Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11
Journal of Discourses,
Volume 11
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Albert Smith, November 15, 1864
George Albert Smith, November 15, 1864
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
Delivered by Elder George A. Smith, in the Tabernacle, Ogden
City,
on Tuesday, November 15, 1864.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
1
When the Lord appeared to Joseph Smith and manifested unto him a
knowledge pertaining to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon
and the work of the last days, Satan came also with his power and
tempted Joseph. It is written in the book of Job, "Now there was
a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the
Lord, and Satan came also among them." In the very commencement
of this Work, the Prophet Joseph Smith was called upon to contend
face to face with the powers of darkness by spiritual
manifestations, and open visions, as well as with men in the
flesh, stirred up by the same spirit of the adversary to edge up
his way and destroy him from the earth, and annihilate the work
which he was about to commence. He thus describes the incident:
2
"In the spring of 1820, after I had retired into the place where
I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and
finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the
desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when
immediately I was seized upon by some power, which entirely
overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to
bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered
around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to
sudden destruction. But--exerting all my powers to call upon God
to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized
upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into
despair and abandon myself to destruction, not to an imaginary
ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen
world, who had such a marvellous power as I had never before felt
in any being--just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar
of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun,
which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner
appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held
me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages,
whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above
me in air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and
said, pointing to the other--'This is my beloved son, hear him.'"
2
It was also peculiar in the history of the age, that just at the
time that God was revealing unto his servant Joseph to raise up
men to bear testimony of the principles of the Gospel in its
fulness and simplicity, Satan was at work stirring up the hearts
of the children of men to a species of religious excitement.
There were in many parts of the country strange manifestations,
great camp and other protracted meetings were assembled together
to worship under the various orders denominated Methodists,
Campbelites, Presbyterians, Baptists, Unitarians, etc., among
whom were manifested the development of a spirit which deprived
men of their strength; they would faint away, or, they would
manifest a variety of contortions of countenance. There was
introduced into the Western States a phenomenon called the jerks;
persons under the influence of religious fanaticism would jerk
seemingly enough to tear them to pieces.
2
When the Church was organized, persons came into it bringing
along some of these enthusiastic notions, individuals who
professed to have revelations on every subject, and who were
ready to banish every moral principle under the guidance of false
spirits. Joseph the Prophet had also to learn by experience, and
to teach the Elders and the early members of the Church, how they
should judge of the manifestation of spirits. (Book of Doctrine
and Covenants, Sec. 17, Par. 7.)
2
"Wherefore it shall come to pass, that if you behold a
spirit manifested that you cannot understand, and you
receive not that spirit, ye shall ask of the Father in
the name of Jesus, and if he give not unto you that
spirit, that you may know that it is not of God: and it
shall be given unto you power over that spirit, and you
shall proclaim against that spirit with a loud voice,
that it is not of God; not with railing accusation,
that ye be not overcome; neither with boasting, nor
rejoicing, lest you be seized therewith," and refers to
Hiram Page who began to get revelations through the
medium of a black stone, certain characters appearing
on that stone which he wrote down.
2
Notes concerning false revelations,
apostacies.
3
Joseph Smith in his history wrote thus:
"To our great grief, however, we soon found that
Satan had been lying in wait to deceive, and seeking
whom he might devour. Brother Hyrum Page had got in his
possession a certain stone, by which he had obtained
revelations concerning the upbuilding of Zion, the
order of the Church, &c., &c., all of which were
entirely at variance with the order of God's house, as
laid down in the New Testament, as well as our late
revelations. As a Conference had been appointed for the
first day of September, I thought it wisdom not to do
much more than to converse with the brethren on the
subject, until the Conference should meet. Finding,
however, that many, especially the Whitmer family and
Oliver Cowdery, were believing much in the things set
forth by this stone, we thought best to inquire of the
Lord concerning so important a matter; and before
Conference convened, we received the revelation to
Oliver Cowdery given at Fayette, New York, September,
1830, in the paragraph of which the Lord says: "And
again, thou shalt take thy brother, Hyrum Page, between
him and thee alone, and tell him that those things
which he hath written from that stone are not of me,
and that Satan Deceived him; for, behold, these things
have not been appointed unto him, neither shall
anything be appointed unto any of this Church contrary
to the Church covenants, for all things must be done in
order, and by common consent in the Church, by the
prayer of faith."
3
Joseph's history continues:
3
"At length our Conference assembled. The subject of the
stone previously mentioned, was discussed, and after
considerable investigation, brother Page, as well as
the whole Church who were present, renounced the said
stone, and all things connected therewith, much to our
mutual satisfaction and happiness."
3
Some of the Elders journeyed to the westward from the state of
New York, and built up Branches in the State of Ohio. Elders
Oliver Cowdery and P. P. Pratt visited Sidney Rigdon who resided
in Mentor, Geauga county, and was famous in that country as a
reformed Baptist minister, more familiarly known as Campbelites.
He had preached the doctrine of baptism for the remission of
sins, the regular Baptist church having a different view of the
subject, for they considered "baptism as an outward sign of an
inward grace," and that in order to be a candidate for baptism he
must have received a change of heart, changed from a heart of
stone to one of flesh; he was required to go into the
congregation and formally renounce the world, the flesh and the
devil, having given evidence that he was a new creature and was
prepared for baptism. But the Reformed Baptists held the doctrine
which I believe was first preached in Ohio, by Sidney Rigdon,
that a man must reform, that repentance was simply a reformation,
and the moment that repentance was resolved upon, the candidate
was ready for baptism; and so far their notion appeared to be an
improvement upon the general idea entertained, and consonant with
the Bible view of it, as it was laid down by the Savior and his
Apostles. But here they stopped, and did not administer the
laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and what was
further, they contended there was no need of it, that it was all
done away, and that the written word was all the spirit there
was.
3
When the Elders waited on Sidney Rigdon and presented to him the
Book of Mormon, teaching him the principle of laying on of hands
for the reception of the Holy Ghost, he received it, as did
several hundred members of his church, and members of other
churches in that vicinity, who were baptized in a few weeks. In a
few days Elders Oliver Cowdery, P. P. Pratt and Ziba Patterson,
passed on westward, as their mission directed them to the western
boundaries of the State of Missouri. Sidney Rigdon took a journey
to the east, as did Edward Partridge for the purpose of visiting
the Prophet, and these strange spirits of which we have already
spoken, began to manifest themselves in the churches and Branches
which had been built up.
4
There was at this time in Kirtland, a society that had undertaken
to have a community of property; it has sometimes been
denominated the Morley family, as there was a number of them
located on a farm owned by Captain Isaac Morley. These persons
had been baptized, but had not yet been instructed in relation to
their duties. A false spirit entered into them, developing their
singular, extravagant and wild ideas. They had a meeting at the
farm, and among them was a negro known generally as Black Pete,
who became a revelator. Others also manifested wonderful
developments; they could see angels, and letters would come down
from heaven, they said, and they would be put through wonderful
unnatural distortions. Finally on one occasion, Black Pete got
sight of one of those revelations carried by a black angel, he
started after it, and ran off a steep wash bank twenty-five feet
high, passed through a tree top into the Chagrin river beneath.
He came out with a few scratches, and his ardor somewhat cooled.
4
Joseph Smith came to Kirtland, and taught that people in relation
to their error. He showed them that the Spirit of God did not
bind men nor make them insane, and that the power of the
adversary which had been manifested in many instances was visible
even from that cause, for persons under its influence became
helpless, and were bound hand and foot as in chains, being as
immovable as a stick of timber. When Joseph came to instruct
these Saints in relation to the true Spirit, and the manner of
determining the one from the other, in a short time a number of
those who had been influenced by those foul manifestations,
apostatized. Among the number was Wycom Clark; he got a
revelation that he was to be the prophet--that he was the true
revelator; and himself, Northrop Sweet and four other individuals
retired from the Church, and organized the "Pure Church of
Christ," as they called it, composed of six members, and
commenced having meetings, and preaching, but that was the extent
of the growth of his early schism. John Noah, another of this
class, assumed to be a prophet, and in consequence thereof was
expelled from the church.
4
Among the early baptisms in Northern Ohio, was a Methodist
minister by the name of Ezra Booth. He was present when the
Elders first received the ordination of the High Priesthood. They
met together in June, 1831, in a log school house in Kirtland, a
room about eighteen feet by twenty. While they were there, the
manifestation of the power of God being on Joseph, he set apart
some of the Elders to the High Priesthood. Ezra Booth was bound,
and his countenance was distorted, and numbers of the brethren
looked at him, and thought it was a wonderful manifestation of
the power of God, but to their astonishment, Joseph came forward
and rebuked the foul spirit, and commanded it to depart, in
consequence of which Booth was relieved, and many of the brethren
were greatly tried at such a singular treatment by the prophet of
these wonderful manifestations of power.
4
Other had visions. Lyman Wight bore testimony that he saw the
face of the Savior.
6
The Priesthood was conferred on a number of Elders, and thirty
were selected to take a mission to the western boundaries of
Missouri, and travel and preach two and two by the way,
travelling without purse or scrip. They did so, building up
churches. Joseph was required to travel by water, or at a more
rapid rate to reach there, to meet the brethren and hold a
Conference in the land of Zion. It was only a short time after
the return from this mission, that Ezra Booth apostatized as did
Jacob Scott, Symons Rider, Eli Johnson and a number of others.
The spirit of apostacy was little known, but when these men
apostatized they became more violent, more cruel, and manifested
a greater spirit of persecution than any other enemies. What
seemed singular, Ezra Booth had been brought into the Church
through the manifestation of a miracle. The wife of father John
Johnson had been afflicted with the rheumatism, so as to be
unable to raise her arm and hand for two years. Her husband had
believed the work, and she also was believing. She went to Joseph
Smith the Prophet to have him administer to her, Booth
accompanied them, for he was well acquainted with the family, and
the condition of Mrs. Johnson. When the Elders laid their hands
upon her, she was instantly healed, so that she could use her arm
and hand as well as ever she could previously. Booth knew this to
be an instantaneous cure, and soon after witnessing this miracle,
he was baptized, and ordained an Elder. He having formerly been a
Methodist minister, commenced preaching the Gospel without purse
or scrip, and he did so until he found, (using a common
expression,) it did not pay. Under these circumstances he
apostatized. While he was in apostacy he searched his cranium for
some means to justify himself and published a series of lying
letters in the Ohio Star, a paper printed in Revenna. These nine
letters had been republished several times as evidence against
"Mormonism;" and his apostacy culminated in collecting a mob who
tarred and feathered Joseph Smith, and inflicted upon his family
the loss of one of its number at Hyrum, Portage county, Ohio.
Joseph Smith was occupying the room of a house brother Johnson
was living in, at the same time; it was a two story building, had
steps in front. The mob surrounded the house, the twins being
afflicted with measles, Joseph was lying upon a trundle bed with
one of them. The mob rushed in, gathered up Joseph while in his
bed, took him out in his night clothes, and carried him out on to
the top of the steps. Joseph got a foot at liberty and kicked one
of the men, and knocked him down off the steps, and the print of
his head and shoulders were visible on the ground in the morning.
Warren Waste, who was the strongest man in the western reserve
considered himself perfectly able to handle Joseph alone, but
when they got hold of him Waste cried out, "do not let him touch
the ground, or he will run over the whole of us." Waste suggested
in carrying him to cross his legs, for they said that would make
it easier for the Prophet, but that was done in consequence of
the severe pain it would give to the small of the back. He was
daubed with tar, feathered and choked, and aqua fortis poured
into his mouth. Dr. Dennison had been employed to perform a
surgical operation, but he declined when the time came to
operate. The liquid they poured into his mouth was so powerful,
that it killed the grass where some of it had been scattered on
the ground. Joseph is reported by the mob to have said, be
merciful, when they told him to call upon his God for mercy. They
immediately, as he began to pray, heard an alarm which made them
think they were about to be surprised, and left suddenly. Sidney
Rigdon, who resided near by, had been dragged by the heels out of
his bed at the same time, and his body stripped and a coat of tar
and feathers applied. The next morning he was crazy, his head
greatly inflamed and lacerated. Joseph found his way in from the
light of the house, the mob having abandoned him. While he was
engaged in getting off the tar by the application of grease, soap
and other materials, Philemon Duzette, the father of our
celebrated drummer, came there, and seeing the Prophet in this
condition, took it as an evidence of the truth of "Mormonism,"
and was baptized. These circumstances exposed the life of the
child, the measles struck in and caused its death, and the whole
of this persecution was got up through the influence of those
apostates; and it made it necessary to keep up a constant watch
lest some violence should be repeated. Luke Johnson informed us
that Warren Waste was afterwards a cripple, rendered so by
weakness in the small of the back, and Dr. Dennison died in the
Ohio Penitentiary where he was incarcerated for procuring an
abortion, which caused death; Joseph soon after located in
Kirtland. In Kirtland there were manifestations of evil spirits
in high places, which might have been considered more dangerous
than the manifestations in the early establishment of the Church.
Sidney Rigdon, on one occasion got up to preach, and commenced by
saying that the Church and kingdom was rent from them and given
to another people. Joseph was absent, when he came home he found
Sidney almost like a mad man. He labored with him and with the
Church, and finally succeeded in convincing him that he was under
the influence of a false spirit. A man from the State of New York
by the name of Hawley, stated that while he was working in his
field, barefoot, the word of the Lord came to him, saying that he
should start on the instant, and not stop to put on his shoes. He
came six hundred miles to Kirtland, and went to Joseph with the
message that he had suffered John Noah, a prophet of God, to be
cut off from the Church, and that consequently he had lost his
office; and he had also suffered the women to wear caps, and the
men he allowed to wear cushions on their shoulders, and for these
heinous sins he was cut off, and this man had come six hundred
miles barefooted to bear the terrible message. You might suppose
such an adventurer coming among us would be regarded as a madman
by all, but at that time several men were ready to listen to him;
a Bishop's Council was assembled and an investigation had. During
the investigation, the subject of women wearing caps and veils
and having their heads covered was canvassed, and the Bible
ransacked by Oliver Cowdery and others. When the man was expelled
from the Church for giving way to the power of false spirits, he
rose up in a most solemn manner, and proclaimed to the Council
that they had chosen darkness instead of light. This man went
through the streets of Kirtland in the night crying in a most
doleful voice, woe, woe to this people. I understand that brother
Brigham, hearing this nonsense and noise in the street, jumped up
out of his bed in the night, took with him a cow hide whip into
the street, and told that noise person if he did not stop his
noise he would certainly cowhide him, which caused him to cease
to annoy the inhabitants with his folly.
7
Another prophet arose by the name of Hoton, he had his head
quarters at the forge in Kirtland. He was the president, and a
man named Montague was appointed Bishop. They resolved to live
precisely in accordance with the principles, as they understood
them, spoken of soon after the day of Pentecost, for they had all
things common. Their number increased to ten, and they called
themselves "the independent Church." Persons who had apostatized
from the Latter-day Saints could be admitted into their party
upon the terms of entering the room, shaking hands with every
member and consecrating their property. This church lasted some
two or three months, when a difficulty occurred between the
President and the Bishop. The Bishop accused the President of
being too familiar with his meat barrel; the President, in turn,
accused the Bishop of being too intimate with his sheets. The
result was, a split took place between the two chief authorities,
and the organization ceased to exist.
7
There was a prevalent spirit all through the early history of
this Church, which prompted the Elders to suppose that they knew
more than the Prophet. Elders would tell you that the prophet was
going wrong, men who thought they knew all about this work thirty
or forty years some of them before the Lord revealed it, tried
"to steady the ark." The Church was constantly afflicted with
such a class of men.
7
I remember well in Zion's Camp, Levi W. Hancock made a fife, from
a joint of sweet elder, Sylvester Smith marched his company to
the music of that fife. That fife may be considered almost the
introduction of martial music among the "mormons." A dog came out
and barked, when Sylvester Smith was going to kill the dog.
Joseph said he was a good watch dog, Sylvester became wrathy and
threatened; finally Joseph reproved him sharply, showing him that
such a spirit would not conquer or control the human family, that
he must get rid of it, and predicted that if he did not get rid
of it, the day would come when a dog would gnaw his flesh, and he
not have the power to resist it. Some months after the return to
Kirtland, Sylvester Smith preferred a charge against Joseph the
Prophet, for having prophecied lies in the name of the Lord, and
undertook to substantiate that charge on the ground that the
Prophet had said a dog should bite him, if he did not get rid of
that spirit, when he had not power to resist. They were three
days and parts of nights, with the High Council in Kirtland, in
investigating this charge; one person spoke three hours in behalf
of the Prophet. Sylvester published a confession which can be
seen in the Church History, acknowledging his fault.
7
The Church in Kirtland were few in number compared with the
inhabitants of the city of Ogden. We had High Council upon High
Council, Bishop's trial upon Bishop's trial; and labor and toil
constantly to settle difficulties and get our minds instructed in
principle and doctrine, and in the power that we had to contend
with. I remember very well the organization of the High Council
at Kirtland as a permanent institution, there had been several
Councils of twelve High Priests called for special cases, but
they organized it permanently on 17th Fe. 1834. On the 19th, the
first case that was brought up was that of Elder Curtis Hodge,
sen., who while speaking in meeting had gone into a Methodist
spasm, shouting and screaming in such a manner as caused one of
the Elders to rebuke him. Brother Hodge was brought before the
Council for so doing. A great deal of instruction was imparted to
the people, who were assembled in a room sixteen feet by
eighteen. The decision was, that the charges in the declaration
had been fairly sustained by good witnesses, that Elder Hodge
ought to have confessed when rebuked by Elder Ezra Thayer; also
if he had the spirit of the Lord at the meetings where he
hallowed, he must have abused it and grieved it away, and all the
Council agreed with the decision. The report of this case is in
Millennial Star, Vol. 15, page 18, and well worthy of perusal.
8
In relation to the manifestation of the spirit and a man
exercising it, he may be guilty of error of manner as well as
error in matter, and these principles in this way were gradually
introduced into the minds of the brethren, the Elders being
instructed all the while now and then, when falling out by the
way-side. The first Council I ever attended where the Prophet was
present was at the trial of Doctor P. Hurlburt. This occurred in
June, 1833. He had been cut off from the Church by the Bishop's
Council, and a Council of Twelve High Priests, was organized to
try the case on appeal. Hurlburt did not deny the charge, but
begged to be forgiven, made every promise that a man could make
that he would from that day live a virtuous life. Finally the
Council accepted of his confession, and agreed that he might on
public confession be restored to the Church again.
8
It was at the same Council that Daniel Copley, a timid young man,
who had been ordained a Priest, and required to go and preach the
Gospel, was called to an account for not going on his mission.
The young man said he was too weak to attempt to preach, and the
Council cut him off the Church. I wonder what our missionaries
now would think of so rigid a discipline as was given at that
time thirty one years ago, under the immediate supervision of the
Prophet.
9
As soon as this Council had made this decision upon Hurlburt,
Joseph arose, and said to the Council, he is not honest, and what
he has promised he will not fulfil; what he has confessed are not
the thoughts and intents of his heart, and time will prove it.
Hurlburt stated to the Branch in Thompson, Ohio, that he had
deceived Joseph Smith's God or the spirit by which he is
actuated, I have proved that Council has no wisdom, I told them I
was sorry I confessed and they believed it to be an honest
confession, I deceived the whole of them and made them restore me
to the Church. Hurlburt was the author of that work known by the
name of "Mormonism Unveiled." Booth's letters were reprinted by
Hurlburt, who is the author of "The Spaulding Story," a book
which he intended to publish; and in delivering lectures he had
said he would wash his hands in Joseph Smith's blood. He was
taken before the court and required to give bonds to keep the
peace towards all men, and especially towards Joseph Smith. These
circumstances had some influence, and his fiends arranged that he
should not publish the book, but put it into the hands of E. D.
Howe, who resided in Painsville, Ohio. He agreed that he would
give Hurlburt four hundred copies of the first printed and bound,
for the manuscript. Hurlburt went round and got subscribers, to
pay him when the book should be delivered, one dollar each for
the four hundred. Howe got the books printed and refused to
furnish Hurlburt with his share, until by a piece of legerdemain
he got hold of his subscription list and got the four hundred
dollars, and then he let him have the books. When Hurlburt went
to supply his subscribers he found they had already been served.
The Spaulding story in that country was considered so ridiculous,
that the books could with difficulty be sold at any price; but it
has now found its way into the scientific journals of the great
world as a true history of the origin of the Book of Mormon, when
it is very well known that no statement on this earth could be
more incorrect or more untrue. Let "Mormonism" be true or false,
the Spaulding story from beginning to end is an unmitigated
falsehood. Solomon Spaulding was a Presbyterian minister; he
entered into the iron trade in Conneaut, Ohio, but failing in
business he took a notion to write a novel; he wrote a book
called the Manuscript Found, he took his work to Pittsburg, to a
man by the name of Patterson to get it printed, but he failed and
never printed it. It was pretended that it fell into the hands of
Sidney Rigdon, and that he converted it into the Book of Mormon,
and induced Joseph Smith to publish it; whereas it is very well
known that there had no connection ever existed between these
parties. In the first place, Spaulding never wrote any such work;
in the next place, Spaulding never had anything to do with
Patterson, and Sidney Rigdon and him were perfect strangers to
each other. The first knowledge that Sidney Rigdon had of Joseph
Smith was when Parley P. Pratt met him in Ohio, and presented him
a printed copy of the Book of Mormon; yet all this has found its
way into scientific literature, and you will find it even in the
North British Review. Hurlburt's failure to destroy "Mormonism"
was so complete, understanding that he was backed by influential
men in Mentor and vicinity, that it ended in their disgrace and
discomfiture, and this was so complete, that the story in that
country was hardly ever spoken of afterwards. Yet the Spaulding
story lives among those who make lies their refuge, and under
falsehood hide themselves.
10
The word of the Lord given in September 1831--see Book of
Covenants, Sec. 21, Par. 4--to make Kirtland a strong hold for
the space of five years, gave rise to a new development in the
feelings and sentiments of the Saints. The Prophet said, purchase
lands in the vicinity of Kirtland; men were induced to buy farms,
and to go to work and build houses, to quarry rock, and haul them
on the ground, to build a Temple. We were not then supplied with
reporters and clerks as we are now, and many of the books that
were kept have been wrested from the hands of the Church by
apostates. The foundation of the Kirtland Temple was laid in
1833, and there is scarcely a scrap of history relating to it to
be found, not even the names of the twenty-four Elders in their
order who laid the foundation of it. When the Temple was
completed there was a great manifestation of power. The brethren
gathered together to its dedication. We considered it a very
large building. Some nine hundred and sixty could be seated, and
there would be room for a few to stand, the congregation was
swelled to a little over a thousand persons at the time of the
dedication. It was a trial of faith. The Elders from every part
of the country had come together. The finishing of the Temple had
involved a debt of many thousands, and we all came together to
the dedication. The congregation was so large that we could not
all get in; and when the house was full, then, of course, the
doors were closed, and no more admitted. This caused Elder
Frazier Eaton, who had paid seven hundred dollars towards
building the house, to apostatize, because he did not get there
early enough to the meeting. When the dedication prayer was read
by Joseph, it was read from a printed copy. This was a great
trial of faith to many. "How can it be that the prophet should
read a prayer?" What an awful trial it was, for the Prophet to
read a prayer! The service of the dedication being over, it was
repeated again on the next day, to accommodate those who had not
been able to get in on the first day, and all those who had been
there on the first day, excepting the authorities, being required
to remain outside, till those who could not get in the day before
were seated; the result of this arrangement was two days
dedication.
