home and train
ourselves, gaining the victory over every passion, if we have to
pray one-half of each day until the Spirit of truth reigns within
our hearts.
175
Some think that they should not, if they feel evil in their
hearts, at the same time appear to feel good--that they should
not dissemble in the least. The Devil can quote Scripture in
abundance against hypocrisy. If I did not show anger towards a
brother when I felt it, I should be considered a hypocrite. The
Devil says, do not dissemble, do not carry two faces, do not show
a pleasant countenance when you at the same time feel angry in
your heart. I say, suffer not anger to rise in your countenance,
to speak through your eyes, nor through your organs of speech,
and in this way keep it down until you are free from it, as you
would any other evil. To say that inward evil must outwardly be
made manifest in order to escape the opprobrium of hypocrisy is a
trick of the Devil to cheat men out of the blessings that are in
store for them. By the word hypocrisy I do not here mean a
counterfeiting of religion or goodliness to gain sordid ends, but
to appear good and practise goodness contrary to the promptings
of the evil one or the unregenerated impulses of the human heart.
If the Devil says you cannot pray when you are angry, tell him it
is none of his business, and pray until that species of insanity
is dispelled and serenity is restored to the mind.
175
We are inhabitants of a world of sin and sorrow; pain and
anguish, every ill that can be heaped upon intelligent beings in
a probation we are heirs to. I suppose that God never organized
an earth and peopled it that was ever reduced to a lower state of
darkness, sin and ignorance than this. I suppose this is one of
the lowest kingdoms that ever the Lord Almighty created, and on
that account is capable of becoming exalted to be one of the
highest kingdoms that has ever had an exaltation in all the
eternities. In proportion as it has been reduced so it will be
exalted, with that portion of its inhabitants who in their
humiliation have cleaved to righteousness and acknowledged God in
all things. In proportion as it has been reduced so it will be
exalted, with that portion of its inhabitants who in their
humiliation have cleaved to righteousness and acknowledged God in
all things. In proportion to our fall through sin, so shall we be
exalted in the presence of our Father and God, through Jesus
Christ and by living the righteousness of his Gospel. All this
the people will understand in due time through their
faithfulness, and learn to rejoice even in the midst of
afflictions.
175
We have taught the brethren south to raise flax and cotton and to
put up machinery for manufacturing cloth. We have also taught
them to live so as to ever be at peace and on the best of terms
with each other. Two cases of difficulty, I think, were the only
ones we were called upon to examine. As to High Council and
Bishops' Courts, we have almost forgotten that any such courts
exist. Why is this? Because we are continually importuning the
brethren to faithfully live their religion and not let a few
dimes and dollars or a little mistake infringe upon the
fellowship of one with another. Perhaps a neighbor's cow is in
his garden, and he is angry with his neighbor, when, at the same
time, that neighbor is as innocent as an angel. Nine hundred and
ninety-nine cases of difficulty out of a thousand arise from
circumstances not worthy of notice. There are but few persons who
really design to injure each other. I do not believe there is one
man or woman in a thousand, in this community, who designs to do
wrong, though there are hundreds that do wrong, and some who do a
great many wrongs, but they do not design to do wrong. They can
truly say, with the Apostle Paul, "When I would do good evil is
present with me." Paul had been a very wicked man; he had done
all he could to destroy the Church of God, and, consequently, was
given over to the buffetings of Satan, so that when he would do
good the Devil had such power over him that he had to keep up a
continual warfare. Let us endeavor to do the good and leave the
undone the evil.
176
Some desire to do good all the time, still it seems that almost
every act they perform results in evil; look upon such persons as
they are, through eyes of mercy, and not measure them with your
measure. If you are endowed with wisdom and understanding, if you
escape the evil and do the good, thank God that you have
knowledge, and do not condemn your brethren and sisters who are
weaker than you are for falling into evil when they know no
better. This is the teaching of the Spirit of the Lord all the
day long.
176
When the books are opened, out of which the human family are to
be judged, how disappointed are the professedly sanctified,
long-faced hypocrites and smooth-toned pharisees will be, when
the publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of heaven before
them; people that appeared to be full of evil; but the Lord says
they never designed to do wrong; the Devil had power over them,
and they suffered in their mortal state a thousand times more
than you poor, miserable, canting, cheating, snivelling,
hypocritical pharisees; you were dressed in purple and fine
linen, and bound burdens upon your weaker brethren that you would
not so much as help to lift with your little fingers. Did you
ever go without food, suffer with tooth-ache, sore eyes,
rheumatism, or the chills and fever? You have fared sumptuously
all your days and you condemned to an everlasting hell these poor
harlots and publicans who never designed an evil. Are you not
guilty of committing an evil with that poor harlot? Yes, and you
will be damned while she will be saved.
176
Let us look at our neighbors as they are, and not as we want them
to be; let us learn enough to know what we are ourselves and what
our brethren and sisters are, and learn the true designs of their
hearts, and then judge them as God judges them and not according
to outward appearance; then every contention will cease, every
heart will beat high to build up Zion, and the follies and
weaknesses of our neighbors we shall not think of.
176
We all know that we need material for clothing; then let us look
out of it and not neglect the matter until we are found in a
state of nudity, without the power to clothe ourselves. These are
the mysteries of the kingdom of God upon the earth, to know how
to purify and sanctify our affections, the earth upon which we
stand, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the houses in
which we dwell and the cities which we build, that when strangers
come into our country they may feel a hallowed influence and
acknowledge a power to which they are strangers, "For all is
dedicated to the Lord and consecrated to him, and the Spirit and
power of God reigns there and the power of the enemy can find no
place." When the people of the Saints have attained to this happy
state, then will they say, "Give us more room to dwell," and they
will never be driven from such ground. All hell may then give up
the chase, for they never can drive the Saints from a spot that
is hallowed by the faith of the Saints, through the medium of
Jesus Christ by the power of the Father, for that place is
dedicated and sanctified to him.
176
We are in possession of the valleys in the mountains, and the
Lord has led us here. We have tried to be admitted into the
family of States, but we are scarcely permitted to be a
Territory. We are here, and they can do nothing against us. They
are not capable of afflicting this people, if we live our
religion. Let every man and woman sanctify themselves and their
possessions, dedicating all unto the Lord, then will we be
driven? No, neither will our possessions be given to the kingdom
of the Devil; they belong to God, and he will hold them for
himself, and they will remain uncontaminated and we with them,
until we go back to build up the centre stake of Zion.
177
This season we called for five hundred teams to send for the
poor; some of those teams came some four hundred miles and then
started on the journey over the plains to bring in the poor.
Suppose we should call for five thousand teams to go and build up
the centre stake of Zion and establish it that it shall never be
thrown down, would they be forthcoming? They would, and when that
time comes we shall leave a great many more in the mountains than
are now here, and we shall see Zion rolling forth on the right
and on the left, like the waves of the sea, which no earthly
power can stem.
177
I will here mention the incident of two of our Elders, while on
their way to the Sandwich Islands, being blown up and killed on a
steamboat. It is all right. If you wish to know how I feel about
them, I will say that the Lord took them while they were in the
humor of trying to do good. I would not have give a red cent for
all the good they would have done in the vineyard. It made me
think of an anecdote I have already alluded to, concerning the
Jew whom the Roman Catholic priest pushed under the ice while he
professed belief in the Christian religion. God dictates all
these matters, and will work out his designs in his own way. He
will deal with the Latter-day Saints for their good and with our
enemies for our good; and when a nation kills his Prophets he
will deal with them accordingly: he will chasten them, as he is
doing at this time.
177
I am for the kingdom of God. I like a good government, and then I
like to have it wisely and justly administered. The government of
heaven, if wickedly administered, would become one of the worst
governments upon the face of the earth. No matter how good a
government is, unless it is administered by righteous men, an
evil government will be made of it. The Lord has his eye upon all
the kingdoms and nations of men, with their kings, governors and
rulers, and he will sink the wicked to misery and woe, and we
cannot help it.
177
Let us be just, merciful, faithful and true, and let us live our
religion, and we shall be taught all things pertaining to the
building up of Zion. Let us train our minds until we delight in
that which is good, lovely and holy, seeking continually after
that intelligence which will enable us effectually to build up
Zion, which consists in building houses, tabernacles, temples,
streets and every convenience necessary to embellish and
beautify, seeking to do the will of the Lord all the days of our
lives, improving our minds in all scientific and mechanical
knowledge, seeking diligently to understand the great design and
plan of all created things, that we may know what to do with our
lives and how to improve upon the facilities placed within our
reach.
177
This is as good an earth as need be, if we will make it so. The
Lord has redeemed it, and it is his wish that his Saints should
beautify and sanctify it and bring it back to the presence of the
Father and Son yet more pure, more holy and more excellent than
it was in its original state, with ourselves upon it.
178
It pleased me very much, when I returned home, to see a good many
little boys learning to cut rock, thus doing good to their
parents, themselves and the kingdom of God. Send on some more
boys and put them in the joiner shops, or learn them to make
shoes, harness and everything that will be useful and profitable.
Every Elder should have at least one trade, and if possible more
than one, and still continue to learn and improve in a knowledge
of the world and all things pertaining to it, learning how to
better the condition of everything that exists--in particular of
ourselves and those around us. Let the husband make an
improvement upon his kitchen and pantry and upon his bedrooms for
the benefit of his family, and improve his gardens, walks, &c.,
beautifying your habitations and their surroundings, making
pavements and planting shade trees.
178
Cease lying, cease taking the name of God in vain, cease being
dishonest with your employers, with one another and with your
God, and the Lord will love and bless us. Let us learn our duties
one toward another, the husband to the wife, the parents to their
children and the children to their parents, and let us all learn
and practice our duties to God and his kingdom. God bless you:
Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Amasa
M. Lyman, April 7, 1863
Amasa M. Lyman, April 7, 1863
ADVICE TO MISSIONARIES.--PREACHING THE GOSPEL.--GATHERING THE
POOR, ETC.
Discourse by Elder Amasa M. Lyman, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1863.
Reported by J. V. Long.
178
I am glad to have the opportunity of making some remarks in
relation to some matters that interest us as Saints. I do not
feel disposed at the present time to seek either to please myself
or you by undertaking to discourse in a very methodical manner,
but I wish simply to talk of such things as may be suggest to my
mind and of such matters as will interest us and as affect our
interests as a community. The character of our meetings are such
as seem to render short sermons the order of the day; they are
texts from which the people may preach their own sermons, and
this will, doubtless, be most appropriate.
178
I have been much interested in the instruction that has been
addressed to the Conference since its commencement; and the
topics that have been talked upon are of all-importance to us who
are engaged in the building up of the kingdom of God. I have
listened with pleasure to them myself, and my thoughts and
reflections have been pleasing, especially so because of the
belief which I entertained that those instructions were directly
connected with the working out of that salvation that we are
seeking for.
178
I was much pleased and gratified with the allusions that were
made and the instructions imparted this morning to that portion
of our community who are called to preach the Gospel and minister
for the salvation of mankind, by acting in the capacity of
teamsters to drive teams from various parts of Utah to Florence
and then back again to this point with their freight of Saints.
179
I have been led, from what I have observed, to entertain some
serious reflections with regard to these our brethren, believing
in my own mind that they are too apt, as a general thing, to
dismiss from their feelings, if the sentiment was ever
entertained by them--they are too apt, I say, to forget that they
are actually preachers of the Gospel and ministers of salvation
to the people, in their capacity as teamsters. I fear that they
have thought themselves less honorable than others, because they
had not to go abroad and simply tell the people of principles by
which they might be benefited and saved; and because of their
entertaining this feeling a small degree of recklessness and
carelessness in relation to their conduct have been allowed to
gain the mastery over them. While we are acting as a lot of
teamsters we do not arrogate to ourselves the dignity of being
missionaries; we are apt to think that there is nothing in that
kind of business that is calculated to ennoble and enlighten
mankind. In the most honorable acceptation of the term, we are
only going to drive a team to the States and back again, and,
consequently, there is little or no responsibility resting upon
us, beyond that which may be placed upon those who are appointed
to regulate our actions, to take care of the teams and to act in
the capacity of Captains. If we do this duty, as we consider it
to be one, in that way that will be considered well done, and so
that it will be accepted by our brethren, then all is done that
was embraced in the nature and character of our calling. I want
to say to our brethren who are called to act in this capacity,
that they are in every sense of the word ministers of salvation,
and as such they should be men of pure feeling, they should be
men honest in bearing forth pure and holy principles and men that
should honor God in every feeling of the heart, with every
thought and every action, men who should be mindful of God and of
their relationship to him.
180
If this feeling could be cherished within those men, it would
save them continually from recklessness; it would save them from
the commission of many wrongs, from many evils that are done by
those who are so unfortunate as to be destitute of the knowledge
of the truth which has been daily imparted to our brethren. By
this means we can not only be delivered from sin, but we shall
never suffer the evil consequences, and we shall know better than
to say or do anything that will cast a darkening shadow over the
otherwise bright fame of other individuals. I would really love
to see men that would go to drive teams act as though, to a
certain extent, the responsibility of God's Church and kingdom
devolved upon them; I would like to see them act as men, as
Saints and servants of God, and I would like to see them make
themselves men of purity, the examples of the rectitude and
propriety of their own conduct, so that their actions would be
altogether commendable to God and such examples as would be
acceptable to all good men. The man who simply goes to preach the
Gospel is no more doing the will of Heaven than the man who
drives an ox team for the salvation of his poor brethren. The man
who has horses to drive and carry him along over the country to
aid him in forwarding the purposes of Heaven, should feel that
the position is an honorable and responsible one. No matter what
a man's sphere of action be, if he be devoted to his calling, his
labor will be acceptable. The man who has no oxen or horses to
drive, but who has to pass over the country preaching the Gospel,
is very fortunate if he can get horses to draw him along through
the district of country in which he is called to travel. Amidst
all the difficulties which he may encounter he should feel that
his position is both an honorable and responsible one. If men
have this feeling what will they do? Why, they will pursue about
the same course that those brethren will who have been called by
this Conference to go on a foreign mission. These young men are
going out into the vineyard to become praying and preaching men,
to become examples of propriety and to let their actions evince
that decorum and rectitude of feeling that will prove them to be
all they profess--Saints and servants of the living God. This is
a just and a proper feeling for them to entertain and their
conduct should be in strict accordance with their high and holy
profession.
180
What are these brethren expected to do while upon this mission?
What would naturally be expected of men called to act in this
capacity? We would expect that they would remember God; but how
should they remember him? They should not merely remember him at
stated times, when they might, by specific regulations
instituted, be bound to offer their supplications to him in
prayer, but they should attend to this in its time and season,
they should remember him in secret that he might not forget them
in public, and in this way they will not only remember God but
they will have reason to think of his goodness and they will
always have him in their thoughts. Let them adopt this plan, and
then when you meet them on their journey or see them collected
around their camp fire, their time will not be wasted in useless
and foolish conversation, but their time will be occupied in the
adjudication of such questions as will lead their minds to the
understanding of the truth and to the comprehension of the
character of that God whose representatives they are called to
be.
180
This is what we would expect of missionaries; we would naturally
expect they should be praying men, that they should be
God-fearing and God-loving men continually. And what we should
expect from that class of missionaries we should expect and we
ought to see with and among every other class of missionaries,
the teamster as well as the preacher. The teamster labors to
build up the same kingdom that the preacher does, depending for
its development upon the influence and power that the truth gains
among the children of men. How is this to be accomplished? By
laboring and gradually gaining strength and by obtaining a still
stronger hold in the affections of the people.
181
Then I hope that the teamsters, and I suppose they are all
present at Conference,--but if there should be some of them at
home they will doubtless find the instruction good for them
before they start upon their journey, and even when they are
performing their return journey they can do much by favoring the
improvement which there ought to be in this class of the
ministry,--I hope that they will study to be sober, both
spiritually and morally, and when they get to Florence I do not
want them to harrow up the good, kind feelings of their brethren
the returning missionaries, by becoming slightly inebriated, and
accept of my assurance that you can be credited with performing
the whole journey if you never get drunk once. It seemed to me
when I was there last season that there was a portion of that
same reckless spirit among our brethren that was manifested by
the gentile emigration that I saw passing over the road. They
seemed to feel that they had never performed the journey before,
and they appeared to feel and act as though they thought that
although they might never have been drunk all their lives, still
they must celebrate such an important event as the performance of
a journey from here to Florence by getting drunk! I was sick when
I was there, but the nights were made hideous and horrid by that
mistaken class of missionaries who were sent out with wagons and
teams to bring in the poor. There were some of them who did not
see the nature of their business, the purity of its character and
its holiness, but they would give way to recklessness and to acts
of immorality. I allude to it here because I saw it then as a
thing to be corrected, and it is one that I have no doubt will be
corrected.
181
There are a great many things connected with the accomplishment
and performance of the duties of this class of missionaries to
which is attached by some a great degree of importance, while by
others perhaps these things will be regarded with indifference.
Now, I have long entertained this feeling of attaching importance
to this kind of missionary labor: perhaps I am wrong; but it does
not change the fact that I have entertained and cherished it as a
correct and true principle, and as such I have taught it before
the Saints, which shows that I feel interested in the proper
management of our emigration and solicitous that a good example
should be set before the ingathering Saints.
182
In our going abroad to proclaim the Gospel, we go to preach its
principles to the people, and there is nothing else that I know
of laid upon us to perform but to preach the Gospel and proclaim
that righteousness to the people that has been made known in
these last days, that those who believe may continue from their
introduction into the Church and kingdom of God to travel onward
and upward in the principles of salvation. Well, then, if this is
all that devolved upon us as missionaries abroad, then, we have
nothing else to preach or practice, or in which to engage
ourselves, but the performance of that duty. And permit me here
to remark, that I am exceedingly glad to see the change that has
been and is transpiring in regard to the manner in which our
brethren go abroad, and the kind of treatment extended to those
who are dependent upon them while they are absent. I believe I
can appreciate these blessings. The appointed missionary has no
excuse, there is now no reason why his affections should not be
entirely devoted to the ministry; but there is no reason why his
energies should be wasted in a useless anxiety about things which
are entirely beyond his reach. We might as well try to change the
condition of the dead as to think of turning all men in favor of
our Gospel, this will never be, but we expect to make many
converts. In going forth to do our duty in warning mankind we
should not have our minds troubled and perplexed on account of
our families being destitute of johnny cake at home, and when we
have the assurance that our families are provided for, then there
is but one labor, but one branch of business in which may be
enlisted every feeling of the soul. But if a man has no cause of
trouble, he can engage heart and soul in the work of the ministry
and think of nothing else but the Work in which he is engaged.
"But," says one, "I cannot forget my wife and child that are at
home." You are not required to forget them. I could always
remember my wife and my child, but did I sorrow over them and
fear that they were starving to death? No; I did not. Why? One
reason was that they had never starved to death before when I
left them; and I knew that we had travelled together and appeared
to walk hand in hand with the meagre hag, and that she had met us
at every corner of life's path, but I also knew that our poverty
had never produced starvation. Under these circumstances then,
when absent on missions, we kneel down and pray, "God bless the
distant ones at home," and then go on about our business.
182
I hope for the blessing and prosperity of the Work of God, for
its continued increase, and that the Elders who go abroad may
feel to the extent they should the importance of the position
they occupy and the true nature of the Work of God. Brethren, do
not think of anything but to increase the Work in which we are
engaged, for if it succeeds we should be sustained. There is
always an increase of our individual work in the increase of the
aggregate of God's kingdom upon the earth. "But," says one, "I do
not know when I shall get that other wife or those dollars I am
after." Now wait a little; never mind those things at present,
but attend to your duties in the Church and kingdom of God.
"Why," says one, "have you got rich?" No, I have not in one way,
but in another I have. Some would imagine that I had according to
the Mountain Boys' manner of speech, but I have not got rich in
this way; I have got rich in learning to wait my time for
everything, and to be patient until the proper time comes. I do
not say that I have got rich, but I have gained. I wont say that
I have gained as much as I might have done, but I am going to
keep on gaining and adding more and more to my already acquired
stock of patience, and I want to see all the brethren going on in
this way. "But," says the young brother that has no wife, "would
there be any harm in me taking a wife?" I presume that under
certain circumstances there would not, and I presume equally that
under other circumstances it would be wrong. Then, when you are
sent abroad to preach the Gospel, do not take a wife, but attend
to your duties in that calling. I have been abroad for almost
thirty years, performed numerous missions, and I have never been
commanded to go abroad to take a wife. I want to see the brethren
who go on missions give their minds and talents to the preaching
of the Gospel, that by their honest treatment of the people the
Saints may be honestly gathered, be taught and led onward and
upward in the pathway of exaltation and happiness.
183
When men labor in this way, the prayers of the just will bless
them; they will become rich--in what? In the faith and confidence
of the souls that have become enlisted in the truth through their
philanthropy. This will make a store for holy reflection that
will last perpetually and eternally. But if we would secure this
in its fullest extent while here, remembering others as we think
of ourselves, we must extend and manifest to them the same
honest, truthful and proper conduct that we wish to have extended
to us. There is none of us who would desire any wrong to be
extended to us; we would not crave it; we would not ask for it
unless we asked it in ignorance, but never while in the exercise
of good judgment. If you would never have evil at your door,
never carry evil and lay it at the door of your brother or
sister, but be honest, pure and just. You can do this, if you
cannot do everything; and Elders in Israel who act in this way
are always blessed. You never saw such men engaged in any labor
but what they were blessed. You never see them go abroad but what
they are blessed; and when the fruits of their labors flow in the
homeward tide to Zion, that blesses them; it tells of their
integrity, of the truth of their teachings, of their conduct, of
their example and of their actions, as well when abroad as at
home. Those persons who were thus gathered tell of their
teachings, of their counsels, and of the advice which was given
to them by those Elders, which was productive of salvation under
all circumstances, at all times and in all places. This is the
time when we might afford to weep, as the President said in
reference to the young brethren that are going abroad; when they
come back, having magnified their calling before God and the
Saints, then he said he could weep, and who could not? It would
be no tears of grief, no effusion of sorrow, but it would be
simply the overflowing of the feelings of joy and gratitude. This
is worth all that has to be endured while absent from our
friends. Does this privilege and blessing of holding the
priesthood belong to these young missionaries alone? No, there
are hosts of them. Why, the whole land is filled with Elders
holding the Priesthood of God; they are to be found numbered with
the Elders' Quorum, with the High Priests and with the Seventies,
and, in fact, all through the land you can hardly see a man who
does not hold the Priesthood of the living God. And the purity of
life that should characterize the man who is a minister of Jesus
Christ should be above the mediocrity of ordinary men. The man
who administers the words of life and salvation continually to
the people, should set forth that which he seeks to develop in
himself and he should seek to put away that careless indifference
of character which characterizes many others; he should have a
sacred and holy regard for the truth; he should make life
subservient to the truth always, and should never do violence to
the principles of purity for any reason that could be urged nor
for any cause that could be plead, but he should be among the
people an example of righteousness in whatever capacity he might
be called to act as a revelator and a minister of God. By doing
this, do you not think there would be a reformation? Yes, there
would be a reformation and an increase of intelligence and of
purity of life. "Well," says one, "do you not think there is an
increase already?" Yes, I do; but who does not know what has been
the claim and character of some men in times past; for instance,
a man that has done one thing great and good has satisfied
himself with that, hence he has made no further exertions to do
anything in any of those quorums by which to raise and gather
around him the ornaments of society.
183
Now, let us not be satisfied with these good feelings and
influences of the heart; but let us be faithful and stand for
God, let us say we have received much that has been good and
precious, but still, good Lord, we want more. For that let us
pray on, let us preach on and practice purity of life, and still
seek to be the ministers of righteousness that we may gain that
which we have not yet acquired, and get that which we do not yet
possess.
184
Now, this Conference should be the means of carrying to the
people suggestions and instructions of this kind by means of the
Bishops and their Counsellors. Supposing that these men holding
the Priesthood, instead of holding it as ministers of God and of
the truth, should waste their time in idleness, and should make
their office the means of their own aggrandizement, and, instead
of improving the opportunities afforded them to facilitate the
advancement and improvement of the people, should neglect that
which is really necessary to be done and turn the labor upon work
that would be unprofitable and that would involve the people in
debt and difficulty, of what benefit is such a minister? The
result would be that the people would feel burdened throughout
the land and there would be discontent among the citizens. But
supposing the presiding officer should take the lead and say,
Here is a new interest, let us be awakened, and let us one and
all unite to benefit the community,--Would not this produce a
good feeling? Then let the Bishop, the Priest and the preacher,
instead of introducing follies and nonsense among the people,
spread out before them the principles of equity, and create
within them a lively interest in the Work of God. Let the
subjects of their thought and the topics of their conversation be
such as will lead them to the acquirement of that intelligence
that comes from God. But if the head gets sick and dull through
also. "What do you mean?" says one. I mean that the Elders can,
by their faith, their energy and their life, instil into the
minds of the people a perseverance and a determination to press
forward such as is not likely to be, unless an influence is used
for that purpose. By taking this course, they will secure the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit and the confidence of their
brethren.
184
Let me advise all men to be wise, and especially those who are
not any older than I am; and if I am not considered to be old, I
would say that I mean all men who are of my age, and also those
who are younger as well as those who are older; I would advise
all such to be sober, to be sociable and to do as much good as
they possibly can, by setting a good example before their
children, by being an example of propriety of action and by
striving to keep far from them faults of an evil character. Now,
it does seem to me that my example will have its effect among my
friends. For instance, if a man indulges in drunkenness, and if I
refrain from this habit, when I meet that man he will endeavor to
be completely guarded and not be cursed by the evil consequences
of his slavish habit. We want to be perfect in everything we do
and in all life's vicissitudes to realize that we do speak the
truth, and let us be sure to remember one thing, that the
intimacy of our relationship with celestial beings is such that
we should be strict example to others in the keeping of our word.
We should never lie; if we tell a falsehood to a brother, however
friendly and kind he may be, he could not change that lie into a
truth; therefore cease from lying. We are all guilty, more or
less, in this respect; when I go and make a promise to a brother,
or if a brother make a promise to me, I hold that promise to be
sacred, although the man was under the necessity of promising
something because his business required him to do so, hence it is
important that we be careful about making promises. O do not
consider that we honor God or worship him any more by making so
many promises. Let us especially be careful to abstain from all
that is impure, unjust and unholy; for if we are going to be like
God our justice must be just, and it must have its exercise in
the narrowest and smallest as well as in the broadest avenues
that are in life's relations, and we must be scrupulously honest
in its administration.
185
Remember, my brethren, that honesty is the safeguard to our
actions, and remember that every good gift come from our Father
and God. It is our duty to honor our Maker and God in all our
ways; and I can tell you this one truth, that until we can love
each other and regard each other's interests, we shall fail to
enjoy the blessings of celestial glory; and if you think of
enjoying celestial glory without this element as well as the many
others that are required of us, let me request you to stop and
pause, for you cannot do it; you cannot enjoy this at my house
when I and mine are glorified; but we do not want anything that
is dishonest about us. Let us be faithful and just in our
dealings and try to elevate ourselves in the scale of
intelligence, and prepare ourselves for the benefits and
blessings of Heaven's common education. This is the point that we
have been striving, studying and struggling to attain. We want to
be educated in God's way, that we may submit ourselves to God and
be willing to be governed by his laws in all things.
185
We have got a little of the Lord's property in our possession,
and we call it ours. Now, if you undertake to persuade some
persons to go with you, the question immediately arises, What are
you going to give us to pay us for going with you to Zion? This
is about the feeling, but the property which we own and are
stewards over is just what the Lord has placed in our hands. He
has stored away property for the benefit of his penniless
children, and he will bestow it upon them in due time. It is hard
to tell what the anticipations of the people are; but if they
will acknowledge the hand of God in all things and live by the
truth as it is revealed unto them, they will increase in
influence and power with God and all good men. When they have
enjoyed all that they can enjoy of life and life's blessings, as
they are gratuitously bestowed by God their Father, who do you
suppose will be the most accommodated with the Temple that is to
be built? If the Lord comes down to visit that Temple, he will
come down to bless his people and not benefit himself. Suppose he
should come now, who are prepared to receive him? And who would
share the greatest good and be the most accommodated by the
building of this Temple? Why the blessings would be the people's;
the happiness and the benefits thereof would be for the people,
and the glory that it would afford to the Almighty would only be
that which the blessing would afford him of seeing his children
happy in the enjoyment of the benefits of his mercy. This would
be his blessing, and he would also enjoy the shelter that was
made for him in the Temple of our God. Now, let us go to work
with this feeling, remembering that we have a great deal of
responsibility and care upon us; let us not cease to be active,
for we have always plenty to do; we have always enough
responsibility to keep us busy and to keep the great stone of the
kingdom of God rolling onward. It is a common saying that a
rolling stone gathers no moss, but I do not care for this saying,
for I know to the soul that lives in the Gospel and enjoys its
life-imparting influences, there is a stream of imperishable
wealth flowing unto such a soul. A man cannot perform a good
action without its bringing its corresponding reward, neither can
he perform an evil one without its corresponding effects upon his
life and character.
186
My invitation is, especially to the Elders, let us go abroad as
men of God to build up the kingdom of our Lord and Master. Let us
know nothing while upon our missions but that which tends to the
interests of that kingdom to which we belong, and let all we do
be done for the interest and upbuilding of the kingdom of God.
Let us carry its interests with us in our hearts; let us speak of
it in the private circle; do not let it be spoken of in the
pulpit alone, but let it be spoken of between man and man,
husband and wife, father and son, parents and their children, and
in all life's associations; yes, let the light of eternal truth
be kindled in every heart, let the fire that will consume the
dross of our errors be lighted up in every soul, in every
household, until every household becomes a sanctuary of the Most
High, and until every family becomes a worshiping assembly such
as will be acceptable to God--a people whom he will delight to
own, to honor and to bless, and then, whether a man have one wife
or two, or a dozen, his home will be a happy one, it will be a
little heaven below. It will be happy one, because it will be a
peaceful one and because that home will simply be one sacrifice
upon the altar devoted to God, to truth, to principles of purity
and to heaven. "But," says one man, "can a brother obtain
celestial glory if he has only one wife?" Yes, he can have great
glory with one wife. "And," says this brother, "would you not
advise some men not to have but one wife?" Yes, I certainly
would. "And who would you advise?" I would give this advice,
because I know that there are a great many more men getting more
than one wife than are capable of treating them decently; I am
sensible of this. But then I have no advice to give about getting
wives at all, but I have some advice that I always have to give
to those that have wives, and that is to treat them kindly.
"Well, but," says one, "I would like to have my wives obey me."
Well, then, I will tell you how you should act. You be obedient
to those who are placed to counsel and guide you in the
principles of life; and if you follow their counsel, your wives
will not be likely to rebel against you. This is what I have to
say upon this subject, and the reason I say it is because I want
to have that portion of intellectual humanity that is subservient
to me understand their position and relationship to each other
and to God. If I make myself before them a continual, perpetual
and unceasing example of obedience, and then ask them to obey me,
I shall have no fear about their compliance. I seldom, if ever,
ask them to obey me. If they do not know that and do not feel
that I have honored them, they have not as much sense as I have
given them credit for.
186
I would like my family to love God and keep his commandments, to
abide by the principles of purity, to love to impart them to
their children by practice, by teaching and by example and by
every means by which children can be influenced by their parents.
Then, if this were carried out in every family, there would be
something in the tendency of our lives that would have a
regenerating influence upon the rising generation, physically and
mentally. Then let us try to be Saints as husbands and fathers,
Saints as children and friends, and in all life's relationships
let us act truthfully and consistently. And if we who minister in
the ordinances of the house of God were to do this, and were all
to open our mouths in favor of the truth, where the truth is
dropping and distilling upon the people like the dews of heaven,
this would make everything green, fresh and lively throughout the
land of Zion, and then Zion will increase and grow and its
never-ceasing embellishments will be seen in the conduct of the
people, for Zion will be sanctified by the conduct of the Saints.
187
Now, my brethren and sisters, in conclusion, let me say, may God
bless you and me in doing all the good we can, in practicing
righteousness, in doing that which we know to be right and in
living that which we do not know but are taught by faith to
observe, and thus fill up our lives in usefulness, then when we
get to know the truth more perfectly we shall rejoice therein. If
we only do this, we will bring our application of the truth home
and there allow it to do its work, for the fruits of the truth
are here and we shall realize the blessings of them for ever. And
that this may be your happy condition and mine is my prayer, in
the name of Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, May 31, 1863
Brigham Young, May 31, 1863
KNOWLEDGE, CORRECTLY APPLIED, THE TRUE SOURCE OF
WEALTH AND POWER.--UNITY OF JESUS AND HIS
FATHER.--MIRACLES.--SLAVERY.--TRUE CHARITY, ETC.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, May 31, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
187
We have met to commemorate the first day of the week, and we hope
that every heart will be concentrated upon the business before
us. We do not hold that the first day of the week is the only day
upon which to worship God, for we ought also to worship him on
the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. It was the
custom of Christ's disciples to meet together on the first day of
the week to break bread in remembrance of his death and
resurrection; we follow the same custom. The Lord knows the wants
of his mortal children, and has appointed unto them one-seventh
part of the time for rest, though we cannot say, in every sense
of the word, that this is a day of rest to the Latter-day Saints
or to the professing Christians, some of whom are in the habit of
rising at sunrise to hold prayer-meetings; they then eat
breakfast and hurry away to the morning service until noon; in
the afternoon they again have meetings, and class meetings,
prayer meetings, confessing meetings, &c., and so continue until
nine in the evening. To such persons I cannot consider it really
a day of rest. According to the revelations given to us, it is a
day upon which we are commanded to meet to break bread, to
confess our faults to God and to one another, being determined to
lay aside every evil and prepare ourselves for the duties of the
coming week; so we meet together to worship the Lord and to speak
of his goodness, to wait before him, to be instructed and have
our minds guided and directed in the ways of life and to remember
the Lord's death until he comes again. I am happy that we have
the privilege this morning of meeting in this capacity, under the
quiet shade of this comfortable Bowery.
188
Our hearts have been made to feel the divine influence that comes
from heaven to prepare us to build up the Zion of our God upon
the earth in the latter days. That we may enjoy our meeting this
morning, let us strive to concentrate our thoughts upon the
object of our assembling, for there is a proneness in the mind to
wander, and it often requires considerable effort to stay it upon
any one purpose. The cares and wants of this life occupy our
minds deeply, but when we come to understanding we shall learn
that our Father in heaven takes cognizance of all these matters.
"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin."
"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day
is and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more
clothe you, O ye of little faith?" "He giveth to the beast his
food and to the young ravens which cry." If we are faithful we
shall learn in due time that all things are sustained and endured
by his all-wise providences. We are too apt to trust entirely to
our own ability for procuring the desirable necessaries of life.
We are too apt to suppose that we alone guide, govern and control
our doings and their results. We are too apt to aspire to the
power to control the whole world and to make all bend to our
wishes and dictation.
188
Man is the lord of the earth, but with his knowledge and power he
is not able to tell how a blade of grass grows. All men must come
to this very rational conclusion, that "Paul may plant, and
Apollos may water, but it is God who gives the increase." It was
not our choice that we came into the midst of this desert region,
but through the providence of Him who governs and controls all
things we are planted in the midst of these deserts. There are
reasons for this, and causes produce their effects; in short, we
are here for the express purpose of preparing for the coming of
the Son of Man, to bear off his kingdom to the nations and gather
up the house of Israel, according to the words of the ancient
prophets and the revelations given to us in our day.
188
We are now gathering the children of Abraham who have come
through the loins of Joseph and his sons, more especially through
Ephraim, whose children are mixed among all the nations of the
earth. The sons of Ephraim are wild and uncultivated, unruly,
ungovernable. The spirit in them is turbulent and resolute; they
are the Anglo-Saxon race, and they are upon the face of the whole
earth, bearing the spirit of rule and dictation, to go forth from
conquering to conquer. They search wide creation and scan every
nook and corner of this earth to find out what is upon and within
it. I see a congregation of them before me to-day. No hardship
will discourage these men; they will penetrate the deepest wilds
and overcome almost insurmountable difficulties to develop the
treasures of the earth, to further their indomitable spirit for
adventure.
189
We are not in this region by choice, and there is no hardship
that this people would not face and overcome. If there is a
corner of the earth that can possibly be inhabited by mortals,
the Latter-day Saints would venture there if they conceived it to
be their duty, and overcome every obstacle and soon make the
desert waste blossom as a rose. Such an undertaking is as easy to
them, comparatively speaking, as it is to go from one town to
another. It is marvelous to the world that the poor, ignorant,
deluded "Mormons," as they call them, can make so much real
improvement. Is there another people on the earth, with the same
facilities, that can do what the Latter-day Saints can? There is
not. Is there another people on this earth that are as united as
they are? There is not. Is there another people on this earth
that can be controlled as easily as they can? There is not. There
is a good reason for all this. There is a certain portion of
divinity within mankind. This prompts man to seek in every
possible way after that which will sustain him.
189
It is true mankind have wandered and have fallen from that which
they might have attained through the redemption made by Jesus
Christ; but there is one point in connection with this statement
on which I differ from the orthodox divines of the day. They say
that man is naturally prone to evil. In some respects this is
true, where by the force of example and wrong tradition has
become ingrained, but if man had always been permitted to follow
the instincts of his nature, had he always followed the great and
holy principles of his organism, they would have led him into the
path of life everlasting, which the whole human family are
constantly trying to find.
189
Every person is, to a greater or less degree, seeking to sustain
himself, to obtain influence, power, wealth, wisdom and
knowledge, all to further his individual aims. It is somewhat
remarkable that wealth is considered the root and foundation of
all earthly influence and power, when the truth is that gold is
not power. A man may possess all the gold, silver, and precious
stones in the world, which are called wealth, and yet starve to
death. Wealth does not give true greatness. It will purchase
medical aid in case of sickness; it will purchase food, clothing
and shelter; but true wealth consists in the skill to produce
those conveniences and comforts from the elements. All the power
and dignity that wealth can bestow is a mere shadow, the
substance is found in the bone and sinew of the toiling millions.
Well directed labor is the true power that supplies our wants. It
gives regal grandeur to potentates, education and supplies to
religious and political ministers, and supplies the wants of the
thousands of millions of earth's sons and daughters. There are
conditions and panics in society that all the power of earthly
wealth cannot avert.
189
How happy, how secure that nation or people would be who knew how
to sustain themselves for ever and for ever. Had the rulers of
our nation known how to sustain the Union to an everlasting
continuance, this knowledge would have been beyond all price. Had
they possessed wisdom to have maintained the nation in its true
character, in all its liberal institutions built upon the
Constitution and Declaration of Rights, the Government would have
continued inviolate in truth and purity and power, and would have
continued to increase in power, importance and extent. True
knowledge would have enabled them easily to accomplish all this.
True knowledge is true power, and power adds to power--influence
to influence. If this had continued in our nation, it would not
merely have annexed Texas to our flag, but would have added the
whole continent of North and South America. What would that
nation have given for the knowledge to accomplish all this? What
would the present rulers give for knowledge and power to so
control the minds of that portion of the people who are still in
the Union as to continue themselves in office--to dictate the
condition, future life and prosperity of this great and
magnanimous people?
190
When the pioneers came into these valleys we knew nearly all the
families which composed the settlements in Upper and Lower
California. Is there a man that has ever been elected to
represent that people in Congress that has not bought his
election with money? Men are willing to spend all they have to
attain the accomplishment of their purposes in a political point
of view. All this power can be obtained by political aspirants
without money, if they possessed true knowledge. I could be sent
as a delegate to Congress without giving one farthing for the
office, because I have true knowledge. Teach the people true
knowledge, and they will govern themselves.
190
Men marvel that I possess the influence I do over this people, no
matter where on the earth they are located. If we had fifty
thousand members of the Church in China, though they never saw
me, they would obey my counsel, because I send true knowledge to
them and teach them the principles that tend to their own good
and happiness. Their eyes are open to see this, and they
willingly obey my counsel. Men think the power and influence I
possess are obtained by necromancy or some other evil power. The
power of the Devil is great upon the earth, but it is fast
playing out, and the inhabitants of the earth must have true
knowledge.
190
It has been told me from my youth up that opposition is the life
of business, especially in the political arena. It is opposition
that has ruined our nation, and has been, is and will the ruin of
all nations. In our nation slavery is the great bone of
contention. Do we oppose the principle of servitude? I oppose it
not in my judgment. If I have a man-servant or a maid-servant,
they are flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone--they are the
children of God as much as I am. In the providences of God their
ability is such that they cannot rise above the position of a
servant, and they are willing to serve me and have me dictate
their labor. Then let them do service to me, and it is my duty to
treat them kindly and reward them accordingly. All the nations of
the earth are composed of one flesh and blood, and God will bring
into judgment the nation that abuses the liberties it possesses.
If he has given me power to rule this people, or to own a hundred
slaves, he requires at my hands how I use this influence and
power over his creatures, and he will punish me if I abuse it. If
I were the dictator of the nation in which I live, I should be
held responsible to Him for that power and influence. He would
expect me to rule in righteousness.
190
This people is an astonishment to all the world. We pick up the
beggar in the street in England--and we have baptized hundreds of
them--we bring him here and put him in a situation to earn his
living. They never owned anything before, but after they come
here they soon begin to own a pig, a cow, a few chickens, and
by-and-bye a team; then open farms and soon become men of wealth.
It is our business to elevate the beggar and not keep him in
ignorance.
191
If you wish to gain power in the minds of any people, give them
the same opportunity that you possess to become independent and
self-sustaining, and endow them with all the wisdom and knowledge
that they are capable of receiving, and let them increase with
you and unitedly grow and become strong. Through their oneness,
the Latter-day Saints have become a terror to the enemies of
truth. We do not buy the people with money, but we have striven
in every way that is lawful and right to get a little money to
bring the poor and destitute of other nations here and put them
in a position to take care of themselves. I am sorry to say that
some few have requited this kindness by joining hands with our
foes against us and have become our most deadly enemies. They,
however, have no power to injure us, for God rules in the
heavens; and if we pursue our course and the even tenor of our
lives, the Lord will spread truth in the world and all nations
will possess it and be influenced by it; then they will know how
to govern and control themselves, but now they do not. With all
the power I possess, I cannot prevent a man from cursing and
swearing if he is disposed to do so; the Lord himself has not
influence enough to do it, what then is to be done with him?
Guide his mind and affections into a better channel until he sees
the folly of his course and understands the benefit of a more
righteous way and a more manly life, then will he pursue the path
to truth, peace and the fellowship of the Saints of God on earth
and in the heavens; then will he increase in love, joy, wisdom,
knowledge and power. Are not these things so? Judge ye, my
friends.
191
I am accused of a thousand evils, but I have never feared but one
thing with regard to myself--and that is, that I should be left
to do an evil that people may truly blame me; while they cannot
speak evil of me and tell the truth, it never harms me. I care
nothing what false statements are made about me when I faithfully
follow the counsels of Heaven; they are no more to me than the
croaking of the crane that flies over my head. If a High Priest,
and Elder, or any other man that comes within the purview of my
influence does wrong, I would as soon tell him of it as not and
show him how to do right; if he is offended at me for so doing;
it proves that he is destitute of knowledge. If the angel of
darkness reproves you for your evil deeds, thank him for it, but
tell him to keep at a respectable distance and that you will try
not to need any more of his kind offices.
191
The nation that is angry at the reproof and rebuke of the
righteous proves that it is on the high way to ruin. We do not
coerce nor drive people. I am very much of the opinion that it
would be useless for anybody to undertake to drive me to heaven
or to hell. My independence is sacred to me--it is a portion of
that same Deity that rules in the heavens. There is not a being
upon the face of the earth who is made in the image of God, who
stands erect and is organized as God is, that should be deprived
of the free exercise of his agency so far as he does not infringe
upon others' rights, save by good advice and a good example.
191
It is written in the Scriptures, "If ye had known me, ye would
have known my Father also, and from henceforth ye know him and
have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father
and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long a
time with you and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that
hath seen me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then show
us the Father?" The Father is a perfect man in every part, a
person of tabernacle endowed with all the features and attributes
of a perfect being.
191
"The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." How vain it is
for us to think that we are going to grasp all things
independently of God. Monarchs on their thrones have taken unto
themselves power to hold and control the destinies of the people
over whom they reign, when suddenly death in some way has seized
them and their thrones have been left vacant for other aspirants
to power and rule. When misuse of power has reached a certain
stage, the divinity that is within the people asserts its right
and they free themselves from the power of despotism. The nation
that lifts itself up against God and rules in unrighteousness he
will call to an account in his own way.
192
Elevation, exaltation and glory are the objects of the Father in
peopling this earth with his progeny. Do not be afraid that I say
too much when I call his earthly children his progeny. It is
supposed by many modern Christians that the Old Testament has
become obsolete; they regard it more as a book of history
relating more particularly to past ages than to us; but we will
quote from it in support of God's being our Father and our being
his progeny. Moses gives us to understand that Adam was created
precisely after the image and likeness of his God. And in the New
Testament Jesus Christ says, "And call no man your father upon
the earth, for one is your Father which is in heaven. Neither be
ye called masters, for one is your Master, even Christ." Again,
Paul says, "Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which
corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much
rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" He
is the Father of every spirit that has ever taken an earthly
tabernacle. Again, Paul, in writing to the Hebrews, says, "Who
being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his
person," &c.; and "I and my Father are one," says Jesus; what,
one body? No, it never entered the Savior's mind that such a
rendering of this saying would ever enter into the minds of
persons holding the least claim to good sense. They are no more
one person than I and one of my sons are one person. If my son
receives my teaching, will walk in the path I mark out for him to
walk in, if his faith is the same as mine, his purpose is the
same, and he does the work of his father as Jesus did the work of
his Father, then is my son one with me in the Scriptural sense.
"Then said Jesus unto them, when ye have lifted up the Son of Man
then shall ye know that I am, and that I do nothing of myself;
but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." Jesus was
the express image of his Father, and he was so much like the rest
of the people in his day that he passed and repassed among them
as another man, without creating any special remark. "Hath not
the Scripture said that Christ cometh of the seed of David and
out of the town of Bethlehem where David was?"
192
Christ and his Father are one in their faith, in their views, in
their ministry, in their purpose and in their operations to
accomplish their God-like designs. Jesus came from the heavens to
the earth to subdue all things and bring all into subjection to
the will of the Father, "That they all may be one in us; that the
world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which
thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one, even as we
are one. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect
in one." No one can suppose that Jesus wished to be understood
that he and his Father and his disciples were all one person.
193
We believe in one God, one Mediator and one Holy Ghost. We cannot
believe for a moment that God is destitute of body, parts,
passions or attributes. Attributes can be made manifest only
through an organized personage. All attributes are couched in and
are the results of organized existence. True knowledge will teach
the people who they are and the design of their creation. We are
the sons and daughters of celestial beings, and the germ of the
Deity dwells within us. When our spirits took possession of these
tabernacles, they were as pure as the angels of God, wherefore
total depravity cannot be a true doctrine. "You must be a
free-thinker, Mr. Young." Yes, and also a free-doer. I am not
afraid to rebuke any person when necessary, nor to tell the truth
anywhere when it is proper and I am called upon to do so. I am
limited in knowledge and in the ability to convey the knowledge
that is within me and often resort to gestures to convey what my
language fails to impart; neither am I mighty in writing--I can
convey more by language than I can by writing.
193
Do you wish to possess enlarged influence in a political point of
view? Gather around you the poor and honest of mankind and bestow
your charity on them, not by giving them in the way that charity
is almost universally understood, but supply them labor that will
pay an interest on the outlay of means and, at the same time,
afford food, raiment and shelter to the laborer; in this way the
man of means becomes a benefactor to his race. Let him instruct
those who know not how to cultivate the soil, who know not how to
plant gardens and orchards and vineyards, in all these useful and
profitable employments. Let him teach them the use of animals and
how to profit by their labors and products. After he has taught
them how to raise the wool and the flax, let him teach them how
to make clothing of various kinds. Now they have their bread,
meat, clothing, vegetables, fruit and dwellings which they have
produced by their labor under the direction of the rich, good man
whose capital and wisdom have elevated those poor persons from a
state of destitution and want to a state of comfort and
comparative independence. Now, I ask, has he not gained great
influence over that people? and as they increase will not his
influence become more extensive? Then let him teach them the
truth, and not divide them up into Whigs, Tories, Democrats, &c.
193
Who is the most suitable judge between man and man? The man who
is the most capable of judging between right and wrong; let him
sit upon the judgment seat, and do not ask him whether he is a
Democrat, a Whig, a Tory, or a Republican, Is he a just man, and
will he render an impartial judgment? If so, I care not to what
political party he belongs; I am content that he should
adjudicate between me and my neighbor.
193
We teach the whole human family the way of life and salvation.
The Latter-day Saints have the advantage of the same power that
revealed to Peter of old that Jesus was the Christ; "Flesh and
blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in
heaven."
193
The Latter-day Saints and every other person who is entitled to
salvation, and all except those who have sinned against the Holy
Ghost, may know that Jesus is the Christ in the same way that
Peter knew it. Miracles do not give this knowledge to mankind,
though they may serve as collateral evidence to strengthen the
believer. The miracles of Jesus were known to the Jews, yet they
suffered him to be put to death as a deceiver of mankind and one
possessed of a devil.
194
If miracles prove a person to be divinely sent, then we are safe
in declaring the Witch of Endor, who raised up Samuel, and the
magicians of Egypt to be divinely sent. I will have it printed
and sent to the world that no miracle is any proof of a man's
being sent of God to perform a mission in his name. Though Jesus
Christ wrought miracles before the eyes of the Jews, they
clamored the eyes of the Jews, they clamored for his blood and
said "Crucify him, crucify him, and let his blood be upon us and
our children." This has certainly come upon them. Jesus Christ
told what would befall the nation of the Jews, and it has been
literally fulfilled. Were I to bring a proof in favor of our
religion I would quote the sayings, relating to this nation, of
that man whom God has sent in the latter-days with eternal life
to them. There is more solid proof in favor of a Prophets being
divinely sent when his words are fulfilled than all the miracles
he can work.
194
The nineteenth century is not destitute of miracles; we have
spirit-rapping, spirit-writing; spirit-muttering, table-moving
and the curing of diseases of long standing by the same influence
and power. "And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that
have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that
mutter, should not a people seek unto their God? for the living
to the dead?"
194
If all men understood the great work of the last days brought
forth by the Prophet Joseph and its ultimate results, they would
invest all their capital stock in this great speculation. We are
for self, for power, for knowledge, for thrones, for dominions,
for eternal life. We are for the kingdoms that God has promised
to the righteous; and they have received great and precious
promises. Paul says, "For all things are yours; whether Paul, or
Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things
present, or things to come; all are yours," &c. Again, "And every
one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or
father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's
sake, shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting
life." He has chosen the poor of the world, rich in faith and
heirs of the kingdom of heaven, and he will give them all things.
We are serving a good master, and he will give us all he has
promised. Will you all enlist and serve this great Captain of our
salvation to the end of the war? Then shall you obtain all the
influence and power you can wish for. In the government of God
there is all the security offered to its subjects they can
desire; in it their individual rights and property are perfectly
safe. Were I worth millions of money I should wish to invest it
under a government that offered to me the greatest protection and
security. God rules in the heavens and on the earth; he sendeth
seed time and harvest; winter and summer; he controls the good
and the evil, and stays the evil and the plague when it has
answered his pleasure; when the contending armies of our nation
have served his purpose, he will say peace be still and the civil
strife will cease.
195
My brethren and sisters are anxious for my safety, and will warn
me of danger. I know better than they do when there is danger,
and when it lies harmless like a lifeless tiger at the feet of
the hunter. There have been times when I could travel abroad with
impunity, and within twenty-four hours afterwards the assassin
would be on my path. There are times when I could go to
California and they would hail me as one friend hails another,
and the spirit of the times would soon be reversed. Joseph Smith
knew this, and when he went to Carthage he said, "I go to death;
I go like a lamb to the slaughter; I go to my fate." Those who
understand the spirit that rules in the atmosphere and in the
hearts of the children of men are aware that they do not feel
to-day as yesterday, to-morrow as to-day. Many men have greeted
me and my brethren with all the cordiality with which one man can
greet another, and in a short time their feelings have changed to
the most deadly hatred. Confidence has left the human family;
there is but little substantial principle or virtue left in which
confidence can be placed. We have to restore confidence to the
world by being just and true to ourselves, to one another and to
our God from this time henceforth and for ever.
195
I suppose that more than half a million of the brave sons of our
country now sleep in the dust in consequence of what I consider
an unnecessary war, and the end is not yet. They have left their
wives and daughters unprotected in a land rent asunder with a
fratricidal war, and what are to become of them? You remember the
scripture which reads, "That the sons of God saw the daughters of
men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which
they chose." He may say in the latter time, Now, my sons, take
unto yourselves wives of the daughters of men and raise up a
posterity unto me, and teach them the way of life and salvation
and the arts of peace, that they may war no more for ever. And
they will gather up the old cannon and weapons of war that are
now making such devastation, and convert them into implements of
husbandry and useful machinery. By and bye it will be said to the
servants of God, "Go down and see if there is anything worth
saving," for it is written, "Thy men shall fall by the sword, and
thy mighty in the war. And in that day seven women shall take
hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our
own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our
reproach."
195
Let us faithfully live our religion and learn what our present
lives are worth.
195
May God bless everybody that can be blessed is my prayer all the
time: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Daniel
H. Wells, May 31, 1863
Daniel H. Wells, May 31, 1863
UNIVERSAL SALVATION.--THE BLESSINGS ENJOYED BY THE SAINTS IN
ZION, ETC.
Remarks by President Daniel H. Wells, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, May 31, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
195
I feel grateful for the privilege of bearing my testimony to the
truths of our holy religion, in which I hope to live all the days
of life. It has taught me things that are of importance to my
soul's welfare here and hereafter. It has placed me upon a basis
of improvement and knowledge that leads to understanding, wisdom
and power in the counsels of heaven.
196
What true conception had we of God until our minds were lit up
with the truths which the Almighty has revealed in these last
days? We did not know in what capacity he was our Father; we had
no rightful conception or knowledge of God or of his Son Jesus
Christ, of whom it is said, to know is life eternal. The learned
divines of the day could not inform us anything about him, or
give us any information in regard to our own origin. All this we
have learned by embracing "Mormonism," or the truths which the
Almighty has revealed in these latter times. Now we know he did
reveal himself in former days. We can now see and understand what
these things mean that have been written of former Prophets and
servants of God who were inspired by the revelations of Jesus
Christ; but these things we could not understand until he
revealed himself again and we have received this knowledge
through his servants in our own day.
196
The orthodox churches have taught us that those who are of the
orthodox may possibly be saved, but for the heterodox there is no
chance of salvation at all--they must go down to, and be damned
in an endless hell, must be doomed to the bottomless pit. They,
however, had no just conception of the design of the Almighty
with regard to our being and could give us no knowledge with
regard to our origin or destiny. Another class of religionists
would save all in the kingdom of God--bring all into his presence
indiscriminately, no matter whether they are in their sins or
not; the plan of salvation, they say, is sufficient to save them
all.
196
There is a plan whereby all who have not sinned the sin unto
death may attain to a certain glory and salvation. There is a
principle revealed in the great economy of Heaven by which we can
act for another; whereby the generations which have died in
ignorance of the Gospel may be administered for by the living,
that they may be judged according to men in the flesh. This
principle has been revealed in these last days, and it is a great
and glorious principle; one that gives great joy and satisfaction
to the believer. It throws a mantle of charity over the whole
human family; our heavenly Father does not consign to an endless
misery his children who have not lifted up their hands knowingly
against him; it provides a way in which they may participate in
the blessings of our common Father which he dispenses to his
faithful children. Our holy religion teaches us to extend
charity, knowledge and power to all mankind. Are they not our
brethren and sisters? Have we not a common origin? Have we not a
common Father who is the Father of our spirits? Then are we not
of one family, brethren and sisters indeed, and should we not so
act towards each other?
197
How great should be our satisfaction, joy and thankfulness to our
Father in heaven that we have become the recipients of this
knowledge, that we can place our feet upon the rock of salvation
and become messengers of salvation to all people; to take them
from their low and degraded condition and elevate them to the
knowledge of God. Is there no reward in this? Is there no glory,
no blessing in this? Time will disclose whether there is a
blessing or not in reaching forth the helping hand to the honest
poor and needy among the nations to deliver them from the
thraldom of sin and from the poverty that presses heavily upon
them; by these have they been chained down hand and foot and
could not help themselves. We break their chains asunder and
bring them into the liberty of the Gospel; we not only unbind
their spirits but their hands and their feet, and we place them
in a condition to take care of themselves. This is true charity.
You may give a piece of bread to a hungry person, and when the
cravings of hunger return some one else must administer to his
wants again; to put that person in a position to earn his own
subsistence is true charity; in this way you direct his feet in
the path of true independence, he is then only dependent on his
own exertions and on the blessings of his God.
197
When people are taken from the pernicious influences that are too
prevalent in the world and directed in the paths of sobriety,
truth and heavenly intelligence, what is there to hinder them in
the midst of the Saints from walking in those paths? The effort
to do right continually under such circumstances is nothing in
comparison to what it is when they are continually surrounded
with evil influences and evil examples. In this they are
benefited and blessed, and here again is the mantle of charity
and love thrown over the poor and destitute who hunger and thirst
after righteousness as well as for those means necessary for
their temporal subsistence.
197
These are a few of the opportunities and privileges which are
conferred upon this people of doing good. They have the greatest
opportunity of doing real substantial good to themselves and
their fellow creatures of any people on the face of the earth.
Those who come up here and assist in the great Work will also
participate in the great blessings which will be their reward.
Let these precious opportunities which are thrown in our way be
eagerly improved, for it is a great and glorious Work in which we
are engaged, and one which is full of benefit to the human race
at large.