10
The question has often arisen among us, why it is that we do not
see more angels, have more visions, that we do not see greater
and more manifestations of power. Any of the brethren that were
there could have herd testimonies of manifestations in abundance.
10
On the first day of the dedication, President Frederick G.
Williams, one of the Council of the Prophet, and who occupied the
upper pulpit, bore testimony that the Savior, dressed in his
vesture without seam, came into the stand and accepted of the
dedication of the house, that he saw him, and gave a description
of his clothing and all things pertaining to it. That evening
there was a collection of Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons,
etc., amounting to four hundred and sixteen, gathered in the
house; there were great manifestations of power, such as speaking
in tongues, seeing visions, administration of angels. Many
individuals bore testimony that they saw angels, and David
Whitmer bore testimony that he saw three angels passing up the
south aisle, and there came a shock on the house like the sound
of a mighty rushing wind, and almost every man in the house
arose, and hundreds of them were speaking in tongues, prophecying
or declaring visions, almost with one voice.
10
The question arises, where are those men? a number of them who
manifested the greatest gifts, and had the greatest
manifestations have fallen out by the way side, you look around
among us and they are not here. Many who received the knowledge
of the things of God by the power of his spirit, and sought not
after signs and wonders, and when the spirit rested upon them
seemed to produce no visible demonstration, you look around among
the Saints in the valleys of the mountains, and you find they are
here with us bearing on high the standard of Zion, or have
descended into honorable graves. But where you find men who have
turned away, and have got terribly afflicted with self conceit,
you will find those, who, on that occasion and similar occasions,
received great and powerful manifestations, and when the spirit
came on them it seemed to distort the countenance, and caused
them to make tremendous efforts in some instances. Sylvester
Smith bore testimony of seeing the hosts of heaven and the
horsemen. In his exertion and excitement it seemed as though he
would jump through the ceiling.
10
Brother Cannon in speaking on the subject this morning referred
to the old adage, soon ripe, soon rotten. God has laid the
foundation of his kingdom never to be destroyed, and it appears
wisdom in him to develop gradually power and glory and strength.
I have always heard it suggested that as the spirit of
"Mormonism" gathered together the seed of Abraham--mostly the
sons of Abraham that are mixed among the nations; that the Holy
Spirit falling upon men, who are not of the pure blood, who had
the predominance of other blood in their veins, that the
manifestation is greater, and when great manifestations fall on
men, great trials immediately follow.
11
I have been conversant with early Elders, and I am satisfied that
a large number of them fell from their positions in the kingdom
of God because they yielded to the spirit of adultery; this was
the cause of their destruction. There was an Elder named John
Smith who lived in Indiana, who was quite popular in that part of
the country as a preacher. He apostatized, but he did not know
it. In talking about his faith and how firm it was, he said, I
have proven the revelation given to Joseph Smith untrue, which
says if a man shall commit adultery he shall lose the spirit of
God, and deny the faith. I have proven that not to be true, for I
have violated that commandment and have not denied the faith. He
was so blind that he could not see through the darkness that the
spirit of adultery had placed upon his head, the great apostacy
which seemed to shake the Church, and tried men's souls.
12
Some time after the finishing of the Temple, the brethren under
the direction of the Prophet had established a bank in Kirtland,
the paper to be redeemed by specie, and secured by real estate.
The directors of that bank were members of the Church, and they
were determined to sustain the credit of that money. The question
has some times been asked, how much has that bank failed for; it
did not fail for a single dollar, and yet when it failed there
was perhaps a hundred thousand dollars of the bank paper out in
circulation. Warren Parrish was the teller of the bank, and a
number of other men who apostatized were officers. They took out
of its vault, unknown to the President or cashier, a hundred
thousand dollars, and sent their agents around among the brethren
to purchase their farms, wagons, cattle, horses and every thing
they could get hold of. The brethren would gather up this money
and put it into the bank, and those traitors would steal it and
send it out to buy again, and they continued to do so until the
plot was discovered and payment stopped. It was the cursed
apostates--their stealing and robberies, and their infernal
villainies that prevented that bank being conducted as the
Prophet designed. If they had followed the counsel of Joseph,
there is not a doubt but that it would have been the leading bank
in Ohio, probably of the nation. It was founded upon safe
principles, and would have been a safe and lasting institution.
Parrish and his coadjutors professed to have discovered that
Joseph was not a Prophet, and commenced making a noise about it,
and went so far as to organize about thirty of the Elders, into a
new church called the Parrish party, many of them had been a long
time in the church. That may be considered the time that tried
men's souls; for a man that would stand up in the streets and say
he was Joseph's friend, could not get a greater compliment than
being called a lick skillet. Joseph had few friends; but among
the leading Elders of the Church, in Kirtland the High Council,
one of the members of the first Presidency, some of the seven
Presidents of the seventies, and a great many others were so
darkened that they went astray in every direction. They boasted
of the talent at their command, and what they would do. Their
plan was to take the doctrines of the Church, such as repentance,
baptism for the remission of sins, throw aside the Book of
Mormon, the Prophet and Priesthood, and go and unite the whole
Christian world under these doctrines. Where are they to-day?
Like a rope of sand that has vanished to the four winds of
heaven. Many of them have already in dust and ashes lamented
their fate, they have never been able to prosper in any business,
or take a leading part in any capacity. This is the result of
that apostacy; and yet it was so great that Joseph himself and
his friends had to flee from Kirtland. There was a council there
when President Young, Brother Brigham as we called him, spoke in
favor of Joseph, and Jacob Bump who had been a long time a
Pugilist before he came into the Church, said "how on earth can I
keep my hands off this man," Brigham said, lay them on if it will
do you any good. The voice seemingly of an individual, was
absolutely necessary to say that Joseph had a single friend. You
look at times of danger, moral and physical, and you will find
that the spirit of determination and strong will in the breast of
a single man may save a most terrible panic and disaster. By
management it was proved that Joseph had friends, and when he had
gone to the state of Missouri, having fled from Kirtland, he was
met with coldness by men who were in authority there. All this
was the result of apostacy. The public funds were held in their
own name, and another battle had there to be fought, not perhaps
as severe, but at the same time there was a constant pressure
seemed to be necessary to give strength to the growing kingdom;
yet the revelations were that the kingdom should continue to
prevail. The very fact of the promise of its continuing to
prevail, signifies that it should have something more or less
severe to prevail against. God has been with this people and has
guided them, and dictated them, and is continuing to do so up to
the present moment, and will continue so to do until the kingdoms
of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ. May
we be prepared to fulfil our share in this great work, is my
prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, December 11, 1864
Brigham Young, December 11, 1864
KNOWLEDGE IN THIS LIFE LIMITED.--THE LORD WILL WASTE AWAY THE
WICKED.--PEOPLE DO NOT LIVE TO OBTAIN WHAT THEY MOST
DESIRE.--JOSEPH
DESIRED TO GO TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.--MORE FOR US THAN AGAINST
US.--WILL GO TO JACKSON COUNTY FROM THE WEST.--EXHORTATIONS
TO MERCHANTS, SPECULATORS, &c.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great
Salt Lake City, Sunday, December 11, 1864.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
12
We are so organized that we can learn but little at a time, and
the little we do learn should be that kind of knowledge which
will bring to us as individuals and as a community, temporal and
eternal salvation. If men were to live until the number of their
days should be one hundred years, they still would be but
children in the knowledge of this life, and would only be
commencing to learn the things which pertain to their temporal
life, health and comfort, and how to live hereafter. Very few of
the inhabitants of the earth have the time and priviledge of
making themselves comfortable in a temporal point of view, before
they are called to return to their mother earth.
13
We have had excellent instructions to-day. They have been
edifying, comforting and strengthening to the Saints. I will take
the liberty of referring to a few things the brethren have dwelt
upon in their remarks. In relation to the contest between Jesus
and the power of Satan that is upon the earth, brother George Q.
Cannon has said he is ready to commence the contest anew to-day
against sin, and the effects of it which have often tried to
overthrow us as a people. I have been engaged in a contest
against the devil and his rule, for the last thirty three years
this present winter. It is that many years since I took the Book
of Mormon, and went into His Brittanic Majesty's realms to teach
the Gospel of life and salvation. From that day to this I have
been contending against the powers of evil, according to the
little ability God has given me. The kingdom of God is
reestablished upon the earth; and the Gospel of life and
salvation must be preached in all the world, that all may be
judged thereby. Every nation, kindred, tongue and people must be
warned before the Lord can come out of his hiding place, and
waste away the wicked who have rejected his warning message. We
have contended against sin in high places; we still contend
against it in our own bosoms; for we should seek earnestly to
gain the victory over sin in ourselves, before we can reasonably
expect to gain the conquest over sin in others. Until we can
subdue our own passions, and bring every human feeling and
aspiration into subjection to the will of God, we are not really
capable of guiding and dictating others to the full possession of
victory in the Kingdom of God. To conquer and subdue, and school
ourselves until we bring everything into subjection to the law of
Christ, is our work.
14
Our Heavenly Father does not always reveal to his children the
secret workings of his providences, nor does he show them the end
from the beginning; for they have to learn to trust in him who
has promised to fight our battles, and crown us with victory, if
we are faithful as was faithful Abraham. The contest which we
have now on hand is chiefly against sin in ourselves. "For if we
sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the
truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain
fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall
devour the adversaries." Then let us contend against sin in our
families, in our neighbors and friends, and strive to restore to
the inhabitants of the earth and to all the creatures which God
has made to dwell upon it, that which was lost by the fall of
man. Our labor will not end until this is accomplished, our work
completed, and the kingdom is the Lord's. "Know ye not, that they
which run a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run
that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery
is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
corruptible crown but we an incorruptible." Then let us fight on,
"For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of
recompenses for the controversy of Zion." He has commenced it
with this, our once happy nation, and he will continue until
Jesus shall rule and reign triumphantly in the midst of his
Saints, over sin, death, and hell. The Lord is gracious and is
waiting for us to purify ourselves, and thus be better prepared
to receive the providences of God when he arises to shake
terribly the earth, and bring to pass the perfect deliverance of
his people. "For the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to
be punished." For we are made nigh unto Christ by his blood. "But
the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, say
not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to
bring Christ down from above:) Or, who shall descend into the
deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what
saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy
heart; that is the word of faith, which we preach. The Lord is
here with us, not in person, but his angels are around us, and he
takes cognizance of every act of the children of men, as
individuals and as nations. He is here ready by his agents, the
angels, and by the power of his Holy Spirit and Priesthood, which
he has restored in these last days, to bring most perfect and
absolute deliverance unto all who put their trust in Him, when
they are ready to receive it; and, until they are ready, the work
of preparation must be vigorously progressed in, while at the
same time we in patience must possess our souls. For what scholar
can at once make himself acquainted thoroughly with the beginning
and the end of a finished education? It is a work of time. The
Lord is gracious and full of kindness to his children, and has
given them this probation to prepare themselves for his coming,
and to dwell with him in mansions of glory.
14
I wish my brethren and sisters to understand that the contest
between themselves and the power of Satan is now, to-day, and has
been ever since the Lord Almighty bestowed his Holy Priesthood
upon his servant Joseph. When holy angels were sent from heaven
to call and ordain Joseph Smith, and he to ordain others, the war
commenced against sin and the power of it, and will continue
until the earth shall be cleansed from it, and shall be made a
fit habitation for Saints and angels. The Holy Priesthood has
been restored expressly for this purpose. There is nothing that
the Saints can ask, or pray for, that will aid them in their
progress to the attainment of all the freedom, liberty, power,
and conquest, that they are capable of desiring and making a good
use of, that will not be granted unto them, if they will only
patiently struggle on. I am happy in saying that the Lord is
doing his work most admirably. Are we progressing as fast as the
work of the Lord is progressing? He has pled with the people by
the voice of his Spirit, by the voice of angels, and by the voice
of his servants; but their ears are heavy. He is pleading now
with the sword, as well as with the voice of his servants, and he
will plead with them by tempest and storm, and soon will plead
with them by famine and by pestilence. The Savior has said: "And
ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars; see that ye be not
troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is
not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences and
earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of
sorrows."
15
The men and women, who desire to obtain seats in the celestial
kingdom, will find that they must battle with the enemy of all
righteousness every day. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt
about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace;
above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet
of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the
spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and
supplication for all Saints." Thus let every Saint protect and
guard his little castle against every effort of the enemy to
assail, and secure a foothold therein. Let us see to it that we
are ready for the enemy, to baffle him at every point, contending
bravely against him until he is successfully repulsed.
15
With regard to the obedience of heavenly beings, to which
reference has been made to day; they live pure and holy, and they
have attained unto this power through suffering. Many of them
have drank of the bitter cup even to the dregs. They have learned
that righteousness will prevail, that truth is the foundation of
their very existence. They have learned that their Father and God
never commits an evil, that he never proposes an evil, and that
whatever he dictates is for their good. When an angel is
appointed to perform a duty, to go to the earth to preach the
Gospel, or to do anything for the advancement of his Fathers
kingdom in any part of the great domain of heaven, the vision of
that angel is opened to see and understand the magnitude of the
work that is expected of him to perform, and the grand results
which will grow out of it. That is the reason why the angels are
of one heart and of one mind, in their faithfulness and obedience
to the requirements of their Father and God. They can desire and
ask for nothing that will make them happy, good and great that is
withheld from them; and life eternal is theirs. Why, then, should
they not be of one heart and of one mind? They see alike,
understand alike, and know alike, and all things are before them,
and, as far as their knowledge and experience extend, they see
the propriety of all the works of God, and the harmony and beauty
thereof.
16
Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, in Joseph the Prophet,
or in the Book of Mormon, in short, all who do not believe as we
do, or who are out side of this Church and kingdom, love health,
wealth, joy, peace, light, intelligence, power, eloquence, and
elegance; they want all these blessings which the righteous live
for; but they will not live for them. They do not pursue the
course to put themselves in possession of the very things they
most desire; they are aiming entirely in the opposite direction,
and manage always to be too late in obtaining them. Not so with
the Latter-day Saints, or the Former-day Saints: they were, are
and will be always just in time to secure the blessings they live
for. The Saints have their trials, to be sure, to prove their
faithfulness before God, and they have the experience and
blessings which spring from them. It is thought by many that the
possession of gold and silver will produce for them happiness,
and, hence, thousands hunt the mountains for the precious metals;
in this they are mistaken. The possession of wealth alone does
not produce happiness, although it will produce comfort, when it
can be exchanged for the essentials and luxuries of life. When
wealth is obtained by purloining, or in any other unfair and
dishonorable way, fear of detection and punishment robs the
possessor of all human happiness. When wealth is honorably
obtained by men, still the possession of it is embittered by the
thought that death will soon strip them of it and others will
possess it. What hopes have they in the future, after they get
through with this sorrowful world? They know nothing about the
future; they see nothing but death and hell. Solid comfort and
unalloyed joy are unknown to them. When the faithful Latter-day
Saints come to the end of their earthly existence, "we know that
if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a
building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens." The faithful Latter-day Saint knows that the
dissolution of this mortal house will introduce his immortal
spirit to freedom from death and punishment, and to the enjoyment
of the society of the spirits of just men made perfect. To a
person who has such a glorious hope everything is bright and
beautiful. If he has but little, he enjoys that little with a
thankful heart to his Heavenly Father; if he possesses much, he
is still thankful, not worshiping, or placing his heart upon the
filthy lucre God has placed in his power to do good with. In
poverty he feels blest and happy; for his hope is in God, and his
wealth consists in eternal riches, having laid up treasures in
heaven where moth doth not destroy, nor rust corrode, nor thief
break through nor steal. The latter-day Saints have been driven
from their homes, and their goods have been spoiled; but they
esteem this as nothing. What do we care for houses and lands and
possessions? The whole earth is before us and all the fulness
thereof. The Latter-day Saints are living in the expectation of
redeeming Zion, when the law shall go forth from Zion, and when
Jesus will reign king of nations, as he now reigns king of
Saints.
16
Remarks have been made as to our staying here. I will tell you
how long we shall stay here. If we live our religion, we shall
stay here in these mountains forever and forever, worlds without
end, and a portion of the Priesthood will go and redeem and build
up the centre Stake of Zion. If we leave here, where shall we go
to? Has any one discovered when we leave this country? In the
days of Joseph we have sat many hours at a time conversing about
this very country. Joseph has often said, "If I were only in the
Rocky Mountains with a hundred faithful men, I would then be
happy, and ask no odds of mobocrats." And neither do I. Who are
going to pull up stakes and leave here? If we forsake our God and
our religion, then woe to us; for then we shall be all apostates
together, and under such circumstances we have no promise of God
for our protection; but, if we live in the faith of the Son of
God, we have the heavens, the power of God and of angels on our
side. I can tell you, as truly as Elisha said to his servant,
"fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be
with them," (our enemies.) For, "the mountain was full of horses
and chariots of fire around about Elisha."
17
Satan has great power upon the earth, which he will exercise
against Christ and his kingdom, and we have so to live as to gain
power to triumph over him, and successfully drive him and his
adherents from the earth, and introduce everlasting righteousness
and peace; and we will do it in the name of Israel's God. The
Lord being my helper, I will never give up the ship; I will never
leave it, as long as there is an inch of plank left; and it will
live in wilder seas than have yet assailed it, and come out
unharmed; in short, it will endure for ever. We may apostatize
from the faith, and go out of the Church and Kingdom of God, and
be lost; but this will have no effect upon the progress of the
Lord's Work, neither can all the powers of hell combined
accomplish aught against it. The Lord God of Israel has led this
people from the beginning, and every effort the enemy has made to
destroy them has only added renewed strength and vigor to the
cause of truth, although at the time of our great afflictions,
and while in the straits in which we have been placed, we could,
naturally speaking, see nothing but death and suffering. The Lord
has suffered all these things for the perfecting of the righteous
and the good of his people, and that the wicked may be left
without excuse. There is not another nation under heaven but
this, in whose midst the Book of Mormon could have been brought
forth. The Lord has been operating for centuries to prepare the
way for the coming forth of the contents of that Book from the
bowels of the earth, to be published to the world, to show to the
inhabitants thereof that he still lives, and that he will, in the
latter days, gather his elect from the four corners of the earth.
It was the Lord who directed the discovery of this land to the
nations of the old world, and its settlement, and the war for
independence, and the final victory of the colonies, and the
unprecedented prosperity of the American nation, up to the
calling of Joseph the Prophet. The Lord has dictated and directed
the whole of this, for the bringing forth, and establishing of
his Kingdom in the last days. On one occasion, when the Prophet
was imprisoned, Sidney Rigdon exhorted the Saints to scatter and
every man do the best he could for himself; "for," said he, "this
work of the gathering of the Saints we shall not accomplish,
these Saints will never be gathered again." I took the liberty of
saying to him that it was my opinion that we should be gathered
again, and that, by and bye, we should have Joseph with us. Some
thought it impossible; but we had Joseph again and we gathered.
The Lord thus proved his people, and tried them whether they
would apostatize and give themselves up to the power of Satan, or
be faithful to their calling and to their God under every
circumstance. The Lord will try this people in all things, as he
tried Abraham of old, to prove whether they will forsake him, or
cling to the faith of the Holy Gospel. I have been in this
Kingdom almost from the beginning; and I have not yet seen
anything I would call a trial, that I could not willingly and
joyfully endure; for, "blessed is the man that endureth
temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of
life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him: The Lord
has thrown his people on several occasions, into circumstances of
destitution and dependence, to try the leaders of the nation, and
has thus said unto them, what will you now do for my poor and
afflicted people; and their reply has been, "We will destroy
them, if we can." They think they will destroy us yet. In this,
however, they are mistaken, "for God hath not appointed us to
wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."
18
Shall we still cling to the faith of Christ, or will we forsake
the Lord our God, and seek "the friendship of the world which is
enmity against God?" Before we were driven out of Missouri I had
a vision, if I would dare to say that I had a vision, and saw
that the people would go to the east, to the north and to the
west; but we should go back to Jackson County from the west. When
this people return to the Centre Stake of Zion, they will go from
the west. The Lord has used every means to save the nation. He
has called upon them by night and by day, through His servants
whom he has sent among them; but they are bent on their own
destruction. When we were driven from Nauvoo, our Elders went to
the East to lay our case before the judges, governors, and rulers
of the different States to ask for an asylum; but none was
offered us. We sent men through the eastern country to try and
raise some means for the destitute women and children, whose
husbands, fathers and brothers had gone into the Mexican war at
the call of the General Government, leaving their wives and
children and aged fathers and mothers upon the open prairies
without home or shelter, and the brethren who went East hardly
got enough to bear their expenses. The great men of the nation
were asked if they would do anything for the Lord's people. No;
not a thing would they do, but hoped they would perish in the
wilderness. "Therefore," saith the Lord, "behold, the destroyer I
have sent forth to destroy and lay waste mine enemies: and not
many years hence they shall not be left to pollute mine heritage,
and to blaspheme my name upon the lands which I have consecrated
for the gathering together of my saints." In the year 1845 I
addressed letters to all the Governors of States and Territories
in the Union, asking them for an asylum, within their borders,
for the Latter-day Saints. We were refused such privilege, either
by silent contempt or a flat denial in every instance. They all
agreed that we could not come within the limits of their
Territory or State. Three members of Congress came to negotiate
with us to leave the confines of the United States, and of the
public domain. It was understood that we were going to Vancouver
Island; but we had our eye on Mexico, and here we are located in
the midst of what was then northern Mexico. Fears have been
entertained that we shall again be meddled with; but you will
find that the enemies of the cause of God will have plenty of
business besides digging gold and silver and fighting the Saints,
and I trust Utah will be left as unnoticed as it is in the
President's message. I thank them for what they have done and for
what they have not done. I thank the Lord that he has led this
people, and suffered them to be driven from place to place. I
thank the Lord that we have the words of eternal life; and if we
live by them, our feet are as sure and as fast as these
everlasting hills. I know where the Saints will dwell.
18
In the mind of God there is no such a thing as dividing spiritual
from temporal, or temporal from spiritual; for they are one in
the Lord. There was nothing of a temporal or spiritual nature
suggested by Joseph Smith in his day, for the action of the
Latter-day Saints that would not have been beneficial for them,
if they had, with one heart and mind, performed all he desired
them to do. We have proposed many things with regard to our
temporal affairs in these valleys, which, when strictly obeyed,
have been attended with great benefits. Our action touching our
grain has greatly benefited this community; it has resulted in
replenishing the wardrobes of the people throughout the
Territory, and placed in their possession many thousands of
dollars. If you have a few hundred pounds of flour to sell, keep
it by you; by-and-by, you will be offered a good price for it in
gold. Do not be tempted to sell your breadstuff for a ribbon, or
a frill, or for some useless trapping; for herein we are exposed
to danger, when we treat as a light thing the blessings of the
Lord, and squander them as a thing of naught. Those men and women
who barter away their breadstuff for naught, trifle with the
blessings which the heavens have bestowed on them.
19
There are brethren who have studied law; but where is there a man
in our midst now that is worth anything by studying law? Where is
there a merchant among us who has, year after year, continued in
the love of the world, that cares anything about the kingdom of
God? Look out, yemen of Israel, and be careful that you love not
the world or the things of the world in their present state, and
in your loftiness and pride, forget the Lord your God. We ought
to care no more for the silver and the gold, and the property
that is so much sought for by the wicked world, than for the soil
or the gravel upon which we tread: "For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world, and the world
passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of
God abideth for ever." "If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him." I will refer to our merchants, I mean
our "Mormon merchants" particularly. What do they say about their
goods? They do not ask what their goods are worth, or what they
paid for them, but what will the people give for them? That is
the price. It is not what their goods are really worth, but "how
many greenbacks will it take to buy me another stock of goods?"
It will take a good many. What their goods are worth is not a
question with them, but what they can get. They will get
sorrow--the most of them will be damned, there is no doubt of it,
unless they repent. You will excuse me for talking thus of my
brethren, but what else can I say about them? I am not speaking
about my individual feelings towards them, but upon principle. My
individual feelings are nothing but good towards them. They are
kind to me, and I have no fault to find with them in their
dealings with me; but I see the danger they are in. Ye merchants,
and lawyers, and doctors and speculators, be careful that you
secure to yourselves eternal life in the kingdom of God, in
preference to doing anything else. That perfect union, which must
ultimately be enjoyed by the Latter-day Saints, can only be
brought about by every man and woman living so as to keep their
minds pure and unspotted like a piece of clean white paper, being
constantly free from the love of the world, that the spirit of
revelation may easily indite upon the heart whatever is the mind
and will of the Lord. We cannot be truly the members of Christ's
mystical body without living in this way that the Spirit may
indite as easily upon the heart the things of God, as these
brethren, our reporters, can write with ink on paper. In this way
you have the witness within yourself, and "need that no man teach
you only as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is
truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall
abide in him." May the Lord bless the righteous. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / John
Taylor, December 11, 1864
John Taylor, December 11, 1864
BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL CONTRASTED WITH THE IDEAS OF
MEN.--EVIDENCE
RECEIVED THROUGH OBEDIENCE.--MODE BY WHICH THE SPIRIT IS IMPARTED
AND
UNITY OF THE SAINTS.--THEIR CONFIDENCE WITH REFERENCE TO THE
FUTURE OF
THE CHURCH.--ULTIMATE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD ON
EARTH.
Remarks by Elder John Taylor, made in the Tabernacle in Great
Salt
Lake City, on Sunday, December 11, 1864.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
21
We meet together, as intelligent beings, desirous of
understanding something of our common origin, our present
existence, and our future destiny. We meet to find out something
in relation to our Heavenly Father, in relation to His
providential dealings with the human family, in relation to His
policy and designs pertaining to us, and in relation to the
object of our creation; and to know something, if possible,
pertaining to that world that lies beyond our present scene of
action. These are some things among the many that we are desirous
to know, to comprehend, to find out if possible. We further wish
to pursue a course that shall be acceptable to our God and
Father; having partaken of a portion of His Holy Spirit we are
desirous to be taught more perfectly the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God, we are desirous of cultivating His Holy Spirit,
and to draw from the fountain of light and intelligence; from the
spirit of revelation that flows from God; and the spirit that
dwells in us, comfort, consolation, and intelligence; that we may
feel that we are the sons and daughters of God, that we are
walking in the light of His countenance, that we are doing the
things that are pleasing and acceptable in His sight, that our
own consciences are producing satisfactory evidence to our minds
that our conduct and acts are acceptable before the Lord, and
that the Holy Ghost also bears testimony to us that we are His
children, doing His will, walking in the light of His
countenance, helping to establish His kingdom on the earth, and
to fulfil the varied duties we are placed here upon the earth to
attend to. These are some of the ideas and feelings which all
good men and women entertain in relation to the past, the
present, and the future. Notwithstanding, we have many
weaknesses, infirmities, follies, and foibles; yet, at the same
time, when we are filled with the spirit which flows from the
Lord our Heavenly Father, these are generally the feelings which
we entertain. We feel a spirit of gratitude to our Heavenly
Father for the blessings that we have received from His hands;
and when we look upon things as they exist around us, in our
nation, and in other nations, we certainly have great cause to
cultivate feelings of thankfulness when we reflect upon the
position of the world, and view the darkness, ignorance, folly,
superstition, wickedness, corruption and evil that is spread
abroad, and which prevails over the face of the earth. When we
reflect that light and intelligence have beamed forth from the
heavens, that God in his mercy has made manifest His will to the
human family; that in the plenitude of His mercy and goodness He
has restored the Holy Priesthood, and placed us in communication
with Himself; that he has taught us not only how to pray but how
to approach unto him for the forgiveness of our sins, for the
reception of the Holy Ghost, for instruction and guidance in
relation to all matters pertaining to our fathers, relative to
this world and to the world that is to come, we certainly have
great cause of gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the many
mercies and blessings He has conferred upon us. Wherever we turn
our attention we can find cause of gratitude to our Heavenly
Father for the blessings that we enjoy, and we can truly say, as
was said by a certain person of old, "The lines are fallen unto
me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." The Lord
has revealed unto us the principles of eternal truth, so "That"
(unlike the world) "we henceforth be no more children, tossed to
and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait
to deceive." But our feet are established upon the rock of
eternal truth which has been revealed from the heavens, for the
benefit, blessing, and exaltation of the human family, in time
and in eternity. How very different is our position in relation
to this from what it was before we heard the Gospel. Then we were
surrounded with ten thousands influences, notions, and ideas
which might be right, or which might be wrong; we had no test, no
rule, no principle whereby to guide our lives or our conduct; we
could not find any person on the earth that knew anything about
the principles of eternity; we never heard anything further than
opinion before we embraced this doctrine; we had the opinion of
commentators, of divines, philosophers, and politicians, nothing
but opinion without certainty to guide our erring feet. We were
desirous, perhaps as much so as we are to-day, to do right, we
were perhaps as zealous then as we are now in pursuing the course
that we thought might be satisfactory to our Heavenly Father; but
we knew not what would please Him. The world of mankind to-day
are just in the position that we were then in, they have no more
certainty, evidence, or knowledge than we had before we embraced
the principles of eternal truth--and, in fact, the truth does not
exist in the world, or, if it does exist, it is unknown to the
men of the world; they are unable to discern between truth and
error, light and darkness, between the things of God and the
things of man.
21
The Lord has revealed to us the principles of eternal life. It is
not a matter of mere thought, of mere opinion; our principles are
not ideal, but they are facts, not notions; they are truths, not
opinions; they are certainties--things that we know and
comprehend for ourselves. Nothing can be more forcible, nothing
can be a stronger evidence, if we want any evidence, than the
testimony or evidence which the Lord has communicated unto us
individually.
22
Paul said when he was speaking to the people, "And my speech and
my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; that your faith should
not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Again,
"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." Every
person who embraced the gospel in that day enjoyed an evident
testimony of which the world were ignorant. They received an
inspiring intelligent assurance which was imparted by the Holy
Ghost unto all those who receive the gospel both in former and in
latter times, and hence they that believe have the witness in
themselves.
22
When the Elders were sent to preach the gospel, they were told to
call upon the people to repent and be baptized in the name of
Jesus for the remission of sins, and they should receive the Holy
Ghost. This was told to the people in ancient days, and no
stronger testimony than this could be given to the heart of man;
nothing is greater evidence that the Lord is with His Elders that
go forth bearing the precious seeds of eternal life than this. An
Elder is the minister of God, His representative on the earth; he
acts by His authority, in His name, and God sanctions his acts,
and proves to him and to those who receive the gospel, that he is
the messenger of God. The Lord has told him to go and preach
baptism for the remission of sins, and that when people repented
and were baptized for the remission of sins, and had hands laid
upon them for the reception of the Holy Ghost, that they should
receive the Holy Ghost, and have evidence for themselves, as they
received and knew formerly under the administration of the
ancient apostles. Thus every person so baptised and administered
to has evidence undoubted within himself, and every Elder has a
testimony that God is with him and sanctions his acts; and as an
Elder could not impart the Holy Ghost without the authority and
power of God, so the person receiving the Holy Ghost could not
partake of it without the Lord's administration through the
Elder.
22
You may use the reasoning of men, you may bring into requisition
the strongest oratorial powers, and all this will fail to
convince any man, without the Spirit of God. You may bring the
brightest talent to bear, and collect the strongest evidence it
is possible for man to produce, but in the absence of the Holy
Ghost all this will pass away like an idle dream, or with passing
remarks such as, "That man is a very eloquent man, the principles
he advances are evident, plain, and reasonable, but then it don't
concern us at all, we are not interested in the matter," etc.;
but when the Spirit of eternal truth, emanating from God,
operates upon our spirits, which are a part of deity, if you
please, when there is a union formed, and an intercourse opened,
and intelligence communicated, then the persons who possess this
intelligence, this knowledge, this comforting influence, this
strong assurance that is imparted and can be imparted only from
spirit to spirit; when persons receive this, they then have for
themselves an assurance that no earthly argument or philosophical
demonstration can possibly impart. We are a part of deity, that
is, our spirits are a part, as it were, of the Great Jehovah,
that have been struck from His eternal blaze--eternal
intelligence and light and life.
23
When the light that is in heaven communicates with the light
within us; when the Spirit that dwells in the bosom of the
Almighty dwells in ours, and an intercourse is opened between
heaven and us, we are then placed in a position to understand
that which it would be impossible to comprehend upon any natural
principle known to us, and hence it is written, "For what man
knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in
him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God." In order that men may indeed become the children of God, He
has introduced in the first principles of the gospel the means of
their becoming possessed of His Spirit through baptism and laying
on of hands by those having authority, being sent and ordained
and authorized by Him that they may receive the Holy Ghost. What
can be a stronger evidence to any man than an evidence of this
kind? It is not something that affects the outward ear alone; it
is not something that affects simply his judgment, but it affects
his inner man; it affects the spirit that dwells within him; it
is a part of God imparted unto man, if you please, giving him an
assurance that God lives. This is a thing of very great
importance, more so, perhaps, than many people imagine. A man
receives an assurance that God lives, and not only that God
lives, but that he is a son of God, because he feels that he has
partaken of His spirit, the spirit of adoption; and hence it was
said concerning the Saints of old, "For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God."
23
The Saints of old received a spirit whereby they were enabled to
say Abba, Father, or, my Father. Now, reflecting upon this, what
strong confidence is imparted unto the Saints of God, giving them
an assurance that no person has, and that no person can have,
unless they adopt the same means, in order to partake of the same
blessings or to be administered to in the same way, and receive
through the same medium, that same spirit of intelligence which
nothing but the Holy Ghost can impart. When persons receive this
they are enabled to say, My Father. What were they enabled to say
before? Did they know anything about their Father or About their
God? Did they know anything about their origin, or did they know
anything really in relation to the future?
23
What can you find among the world like this anywhere, among the
most pious, best, the most honorable, pure, and virtuous, what
can you find among them? Only, simply, "we try to do the best
that we can, and we hope it will be well with us hereafter; we
hope our great Heavenly Father will be merciful to us." They can
make no further advances than that, without the gift and blessing
of the Holy Ghost. They hope certain things, they believe in
certain things, they pray for certain things, they desire certain
things, but they have no assurance in relation to them. Nothing
but the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son can
impart unto us that intelligence which is necessary to place the
Church and Kingdom of God upon a sure and firm basis. The Lord
has introduced this among us. It is no matter what language a man
may speak, or what country he lives in, no matter what his former
profession or circumstances, here is the Gospel of eternal life
and truth proclaimed by the weakest of God's Elders, which he has
chosen and set apart to preach the words of eternal life in all
the world. Wherever people receive the words of truth that that
Elder has preached unto them and obey them by baptism, and have
hands laid on them for the reception of the Holy Ghost, they all
feel alike, no matter what country they were born in, what their
religion, politics, social ideas, or anything else; whether Jew
or Gentile, bond or free, they are all one in Christ Jesus.
24
We have people gathered together in this Territory from all parts
of the earth; they have all been baptized into one baptism, and
all have par taken of one spirit, and that one spirit proceeds
from the fountain of light and truth. It would be impossible,
under any other circumstances, to unite people together as our
people in the mountains are united. It would be impossible for
all the reasoning powers of man to bring about any such result;
nothing but the power and Spirit of God could accomplish it.
24
We all feel alike in regard to the great principles of eternal
truth. Why do we feel alike? Because we have all partaken of one
spirit, which proceeds from our Heavenly Father, it is the Holy
Ghost. How does it affect us? It affects our spirits. And
although we do not understand, sometimes, one another's speech,
and are ignorant of the ideas entertained by one another; and
although the habits, customs, and manners are diverse and various
among the different nations from which we have come, we still are
one in sentiment, one in faith and in confidence, and one in
assurance.
24
I have heard men in the United States thank God with their whole
heart for the spirit imparted to them and for the blessings of
the everlasting Gospel; I have heard them do the same in France
and in Germany, and I have heard them do the same among other
nations whose language I was not acquainted with. The same spirit
inspires the whole--it is the spirit of God, imparted through
obedience to his laws, and through the administration of the
Gospel through the Holy Priesthood, or by means of the Elders he
has sent forth, and whose acts He sanctions by imparting the Holy
Ghost on whom they lay their hands; and hence we are one, having
been baptized into one baptism, and partaken of the same spirit,
and hence we have assurance, and are constituted as no other
people are under the heavens. We possess that evidence and
assurance which the world cannot give, neither can the world take
it away; and hence, we go forth with a steady unerring aim with
regard to the future. We know, individually and collectively,
what we are doing, and if there be those among us who do not
comprehend all things, yet we do know that we have partaken of
the Holy Ghost. We feel like the man that was born blind, who was
healed by the Savior. The Pharisees said to the healed man, "Give
God the praise, we know that this man is a sinner." He answered
and said: "Whether he be a sinner or not, I know not; one thing I
know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."
25
All the sons and daughters of God who are living their religion,
and faithfully keeping the commandments of God, can render a
reason for the hope that is within them, and can answer the whys
and the wherefores for the movements of the Church and kingdom of
God upon the earth. They may not know what is going to be the
result of this, that and the other; but they do know that they
have received the Holy Ghost, and that God lives--that they have
received a principle, whereby they are enabled to say, Abba
Father--My Father. And this is life eternal, that they might know
Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."
Hence we have partaken of a portion of eternal lives, and have
begun to live for ever. It was upon this principle that Jesus
spake to the woman of Samaria, when he asked her for a drink. Now
there was a strong enmity existing between the Jews and the
Samaritans, and she thought it singular when Jesus asked her for
a drink of water. "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou
knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, give
me to drink; thou would'st have asked him, and he would have
given thee living water." "Whosoever drinketh of this water,
shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I
shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall
give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting life."
25
Did the world know who these Elders are that go forth among them
bearing the precious seed of eternal life; could they comprehend
and realize it, they would ask of them, and they would give them
water which would be in them a well springing up into eternal
life; for they are the representatives of God on the earth, going
forth with authority from Him to impart unto the world the Holy
Ghost, and lead them into the paths of life. We have partaken of
this Holy Spirit, and hence there is confidence manifested in all
our movements and actions as a people.
25
Who among the true saints of God ever doubts as to the destiny of
this kingdom? Who that has the spirit of revelation--the spirit
of truth--ever dreams that this kingdom will ever be overthrown?
They quake in the north, and in the south; they wonder what the
end will be--whether they will gain that victory or lose that
battle; whether we are going to be divided into two separate
nations, be consolidated in one, or divided into a great many.
These are matters that puzzle the wisest of our statesmen. If we
have any wise men in the United States, and in the nations of
Europe or the earth, let them manifest their wisdom and put the
world right.
25
The Latter-day Saints have no wonder what is going to become of
them, it never enters into our minds that anything will transpire
that will overthrow the Church and kingdom of God on the earth.
What man that is a Saint and has in his possession the gift of
the Holy Ghost, that does not know that the kingdom of God is
onward? We know that we shall overcome every opposing power. No
matter what transpires, what effect has it on us? None at all. It
only affects the weak and vacillating, that have not lived their
religion and followed the light of the Holy Spirit in them, they
may fear; but the men and women of God, those who live in the
light of the countenance of the Lord, and cherish the Holy Spirit
in their bosoms, having no other feeling but the final triumph of
the kingdom of God on the earth, they know nothing else.
25
What inspired the ancient prophets to know that the time would
come when the Saints of God should take the kingdom, and the
greatness of it under the whole heavens should be given to them
and He whose right it is, should rule and reign, and have
dominion? The same Spirit that dwells in us proceeds from the
same God that inspired the prophets of old, developing the same
truths, making manifest the same things, and unfolding the same
principles. We have confidence in relation to these matters; and
hence men that understand this, who live their religion, feel
perfectly satisfied in regard to any or all the events that shall
transpire on the earth.
26
We were driven out of Missouri--we were driven from one place to
another in Missouri, before we were driven out altogether; then
we were driven from Illinois to this Territory. But what of that?
I know some men who thought the work was at an end. I remember a
remark made by Sidney Rigdon--I suppose he did not live his
religion--I do not think he did--his knees began to shake in
Missouri, and on one occasion he said, "Brethren, every one of
you take your own way, for the work seems as though it had come
to an end." Brigham Young encouraged the people, and Joseph Smith
told them to be firm and maintain their integrity, for God would
be with his people and deliver them. I never saw a time that the
Saints enjoyed themselves better than when they, apparently, were
wading through the deepest troubles; I never saw them more full
of the Holy Ghost, and take more joyfully the spoiling of their
goods. Why was this? Because they had that spirit within them of
which we are speaking, and they knew what would be the result of
all these things. When we left Nauvoo, we sang joyfully--
26
"On the way to California,
In the spring we'll take our journey;
Far above Arkansas fountains,
Pass between the Rocky Mountains."
26
When it was asked us, "Where are you going?" our reply would be,
"We hardly know; we are going somewhere, and God will protect us,
and all is right and well in Zion, and all is peace, and all will
be peace to those who will love God and keep his commandments;
because his kingdom is established upon the rock of ages, and it
is God's business to take care of his Saints, and all is well."
27
And when the nation with which we are associated is shaken to its
centre and crumbles to pieces (it is pretty well shaken now,
notwithstanding what our President seems to say about it, that
everything is very prosperous, and that we have more men now than
before the war), notwithstanding all this, it is crumbling and
falling, and it will continue to fall and to crumble, until it is
no more, and by and bye there will be an end of it. Not so with
the kingdom of God; it will stand, and continue to exist and
spread and go forth, and correct principles--principles of
eternal truth and light and revelation from God--will be
unfolded, and intelligence that dwells with the gods will
continue to be imparted to this people, and God will be their
God, and they will be His people, and He will continue to lead
them on from strength to strength and from knowledge to
knowledge, until they understand all correct principles that can
be known on the earth, until they are enabled to redeem
themselves and their posterity, and then establish the kingdom of
God on the earth until the kingdoms of this world shall become
the kingdoms of our God and His Christ, and He shall reign for
ever and for ever. And to this end God has imparted unto us the
spirit of intelligence and wisdom that is unfaltering,
unwavering, and unchanging, and that will live and abide for
ever. Have we not cause to be grateful to God our heavenly
Father? I think we have. We enjoy peace, we enjoy happiness, we
enjoy the Holy Ghost, we enjoy communication with our heavenly
Father, we enjoy an association with the holy Priesthood, we have
the revelation of God in us, and God has undertaken to lead His
people on from strength to strength, from intelligence to
intelligence, from knowledge to knowledge, until they are able to
see as they are seen, and know as they are known. And He is going
to establish a reign of righteousness and introduce a correct
form of government, even the government of God, the laws of God,
the revelations of God to guide and direct in all things: He will
be our guide in philosophy, in politics, in agriculture, in
science, in art, and in everything that is calculated to
enlighten and impart intelligence, and give knowledge of the laws
of nations, of the laws of nature, of matter, and of all laws
that regulate all things pertaining to time and to eternity. He
will continue to instruct and to make manifest, and to put us in
possession of those principles that will exalt us and prepare us
to dwell with the Gods. We look on the future; we looked on it
years ago, and we knew that the kingdom of God would roll on, and
we know so to-day, only our faith and knowledge is becoming more
stable, more established. We know that this kingdom will continue
to spread and to increase. Who can deprive us of that knowledge?
No earthly influence or power, or reasoning can do it; hence, we
are perfectly satisfied in relation to these things. And while we
know this is taking place and that a reign of righteousness will
be introduced that will be calculated to exalt and ennoble the
human family, and make the earth a paradise and to blossom as the
rose, and make the wilderness and desolate places glad, and the
government and kingdom of God exist from the rivers to the ends
of the earth; whilst we are attending to these things, we are
also attending to other things, we are securing to ourselves an
everlasting exaltation, we are learning God and His laws, and the
whisperings of His Spirit, whereby we can be saved and exalted
and be brought to a closer union and connection with Him by
covenants and ordinances, and anointings, and endowments, and
blessings, that He is revealing and unfolding. We are learning to
build temples where we can receive instruction, and revelation,
and ordinances to be performed both for the living and the dead,
for ourselves, progenitors, and posterity, and bless the human
family throughout, that we may be saviors on Mount Zion and the
kingdom be the Lord's. We are learning to secure for ourselves
mansions with our heavenly Father, that where He is we may be
also. Jesus said, "I go away; but if I go, I will come and
receive you to myself, that where I am there you may be also,"
&c. We are preparing ourselves for those mansions, and others are
helping to prepare mansions for us who are behind the veil. We
shall operate for those who are there, and they for us; for they,
without us, cannot be made perfect, nor we without them. We are
forming an alliance, a union, a connection, with those that are
behind the veil, and they are forming a union and connection with
us; and while we are living here, we are preparing to live
hereafter, and laying a foundation for this in the celestial
kingdom of God. Ought we not to call upon our souls, and upon all
that is within us, to bless the name of the God of Israel, and to
forget not all His mercies? Ought we not to be seeking
continually to glorify God in our bodies and spirits, which are
His? Ought we not to be seeking to have our passions and desires
and appetites in obedience and subjection to the will of God?