197
Why then should the world seek to subvert, overthrow, persecute,
destroy and make waste those who are engaged in so great and
beneficial an undertaking. There is no reason why men should
tread upon the oil and the wine. There is no reason why men
should not sustain holy and righteous principles that will
elevate and exalt mankind if they will let them. There is no
reason whatever why people should oppose the Latter-day Saints or
seek their destruction and overthrow; when they do it they do it
without reason--they do it because they hate righteous
principles, to satisfy their own wicked intentions and desires;
they love to lie rather than to speak the truth, and they do it
at the instigation of the Devil without any rational feeling or
reason whatever. They will be condemned because they love
darkness rather than light. They have the power to do evil, and
inasmuch as they list to obey the powers of evil they will be
damned. They have the same privilege that we have of obeying the
truth and of receiving light, knowledge and intelligence from
heaven, and may participate in the same blessings we enjoy. When
they choose the path of evil they do it on their own
responsibility. A great portion of the world will reject the good
and cleave to the evil; this has been so from the beginning. As
astonishing as it may appear, a vast majority of mankind will not
receive the truth, but they will reject it and trample under
their feet the oil and the wine, crucify the Redeemer afresh,
slay the Prophets and overthrow truth and righteousness as long
as they have power to do so.
197
But the day has now come when those principles will be sustained
on the earth. They have already obtained a foot-hold in these
valleys; the Almighty has set his hand to work to establish his
kingdom on the earth never again to be thrown down or to be
prevailed against.
198
We are here in the mountains, thank God for that; and we hold the
principles of life and salvation for all the world; we send forth
the heralds of life to proclaim them, and they are taking deep
root in the earth. The power to bind and to loose is here, even
the power of Heaven, and it cannot be eradicated again and
overcome. That day is past. We live in a day fruitful of big
events. The Lord Almighty is walking about and we have heard his
footsteps. He is at work in the midst of the nations; this is
very manifest to us who dwell here four thousand feet above the
level of the sea; from this elevation we can see clearly and have
a better understanding of the movements of God among the nations
beneath us. The Lord has anointed our eyes and we see through a
purer atmosphere.
198
I believe we appreciate as well as we can these great mercies and
blessings. There is one of them which we certainly can appreciate
very sensibly, and that is the blessing of peace and quiet in
these sequestered vales. The Lord has greatly blessed this land
and caused it to bring forth in its strength nourishment for our
sustenance; he has planted our feet by the still waters and given
to us health, wealth, peace and quietude. We can appreciate these
blessings now if we never could before, when we see the
desolation and misery which have been foretold coming upon the
wicked and ungodly nations. A river of light and intelligence
flows to this people from the heavens through the holy
Priesthood. The fountains of life eternal are opened for all to
go to and drink. Can we think of this without being melted in
thankfulness to our Father and our God? Should we not put forth
our best endeavors in the channel of our duty? Should we not be
honest, faithful and true with that which is committed to our
trust, and diligent in the performance of every duty?
198
Can we pursue unerringly the course marked out for us by him who
is the choice of Israel to lead and guide Israel in the great
interests of life. He instructs us to draw from the elements that
which we consume and become independent and self-sustaining. We
have enlisted to walk in this channel--a great many have done so.
Can we continue to improve still more and produce still greater
results by a still greater perseverance?
198
I was pleased and gratified beyond utterance at the report
brought back from the south by the President, when he said there
was a decided improvement in this people; thank God for that; but
it is a great thing to improve. Let us continue to improve,
inasmuch as we have fallen short heretofore, and let us seek to
remove every obstacle out of our path and bring about the
temporal improvements we are told to perform with great celerity.
I allude to these things because they give us comfort, pointing,
as they do, to greater freedom and great independence; at the
same, we will not forget to improve our minds and progress in the
knowledge of God and in the things which pertain to eternal life
and glory hereafter. We will not forget to instill into the young
minds of our children principles of honor, of truth and of
righteousness towards God, and obedience to him, to his servants
and to his laws, for it is this that will make them honorable and
great in his eyes and will exalt them in his presence.
199
If any of us have been guilty of dishonest practices, let us
eschew evil and seek to do good instead, let us eradicate the
poison of sin from our own bosoms, and let the Spirit and power
of the Almighty reign there and have free course to run and be
glorified in us, and let this influence spread abroad through
every ramification of society. These are my desires and most
sincere wishes. Let us be united in our love for God and truth,
for in unity there is strength, and in unity of this kind is made
manifest the almighty power of God. If we do this everything is
for us; nothing shall be withheld from those who love God and
keep his commandments; all things that are worth having will he
give to them. These are blessings and mercies which are enjoyed
by no people besides this people.
199
The self-styled orthodoxy of the day will do no person any good,
so far as giving them a title to an inheritance in the presence
of God is concerned; there is no balm of Gilead in all they can,
say or bestow on mankind, for the fountain of life and
intelligence is not with them. So far as they inculcate morality,
it has a salutary influence in restraining mankind from sinking
back into the worst phases of barbarism, but it receives no
impetus, no progression from their teachings, for those who make
no profession of religion at all are generally more strictly
moral, more strenuously honest and more faithful in the duties of
life than those who profess the religions of Christendom.
199
The religion we profess is the fountain of intelligence; it
inculcates morality, truth, virtue and every principle of true
knowledge, and this leads to true power and true excellence; it
has with it the vigor of life and leads to exaltation and to the
presence of our Father and God. Let us appreciate our blessings
and be careful not to hurt the oil and the wine; let us be
careful that we do not trample upon the principles which our
Father has revealed for our guidance, but let us be constantly
actuated by the influence of the Spirit of the Almighty which is
within us and let us never grieve it away; if we do this, we
shall not wander into forbidden paths, into darkness nor into
error, nor be left to believe a lie that we may be damned. If we
will follow out the principles of our holy religion, we will
become the greatest and the mightiest people upon the earth, and
we shall have power given to us to go forth in the mighty power
of Israel's God and redeem the earth from the thraldom of sin and
its consequences and raise high the banner of freedom, the banner
of salvation to the human race. There is a nucleus formed where
all the honest-in-heart may rally--where they will find safety
for themselves and their means; here their rights will be
respected and their means protected. All people can rally to this
standard because it is firm and steadfast, and the individual
rights of all will be respected; and it is the only place on the
face of the earth where this assurance can be given, all else
will crumble and go to pieces and be wasted away. This kingdom
embraces all that is permanent and lasting; it will endure
throughout time and throughout all eternity, and we with it. We
do know that the Lord has commenced his great and marvelous Work
and he will continue it and break in pieces the wicked and
ungodly nations until they shall become the kingdoms of our Lord
and his Christ, and his kingdom which is now being set up will
continue for ever and ever. This is our testimony to all men; our
cry is, Come out of her, my people, lest you partake of her
abominations and of her plagues which have been decreed upon her.
200
May the Lord help us to take a course that shall lead us onward
and upward, that we may receive and hold the dominion for God,
and that it may continue to increase and spread until the earth
is redeemed and Christ shall possess the kingdoms under the whole
heavens, which is my prayer, in the name of Jesus: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, June 7, 1863
Brigham Young, June 7, 1863
HOME MANUFACTURES.--THE NECESSITY OF GREATER ATTENTION TO
THEM.--TITHING.
Discourse by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, June 7, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
200
I have a few things to say to the Latter-day Saints with regard
to ourselves. From the first of our coming into these valleys we
have instructed the people concerning the facts that are now
visible and manifest in the nation to which we are attached. It
was then understood by us and was as plainly before our minds as
are the facts that are now in their progress.
200
We also have a warfare to engage in, and, as the Apostle says,
"The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all
disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."
201
The warfare that I wish particularly to speak of to-day is that
which wars against all opposition to economy and to the obtaining
of the knowledge of God and that wisdom which comes from him
pertaining to self-preservation. My warfare is, and has been for
years, to get the people to understand that if they do not take
care of themselves they will not be taken care of; that if we do
not lay the foundation to feed and clothe and shelter ourselves
we shall perish with hunger and with cold; we might also suffer
in the summer season from the direct rays of the sun upon our
naked and unprotected bodies. We have striven for years to
convince the Latter-day Saints that rags and ruffles will cease
being brought to us from a foreign market, though a struggle is
still made to bring them here. We have warred against the
principle of promoting and making wealthy those who wish us no
good, and we have found it hard to convince our brethren and
sisters that the saying of the Savior is really as true when
applied to us as it was when applied to his followers in his day,
"He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not
with me, scattereth abroad." Thousands of this people this day
will not believe that saying. We have this to war against, and
the warfare should be engaged in by every Latter-day Saint. The
same responsibility, the same influence, the same power and the
same objects to be attained should rest upon every person who is
a member of the Church, as much as upon me and my brethren who
are contending with me constantly for the permanent good of
Israel. We have contended long to convince this people that they
must become self-sustaining.
201
I can, notwithstanding this, endorse all that brother George A.
Smith said this morning concerning the great improvement of this
people and the good feeling they manifested to us on our southern
trip. The people who have settled in that country are certainly
contented. Many of them said to me, "We love to live in Great
Salt Lake City, love to go to meeting there, but we should very
much dislike now to be counseled to return there again to make
our permanent abode. We like the country and climate here, we
like our calling and situation, and we are happy and contented."
I am ready to endorse all the goodness and good-feeling that were
manifested, and I can truly say that love, union, faith, fervency
of spirit and faithfulness to our religion are greatly on the
increase among the Latter-day Saints, or I am much mistaken;
still the warfare is not ended in regard to our being
self-sustaining.
201
We have evidence now before us which sufficiently proves that the
ruffles and the rags will not continue to come here for a great
length of time, and we shall have to do without them or make them
ourselves. Sixteen years ago, when we were camped upon this
temple block, I told the people that there existed, in the
elements around us in these mountain regions, wheat, corn, rye,
oats, barley, flax, hemp, silk and every element for producing
the necessary articles used by man for food, raiment and shelter.
We breathe it in the atmosphere, drink it in the water, dig it
when we dig in the earth, and walk over it when we walk. Here are
the elements for every cereal, vegetable and fruit, and for every
textile material that grows in the same latitude and altitude in
any part of the world. No country in the world will yield more
and a greater variety of the products of life than will portions
of this mountain country. We have proven all this to be true.
There is not a better wheat country than this, and we can raise
as good rye and corn as can be produced in any part of the earth;
we can also raise as good vegetables as I ever saw, and in as
great a variety as need be asked for. We have raised hemp, flax,
cotton and silk, all of the best quality. We can make ropes and
sacking, and cotton, silk and woollen goods in abundance; we have
the elements and skill to combine them.
202
There is no better sheep country than this. Some farmers suppose
that their failure to raise wool is owing to ill luck; this is a
mistake. I have expended more, in the early settlement of this
country, to produce wool than any one man. I have bought sheep by
hundreds, but I never saw the time that I could go out and herd
them myself, consequently had to depend upon others. The
treatment that sheep receive from most of those having them in
care is by no means conducive to their thrift. The lambs are too
often left for the wolves and dogs to herd or to the care of an
inexperienced boy or girl. Large numbers of sheep are often
huddled into little, filthy pens and kept sixteen hours out of
the twenty-four in their own filth and stench. For this you will
be called to judgment, and if there is no one else to charge you
with the wrongs I will. There is not a better country in the
world to produce wool than this mountain country, if the sheep
are properly taken care of.
202
Now, then, I ask, how many of my brethren and sisters will enlist
with me in this warfare, not to contend with and against carnal
weapons, but against the foolish traditions, pride and vain
imaginations of the people called Latter-day Saints? Will my
wives and children enlist with me in this work? I have striven
with all my might to set a good example before this people; I
have striven with all the power I possessed to introduce every
good into their midst. I do not know of an evil practice that I
am not willing to part with this hour to do good to this people.
If there is a wrong in my practice, religiously, morally,
politically or financially, I wish some of you would let me know
it. If I strive to do right and to take a course to save myself
and this people, should not the people do the same? Myself and my
brethren who are with me heart and hand are always ready and
willing to do everything in our power to promote the kingdom of
God upon the earth and to save the people who profess to be
Saints, and all the inhabitants of the earth that can be saved,
then why should not all the Saints do and feel the same? Are we
not all under obligation to be Saints, to build up the kingdom of
God, to bring forth righteousness and deliverance to the
honest-in-heart, to gather up the lost sheep of the house of
Israel, to send the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth,
giving all a privilege to hear and believe it and to build up the
Zion of our God upon the earth? Is not this obligatory upon every
member of this Church and kingdom, upon one as well as upon
another in their calling and capacity? You all answer in the
affirmative. Then why not begin from this day to sustain
ourselves and cease feeding and clothing those who wish us no
good and giving them our money for that which is comparatively
worthless?
202
Is brother Heber C. Kimball willing to enlist with me in this
work? I can say yes for him. Are his wives and children willing
to enlist with him and then with me? Is brother Daniel H. Wells
willing to enlist with us? I can answer favorably for him and for
a great many others. Why not every man and woman go to with their
mights and try to do something towards sustaining themselves?
202
The feelings of many are, "How are we going to get gold to buy
what we want--to procure what we consider the necessaries of
life?"
203
You have read that piece of excellent advice called the "Word of
Wisdom." I shall not say you must obey it; you can read it over
again and refresh your memories, and I give the privilege to the
Elders of Israel to cease using tobacco, and if they will not
cease using it, then raise it; and then also, to cease using
spirituous liquors to excess. At the time Mr. Holladay kept store
opposite the south gate of this block, he annually received not
less than $29,000 for the article, tobacco. His books will now
show this. Into Livingston's store I presume this people annually
paid for the article, tobacco, not less than $35,000, and that,
too, when we were but few; what must our bills be at the present
time? I think I am safe in saying that we have paid, for tobacco
alone, at least $100,000 a year during the last thirteen years.
Now, especially you Elders and leading men of Israel, will you do
yourselves a favor by letting it alone from this time? Brother
George A. Smith says that the two penny institution of Jackson
and Stewart, in Provo, took over $15,000 a year for tobacco
alone. If you will let this article alone you will benefit both
yourselves and the community. A man who indulges in any habit
that is pernicious to the general good in its example and
influence, is not only an enemy to himself but to the community
so far as the influence of that habit goes. A man who would not
sacrifice a pernicious habit for the good it would do the
community is, to say the least of it, lukewarm in his desires and
wishes for public and general improvement. Tobacco is not good
for man; spirituous liquor is not good for a beverage, but in
many cases it is good for washing the body.
203
Dare I venture to invite the sisters to favor themselves by
letting alone the article called tea? Some of that which is
imported to this country from California, and for which you pay
from three to four dollars a pound, is not much better than hay.
I merely wish to say that you now have the privilege and
invitation tendered to you to cease drinking the filthy stuff.
Again, I kindly tender you the privilege of making your own
bonnets from straw or grass. There are no handsomer bonnets nor
trimmings for them than are and can be made from straw. I have
raised rye year after year for the express purpose of having the
straw manufactured into hats and bonnets, and have invited my
sisters to gather and use it and welcome. Some thirty years ago,
at a State fair held in the State of Ohio, a young lady took the
premium on Leghorn bonnets, and her sample of Leghorn was made of
the common red-top grass of which we grow an abundance in this
valley. You can have the privilege of gathering the red-top grass
and preparing it to make Leghorn bonnets and hats for yourselves
and your children. I will invite my brethren to procure and plant
the multicaulus or mulberry tree; let your wives and daughters
feed silk-worms with the leaves, and thus produce silk for
ribbons, for dresses, for bonnets, for scarfs, shawls, neckties,
gentlemen's vests, &c. We have skilful artizans among us who can
dye and weave the silk into every possible design for beauty and
utility. Let us be active in procuring machinery that will
manufacture our cotton and flax into fine yarns for thread of
every quality; then our sisters can knit and manufacture in
different ways their frills, ruffles and laces to suit their
tastes.
203
I am perfectly able to send to the east and buy what I and my
family need, but there is a mighty influence in a good example,
and what would my precept be worth without my example, besides
the conscious gratification of having performed my duty to my
God, to myself, to my family and to this people?
203
I have engaged in this warfare and I have tried to teach my
family, my neighbors and their families the necessity of our
leading out in these matters, and thus set the example for the
whole Church to follow. This hat was made of straw which grew on
my farm near this city. It has been my handsome hat for twelve
years, and does it not look well yet? It is all home-made
excepting the ribbon. Trimmings made of straw are the neatest and
richest for straw bonnets and straw hats.
204
Shall we make our light clothing of the cotton which we can raise
here in abundance? They will raise more cotton in our southern
settlements than we can possibly use before another crop comes
off. Shall we buy their cotton from them and manufacture it into
clothing, or pay the stores seventy-five cents a yard for cotton
cloth? We have power to perform this useful labor, or to neglect
it and tease husbands and fathers to buy at the stores the
articles which we think we need.
204
Who will enter with me and my brethren into this warfare with
their whole souls? I call it warfare, because it has been so with
me for years; it has continually been a heavy weight upon my
shoulders. I have for years been pleading with the people to take
a course to sustain themselves. Some few are trying to do so but
it would be a great relief to me if I could in truth say that we,
as a people, are trying to do so. I could sound the feelings of
the whole community upon this subject by organizing clubs and
societies for this, that and the other, all pointing to and
having in view the great self-sustaining principle, but such
clubs, societies or firms are apt to clash more or less and run
into sectional differences and sectional feelings. This I do not
want. When we say we will do a good thing, I want the whole
community to be of one heart and of one mind in that matter. If
we say we will sustain ourselves and be independent of foreign
productions and a foreign market let the whole community at once
become a unit on this point by forthwith beginning to supply
themselves with the necessaries of life produced in their
mountain home.
204
Some will argue that they could not wear in warm weather a
garment made of the cotton yarn spun in our little factory in
Parowan; I do not think the argument a good one. It has been
strenuously argued by our ladies that hoops are a cool and
comfortable fashion, but I cannot understand how they derive the
benefit that is claimed for crinoline when the accustomed
quantity of clothing is still worn. This argument is something
like the one often used in favor of drinking spirituous liquors,
"We drink liquor in summer to cool us and in winter to warm us."
"We put on crinoline and the accustomed number of garments in
summer to keep us comfortably cool and in winter to keep us
comfortably warm." I argue that a dress made of Utah yarn, worn
over a reasonable quantity of underclothing, would be more light,
comfortable and healthy than the style of dress now used by our
ladies.
204
What do you say? Shall we make ourselves clothing from Utah
cotton, from Utah flax, from Utah silk, from Utah wool, and wear
cloth from Utah looms, or go without? And you, my sisters, my
wives and my daughters, come here to meeting clothed and adorned
with the workmanship of your own hands and rejoice therein; and
do the same if you have occasion to go to a party, and tell your
neighbors what you have done.
204
The wicked and selfish portion of mankind are constantly engaged
in pandering to their own selfish and avaricious desires,
regarding not the wants and sufferings of their fellow-beings.
Were the biographies of all the really great and good of mankind
known to us, we should know that they lived to do good to their
fellow-beings, to benefit and bless their families, neighbors,
friends and the human family at large; such men have proved
themselves worthy of their existence. Let us all seek diligently
to know what we can do to benefit our fellow-beings. We must try
with all our power to overcome every injurious tradition and
custom we have learned from our fathers and teachers.
205
We must learn to think for ourselves, and know for ourselves, and
provide for ourselves. We can here produce any amount of the raw
material, and we are importing machinery, and shall continue to
do until we shall be victorious over the traditions and customs
which oppose themselves to our becoming self-sustaining and
independent. I never mean to give up the conflict; I never mean
to yield one point until I see this accomplished; while every
obstacle surmounted, every object gained, every purpose
accomplished and every aim in view is to build up the kingdom of
God upon the earth, save and redeem the house of Jacob, and save
all the inhabitants of the earth that can be saved.
205
I shall not worry while I am struggling to gain this great
conquest, but I intend to live and feel well about it. The man
who fights with coolness and calculation in moral and domestic
reform will win every time. Let us apply our minds to know what
our life is worth and what we can do to sustain it and the lives
of those who are connected with us, instead of continually
whining for something to satisfy "great, big self," instead of
wanting this and that, instead of being miserable because we do
not do this or because we do not do that, instead of being
unhappy because this is so or because that is not so, all of
which we cannot help with all of our complaining. Let us see what
we can do to do good to our children, to our neighbors, to our
husbands, to our wives, to our brethren and sisters, and then to
the inhabitants of the whole earth. Let us make ourselves capable
of doing at least a little good, and this will occupy our minds
upon something that is indeed profitable to others, and will
somewhat divert our attention from worshiping ourselves and
blaming everybody that does not do the same.
205
I will now address the Bishops, and the people through their
Bishops and Teachers. Why are we not as willing to pattern after
good as after evil? Since we again commenced labor on the Temple
we have been much troubled and perplexed with regard to getting
Tithing labor. I immediately put on the work two good mule teams
with a good man to manage each, then I put on two good common
laborers to work on this block; I feed, clothe and pay the men,
sustain the teams and keep the wagons in repair. I shall receive
credit for this on labor Tithing. Besides this, I have kept two
and sometimes three teams with drivers traveling to and from the
country settlements to gather and bring in butter, cheese, eggs,
&c., for the hands who work on the public works. For this team
work I ask nothing but labor Tithing. I have given other men the
privilege of doing the same. Have they done it? No, not one, with
the exception of brother Daniel H. Wells' having one yoke of oxen
and a wagon on the public works.
206
Since I have been in these valleys, when I have received fifty
cents, fifty dollars, or ten thousand dollars, I have invariably
put it into the general fund; not every dollar, because I have my
family to support. Who has followed that practice? Very few, if
any. They may not have had the means nor the advantages for
getting them that I have had. Do those who have the means do
this? They do not. From the beginning I have striven with my
might to get men to bring machinery into the country, to get them
to raise sheep and wool, have the wool made into cloth and then
wear it. Who has followed my example in this? Instead of bringing
in machinery and in every way within my power encouraging home
production, suppose I had brought large quantities of goods from
abroad, encouraged gold mining, trading, trafficking,
speculating, erecting whisky palaces and gambling saloons, I
should have been hailed as a great Prophet, a wise leader and a
great financier by those who love to swim in such waters, and
hundreds would have been with me heart and hand.
206
When there was no whisky to be had here, and we needed it for
rational purposes, I built a house to make it in. When the
distillery was almost completed and in good working order, an
army was heard of in our vicinity and I shut up the works; I did
not make a gallon of whisky at my works, because it came here in
great quantities, more than was needed. I could have made
thousands of dollars from my still, which has ever since been as
dead property. Have others followed my example in this? They have
not, but there was a whisky shop established here and another
there. Some have even told me that they would starve if they did
not make whisky. I said to them, make it then, and be damned, for
they will be damned anyhow. Am not I able to make whisky? Yes;
there stands the still and the still-house to this day, which I
have never used and from which I might make thousands of dollars.
Have I made whisky and sold it in what some call whisky street?
No. Had I done so how many would have hailed me, "You are a good
man, brother Brigham, and you are the right man to lead Israel;
thank God for such a man: he keeps a whiskey shop, drinks liquor,
trades with our enemies and hugs them to his heart as long as
there is any money in their pockets, and takes them to his house
and introduces them to his wives and daughters; what a blessed
man brother Brigham is."
206
I will now confine a few of my remarks directly to the people who
live within easy reach of this Temple Block. They say they pay
labor Tithing. If the farmer, merchant, and mechanic are asked to
pay a little labor Tithing, "O yes, and we mean to be credited
for it in full." "When will you pay it?" "When it is too cold,
wet and stormy to go a fishing and hunting. While we can work in
the field, go after wood, or go to shoot ducks with pleasure, we
will not pay you one day of labor Tithing." They come in the
winter to pay it when labor is not wanted. Who pays labor
Tithing? "Everybody." Who pays their grain Tithing, their stock
Tithing and their money Tithing. "Everybody."
206
We feed and clothe some two thousand persons on these public
works. Let me ask the Bishops of this city, and there are twenty
Wards, how much money have you paid into the Public Treasury
these five years past? Then ask the Bishops of the different
Wards throughout the Territory the same question, and I think, if
they answer the question fairly, it will be found that they have
not paid one dollar to where we have had to pay out five hundred
in cash or its equivalent. Our public hands have hats, coats,
vests, shirts, garments, pantaloons, shoes, &c.; who buys these
articles of clothing? They have to be bought and the money paid
for them. The wives and children of our work-hands are well and
comfortably clothed; who buys and pays for this clothing? Brother
Wells could tell you a story about this, if he had a mind to do
so. I say to the public hands, henceforth, if we have not the
articles on hand that you want we shall not go to the store and
buy them, neither will I permit brother Wells to do so; if he
does he must pay the debt, for I will not.
207
I will now say to the Latter-day Saints, though this belongs to a
General Conference, Will you do me the kindness to cease paying
Tithing from this time forth, unless you pay it in a different
manner than heretofore? They pile up wheat in Cache county, in
Utah county, in Sanpete and in every other county distant from
this city, in bins and houses were much of it becomes musty and
good for nothing. Will they draw it to us here, where it can be
put to use? Not much of it. They will let it spoil, unless they
can have the privilege of using it themselves, and in many
instances they have had the use of it. If wheat in the distant
counties could be sold for a dollar-and-a-half a bushel in cash,
we should get a comparatively small quantity of wheat in this
Tithing-office. If they would give us fifty cents for every
bushel of grain they pretend to pay in on Tithing in some kind of
property that we can make use of, we would be much obliged to
them. We cannot even get this; too many manage through their
Bishops to pay their Tithing in a way to do us but little good.
207
If the people will cease paying Tithing, and let us understand
it, we can build up the Temple ourselves, for I can put forty
more teams to work on the public works, if I say the word.
President Kimball and Wells can do the same.
207
I am going to give the people the privilege to build the Temple
by donations; as to saying that it is being built by Tithing, it
is not so.
207
Some hundred thousand dollars a year are paid out by the
community for tobacco, and the cash Tithing paid on this money
expenditure probably does not amount to a thousand cents. How can
the people be justified while committing such errors only upon
the score of ignorance? We are trying to instruct you in the
knowledge of the truth, that you may learn better. I do not
condemn the Latter-day Saints for all this.
207
It is almost useless to ask any man possessing means to pay a
little labor Tithing; if any is paid in the season when it is
wanted, the poorest portions of the community pay it. The Second
Ward is one of the poorest Wards in the city, and I have
observed, when I have been at the Bishop's meeting, that that
Ward has responded to the calls of the Bishop better than any
other Ward in the city.
207
I will now give the privilege to Bishop Hunter to put a good mule
team to work on this Temple Block, and there sustain it and let
it work until we say it is enough. I give brother Kimball the
same privilege. And there are Bishops Raleigh, Cunningham, J. C.
Little and Leonard W. Hardy, to whom I give the same privilege,
and they need not ask one farthing, only to be credited on labor
Tithing. Then there are Bishops Sheets, Pugmire and Edwin D.
Woolley and John M. Woolley, and all the rest of the Bishops,
with the members of the Wards who are able, I will give them the
same privilege, that we may have what teamwork we want. I wish
you all to bring your free donations to this work, and not seek
to put your property in a shape that it cannot do the good we
wish, and then say you own no Tithing.
208
If the people have a mind to pay Tithing, pay it as it ought to
be paid. I would rather have fifty cents a bushel in good
available property, than to have all the grain that is paid in
where it is not available, for it would do more good. The
argument generally used is, "I pay my Tithing, and that is all
that is required of me." But have you no care, no responsibility
beyond this? Do you not feel that the interest of this kingdom is
your interest? And should you not feel anxious that the kingdom
of God should be built up, become mighty, able to protect itself
and independent of all other kingdoms? Should you be entirely
indifferent as to how the financial affairs of God's kingdom on
earth are managed? If this kingdom suffers, will you not suffer
with it? If it prospers, becomes wealthy and powerful, will you
not prosper and become wealthy and powerful with it?
208
I am willing to give you an account of my stewardship. Let every
man have a care for the public property which is devoted for the
public good. If a man knowingly puts a hundred bushels of good
Tithing wheat into a bin of smutty, unsound wheat, but thinks
that it is none of his business, he does an evil and his offering
is not acceptable to the Lord; it is his duty to see that his
good Tithing wheat, or anything else, is deposited where it will
be taken care of and properly appropriated. We will either stop
the paying of Tithing, or have it paid in a way that will do us
good.
208
If we want a job done, we will tell you about it; then we want
you to do it in the proper time and place, but we do not want
labor Tithing paid in the winter. The Lord requires obedience of
his people, which is better than sacrifice.
208
There is a warfare in which we are all engaged, and there is a
victory which we have to win to become self-sustaining and
independent, preparing ourselves for the days that are fast
approaching.
208
May the Lord bless you: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, June 14, 1863
Brigham Young, June 14, 1863
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.--THE KINGDOM OF GOD.--BUILDING
THE TEMPLE.--TITHING, ETC.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, June 14, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
208
I am very fond of hearing my brethren speak to the congregations
of the Saints; it affords a pleasing variety of the talent and
ability that exists in the Elders of Israel. The object of our
meeting together is to learn and to increase in the knowledge of
the truth. Truth cleaves to truth and light to light? No man
possessing the spirit of his religion can arise to speak to the
Saints without imparting something that is beneficial. We are
blessed with a great privilege in meeting here to worship the
Lord our God and to speak comforting words to each other.
209
It would be very gratifying to me if I had the ability to so
speak to the Saints as to divest them of every error they possess
and give them eternal truth without in the least ruffling their
feelings. Our weaknesses are known to ourselves, and in many
instances to each other, but we have the privilege of learning
and of increasing in faith and in the knowledge of God and
godliness. We have the privilege of learning more and more of the
earth which we inhabit, of the object of its creation, of the
people that dwell upon it and of all things pertaining to
ourselves.
209
The Lord has revealed a great many precious principles to this
people, and knowledge which cannot be obtained by the study of
the learned of the world, "who are ever learning and never come
to the knowledge of the truth." One of the greatest blessings
that can be bestowed upon the children of men is to have true
knowledge concerning themselves, concerning the human family and
the designs of Heaven concerning them. It is also a great
blessing to have wisdom to use this knowledge in a way to produce
the greatest good to ourselves and all men. All the power of
earthly wealth cannot give this knowledge and this wisdom.
209
If mankind could know the object God has in their creation, and
what they might obtain by doing right and by applying to the
source and fountain of wisdom for information, how quickly they
would turn away from every ungodly action and custom. But as the
Prophet says, "Ephraim is joined to his idols; let him alone."
"Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early
dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the
whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney."
Instead of seeking unto the Lord for wisdom, they seek unto vain
philosophy and the deceit and traditions of men, which are after
the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. They are led by
their own imaginations and by the dictates of their selfish will,
which will lead them in the end to miss the object of their
pursuit. Were you to inquire of the leading men of the world--of
kings, rulers, philosophers and wise men--the end or result of
their pursuits, they cannot tell you. This I believe; and I think
it is quite evident, according to what I have witnessed.
209
What object was there, we might ask, for inaugurating the present
war that is spreading dismay through our once happy land? Is it
to kill off the African race? No; but ostensibly to give freedom
to millions that are bound, and in doing this they did not know
that they would lay the foundation for their own destruction as
well as that of the object of their pursuit. Those whose minds
are opened to see and understand the purposes of the Most High
are made happy in a timely deliverance from approaching evil. "A
prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the
simple pass on, and are punished." We have the priceless
privilege of applying our hearts to wisdom, and of learning the
things of God while the wisdom of the wise men of the world
perishes and the understanding of their prudent is hid.
210
I can say, for the satisfaction of my brethren who have spoken
to-day, that I do not know that I have heard them say anything
but truth; they have advanced good doctrine, good ideas, even to
having our clothing last us for years; I should be quite willing
to have mine last for a great length of time. The coat I am now
wearing I have had six or eight years, and I would like to have
it last me six or eight years longer, and use any money I might
have for buying another coat to deliver some honest, poor,
starving soul who is deprived of liberty and the common comforts
of life. I would like to take the price of this coat and send it
abroad to gather the poor and place them in like circumstances we
are now enjoying, that they might have the privilege of going to
the same fountain that we do for food, raiment and intelligence.
The old adage has it, "The back will trust, but the belly will
not." Hundreds of our brethren and sisters in foreign lands are
now in a dying condition through want of food. If my hat, coat,
boots, shoes, &c., would last half a century or a whole one, and
I had the means every year to buy myself a fresh supply, I would
thank God to put it into my heart to send that means to gather
the poor.
210
The doctrine is correct, the advice is good for this people to be
prudent with what they have around them and not to waste their
substance. When brother G. D. Watt was speaking this morning I
could not entirely free this people from the imputation of
shamefully and disgracefully wasting a portion of the substance
which God has so kindly and so abundantly given to them. We were
exhorted by brother Watt to be prudent, saving, frugal and
economical; to learn to gather the good things of life around us
in abundance, to extend our possessions on the right and on the
left and hold them all for God. If we are permitted to gather
around us gold and silver and all the treasures that the Gentiles
seek, instead of hoarding them up in iron chests or burying them
in the ground for use in a future day, let us use them to send
the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth, to gather the
poor Saints from every land, and to gather from the rocks and
caves and dens of the earth the house of Israel. It is the duty
of every person to thus put their money and other means to usury.
We should all learn to use the blessings God has bestowed upon us
with the greatest possible economy, doing good with the means he
puts into our hands, and he will enlarge our means and our
capacity to do more good. We do not possess a great deal at the
most. I am blessed with plenty of food and raiment, with good
houses for my family to live in, &c. I wish some good man, that
is worth his millions, would give me half what my property is
worth, I would be thankful, and give every dollar of it to
preaching the Gospel, gathering the poor Saints, building the
Temple and Tabernacle or anything else to do good and build up
the kingdom of God, and I would commence afresh to make more
property.
210
There are a great many things with regard to the providences of
God which this people do not yet understand. The Jews did not
understand that God, in his kind providence, was building up his
Church among them in the days of the Apostles. The same ignorance
blinded the world in the days of Noah, and so it is the days of
the coming of the Son of Man.
211
My brethren who spoke this morning will excuse me for referring
to their remarks. Brother Little exhorted the brethren, this
morning, to take from their little piles, as he called them, and
add to brother Brigham's big pile. Brigham's individual pile is
already large enough, though, in reality, we should have only one
mess chest, one place of deposit, one store-house, one "pile,"
and that is the kingdom of God upon the earth; it is the only
store-house there is for Saints, it is the only "pile," the only
safe place of deposit, the only place to invest our capital. This
is rational to me; and all who contend for an individual
interest, a personal "pile," independent of the kingdom of God,
will be destroyed. I, apparently, own horses, carriages, houses,
lands, flocks, herds, &c. The Lord has intrusted to me all this
property, in his providence; I have not run after it or sought
it, it is the Lord's; if, under this consideration, you agree to
add to Brigham's "pile," I am willing you should do so.
211
I would not have an individual interest for all the gold and
silver upon the earth or in it. What I possess, whether wives and
children, goods and chattels, will not be mine, in the strict
sense of the word, until I have passed all the ordeals that God
has ordained that his children shall pass; until I have overcome
every sin and every obstacle to my being crowned in the celestial
kingdom of our Father and God. If I am unfaithful with that which
God has put in my possession, it will be taken from me and be
given to another. I have no individual "pile," no individual
store-house. I do not think a man or woman can be found who can
truly testify that they ever knew Brigham, for an individual
interest, to neglect one moment any public duty that devolved
upon him in the kingdom of God. That is my only business; it is
all the business I have on hand. I take the Lord at his word,
"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all
other things shall be added unto you." I do not know but that he
will take away every particle of property I seem to have and let
me become a beggar; and if that is his wish, I would as soon beg
my bread from door to door, if it is the mind of God and will add
glory and honor to his kingdom, as to possess my thousands and
live in luxury. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness;" if the Lord adds "all other things," all right;
and if he does not, it is all right.
211
Scores of my brethren cleave to the gold and silver and wealth of
this world; if their minds were right before the Heavens, as they
should be, the Lord would pour into their laps an abundance of
gold and silver until they were satisfied, but to give it to them
now would damn them. He withholds it from them, and I am thankful
that he does. I pray him to withhold from me and this people
everything that will do us an injury. As fast as we prepare
ourselves for the blessings the Lord has in store for us, so fast
will the Lord pour them upon us.
211
Thirty years ago, when I first began to tell the people about the
Gospel of life and salvation, I told them just as I do now, that
the kingdom of God will extend, increase, grow and spread abroad
on the right and on the left until, by-and-bye, the inhabitants
of the world will know that the Lord is God, and that he has set
to his hand again to gather Israel and establish for ever the
kingdom that is spoken of in the prophecy of Daniel, which is now
set up, and it will go forth until it rules all things upon the
face of the earth. When I first bore this testimony it was to
those who heard it like an empty sound; only a few obeyed, but
now the mere sound, the mere report of this Work heard from afar,
penetrates their ears and sinks into their hearts, bringing fear
and dread to the wicked. But let me say to all the inhabitants of
the earth, "Fear not, borrow not trouble; but to those who are
afraid of truth and justice, fear on." There is no question but
what many fear justice and truth and the attributes of God more
than they dread and fear anything else.
212
To all who love truth, mercy and justice, I will say, that when
God rules on the earth he will rule in righteousness, dealing out
mercy to all such persons, and they will be perfectly satisfied
with the reign of Christ. But they who have sinned so great a sin
that they cannot be forgiven will dread the day when Jesus Christ
shall reign. Multitudes now read about that time, and it will
come and the kingdom of God will go forth to the east, to the
west, to the south and to the north, and none will be found who
dare lift up their voices against the rule and reign of the Son
of God. "To him every knee will bow and every tongue confess,"
and we cannot help it. I look forth to that day with a great deal
of real pleasure and satisfaction, when the righteous will reign
upon all the face of the earth.
212
We are all liable to err; are subject, more or less, to the
errors incident to the human family. We would be pleased to get
along without these errors, and many may think that a man in my
standing ought to be perfect; no such thing. If you would only
think of it for a moment you would not have me perfect, for if I
were perfect the Lord would take me to Paradise quicker than you
would be willing to have me go there. I want to stay with you;
and I expect to be just perfect enough to lead you on--to still
know a little more than you know; you may increase as fast as you
can, and I will keep just a little ahead of you; if you do not
believe it, try it, and you will learn whether the Lord is not
capable of still leading you through as weak an instrument as
your humble servant.
212
We have a great labor before us. The building of this Temple is
not a drop to a bucket-full when compared with the labor we have
to do. Let this people say that they will not build the Temple by
Tithing, and then let the Lord say to a few of us, "My servants,
will you build that Temple?" Our reply would be, "Yes." I could
build it alone, if required, as well as I could build any other
building, and the Lord would throw every means into my hands that
I needed for the work. It is God who gives the increase; he
throws into our path the blessings we enjoy. Every man and woman
ought to know that they can do all that he wishes them to
perform; but there is an abundance of Tithing, and more than we
need, if it could be had in a shape that we could use it to
advantage. It now costs us nearly as much as it is worth to take
care of the Tithing, because the people throw on to a few the
responsibility of caring for the Tithing property. Is it not
public property? and should not a mutual interest be felt for its
preservation and proper disbursement?
213
When the brethren come to work out their labor Tithing, they do
not expect us to board them and find them tools to work with. I
accidentally learned one thing when I was south, and might have
known it before if I had only thought of it. I went into a little
bit of a Tithing-room where there was a few hundred pounds of
bacon; I said, "You have some meat here." "Yes," was the reply,
"but the most of it is gone, for we have sent a great deal with
the teams which have gone for the poor, and we expect the rest of
it to be wanted for our teamsters who are hauling rock for the
Temple." Try the experiment with one who comes here to pay labor
Tithing, get up a boarding-house and board him, a clothing store
and clothe him, and the labor that is done will not cover half
the expense of feeding and clothing them. What did we expect you
to do when we said, in the circular, take a little of this and a
little of that? We expected the people to bear this expense and
not take it out of the Tithing-office for meat and clothing to
fit out what teams I have sent, and never thought of it. When we
first called for teams to go to Florence, we called for thirty;
twenty-seven went, and I furnished more than half of them and did
not ask the Church to find me meat, but others have, and they can
have all of this, that and the other they want out of the
Tithing-office; and if a Bishop gets ten dollars in money or
other good pay he is sure to manage to send a load of wood or
brush to some person in his Ward, charge the Church with ten
dollars, and put the money in his pocket. Can we build a Temple
on such terms?
213
Where are the bacon and eggs that should come to feed the
workmen? I had my teams ready to go out for such articles, but
they are away towards the States with the teamsters; the meat,
the lard, the eggs, the butter, the cheese and everything is gone
to the States. We have said to the teamsters who have gone east,
We will give you credit on labor Tithing; and we have to board
them, too, have we? I expect we shall have to find wagons for
them by-and-bye, and then oxen and everything else. You can see
how men can think and contrive how to use up this and that--to
use up all the butter, all the eggs, all the meat, all the cheese
and all the money--"and when we cannot sell wheat at any price,
then you poor slaves who work on the public works may take it and
build up the kingdom with it." This is a little harder than I
spoke last Sunday, and you may judge of it as you please. "Do you
know all this to be true, brother Brigham?" I do.
213
I do not wish any of my remarks applied where they do not belong.
If there is a presiding officer in this kingdom who is not
equally with myself under obligation to see the kingdom of God
built up, I would like to see him. Some may be careless,
unconcerned, drink whisky and loiter away their time, or try to
accumulate for themselves, but I will promise such that they will
sink to rise no more; they will dwindle away to nothing, and
their names will be forgotten among men.
213
We had better build up the kingdom of God, and consider ourselves
under obligations to do it, and see that we actually magnify our
high and holy calling before the heavens. We have the privilege
of preparing ourselves to inherit the celestial kingdom. Is there
another people on the earth that has the same reason for
rejoicing that we have? Those who have power to overcome
temptation, to subdue their own passions and inclinations to
evil, have more reason to be thankful than those who have not
thus overcome. Let us have compassion upon each other, and let
the strong tenderly nurse the weak into strength, and let those
who can see guide the blind until they can see the way for
themselves.
213
I exhort the Bishops and the people to do better. Do not charge
to my account hundreds and thousands of dollars when it is where
I cannot handle it and do good with it. I could have made this
whole people rich long ago if I had possessed their confidence,
as I should, but if I had made them rich, through the blessings
of the Lord, I expect it would have destroyed them. I do not,
however, ask your confidence any further than you can be made
subject to the law of Christ and not love the world and the
things of the world. I do not wish an influence that would be to
my injury and to the injury of this people, but I really fancy to
myself that if this people called Latter-day Saints were devoted
perfectly to the building up of the kingdom of God, I should have
a great deal more influence with them than I now possess, and I
should be able to control their purses as well as their souls.
214
Many, when they come here, are in the depths of poverty, but when
they find that they can stand alone and become a little
independent, how quickly they forsake their God and their
religion for that which is of no profit. Let us desire and pray
for these things which will do us good, trusting in the Lord,
seeking to know and do his will, and we shall come off conquerors
and be crowned with crowns of glory, immortality and eternal
lives in the celestial kingdom of our Father and God. I hope this
will be the case with most of us, and should like it to be the
case with all. I would delight in seeing the inhabitants of Zion
prepared to enjoy all the glory there is for the faithful.
214
May the Lord help us: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Wilford Woodruff, June 2, 1863
Wilford Woodruff, June 2, 1863
INSPIRATION NECESSARY FOR THE PREACHING OF THE
GOSPEL.--VALUE OF OUR PRESENT LIFE, ETC.
Remarks by Elder Wilford Woodruff, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, June 2, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
214
Jesus said to those whom he had appointed to go forth and preach
his Gospel, "Go your way: behold, I send you forth as lambs among
wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute, no
man by the way." Again, "And ye shall be brought before governors
and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the
Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or
what you shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour
what you shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit
of your Father which speaks in you."
214
This is one of the blessings that belong to the Church and
kingdom of God in this and in every other age of the world when
God has had a Church upon the earth. When people attempt to
preach the Gospel without the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they
are under the necessity of studying or of writing their sermons,
thus presenting the cogitations of their own hearts in support of
the doctrines and tenets of their particular sects. When the Lord
sets to his hand to perform a work and to build up his kingdom on
the earth, his servants whom he calls to do this work are obliged
to trust in the Lord their God and to lean upon his arm for
strength, for no man can tell what the will of God is unless it
is revealed to him by the revelations of Jesus Christ through the
power of the Holy Ghost.
215
This is the principle that has sustained the Elders of Israel, in
our own day, in all their labors among the nations to build up
this kingdom for the last time and to preach the Gospel in the
ears of all people and nations. The servants of God in Zion, in
all their counsels and deliberations for the promotions of holy
and righteous principles, have to be constantly governed by it.
Had it not been for this principle, this congregation, gathered
from almost every nation under heaven, would not have been found
here to-day; we might have preached to them until doom's-day, and
we, of ourselves, by our own wisdom and ability, could never have
convinced them of the truth of the Gospel of the Lord has
revealed in our day for the gathering and salvation of the
honest-in-heart and for the establishment of righteousness over
the whole earth.
216
Not only the men who bare record of these things had the
testimony of Jesus Christ, but it also reached those who heard
their words, bearing record of the truth to every honest-hearted
person throughout all the world for the last thirty years. We
cannot know the hearts of men, nor the will of God concerning
nations, kingdoms and people only as it is revealed to us by the
gift and power of the Holy Ghost. President Young reproves,
corrects, gives revelation and teaches doctrine and principle,
for the benefit of this people and mankind in general by the
revelations which God gives to him. This principle inspired the
hearts of ancient Prophets and servants of God and sustained them
in every trying scene; it has also been the comfort and
sustaining power of the servants of God in this last dispensation
from the foundation of this kingdom to the present time. As the
ancient Apostles were called, so have the modern Apostles and
servants of God been called to go into all the world and preach
the Gospel to every creature, and the gift and power of the Holy
Ghost has sustained them when they were brought before kings and
rulers. The Savior preached and travelled and suffered until he
gave up the ghost on Calvary; that same power sustained him under
every circumstance, and made known unto him the will of his
Father. This is one among the many blessings which the Latter-day
Saints enjoy. God reveals unto us light and truth and brings to
our remembrance things which are according to the will of God
which we should teach. This is a great consolation to us, and to
realize our position in the mountains. We have been led here by
the gentle hand of God. No man could have foreseen what would
happen to the nation of the United States had it not been
revealed to us in the revelations which God gave to his Prophet
Joseph Smith. The revelations concerning what shall transpire in
the last days can be read in the Book of Mormon, Book of Doctrine
and Covenants, and in the Bible. "Surely the Lord God will do
nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the
Prophets." When we were called upon to leave our homes and our
holy Temple in Nauvoo, it was a great trial to many. When we came
to this country as pioneers, we built the bridges, killed the
snakes and opened the way for the emigration of Saint and sinner,
saying, it is all right; but we did not know how soon the
calamities that are now upon the nation would break forth, yet we
knew they would come soon. By what power did we influence these
men and women before me to leave their homes and their country to
dwell in these distant wilds? They were influenced by the
inspiration of the Almighty which always attends the preaching of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all ages. There was a spirit in
them, and the inspiration of the Almighty gave it understanding,
and they were moved upon to listen to the advice that the
servants of God gave them to gather to the place the Lord had
appointed to locate his people. This is the hand of God, and we
should be thankful for this good land and for our homes. We here
dwell in peace and stand in holy places in a land which has been
dedicated to God; and the power of righteousness prevails here,
and hence we have power to remain here in peace. We remain here
in peace because righteousness and the power of God dwell here.
It is true the enemy of God and all the righteous, the Devil, who
goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, has
sought our destruction from the beginning and has stirred up the
wicked to seek our overthrow; yet the Lord has preserved us. We
should be thankful for this, and we should honor God and worship
him with undivided hearts, doing our duty constantly and pursuing
that course wherein we shall be justified before the Lord.
216
No man can value sufficiently the life he now holds and the place
he now occupies in this world, unless he is moved upon by the
Spirit and power of God to enlighten his understanding. What is
the chief end of man? It, seemingly, is to get gold and fame and
the honor that man bestows, to gratify their sensual propensities
and desires. Do the great mass of mankind seek to honor and
glorify God, seeking by every lawful means to bring their bodies
into subjection to the law of Christ? Do they understand that
they are the offspring of God and are made after his image and
likeness, and placed in this world to pass through a short
probation to prepare them to dwell eternally in the presence of
the Father and the Son? Are not nine-tenths of the human family
more ready to blaspheme the name of God than to honor it? Would
they do this if they were in possession of the Spirit of God to
magnify their calling and fulfill the object and end of their
creation? No. Everything that God has made keeps the law of its
creation and honors it except man. I have always marveled at
this. Mankind, who are made after the image of God to answer high
and noble purposes, are the only beings in creation that will
blaspheme his name and set at naught his authority. They have an
agency, and the Spirit of God is offered to them as freely as the
light of the sun, which shines on the just and on the unjust, if
they would receive it. All the light and intelligence man ever
did or will have, has come through that principle and power; and
in company with this, the Lord has raised up men in our own
generation, to whom he has sent the administration of angels and
laid on them the responsibility of bearing record to the Gospel,
with a promise to all nations, both Jew and Gentile, that, if
they will receive the testimony of his servants, they shall
receive the Holy Ghost, who shall bear record unto them of the
truth. Have the nations received the Gospel? Yes, one of a family
and two of a city, here and there one, and they are gathered
together to stand in holy places and to build up the Church and
kingdom of God in the last days, to prepare the way for the
coming of the Son of Man. The mass of this generation have
rejected the Gospel; they have shed the blood of the Lord's
Prophets and consented thereto, and have driven from their midst
those who bear the words of eternal life. One of the most liberal
and free Governments under the heavens has driven out from them
the only people under the heavens that God acknowledges as his
Church, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus
which they bear. We have been driven to the valleys of these
mountains for our good; the hand of God has led us here. Great
affliction awaits the nations from which we have been driven out
and the wicked nations of the Gentiles on this land and in
foreign lands.
217
We live in a momentous age, and our responsibilities are great
before the Lord and to this generation. We have borne record of
the calamities that should be poured out in the last days and
they are coming to pass. For thus saith the Lord, "And after your
testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people; for after
your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall
cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall on the
ground and not be able to stand; and also cometh the testimony of
the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the
voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving
themselves beyond their bounds. And all things shall be in
commotion; and surely men's hearts shall fail them, for fear
shall come upon all people; and angels shall fly through the
midst of heaven, crying with a loud voice, sounding the trump of
God, saying, Prepare ye, prepare ye, oh inhabitant of the earth,
for the judgment of our God is come: behold, and lo! the
Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him." Again, "I the Lord am
angry with the wicked; I am holding my Spirit from the
inhabitants of the earth. I have sworn in my wrath and decreed
wars upon the face of the earth, and the wicked shall slay the
wicked," &c.
217
If a thousand Prophets had proclaimed to this nation what has
come to pass since 1860 to the present time, who would have
believed them? Not a man, unless they possessed the spirit of
revelation. What the Prophet Joseph Smith foretold thirty years
ago is now come to pass; and who can help it? Have the Latter-day
Saints been the cause of this dreadful war? No. While Joseph
Smith was living, every public and private calamity that happened
in the land was laid to his account. It is not Joseph Smith or
his brethren that do these things, but the Lord has laid his hand
on the nation. It is a consolation to the Saints when they
contemplate upon what God has spoken through his servants which
is now being fulfilled before their eyes. All that has been
spoken by ancient and modern prophets have had their fulfilment
until now, and will have until the scene is wound up.
217
No man ever did or ever will obtain salvation only through the
ordinances of the Gospel and through the name of Jesus. There can
be no change in the Gospel; all men that are saved from Adam to
infinitum are saved by the one system of salvation. The Lord may
give many laws and many commandments to suit the varied
circumstances and conditions of his children throughout the
world, such as giving a law of carnal commandments to Israel, but
the laws and principles of the Gospel do not change. If any
portion of this generation be saved, it will be because they
receive the Gospel which Jesus Christ and his Apostles preached.
When the Lord inspires men and sends them to any generation, he
holds that generation responsible for the manner in which they
receive the testimony of his servants. He called upon us, and we
left our occupation to go forth in our weakness to preach his
Gospel; we had no power in and of ourselves to do this, only as
the Lord gave us strength by his Spirit; and we have so far built
up his kingdom upon this principle; we have been governed by this
principle of revelation in all our public and private works which
we have done for God. We shall build our Temple upon this
principle, and carry out all the purposes of the Lord our God in
the latter days upon the same principle and upon no other.
218
The very moment that men undertake to move for God in their own
way and upon principles of their own coining, they will fail to
accomplish that which they design. They world has tried this for
generations. It is now almost universally acknowledged throughout
Christendom that no man is properly qualified to preach the
Gospel unless he has passed through a college or some other
institution of learning to study theology and get a knowledge of
Greek, Latin and Hebrew--of languages dead and living. Does this
system of learning, alone, give power to administer salvation to
mankind? Does it give evidence and bear witness to the hearts of
men by the power of the Holy Ghost and the revelations of Jesus
Christ? It does not. The disciples of Christ, anciently, were
illiterate men, yet they bore record to the learned that God had
sent them with a message of salvation. Jesus Christ, whose life
was a scene of affliction and sorrow, who apparently had arose
from the lower grades of society, was eminently endowed with the
spirit and power of revelation from his Father and bore record of
his works to Jew and Gentile under its influence and power.
218
The servants of God in every age have always been governed by the
same power; and we must build up the kingdom of God by it or not
at all. We look to him for guidance in what we shall do from day
to day; we have been guided in this way hitherto and shall be so
guided unto the end.
218
I thank God that we have embraced a Gospel that has power in it;
that we have the true organization of the Church and kingdom of
God, with its Apostles, Prophets, Pastors and Teachers, gifts,
graces and blessings for the work of the ministry and the
edifying of the body of Christ. The moment any of the helps,
governments, gifts and powers are done away from the Church
militant, schism is created in the body and it no longer can
co-operate with the Church triumphant in heaven against the power
of the Devil and wicked men. We cannot build up the kingdom of
God in our day and overcome the powers of evil which prevail over
the world, without inspired Prophets and Apostles, gifts, powers
and blessings, any more than they could in the days of Jesus and
his Apostles. We have this Church organization and the power
which attended it in ancient days, and we seek constantly the
welfare of the children of men.
218
We have a great Work laid upon us, and we are responsible to God
for the manner in which we make use of these blessings. The Lord
requires of us to build up Zion, to gather the honest-in-heart,
restore Israel to their blessings, redeem the earth from the
power of the Devil, establish universal peace and prepare a
kingdom and a people for the coming and reign of the Messiah.
When we do all we can to forward and accomplish this Work then
are we justified. This is the work of our lives, and it makes
life of some consequence to us. When men are destitute of the
Spirit of God they do not prize life, unless to indulge the
cravings of unenlightened and perverted human nature; they cross
each other's interests, become filled with the spirit of wrath
and indignation and thirst for and shed the blood of each other.
Would they do this if they were inspired by the Spirit and power
of God? No. That which is good is of God and that which is evil
emanates from the Devil.
219
The Lord permits judgments to come upon the wicked, but he never
sends a great calamity upon the world without first sending
Prophets and inspired men to warn the wicked of approaching
chastisement, giving them, at the same time, space for repentance
and means of escape, as witness the time of Noah, Lot, &c. And,
"As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the
coming of the Son of Man." When the messengers of God have given
a faithful warning to the wicked of their approaching overthrow,
and the testimony is sealed, then will the Lord come out of his
hiding-place and vex them with a sore vexation. All that the
Savior said should come upon the wicked Jews was literally
fulfilled, and his blood is now upon them and their children. The
hand of God has been zealous in holding the Jews under the rod
until this day. Why? Because they rejected the testimony of the
Son of God and his Gospel. That is the cause of the great trouble
to-day that is vexing this nation and other nations in the old
world. You may put all the judgments of God together that have
befallen the nations and tribes of men from the beginning, and
the afflictions they suffered are no greater than are now ready
to be poured out upon the Gentile world.
219
John the Revelator saw this day. He saw, also, "An angel of God
fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to
preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation,
and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice,
Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is
come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea,
and the fountains of waters." That angel has delivered his
message and thousands of Elders of this Church have been called
to this ministry; it has been laid upon our shoulders. I have
travelled more than a hundred thousand miles in the last thirty
years to preach this Gospel, and many thousands of it with my
knapsack upon my back and without purse or scrip, begging my
bread from door to door to preach the Gospel to my own nation.
Thirty years ago it was said unto us, You hear of wars in foreign
countries, but you do not know the hearts of men in your own
land, for you shall soon have greater wars in your own land, &c.
219
How is it, my friends, is there trouble in the eastern countries?
What means this crowding of our streets with emigrants to the
west? The Lord God has spoken through his Prophet; his words have
been recorded, and he is backing up the testimony of his servants
in fulfillment of his word; and the end is not yet. War and
distress of nations has only just commenced, and famine and
pestilence will follow on the heels of war, and there will be
great mourning, and weeping, and lamentations in the land, and no
power can stay the work of desolation and utter overthrow of the
wicked.
219
More than twenty-five years ago I wrote a revelation which Joseph
Smith gave, where in he said that the rebellion should commence
in South Carolina, and from that, war should spread through this
nation and continue to spread until war should be poured out upon
all nations and great calamity and distraction should await them.
220
I published the Book of Doctrine and Covenants in England in
1845, and since that time it has been published in many different
languages, and thus we are sending the revelations which Jesus
Christ has given to his people in the last days to the different
nations and tongues, that they may be left without an excuse. We
know these things are coming, and because of them we are here in
Utah, and the Devil and the wicked do not like it. Every evil
principle and power is opposed to us and our testimony. Do we not
desire to do all men good? We do; and in proof of this I only
need say that we have labored for many years in poverty and
hardships to carry salvation to the nations. Some of the European
nations have closed their doors against us, and in some of those
nations we have preached the Gospel and gathered out many souls,
and thousands more will yet come like clouds and like doves to
the windows to join with us in the enjoyment of the great
blessings which the kingdom of God offers to all people.