Ought we not to be seeking to control our will and desires, and
have everything yielding obedience to that Spirit which emanates
from our heavenly Father? Ought we not to be seeking to promote a
union with every godlike principle, with everything that is
lovely and amiable, and divest ourselves of all our evil passions
and propensities, and follies and waywardness, and seek to draw
near unto God ourselves, and also to draw our families near unto
Him, and seek to cultivate the Holy Ghost, that it may be in us a
well of water springing up into everlasting life, that we may be
worthy to be citizens of the kingdom of God; and that hereafter
we may enjoy an immortality of happiness with our progenitors and
our posterity, and with our God in the eternal world, even in
this world, when it shall be redeemed and sanctified and be made
new?
27
May God help us to keep his commandments, in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Q. Cannon, November 13, 1864
George Q. Cannon, November 13, 1864
BLESSINGS OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD.--POWER OF EVIL AND UNSEEN
INFLUENCES.--MINISTRATION OF ANGELS.--FAITH NECESSARY FIRST AS A
PREPARATION FOR GREATER THINGS.--HOLY SPIRIT NECESSARY FOR THE
RIGHT
PERFORMANCE OF TEMPORAL DUTIES.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Q. Cannon, November 13, 1864
BLESSINGS OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD.--POWER OF EVIL AND UNSEEN
INFLUENCES.--MINISTRATION OF ANGELS.--FAITH NECESSARY FIRST AS A
PREPARATION FOR GREATER THINGS.--HOLY SPIRIT NECESSARY FOR THE
RIGHT
PERFORMANCE OF TEMPORAL DUTIES.
Remarks by Elder George Q. Cannon, made in Kaysville, Sunday,
November 13, 1864.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
28
It is with very peculiar feelings, my brethren and sisters, that
I stand before you this morning to address you upon the
principles of life and salvation. In rising before you I request
your faith and prayers, that I may have the Spirit of the Lord to
dictate unto me those thoughts and reflections and instructions,
which will be profitable unto us. I feel myself that the Spirit
of the Almighty is here; I have enjoyed it very much this
morning. While listening to the singing, I felt that the singers
had the Spirit of God resting upon them.
29
We can enjoy ourselves while we are met together to-day; it is
our privilege to have a goodly outpouring of that Spirit which
fills our hearts with joy, with peace, light and intelligence. If
we concentrate our minds upon the object which has called us
together, exercising faith in our Father and God, these meetings
will be counted among the most delightful associations of our
lives. I do not know that I ever enjoyed myself so happily under
any circumstances, as I have in meeting with my brethren and
sisters in conferences and in meetings like these that we have
had yesterday and to-day. At these meetings we can throw aside
the cares that press us from day to day, and concentrate our
minds upon the blessings which pertain to the kingdom of God and
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and understand to a greater extent
than we can probably on ordinary occasions, how much the Lord our
God has favored us in revealing unto us His everlasting Gospel,
and in sending unto us His servants, authorized to administer
unto us the ordinances thereof. When we are in meetings like the
present, we can think about these things and ponder upon them,
and our hearts are filled with renewed feelings of thanksgiving
and gratitude to God for His abundant mercies to us as
individuals and as a people. Since my arrival home from abroad
this last time, I think that I never have experienced such a
feeling of thanksgiving, joy, and happiness as I have during the
last two or three weeks. My feelings have been peculiarly solemn,
and I have often felt as though it would be a great luxury to get
off in some corner alone and weep for joy for all the blessings
God has so bountifully bestowed on us as a people, and upon
myself as an individual. The older we grow, and the more the
kingdom becomes developed, the more apparent are the blessings
heaven bestows upon us. He must be indeed blind who cannot see
that we are a people highly favored of God our Father, especially
if it should be his lot to go forth among the nations, and come
in contact with the evil which abounds in other countries. I
believe there is a feeling of gratitude and thanksgiving
pervading the breasts of the Saints generally, which causes them
to appreciate the kindness of the Lord towards them. This feeling
should increase more and more within us every day we live.
29
The remarks which were made yesterday by the brethren who spoke
were to me highly edifying; I rejoiced greatly in them, and I
could echo the feeling expressed by Brother Woodruff when he
said, we were the most blessed people on the face of the earth,
in having a father in our midst who talks unto us in such
plainness and simplicity the principles of life and salvation.
While Brother Brigham was speaking unto us and dwelling upon the
plain and simple principles of the Gospel, and those things
necessary for us to observe in order that we may become developed
before our heavenly Father, I felt that it requires constant
teaching and admonition on the part of the servants of God to
keep us in mind of our duty; it requires the servants of God to
be stirred up continually to diligence in preaching the plain and
simple principles of the Gospel to the people, that they may be
duly impressed therewith. Notwithstanding all we have heard, and
we have heard a great deal of the principles of righteousness, we
still require to be admonished day by day concerning our duty. It
seems to be one of the weaknesses of human nature that we are apt
to forget the principles of truth and righteousness, and to give
way to influences that are not of God. We are placed in this
existence for the express purpose of learning to overcome all
these things. One of the great objects, as I imagine, which God
has in view in sending us here upon the earth, is to give us
experience in the influences of the earth that we may contend
with them successfully and overcome them, that when we pass
beyond the vail we may be in a position to comprehend them to a
greater extent than we could had we not come here and felt the
influences to which human nature is subject. I have thought that
we, as a people and as individuals, do not sufficiently realize
the importance of keeping guard upon ourselves, and upon our
feelings, and of resisting the influences that surround us.
29
While the brethren were speaking upon one point, namely, the
disposition of some people to imbibe spirituous liquor, it
brought some reflections to my mind connected with the influences
that prevail throughout the various portions of the earth. I
believe there are places and circumstances in which people can be
placed, where there are influences of this character brought to
bear upon them that are more difficult to resist than there would
be under other circumstances and in other places. I have often
heard it remarked by the brethren, and I have remarked it myself,
that in some places there is a greater disposition entertained by
the people to commit adultery and indulge in kindred sins of this
description than there is in this country. There seem to be
influences in the atmosphere in those lands of such a character,
that unless a person is on his guard and constantly watching and
resisting them, he will be led down to destruction by them. A
spirit and disposition will creep over the people unless they are
careful, to lead them astray in the direction which I have named.
This is undoubtedly the case. There are spirits in the atmosphere
that are filled with that disposition, and who seek to influence
those with whom they are brought in contact, impressing those who
are in the tabernacle of flesh to indulge in the same sin.
30
There are influences in the atmosphere that are invisible to us
that, while we are here upon the earth, we ought to resist with
all our might, mind, and strength--influences which, if we would
be led by them, would lead us to destruction--influences that are
opposed to the Spirit of God--influences that would bring upon us
destruction here and hereafter, if we would yield to them. These
influences we have to resist. We have to resist the spirit of
adultery, the spirit of whoredom, the spirit of drunkenness, the
spirit of theft, and every other evil influence and spirit, that
we may continually overcome; and, when we have finished our work
on the earth, be prepared to govern and control those influences,
and exercise power over them, in the presence of our Father and
God. I have no doubt that many of my brethren and sisters have
sensibly felt in various places and at various times evil
influences around them. Brother Joseph Smith gave an explanation
of this. There are places in the Mississippi Valley where the
influence or the presence of invisible spirits are very
perceptibly felt. He said that numbers had been slain there in
war, and that there were evil influences or spirits which affect
the spirits of those who have tabernacles on the earth. I myself
have felt those influences in other places besides the continent
of America; I have felt them on the old battle grounds on the
Sandwich Islands. I have come to the conclusion that if our eyes
were open to see the spirit world around us, we should feel
differently on this subject than we do; we would not be so
unguarded and careless, and so indifferent whether we had the
spirit and power of God with us or not; but we would be
continually watchful and prayerful to our heavenly Father for His
Holy Spirit and His holy angels to be around about us to
strengthen us to overcome every evil influence.
30
When I see young men indulging in drunkenness and in stealing, I
come to the conclusion that they are led captive by the evil
spirits around them. We call it the spirit of the evil one; but
he has numerous agencies at work, even as the Lord has numerous
agencies to assist him in bringing to pass the consummation of
His great designs. The adversary has numerous agencies at his
command, and he seeks to control and lead to destruction the
inhabitants of the earth who will be subject to them. If we could
see with our spiritual senses as we now see with our natural
senses, we should be greatly shocked at the sight of the
influences that prompt us to disobey the counsels of God or the
Spirit of the Lord in our hearts. But we cannot see them, for
they are spiritually discerned; and he who discerns the most, is
the most fully impressed by the Spirit of God; he who does not
discern, has not profited by the instructions given to him, and
yields to those evil influences in an unguarded moment, and is
taken captive in his blindness. He who is imbued with the Spirit
of God is sensibly aware when the evil power approaches; but he
does not welcome it to his bosom; he resists it with all the
might and strength God has given unto him, and he obtains power
over it, and it no more troubles him; if it does, its influence
is more weakened than previously.
31
We often talk about and desire to see angels. Every person who
has joined this Church has had a desire to have revelations from
God our Heavenly Father, and have knowledge poured out upon him
as it was poured out in abundance upon the prophets of old. I
merely suppose that this is so with everybody else, because I
have these feelings myself, and judge others in this respect by
myself. But, until we can learn to control and resist those evil
influences that are now invisible, I think it would be
unprofitable to have the administration of angels personally or
visibly unto us. Until we can do this, I do not expect that we
can have those other blessings profitably bestowed upon us. I do
not expect that in the providence of God we will be favored with
those other blessings until we can listen unto and obey the
counsels of those appointed to preside over us. I know it is
natural for people to be anxious to have some ministering spirit
wait on them, and reveal itself unto them. For my own part, my
reflections have caused me to view this in a different light than
I viewed it in the beginning. I then thought it would be a great
blessing to have that favor bestowed upon me. But when I have
reflected upon the character and calling of the men whom God has
called and sent in this generation--when I have thought of
Brother Joseph Smith, and his greatness, his magnanimity, and his
faith, I have thought, and still think, it is one of the greatest
blessings of God upon me to have been permitted to behold his
face and to listen to his teachings. I feel the same now towards
the present leaders of Israel. I am satisfied that this
generation has been honored by as great prophets as ever stood
before God upon the earth, excepting the Lord Jesus Christ; and
how could I expect, if I disobeyed Brother Joseph Smith's
counsel, that I could be favored with the presence and
instruction of any being further advanced than he was when he was
in the flesh? And so I feel in relation to Brother Brigham, whom
we now have with us; he is one of the noblest sons of God, a man
whom God has endowed with the wisdom of eternity, with the power
in part that is exercised in its fulness by the Gods of eternity.
If we disobey his counsel, disregard his warning voice, and are
careless respecting his teachings and the teachings of those
associated with him, we are indeed unworthy of the presence of
personages who have been glorified and who now dwell in the
presence of God. I do not expect the day to come when this people
will be favored with the administration of angels--with the
presence of those holy and immortal beings--until we can learn to
appreciate the teachings and instructions of the men of God in
our midst. When that day does come that this people will
implicitly obey the voice of those whom God has placed over them,
and give heed to every instruction imparted to them by the spirit
of revelation through the servants of God, then I shall expect
visits from holy angels, and the glory and power of God to rest
upon us to that extent it has never done hitherto; but I cannot
well expect it before that time arrives, because if these
blessings were to be bestowed upon us before we are prepared to
receive them, I should fear they would turn to our condemnation,
as they have done to many in the early history of this Church.
32
There is nothing that we, as a people, have needed since our
settlement in these valleys, and I may say since the organization
of the Church, connected with the kingdom of God, in
intelligence, in wisdom and counsel, that we have had to wait
for. We have had line upon line, precept upon precept, here a
little and there a little, from the beginning unto the present
time, and there never was a day, an hour, a moment, from the
organization of this Church unto the present time that we, as a
people, have been destitute of the voice of God and the
instruction of the Holy Ghost. While this is the case, and we
have abundance of teachings poured out upon us, and we should
refuse to obey any of them, we need not expect visitations from
higher personages, coming down to administer unto us and impart
unto us things that we could know, if we would only learn to be
obedient to the counsels and instructions we now receive. It is
necessary that we should be taught and instructed in the things
of the kingdom of God, and that our faith should be developed to
such an extent that we will have great confidence in those who
labor in our midst and who preside over us. It is for this
purpose that the Gospel is sent forth by the hand of the servants
of God unto the inhabitants of the earth. The Lord says through
his servant Joseph Smith, in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants,
"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 Saviour 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."
32
This is the reason of the Gospel being preached, that faith might
increase within us, and that the New and Everlasting Covenant
might be established in our midst. These things were preached
unto us in the beginning, because it is necessary that man should
be impressed with the importance of the Gospel and plan of
salvation which God has revealed, and that he might have
confidence in the words of the servants of God. We have to learn
that those who are worthy to be entrusted with our salvation, and
with the direction of the affairs of the kingdom of God, are also
worthy to be entrusted with the guidance of temporal affairs in
the same kingdom. It was a difficult lesson to learn in the
beginning. The people of God could not understand, in the
beginning, that Brother Joseph had wisdom sufficient to direct
them in their temporal affairs as well as in their spiritual
affairs. While the Church was in Kirtland it was a lesson they
had not learned; they could admit that Joseph was a prophet of
God, and chosen of Him to establish His kingdom on the earth, but
they would not admit that he had wisdom sufficient to direct them
in temporal affairs, and they had to be whipped, scourged, and
driven from place to place before they could really believe that
the servants of God had this wisdom; but, by-and-by, this
knowledge dawned upon them, and they began to see that men,
chosen of God to establish righteousness and build up His
kingdom, had also wisdom concerning temporal affairs, and that
the same God who made the earth so beautiful for the habitation
of His saints--He who organized the heavens and controls the
movements of the heavenly bodies, that same God had power to give
Brother Smith wisdom to guide them in temporal affairs. This is a
lesson that we have had taught unto us from that time until the
present; and to-day I feel as though we were but poor scholars,
and that there are many things yet to be impressed upon our
understandings connected with this lesson.
33
We have to learn that, in the first place, the Lord sent His
servants forth to preach the principles of the Gospel, to impress
upon the inhabitants of the earth the necessity of believing in
Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world, repenting of their
sins, and being baptized for the remission of them, and receive
the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and it was hoped and
expected that when the Holy Ghost descended upon men and women
they would be filled with the spirit of obedience, and that their
understandings would be so awakened that they would begin to
comprehend the object God had in view in restoring the
everlasting Gospel to the earth. It has had that effect, but it
has been slowly manifested; it has dawned upon us ray by ray,
gradually opening our minds to the comprehension of the great
work the Lord has established on the earth; and to-day, after
years of experience, the Church of Christ has barely commenced to
comprehend the great work God had in view in establishing His
kingdom on the earth. But we are learning it now more rapidly
than we have in past years. The knowledge is being brought home
to us to a greater extent, because we are in a position where we
can be better taught these things than before. We are beginning
to understand that there is something, besides that which
concerns our spiritual welfare, needed for the upbuilding of the
kingdom of God on the earth; we begin to understand that the Lord
wishes us to be a people wise in the arts and sciences, full of
understanding and wisdom in the building up of cities, in the
erection of beautiful habitations and magnificent temples, and in
the exhumation of minerals from the bowels of the earth, and
their proper application for the beautifying of the cities of
Zion and the convenience of God's people. We begin to understand
that the Gospel has been revealed to show unto us the object of
our existence, that it affects every action of our lives from
birth to the grave, and that we cannot do anything but what is
comprehended in the Gospel. We hope our children will learn this
lesson better than we have, and to a greater perfection than we
have learned it. As I have said, it is necessary in the first
place that we should have confidence in the servants of God--in
the affairs that pertain unto our eternal salvation, and we would
suppose we might trust them with the direction of our temporal
affairs, if, indeed, temporal and spiritual can be divided, which
really cannot be done.
34
There is one point we should be guarded against, and the brethren
have endeavored to impress it upon our minds, that is, in our
seeking to develop the resources of the earth and build up cities
and temples and the various works that are incumbent on us, that
we should not forget to keep our minds right before the Lord,
that we should have his Holy Spirit abiding within us. When the
cares of every day life increase upon us, in the business of
forming settlements, pioneering and performing our labors from
day to day, we are too apt to forget that we should constantly
seek to God with the same fervor and diligence for His aid as we
do for spiritual blessings. I find that I have to be careful
while engaged in business, for I know that the tendency of my
mind is to devote all my thoughts and all my time and attention
to the business that is in hand--that happens to occupy my
attention at the time. This is the tendency of people generally,
and we have to guard against it, and for which we have to be
reproved, that we may not yield to it to so great and extent as
to drive the Spirit of God from us. There is no necessity for
this. If we grieve the Spirit of God when we are performing our
temporal duties, it is because we allow the one idea to absorb
our attention too much. While we are engaged in these duties, we
should have the Spirit of God resting upon us, as if we were
engaged in preaching the Gospel.
34
It is recorded in the Book of Mormon that when the Nephites were
oppressed by the Lamanites, who would not suffer them to pray
orally unto God, they prayed in their hearts, while engaged in
their labors, for the blessings of God to be granted unto them,
for His deliverance to be extended to them, ant that their
enemies might not have power to hold them in bondage; and the
word of the Lord came to them and whispered peace, and told them
that the day of their deliverance was nigh at hand, the day in
which He would emancipate them from the thraldom of their
enemies. This is a good example for us to follow. It is possible
for us to bring ourselves into such a condition that we can pray
unto God in our hearts, no matter what labor we are performing.
We are exhorted to pray constantly unto Him, and it is possible
for us to concentrate our thoughts on the things of God while we
are doing our labor, and our thanksgivings can ascend silently
unto God, and they are not unheard by Him, and His blessing can
descend upon us, and His joy can fill our hearts, and we can
become the happiest and the most blessed people upon all the face
of the earth. I know it requires a struggle to concentrate our
thoughts on the things of the kingdom of God, while we are
engaged in business; but this is one of the things which we have
to train ourselves to and to overcome.
34
I am pleased to see our people developing the resources of the
earth as they are. It is gratifying to see them enjoying the
blessings of the earth, to see them wearing clothing of home
manufacture, and to see their houses carpeted with home-made
carpets; to see the sisters wearing beautiful dresses, spun with
their own hands, is more pretty to my mind than brocade silk or
satin, or fine cloth imported from foreign parts. In these things
I can see the independence of our people being gradually secured.
34
I will bring my remarks to a close, praying God to bless you, my
brethren and sisters, and those who may speak unto us, and to
fill them with His Holy Spirit, and also those who listen to
their sayings, that their hearts may rejoice together with
exceeding great joy before Him, which is my prayer in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Orson
Hyde, December 18, 1864
Orson Hyde, December 18, 1864
ANALOGY BETWIXT THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH IN EGYPT AND THAT OF THE
LATTER-DAY SAINTS.--DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS.--ITS EFFECT
ON THE
WORK OF THE LAST DAYS.--GOODNESS OF GOD TO HIS PEOPLE.
Remarks by Elder Orson Hyde, made in the Tabernacle in Great Salt
Lake City, on Sunday, December 18, 1864.
Reported by E. L. Sloan.
35
I feel thankful, my brethren and sisters, for the privilege of
once more meeting with you in this tabernacle. I feel thankful
that so many of us are spared to meet together.
35
I need not reiterate in your hearing, that we are living in a
most important day and age of the world, equally important to the
Saints of the Most High as to the rest of mankind; for the
present is fraught with events that should admonish us to live
near to the Lord, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.
We have been tried in adversity. Many of us know what it is to be
in the very depths of poverty and privation; and we now seem to
have advanced into a measurable prosperity, in order that we may
be proved and tried in another manner, and let it be known in the
heavens and to the just on the earth whether we are able to abide
prosperity as well as adversity.
35
There are so many things before me and in my mind, that I hardly
know what to speak upon and call your attention to. I do not know
that it matters much, for the Saints are interested in everything
that is good, comforting, and cheering to the heart. I will say,
however, that what was written beforetime was written for our
profit and instruction, that we, through an understanding
thereof, might have patience and hope. A great enterprise was
determined upon by our Heavenly Father, and for this purpose he
seemed to have inspired a certain individual with the
manifestations of his will in dreams, and visions of the day,
perhaps, also, of the night, and that individual was Joseph of
old. It appears that in this son of the Patriarch Jacob, the
germs of greatness and power were manifest, not only to himself
in his own reflections and thoughts, and by reason of the
manifestations he received of the Divine will, but, also, to the
satisfaction of his brethren, that he was likely to aspire to, or
be elevated to, dominion and government over them. This roused
their envy and jealousy until they could not endure his presence.
They sought to rid themselves of him, and contrived various plans
and means to accomplish it, especially after he had told them his
dream, that their sheaves had made obeisance to his sheaf as they
were binding in the harvest-field. And then, to cap the climax,
he told them he had had another dream, in which the sun and the
moon and the eleven stars had made obeisance to him. Not only was
he to have dominion and power over his brethren, but his father
and mother, as well, were to recognize his power.
36
This created a jealousy that was satisfied only in his separation
from them, and they sold him to certain Ishmaelitish merchants,
who bore him away, a slave, into Egypt. Little did they think, as
they saw him take his departure with the camels of those
merchants, that he was but a pioneer to open a way before them,
and that they would actually have to follow on his track and seek
succor at his hands. But in process of time it proved to be true,
for the country from which he had been expelled, sold as a
bondman and thrust away by force, was visited by famine, and he,
by the interposition of Providence, was elevated to power in the
land to which he had been banished. He had become a prince in
that land, and its revenue and riches were under his control. His
brethren were forced by famine to go down there; so were his
father and their little ones. When they came to him and found him
occupying a princely state, it was overwhelming to them. They
bowed down to him. He was a prince! The Almighty had blessed him
and made him strong in the land to which they had banished him.
Their very jealousy and envy had placed him on the road to
greatness and power, and they were themselves compelled to seek
succor from the brother they had hated and banished.
36
I have adverted to but few circumstances connected with the
history of these individuals, for it would consume too much time
to enter further into them. But enough has been said to show you
the analogy that follows: We have been expelled from a certain
country because our enemies discovered in us germs of power and
greatness which aroused their jealousy and hatred, and they were
determined to be rid of us. When they saw us leaving, to cross
the vast plains that stretched before us, as we turned our backs
upon the homes we had made with much labor and toil, they
flattered themselves that they were rid of any dominion of ours,
either real or imaginary. But little did they think when they
were doing so, that they were forcing us on to a track they would
have eventually to travel themselves. This was hid from their
eyes.
36
The Saints did cross the plains to leave that country, and here
we are; and who better than ourselves can appreciate the
circumstances that now attend us? The Almighty has blessed us in
this country; He has poured His blessings bounteously upon us,
for which every heart here should beat with gratitude to the Most
High. While war is desolating the country from which we came, we
are here in peace, for which we should be thankful now that we
are here. That element that drove us away, not, perhaps, the
first, but that very element is beginning to follow in our track.