220
The highest object of man in this life should be to prepare
himself to dwell with his Father and God in his presence. It is
for this reason that the millions of spirits that tabernacle here
are sent from the eternal worlds to pass a short probation in
mortal bodies, and they are all the children of one Father. If we
receive the Gospel and live its precepts we shall receive
celestial glory; if we reject it we shall be punished, though we
may have a redemption and a glory, but it will be in a diminished
degree. We should lay these things to heart; we should endeavor
to understand our true position and we should do all in our power
to benefit our fellow-man and to bring salvation to the nations.
220
I rejoice that the Lord still holds the door open, that we still
have the privilege of sending the Elders to the nations; while
this door remains open we shall continue to preach the Gospel to
the Gentile world. When they reject it it will be taken from them
and then we go to the Jews, and the ten tribes will come from the
north to Zion to be crowned under the hands of the children of
Ephraim. And the remnant of the Lamanites who are cursed below
all humanity that we are acquainted with--who have been filled
with the spirit of bloodshed which they have inherited from their
fathers--they will embrace the Gospel in the due time of the
Lord. They are of the house of Israel, and this spirit of war
will be taken from them and they will become the children of God,
but not until the Gentiles have entirely rejected the Gospel.
Anciently it was preached to the Jews first and then to the
Gentiles; in the latter times it will be first preached to the
Gentiles and then to the Jews--the first shall be last and the
last first. This is the great work which is laid upon us to-day.
We should be true and faithful to-day, and then we ought to
follow this practice until death, and then shall we be entitled
to have a crown of life. Is it not more honorable to do good than
to do evil; to try to do good than to do evil; to try to honor
and serve God who is our Father and who has given us every
blessing, than sin against him? Would not such a course bring
more happiness and pleasure to us than to blaspheme the name of
God and dishonor ourselves, bringing darkness and condemnation to
our spirits?
220
I pray that God may bless us and save us in his kingdom, which I
ask in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, April and May, 1863
Brigham Young, April and May, 1863
INSTRUCTION TO THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS, IN THE SETTLEMENTS
SOUTH OF GREAT SALT LAKE CITY,
Given by President Brigham Young, in April and May, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
221
On the 20th of April, 1863, the President and company left Great
Salt Lake City and arrived at American Fork, when the following
instructions commenced:--
221
We shall never see the time when we shall not need to be taught,
nor when there will not be an object to be gained. I never expect
to see the time that there will not be a superior power and a
superior knowledge, and, consequently, incitements to further
progress and further improvement.
221
To look for salvation fifty years hence and do nothing for
salvation at the present time is preposterous. God has placed the
means of salvation within our reach, and the volition of the
creature is at his own disposal. When his sons and daughters
avail themselves of the means he has supplied for their
salvation, doing good for themselves, it is gratifying to him.
221
We may rejoice greatly in the possession of the spirit of truth
and in the power of God, which elevates the soul to the
contemplation of heavenly things, but it does not teach men how
to raise corn. The Lord could impart this information in a
special revelation, the same as he instructed Adam and Eve how to
cover their nakedness. He showed them how to make aprons of
leaves and then coats of skins, and instructed Adam in extracting
the metals from their ores, the same as one man instructs
another. People often wish they had the power of God upon them.
This is a good wish, and the power of God is a power that would
aid men to accomplish much more than they now do, if they
possessed along with it a liberal supply of sound information and
good sense. The power of God and true knowledge are component
parts of godliness, and all the providences of God dealt out to
us are for the furtherance of his kingdom upon the earth. We
should be willing to acknowledge his hand in all things and be
his faithful sons and daughters, always ready and willing to do
what he bids us.
222
"Mormonism" is as dear as ever to me. In all the prophecies
delivered by Joseph Smith, I do not think there has been one
failure; and all that has been foretold by ancient Prophets
concerning the last days has been fulfilled so far; not one jot
or tittle has failed or will fail. The Lord is kind to this
people, and if we could understand things as they really are and
be as willing to help ourselves as the Lord is to help us, we
should advance much more rapidly in the knowledge of God than we
do. Every providence and dispensation of God to his earthly
children tends directly to life and salvation, while the
influences and powers exerted by the enemy upon mankind and every
suggestion of our corrupt natures tends to death. If there exists
within us one feeling, one desire that is not devoted to the
Gospel of the Son of God and to the building up of his kingdom on
the earth, that feeling or desire so far tends to death.
222
Knowledge increases among this people; they know more of the
things of the kingdom of God to-day than they did in the days of
Joseph Smith. There was confidence due from his brethren to
Joseph which he did not receive. In his death they learned a
profitable lesson, and afterwards felt that if he could only be
restored to them how obedient they would be to his counsels. The
influence and confidence that were denied to him have since, to a
great degree, been centered where they see it belongs. Still the
old leaven more or less reigns within us; our traditions lead us
to reflect upon death as we formerly did, and to suppose that
this life is only designed to prepare us to meet the last moments
of the dissolution of the body. This life is now the only life to
us; and if we do not appreciate it properly it is impossible to
prepare for a higher and more exalted life. We live to-day to
prepare for life to-morrow; and if we are prepared to live, death
is divested of its terrors, for we die only to live in another
condition. In fact, if we only appreciate this life, we will
never die. Our bodies may sleep in the grave for a short
time--the earthly particles of this tabernacle will return to
their mother earth--but that ever-living power within us will
never sleep, and we shall receive our bodies again.
222
The purpose of our life should be to build up the Zion of our
God, to gather the house of Israel, bring in the fulness of the
Gentiles, restore and bless the earth with our ability and make
it as the Garden of Eden, store up treasures of knowledge and
wisdom in our own understandings, purify our own hearts and
prepare a people to meet the Lord when he comes.
222
The world is wrong and we have to right it under the direction of
Heaven. For this purpose are we located upon the land of Zion,
and the land of Zion is North and South America--the land where
our heavenly Father made his appearance and planted the Garden of
Eden. This land is choice above all other lands upon the face of
the earth. We occupy these mountains as a safe retreat from the
power of our enemies. When we first came here we did not know
that we could raise grain of any kind. Probably some parts of
South America are as good for raising wheat as this is; and in no
part of North America can they raise better wheat than is raised
here. God has blessed the soil for our sakes, and we live and
prosper contrary to the expectations of our persecutors. Those
who are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel may try to live
here, but without our aid they cannot raise a subsistence.
222
The country where Joseph Smith, jun., found the plates was then
as good a country for grain and fruit as could be found upon the
whole land, but when the Latter-day Saints were obliged to leave
that region the ground began to cease yielding the accustomed
amount, and the yield of wheat decreased probably one half. The
Lord blesses the land, the air and the water where the Saints are
permitted to live.
223
The blessings of the Lord are great upon this people. They are
increasing in flocks and herds and are gathering around them
property in abundance on the right hand and on the left; let them
be careful that they do not place their affections upon the
things of this world and forget the Lord their God. The earthly
means which we have been enabled to gather around us is not ours,
it is the Lord's, and he has placed it in our hands for the
building up of his kingdom and to extend our ability and
resources for reaching after the poor in other lands.
223
We are here personages of tabernacle, designed to be prepared to
dwell with the Gods; but we are far from that knowledge we might
have possessed had our fore-fathers enjoyed the Priesthood we
have and had we been brought up in it from our youth. Seeing that
we possess the holy Priesthood, we should introduce a code of
traditions among our children which they will not need to
unlearn, as we have had to do. We have received the spirit of
life, light and intelligence that comes from God out of heaven,
and thus we have become his Saints; and we have gathered to these
mountains to learn how to live and what the Lord designs to do
with us. We came to these mountains because we had no other place
to go to. We had to leave our homes and possessions on the
fertile lands of Illinois to make our dwelling places in these
desert wilds, on barren, sterile plains, amid lofty, rugged
mountains. None dare come here to live until we came here, and we
now find it to be one of the best countries in the world for us.
223
The world of mankind have taken a course to alienate the feelings
of each other; they have destroyed the little fellowship and
confidence that were formerly placed in man towards his
fellow-man. I now allude, in particular, to the Christian world.
They have taken a course to break up and rend to pieces every
trait of friendship. With few exceptions, none dare trust his
neighbor, and we have to restore that confidence which has been
lost; we have to restore wholesome government and administer
wholesome laws to bind the feelings of the people together. The
Lord has instituted laws sufficient for the government of his
people and has given us rulers and judges that are of ourselves,
and it is our business to accomplish this work of reformation,
beginning with ourselves.
223
I try to better my life, and I believe that my brethren do. I can
see a visible improvement in those with whom I am most intimately
acquainted. Though we are in the world, yet we should be as
perfect as mortals are required to be. We are not required in our
sphere to be as perfect as Gods and angels are in their spheres,
yet man is the king of kings and lord of lords in embryo. Could I
in the flesh become as perfect as God in the spirit, I could not
stay on the earth with my friends to hold close communion with
them and speak with them face to face as men speak to each other.
Earth, home, family and friends have endearments which tie us
here until we have accomplished our work in this probation and
become ripe for that great change which awaits us all. I would
like to stay on this earth in the flesh and fight the Devils
until the last one is subdued; and when the earth and its fulness
are wholly devoted to the Savior of mankind I will be perfectly
satisfied and willing to go into my grave or be changed in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, as the Lord will.
224
As weak and frail as we are, the Latter-day Saints are my
delight; their society is sweet to me; I crave no other; they are
the only people I wish to see and associate with. Unless in the
line of my duty, I do not wish ever to associate with any people
who do not believe in the Gospel of the Son of God. I have no
desire to again behold the face of an unbeliever; especially of
those who have had the privilege of receiving the Gospel and have
rejected it. I hope I shall live to see this people serve the
Lord with an undivided heart and affection all their days,
devoting every day to God and his Work. They have assembled from
different parts of the earth to these valleys expressly to serve
God and live their religion. The nations of the earth, without
exception, have wandered far from the fountain of knowledge and
the intelligence the Lord gives to his covenant people. It seems
as though it might take the age of an earth like this to bring
back the children of God to where they may know their Father and
understand that they are his offspring.
224
In consideration of these things, is it not strange that we
should lust after the gay, foolish, vain things of this world?
that we should be proud, haughty, arrogant, selfish, covetous and
contentious? Should not every person professing to be a Saint so
live that the Spirit of God will dwell within them like a burning
fire? and when chastisement is necessary, let it always be
administered in the spirit of meekness, whether to a wife, a
child, a brother or a sister, &c. God wishes every one of his
sons and daughters to purify their hearts to be prepared to dwell
with him. We should never permit ourselves, in the beginning of a
new day, to converse with a wife, a child, or a neighbor, unless
the Spirit of God is with us, retaining it for our companion
through the labors and business of the day until we retire to
rest at night. Jesus says, "But I say unto you, love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute
you," &c. Because we are commanded to love our enemies, shall we
forsake the society of the Saints and leaven for California and
other places to mingle with them, and swear, curse, gamble and do
all manner of iniquity with them? No; this is not the way to love
your enemies. I would not exhort you to hate your enemies, but I
do wish that you would let them alone severely. If we do anything
we will pray for them, instead of giving them for naught out
time, our energies, our gold and silver, our grain and the good
things the Lord has given us for our individual and mutual
benefit. Pray for them; but let them alone, unless they are
willing to hear the truth.
224
I wish this people to pay particular attention to the education
of their children. If we can do no more, we should give them the
facilities of a common education, that when our sons are sent
into the world as ministers of salvation and as representatives
of the kingdom of God in the mountains, they can mingle with the
best society and intelligibly and sensibly present the principles
of truth to mankind, for all truth is the offspring of heaven and
is incorporated in the religion which we have embraced. We are
progressing in this branch of mental improvement. Some of our
brethren have been indomitable in their perseverance to divert
the minds of our youth from an excess of frivolous and light
amusements to the more useful and profitable habits of study and
learning. I might here mention Elder David O. Calder, who has
successfully been teaching, in Great Salt Lake City, the "Tonic
Sol Fa" method of singing. He teaches three distinct classes,
altogether numbering five hundred scholars, twice a week. Every
accomplishment, every polished grace, every useful attainment in
mathematics, music, and in all science and art belong to the
Saints, and they should avail themselves as expeditiously as
possible of the wealth of knowledge the sciences offer to every
diligent and persevering scholar.
225
I am very much opposed to the practice of sending our boys out on
the range to herd stock. In doing this they pass the greater
portion of their time from under the influence of their parents
and teachers, and are kept in ignorance of the rudiments of
learning and of the principles of moral rectitude, and are
exposed to the pestilential influences of evil, and to the
temptations of those who are older and more experienced in the
nefarious practice of stealing and running off horses and cattle.
They learn to gamble, to steal, to blaspheme the name of God, to
lie, to chew and smoke tobacco, and drink whisky, while they are
in the bush herding our stock. Some of the sons of our citizens
have come to a premature grave because they would steal, and, if
the truth were known, this fatal practice can, in almost every
case, be traced to have found its origin in them when they were
herd-boys. They then learned to skilfully throw the lasso, they
became helps to older thieves for a trifling bribe, until finally
they by degrees became lost to all self-respect, refused to labor
for an honest livelihood, having imbibed the idea that they could
live easier by stealing, became a pest to society, and
prematurely met a felon's fate. We are the guardians of our
children; their training and education are committed to our care,
and if we do not ourselves pursue a course which will save them
from the influence of evil, when we are weighed in the balance we
shall be found wanting, and the sin will be laid at our doors.
225
Let good schools be established throughout all the settlements of
the Saints in Utah. Let good teachers, who are Latter-day Saints
in principle and at heart, be employed to educate our children. A
good school teacher is one of the most essential members in
society; he relieves parents, in part, of a great responsibility
and labor; we should, therefore, make the business of school
teaching a permanent institution, and the remuneration should be
in among and in kind equal to the receipts of our best mechanics;
it should also be promptly and willing paid, and school see to it
that teachers are properly qualified and do earn their pay. Could
I have my wish, I would introduce into our system of education
every real improvement, for all the great discoveries and
appliances in the arts and sciences are expressly designed by the
Lord for the benefit of Zion in the last days, and would be for
the benefit of all mankind if they would cease to be wicked, and
learn to acknowledge the hand of God in all things.
226
The Saints of God should be self-sustaining. While they are
laboring to gain the mastery over themselves, to subdue every
passion and feeling of their nature to the law of Christ; while
they are striving to possess the Holy Ghost to guide them every
moment of their lives, they should not lose sight of their
temporal deliverance from the thraldom which has been thrown
around them by the traditions of their fathers and the false
education they have received in the nations where they were born
and reared. In Utah territory they are well located for variety
of climate suitable to the production of materials necessary to
gratify every reasonable want. So far as we have learned the
resources of the country, we are satisfied that we need not
depend upon our neighbors abroad for any single necessity of
life, for in the elements around us exists every ingredient of
food and raiment; we can be fed with the daintiest luxuries, and
can be clothed almost equal to the lilies of the field. Cotton
and fruits of tropical climes can be grown to perfection and in
abundance in the southern portions of Utah, while cereal crops,
flax, wool, silk, and a great variety of fruit can be produced in
perfection in the northern. Our object is not to find and possess
great stores of the precious metals. Iron and coal would be far
more valuable to us than mines of silver and gold.
226
The increase clothing in the ratio of the growth of our community
and its wants makes it very necessary that we import and make
machinery to work up the raw material in great quantities. In the
meantime let our wives and daughters employ themselves
industriously at their wheels at home, that our wants may be
partially supplied until more machinery shall be made and set up
in different districts of our territory. Anciently garments were
made of linen and of wool, and the Israelites were forbidden to
mix wool and linen together; and we read in the book of Genesis
that Pharaoh arrayed Joseph in "vestures of silk." It is of more
modern date that cotton has become so extensively used throughout
the world as an article of clothing and adorning the body. This
southern country is well adapted to the production of cotton; we
should raise it and manufacture it in sufficient quantities to
meet the wants of our increasing population.
226
This community has not yet concluded to entirely dispense with
the use of tobacco, and great quantities have been imported into
our territory. The silver and gold which we have paid out for
this article alone, since we first came into Utah, would have
built several extensive cotton and woollen factories, and filled
them with machinery. I know of no better climate and soil than
are here for the successful culture of tobacco. Instead of buying
it in a foreign market and importing it over a thousand miles,
why not raise it in our own country or do without it? True
principles of domestic and political economy would suggest the
production at home of every article of home consumption, for
herein lies the basis of wealth and independence for any people.
226
Importing sugar has been a great drain upon our floating
currency. I am satisfied that it is altogether unnecessary to
purchase sugar in a foreign market. The sorghum is a profitable
crop, in Great Salt Lake and the adjoining counties, for the
manufacture of molasses; in this section it can be profitably
raised for the manufacture of sugar. I have tasted samples of
sugar produced from the sorghum raised in the south of Utah, and
a better quality of raw sugar I never saw. Let some enterprizing
persons prosecute this branch of home-production, and thus
effectually stop another outlet for our money. Sugar ranks high
among the staples of life, and should be produced in great
abundance.
226
Tea is in great demand in Utah, and anything under the name sells
readily at an extravagant price. This article opens a wide drain
for the escape of much of our circulating medium. The tea of
commerce is extensively adulterated, not only by the Chinese, but
also by numerous others through whose hands it passes before it
reaches the consumer. Tea can be produced in this territory in
sufficient quantities for home consumption, and if we raise it
ourselves we know that we have the pure article. If we do not
raise it, I would suggest that we do without it.
227
Dye-stuffs have opened another drain through which considerable
of our money has passed off. Wherever Indian corn will flourish
madder can be produced in great quantities, yet we have been
paying out our money to strangers for this article. Indigo can be
successfully and profitably raised in this region. An article in
the Deseret News on the culture of indigo, and manufacturing it
for coloring, would be interesting, especially to the people of
our southern settlements.
227
Whatsoever administers to the sustenance, comfort and health of
mankind forms the basis of the commerce of the world. Gold and
silver in coin are only valuable as mediums in trade to
facilitate exchange. They can be made useful to us and add to our
comfort when made into cups, plates, &c., in our household
economy.
227
Let groves of olive trees be planted, and vineyards of the most
approved varieties of grapes, that there may be wine and oil in
the land; and let sweet potatoes be raise in abundance, and all
trees and roots that bear fruit in the ground and above the
ground that can be used as food for man and beast, that plenty
may flow in the land like a river, and contentment be enthroned
in every household, while industry, frugality, and peace prevail
everywhere.
227
I will offer a few more reflections upon cotton. The first cotton
that was raised in this country cost the company that made the
experiment $3.65 a pound. The year following it cost them $1.82 a
pound. We became satisfied that cotton could be raised here in
sufficient quantities to supply our wants and to pay the
cultivator. Thousands of the Saints have since then settled in
this region, and are engaged in developing its resources. Much
has been said with regard to raising and saving cotton. There is
no use in raising wheat to let it be destroyed, nor in raising
cotton to let it be wasted. When we visited the southern
settlements last year the question was asked, "what can we do
with our cotton when we have raised it? We have no cards to card
it, no machinery to spin and weave it into cloth," and the belief
seemed to be gaining ground that there was no use or profit in
raising it. We told the brethren that if they would save their
cotton it would in a short time become useful to them. How much
they saved or how much they permitted to be wasted I know not. I
supposed, by the appearance of the cotton crop in the different
settlements, that a great many tons would be ready for market
this spring, and be transported to our northern settlements.
While conversing upon the subject with a few of the brethren in
Great Salt Lake City, brother Wm. S. Godbe said he would buy
cotton of the brethren in the south if they would sell. He had
some goods passing through this section en route for Great Salt
Lake City, and he exchanged a portion of them for cotton. You
remember that last summer and fall there was no want of cotton in
the eastern country. In the month of January or February
according to our despatches, raw cotton was sold in New York as
high as $1.05 a pound. We thought that was a high price for
cotton. On the first of March raw cotton was sold in the same
city for $00.93 a pound. At this price we thought it would be a
safe investment to buy your cotton and send it to the States, and
expected you would have some fifty or a hundred tons to throw
into the market. Brother Godbe could only get some fifteen
thousand pounds. Since that time the price of cotton in the east
is reduced to $00.45 a pound, and that is a pretty good price.
228
Can we make anything by raising cotton and transporting it to the
States to be sold at forty-five cents a pound? I think we can.
Let some of the brethren try the experiment by raising
thirty-five hundred pounds of cotton this season, putting it into
a light wagon, hitching on three yoke of cattle, and hauling it
to the States, and having it there worked up on shares. If they
would manufacture it on halves that would give--making a rough
estimate--seventeen hundred and fifty pounds of yarn, which is
worth a dollar and twenty-five cents a pound in St. Louis: this
would give a handsome profit to the producer. I should think the
factories in the east would willingly work up cotton from Utah in
this way, as cotton is scarce with them: and they might find it
to their advantage to work it up for a less share than one-half.
If you have it made into cloth, I would not be surprised if the
manufacturer should give you three and take one; but suppose we
say that you get one-half in cloth, that would give you some
fifty-one hundred yards, which, as it is now selling in Great
Salt Lake City, would be equal to about the same number of
bushels of oats. By importing one load of cotton to the east a
man can make cloth enough to clothe his family many years.
228
This system of exporting cotton may do very well, until we have
multiplied machinery sufficient to work up our cotton at home.
The little machinery we have working at Parowan is now making an
improved quality of yarn; and they are improving the machinery so
fast that I am encouraged, and I believe that we shall be
successful in making good cloth. Brother Hanks, who is now
superintending that little factory, left some yarn with me, and
my family have begun to color and weave it. The yarn is better
than we can get from the east, taking one bunch with another.
228
Brother Horace S. Eldredge expects this season to import
machinery for a small cotton factory, and to bring with him a man
of experience to set it up. This will create a market in this
territory for our cotton.
228
I wish the brethren of the cotton country to import machinery and
make their cotton into cloth, and we will put machinery in Great
Salt Lake City, buy our cotton from you, and haul it to the city.
In the meantime, let every appliance for home spinning and
weaving be improved upon; let hand cards be used, and
spinning-wheels, and let each family make the cloth they wear,
for if they do not, they will have to go without it. Is it not
apparent to all since the commencement of the war, that we must
become self-sustaining? This we have told the people for years.
228
Let us apply our hearts to our God and our religion, that we may
soon be prepared to be more fully organized as the children of
God our Father; that we may be qualified to go back to Jackson
County, instead of calling for five hundred teams to go to the
Missouri River for the poor. Were we to call for teams to go back
to Jackson County, five thousand would be on hand. This, however,
cannot be until the people are better organized in a temporal
point of view, that all their temporal actions may point to the
building up of the kingdom of God, when no man will say that
ought he possesses is his own, but hold it only for the interest
and good of the whole community of the Saints.
228
With regard to the country southeast of us, let no man move there
until he gets word from me. The First Presidency will give you
the word to move when it is time. We want the brethren to enlarge
their borders here, and extend their settlements up the rivers
Rio Virgin and Santa Clara; and by-and-by they will reach the
Severe, from which point we have a good route through Sanpete to
Great Salt Lake City.
229
Let me now say to my brethren, the Elders of Israel, it is always
proper to kindly and affectionately ask the people to perform
what you wish performed, instead of ordering them to do it. This
principle is always good for parents and teachers to observe.
Build good commodious dwelling-houses, plant good gardens, and
surround yourselves with every comfort, and learn to beautify the
earth, and prepare for the coming of the Son of Man. May God
bless you: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, July 8, 1863
Brigham Young, July 8, 1863
ADVICE TO CALIFORNIA EMIGRANTS.--THE PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL,
ETC.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made on the Public Square,
Great Salt Lake City, July 8, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
229
In compliance with your polite invitation, I am here for the
purpose of speaking to you a short time.
229
I can readily understand that you wish to see the notorious
Brigham Young; well, you can now look at him, and in so doing you
will not see a very marvellous sight, though my name is had for
good and for evil the world over.
229
Some of you may have passed through this city before, though I
presume the majority of you are strangers here, and, like other
people, you want to see all there is to be seen and know all
there is to be known.
229
In regard to the position of the people called Latter-day Saints
in Utah, we occupy the half-way house between the settlements on
the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean. Here the travelling
public can renew their supplies, and prepare to meet the toils
and hardships of the remainder of their journey.
229
The short time you stay in this city, or vicinity, you will have
to judge for yourselves as to the character of the people here.
We can represent all classes--the good, bad and indifferent; but
if you wish to truly know the people who are now living in these
mountains, you will have to tarry long enough among them to gain
the desired information. If you wish to know why we are here, it
is simply because we had nowhere else to go; we were obliged to
go somewhere, and, as a wise Providence designed, we lodged here.
If any of you wish to be more fully informed upon this point, you
can, at your leisure, search the history of this people, for it
is before the world.
230
We had anticipated, when we came into these distant valleys, that
we should be entirely secluded from the world--that we should
trouble no person and that no person would trouble us. The
"Mormon" Battalion had been disbanded in California, and some of
that body first discovered gold there; the news of that discovery
quickly reached the eastern States, and thousands were soon upon
our track. Instead of being secluded, we find ourselves in the
great national highway. We must be known, and we could not be in
a better situation to be known than where we are.
230
I think I am not mistaken in the conclusion that you wanted to
see the notorious Brigham Young more than to hear his politics or
his religion, though I can give you a short political speech, if
it would be gratifying to you.
230
The spirit of our politics is peace. If we could have our choice,
it would be to continually walk in the path of peace; and had we
the power, we would direct the feet of all men to walk in the
same path. We wish to live in peace with our God, with our
neighbors and with all men. I am not aware that we have ever been
guilty of inaugurating any difficulty whatever.
230
We claim the privilege of freedom of speech--of giving our views
on national affairs and on religion--and this privilege we claim
wherever we are in our free country. Is there any particular sin
in this? Is there anything in this that is contrary to the
constitution of our country, or to the institutions of freedom
established by our revolutionary fathers? Freedom of speech is a
right which we hold most dear, considering, at the same time,
that every person availing himself of this right is accountable
to his fellows for the manner in which he uses it.
230
Touching the present trouble that exists in our nation, I can say
that we consider it very lamentable and disastrous. Mankind do
not understand themselves nor the design of their Creator in
giving them an existence in the world. It was never designed by
him that his children, who claim to be intelligent beings, should
slay each other; such conduct is anti-Christian and repugnant to
every lofty aspiration and Godlike principle in the better
portion of man's nature. War is instigated by wickedness--it is
the consequence of a nation's sin. We have, however, but little
to say upon the war which is now piercing the heart of the nation
with many sorrows, for we are far from its scenes of blood and
deadly strife. We receive contradictory statements over the
wires, and are left to form our own conclusions.
230
As to religion, we believe in the Old and New Testament, and
consider it unnecessary to hire learned divines to interpret the
Scriptures; we receive them as they are, "Knowing that no
prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation." We are
aware that many mistakes have been introduced into the Scriptures
through the ignorance, carelessness, or design of translators,
yet they are good enough for us and well answer the purpose
designed of God in their compilation, viz., to lead all men, who
will be guided by them, to the fountain of light from whence all
holy Scripture emanate.
230
Should you ask why we differ from other Christians, as they are
called, it is simply because they are not Christians as the New
Testament defines Christianity. How shall we believe the
Scriptures, if we do not believe them as we find them? We
consider that we are more safe to follow the plain letter of the
Word of God, than to venture so great a risk as to depend upon a
private interpretation given by man who claims no inspiration
from God and who altogether discards the idea that he gives
immediate revelation now as anciently.
231
We believe in God the Father and in Jesus Christ our elder
brother. We believe that God is a person of tabernacle,
possessing in an infinitely higher degree all the perfections and
qualifications of his mortal children. We believe that he made
Adam after his own image and likeness, as Moses testifies; and in
this belief we differ from the professedly Christian world, who
declare that "His center is everywhere, but his circumference is
nowhere." Their God has no body nor parts; our God possesses a
body and parts, and was heard by Adam and Eve "Walking in the
garden in the cool of the day." They say that their God has no
passions; our God loves his good children and is "Angry with the
wicked every day," "And him that loveth violence his soul
hateth;" and he reveals his will as familiarly to his servants in
all ages as I reveal my thoughts to you this evening.
231
We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world,
and try to keep his sayings. He said, "If you love me, keep my
commandments." One commandment to his disciples was to preach his
Gospel in all the world, and baptize believers for the remission
of sins, and then lay hands upon them for the reception of the
Holy Ghost, that they might possess the gifts and graces promised
in the Gospel to all believers.
231
We worship a God who can hear us when we call upon him, and who
can answer our reasonable petitions, and who gives guidance and
direction to the affairs of his kingdom which he has established
on the earth in our own day. We believer in making his statutes
our delight, in observing his ordinances and keeping all his
commandments. You may inquire whether all professed Latter-day
Saints do these things. My answer is, They should do them. Are
they all truly Saints who profess to be Saints? They should be.