What is its policy? The policy, no doubt, is to cease to invade
us by force or arms. But another is adopted, more easily
accomplished. What is it? Why, "We will oil our lips, and smooth
our tongues, and ingratiate ourselves into your favor; we will
mingle and co-mingle with you as brothers, and lead you away; we
will contaminate you, and by pouring wealth into your laps, we
will make you indifferent to your God, your faith, and your
covenants." The object is to destroy those germs of greatness
which Heaven has planted in our souls, at which they feel
alarmed--germs of greatness which, if cultivated, will lead us to
wield a power to which the nations will have to bow, as the
nations had to bow to that Joseph who was sold into Egypt.
37
Another circumstance I will call your attention to. In the first
place, every great enterprise is attended with its difficulties,
its hardships, and oppositions, for there must needs be
opposition in all things. We are told that in the year 1492 this
American continent was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Look
at the exertions made by him to obtain the necessary means to
effect the discovery. It required ships, means, and men to enable
him to make his way across the trackless deep to find a country
which, to him, seemed necessary to balance the earth. The Spirit
of God came upon him, and he had no rest day nor night until he
accomplished what the Spirit wrought upon him to do. He went
first to one place and then to another to procure help. He
applied to different crowned heads, and received rebuffs and
discouragements. He was poor; the plans of Jehovah are mostly
carried out by humble and poor individuals. So it was with
Columbus; he was poor, but daring and persevering, and with a
soul formed within his bosom to undertake and prosecute the great
enterprise that was to bring to light a vast continent reserved
in the providence of God as the theatre of great events in a
period that was then in the future. By the aid of Ferdinand and
Isabella of Spain he obtained three small vessels, old and almost
rotten, poorly manned and badly provisioned. It was not because
they believed he would be successful, but like the unjust judge
with the poor widow, they desired to get rid of his
importunities. The unjust judge had no very strong feelings in
favor of the widow, but that he might be rid of her importunings,
he hearkened to her prayer. So did they serve Columbus. They said
they would fit him out and send him away, and he might go on his
explorations for the imaginary country he fancied lay towards the
west. If they had had any faith that he would be successful, they
would have fitted him out with the best ships that any navies of
the time could have afforded, manned with sufficient men and
supplied with all the necessary equipments; and then they would
have said, "Go and prosper, and the God of the seas pioneer your
course." But they had no faith in the enterprise; they wanted to
stop his importunings and get rid of him.
37
When we look back at our history we find a certain analogy in it
to that of this man. Our enemies wanted to get rid of us. We
applied to the powers that were for aid and succor. What did we
receive in response to our applications? Silence in some cases;
contempt in others. And when we had to sell out, it was not with
old rotten ships that they paid us, but with old rotten wagons,
old spavined horses, and other things equally worthless. Then
they said, "Go and do the best you can." They thought they had
given us an outfit that would last us until our destruction would
be consummated; they imagined it would last us until we got
beyond what they pleased to call civilization; but thinking that,
perhaps, we might live through all, they demanded five hundred of
our best men, while in camp in the wilderness, leaving our camp
to the care of cripples and old men and women, in the midst of an
Indian country. But we lived.
38
Little did Ferdinand and Isabella think that Columbus was leading
the way that all Europe would have to follow. If they had so
thought, they would have given him better ships and a better
outfit. But when they found he had opened a new country, rich and
bountifully productive, behold the surface of the ocean was
whitened with the sails of vessels, bearing their living freights
crowding to seek fortune on the new continent that spread itself
invitingly before them. All Europe, figuratively speaking,
followed in his track, and spread themselves over the face of the
land. But see what these adventurers have come to. This country,
discovered by him, is enveloped in war; and if you live a few
years longer, you will see much of the land that has been blessed
with unequalled prosperity, from the east to the west, a
wilderness and a desolation; and this will be in consequence of
the abuse of the blessings bestowed upon it by those who enjoyed
them. If I mistake not, a certain Senator said to a Senator from
Louisiana, "What are you going to do with Louisiana?" "Why," was
the reply, "Louisiana was a wilderness when we bought her from
France, and if she secede we will make her a wilderness again."
If the land does not become a wilderness and a desolation, we do
not see correctly--we do not understand correctly the revelations
which the Almighty has given us. The Scripture says, that in the
last days His people will go forth and build up the waste places
of Zion. But they must first be made desolate, before they can be
called "the waste places of Zion." Then the hands of the Saints
will be required to build them up.
38
Compare the coming of the Saints here with the banishment of
Joseph into Egypt, and the manner in which Columbus was sent off
on his perilous exploration, and note the conclusion that
follows. The world dreaded the germs of greatness which they saw
in the Saints. They dreaded the power that seemed to attend them.
They were almost at war with us because we were united. They
disliked the idea of our being politically one. They wanted us to
be of different parties. But when they saw we were united, they
said, "There is a power that is destined to make them great, to
exalt them." And let me say here to the Saints, be you united and
be one with your leader, and you will as surely ascend to power
and elevation in the earth as Joseph of old did in the land of
Egypt. We are here, and in unity. We are not destroyed. When I
look at our condition at the present time, I cannot but feel that
we should be thankful to the Lord every day of our lives.
38
I was once in business, in the East, in the mercantile line, and
we used to sell our common unbleached factory at 16 2-3rd cents
a-yard. A yard of factory brought a bushel of oats. When I see
that the Saints can now get three yards of factory for a bushel
of oats--three times as much for their produce in this
"God-forsaken country," so called by some, as we could get when
we were in the east, I have said, what but the hand of God could
have done it? I feel that the hand of God is over this people.
Then why, in the day of prosperity, should we permit our hearts
to run after the things of this world, and not permit our
feelings and affections to be centred in this kingdom, and use
the riches of this world as we use the waters of the ocean,--not
enter into them to be engulphed by them, but glide over them to
power and greatness as the ship moves onward to her destined
port.
39
I am glad of the privilege of being with you to-day, and of
speaking a few words to you. In fact, I never felt more thankful
to God, nor had feelings of greater joy in the principles of life
than I have to-day. I feel glad that I am counted worthy to bear
the name of my master Jesus. We are doing our best to build up
the kingdom of our God in that part of the Territory where my
time is principally spent, and I presume you are doing the same
here. I say to the Saints, in the day of prosperity beware of
pride, beware of worldly mindedness, beware that we be not
ensnared by the things of this world. Let me tell you, the
judgments of the Almighty are beginning to be poured out upon the
nations of the earth. A great portion of the nations that will
not repent will be eventually swept away before the just
judgments of Heaven. And if the Elders are sent forth to bear the
truth to the nations, they will go, as it were, in the trough of
a wave, as the billows of tribulation and destruction pass over
the nations, retiring before another wave comes; and thus, by the
voice of mercy and the words of truth, the nations will be
prepared for their doom.
39
Brethren and sisters, be faithful,--be true to the Lord our God.
Though you should not get so much of this world's goods, be sure
your hearts are in unison with the God of Heaven. May the peace
of Israel be and abide with you, and with those who guide the
destinies of Israel from this time henceforth and for ever. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, January 8, 1865
Brigham Young, January 8, 1865
ORDINANCE OF BREAD AND WINE.--ITS NATURE.--CHARACTER OF GOD AND
OF
JESUS.--REASONS WHY SIN AND DEATH EXIST.--EARTHLY PROBATION
NECESSARY
FOR FUTURE GLORY.--DANGER OF APOSTACY.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, January 8, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
39
I am more and more convinced of the inability of man to receive
intelligence to any great amount at any one time. Some have an
understanding of what they commit to the keeping of their
memories, while others commit to repeat again, and that is the
end of it. Some can remember things for years that have been told
them, and still not understand what was told them; while others
can receive more into their understandings, and retain more in
their memories, than others can, and still not be qualified to
repeat that which they can remember and understand. Why I make
these remarks is, because that I see around me, and feel within
me, the defects which are occasioned by the weakness which is in
man through the fall. I would not, however, say that a person
entirely free from the effects of the fall of man could learn
knowledge to any great amount at one time, though he might be
able to learn more than a man would who is under the influence of
the fall.
40
I will make a few remarks, in the first place, in regard to the
ordinance of administering bread and wine, which ordinance we
attend to every first day of the week. This is a very solemn
ordinance. The Christian world accepts it, in preference to any
other, as one of the ordinances of the house of God. With some,
this ordinance is the first and the last; and with others this
ordinance is not thought to be of sufficient importance to be
attended to. I wish to say to the Latter-day Saints, and also to
those who do not believe in the fulness of the Gospel, that this
ordinance, which we are now attending to this afternoon, is, in
reality, no more sacred than any other ordinance of the house of
God in the eyes of Him who has instituted the same. The validity
of one divine law is the same as the validity of another with our
Father and God. We partake of bread and water to witness that we
remember Jesus Christ, who gave his life a ransom for us, and
that we are willing to keep His commandments. He has said, "Do
this in remembrance of me," when He ate His last supper with His
disciples; and He also said, "But I say unto you, I will not
drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I
drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." We should desire
to remember Him in all sincerity, and when we partake of these
emblems, do it with an eye single to His glory, and to the
building up of His kingdom, also for our own perfection,
salvation, and glorification therein. In like manner we should
receive and obey all the ordinances of the house of God; and I
hope and trust that we shall live to our profession so strictly,
and so closely adhere to the commandments of the Lord, that we
shall never hear the painful sound that Saints and sinners are
one; this I should abhor. I pray that the Latter-day Saints will
live so that God, Jesus Christ, and the angels will love them,
and the devil and all his hosts will hate them. I have never yet
been able to discover in all my researches in sacred history that
a Gospel hater, a Jesus Christ hater, and a God hater ever spoke
well of Saints, either in the former or in the latter days, but
have ever sought occasion against them from the most trifling
circumstances. We have an instance of this, when the disciples of
Jesus, in passing through the cornfield, being hungry, began to
pluck the ears of corn, and eat; the Pharisees, seeing this, said
to Jesus, "Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to
do upon the Sabbath day." You may read at your leisure the answer
of the Savior. This was a trick of the devil to bring evil upon
Jesus and His disciples. Satan and his followers think no better
of the Saints now than they did in the life time of the Savior,
and I hope never to see the day when they will find favor in the
eyes of the wicked. It is true, some will backslide, leave the
Church of Jesus Christ, and receive the spirit of the world and
the love of it, and, finally, be lost; but the great body of the
Saints, I most fervently believe, will never amalgamate with
Baal.
41
I will now say a few words relating to the subject which was
presented to the people this morning. Inquiries were made by the
speaker, why we have not seen God; why we are subject to sin; why
we are in this fallen world? I will briefly answer these queries.
If our Father and God should be disposed to walk through one of
these aisles, we should not know him from one of the
congregation. You would see a man, and that is all you would know
about him; you would merely know Him as a stranger from some
neighboring city or country. This is the character of Him whom we
worship and acknowledge as our Father and God: when He is
disposed to visit a house, a neighborhood, or a congregation, He
does it at His pleasure; and although He may be seen by mortals
in this character, yet no man can see Him in His glory and live.
When the Lord sends an angel to visit men, He gives him power and
authority to appear to the people as a man, and not as an angel
in his glory; for we could not endure the presence even of an
angel in his glory. No mortal man has ever seen God in His glory
at any time and lived. We may have seen the Lord and angels many
times, and did not know it. I will be satisfied with seeing and
associating with His children whom I now behold, for there is not
a son or daughter of Adam and Eve before me to-day but what is
the offspring of that God we worship. He is our Heavenly Father;
He is also our God, and the Maker and upholder of all things in
heaven and on earth. He sends forth His counsels and extends His
providences to all living. He is the Supreme Controller of the
universe. At His rebuke the sea is dried up, and the rivers
become a wilderness. He measures the waters in the hollow of His
hand, and meteth out heaven with a span, and comprehendeth the
dust of the earth in a measure, and weigheth the mountains in
scales, and the hills in a balance; the nations to Him are as a
drop in a bucket, and He taketh up the isles as a very little
thing; the hairs of our heads are numbered by Him, and not a
sparrow falleth to the ground without our Father; and He knoweth
every thought and intent of the hearts of all living, for He is
everywhere present by the power of His Spirit--His minister the
Holy Ghost. He is the Father of all, is above all, through all,
and in you all; He knoweth all things pertaining to this earth,
and He knows all things pertaining to millions of earths like
this.
41
The Lord Jesus Christ might come among us and we would not know
Him; and if he were to come in our midst and speak unto us
to-day, we might suppose Him to be one of our returned
missionaries; and if He was to make himself known unto us, some
might say to Him, as it was said by one of old, "Lord, show us
the Father, and it sufficeth us." He would simply say, "He that
hath seem me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou, then,
shew us the Father?" It is written of Jesus, that, besides His
being the brightness of His Father's glory, He is also "the
express image of His person." The knowledge of the character of
the Only Begotten of the Father comes to us through the
testimony, not of disinterested witnesses, but of His friends,
those who were most especially and deeply interested for their
own welfare, and the welfare of their brethren. We have no
testimony concerning the Savior's character and works, only from
those who were thus interested in His welfare and success, and in
the building up of His kingdom. It has been often said, if a
disinterested witness would testify that Joseph Smith is a
prophet of God, many might believe his testimony; but no person
could be believed, by any intelligent person, who would testify
to a matter of such importance, and who would still view it as a
thing in which he had no interest. But they who are interested,
who know the worth of that man and understand the spirit and the
power of his mission, and the character of the Being that sent
and ordained him, are the proper persons to testify of the truth
of his mission, and the character of the Being that sent and
ordained him, are the proper persons to testify of the truth of
his mission, and they are the most interested of any living upon
the earth. So it was with those who bore witness of the Savior,
and of His mission on the earth.
42
If Jesus should veil His glory and appear before you as a man,
and witness of himself as being the image of his Father, would
you believe that he was really Jesus Christ and that he told you
the truth? And if you believed His words, would you not wonder
exceedingly to hear that our Father and God is an organized being
after the fashion of man's organization in every respect? Such,
however, is the case. One of the prophets describes the Father of
us all, saying, "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and
the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and
the hair of his head like the pure wool; his throne was like the
fiery flame," etc. The prophet further says, "thousand thousands
ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood
before him," etc. Again, "and, behold, one like the Son of Man
came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of days,
and they brought him near before him." Now, who is this Ancient
of days? You may answer this question at your pleasure, I have
already told the people. But the Savior would answer the question
as to the appearance of the Father of us all, by saying, "Look at
me, for I am the very express image of My Father." Then if the
Father is precisely like his Son Jesus Christ, where is the man
here in the flesh that is precisely like the Savior? We have not
seen Him in person, but there are men on the earth who have seen
Him in vision. As to whether the Savior has got a body or not is
no question with those who possess the gift and power of the Holy
Ghost, and are endowed with the Holy Priesthood; they know that
he was a man in the flesh, and is now a man in the heavens; He
was a man subject to sin, to temptation, and to weaknesses; but
He is now a man that is above all this--a man in perfection.
42
And what shall we say of our Heavenly Father? He is also a man in
perfection, and the father of the man Jesus Christ, and the
father of our spirits; He lives far above the influence and power
of sin, and holds in his hands the destinies of all. We have not
seen the person of the Father, neither have we seen that of the
Son; but we have seen the children of the Father, and the
brethren of the Savior, who are in every way like them in
physical appearance and organization. Although mankind of the
same color look alike, yet there exist expressions of the
features by which one person can be distinguished from another.
The human family all resemble one another in the main
characteristics of humanity, and all resemble the Savior who died
for us; and could we see him in the flesh, as he appeared to the
ancients, we should very likely find that some men are more like
him that others in feature and form, as we often see men who are
more like Joseph Smith than others are. God is our Father, Jesus
Christ is our Elder Brother, and we are all brethren, and of one
family, and our Heavenly Father is subjecting us to sin, misery,
pain, and death for the exquisite enjoyment of an exaltation.
This will answer my mind for the present with regard to the
character of our Father and our God, and with regard to our
Savior.
43
The reason of our being made subject to sin and misery, pain,
woe, and death, is, that we may become acquainted with the
opposites of happiness and pleasure. The absence of light brings
darkness, and darkness an appreciation of light; pain an
appreciation of ease and comfort; and ignorance, falsehood,
folly, and sin, in comparison with wisdom, knowledge,
righteousness, and truth, make the latter the more desirable to
mankind. Facts are made apparent to the human mind by their
opposites. We find ourselves surrounded in this mortality by an
almost endless combination of opposites, through which we must
pass to gain experience and information to fit us for an eternal
progression. Those who are enlightened by the spirit of truth,
have no difficulty in seeing the propriety and the benefit to us
of this state of things. Like heavenly beings, we are endowed
with the power of free volition; for God has given to mankind
their agency, making them amenable to him for their sins, and
entitling them to blessings and rewards for the good they do, and
according to their faith in him. It is the wish of our Heavenly
Father to bring all his children back into his presence. The
spirits of all the human family dwelt with him before they took
tabernacles of flesh and became subject to the fall and to sin.
He is their spiritual Father, and has sent them here to be
clothed with flesh, and to be subject, with their tabernacles, to
the ills that afflict fallen humanity. When they have proved
themselves faithful in all things, and worthy before Him, they
can then have the privilege of returning again to his presence,
with their bodies, to dwell in the abodes of the blessed. If man
could have been made perfect, in his double capacity of body and
spirit, without passing through the ordeals of mortality, there
would have been no necessity of our coming into this state of
trial and suffering. Could the Lord have glorified his children
in spirit, without a body like his own, he no doubt would have
done so.
43
We read that there is nothing impossible with God. In a broad
sense there is not; but in another sense there are things he
never attempted and never will. He will not exalt a spirit to
thrones, to immortality, and eternal lives, unless that spirit is
first clothed in mortal flesh, and with it, passes through a
mortal probation, and overcomes the world, the flesh, and the
devil through the atonement made by Jesus Christ and the power of
the Gospel. The spirit must be clothed as He is, or it never can
be glorified with him. He must of necessity subject his children
to the same, through a strict observance of the ordinances and
rules of salvation. To attain to this glory, it is required that
we love and honor his name, reverence his character and the
ordinances of his house, and never speak lightly of him, of his
Son Jesus Christ, or of those who bear His Priesthood; never
speaking evil of dignities, who are clothed with the authority of
Heaven; for to all such it will be said, "Depart from me, ye
cursed," etc. I say to all, honor God and his Holy Priesthood,
which he bestows upon mankind expressly for the purpose of
bringing them again into his presence, with their resurrected and
renewed tabernacles, for exaltation and glory.
44
I cannot on the present occasion say all that I would on these
matters. The riches of eternity and the marrow of life are
embraced in them; they are full of life to all who desire life,
they will increase life to those who live, and give life to those
who seem to have no life. It is as easy to understand these
principles when the mind is opened by the Spirit of the Almighty,
as it is to understand one of the simple lessons in the child's
first reader. Here are some of the twelve apostles listening to
what I have to say; they have heard me speak at length upon these
doctrines, and they have been taught from time to time for years
past. The speaker this morning possessed a sweet, loving spirit,
and gave us a lovely discourse, but did not think of these things
which have been told him time and time again. I would exhort my
brethren to read the Scriptures, and seek earnestly for the
Spirit of the Almighty to understand them; and this great
subject, at which I have merely glanced, will appear to them in
all its simplicity and grandeur. Let each man so live that he may
know these things for himself, and be always ready to give a
reason of the hope within him to all who may ask it. I am trying
to be a Latter-day Saint, and I think I shall conquer. I may come
short in a thousand things; but I think I shall receive my reward
as a faithful servant of God, which I hope to do, and I also hope
you will. Let us live so that we may still add to our present
stock of knowledge, and have the disposition within us to do even
better than we have hitherto done; although I do not know that I
could do better than I have done since I have been in this
kingdom: if I were to live my life over again, I should be afraid
to try it, lest I might make the matter worse instead of better.
Let us live so that the oracles of truth, the words of life, and
the power of God shall dwell within us constantly. You will not
hold these remarks long in your memories, and although they are
printed and you can read them at your leisure, yet they may lie
upon the book shelf neglected, and the mind remain barren of the
true information they contain.
44
The whole world has gone after Lucifer; they follow the lusts of
their eyes and the wicked desires of their depraved minds; they
have all gone after sin, except a few, and all hell seems bent on
making those few apostatize from the truth; but they cannot
destroy the kingdom of God. Some few will be dazzled by the
tinsel show and fair pretensions of the world, and be led away
from the truth by the silken cords of the enemy of all
righteousness; but they do not know the misery of the world. When
they get into hell, they would be willing to be preached to, that
they might get out, if they could. It would be well for all who
wish to apostatize to do so, and give your room for others who
want it. We are told that we must be tried in all things; there
may yet remain a few things in which we have not yet been tried,
and in some things we have been tried pretty well.
44
Who is for God and his kingdom? I can tell you truly that there
are more for the kingdom of God than there are against it. This
is a pleasing reflection. We have on former occasions made known
to the people the state of the wicked after death; if they will
not listen to the testimony of the servants of God, let them
taste of the sufferings of the damned and drink of the bitter cup
to the dregs, and then they will very likely call for mercy. May
the pure in heart ever be enabled, through the mercy of the Lord,
to shun suffering, and not be obliged to pass through the great
misery that many will who have turned away from the truth,
forsaken the principles of life and salvation, and their God,
until they are destroyed. This we cannot help. Let the pure in
heart, and all those who desire the truth, magnify their calling,
and they will have all the sorrow and misery they want. Still,
the faithful servants and handmaidens of the Almighty never have,
nor never will, suffer like the wicked have and will. The
Latter-day Saints, in all their drivings, and persecutions, and
sufferings in consequence thereof, have not begun to suffer the
distress, the heart wringing, the great woe and slaughter that
now spread gloom over our once happy land. If we could behold at
one glance the suffering that is endured in one day through the
war which is now depopulating some of the fairest portions of the
land, we should become sick at heart and cry to God to close the
vision. It is the kingdom of God or nothing with us, and by the
help of the Almighty we shall bear it off triumphantly to all
nations, gather Israel, build up Zion, redeem Israel, and Jesus
Christ will triumph, and we shall reign with him on the earth,
and possess it and all its fulness with him. May the Lord bless
you. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Q. Cannon, November 27, 1864
George Q. Cannon, November 27, 1864
REVELATION IN THE CHURCH.--NECESSITY OF OBEDIENCE TO
COUNSEL.--CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF THE SAINTS. DUTY
OF STRIVING TO INCREASE OUR FAITH.
Remarks by Elder George Q. Cannon, made in the Tabernacle in
Great Salt Lake City, Sunday afternoon, November 27, 1864.
Reported by E. L. Sloan.