Are all this people, in the Scriptural sense, Christians? They
should be. Do they all serve God with an undivided heart? They
should. Many of them do, seeking daily to do his will. You do not
find many of this class of Saints wandering idly over your camp
ground, wanting and desiring this, that and the other from the
passing stranger. Those who visit you in this way wish to see how
you look, as you want to see how the "Mormons" look. The great
mass of this people tarry at home, they are in their houses,
their gardens, their fields and shops, paying attention to their
own business, and not running after strangers for gain; and in
attending to their own business many get rich. While some of our
community wish to see how their former Christian brethren look,
they, at the same time, wish to trade with you, and a stranger
might suppose that they are first-class Latter-day Saints. Do not
be deceived, for all first-class Latter-day Saints, both men and
women, may be found minding their own business at their homes or
where their business requires their presence. To know them and
how they live is the only means by which you can form a true
conception of the "Mormon" people.
231
We are trying to improve ourselves in every particular, for God
has given us mental and physical powers to be improved, and these
are most precious gifts; more precious are they to us than fine
gold. God is our Father, and he wishes his children to become
like him by improving upon the means he has supplied for this
purpose.
232
I do not know that you have hitherto met with any difficulty from
the Indians on your journey. You have heard of Indian hostilities
against the whites on the western route, but you will have no
trouble with them if you will do right. I have always told the
travelling public that it is much cheaper to feed the Indians
than to fight them. Give them a little bread and meat, a little
sugar, a little tobacco, or a little of anything you have which
will conciliate their feelings and make them your friends. It is
better to do this than to make them your enemies. By pursuing
this policy you may escape all trouble from that quarter, while
you are journeying on the Pacific slope.
232
I am satisfied that among the red men of the mountains and the
forest you can find as many good, honest persons as among the
Anglo-Saxon race. The Indian faithfully follows the traditions
and customs of his race. He has been taught to steal and to shed
the blood of his enemies, and the most expert in these inhuman
practices is considered a great chief or a great brave. The
Anglo-Saxon race has been taught not to steal, not to lie, not to
shed the blood of mankind. If the Indian steals or sheds the
blood of those he considers his enemies, he is doing what he
considers to be right, and is not so much to blame as the white
man who commits such crimes, for the white man knows them to be
wrong and contrary to the laws of God and man. We have men among
us, whose fathers and mothers belong to the Church of Latter-day
Saints, that will steal our horses and run them off to sell in
California, and then steal horses there and sell them to us in
Utah.
232
Travel in kindness and peace with one another, and cultivate a
friendship on this journey that will be lasting after you have
reached your destination. You are now essential to each other for
mutual safety; let not this be lost sight of, and approach each
other as becomes intelligent beings who are brothers. Judge not
each other rashly, for you will find that ninety-nine wrongs out
of a hundred committed by men are done more in ignorance than
from a design to do wrong.
232
My friends, you have seen me--Brigham Young--the leader of the
people called "Mormons." You see a mere mortal like yourselves,
but the Lord Almighty is with me and his people. He has led us by
the right hand of his power, and he gives me wisdom to lay before
his people good, wholesome doctrines, and to set good examples
before them. By pursuing this policy we expect to restore the
confidence which has been lost among men and the integrity that
belongs to the heart of man.
232
Try to do right and God will bless you. I heartily bid you God
speed on your journey. Farewell.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Heber
C. Kimball, June 27, 1863
Heber C. Kimball, June 27, 1863
ADVANCEMENT OF THE SAINTS.--UNITY OF THE TEMPORAL AND SPIRITUAL
INTERESTS
OF THE PEOPLE.--FAITH AND WORKS INSEPARABLY CONNECTED, ETC.
Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, delivered in Provo City,
June 27, 1863.
Reported by J. V. Long.
233
I discover that we shall have to speak very loud in this Bowery
in order to make this large congregation hear. I perceived this
when I came into the meeting; at the further end I could scarcely
hear the singing.
233
This is quite a large congregation, and I am happy to see it. It
is very gratifying to see the inhabitant of this county come
together to a Conference, and I suppose it is pleasing to you; it
gives you a good opportunity of seeing each other and renewing
your acquaintance. I think I am safe in saying that this is the
largest gathering there has been in Provo since our move south in
1858. Here is an audience of from four to five thousand
Latter-day Saints, come together for the purpose of being
instructed in the principles of eternal life, and I sincerely
hope you are all of one heart and one mind to do good and buildup
the kingdom of God.
233
I do not feel very well in body this morning; probably this is
because of travelling yesterday. I left home at half-past ten
o'clock in the morning and came through in good season last
evening. I got a good place to rest over night, but as the people
here appear to be very diligent, more so than those in Salt Lake
City, I had to get up at six this morning to get my breakfast. I
feel very well in spirit but feeble in body. I feel very anxious
in relation to the welfare of this people, not only in Provo but
throughout these mountains, yes, I feel interested in every man,
woman, and child that belongs to this Church. I wish to see them
prosper in all that is good and holy.
234
During the short time that I may address you, I wish you to be as
still as possible; do not let your minds and eyes go out after
the vain things of this world, but concentrate them upon the
things of God; be still, calm, composed and full of faith, prayer
and good desires, then, if such a spirit prevails, I am perfectly
satisfied that before this Conference closes you will feel
yourselves very much blessed of the Lord. I will also remark that
I am sensible that no man can speak to a congregation of people
upon any subject, only according to the intelligence that is in
the people. There are quite a number of this congregation who
knew Joseph Smith the Prophet, and he used to say in Nauvoo that
when he came before the people he felt as though he were enclosed
in an iron case, his mind was closed by the influences that were
thrown around him; he was curtailed in his wishes and desires to
do good; there was no room for him to expand, hence he could not
make use of the revelations of God as he would have done; there
was no room in the hearts of the people to receive the glorious
truths of the Gospel that God revealed to him. I refer to these
things to show that this feeling has been experienced by others
as well as myself, and if as great and good a man as the Prophet
Joseph felt like this, no wonder that I should be effected and be
wrought upon by surrounding influences. But, notwithstanding all
this, I rejoice in the blessings of peace and truth that flow
through obedience to the Gospel to every honest soul.
234
When I look back to the days of Joseph and then compare the
people now to what they were in those early time, I discover that
we have made a very great advancement, and I rejoice in it. We
all can see this and are willing to admit of it, but does this
tell the whole of the story? No; I say that if we look at the
opportunities the Saints have had since the days of Joseph, the
long season of peace and freedom from mobs, we are compelled to
say that the Latter-day Saints have not advanced more than half
as rapidly as they might have done.
234
Perhaps you will not agree with me in what I am now going to
state, but be this as it may, I am satisfied that it is true.
This people will never improve in their minds or advance in
spiritual intelligence until they improve and advance their
temporal interests. Public and individual improvements always
advance and help forward the intellectual. Now, property here in
Provo is not worth any more to-day than it was ten years ago; the
reason of this is, that everything is at a stand, very few
improvements are being made; there is no spirit of enterprise
except of a private character. I speak particularly of Provo at
this time, because of our being here and because it was the
second settlement made in these valleys. This city and Ogden were
the next places established after Great Salt Lake City, and you
may now look around you and see if the improvements made are, and
have been, according to the facilities afforded. Are your
habitations, your gardens, your fields and vineyards in that
state of cultivation that you have had the opportunity and power
of putting them?
234
In conversing with a man last night upon the subject of property
in this city, and its present value, he wanted to know what I
considered such a field worth, pointing to a certain place near
by. I replied that it ought to be worth about a thousand dollars,
but of course it is not worth that amount now, because there is
no improvement about it or in the neighborhood. Now, I can tell
you all candidly that unless you advance in these temporal
improvements you never will increase in spiritual knowledge; the
one cannot thrive without the other. You may think it strange
that you cannot enjoy religion and the Spirit of God in a little,
miserable log cabin, but you must remember that the temporal and
spiritual go hand in hand, they are inseparably connected, and
you may rest assured that the one cannot advance far along the
path of progression without the other. This has been one of my
principles ever since I came to a knowledge of the truth.
234
Public improvements always have a tendency to make a town or a
city flourish. To the people of Provo I will say, in the first
place build, or rather complete your meeting-house, and then go
forward with such other public improvements as will rouse your
spirits, elevate your minds to action and make you energetic in
the Work of God, and the blessings of the Almighty will rest upon
you and you will increase in the knowledge of the principles of
eternal life. This I know by experience and by practice.
235
Some may ask why I talk so much about these temporal matters. I
do this because I feel it to be my duty to do it, and not
particularly on account of any desire that I have to speak of
them. Our immediate and daily connection with temporal things
renders it important that we should be reminded of our duties in
relation to these matters.
235
We have been taught that our Father and God, from whom we sprang,
called and appointed his servants to go and organize an earth,
and, among the rest, he said to Adam, "You go along also and help
all you can; you are going to inhabit it when it is organized,
therefore go and assist in the good work." It reads in the
Scriptures that the Lord did it, but the true rendering is, that
the Almighty sent Jehovah and Michael to do the work. They were
also instructed to plant every kind of vegetable, likewise the
forest and the fruit trees, and they actually brought from heaven
every variety of fruit, of the seeds of vegetables, the seeds of
flowers, and planted them in this earth on which we dwell. And I
will say more, the spot chosen for the garden of Eden was Jackson
County, in the State of Missouri, where Independence now stands;
it was occupied in the morn of creation by Adam and his
associates who came with him for the express purpose of peopling
this earth.
235
Father Adam was instructed to multiply and replenish the earth,
to make it beautiful and glorious, to make it, in short, like
unto the garden from which the seeds were brought to plant the
garden of Eden. I might say much more upon this subject, but I
will ask, has it not been imitated before you in your holy
endowments so that you might understand how things were in the
beginning of creation and cultivation of this earth? God the
Father made Adam the Lord of this creation in the beginning, and
if we are the Lords of this creation under Adam, ought we not to
take a course to imitate our Father in heaven? Is not all this
exhibited to us in our endowments? the earth made glorious and
beautiful to look upon, representing everything which the Lord
caused to be prepared and placed to adorn the earth. The Prophet
Joseph frequently spoke of these things in the revelations which
he gave, but the people generally did not understand them, but to
those who did they were cheering, they had a tendency to gladden
the heart and enlighten the mind. By faith and works we shall
subdue the earth and make it glorious. We can plant vineyards and
eat the fruit thereof; we possess this power within ourselves. I
would not give a fig for faith without works, for it is dead,
even as the body without the spirit is dead. If you wish
salvation, go to work with your might and strength to do what the
Lord requires at your hands through his servants whom he has
appointed. you need not expect him to come to you, especially as
you are not prepared to see him. As members of the body of Christ
we are called upon to labor and to do our part towards building
up his kingdom, and should all have equal interest in that
kingdom. We manifest our attachment to the principles of progress
and improvement, both of which are intimately connected with the
building up of Zion, when we plant orchards and vineyards, and
when we make good gardens, good farms, and when we build good
houses; in doing all of which we get a liberal reward as we go
along. Then let us stretch forth our hands and build up the towns
and cities of Zion.
236
Supposing we had the facilities for water power in Salt Lake City
that you have here, it would have been much farther advanced than
it is; we should have occupied every eligible site with machinery
before this time. Look at brother Taylor's mill race that crosses
the main thoroughfare below here; why, there is more water
running down there than runs in President Young's mill race and
any other three streams that we have in the neighborhood of Salt
Lake City. You might have factories here, spinning and weaving by
machinery that you need. We can make many kinds of machinery
right here. We are certainly blessed above all other people on
the earth, although there are but a few that realize it as they
ought to; but such as have been driven from their homes and
stripped of all they possessed from two to six times, as I have,
they can appreciate the blessings of peace and prosperity that
attend the Saints in these valleys. I have seen the Latter-day
Saints scattered by the ruthless hand of mobocracy to the four
winds; driven from Missouri and from Illinois by their enemies in
the dead of winter and exposed to the severity of the season. For
what? All because they believed in God and acknowledge Joseph
Smith to be his Prophet.
236
The Scriptures say, "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be
judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to
you again;" and again the injunction is given in another place,
"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall
not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it
shall be given unto you; good measure pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For
with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured
to you again?" What is now taking place with our enemies? They
are suffering far more than we did, right in those very places
from which we were expelled by mob force. Brother Henry Lawrence
was telling me that quite a number of those counties and places
formerly occupied by the Saints, are now left destitute; and in
some of the settlements the people are left in a state of
comparative nudity. These are the effects of this horrible war,
and what kind of a condition do you think we shall be in if we
continue to depend upon the world for supplies? At present we are
dependant upon them for cloth, and we buy large quantities of
prints that when brought here are very little better than rags. I
can tell you that if you depend upon our enemies you will be
sadly mistaken, for they will not long be able to supply
themselves.
236
I am told that St. Louis is now one of the worst places to live
in in America, and the inhabitants profess to be loyal to the
Government, but I presume the truth is, that half of them are
traitors. They are constantly hearing of riots and troubles of
one kind or another. By-and-by it will be just as bad in Ohio,
New York and Massachusetts. To secure ourselves against these
troublesome times, we must make the articles of clothing we need
to wear and we must produce the food that we need and require to
sustain these our decaying bodies. Then we should remember that
the articles we make from the cotton we raise down in our cotton
country will last four times as long as those we purchase in the
stores of Salt Lake City, especially if the ladies wont try to
wash them to pieces. And we can take the flax and spin it into
table-cloths and we shall see it become whiter and whiter every
time it is washed, until we shall be delighted with our
home-manufactured articles; besides, it will be almost impossible
to scrub such cloth to pieces.
237
Some of you may ask if I am doing any of these things. Yes, I am
doing all I possibly can, realizing, as I most assuredly do, that
hard times are coming upon this nation. I calculate to have my
garments of fine wool next fall. I am aware that some of you have
got it into your heads that wool won't do to make into garments.
Will those of you who entertain that idea have the kindness to
look at the condition the Savior was in at the time of his
crucifixion. We read that when they had crucified him "They
parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man
should take." The Savior's under garment was knitted, and Joseph
Smith always wore that kind, and therefore I think we have no
occasion to be ashamed of homemade garments. Wool is designed
especially for winter use. In regard to the cotton goods, I will
here say, you can go into the cotton district of our Territory
and take your wheat and flour and exchange any quantity with the
brethren who reside there. They have gone into cotton raising
there on an extensive scale, and I can truly say that of all the
good feelings and influences I ever felt that I never felt better
than I did while visiting the Saints in Washington county. It is
a country where the Devil cannot get a foot-hold. He delights in
robbing, killing and destroying the righteous man and all who
will not submit to the influence that comes from the lower
regions. Why do we take a course to leave our wives and children
comparatively destitute of the comforts of life? We have the
privilege of becoming an independent people, and there is no
necessity of living poor.
237
If the Latter-day Saints in the city of Provo and in all other
cities and towns of this Territory would put up good, substantial
fences around their gardens and fields, then our sisters could go
into the gardens and supply their tables with fruit of every
desirable kind and all in the season thereof, and this would be a
blessing to all. But as it is now, the trees are planted and
eaten down year after year by the cattle, and thus the men's
labor is lost and the trees destroyed. In Salt Lake City there
are a few who have been waked up to diligence, and the result is
that they have got a nice variety of apricots, peaches, plums,
apples, strawberries, currents, gooseberries, and some have got
cherries and pears. Now I want to see you do these things here
that you may make yourselves happy and comfortable, and also that
you may place yourselves in a situation that our Father and God
can send his angels to visit and to bless you. Don't you think
that angels would like to see a garden around your houses if they
were to come and visit you? Who are angels? They are sanctified
men who once lived upon this earth and held the Priesthood just
as we do now, and who are co-workers with us. Were there angels
along with us on our southern trip? Yes, and I felt as if every
hair of my head was filled and quickened with the life-giving
power of God. That power was upon brother Brigham, and we were
filled with it.
237
Whenever this people are improving in good works, then is the
time that we feel the goodly and heavenly influence. I never felt
it more in my life than when I was on that journey; I never
before experienced that freedom of speech that accompanied me on
that mission. Every man, in fact, who went with us on that
southern trip felt to praise God for the blessings that rested
upon us all.
238
We travelled eight hundred and fifty miles in thirty days, and
President Young and myself preached fifty times each. When we
would get through a day's journey it seemed that we were so tired
that we could not preach, but the life-giving power of God was
upon us, and by that we were enabled to endure the labors and
fatigues of that journey. It seemed that we had one eternal
blessing for the people; we were full of the blessings of the
Priesthood, and, in fact, we could not speak without blessing the
inhabitants of that county, for the faith of the people drew the
blessings from us. We also felt to bless the earth that it might
bring forth abundantly everything that is placed therein by the
industrious hands of the Saints of God; we blessed the cattle,
the fruit trees, the waters, and, in fact, everything that is for
the use and benefit of man.
238
I have now expressed some of my feelings upon a number of
subjects, and I feel well in doing this, for I know that the
Saints of God ought to be wide awake to their duties. You all
believe in "Mormonism," I have no doubt; you have been baptized
into the Church for the remission of sins, had hands laid upon
your heads by those having authority, and you doubtless know that
"Mormonism" is true, but yet you are not fully converted to the
necessity of having the power of God with you always. I know that
that power does not dwell with us as it ought. I put myself in,
for I am here with you and I am one of your brethren. We who
preside over you have to stick to you, although there are a great
many dead limbs among you, but we shall stick to you until you
learn to live your religion. We want to see you bow before the
throne of grace in humility and let your faith and works go hand
in hand. Paul said to the Church at Corinth, "Awake to
righteousness, and sin not, for some have not the knowledge of
God. I speak this to your shame." Then apply this to yourselves
and awake to a full sense of your duties to God and to each
other. "Draw nigh unto me, and I will draw nigh unto you," says
the Lord through his Prophet, and this declaration you will find
to be as true in our day as it was in the day that it was spoken.
I will tell you what I am afraid of, brethren, if you do not wake
up to a sense of your true position, the Lord will send a flood
and wash you out of those bottoms, and thus make you come on to
this bench and build up a respectable city.
238
My feeling and my faith is all the time, God bless this people,
and may he accept of the labors and offerings of the righteous,
is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Heber
C. Kimball, July 19, 1863
Heber C. Kimball, July 19, 1863
THE YOUNG MISSIONARIES.--INCREASING UNBELIEF OF THE PEOPLE OF
THE
WORLD.--TEACHINGS OF JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES, ETC.
Discourse by President Heber C. Kimball, delivered in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, July 19, 1863.
Reported by J. V. Long.
240
I have no doubt that the people in general suppose it is a very
easy thing for me to arise and speak to them, but I realize my
weakness as well as other men, and probably I feel as diffident
as most other men. When I first went forth to preach to the world
I suffered a great deal in my feelings, probably as much as any
man that ever attempted to preach. When I reflected upon my own
inexperience I felt like a child, and I do to-day. For this
reason I think much about those young men who have gone forth to
preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They will feel the need of
being assisted by the Almighty when they are travelling through
the European countries. Part of them are under twenty years of
age, and they will realize their dependence upon God more than
ever they have done before. I was over thirty years old when I
commenced preaching the Gospel, but they are all young and well
adapted for learning, hence they have many advantages. In those
early times we did not know one hundredth part of the principles
of the Gospel that we now know; in fact, there was but very
little revealed, and we had not learned to understand the
Scriptures except to a very limited extent. We had a little
understanding of what was already revealed and written in the
revelations given through Joseph the Prophet. I look over these
things when I am thinking of those boys, and that is not all, I
pray for them continually. I never bow before God without asking
him in the name of his Son to remember those young men, and I
know he will bless them with the power of his Spirit to guide
them in the way of life. They do not know scarcely at present
whether they understand much about the principles of the Gospel
or not, and they will not really know until they have had some
experience more than they had here at home. They are brought into
a position where they will feel the necessity of calling upon
God, and when they get home again they will find that they had
had quite an experience, such an experience, too, as will be of
lasting benefit to them. I used to think that anybody knew as
much as I did, for I had very little confidence in myself, but I
had confidence in God or I could not have preached at all. They
will have just such feelings, and if they have any confidence at
all it will be in God. Well, this is the case with most of us,
and it is right; our confidence should be in him and not in
ourselves, for without his assistance we are nothing and can do
nothing towards the salvation of the human family. To be sure,
the world are as ignorant as we were in relation to the Gospel of
Christ, but we are the chosen of the Lord and he will support us
in all our undertakings in righteousness. In those early times we
were made to realize the truth of the Scriptures which Paul
addressed to the Corinthians:--
240
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men
after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called: but
God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the mighty; and base things of the world, and things
which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are
not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should
glory in his presence."--1 Corinthians, i chap., 26-29 verses.
240
The world are in the same or a more ignorant condition than we
were before the Gospel found us. We live in a very peculiar time;
it is a day of warning and not of many words. The Elders now have
to labor a great deal harder to bring people into the Church than
they did in the first rise of it. There is not now one man
brought to the knowledge of the truth by receiving the Gospel to
where there was a hundred thirty years ago. It seems as though
the people are blinder now than they were thirty years ago, and
ignorance prevails to a greater extent than it did at that time.
Jesus says, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest to your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."--Matt. xi.,
28-30.
240
Now, brethren and sisters, and remember that those who have
embraced the Gospel and do not make it their study to promote the
interests of the kingdom of God, neglect their duty to that
kingdom of which they are subjects. It is the duty of every one
to labor day by day to promote each other's happiness, and also
to study the well-being of mankind. When we take a course
opposite to this, we become uneasy, unhappy and discontented; we
are not satisfied with anything that is around us; our food, our
raiment, our habitations and all that we possess becomes an
annoyance to us; now what is the cause of this? It certainly does
not originate with the Spirit of God, for that will never render
any one unhappy. You all understand, when you are in the right,
that it is the spirit of the world, or that spirit which controls
the world, which causes people to feel in this way; and unless
they drive it far from them it will lead them down to sorrow,
misery and death. It is a spirit that inclines to kill and
destroy, and that inclines the wicked to waste away everything
there is upon the earth. The Saints should be particularly
careful to avoid the influence of this spirit of destruction, for
it is not of God, and we can all see now it leads mankind to
destroy each other.
241
Jesus says, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." It is very easy to
understand that a man can see very little of a kingdom unless he
goes into it, and a man to see and understand the kingdom of God
must first become a member of the Church of Christ, and then he
progresses until he has an opportunity of looking into the
kingdom, of becoming acquainted with its officers and laws, and
hence it is that Jesus says, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
the kingdom of God." When the kingdom of God is organized upon
the earth, it is done to protect the Church of Christ in its
rights and privileges, so that you see the Church makes a
government to protect itself, but who knows what that government
is? All those to whom it has been revealed, and no others. Let
the Saints reflect upon these matters which I am laying before
them. Think of your holy endowments and what you have been
anointed to become, and reflect upon the blessings which have
been placed upon you, for they are the same in part that were
placed upon you, for they are the same in part that were placed
upon Jesus; he was the one that inducted his Apostles into these
ordinances; it was he who set up the kingdom of which we are
subjects. This is the kingdom of which all the Prophets spake,
and to which Daniel alluded when he said, "And in the days of
these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall
never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other
people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." It is a blessing to have
the privilege of entering into the kingdom of God and partaking
of the privileges and blessings that are bestowed upon its
members.
241
The testimony has gone forth that whosoever will repent and be
baptized for the remission of sins shall receive the Holy Ghost.
This is the only way whereby mankind can be saved. Still mankind
will devise systems of their own, in preference to walking in the
way which God has marked out: and it appears that every man has
his own way and wishes to walk in the path which he himself marks
out, and it is a good deal with mankind as the writer of the
Proverbs describes it, "There is a way which seemeth right unto
man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
241
When people embrace the Gospel they are then called upon to do
all things which Jesus has commanded them, to live by the
instructions of the Apostles and Elders of the Church. If they
have been guilty of stealing, they must steal no more; for if
they are found guilty they will be cast out as the law of God
prescribes. They must not bear false witness, nor do anything
that is forbidden in the ten commandments, which you know we were
all taught to reverence when we went to the Sunday-school in our
childhood. Is that all that is required of us? No, those ten
commandments do not constitute one hundredth part of the
commandments that God gave to Adam in the beginning. Just let us
look at these commandments, and then compare them with some of
those given in our own day. In the 20th chap. of Exodus we find
the Lord introducing the subject by reassuring the Israelites
that he was the Lord their God, who had brought them out of the
land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage, and then he
proceeds to speak and to command them what to do and what not to
do; and in these commandments, which I will read to you, the
Almighty shows that he is very jealous of his honor, and that he
requires the undivided service and worship of his people. It will
not do us any harm to look over those commandments, but it may do
some of us a great deal of good, and, therefore, I will call your
attention to them. We find them written in the following
language:--
241
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
241
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness
of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
242
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I
the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that hate me:
242
"And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep
my commandments.
242
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for
the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in
vain.
242
"Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy."
242
"Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
242
"But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates:
242
"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord
blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it.
242
"Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon
the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
242
"Thou shalt not kill.
242
"Thou shalt not commit adultery.
242
"Thou shalt not steal.
242
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
242
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet
thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant,
nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy
neighbor's."--Exodus, 20 chap., 3-17.
242
These items contained in the above commandments are things that
we ought all to consider and have a more lively interest in. We
should read them occasionally, as well as other parts of the word
of God, and we should endeavor to cultivate that which we see to
be good.
242
We have the Priesthood of the living God in our midst, that
Priesthood which is after the order of Melchizedek; it is the
authority which God instituted in the beginning, and there is no
salvation nor exaltation without it. If the present generation
wish an exaltation in the kingdom of God, and desire the benefits
and blessings of the Priesthood of the Most High, they must bow
in obedience to the mandates of Heaven. Through this Priesthood
the law of God has been revealed to man in this generation, to
let mankind know that he still lives, and that he still has a
care for his children and watches over them with paternal
affection. Among the revelations which we find in the Book of
Doctrine and Covenants there is one which was given in Feb.,
1831, in which is contained the general outlines of the law which
is to govern the Latter-day Saints. You may read the whole of
that revelation when you have time; I will only call your
attention now to the 6th and 7th paragraphs, which read as
follows:--
242
"And now, behold, I speak unto the Church: Thou shalt not kill;
and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor
in the world to come.
243
"And again, I say, thou shalt not kill: but he that killeth shall
die. Thou shalt not steal; and he that stealeth and will not
repent, shall but cast out. Thou shalt not lie; he that lieth and
will not repent, shall be cast out. Thou shalt love thy wife with
all thy heart, and shall cleave unto her and none else; and he
that looketh upon a woman to lust after her, shall deny the
faith, and shall not have the Spirit, and if he repents not he
shall be cast out. Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that
committeth adultery and repenteth not, shalt be cast out; but he
that has committed adultery and repents with all his heart, and
forsaketh it, and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive; but if he
doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out.
Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor, nor do him any harm.
Thou knowest my laws concerning these things are given in my
Scriptures: he that sinneth and repenteth not, shall be cast
out."
243
Thus you see that the Lord was very particular in giving
commandments through Joseph Smith at the commencement of this
Church, and these commandments apply to all who embrace the
Gospel, and without obedience to these, in connection with the
rest of the revelations and commandments that have been given to
this Church, there is no promise of salvation in the celestial
kingdom. It is true there are many moralists and men who in many
respects are very good, who do not embrace the Gospel; all such
will be rewarded according to their works. If their works are
good, good will be restored unto them; and if their works are
evil they will be punished for their sins. And remember, the Lord
says that those who lie shall be cast out of the Church, and this
applies to every man and woman, and they can read it for
themselves in the Book of Covenants. We are also commanded there
not to speak evil of our neighbors, for if we do and do not
immediately repent, the penalty is that we shall be cast out of
the Church. Now, how important it is that we should observe these
commandments and do them, especially as the Bible says, "For
whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point
he is guilty of all."--James 2, 10. You know if a man lies he
offends in that particular and breaks one of the commandments,
and he that said, Thou shalt not bear false witness, said also,
Thou shalt not kill, therefore, by breaking one part of the law
of God a man becomes a transgressor, and the law given to us in
our days says that all such shall be cast out of the Church if
they do not repent.
243
Now I touch upon these little things, knowing that if you do not
hear and obey these, you will not pay any attention to the
greater things. If I disregard any of the little things that
pertain to my duty, I am guilty in the sight of God, and it is
just so in regard to the law of the land. It is precisely so here
with our laws in Utah; they are good, and well adapted to our
circumstances and condition; but yet there are some persons who
are not willing to observe them.
243
I feel that I am a weak, frail mortal; I realize that we are all
frail beings, but those that suppose we cannot observe the laws
to which I have referred, are mistaken. I know that I can refrain
from evil, and I also know that any other person can who tries.
It is quite a common thing with the world to commit sins, and
then to argue that they cannot do any better, but this is a
misunderstanding; any person who tries can refrain from evil.
244
What effect does this gospel produce among the inhabitants of the
earth? Does it unite them together in one, and make them all of
one heart and one mind; No, but it would produce this effect if
the people would receive it, and universally adopt it as their
rule of action, instead of which a great majority of mankind
reject it, and hence it produces the effect which Jesus said his
mission would. He remarked: "Think not that I am come to send
peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am
come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own
household."--Matt. 10. 30. 36. This has truly been one of the
results of the preaching of the gospel. The Elders have converted
one here and another there; they have fulfilled the scripture
which says: "I will take two of a family and one of a city, and
bring them to Zion."