45
The remarks made by the brethren this afternoon, and all through
the day, have been to me exceedingly edifying and instructive. If
I could impart to you one tenth of the feelings and reflections
that have been awakened in me by them, I would be satisfied. So
many points have been touched upon that I think every person
present has felt to rejoice for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
which we have enjoyed. There is one point in relation to the
great work with which we are identified, and its further
movements, to which I wish to refer. It has been alluded to this
afternoon that some entertain the idea that we may have to leave
these upper valleys and retire to the more southern ones before
our enemies. For my part, I cannot believe this. I never have
believed it. I believe we are in the very place which God
designed we should occupy; and I believe with all my heart the
words of President Young, when he spoke respecting our movement
south and the sacrifice we made of our homes here, which we were
willing to put the torch to and burn sooner than our enemies
should possess them. He said, when we came back again, that we
had begun to return,--to retrace our steps in the path we had
been compelled to tread by the inhumanity of our enemies, and we
would re-occupy the lands from which we have been driven. I felt
then that it was true, and still feel so; and, to me, it looks
like childishness for any of us to cease improving the advantages
our Father and God has given us in this valley and in the valleys
north, south, east, and west.
46
The Lord has blessed us to a very great extent. He has constantly
poured out upon his servants the spirit of instruction and
revelation. There has been no move that it has been necessary for
us, as a people, to make that we have not been forewarned of by
our leaders; and when they counsel us to take measures for the
improvement of our city or the adjacent country, or for doing any
thing that will make us great and powerful, it is our duty, being
the mind and will of God, to adhere to and obey their counsels
and instructions; and he who would think by word, or thought, or
expression to weaken the effect of that counsel, is an enemy to
the Zion of our God;--he who would try to weaken the counsels of
the Presidency is an enemy in disguise, and unless he drives that
spirit from his heart, he will sooner or later be found arrayed
in the ranks of the enemies of God and truth. There is but one
course that can be pursued in safety, and that is the course
pointed out by those who are placed to preside over us. It may
seem unnecessary to say so; but it is necessary. It seems, at
times, as though we had not sufficiently learned the lesson of
obedience, and it requires the servants of God to continually
remind us of these things, and impress it upon us that in this
path alone can we obtain salvation.
46
The Lord told us years ago that we were called to lay the
foundation of a great work. The Latter-day Saint who looks to his
own benefit alone and does not recognize the extent of the work
and its influence upon the people--not only upon the people
gathered together here, but upon the nations of the earth has
failed to comprehend the position he occupies as a serant of God;
and, unless he changes his course, instead of increasing in the
things of God, he will decrease, and the Spirit of the Lord will
not be with him to the extent it would be, were he alive to his
duties and responsibilities as a servant of God. We are engaged
in a work that affects ourselves, our neighbours, our posterity,
and progenitors, and all the nations of the earth, and it will
not do to be blinded by petty interests; to think in relation to
the counsel to bring out the waters of Jordan, for instance, is
it going to benefit my farm or my city lot? To reason in this way
betrays a narrowness of mind that does not harmonize with the
greatness of the work we are engaged in. If we look at matters in
this light, we are not worthy to occupy the position we hold.
46
While Brother Joseph W. Young and Brother Gates were speaking, my
mind reverted to the history of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt,
the progenitor, perhaps, of the greatest portion of this
congregation. An axiom came to my mind, that history repeats
itself. And the great majority of us who are his descendants are
not unlikely to accomplish a work similar to that which he
accomplished. You know what has been meted out to us by our
brethren. It has been our fortune, like him, to be dreamers. Like
him, we related our dreams to our brethren, and they acted
towards us as his brethren did towards him. They said, "We will
not have this dreamer to rule over us." They put him into a pit,
and afterwards sold him to the Ishmaelites, and he was carried to
Egypt, where they thought they would never see him or hear from
him again. But God overruled their acts, and the fulfilment of
the dreams for which they sold him into slavery was brought about
by that very means. So our brethren, instead of owning the truth
of our visions, acted towards us as the brethren of Joseph did
towards him. They would not own the power of God, nor look upon
us as their benefactors, but abused us and treated us cruelly,
driving us from their midst; yet out of it God will bring
salvation to the remnant which is left of them.
47
You may depend upon it, we are repeating the history of the past.
We will yet have to feed our brethren in the flesh; we will yet
be the head and will extend unto them the salvation and
deliverance, spiritually and temporally, which they need. We can
see plainly that the Lord is overruling circumstances for the
accomplishment of this end. Shall we not, then, be willing agents
in his hands, and seek with all the energy of our nature to do
what he requires of us? I believe this is the feeling of every
Latter-day Saint, and those who love righteousness are determined
in their hearts to do all that is required of them by the
servants of God. There is no one under the sound of my voice
to-day but has felt happiness in doing what has been required of
him by the servants of God. This is the secret of the power
wielded by President Young over this people. Because they have a
living and abiding testimony of the Spirit with them when doing
their duty, their hearts are filled with joy, thanksgiving, and
happiness; but when they take an opposite course, and go contrary
to what is required of them by the servants of God, they feel
miserable, they know they have taken a wrong course, and, if they
are wise, they repent speedily of their sins and are obedient to
the counsel given.
47
I hope to see the day when we will have land and water, food and
fruit, and evrything that is pleasing and useful, everything that
is necessary for the comfort and well-being of man, to enjoy
ourselves and share with those who come to us and live with us.
And I know the measures taken by our leaders now will be attended
with these results, if we abide their counsels. Whenever there
has been a failure in carying out any measure that has been
counselled, it has been because of a lack of faith on the part of
those to whom the counsel has been given. It is time we should
begin to think what we are going to be, and rise above those
little petty feelings that are characteristic of the world. We
should allow our minds to be filled with the Spirit of God to
such an extent that we can have enlarged thoughts and views. We
should feel to say that "anything which benefits my brethren and
sisters, whether it furthers my interests or not, let it be done;
let the community be blessed, whether my personal interests are
prospered or not by the course taken." The person who cherishes
this feeling will be sure to receive temporal prosperity.
47
I know we live in the kingdom of God and serve a liberal Master,
and though we may be called upon to make what we may view as
sacrifices, if we do so willingly and liberally, God will give to
us a liberal reward. "The liberal deviseth liberal things, and by
liberal things shall he stand," was said by one of old, and can
be said in truth of the day in which we live. If we act upon this
principle, God will deal with us in a similar manner. I know this
to be true, and that God will reward us with every blessing we
need, as a people, if we take the course that is pointed out.
There is no circumstance or difficulty we have to contend with
but what is for our good, and will ultimately prove so, if we are
faithful. No matter what labor we are required to perform, we are
in the very position, and doing the very work, God requires at
our hands. It is necessary for our development and increase in
the faith of the Lord Jesus. This is a glorious consolation to
me.
47
I know that everything will be overruled for our good if we do
right. No matter how difficult circumstances may be to bear at
the time they are for our good, and God watches over us; his
angels are round about us all the time. The spirit of prophecy
and the angels of God are continualy with His servant Brigham;
and when the people receive and act upon his counsel, it results
in good to them. May God bless us, and fill us with more faith
and power, that we may go forth in mighty strength to accomplish
the work of our God on the earth. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Albert Smith, January 22, 1865
George Albert Smith, January 22, 1865
FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL.--APOSTACY FROM THE
PRIMITIVE FAITH AND RESTORATION OF THE FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL.
Remarks by Elder George A. Smith, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, Sunday, January 22, 1865.
Reported by E. L. Sloan.
48
We have heard a very practical discourse this afternoon from
Elder Woodruff, one which is calculated to cause all persons to
consider for themselves whether they are pursuing such a course
as is in accordance with the law of righteousness, instead of
following the wickedness spoken of which exists in the world.
Considerable has been said on various occasions to show us that
great efforts have been made to teach the principles of religion,
and to make known to the children of men what they should do to
be saved; but professing Christians have unfortunately become
very much divided in their opinions as to the proper way of
obtaining this salvation. "And he said unto them, Thus it is
written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from
the dead the third day; that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things." Such is the
record of Luke of the last commandment given by the Savior of
mankind to his Apostles when they went forth to preach the
Gospel, and communicate to the human family a knowledge of the
way by which they could be saved. He commanded that repentance
and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem. "And," said he, "ye are
witnesses of these things." The witnesses were the Apostles sent
forth to deliver the message entrusted to them, and to administer
the ordinances by which salvation could be attained. "And he gave
some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ;
till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ; that we henceforth be no more
children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive."
49
Now, when these Apostles--these witnesses--went forth, in
obedience to the injunction of their Master, they preached
repentance to the people; they called upon the human family to
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, bearing testimony, as they were
witnesses, that it behooved Christ to suffer and rise again from
the dead, that the way might be opened for the human family to
obtain a remission of their sins. Let us inquire what they
taught. The very first lesson, as we find it recorded by the same
writer, Luke, after the Apostles had borne testimony of the
coming of the Savior, of his death and resurrection, to the
representatives of the various nations assembled at Jerusalem on
the feast of Pentecost--a testimony which excited so much
interest as to cause an outcry among them of, "Men and brethren,
what shall we do?"--the very first lesson was, "Repent and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost." This, the first delivered message to the nations of the
earth, after the ascension of the Savior, that we have any record
of, was plain and simple--easily comprehended and easily obeyed.
But in a few generations after, we find that those plain and
simple doctrines--the doctrines of repentance and the remission
of sins through the ordinance of baptism, and the doctrines which
they continued to preach of the laying on of hands and the
ministration and power of the Holy Ghost, which the Savior
promised should be a comforter and should teach and instruct and
lead those who received it into all truth--we find that those
doctrines became unpopular. The Apostles foresaw this, in their
warnings to the children of men, and cried out, "Beware lest any
man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the
tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ." Look through the writings of these holy men, and you
will find them replete with prophecies concerning the degeneracy
of mankind in the last days. They declared that, "Men shall be
lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy; without
natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good; traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn
away;" and furthermore, "The time will come, when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap
to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn
away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
This is prophecy--history reversed. In the writings of the
Apostle Peter, we find these prophetic warnings repeated, and if
we search what is called Church History, we find the result in
exact conformity with the declarations made. In the year 1830,
such was the condition of the world. Take a Bible in your pocket,
at that time, and go into any of the large cities in
Christendom--the city of London for instance--and inquire, as you
enter a large edifice devoted to religious worship, what church
is this? "This is St. Paul's;" and this? "This is St. Peter's;"
and this? "St. Jude's;" and so on. Have you any apostles here? I
find they were set in the Church, according to the Bible I have
in my pocket. "Oh, no; they are all done away." Have you any
prophets? "No; they are all done away." Have you any inspired men
here? "No; they are all done away." Do you baptize in water here
for the remission of sins? "Oh dear, no; we sprinkle babies when
they are brought here; but baptism for the remission of sins is
no longer needed."
50
If you had searched through Christendom, you would have found
this to be the condition of affairs, religiously, among
professing Christians, when God in his abundant mercy sent forth
from the heavens an angel "having the everlasting Gospel to
preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people." When this angel delivered his
message to Joseph Smith, to lay the foundation of the Church upon
the original basis, it was as the prophet Isaiah describes it, in
language which some would be inclined to say had been written
quite recently, if they did not believe in prophecy. "Behold, the
Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it
upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And
it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the
servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her
mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the
lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with
the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and
utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth
mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away,
the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth, also, is
defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have
transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the
everlasting covenant; therefore hath the curse devoured the
earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore, the
inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left."
50
Here is set forth, in the utmost plainness, why this great
destruction, this utter cleaning out of wickedness, should be;
because mankind had "transgressed the laws, changed the
ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant; therefore hath the
curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are
desolate; therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned and
few men left." The storm of desolation and destruction has barely
commenced; and all who would avoid it must come back to the
original platform, beginning with faith, repentance, and baptism
for the remission of sins, and lie according to the principles of
that Gospel that was revealed from heaven, with apostles and
prophets, with powers and blessings, accompanied by the gifts of
wisdom, of knowledge and understanding, to bless, and save, and
exalt mankind, and which will spread among the honest in heart of
every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, until the kingdoms of
this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ. May
God bless us, and enable us to live worthy the high honor of
being associated with such a work and participants in its
blessings, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / John
Taylor, January 18, 1865
John Taylor, January 18, 1865
DIFFERENT IDEAS OF NATIONS IN REGARD TO GOVERNMENT.--VIEWS
OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS: THEIR PHILANTHROPY.--REFORMATION
EFFECTED BY THEM--LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE ALLOWED TO ALL.
Remarks by Elder John Taylor, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt
Lake City, January 18, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
51
We have gathered out from the people of the world into these
valleys to be distinct and separate from them as a Church and a
people. If I can answer the desires of my mind, in relation to
this matter, I should like to show you in what respect that
separation consists; what relation we sustain to God, to his
Church and kingdom, and to the world. It is a very broad and
comprehensive subject, and one that requires our consideration. A
good deal has been said lately about our associations with the
world, and our being separate from the world, and about many of
us being entangled with the world. It is well for us, as events
transpire, to try if we can, to comprehend the position that we
occupy in relation to these matters. We are really a peculiar
people, that is, our views differ from those of the rest of the
world generally, and that is not confined alone to our religion,
but to our social system, to our politics, and to most of the
affairs associated with human life. As a people, we present
to-day a strange anomaly among the nations of the world. Unlike
the rest of the nations, we have come out here to be separate
from all other people, and we have notions and principles of a
religious nature, differing very materially from all the rest of
mankind.
52
The continental nations of Europe are very differently
constituted to what we are; they are generally a distinct people,
but they have more or less become amalgamated years ago, and at
present have assumed a degree of nationality, having their own
peculiar theories, customs, and ideas of religion and politics,
and their own notions and standards of a social system. Their
systems have been codified to a certain extent,--have been taught
in their schools, their lyceums, and their churches, and been
discussed in their legislative assemblies, and form what is
generally termed ideas nationale,--they have been written about,
thought about, lectured about, and preached about. There are
certain mediums through which the ideas of those nations flow
generally, which differ according to the position they occupy
politically and religiously, and the kind of government which
they are under. These theories and systems are peculiarly
influenced and modified by the peculiar languages through which
their ideas are conveyed. Those nations are organized under
strictly political principles or systems--their organizations are
almost exclusively of a political nature, although they have
arrangements pertaining to church government which regulate and
control in many instances the consciences of their subjects. They
have a certain kind of religion in which they generally are, no
doubt, conscientious, and which is sustained by law.
52
The United States differ from them; for, although organized on
political principles, yet, they have no religion which they
acknowledge as such, nationally, leaving the people free to
worship as they please.
52
We differ from all the rest. We have come together simply upon
religious principles; we believe that God has spoken, that the
heavens have been opened, that a connection has been formed
between the heavens and the earth in our day. We believe that God
has commenced to establish his kingdom upon the earth, and to
teach mankind those principles that are calculated to bless and
exalt them in time and in eternity. For this reason we have
assembled together, and for this reason we build temples and
administer ordinances in those temples which have been revealed
unto us from the Most High. Now, as there are no other people
anywhere under the heavens that have these ideas but ourselves,
we may, indeed, be called a peculiar people--a people separate
and distinct from all others. We are not composed of one
particular family of the human race; we cannot be called Germans,
we cannot be called English, we cannot be called Americans, or
French, or Italians, Swiss, Portuguese, or Scandinavians. You
cannot call us by any nationality, in particular, for we are
composed of the whole. The nationality we are now in possession
of is brought about simply, in the first place, as I have already
stated, upon religious grounds.
52
The Elders of this Church have gone forth to those different
nations and have preached the words of life, and have made known
unto the people of those nations the things which the Lord hath
communicated unto them, and the people in those nations who have
received the principles of truth preached to them, all who could
have gathered themselves together as we find ourselves to-day in
this Territory, a distinct, religious brotherhood--if you please,
a distinct nationality, differing from all others. True, we are
associated with what is called the United States of America, in a
territorial capacity, and acknowledge that authority and submit
to its rule; we are really under the constitution of the United
States. We have among us Federal officers who represent the
United States government, and in this respect, so far as
submission to law is concerned, and so far as the constitution of
the United States is concerned, we are really associated with
them, and form part and parcel of that government, and, at the
same time, are just as loyal, and just as patriotic as any other
portion of the United States; and we are bound always to admit
another great fact, which is, that we are under the constitution
of the law of Heaven.
52
There is a theory which has prevailed to a great extent in the
United States lately, among what is called the dominant party of
the present day, which is denominated the "higher law." Whether
they understand anything about that higher law or not I am not
prepared to say; but there is a law that we are placed under that
is really and emphatically a higher law. The higher law, of which
those parties speak, refers particularly to the liberation of the
negro, wherein they conceive that that is paramount to everything
else, and that to it all barriers and obstacles, whether of
constitution or law, shall give way; but that is a question which
I shall not discuss here this afternoon, but leave it to other
parties.
53
The position that we are placed in is very different; we are
gathered together here, as I have stated before, on religious
principles, which was the first inducement to our gathering
ourselves together. We furthermore believe, that being gathered
together, it is our right to worship God according to the
dictates of our consciences; we believe other things, also, that
have been communicated unto us, that have been spoken and written
about very plainly and extensively, viz., that God will establish
his kingdom upon the earth, irrespective of what my opinion may
be, or yours, or what the opinions of the government of France,
of the United States, or any nation of the earth may be; we
believe this is a deed that will actually be accomplished, and
that God will introduce a rule and government of his own upon
this earth, and that all nations, all rule, all power, all
government, all authority, will have to submit to that rule, that
government, and that authority; that is, this government will
spread and extend until "all nations (to use a very familiar
expression among all parties) shall bow to the sceptre of King
Emmanuel." That expression is very commonly used, and very little
understood; still, at the same time, it is in common use
throughout the religious world generally. We believe it; we
believe, too, that it will be literally fulfilled; that all
nations will be overthrown; that these kingdoms, and governments,
and powers, and authorities that exist on the earth, will be
broken and destroyed, and that God will introduce a government
and rule and dominion of his own.
53
These are some of our views. There are many people that have
believed in these things, many religious parties have written
about them; they have expected them, and believed in them; they
have been part and parcel of their faith: there is nothing,
remarkable, therefore, about this. But when we go a little
further and say, we believe that we are the people, then it
places things in another position.
53
Theory is one thing in relation to these matters, and the
practical part is another thing. We do believe it, and we
honestly acknowledge that this is that kingdom which the Lord has
commenced to establish upon the earth, and that it will not only
govern all people in a religious capacity, but also in a
political capacity. "Well," say some, "is not that treason?" I do
not know that it is; it is not treason against the Lord, and I do
not know that it is treason against the government of the United
States, or any other government. I have yet to learn that I, or
any other person, or nation have power or authority to control
the Almighty in his acts. I think that when he has a mind to, he
will turn and overturn, and revolutionize, and bring to pass his
purposes without asking me or any other person or power on the
earth any odds, and we cannot help ourselves. It is merely a
matter of faith with me and others, and it may be of knowledge
also in regard to the designs and purposes of God in relation to
this earth, and in relation to this people associated with him;
but who do we interfere with politically, whose rights are
proscribed by us, or what law is broken? None. We respect, honor,
and obey the Constitution and laws of the nation with which we
are associated. This is simply our faith or knowledge, as the
case may be; it is the faith of this community that this is that
kingdom that the Lord has commenced to establish upon the earth.
The way that he has brought us together is, as stated before, by
preaching the Gospel unto us through his servants, repentance and
the remission of sins through baptism in water in the name of the
Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and the laying on of
hands for the impartation of the Holy Ghost.
54
I remember some years ago being in the city of Paris, in France;
there were a great many reformers there, as well as refugees from
different parts of Europe. I had a long conversation with a Mr.
Krolikeski, a gentleman from Poland, about the Gospel. He then
was associated with a certain portion of the red republican party
in France, with that particular branch of them that embraced the
doctrines that those people professed that came to Nauvoo when we
left--the followers of Mr. Cabot. After talking with him for some
time on the principles of the Gospel, and what was calculated to
be brought about in the earth, he turned to me and said, "Mr.
Taylor, do you propose to bring about a revolution in the earth,
and to introduce another state of things through the principle of
repentance, of faith, and baptism, etc.?" "Yes, sir, that is the
way we understand it." "Well, I wish you every success, but I am
afraid you will not be able to accomplish anything."
54
I suppose he thought that the gate was very straight, and the
road there too narrow to accomplish any national purposes, and,
as Jesus said, "that few there were that found it."
54
Said I to him, you are trying to bring in a great reformation and
you think you are going to accomplish something; we will compare
notes. It is a number of years now since we left the city of
Nauvoo; it was a large city then, and surrounded by a rich
country, that we cultivated. In consequence of our religious
views we could not stay there; we were persecuted and driven, and
had to go into the wilderness, had to carry with us our husbandry
utensils, seed, grain, tools of every kind, and provisions, a
distance of over thirteen hundred miles by land, with ox-teams,
into an unknown and unexplored country among the savages of the
desert. You and your people came to our vacated city, lived in
our houses already built for you; you came to gardens and fields,
already in a state of cultivation; you had every facility for
improvement and progression. Now, sir, what is the difference
between the two people? In reading your communications from
Nauvoo, which I frequently read, every time you issue your paper
you call for more money and means to help them to carry out their
plans, and to progress in building up their city. On the other
hand, our people, situated far away among the red skins of the
forest, are sending out hundreds and thousands of dollars to help
to gather the poor there. Now, which is progressing the most, you
or they? "Well," says he, "I have nothing to say." I think he
will have still less to say to-day than then.
55
We expect still to continue to progress and to advance in
religious intelligence, in political intelligence; in religious
power, and in political power; we are still expecting to carry
out our social principles, which differ very materially from
others. Our marriage system is different from that of others--of
that which is called the religious world at the present time--the
Christian world, if you please; and this marriage system of ours,
at the first sight, appears to them as it did to us at first
sight, the most revolting, perhaps, of anything that could be
conceived of. Whatever others may have thought about it, I know
what was thought about it by those who first embarked in it. If
they could have plowed around the log, according to a facetious
remark of President Lincoln, or burned it, or done anything else,
they would have done it, rather than have entered into it; but
they could not, and they had to take it up as the word of the
Lord. It was not a matter of their own choice; it was the will
and the commandment of the Almighty, for the guidance of his
people. In this we differ materially from others; they think that
they are right in their views, we know that we are right in ours,
and therefore we are satisfied. We expect, then, that these
principles that we have received, and principles that will
continue to be imparted unto us by our Heavenly Father, will
spread, and increase, and go forth, and obtain the pre-eminence
and a position among the nations of the earth. We do not expect
that we shall ever be converted to any of their religious
systems, or to any of their social systems. We know what we have
received emanates from God; and knowing that, we stand upon it,
and cleave to it as the rock of ages, knowing that no power under
the heavens is able to overturn it, therefore we stand secure.
The Lord has a design to speak, to instruct, to guide, to direct
us in all our affairs, whether it relates to this world or to the
world that is to come, and we are desirous to be taught of Him,
and being taught of Him, we are then desirous to communicate the
intelligence we receive unto others.