244
We now see a similar condition of things politically, to what has
long existed religiously. Our own country is now suffering in
consequence of this spirit of opposition, and it is causing many
hearts to mourn because of losing their friends, and when the
trouble will be at an end, is not for me to say. Now the
Presbyterians of the North are preaching and praying against
their Presbyterian brethren in the South; and this is precisely
the condition of the Baptists, Methodists, Quakers and Shakers,
and I am really sorry that such is the case. There are many
honorable and peaceable citizens who are moving West in
consequence of the lamentable state of our once happy and
peaceful country.
244
When I think of these things I always reflect upon the travels of
this Church; I call to mind our trials and privations in leaving
Kirtland, Ohio. I call to mind our blessings and our troubles in
the State of Missouri; I think of what we passed through and
endured in the State of Illinois, and I shall not soon forget our
wearisome and toilsome journey from Nauvoo to Winter Quarters,
and then from the Frontiers of Iowa to these peaceful valleys. I
rejoice many times in my reflections when I consider the goodness
of the Almighty unto us, in bringing us to this goodly land. Here
we can enjoy ourselves in the liberty of the gospel; we can make
ourselves comfortable, and surround ourselves with the comforts
and blessings of this life. In this respect we are privileged and
blessed above many of our fellow creatures, and our blessings
ought to cause us to look with compassion upon, and have charity
for those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. It is our
duty to consider what we were before we heard the gospel; we were
quite as ignorant of God, Angels and heaven as the children of
disobedience now are, but through the medium of Joseph Smith we
were brought to an understanding of the principles of eternal
life, and many of us have since been to the nations to teach them
repentance and baptism for the remission of sins. Jesus set the
example, and although he was without sin he submitted to the
ordinance that he might fulfil all righteousness. John objected
to preform the ordinance, but after Jesus had informed him it was
requisite that he should honor the law of heaven, John then
consented to officiate. As a proof that that that was acceptable,
the heavens were opened, and a voice heard to say--"This is my
beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."
244
Now this conduct of our Savior was an example to all mankind, and
every person who desires salvation must pass through this ordeal.
By being baptized and keeping all the commandments, we become the
beloved sons and daughters of God, the Holy Ghost descends upon
us, and we are continually enlightened by its benign influences.
After becoming members of this Church it becomes our duty to set
a good example before all men, to pursue a course that will be
acceptable in the sight of God and worthy of imitation, and let
me encourage every one to be faithful to their covenants, and
live pure and holy lives before God.
245
The members of this Church are all blessed with the privilege we
enjoy this day, of partaking of the emblems of the broken body
and shed blood of Jesus Christ. When Christ instituted this
supper he enjoined its continuance upon his disciples, and we
have been instructed to observe it in this generation. Jesus
remarked at his last supper: "With desire I have desired to eat
this passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, I
will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the
kingdom of God. And he took the cup and gave thanks, and said,
take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you, I
will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God
shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks and break it, and
gave unto them, saying, this is my body which is given for you;
this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper,
saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed
for you."--Luke 22. 15, 20.
245
To some it may be a curiosity that we partake of water instead of
wine. [Prest. B. Young: Tell them that the Lord told Joseph that
he would accept of water]. Yes, the Lord has warned us against
taking impure wine, and in revelation given to Joseph Smith as
early as September, 1830, he revealed his will on this subject in
the following language:--Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ,
your Lord, your God and your Redeemer, whose word is quick and
powerful. For behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what
ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the
sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my
glory; remembering unto the Father my blood which was shed for
the remission of sins; wherefore, a commandment I give unto you
that you shall not purchase wine, neither strong drink of your
enemies; wherefore, you shall partake of none except it is made
new among you; yea, in this my Father's kingdom which shall be
built up on the earth. Behold this is wisdom in me; wherefore,
marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of
the vine with you on the earth."--Doc. Cov., Sec. L., Par. 1 & 2.
This is what we are doing this afternoon, and, brethren and
sisters, let us be faithful and remember in partaking of this
ordinance, we renew our covenants, and we have a promise that we
shall receive a renewal of the Holy Spirit, to enable us to be
humble and to perform the duties that are enjoined upon us as
Saints.
245
Whatever transpires, if we are faithful in this kingdom, will all
tend to the happiness, pleasure and exaltation of this people. We
ought to be the happiest people on the face of the earth, for we
are blessed with a knowledge of the gospel, with an understanding
of the ordinances which pertain to eternal life, and we are
blessed with peace while our neighbors are afflicted with a
desolating war.
245
Brethren and sisters, I exhort you above all things to hold fast
to your integrity, seek for righteousness and cleave unto it, and
if you see anything that is contrary to these holy principles
among this people, you may know that it is not good. There is no
person in this Church who can increase in the knowledge of God,
in the spirit of revelation, in the gift of prophecy, in visions
or in dreams, unless they cleave unto God with full purpose of
heart, but by being faithful these gifts will be multiplied unto
the Saints.
246
Now when I went to England the first time I did not say anything
about the gathering. About ten days after I had baptized brother
George D. Watt, he came to me, his face shining like that of an
angel, and, said he, just as sure as the Lord lives the Saints
will gather to America. I told him to prophecy on, for I knew it
was of God. I name this circumstance to show that the Spirit make
manifest to individuals many things which they have never before
heard. Now what is there to prevent the Latter-day Saints
enjoying those gifts and graces of the gospel which they used to
enjoy when they first joined the Church? What can prevent us from
obtaining a knowledge of things past and things to come? There is
nothing to prevent even our little boys and little girls having
these gifts and blessings, except it be a slackness on our part
in our duties towards God. I know there is a slackness with many
of this people; there is a spirit of division, of contention and
strife creeping in among the Latter-day Saints, but still I am
happy to know that with the majority there is a great
improvement. I know also that those brethren that are engaged in
assisting to gather the poor, their blessings will be great
indeed; they will have a reward in the present and in the future.
On the other hand it is a matter of regret that there are others
who do not feel interested enough to make up their butter and
carry a tenth of it into the Tithing office. Some of them think
it is too small a matter, others are indifferent and don't care
anything about it, and thus a great many of the people neglect
their tithes, and do not put them into the Lord's storehouse;
hence the poor, the laborer upon the public works, and the
families of our missionaries lack many of the comforts of life,
which the people who are laboring exclusively for themselves
constantly enjoy. I presume you all remember what Christ said in
regard to the poor widow who gave her small donation at the
treasury of the synagogue, but lest some of you should have
forgotten it, I will remind you of it: "And Jesus sat over
against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into
the treasury, and many that were rich cast in much. And there
came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make
a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto
them, 'Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more
in than all they which have cast into the treasury, for all they
did cast in of their abundance, but she of her want did cast in
all that she had, even all her living.'"--Mark 12, 41, 44.
246
Let me now say to the Latter-day Saints, if you will cast in your
tithes and your offerings you will be blessed with greater
abundance; the Lord will open the windows of heaven and bestow
upon you a greater blessing. It will be with you as the Lord
spoke through Malachi to the Israel of his day; after rebuking
them the Lord promised them a great blessing. "Will a man rob
God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed
thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye
have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes
into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and
prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not
open you the windows of heaven and pour you out such a blessing
that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will
rebuke the destroyer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the
fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit
before the time in the field, saith the Lord of Hosts. And all
nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome
land, saith the Lord of Hosts.--Malachi 3. 8, 12.
247
This will be our blessing if we are faithful; then let us awake
to righteousness and we shall be abundantly blest. Let us all
volunteer to help President Young in every endeavor that he makes
to push forward this great work, and then we shall never again
want for bread, for the Lord will shed forth rain upon the earth
to water our crops, and we shall raise all the bread we need, and
have some to spare for our friends. I have seen the time when our
brethren have had to eat beef-hides, wolves, dogs and skunks. You
may smile, but I can tell you that it was no laughing matter at
that time, for there were many who could not get even dogs to
eat. Many of the brethren in those trying times were clothed in
skins of wild animals. I felt impressed to prophesy to them, and
I said, "Never mind, boys, in less than one year there will be
plenty of clothes and everything that we shall want sold at less
than St. Louis prices;" and I thought when I came to reflect upon
it that it was a very improbable thing, and brother Rich told me
that he thought I had done up the job at prophesying that time,
but the sequel showed the prediction to be of the Lord. In less
than six months, the emigration to California came through here
laden down with good clothing, bacon, flour, groceries and
everything we wanted. The opening of the gold mines had caused
them to rush for the scene of excitement; they came with their
trunks full of the best of clothing, and they opened them and
turned out a great deal of the clothing, and the brethren and
sisters bought good coats, vests, shawls and dresses at a mere
nominal price, and in this way the Lord supplied our wants, and
he will do so again if the circumstances ever require it. This is
the God that I believe in, and in him I put my trust. I know also
that he will fight our battles from this time henceforth if we
will only do right. He will turn our enemies aside and cause all
things to work together for our good. Therefore, let us trust in
him, and he will send his angels to watch over us, and he will
preserve us as in the hollow of his hand.
247
May the Lord multiply his blessings upon you, brethren and
sisters, and upon all the faithful ministers and Saints
throughout the world, and may He bless all those who do good, who
love righteousness and desire the welfare and building up of
Zion; I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, October 6, 1863
Brigham Young, October 6, 1863
NECESSITY FOR WATCHFULNESS.--THE PROPER COURSE TO PURSUE TOWARDS
STRANGERS.--SELLING FLOUR AND GRAIN.--THE WAR
AND ITS EFFECTS UPON SLAVERY.
Discourse by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Bowery,
Salt Lake City, October 6, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
248
I do not expect you will hear much from me during this
Conference. If I had faith, or you had faith for me, sufficient
to heal me up and make me strong, so that I could speak as I
would like to speak, and as often and whenever the Spirit of God
would delight to speak through me, I should still talk a great
deal to the people.
248
I have always been satisfied, and am still, that they need a
great deal of teaching, for everything is to learn, and
everything is to be obtained. We can receive only a little at a
time, and it is only the faithful that can receive anything
pertaining to the revealed will of God, and they can only receive
it "line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and
there a little," and blessed is the man or woman that treasures
up the words of life. Much has yet to be taught the Latter-day
Saints to perfect them and prepare them for the coming of the Son
of Man.
248
We have heard a good deal to-day, and we shall hear a good deal
more to-morrow and next day, or so long as our Conference shall
last; how long it will continue is not now for me to say.
249
In the remarks that have been made to-day, a great many things
have been suggested to my mind. One thing I will take time to
mention, and that is in regard to the stranger that passes
through our country in search for gold, or in search for safety,
as the case may be. I wish the Latter-day Saints, who live in
these mountains, to understand that we are here through
necessity, and that hundreds and thousands of Latter-day Saints
are coming here now, and hundreds and thousands who are not
Latter-day Saints are also passing through from the east to the
regions north and west of us, or to other regions where they may
hope to make their homes, and all through necessity; they are
fleeing from trouble and sorrow. I wish you to realize this.
Multitudes of good and honorable men become enrolled in the
contending armies of the present American war, some to gratify a
martial pride, and others through a conscientious love of their
country; indeed, various are the motives and inducements that
impel men to expose themselves upon the field of battle; but a
portion of those who are peaceably disposed, and wish not to
witness the shedding of the blood of their countrymen, make good
their escape from the vicinity of trouble. It is chiefly this
class of men who are now passing through this Territory to other
parts, and I think they are probably as good a class of men as
has ever passed through this country; they are persons who wish
to live in peace, and to be far removed from contending factions.
As far as I am concerned I have no fault to find with them. But I
will say to the Latter-day Saints, when they come to you with
well-filled sacks of gold dust to buy your produce, do not be
afraid to ask six dollars a hundred for your flour, or more if it
is worth it. The love of mankind is an exalted sentiment, and
patriotism for home and country is worthy of a place in the
bosoms of the greatest and best of mankind, but I cannot see that
we do homage to these holy principles by selling our produce to
the passing stranger for less than its actual cost to us; and he
is as well satisfied to pay a reasonable and fair price for what
he buys from us, as to receive it at half its value. Every
intelligent farmer must be aware that flour cost him all of six
dollars a hundred. If I oppress you when I teach you to take care
of yourselves, then shall I continue to oppress you. Have I ever
taught you, by example or precept, to oppress the hireling in his
wages? Never. Can you justly accuse me of depriving the poor, or
the stranger that is cast among us, of the means of obtaining the
necessary comforts of life? You can not. But I may be justly
accused of making men, as far as possible, earn their living; of
teaching them to supply their own wants, and to accumulate and
gather around them wealth and independence by a persevering
industry and a constant frugality and care of the temporal
blessings God bestows upon them.
249
Some would tell you that you are deprived of the free exercise of
your rights by "Mormon" interference, while, every day you live,
you live in the enjoyment of the rights and privileges of
freemen, and staunch upholders of the priceless boon bequeathed
to us by our fathers in the Constitution of our suffering
country. They would tell you that it is the right of every man
and woman to suffer themselves to be prostituted and defiled by
the filth and scum that floats among the surging masses of
mankind, that are at present lashed into rage and madness by the
demon of war. This is not, in strictness, a right which belongs
to any human being, but on the contrary, it is the right of every
person and of every community to resist pollution and to contend
for the privilege of living a virtuous, holy, upright and godly
life, so as to be justified before the heavens and before all the
good that dwell upon the earth. They consider that they are
curtailed in the free exercise of their rights, because they
cannot enter into our houses and pollute our wives and daughters,
and because they cannot change our domestic and social system to
the lowest standard of this depraved age. It is their right to
attend to their own business, and we feel quite capable of
attending to ours.
249
I mean to watch them with a sleepless eye. Understand it, ye
Elders of Israel. Whether you do as you are told or not, I shall
tell every man to take care that he is ready for every
emergency--to sleep with one eye open, and, if he has a mind to,
with his boots on and one leg out of bed. I shall not be found
off my watch; and if they commence intruding, woe unto them, for
they will then know who are the old settlers.
250
Treat the passing strangers with kindness and respect; treat all
kindly and respectfully who respect you and your rights as
American citizens. "Peace on earth and good will towards men," is
the design and spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; but when men
are harnessed up by hundreds of thousands, and driven to the
slaughter, it bespeaks a departure from God and from the popular
institutions of freedom; and if Angels can weep, they weep over
this human ignorance, blindness, depravity and cruelty. What is
the cause of all this waste of life and treasure? To tell it in a
plain, truthful way, one portion of the country wish to raise
their negroes or black slaves, and the other portion wish to free
them, and, apparently, to almost worship them. Well, raise and
worship them, who cares? I should never fight one moment about
it, for the cause of human improvement is not in the least
advanced by the dreadful war which now convulses our unhappy
country.
250
Ham will continue to be the servant of servants, as the Lord has
decreed, until the curse is removed. Will the present struggle
free the slave? No; but they are now wasting away the black race
by thousands. Many of the blacks are treated worse than we treat
our dumb brutes; and men will be called to judgment for the way
they have treated the negro, and they will receive the
condemnation of a guilty conscience, by the just Judge whose
attributes are justice and truth.
250
Treat the slaves kindly and let them live, for Ham must be the
servant of servants until the curse is removed. Can you destroy
the decrees of the Almighty? You cannot. Yet our Christian
brethren think that they are going to overthrow the sentence of
the Almighty upon the seed of Ham. They cannot do that, though
they may kill them by thousands and tens of thousands.
250
According to accounts, in all probability not less than one
million men, from twenty to forty years of age, have gone to the
silent grave in this useless war, in a little over two years, and
all to gratify the caprice of a few,--I do not think I have a
suitable name for them, shall we call them abolitionists,
slaveholders, religious bigots, or political aspirants? Call them
what you will, they are wasting away each other, and it seems as
though they will not be satisfied until they have brought
universal destruction and desolation upon the whole country. It
appears as though they would destroy every person; perhaps they
will, but I think they will not.
250
God rules. Do you know it? It is the kingdom of God or nothing
for the Latter-day Saints.
250
Do you know that it is the eleventh hour of the reign of Satan on
the earth? Jesus is coming to reign, and all you who fear and
tremble because of your enemies, cease to fear them, and learn to
fear to offend God, fear to transgress his laws, fear to do any
evil to your brother, or to any being upon the earth, and do not
fear Satan and his power, nor those who have only power to slay
the body, for God will preserve his people.
250
We are constantly gathering new clay into the mill. How many of
the new comers I have heard say, "Oh that I had been with you
when you had your trials." We have promised them all the trials
that are necessary, if they would be patient.
250
Are you going to be patient and trust in God, and receive every
trial with thanksgiving, acknowledging the hand of the Lord in
it? You will have all the trial you can bear. The least thing
tries some people. Brother Heber and myself going to the island
in Great Salt Lake, a week ago last Friday, created numerous
surmisings and misgivings with some. I have thought that it
might, perhaps, be well to notify you regularly, through the
Deseret News, of my out-goings and in-comings; and I may as well
now notify you that it is my intention to visit Sanpete, and,
perhaps, our southern settlements this fall. If I should do so, I
hope that my brethren and sisters will feel satisfied, for I
shall go, come, stay and act as I feel dictated by the Spirit of
God. God being my helper, asking no odds of any person.--Amen.
251
TITHING.--BUILDING TEMPLES.--GOLD, ITS PRODUCTION AND
USES.--GOVERNMENTAL
POLICY TOWARDS UTAH.--PROVIDING BREAD FOR THE POOR.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
251
I have in my mind a few texts which I wish to introduce and speak
from, to, or upon.
251
I have only to say in relation to what brother John Taylor, in
his remarks, has referred to, that I wish the honest-in-heart to
continue to be honest--to say their prayers, and especially to
keep the law of God; and I would like you to observe the law of
Tithing, if you wish to do so, and if you do not, proclaim that
you do not which to observe it, that we may shape our course
accordingly, for no person is compelled to pay Tithing, but it is
entirely a voluntary act of our own. If we pay it freely it is
well; if we are not willing to pay it freely and feel a pleasure
in doing so, let us say so and be consistent with ourselves.
251
We talk a great deal about our religion. It is not now my
intention to deliver a discourse on this subject, enumerating
facts and producing evidences in my possession which are
unanswerable, but I will merely give a text, or make a
declaration, that our religion is simply the truth. It is all
said in this one expression--it embraces all truth, wherever
found, in all the works of God and man that are visible or
invisible to mortal eye. It is the only system of religion known
in heaven or on earth that can exalt a man to the Godhead, and
this it will do to all those who embrace its laws and faithfully
observe its precepts. This thought gives joy and delight to the
reflecting mind, for, as has been observed, man possesses the
germ of all the attributes and power that are possessed by God
his heavenly Father.
251
I wish you to understand that sin is not an attribute in the
nature of man, but it is an inversion of the attributes God has
placed in him. Righteousness tends to an eternal duration of
organized intelligence, while sin bringeth to pass their
dissolution. Were it our purpose, at this time, we might produce
extensive, instructive and interesting arguments of a Scriptural
and philosophical character, in support of these views. I will
merely say that God possesses in perfection all the attributes of
his physical and mental nature, while as yet we only possess them
in our weakness and imperfection, tainted by sin and all the
consequences of the fall. God has perfect control over sin and
over death; we are subject to both, which have passed upon all
things that pertain to this earth. God has control over all these
things; he is exalted and lives in obedience to the laws of
truth. He controls the acts of all men, setting up a nation here
and overthrowing a nation there, at his pleasure, to subserve his
great purposes.
252
We see man suddenly raised to power and influence, clothed in all
the paraphernalia of royalty, endowed with prestige and equipage,
and as quickly stripped of all his pomp and show, and laid
prostrate in the dust of death.
252
This is God's work, and the result of a power that is not
possessed by us mortals though we are seeking for it. When we
talk of building a temple, let us not forget that we can add
nothing to Him. "But Solomon built Him an house. Howbeit, the
Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the
Prophet, heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool; what
house will ye build me? saith the Lord, or what is the place of
my rest? Hath not my hand made all these?" "If I were hungry I
would not tell thee, for the world is mine and the fulness
thereof." He does not ask us for bread and fruit, for he has
better fruit than we can raise, and His bread is of a much finer
quality than ours; He does not want our bread and meat and
clothing, but he has organized all these substances for an
exaltation.
252
The earth, the Lord says, abides its creation; it has been
baptized with water, and will, in the future, be baptized with
fire and the Holy Ghost, to be prepared to go back into the
celestial presence of God, with all things that dwell upon it
which have, like the earth, abided the law of their creation.
Taking this view of the matter, it may be asked why we build
temples. We build temples because there is not a house on the
face of the whole earth that has been reared to God's name, which
will in anywise compare with his character, and that he can
consistently call his house. There are places on the earth where
the Lord can come and dwell, if he pleases. They may be found on
the tops of high mountains, or in some cavern or places where
sinful man has never marked the soil with his polluted feet.
252
He requires his servants to build Him a house that He can come
to, and where He can make known His will. This opens to my mind a
field that I shall not undertake to survey to-day. I will just
say, when I see men at work on that Temple who nurse cursings in
their hearts, I wish they would walk out of the Temple-block, and
never again enter within its walls, until their hearts are
sanctified to God and his Work. This will also apply to men who
are dishonest. But we have to put up and bear patiently with many
things that we cannot help under present circumstances, and in
our present imperfect state. We would like to build a substantial
house, suitably arranged and embellished--a permanent house--that
shall be renowned for its beauty and excellency, to present to
the Lord our God, and then lock and bar it up, unless he shall
say, "Enter ye into this my house, and there officiate in the
ordinances of my Holy Priesthood, as I shall direct." We have
already built two Temples: one in Kirtland, Ohio, and one in
Nauvoo, Illinois. We commenced the foundation of one in Far West,
Missouri. You know the history of the one we built in Nauvoo. It
was burnt, all the materials that would burn, and the walls have
since been almost entirely demolished and used for building
private dwellings, &c. I would rather it should thus be destroyed
than remain in the hands of the wicked. If the Saints cannot so
live as to inherit a Temple when it is built, I would rather
never see a Temple built. God commanded us to build the Nauvoo
Temple, and we built it, and performed our duty pretty well.
There are Elders here to-day who labored on that house with not a
shoe to their feet, or pantaloons that would cover their limbs,
or a shirt to cover their arms.
253
We performed the work, and performed it within the time which the
Lord gave us to do it in. Apostates said that we never could
perform that work; but, through the blessing of God, it was
complete and accepted of him. Apostates never build Temples unto
God, but the Saints are called to do this work.
253
Do we want to build this Temple, or do we not? It shall be as we
please. I am just as ready to dismiss every workman that is now
laboring on the Public Works, as you are. I know the people would
say, Build the Temple. Should I ask all the workmen whether they
are willing to labor on that work, their reply would be, "Yes,
the Lord wants our labor, and we are willing that he should have
it, although we could get better pay for our labor elsewhere--pay
that we cannot get on the Public Works."
253
Do you require me as Trustee-in-Trust, to pay you better pay than
is paid into my hands by the people to sustain the Public Works?
Are you just in your requirements, or are you unjust? Look at it
in whatever light you please, no person can justly require more
of me than I receive. Whether it is right to do so, judge ye.
253
Has the Lord required of us to pay Tithing? He has--namely,
one-tenth of our increase. Now, if we withhold our Tithing, and
the Temple, nevertheless, is completed and ready for the
ordinances of the Holy Priesthood to be performed therein, can
those who have withheld their Tithing enter that Temple to pass
through the ordinances of salvation for their dead, and be just
before God? If they can, I must confess that I do not understand
the nature of God's requirements, nor his justice, nor his truth,
nor his mercy.
253
That Temple is to be built; but God forbid that it should ever be
built for the hypocrite, the ungodly, the apostate, or any other
miserably corrupted creature that bears the image of our Creator,
to enter into it to pollute it; I would rather never see it built
than this should transpire. We intend to build and finish it.
253
If the Lord permits gold-mines to be opened here, he will
overrule it for the good of his Saints and the building-up of his
kingdom. We have a great many friends who are out of this
Church--who have not embraced the Gospel. We have a great many
political friends, moral friends and financial friends; there are
thousands of men who are our friends for advantage's sake, for
the sake of peace, for the enjoyment of life, for silver and
gold, goods and chattels, houses and lands, and other possessions
on the earth, for they love to live on the earth and enjoy its
blessings. There are thousands who see that this people inculcate
and live by wholesome moral principles--principles that will
sustain their natural lives, to say nothing about principles that
take hold of God and eternity. There are multitudes who desire to
live out their days without coming to their end by
violence--without being murdered or kidnapped by marauding mobs;
they think that the earth is a pretty good place, and they would
like to live upon it in peace as long as they can, with their
friends and connections. We have a great many friends, and if the
Lord suffers gold to be discovered here, I shall be satisfied
that it is for the purpose of embellishing and adorning this
Temple which we contemplate building, and we may use some of it
as a circulating medium.
254
The Lord will not dwell in our hearts unless they are pure and
holy, neither will he enter into a Temple that we may build to
his name, unless it is sanctified and prepared for his presence.
If we could overlay the aisles of the Temple with pure gold, for
the Lord to walk upon, it would please me, and not suffer them
ever to be corrupted by mortal feet. Gold is one of the purest of
elements, and will not be so much changed as some others, though
every element that we are acquainted with will pass through a
change. Gold is pure and precious metal, and the wicked love it
through selfishness or an unholy lust, while God and his true
people love to pave the streets of Zion with it, to overlay
altars and pulpits of Temples with it, and to make utensils of it
for the use of the Priests of the Lord in offering sacrifice to
him, and also for household purposes.
254
There are some of the sealing ordinances that cannot be
administered in the house that we are now using; we can only
administer in it some of the first ordinances of the Priesthood
pertaining to the endowment. There are more advanced ordinances
that cannot be administered there; we would, therefore, like a
Temple, but I am willing to wait a few years for it. I want to
see the Temple built in a manner that it will endure through the
Millennium. This is not the only Temple we shall build; There
will be hundreds of them built and dedicated to the Lord. This
Temple will be known as the first Temple built in the mountains
by the Latter-day Saints. And when the Millennium is over, and
all the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, down to the last of
their posterity, who come within the reach of the clemency of the
Gospel, have been redeemed in hundreds of Temples through the
administration of their children as proxies for them, I want that
Temple still to stand as a proud monument of the faith,
perseverance and industry of the Saints of God in the mountains,
in the nineteenth century.
254
I told you thirteen years ago, that every time we took up our
tools to progress with that Temple, we should see opposition. Our
enemies do not love to see it progress, because we are building
it for God, and they do not love him. If it is necessary I am
willing to drop work on the Temple; but if you require at our
hands that the Temple be built, you should be as willing to pay
your Tithing as you are to have us build the Temple. Some of us
are not dependent on the Temple for our endowment blessings, for
we have received them under the hands of Joseph the Prophet, and
know where to go to bestow the same on others. You may ask me
whether the leaders of this Church have received all their
endowment blessings. I think that we have got all that you can
get in your probation, if you live to be the age of Methuselah;
and we can give what we possess to others who are worthy. We want
to build that temple as it should be built, that when we present
it to the Lord we may not have to cover our faces in shame.
255
I now wish to present a few questions to the congregation, for I
think there is no harm in asking questions to elicit information.
Do the Government officials in Utah, civil and military, give aid
and comfort to and foster persons whose design is to interrupt
and disturb the peace of this people? and are they protected and
encouraged in this ruinous design by the strong arm of military
power, to do what they will, if they will only annoy and try to
break up the "Mormon" community? Does the general Government, or
does it not, sustain this wicked plan? Is there in existence a
corruption-fund, out of which Government jobbers live and pay
their travelling expenses while they are engaged in trying to get
men and women to apostatize from the truth, to swell their ranks
for damnation? Is this so, or is it not so? Those who understand
the political trickeries and the political windings of the
nation, can see at once that these are political questions. Who
feeds and clothes and defrays the expenses of hundreds of men who
are engaged patroling the mountains and kanyons all around us in
search of gold? Who finds supplies for those who are sent here to
protect the two great interests--the mail and telegraph lines
across the continent--while they are employed ranging over these
mountains in search of gold? And who has paid for the multitude
of picks, shovels, spades and other mining tools that they have
brought with them? Were they really sent here to protect the mail
and telegraph lines, or to discover, if possible, rich diggings
in our immediate vicinity, with a view to flood the country with
just such a population as they desire, to destroy, if possible,
the identity of the "Mormon" community, and every truth and
virtue that remains? Who is it that calls us apostates from our
Government, deserters, traitors, rebels, secessionists? And who
have expressed themselves as being unwilling that the "Mormons"
should have in their possession a little powder and lead? I am
merely presenting a few plain questions to the Latter-day Saints,
which they or anybody else may answer, or not, just as they
please. Who have said that "Mormons" should not be permitted to
hold in their possession fire-arms and ammunition? Did a
Government officer say this, one who was sent here to watch over
and protect the interest of the community, without meddling or
interfering with the domestic affairs of the people? I can tell
you what they have in their hearts, and I know what passes in
their secret councils. Blood and murder are in their hearts, and
they wish to extend the work of destruction over the whole face
of the land, until there cannot be found a single spot where the
Angel of peace can repose.