56
Some people will say, "You are harsh, you are exclusive, you do
not wish to associate and to mix with others." To a certain
extent we do, and to a certain extent we do not. To a very great
extent we feel very much interested in the welfare and happiness
of the human family. I very much question whether greater
philanthropy has been developed among any other people under the
face of the heavens than among this people. I am at the defiance
of any body, or class of men, or nation, to show that greater
sacrifices, so to speak, have been made anywhere than have been
made among the Elders of this Church to promulge among the people
that dwell upon all the earth the things that God has revealed
unto them. Can you point out another people who have exhibited
the same degree of intelligence, earnestness, and zeal in
travelling from nation to nation, from city to city, by land and
sea, over mighty oceans and desert wastes, even to the ends of
the earth in order to promote the happiness and well being of
their fellow men? There are no philanthropical societies existing
in the world, that have done what the Elders of this Church have
done, they cannot be produced. Are we misanthropists? No. We are
cosmopolitans, citizens of the world, and have implanted in our
bosoms the spirit of the living God, which prompts us to seek for
the welfare and happiness of all the human family. All this, and
more, we have done, and I very much question whether you can find
anybody that would dispute it. They would say we are in error:
that they have a right to say, and to think, if they please; but
there is not one who can say in truth that we have not done all
we claim to have done. We believe that god has spoken, and that
he has organized his church and kingdom upon the earth; that he
has and does communicate his will to his church; and believing
that, we went forth as heralds of life and salvation to proclaim
to the nations of the earth the things God has communicated unto
us. Did we go to preach to the people for their gold, for their
silver, and for their precious things; for their clothing, or for
anything they possess; for honor or for fame? No; but we were
pointed at as speckled birds, we were opposed and persecuted in
every town where we set our feet, and nothing but the power of
God and the power of truth could have sustained the Elders in
promulging those principles God gave them to communicate to the
world. They had with them the power of God and the power of
truth, which prevailed, so far as we see it this day--so far as
it has had its influence, and so far as it has operated upon the
human mind--so far as it has gathered the Saints of God, and so
far as it has preserved them in the position they now occupy.
56
This being the case, then, we cannot be charged with being narrow
and contracted in our views--we cannot be charged with seeking to
injure any class of men, for we have sought to benefit everybody
that would be benefited by us, we have sought to benefit them
every way in regard to their circumstances--in regard to their
faith--in regard to their politics, and in regard to their
bodies, to their souls, in regard to time and to eternity. There
are thousands in this Territory to-day that are now well off that
never would have owned one foot of land in the world anywhere
else. What have we done besides? We have helped one another, sent
out our teams by the hundreds and by the thousands, and our
means, to assist those who could not assist themselves. Why?
Because they were desirous to come, and we were willing to help
them to come. Millions of dollars have been expended in this
thing alone among the people. Can we in justice be called
niggardly and contracted in our feelings? Can it be said that we
have not shown liberality? It would be folly and madness to talk
so; and, to say the least of it, it would show a lack of
knowledge of the history of this church and people, and the
position they occupy. I say, further, that if this nation had
listened to the voice of Joseph Smith in a political capacity,
they would have been saved this war that has now overtaken them:
but they would not be saved; and I have sometimes been reminded
of the position that Jerusalem occupied on a certain occasion
when Jesus Christ spake by the spirit of revelation prophecying
the events about to take place, he said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent
unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye
would not! Behold your house is left unto you desolate," etc. He
then went on to tell them that Jerusalem should be overthrown and
not one stone should be left standing upon another, that it
should be trodden down of the Gentiles, etc. Could Joseph Smith
or Jesus Christ help being the communicators of such tidings?
They could not. Could Jesus Christ prevent the wrath of God
overtaking the Jews and plunging them into irrevocable ruin? No.
Could Joseph Smith, or this people, have hindered anything that
has overtaken the nation of the United States? They could not.
They have had warning of the approaching evil for the last thirty
years, and they had the opportunity of knowing what would have
saved them, but they would not be saved. Is it wrong, cruel, and
oppressive to try and save a people when you see that people or
nation rushing headlong to the brink of a precipice? Is it wrong
to tell them to hold on or they will be destroyed? You would
rather call it the voice of a friend; all good men would, and, as
far as bad men are concerned, we care little about them.
57
Now, we are here, and those events spoken of are transpiring and
will transpire, and we cannot help it, and President Brigham
Young cannot help it; these judgments are the decrees of fate,
they will roll on--they have got to come and we cannot hinder
them. What are we aiming at now? We want to save ourselves if we
can, we want to know how to save ourselves as rational
independent beings that have got souls to save--beings that are
eternal. We want to know how to save ourselves and how to save
progenitors, and lay a foundation to save our posterity after us,
and also to save all that can be saved of the world--all that are
in the reach of salvation, and, if possible, root out the chaos
and confusion that every where exist in the political world; form
and stablish correct principles that shall emanate from the great
Eloheim, and that shall elevate the nations of the earth from the
degradation in which they are wallowing to-day, and exalt them on
high, that they may be prepared to receive teachings and
instructions from God, and, if possible, be saved in his kingdom.
These are things that we are trying to accomplish; our hearts are
full of blessings, full of kindness, full of consideration, full
of long suffering, full of a desire to save, bless, and exalt all
that are within the reach of salvation. That is the worst injury
that we ever did to any of the human family, and these are the
worst desires that we ever had towards any of them. What do we
wish to do for ourselves? We wish to purify ourselves from every
kind of corruption--from all the leaven of gentilism, so to speak
(I make use of that term, because it is generally comprehended
among us to mean the leaven of the world of corruption and of
evil of every kind), and to try to save ourselves and purify
ourselves in our spirits, in our bodies, in our feelings, and to
seek for intelligence from God, and from all correct sources,
that we may be of a truth representatives of God upon the earth.
This is what we are aiming at, and we wish, if we can, so to
conduct ourselves that God will not be ashamed of us, that holy
angels will not be ashamed to associate with us, and that all our
communications, doings, and associations may be of that nature
that will at all times secure the smile and the approbation of
our Heavenly Father, that when we get done with this work, and
the world and the affairs of the world, so far as this present
existence is concerned, we can say as Paul said, "I have fought
the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith;" I have done my duty, honored my calling, and now there is
a crown laid up for me, and for all who love the appearing of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
58
These are some of the feelings that throb in our bosoms, and
these are the things we wish to accomplish for ourselves and for
others. Is there any lack of philanthropy in this, any lack of
good feelings towards any of the human family? No. "Then why do
you not associate with everybody? Why do you not receive
everybody into your houses? Why do you not let everybody do as
they please, etc. Why do you not allow everybody to corrupt
themselves if they wish to, and corrupt you if they please, and
introduce their corruptions among your people?" The reason why we
do not do these things is, because we have not a mind to. We
think there is a very great distinction between the one and the
other--we think there is a great difference between building up
the kingdom of God and submitting to the power of the devil; we
think there is a very material difference between associating
with the Saints of God, or honorable men of the earth, than with
the opposite class of persons. We think we have a perfect right
always to choose what kind of company we keep and who we
associate with. "But Bishop Wooley denounces the gentiles
sometimes;" perhaps he has good reason to. I do not know whether
ever he denounces any of the folks called Mormons or not; but I
know one thing, if he did his duty he would denounce them. I know
that there are a great many, both among those that are called
gentiles and those that are called Mormons, that do not act as
gentlemen ought to act, much less as Saints of the Most High.
58
I wish this people to understand one thing, that there is a very
material difference between treating men with courtesy and
kindness, acting in a spirit of civilization, and trying to
introduce correct principles among them, and permitting them to
introduce their devilism among us; there are rules of etiquette
among other nations and peoples, just as much as there are here.
I have seen things practised here by men, both by saints and
sinners, that would not be tolerated in any other nation more
than they would be here. I have seen acts in public, and I was
going to say in private--although I do not enter much into the
private acts of men, and do not wish to--but I have seen acts in
public that would not be tolerated upon any consideration in any
decent society; but persons committing such acts would be
promptly turned out of that society. It is not because a man has
a few dollars in his pocket, anywhere that I have been, that he
is allowed to push himself and crowd himself into anybody's
family he thinks proper, and seek to corrupt that family; no such
things are tolerated anywhere among people who profess to be
guided by correct principles, and shall we tolerate them here?
No. It is usual in other countries, before a man can be received
into society, that he must bring with him a reputation from
reputable men; he is expected to have introductory letters before
he can be introduced to them and associate with them, and not
because he is in the shape of a man and walks on two legs. Why,
baboons do that. Before I should allow strangers to come into my
family and mix with my wives and daughters, I should want to know
who they were, where they came from, what their instincts were,
and what was their moral and religious character. As a head of a
family, I have a right to know these things; I have a right to
know what influences are brought in and around my house, what
spirits predominate there, and I have a right to know what a
man's religion is.
58
"But do you not allow liberty of conscience?" Yes. You can
worship what you please--a donkey or a red dog--but you must not
bring that worship into my house; I do not believe in your gods,
I believe in the God of Israel, in the Holy Ghost, in the spirit
of truth and intelligence, and all good principles; and if you
want to worship your gods, worship them somewhere else, and if
anybody else wants to worship them, they can do so: you can go on
to one of those mountains and worship your gods, or if you are
living in a house here, you can be a worshipper of Buddha if you
please; but I do not want it in my house, and I do not want the
spirit that you have--the spirit of those gods, visible or
invisible; I do not want their teachings, spirit, nor influences.
59
Who does not know that the world is corrupted? Who does not know
that it has been recommended by the authorities in the city of
Washington, and unblushingly published in the public prints, to
send to Utah a lot of nice young men to prostitute our young
women? Shame on such a nation, yet such things have been
published and proclaimed here. You may see people come here
smiling and bowing, and very polite, and "wont you let me take
your daughter to a party?" No, nor yourself either, not unless I
have a mind to; I will have a say in that, for I want to know who
dances with my wives and daughters, and whether they have a
reputation or not, and if they have a reputation, what kind of
people they are. This I have a right to do in a social capacity,
independent of all religion, and I mean to do it. I will now turn
the tables another way round. Did you ever see any of the Elders
of this Church out abroad among the nations try to crowd
themselves upon any people, and seek to go into their balls and
assemblies, or families, contrary to rule and to the principles
laid down? No, never. Did you ever hear of them wanting to take
their daughters to balls and parties, etc? No, never. We claim
the same kind of treatment from you; if we want your company we
will ask it; if we do not ask it, you may consider that you are
not wanted. We know and understand the spirit of the times to a
certain extent.
59
"Do you mean to say that all the gentiles are bad men?" Not by
any means; there are a great many good, honorable, high-minded
men; we have met with many such abroad; we have met with
gentlemanly, courteous treatment from strangers--I have, and so
have others--and we have met with such here. We would not be
behind any gentleman in reciprocating gentlemanly and courteous
behavior; we wish to treat all good men as brothers, and no
gentleman will object to what I now say. But I am sorry to say,
that a great many are not of this class. Let us look at our
position for a little while if you please. We are here in the
midst of the mountains; there is a dreadful war raging in the
east, and all kinds of characters are flocking here from that
war, good and bad, and who knows who they are? We know one thing;
vigilant committees in neighboring mining settlements are cutting
the throats of some and hanging others. How do we know who we
have here? Very likely cut-throats, blacklegs, gamblers,
guerrillas, and murderers, all gathered here together; and here
is an honest, industrious people, and we do not choose to
associate with strangers until we know who they are, and we think
we are perfectly right in so doing.
59
Our object is to serve God and keep his commandments, and let the
right, and the might, and the truth bear rule, and that right, by
the help of God, we will maintain. We do not choose such
associates, we want to know who it is we are talking to. I would
dislike very much to have a murderer to sit down at my table and
be placed under the disagreeable necessity of dragging him out by
the neck. We have a right to know these things, and we mean to
know them. We mean to take care of ourselves and pursue a course
that is right in the sight of God. We mean to purify ourselves as
far as we have power, and by the help of God, and cleave to the
right and maintain it. May God help us to do it, in the name of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Wilford Woodruff, January 22, 1865
Wilford Woodruff, January 22, 1865
INFLUENCE OF THE MORAL LAW.--DEGENERACY OF MANKIND.--BLESSINGS TO
BE
GAINED BY KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.--NATIONS WILL BE
PUNISHED
FOR THEIR INIQUITY.--NECESSITY OF THE SAINTS LIVING THEIR
RELIGION.
Remarks by Elder Wilford Woodruff, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, Sunday, January 22, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
60
I am called upon to occupy a little time this afternoon. I will
found my remarks upon the following words, viz.:--He that walketh
in the paths of godliness, righteousness, and truth hath not
fellowship with the blasphemer and the ungodly. I am satisfied
that in whatever path the children of men walk, whether that path
be good or evil, the longer they follow it the more desire they
will have to remain therein; and I am perfectly satisfied, also,
that any servant of God who faithfully keeps his commandments and
enjoys the spirit of the Lord, and walks in the light thereof
continually, feels that anything which is contrary to this is
unpleasant and disagreeable to him. No man who thus walks can be
pleased and edified in hearing the name of God blasphemed, or in
associating with the ungodly and with those who honor not the
name of the Lord. Every person has more or less influence in the
society where he moves, and becomes responsible not only for his
acts, but for the influence he exercises over others. Those
persons who will not receive the Gospel of Christ, and do not
keep the commandments of God, and will not lay these things to
heart, are entirely ignorant of the joy, the consolation, the
gratification, and the blessings which are received and enjoyed
by walking in the paths of the righteous and the godly.
61
The good and the evil is presented to all, and the light of
Christ enlighteneth all that cometh into the world, according to
their capacity and the position they occupy upon the face of the
earth; the spirit of the Lord operates upon all persons, more or
less, throughout the course of their days, whether they live
under a gospel dispensation or not. Those who live under what is
called civilized rule are taught the moral law--the ten
commandments--they are taught not to lie, not to swear, not to
steal, in short, not to do those things that are counted ungodly,
unholy, and unrighteous in the midst of society. When parents
teach their children these principles in early youth, they make
an impression upon their minds, and as quick as children arrive
at years of accountability, early impressions will have an
influence upon their actions and throughout the rest of their
lives. Children so impressed and so trained are ever after
shocked when they hear their associates swear and take the name
of God in vain; and if ever they learn to swear, it first
requires a great effort to overcome their early impressions.
Persons who are addicted to stealing, if they have not been
actually taught to steal in their youth, their minds have not
been sufficiently imbued with the principles of honesty by their
parents and guardians.
61
There is a great responsibility resting upon parents in all
communities and societies, and especially with the Latter-day
Saints. I was brought up under the Blue Laws of Connecticut, when
Presbyterianism ruled throughout the State as the religion of
that State; and I dared no more go out to play on a Sunday than I
dared put my hand in the fire--it would have been considered an
unpardonable sin. We should not attend a ball and dance; we durst
not attend a theatre, and from Saturday night, at sundown, to
Monday morning, we must not laugh or smile, but we must study our
catechism; this we had to do whether we were members of the
church or not. My father was not a member of any church. This
early teaching had its effect upon me. Where Presbyterians,
Baptists, and other sects have taught the youth and mankind in
general good wholesome principles of morality, so far it has had
a good effect upon the generation around them. It is true they
had not the gospel, apostles, pastors, teachers, and
presidents,--inspired men to teach them how to be saved. Their
religion was according to the tradition of their fathers; the
true Gospel was not manifested in their time, yet they had a
great many good moral principles which had a good effect and a
salutary influence upon all those who were affected and
influenced by them. Wherever there is an influence that leads
anybody to good, or to do good, so far I feel to acknowledge the
hand of God in it; for I believe that every thing that leads to
good and to do good is of the Lord, and everything that leads to
evil and to do evil is of the wicked one.
61
I feel to thank the Lord for any good moral principles which have
been taught me in my childhood. I am satisfied there have been
tens of thousands of the human family since Jesus Christ and the
ancient apostles were slain and the church went into the
wilderness, who have acted up to the best light they had; for
they have had moral principles among them, and they have lived up
to their religion, millions of them, according to the best light
they had, and they will have their reward for so doing. In the
early days of my life, if a man cursed or swore, lied or stole,
or broke any of the moral commandments of the Lord, it was looked
upon as a disgrace, as not being comely and good, or right, in
the sight or moral people in that day. Whenever a man did do
wrong, so far he had an influence more or less, and those that
were good would not hold fellowship with him.
62
We now live in another age and dispensation, and most of us who
live in the valleys of the mountains have received the Gospel of
Christ, which has been revealed unto us in our day and
generation, and we have great respect unto the name of the Lord
according to the light and knowledge which we have; we have
respect unto the ordinances of the house of God, and that respect
is increased with us according to the increased light and
knowledge which we have. We wish to carry out the commandments of
the Lord as far as we have knowledge in the things of the kingdom
of God, and feel disposed always to do that which is right. It
grates upon the ears of the faithful Latter-day Saint when he
hears the name of the Lord blasphemed; he cannot fellowship the
person who does it, and you do not find him in that kind of
company, no matter whether the blasphemer is a professed Mormon
or of the wicked world. No matter what their profession, if men
live their religion and honor God, they will not fellowship the
ungodly. There is no man that lives his religion in this church
and kingdom that can associate with any person who blasphemes the
name of God; he will not stay in any such society, but feels
himself disgraced if he were to countenance by his presence such
blasphemy, and this is so with all men who love the Lord and
desire to honor his name, no matter where they may be, or what
their position on the earth.
62
We live in a wicked generation. There is a change in the world
now from what it was fifty years ago. There is a great change in
comparison to the days of my youth. There is more sin committed
now in one gentile city in twenty-four hours than used to be
committed in a hundred years. From the time I can remember until
I was twenty years of age, there was but one murder committed in
the New England States. When it was generally known that a man
had murdered his wife and had to be hung up between the heavens
and the earth, it caused a great sensation throughout that
country. The murders committed to-day have become so numerous
that they do not think it worth while to publish them; newspaper
editors would rather give the space in their papers to
advertisements, they pay better. Wickedness of every kind has
increased upon the face of the earth; darkness covers the earth,
and gross darkness the minds of the people. The whole earth seems
to be deluged with profanity and abominations of almost every
kind. This is as true as it is lamentable to think about. The
Lord has sent his Gospel in its fulness; we have preached it to
the nations, and sin and iniquity have increased a thousand fold
since the Gospel has been offered to them and they have rejected
it. The light which they formerly had is withdrawn from them, and
the powers of evil have taken possession of them, and reign
universally over the nations; yet, notwithstanding this it is no
reason why we should follow in the same path. It is for us to
walk in the path of virtue, righteousness, truth and godliness,
honoring God and those things that will exalt men to His favor.
This way is open before us--it is open to all men. The Gospel of
Jesus Christ has been revealed in its fulness, glory, and beauty,
and offered to this generation; and every man and woman who has
been willing to accept the Gospel can see and understand the
blessings there are to be enjoyed in embracing it. There are
blessings offered to this generation in the Gospel which they
have had no knowledge of before. There are blessings pertaining
to the Gospel in every age that the world were ignorant of until
the Gospel was first presented to them.
62
The Lord gave the holy Priesthood to Adam and to his sons; he
gave to him the keys of the kingdom, and all things pertaining to
salvation and eternal life. Adam and all his posterity for some
centuries possessed and held the priesthood, even down to the
days of Enoch and Noah, and the Lord saved the world as far as he
could by those principles; but the hearts of men desired to do
evil, and evil increased in the world until men became subject to
vanity to sin, and to the temptations of the devil; they yielded
to his influence, and the consequence was, after a few
generations, and during the days of Noah, they hardly could find
a righteous man--a man who was willing to walk in the path of
righteousness and truth, and so the Lord brought a judgment upon
the world.
63
The Lord has introduced the Gospel in a number of dispensations,
and few have embraced it. It is so in this age of the world. The
Lord has commenced to warn the world in our day, and has
commenced to save all who will obey his word, that they may
receive an exaltation and glory in his presence. He has revealed
his Gospel and established his kingdom to save the nations, as
far as they will be saved; and we have the same Gospel and
Priesthood that Adam had, and the same apostleship that has ever
been revealed to any generation of men. This we present to the
world--it is in our midst; and the Lord has sent forth his
proclamation to save this generation, which is submerged in
wickedness, and corruption and abominations of every description.
63
Many of us have embraced this Gospel, and I will say again, if we
live our religion we will have no disposition to walk in the
paths of sinners, to blaspheme the name of God, nor will we have
fellowship for persons who do it. Dollars and cents will not buy
or lead those astray who have embraced the Gospel and live their
religion. I know that a man who has been faithful in his prayers,
and has become acquainted with the operations of the Holy Spirit
and the blessings of it, has no desire to turn from the paths of
truth to walk in the ways of the ungodly, for the path of truth
and righteousness is the only path of safety.
63
We are sent into this world to accomplish a great purpose, and to
fulfil the object of our creation we must observe the
commandments of God, and obey the ordinances of his house, and
walk in them while we live in the flesh, that when we have done
with this body we can go back into the presence of our Father and
our God and receive in fulness the blessings and promises made to
his children. Any man or woman that falls short of this, falls
short of fulfilling the object of their creation. We have
everything to encourage us to do right and to keep the
commandments of God, and to be faithful unto death, that we may
have a crown of life. We have but little time to live here--the
labor of this probation is very short; and when we can really
understand that our future destiny--future happiness, exaltation,
and glory, or our future misery debasement, and sorrow all depend
upon the little time we spend in this world, I can say that it is
not to the advantage of any man under the heavens to spend his
time in doing wrong--it is no advantage to any man to blaspheme
the name of God, he makes no money by it, it brings him no joy,
happiness, or honor. And again, if a man ever obtains any
blessings from any quarter, he has got to obtain them from the
Lord, for the devil has no disposition to bless, and will not
bless the children of men; but he labors to lead them astray from
the paths of righteousness and truth.
64
Those persons who will not walk according to the light they have,
must sooner or later inherit sore afflictions to themselves; they
do not have joy, and happiness, and salvation like that person
who obeys the commandments of God and constantly does that which
is right. The wicked are always in fear. There is no inducement
for a man or a woman to commit sin--it is not a paying business.
It is better for us to serve the Lord; for those who serve the
Lord morning, noon, and night are happy, whether they be rich or
poor. I have often thought that I never saw this people more
happy than in their seasons of greatest poverty, drivings, and
afflictions for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. The
Spirit of God has been with them, and in their humility and
sufferings the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, has been their constant
companion, and they have been filled with joy and consolation,
and have rejoiced before the Lord for all these things. They
would not have felt so if they had not been trying to keep the
commandments of the Lord.