255
The waste of life in the ruinous war now raging is truly
lamentable. Joseph the Prophet said that the report of it would
sicken the heart; and what is all this for? It is a visitation
from heaven, because they have killed the Prophet of God, Joseph
Smith, jun, Has not the nation consented to his death, and to the
utter destruction of the Latter-day Saints, if it could be
accomplished? But they found that they could not accomplish that.
255
Before we left Nauvoo, members of Congress made a treaty with the
latter-day Saints, and we agreed to leave the United States
entirely. We did so, and came to these mountains, which were then
Mexican territory. When we were ready to start on our pilgrimage
west, a certain gentleman, who signed himself "Backwoods-man,"
wished to know on what conditions we would overcome and settle
California. He gave us to understand that he had his authority
from headquarters, to treat with us on this matter. I thought
that President Polk was our friend at that time; we have thought
so since, and we think so now. We agreed to survey and settle
California--we drawing the odd numbers, and the Government the
even numbers; but I think the President was precipitated into the
Mexican war, and our prospective calculations fell through,
otherwise we should have gone into California and settled it.
Many of you were not aware of this.
256
Joseph said that if they succeeded in taking his life, which they
did, war and confusion would come upon the nation, and they would
destroy each other, and there would be mob upon mob from one end
of the country to the other. Have they got through? No, they have
only just commenced the work of wasting life and property. They
will burn up every steamboat, every village, every town, every
house of their enemies that comes within their reach; they will
waste and destroy food and clothing that should feed and comfort
women and children, and leaven them destitute and beggars,
without homes and without protectors, to perish upon the face of
all the land, and all to satiate their unhallowed and hellish
appetite for blood; and this awful tornado of suffering,
destruction, woe and lamentation, they would hurl upon us, if
they could, but they cannot, and I say, in the name of Israel's
God, they never shall do it. We will have peace if we have to
fight for it. They have not power to destroy Israel, neither will
they have. The time will come when he who will not take up his
sword against his neighbor must flee to Zion.
256
We have been preached to a great deal during this Conference, and
how do we appear before God, as Latter-day saints, when there are
among us confusion, covetousness, bickering, slothfulness,
unthankfulness? May God help us to search our own hearts, to find
out whether we are obedient or disobedient, and whether we love
the things of God better than any earthly consideration. Will we,
from this time henceforth, listen to and pay attention to the
whisperings of the good Spirit, and devote every hour of our time
to the welfare of the kingdom of God upon the earth, and let the
enemies of this kingdom do what they please? for God will
overrule all things for the special benefit of his people. May
the Lord help us to be Saints.
256
I will now make a requirement at the hands of the Bishops, both
those who are here, and those who are not here and which every
individual must see is necessary and just; and that is, for them
to see that there is sufficient breadstuff in their respective
Wards to last the members of their Wards until another harvest;
and if you have not sufficient on hand, we shall require you to
secure it and hold it in such a way that the poor can obtain it
by paying for it. There are persons who would part with every
mouthful of breadstuff they have for that which does not profit
them, and bring starvation upon the community. I wish the Bishops
to have an eye to this, and to devise employment, that the new
comers and strangers that may be among us may have a chance to
earn their bread. Let sufficient wheat be held in reserve by
those who have it, or are able to buy it, for this purpose, that
none may suffer.
256
Again I request of the Bishops to be certain that the members of
their Wards have their supply of breadstuffs in reserve to last
them until another harvest, and we will trust in God for the
coming year. Be not so unwise as to sell the bread that you and
your children need. Preserve enough to sustain your own lives,
and we are willing you should sell all the rest of it as you
please; and remember that you cannot buy any from me, unless you
pay a fair price for it. Last week a man wanted to buy some flour
of me and I partly consented to let him have some at six dollars
a hundred in gold dust; he thought he could buy it cheaper, and
went away. I was very willing not to sell it him, for when women
and children are suffering for bread, I do not want it said that
I sold flour. I shall feel much better, and I even say in truth,
that I have not sold flour when a prospect of scarcity could be
seen in the future. I am willing to pay flour to my workmen, and
am willing to hire more workmen, and I will sell them flour for
six dollars a hundred; but I am not willing to sell it to go out
of the country, and to strangers, if it is needed to sustain
those who make their homes with us.
256
I will conclude my remarks and pray God to bless his people
everywhere. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / John
Taylor, October 10, 1863
John Taylor, October 10, 1863
THE CONFIDENCE OF THE SAINTS IN THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.--THE CONDITION OF THE NATIONS.
Discourse by Elder John Taylor, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, October 10, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
257
One thing has been made very obvious to my mind during this
Conference and that is the assurance and confidence expressed by
every speaker, in God and his work, which nothing of an earthly
nature could impart; although simple to the believer, this may be
a mystery to those who do not comprehend the Gospel of Jesus. A
certain truth in Scripture has been fully exemplified in the
experience and teachings of those who have addressed us, namely:
"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater;
for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his
Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in
himself; he that believeth not, God hath made him a liar, because
he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son." This is as
true to-day as it was eighteen hundred years ago. Hence our young
men, who have embraced and have gone forth to preach the
principles of eternal truth contained in the Gospel, seek unto
the Lord their God for wisdom, guidance and instruction, as you
have heard them relate during this Conference; and the spirit of
revelation has rested upon them so that they not only understood
their own position and relationship to God and the holy
Priesthood as Elders in Israel, but they understood also, to a
certain degree, the position of the people of the world among
whom they travelled, the position of the Church and Kingdom of
God which they represented, their own relationship to it, and the
fulfillment of all the promises of God relating to his people.
This unbounded, fearless confidence is not created in men by what
are called natural causes, for the confidence which exists and is
common among men ebbs and flows, as prosperity or adversity
affects their varied interests.
258
Here are comparatively a few people in the valleys of Utah who
are talking of seeing a kingdom set up, not only in these
mountains but which shall rule over the whole earth, that like a
little stone hewn out of the mountains without hands, shall
become a great nation and fill the whole earth. They look for
this with an unwavering, unshaken confidence. They had confidence
in this when they were driven from Kirtland, in Ohio; when they
were driven from Jackson county, in Missouri; and from Nauvoo, in
Illinois and they had as much confidence in it when they were
struggling here for a very existence, and did not know where the
next mouthful of bread should come from. Their confidence did not
fail them when armies came up against them to destroy them, and
the power and influence of the United States were arrayed against
them. There is a certain unchanging, fixed principle in the
bosoms of the Elders of Israel that God is at the helm, and that
no power, no reverses, no influence that can be brought to bear
against the kingdom of God will withstand its onward progress,
but its course is onward until the kingdoms of this world shall
become the kingdom of our God and his Christ, and he shall reign
with universal empire, and the kingdoms, and the greatness of the
kingdoms under the whole heavens will be given to the Saints of
the Most High God. It is impossible to make the Saints swerve in
the least from this feeling. It is in them a principle of life,
vitality and revelation. The Hon Ben. McCullough, one of the
Peace Commissioners, on being told by President Young "that we
were in the hands of the Lord and he would take care of us,"
replied "that he believed in powder and ball more than in the
interference of God." President Young informed him "that there
was a God in Israel, who would take care of this His people," and
said, "we ask no odds of your power, your powder and ball, or
your armies." What has become of the men that composed that army?
The majority of them have gone to their own place, and those that
have not are on their way there.
258
How different it is among the nations; look at the position of
Poland and Russia, and then notice the critical state of the
political affairs of other nations--France, England, Austria,
Prussia, to say nothing of the smaller European nations, of Japan
and China, or of the United States, of Mexico and of the various
powers of North and South America. The whole world seems to be in
throes, and either actually at war or involved in complicated
difficulties that threaten their disruption or overthrow. What is
the matter? Politicians, rulers and statesmen, are afraid that
some calamity is going to overspread their respective nations;
and kings and emperors do not know how soon their thrones will be
toppled over, how soon their kingdoms will be shaken to their
very foundations, they do not know how soon they will be
denationalized--how soon universal terror, war, bloodshed and
devastation will spread their appalling consequences among them.
The light of the Spirit of God is withdrawn from them and they
cannot see their way. They are tremulous because of the present
political complications; they know not God, but "their hearts
fear because of those things that are coming on the earth."
Without revelation they can only look upon things upon natural
principles and dread the result. We know what will be the final
ultimatum of the work in which we are engaged, and also what will
be the fate of those who make war against it, and of the nations
who reject the Gospel when it is sent to them.
258
God is managing the affairs of all nations, and He has made known
his will and pleasure to his servants the Prophets; He has given
unto them the Everlasting Gospel, which they have received by the
principle of revelation, and can by that means draw aside the
curtain of futurity, and contemplate events as they are rolling
forth, and understand the designs of Jehovah in relation to them;
and these men have been sent forth to tell the people of all
nations the things that are coming on them.
259
The Elders of this Church, my brethren here all around me, have
been bearing testimony of these things for over thirty years; we
have visited the people in their houses, in their villages and
cities, have preached to them in their halls, and in their
streets and market places, and combatted their various notions
and traditions which were not of God, presenting unto them the
principles of eternal truth which God has imparted unto us by
revelation. We have also told them that their kingdoms would be
overthrown, and their nations would be destroyed, and that God
would speedily arise and shake terribly the earth. This has been
proclaimed to the people throughout the length and breadth of the
United States, Great Britain and her dependencies, to France,
Germany, Scandinavia and the Islands of the Sea; the world has
had to listen to it, and the nations have looked upon it as an
idle song. Now when these things which we have predicted are
beginning to come to pass among the nations their knees wax
feeble; they are troubled and dismayed because of the
complexities and difficulties which are everywhere closing in
around them.
259
Who would have thought a little while ago, that these United
States--one of the best Governments under the heavens if properly
administered--could have been reduced to their present critical
position; who would have thought a little while ago that all the
ingenuity, skill, talent, power and wealth that exist in the
North and South would be brought to bear against each other for
their mutual destruction? Yet it is so. We hear statement after
statement, testimony after testimony, of their sanguinary
contests; of rapine, murders, burnings, desolation, bloodshed,
starvation, weeping, mourning and lamentation, until the recital
has become sickening to hear, as the Prophet said, "It should
become a vexation to hear the report." All this is confirmatory
to us of that spirit of revelation which the Lord has planted in
our bosoms; and we now begin to understand why we feel as we do.
We are selected out from among the nations that the Lord may
place his name among us. He has called upon us and we have
listened to his voice and obeyed the testimony of his servants.
Jesus says: "But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd
of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his
voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them
out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before
them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice, and a
stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they
know not the voice of strangers."
260
Like some of old a few of us had been waiting to see the
salvation of Israel, and our eyes have seen the salvation of the
Lord. It is true we are but a handful compared with the great
mass of mankind, for we have ben gathered out from among the
nations, "One of a city and two of a family." A few of those who
have obeyed the voice of the servants of God have remained
faithful and many have not. "When the net is thrown into the sea
it gathers in of every kind," good and bad; and hence we find a
continual hewing and scoring, and admonition from the servants of
God, who are striving with all their might to lead the people in
the paths of righteousness, that they may learn to fear the Lord
always. When we are under the operation and influence of the
Spirit of God we feel good and happy and joyous, and desirous to
do right; but when that Spirit is withdrawn from us and we are
left to ourselves, then we are apt to waver, and quiver, and fear
lest all is not right, that is a few do this, but the great
majority of this people have the word of life abiding in them,
and it is daily growing in them, and spreading and increasing
like a well of water springing up to everlasting life, and their
souls are like a well-tuned harp, when they are touched by the
spirit of inspiration there is a kindred chord in their bosoms,
they vibrate to the touch, and they are filled with sacred
melody. And then there are some among us who do not care a great
deal about the things of God; like some of the ancient Israelites
they have learned the language of strangers, and have become
blinded by the God of this world, and go to the mines to worship
a golden calf, and sell themselves to the devil. We are told that
the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the
children of light. I think that is true, the children of light
act very foolishly in some things. Although we can seemingly
grasp eternity, and revel in divine things, yet it appears that
we cannot understand how to take care of some of the first and
plainest interests of life, rendering it necessary for the
President to place guardians over us in the persons of Bishops to
take care that we do not throw our bread away and have to starve
a great part of the year, to watch us lest we wantonly trample
under foot the common necessaries of life when we have them
around us, and destroy them the same as the beasts of the field
would. The Latter-day Saints ought to be able to take care of
themselves; men that are talking of possessing thrones,
principalities and powers, of becoming kings and priests unto God
ought to know how to take care of enough wheat to supply the
wants of themselves and their families.
260
While we are trying to sustain ourselves let us do right to
everybody else, and as you have been told, treat the stranger
with kindness and liberality, and let us not make fools of
ourselves, and rob ourselves and families, but let us take a
proper, wise and judicious course, for this kingdom will be built
up temporally as well as spiritually. We talk of becoming like
God. What does he do? He governs this and other worlds, regulates
all the systems and gives them their motions and revolutions; He
preserves them in their various orbits, and governs them by
unerring, unchangeable laws, as they traverse the immensity of
space. In our world he gives day and night, summer and winter,
seed-time and harvest; He adapts man, the beasts of the field,
the fowls of the air and the fishes of the sea, to their various
climates and elements. He takes care of and provides for, not
only the hundreds of millions of the human family, but the
myriads of beasts, fowls and fishes; He feeds and provides for
them day by day, giving them their breakfast, dinner and supper;
He takes care of the reptiles and other creeping things, and
feeds the myriads of animalcule, which crowd earth, air and
water. His hand is over all and His providence sustains all. "The
hairs of our head are numbered, and a sparrow cannot fall to the
ground without our heavenly Father's notice; He clothes the
lilies of the valleys and feeds the ravens when they cry."
260
"His wisdom's vast and knows no bound,
A deep where all our thoughts are drowned."
260
We would be like him! Be kings and priests unto God and rule with
him, and yet we are obliged to have guardians placed over us to
teach us how to take care of a bushel of wheat. We are far
behind, but we have time for improvement; and I think we shall
have to make some important changes for the better in our
proceedings, before we become like our Father who dwells in the
heavens.
260
There has been something said about men turning away from the
Church of Christ. If a man has not the witness in himself, he is
not governed by the principles of eternal truth, and the sooner
such people leave this Church the better.
261
There is one thing I pray for as much as anything else, perhaps I
do not do it understandingly, that is, that those who will not be
subject to the law of God and observe his commandments, but will
rebel against God and against his truth and Priesthood may be
removed from our midst and have no place with us. For such
persons can never build up the Kingdom of God, nor aid in
accomplishing his purposes upon the earth, and the sooner we are
rid of them the better; and it matters little what draws them
away. If we have drank of that water which the Savior spoke of to
the woman of Samaria; if we have laid hold of the rod of iron,
and continue to cling to it; if we adhere to the principles of
righteousness, and pray unto God and keep his commandments
continually, we shall have His Spirit at all times to discern
between good and evil, and we shall always know the voice of the
good shepherd, and cleave to the principles of righteousness.
261
May God help us to keep his commandments, in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 / Orson
Hyde, October 8, 1863
Orson Hyde, October 8, 1863
THE WISDOM OF GOD THROUGH HIS SERVANTS.--MISSIONARIES'
FAMILIES TO BE SUSTAINED.--HOW TO BE PROSPERED.
Remarks by Elder Orson Hyde, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 8, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
261
I have listened with peculiar interest to the remarks made by our
missionaries. Their remarks are truly cheering, and are a
faithful index to the feelings and spirit which have influenced
them during their absence from us.
261
I was more particularly struck with the remarks of some who said
that they hardly knew what doctrines to preach when they first
arrived at the fields of their labor, and others hardly knew that
baptism was necessary for the remission of sins. These young men
were untaught, untutored, yet the spirit of the Gospel dwelt in
them; it was born in them, and they have been reared under its
influence to a greater or less degree, yet apparently they knew
it not. How unlike the missionaries of other churches is this?
They must be educated classically and theologically, and then
they go forth to preach to a credulous world systematically a
mass of inconsistent and contradictory doctrines--which they call
the Gospel.
262
These missionaries of ours felt very much as I did on one
occasion when I first landed in Germany. I was dropped from the
coach on the side walk; I could not tell them where I wanted to
stop, for I did not know myself, and, thought I, I may as well
stop in one place as another. I could not tell anybody what I
wanted for I did not know what I wanted. I did not remain in that
situation long until I found a way to get to an hotel, where I
was soon forced, by the pressure of circumstances around me and
the cravings of my appetite, to make known my wants, designs and
purposes in the language of the people among whom I was cast. In
like manner our young men go out to preach the Gospel, and
although they have lived under the influence of the Spirit of the
Gospel all their days, yet they find themselves unable at first
to delineate only the principles and laws of salvation; but the
spirit that is in them soon bursts asunder the fetters that seem
to bind them, and they launch forth into a field of intelligence
hitherto unexplored by them, and are enabled, in a short time,
not only to be filled with a flood of light and truth, but to
attain unto a power of utterance that astonishes themselves and
their friends. God is in all this; He laid the foundation of this
Church and he dwells in the hearts of his servants, and He, by
the power of his spirit, originates and gives power to utter the
thoughts He wishes to communicate to mankind through His
servants. When we trust in Him every obstacle is removed from our
path.
262
When listening to these young brethren, my heart has burned
within me with gratitude and joy; I was reminded forcibly of the
days of my youth, when I went forth with others to proclaim the
same Gospel and was brought into many narrow and tight places.
The Lord will always open our way if we are faithful, and allow
us a field of operation that will be adequate to all our wants,
conditions and circumstances.
262
Those missionaries who go abroad to labor for the building up of
Zion leave their families behind them, and they were particularly
charged not to beg of the poor on their missions means to send
home to feed their families, and that whatever they might gain by
the voluntary contributions of the people among whom they might
labor, over and above that which would be necessary for their
immediate wants, should be dedicated to the immigration of the
poor--to bring home the sheaves they had been enabled to reap.
Their families are here and have not harvested in abundance of
the temporal comforts of the earth, but they have managed to live
along from hand to mouth. There were contributions and
subscriptions made last year to aid the families of our absent
missionaries, but how many of them have been faithfully and
frankly paid in and how many remain yet unpaid, I am not prepared
to say, but it has been suggested to me that there are still many
delinquents who did really feel liberal, but have not since found
a convenient time to honor that liberal feeling by paying in what
they have subscribed.
263
It is not too late yet, and the wants of the families of our
missionaries have not abated. If we subscribe and promise to pay
a certain amount to the Missionary Fund, we are under the
strongest obligations to pay that amount, as much so as if we had
contracted a debt with the merchants and had promised to pay it
at a certain time. When we put our names to a document to sustain
the servants of God and promise a certain amount to this end, I
consider that we are under a greater obligation than we would be
by any common business of life, because here is a promise made to
the servants of God and virtually to heaven that we will do so
and so to sustain heaven's cause. I would not thank anybody for a
loaf of bread after I am dead and gone; I want it while I am
living to sustain me and brace me up that I may have strength to
do good. Benefits and favors that are deferred amount to little
more than a vexation--they can hardly be said to be a blessing;
then do not turn your intended benefits into a vexation to vex
those whose hearts and whole time are employed in travelling
abroad to preach the Gospel, and to gather the poor Saints up to
Zion.
263
I will not confine my remarks to delinquents, but I will say the
door is open still, for we have men in the field in foreign
countries, who are pouring out their souls in testimony, and they
are engaged day and night in this Work, while their families are
dependent upon the bounties of the Latter-day Saints at home.
Every man and woman who is disposed to contribute with a heart
willing to build up the Kingdom of God, there will be an
opportunity for you to do so before this Conference shall come to
a close; and let us remember that inasmuch as we do it to one of
the least of God's people we do it unto our Father who is in
heaven. From the Scriptures it appears that the Lord is disposed
to receive any favor shown to His servants as though it had been
done to himself, and he will so acknowledge it in a future day
when the faithful ones would seem to have forgotten all about it,
for they will say, "When saw we Thee an hungered," etc., and He
will answer them, saying. "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the
least of these my servants ye did it unto me. ye have sustained
my cause yet it is your own cause, for all things are yours,"
etc.
263
Now some persons may begin to narrow up their feelings, and to
cherish in their hearts murmurings because God in his providence
and in his mercy and kindness, may begin to pour upon this man
and upon that man blessings by which he accumulates wealth, and
by which he is made comfortable and happy; they are envious and
jealous; now, if all things are ours, is there not a time when
some of God's people will begin to inherit some of them? Yes.
There must be a beginning to inherit all things. If we envy those
that are really beginning to participate a little in the
inheritance of all things, is not this a strong presumptive
evidence within ourselves that we are not heirs to all things,
neither are we willing that our brethren should be.
263
When a man of God is blessed from on high and shall begin to
gather around him means sufficient to place him beyond the reach
of immediate want, God hath done it--God hath blessed that
person--and every Saint will feel thankful to see his brethren so
prospered and blessed of the Lord, feeling encouraged that his
time will come sometime if he continues faithful. Instead of
being jealous of the prosperity of those whom the Lord delights
to bless and murmur in our hearts against our brethren and
against the Lord, let us learn to be contented with that which is
assigned to us, and wait patiently until the Lord shall in his
mercy and kindness bless us more abundantly. I do not know any
better way to hasten on our day of great blessings than to be
liberal in our feelings and labor with all our might to lift up
and encourage those who are bowed down, and to sustain the
Priesthood of God.
264
The Lord sees us all and knows what our feelings are--the very
thoughts and intents of our hearts are laid bare before Him, and
when He sees that we are prepared to endure great earthly
blessings, do you think that any trifling circumstance will cause
him to delay and wait and put us off and make us wait for his
blessings, the same as we make some of the missionaries wait,
until their families suffer before we hand out to them what we
have promised to give? God knows the time when to bless and the
individual to bless; and when the time comes for His blessings to
descend copiously upon this or that individual, they will come.
Do you want your day to come when you can be comfortable and have
about all you can desire, just hand out to this Missionary Fund
liberally, and consider that one evidence more that your time is
drawing nigh when you also shall be greatly blessed.
264
I will not occupy a great deal of time. I bear my testimony,
brethren and sisters, that this is the Kingdom of God, and I have
labored according to what little ability the Lord has given me to
sustain it and to regulate and keep in order, as far as my
wisdom, knowledge and understanding would allow me, the things
pertaining to this kingdom and to the Saints of God where I have
been called to labor. I love this Cause, I love my brethren and
fellow laborers in it; I love to speak upon the principles of the
Gospel--in short, I love everything that is connected with the
welfare of the Saints. Brethren and sisters you have my best
wishes, and my prayers by day and night are that God may shield
his chosen ones as the apple of his eye.
264
If there is any confidence to be placed in dreams, I do not know,
but I will tell one. [Voice in the stand: "Is there any fun in
it?"] There is a little fun in it. I thought I saw a mighty car
coming down from the mountains in the East, and it appeared as
big as this Tabernacle. I thought it was going to run over and
crush everything to pieces; it appeared to be coming in contact
with a house up there, and it appeared as though it would roll
right over it and grind it into powder, but it just happened to
miss it, and it came on towards the City, and by the time it
reached the City it had dwindled down to a common-sized wagon;
when I examined it more closely, I discovered that it was nothing
but a load of firewood coming into the City.
264
May God bless his people. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 10 /
Brigham Young, October 6, 1863
Brigham Young, October 6, 1863
OUR RELATIONSHIP AND DUTY TO GOD AND HIS KINGDOM.--THE TRUE
SOURCE OF THE
PROSPERITY AND WEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS AND NATIONS, AND HOW TO
OBTAIN THEM.--COUNSEL TO THE SAINTS.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1863.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
265
We have duties which will occupy all of our time while we live
upon the earth, if they are properly performed, and they consist
in duties which we owe to ourselves, to our fellow beings, and to
our God. We acknowledge that we owe duties to God, and we feel
that we are under certain obligations to him; indeed we owe our
very existence to him, for we are his offspring, and without him
we can do nothing; we cannot even make "one hair white or black"
without our Father. We cannot, independent of God, make a single
blade of grass to grow, nor produce one kernel of wheat or any
other grain; in short we cannot perform anything to profit
ourselves or our fellow creatures, without the Spirit of our
Father and God, and without his smile and blessing. "When He
giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? And when he hideth
his face, who then can behold him? Whether it be done against a
nation, or against a man only." We possess no ability only that
which is given us of God. He has endowed us with glorious
faculties, with Godlike attributes like those which are
incorporated in his own nature, and he has placed us upon this
earth to honor them, and to sanctify ourselves and the earth
preparatory to enjoying it in its celestial state. We are not, in
anything, independent of God. We inherit what we possess from
Him, and he inherits his faculties, attributes and powers from
his Father. Yet it is so ordained, in the fathomless wisdom of
God, that we should be agents to ourselves to choose the good or
the evil, and thereby save and exalt our existence, or lose it.
266
It appears to be very hard for us to learn the attributes and
powers which are incorporated in our own existence, and the
principles and powers which are in universal nature around us; we
seem slow of heart to believe, and are sluggish in our
understandings. The religion of God embraces every fact that
exists in all the wide arena of nature, while the religions of
men consist of theory devoid of fact, or of any true principle of
guidance; hence the professing Christian world are like a ship
upon a boisterous ocean without rudder, compass, or pilot, and
are tossed hither and thither by every wind of doctrine. Those
who have embraced the doctrine of salvation have the witness
within themselves of its truth. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath
revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God." But we often find persons
among us who have borne testimony of the truth of their religion
by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, who again fall backwards
into darkness by beginning to express doubts whether their
religion be true or false; they begin to exchange the substance
for the shadow--the reality for a phantom. "Are ye so foolish?
having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the
flesh?"
266
We understand but a very few of the simplest and most
self-evident truths and principles which govern and sustain us in
existence as human beings, and all the rest which we have to
learn is as great a mystery to us as the most intricate and
delicate piece of mechanism is to the infant child. We need
constant instruction, and our great heavenly Teacher requires of
us to be diligent pupils in His school, that we may in time reach
His glorified presence. If we will not lay to heart the rules of
education which our Teacher gives us to study, and continue to
advance from one branch of learning to another, we never can be
scholars of the first class and become endowed with the science,
power, excellency, brightness and glory of the heavenly hosts;
and unless we are educated as they are, we cannot associate with
them.
266
Brethren and sisters, are we preparing for the highest seat of
knowledge and literature known to men on earth, and then to go on
in advance of them by the means of that Spirit bestowed upon us
in the ordinances of our holy religion, which reveals all things,
and thus become ourselves teachers and expounders of the
mysteries of the kingdom of God on earth and in heaven? Would not
this be much better than to remain fixed with a very limited
amount of knowledge, and, like a door upon its hinges, move to
and fro from one year to another without any visible advancement
or improvement, lusting after the grovelling things of this life
which perish with the handling? Let each one of us bring these
matters home to ourselves.
266
It was said this morning that if we will do our duty God will
make us rich. How? By opening gold mines? No. If he makes us
rich, he will make us rich in the same way that he became rich,
by faithful labor, ceaseless perseverance and constant exertion
and industry. He labored faithfully for all he possesses, and he
is willing that we should inherit all things with him, if we will
pursue the same course to obtain them that he pursued.
266
Our lexicographers define riches to be opulence, the possession
of landed estates, of gold and silver, etc., and the man that
possesses the most of this kind of wealth is rich in comparison
with his neighbor. The riches of a kingdom or nation does not
consist so much in the fulness of its treasury as in the
fertility of its soil and the industry of its people. The common
definition may be termed the riches of this world, but are they
the true riches? I say they are not, and you will probably agree
with me in this. I need not advance reasons to show you the
worthlessness of such kinds of riches in the absence of the
common necessaries and comforts of life--of those substances
which satisfy the cravings of nature and prolong our existence
here. Unless earthly riches are held for God and used to advance
righteousness, they are held only by a slender tenure.
267
Brother John Taylor in his remarks referred to Nebuchadnezzar. It
is said of him, "And the king spake, and said, is not this great
Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the
might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? While the
word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven,
saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; the kingdom
is departed from thee." "The same hour was the thing fulfilled
upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and did eat
grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till
his hairs were grown like eagle's feathers, and his nails like
bird's claws." And there the great king of Babylon remained until
he learned that, "all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as
nothing, and He doeth according to His will in the army of
heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay
his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou?" This great king
became satisfied that he could not possess power, wealth, majesty
and earthly glory only as the King of kings gave it to him.
267
When God bestows upon us power to command the elements--to speak,
and the soil is formed and filled with fertility--to speak, and
the rain descends upon it to moisten and germinate the seed that
we have planted and to nourish it until it ripens its golden
fruit, then shall we possess true riches, and not until then.
When we possess this power by the irrevocable decree of heaven,
we possess wealth that cannot take the wings of the morning and
leaven us poor indeed. Can we live to learn some of these things?
267
We have in our mortal state the trial of our faith, and we are