64
As a people, we never were as greatly blessed in this world's
goods as at the present time. The Lord has planted our feet in
the valleys of these mountains where we can worship our God in
safety and peace, where we can kneel down in our family circles
in the morning and at evening, and offer up our prayers and
thanksgivings before the Lord, and we can teach these principles
to our children, and attend our meetings to listen to the
servants of the Lord teaching the principles of eternal life. I
trust that the Latter-day Saints will not suffer a desire for the
wealth of this world to turn their footsteps aside from the paths
of their duty towards God and one another--from rectitude,
righteousness, holiness, and godliness before the Lord. If we
should see a man that holds the Priesthood mingling with the
profane who blaspheme the name of God, and seems to fellowship
that kind of society, you may mark that man; he enjoys not the
spirit of his religion, the Holy Ghost dwells not with him, or,
if he enjoys it at all, it is but in a small degree, and when he
enters into that kind of society it will leave him.
64
It does not pay any person to do wrong, and the present
generation will suffer the chastening hand of God, and that
severely, because that wickedness predominates throughout the
whole world, and the name of the God of Israel is not honored,
but is almost forgotten by the children of men, only when they
remember him to blaspheme his holy name. As wickedness increases
in the world, we should increase in righteousness, in faith, and
in knowledge, that we may have an increased degree of the spirit
of God dwelling with us, and it will take of the things of the
Father and show them unto us, that we may be strengthened to
magnify our calling as Saints of the Most High, doing the will of
God and building up his kingdom. We should in our lives show that
we are the friends of God and each other's friends, and in doing
this we shall be happy; and whether Jacob is great or small, in
righteousness the kingdom of God will gain strength, for the
heavens are full of knowledge, to be revealed for the use of the
children of God as fast as they are prepared to receive it. We
shall never see the time when we shall cease to progress and
increase in knowledge, for we are the children of God, and if we
are faithful in fulfilling the object of our creation, keeping
the commandments of God as we are guided and directed to do, the
knowledge is boundless that this people have yet to receive. We
are in the school, and in a great measure we are still little
children in the knowledge of the things of the kingdom of God;
yet, how great and glorious are those principles that we are in
possession of to-day when we compare them with our position and
advancement ten years ago, or before we heard the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. We were then under the traditions of our fathers--many of
them good, though some of them were false and of no profit. With
all the teachings we had and the Bible before us, we did not know
the first step to take to secure to ourselves eternal life, for
there was no man to teach us. Since that day we have heard the
voice of apostles and prophets, some on this side and some on the
other side of the vail, and they are all engaged in building up
the kingdom of God in this the dispensation of the fulness of
time.
65
These principles are worth more than gold and silver to us, and
are sweeter than honey or the honey comb to the faithful, for in
them we receive exaltation and salvation both for the living and
the dead. They are the same principles that saved our fathers,
the prophets and saints of old, and they without us, cannot be
made perfect, nor we without them. I rejoice in the Gospel, for
it is the power of God unto salvation to all those that believe,
both Jew and Greek. When men reject the Gospel they injure
themselves, not God or his Saints; they turn the key against
themselves that opens the door of salvation to all believers.
Anciently, the world was at war with the Savior, and there has
always been a great opposition to the introduction of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ from the beginning of time to this day. There has
always been in the unregenerated world a spirit of warfare
against the kingdom of God. Joseph Smith was an obscure
individual when Moroni, the Angel of God, revealed unto him the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, and gave into his hands the records of
the Nephites. The hearts of men were stirred up against him, and
the devil is a personage that has knowledge and great power, and
he possesses that power, and has ever since he has been upon the
earth. He has so much power that he leads at his will almost the
whole of the generations of the earth. By his power the hearts of
men were stirred up against Joseph Smith when he received the
administration of an angel, because it was the germ of the
establishment of the kingdom of God. The devil knew when the
angel delivered that record to Joseph Smith that it was the
foundation of a system that would overthrow his kingdom. The
drivings, etc., that this people have passed through has not been
because they have been breakers of the law, nor because they have
been more wicked than others, but because they were laying the
foundation of the kingdom of God that would grow, and increase,
and rule, and reign until it fills the whole earth and brings the
world into subjection to its authority and sway, and prepare the
way for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is king of kings
and Lord of Lords, who will come and reign over the whole earth;
and all other kingdoms, and presidents and governors, and their
subjects will be obliged to acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ.
The Latter-day Work which we represent will bind the power of the
devil which has held sway among the children of men for 180
generations. Then it is not strange that the devil should become
mad and stir up the wicked to make war against it. The Lord will
inspire his servants and give them ability to maintain this
kingdom upon the earth. He is at the helm. I would not give much
for it if He was not the author of it; it could not stand without
Him against the great power that is waged against it.
66
Why is this warfare? It is not because it is Satan's kingdom or
any part of it; if so, his kingdom would be divided against
itself; but it is because it is the kingdom of God, and it has
got to be planted in the earth, and it will continue until the
scene is wound up, and Christ descends in the clouds of heaven,
and the holy angels with him, and the dead in Christ shall rise
first to meet him at his coming. The Lord Almighty will sustain
the kingdom and back up his servants and their testimony, and he
will send judgments, and plagues, and afflictions, and destroying
angels, and visit the wicked nations with an overwhelming
destruction. All this is the work of God, and we cannot help it
if we would. The Lord has decreed that he will build up his
kingdom in this day and age of the world, and he has decreed that
it shall accomplish the work it is intended to do, and stand for
ever. The earth belongs to the Lord. When the devil and his host
were sent from heaven because of disobedience, they came to this
world. And wherever the children of men are, there also those
evil spirits exist to tempt the children of men to do evil, and
everything that leads to destruction, and misery, and woe
originates from that source, and everything that leads to
exaltation, virtue, holiness, goodness, glory, immortality, and
eternal life is from the hand of God. The Lord is the strongest
power, and he will prevail at last. In this I rejoice, because
the earth belongs to him and we belong to him, and if we have any
blessing, we have got to receive it at his hands. When the first
missionaries went to England, disembodied spirits sought to
destroy them, and had there not been an angel of salvation
present, they would have been slain; nothing but the power of God
saved them. The visions of their minds were opened, that they saw
many of the devils that sought their destruction, although not in
the body but in the spirit, and they stood before them like
wicked, hideous men, come to destroy them. We had this same power
to contend with in London. Sometimes they are invisible, and
sometimes they are in the tabernacles of men. In Carthage jail
they came in the bodies of men, and were under the influence of
the devil, and succeeded in shedding the blood of the Prophet,
and thought they would overthrow the Church and kingdom of God.
This evil power is manifest and visible more and more as we
progress in the kingdom of God.
66
Let us try to live our religion, and try to be the friends of
God; and let us make war against the works of the devil. Let us
seek to overcome ourselves, and all our evil impressions, and
bring our bodies in subjection to the law of Christ, that we may
walk in the light of the Lord, gain power with him, and assist in
sanctifying the earth and in building up temples, and in
attending to the ordinances of the house of God, that we may be
saviors of men, both of the living and the dead.
66
These are our privileges, and the blessings which the God of
heaven has put in our hands. Is there any thing in all the
dominions of the devil of more value to us than the blessing of
our God, given to us through the organization of his kingdom? We
have everything to encourage us, and to give us faith and
peserverence in the work of God. If we do our duty we shall
prosper, and progress, and spread abroad, and the stakes of Zion
will be strengthened and her cords lengthened, and ere long we
shall have power to return and build up the centre stake of Zion,
and the waste places thereof, and we shall accomplish all we have
been called to do. May God bless us and give unto us his Spirit
to guide us in all things. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Q. Cannon, January 1, 1865
George Q. Cannon, January 1, 1865
CAUSES OF GRATITUDE THAT THE SAINTS HAVE.--SPIRITUAL AND
TEMPORAL BLESSINGS ENJOYED BY THEM.--GREATER PROMISES MADE
TO THEM THAN THE ANCIENTS. OBEDIENCE TO COUNSEL NECESSARY.
Remarks by Elder George Q. Cannon, made in the Tabernacle in
Great Salt Lake City, January 1, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
67
My prayer and desire is that while I shall attempt to speak unto
you this afternoon, I may be led and dictated by the Spirit of
God, and I presume that this is the desire of all the Saints who
have assembled themselves together for the purpose of worshipping
our Father and God this afternoon in this tabernacle.
67
There is one point that was alluded to this morning by Brother
Lorenzo Snow, in his remarks, which struck me with a great deal
of force. It was in relation to the Saints entertaining a feeling
of gratitude to God for the blessings he has bestowed upon
us--that the Lord loves those who entertain such feelings, and
who appreciate the blessings and kindness he bestows upon them.
67
This truth accounts for the frequency with which the Elders, when
led by the Spirit of God and speaking unto the people, dwell upon
the many blessings, and privileges, and favors we have received
since our obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To many
persons, such frequent allusions to the blessings and favors that
we enjoy, and the privileges that have been bestowed on us as a
people, seem unnecessary, and in the ears of some not acquainted
with us and our character, and with the principles we have
espoused, sound like egotism; but I can, myself, recognize a
great propriety in this style of preaching or exhortation. I can
see that there is a necessity for it; that we should be
continually stirred up to remember the Lord our God and the
favors which he has bestowed upon us from the time we embraced
the Gospel until now; and not only from that time, but from the
earliest period of our infancy to this time, because his
kindness, and providence, and long suffering have not been
extended to us alone since we have embraced the Gospel, but from
the time of our birth until now.
67
The Lord has said that he is angry with none except those who
acknowledge not his hand in all things. He is angry with those
who do not acknowledge his hand in the various dispensations of
providence meted out to man.
68
It is right that we, as a people and as individuals, should be
continually grateful to God for what he has done for us. Unless
we appreciate these blessings, it is not likely they will be
increased upon us--it is not reasonable that greater blessings
than those already received will be bestowed upon us; but if we
are humble, meek, and filled with thanksgiving and gratitude to
our Father and God under all circumstances, appreciating and
putting a high value on the mercies he extends unto us, it is
more than probable that those blessings and mercies will be
increased upon us according to our wants and necessities, and we
shall still have increased cause for gratitude and thanksgiving
before him.
68
While the brethren were blessing the bread, it struck me how
grateful we ought to be for the blessings which God has
guaranteed unto us--the great and the inestimable
blessings--through the death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. How grateful we ought to be every day that we live, that
our Father and our God has provided a way and means of salvation
for us, that before we were born and took upon us the form of
mortal men and women, the Lord in his mercy, and in his wisdom
and kindness, had provided a way whereby we should be redeemed
from the power of Satan, from the power of death, and be brought
back into his presence, and be clothed with immortality and all
the blessings which attend such a condition. Every time we
partake of the sacrament, our hearts should swell with
thanksgiving and gratitude for God's mercy unto us in this
respect; yet it is too frequently the case with these blessings,
as with many other blessings which God has bestowed upon us,
their being so wide-spread prevents us from appreciating them as
we should were they confined to a few of us and were not bestowed
upon all the family of man. The blessings of air, of water, of
the earth--the blessings that all the family of man enjoy in
common one with another--because they are so widely spread and so
universally enjoyed, are not appreciated as are other blessings
which are more confined in their application and in the result
which attends them to the children of men. The blessings of the
air we breathe, the earth upon which we tread, of the water which
courses down in crystal streams to satisfy our wants, and all the
blessings that are so bountifully bestowed upon us, ought to be
as much the cause of thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father as
though they were confined to a few families only. And so, also,
the great blessings of that salvation, which is extended
universally, through Christ, to all the children of men who will
be obedient to his requirements, ought to be appreciated just as
much as though confined to us alone, to a few families, or to a
small portion of the community which occupies these valleys.
68
The Lord has truly provided for us a plan of salvation that is as
wide as eternity, that is God-like in its nature and in its
origin; it is intended to exalt us, his children, and bring us
back into his presence. For this purpose our Lord and Savior came
in the meridian of time. His blood was shed that an expiation
might be made by which the plan of salvation could be completed,
that we, whose bodies would otherwise continue subject to an
everlasting sleep in the grave, might have our mortal tabernacles
resurrected and brought into the presence of our Father and God,
there to dwell eternally.
69
It should be a subject of thanksgiving and gratitude to us that
we have the privilege of comprehending the truth sufficiently to
derive the full benefit of the salvation which is offered unto us
through the death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; because
we are assured in the word of God that there is a class, who
through their sinfulness and neglect of the privileges and
opportunities granted unto them, and their disobedience to the
requirements of God, are cut off from the full benefits of that
salvation which they would enjoy were they more obedient. But
unto us is offered the salvation in its fulness, extended through
the death of Jesus. After we have done with this mortal life we
are promised a glorious resurrection in the first resurrection,
and that our bodies shall not sleep in the tomb any length of
time, only so long as is actually necessary to fulfil the
requirements of the Lord.
69
Through the revelations of the truth, which have been made unto
us, we are promised all that men and women could ask. All that
God has ever promised to his faithful children we will receive,
even every blessing that is necessary for our eternal happiness
in the presence of God, if we will live subject to the
requirements he has made of us in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This should be a constant theme of thanksgiving in our hearts,
and I believe it is so; I really believe that the Latter-day
Saints are the most grateful people upon the face of the earth; I
believe they give evidence of it in their actions. There is,
however, room continually given unto us for improvement in this
respect. We cannot be too grateful; we cannot get to a point
where there is a necessity for us to slacken in this respect; and
the more we comprehend of the purposes of our God, the more
grateful and more full of thanksgiving we will be. I notice that
among those who are not as fully acquainted as they should be
with the principles of the Gospel, there is more ingratitude and
a greater disposition to murmur, and a greater lack of
thankfulness, than among those who are educated--educated, I
mean, in the knowledge of the truth, in the principles of life
and salvation. I notice that among those who have the most
experience, and have made the greatest advancement in the things
of God, there is the greatest disposition to be thankful and
grateful, and to pour out their souls in prayer before God; and I
notice as the Saints increase in the knowledge of the truth, and
the comprehension of the principles of life and salvation, their
disposition in this direction increases with their knowledge.
69
Looking at it with the world's view, we have abundant cause to be
thankful; but to look at it through the light of the Spirit of
God, our gratitude and thanksgiving should be unbounded to God;
there should be no limit to it in our hearts every time we
reflect on our position and on the blessings that have been
bestowed upon us. What people on the face of the earth to-day can
compare with us in temporal blessings? And when we look at the
blessings we enjoy, as Saints of the Most High, from the stand
point from which the Latter-day Saints should view this work, how
can we limit the feelings which should animate our hearts
continually with praise to our Father and God?
70
When unprejudiced strangers look upon us, they see our temporal
advantages, and they think we are a blessed and happy people; but
there are other blessings that we enjoy. We enjoy promises which
are extended unto us, of which strangers know nothing--of which
they have not the least conception; blessings and promises which
no man can comprehend, except they who have received the Spirit
of God. We have blessings, we have favors we have causes of
peace, of which the human family know nothing. While our hearts
are burning with joy, with happiness and with peace; while the
Spirit of God is descending upon us and we are filled therewith,
they who look upon us cannot see or comprehend the spirit that we
are of--they cannot understand the feelings that animate our
hearts, they only see us as natural men and women; they know not
that power which has been communicated unto us and been poured
out upon us. While we feel as though we could sing Hosannah to
God and the Lamb, they cannot see anything to cause us to have
such feelings, because they have not access to that power--to
that fountain of knowledge, of light, and wisdom, which our God
has opened unto us as a people. We have, then, in addition to the
temporal advantages which God has bestowed upon us, abundant
cause for gratitude on other points.
70
There will be no time in the vast future when our cause for
thanksgiving and for gratitude will cease; for the more we know
and the more we comprehend the purposes of God, the more
gratitude we will have. The angels who surround his throne
indulge in thanksgiving and praise to God and the Lamb to a
greater extent than we can do, because their causes for
thanksgiving are greater; they have attained to a glorious
exaltation, and they bask in the sunshine of the presence of the
great Eternal. Although they are there, they still have cause to
sing Hosannah to God and the Lamb; though they are in possession
of such great blessings, dwelling as they do in a state of
immortality, and freed from the power of Satan, sin, and death,
they, nevertheless, see causes for thanksgiving to God our
Father; and the nearer we approximate to them and to their
perfection, the more we shall have of this feeling in our hearts,
the more causes of thanksgiving we will perceive, and the more
frequently we will express these feelings.
70
There is no time that we can conceive of throughout the vast ages
of eternity, if we continue our onward progress, when we will
become cloyed in our religion and in our worship of God; it will
not be a matter of form with us, a duty that will be wearying and
onerous upon us; on the contrary, it will increase in its
pleasures. These are reflections connected with the truth as
revealed to us, which are cheering. If we will let our
imaginations stretch into the future, there will be no time when
we will arrive at such a condition that we will, through
weariness, relax our efforts and our exertions, and cease to feel
thanksgiving and gratitude; but there will be increased causes
contributed continually to prompt us to indulge in these feelings
more and more, and take pleasure in their indulgence.
70
There never was a people on the face of the earth to whom the
same promises have been given as to us. Others, who have preceded
us in the enjoyment of the blessings of the Gospel, have looked
forward to the time of their decease, and have seen that after
they should pass away, the work they then were engaged in would
disappear form the earth; they saw that the power of the
adversary would be again wielded to great effect among men, and
that their labors would be comparatively lost sight of through
the evil that would prevail upon the earth. But this is not the
case with us; unto us are extended promises which have never been
extended to any other people who have lived upon the earth from
the days of Adam to this time; unto us a promise is given that
this kingdom shall stand for ever, that it shall not be given
into the hands of another people, that it shall roll forth,
increase, and spread abroad until it fills the whole earth--until
all the inhabitants of the earth can dwell in peace and safety
under its shadow, being freed from misrule, oppression, and every
evil that exists among the inhabitants of the earth; that a reign
of truth and righteousness shall be inaugurated, the reign of God
and of his Son Jesus Christ on the face of the earth.
71
This is the promise which has been extended unto us, and the work
is committed unto us and to the dispensation in which we live.
Such a promise was not extended unto Enoch, unto Noah, unto
Abraham, or unto any of the prophets who succeeded them down to
the days of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When the apostles
asked the Lord Jesus about the restoration of the kingdom, he
parried their question; it was not for the people who lived in
that dispensation to participate, while in the flesh, in the
blessings of the restoration of the kingdom of God on the earth
and its final establishment in the latter days. It was reserved
for the great and last dispensation of the fulness of times, that
great dispensation in which we now live, when the Gospel should
be restored to the earth in its fulness, and the eternal
Priesthood be revealed; when every angel and every prophet who
have lived upon our earth should revisit the earth again, and
bestow every key and all power and authority which they held on
the man who was elected to stand at the head of this
dispensation.
71
We live in this day, and our posterity will participate in the
blessings of this dispensation, if we and they should be
faithful. In looking forward to our future generations for the
next thousand years, we are not under the necessity of beholding,
in vision, our posterity straying into darkness in such a manner
as to close the heavens and shut off the communication between
God and man. God has taught us differently: he has taught us that
instead of the heavens becoming more closed, and communications
less frequent and seldom received, truth will be more abundantly
bestowed on man; instead of angels ceasing to communicate with
man, angels will communicate with him more and more until man
shall bask in the full light of eternity.
71
These are the prospects that are extended to us as individuals
and as a people. Hence, I have said that we have greater cause
than any other people that ever lived to be thankful to our
Father and God for what he has done for us and promised unto us;
yet, do we understand it, do we appreciate it? When we hate the
Spirit of God resting upon us, and our minds are enlightened by
it, I presume we do to some extent; we feel then that we would
constantly witness unto God by our acts that we really appreciate
his kindness in permitting us to come forth at such a time and be
associated with such a people. But when the counsels of God come
to us through his servants, and they are contrary to our
prepossessed notions, we forget that the inspiration of the
Almighty is with our brethren, that the power of the Highest is
with them, and, as Brother Snow alluded to Jonah this morning, if
we do not go to Tarshish, we frequently go somewhere else to
avoid doing the things that God requires at our hands.
71
Now, the day has come when we, as a people, will have to listen
to the voice of the servants of God, to the instructions of the
Almighty through his servants, and obey them as implicitly as
though God was in our midst. Yet, how often is it the case that,
when we have counsel imparted unto us, we feel as though we had
some suggestions to make that would make that counsel better and
more applicable to us. I have seen the Spirit of God grieved, and
the understanding of the man of God beclouded by men taking such
a course as this. When the servant of God has been under the
inspiration of the Almighty to counsel a certain course, somebody
has stepped forward and suggested something different, and by
that means the counsel of God has been darkened, the spirit of
revelation has been grieved, and the benefit which otherwise
would be, has not been received.
72
I have seen this under various circumstances, and I have looked
upon it as an evil and something we should never do. When the
counsel of God comes through his servants to us, we should bow to
that, no matter how much it may come in contact with our
pre-conceived ideas; submit to it as though God spoke it, and
feel such a reverence towards it as though we believed that the
servant of God has the inspiration of the Almighty resting upon
him. While many are willing to admit that the servants of God
understand everything connected with the work of God, and with
the various departments of it on the earth, they think there are
some kinds of knowledge which they possess in a superior degree
to them who preside over us. They will admit that the servants of
God may possess all the knowledge that is needed to spread the
Gospel and have it carried to the remotest regions, to build up
Zion; but there is something connected with their particular
calling that, they think, they understand to a far greater extent
than he or they who are appointed to preside over them.
72
This feeling is not unfrequently manifested. The persons who
exhibit it would be reluctant to say in words that this is their
feeling, but they express it in their actions. This causes an
interference with the Spirit of God, and frequently counsel is
darkened by men taking this course. I know that if we follow
implicitly the counsel of God's servants when they are inspired
to give counsel, even if they may not know everything about the
matter, we will be blessed if we bow to it, and God will overrule
everything for good, and it will result as God wishes it.
72
It is a great thing for us to have the counsel and instruction of
the Almighty in our midst. The servants of God are inspired by
the power of the Holy Ghost, and the revelations of Jesus are
within them; and if we follow their counsels strictly, we shall
be led into the presence of God, and I know that they are the
only men on the earth who have this power, authority, and
knowledge. If we take a course of this kind, you can readily
perceive how harmoniously every thing connected with the work of
God will roll forth; beauty and order will be witnessed in all
the ramifications of the kingdom of God at home and abroad, and
salvation will be extended unto us.
72
My prayer and desires are, that the Lord will bless you, and that
we may have the Spirit and the power of God resting upon us.
Which may God grant, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / John
Taylor, February 5, 1865
John Taylor, February 5, 1865
GOD THE SOURCE OF ALL INTELLIGENCE AND WISDOM.--MAN A
NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL BEING.--MYSTERIOUS NATURE OF HIS SENSES AND
FACULTIES.--MEN TO BE JUDGED BY THE REGISTER WITHIN THEMSELVES.
Remarks by Elder John Taylor, made in the Tabernacle, Great
Salt Lake City, Sunday, February 5, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
73
I have felt much impressed with the beautiful hymn which our
choir has just sung, speaking of our Heavenly Father and our
return again into his presence. We frequently talk about our
Father who is in heaven, and we delight to dwell upon our
relationship with him, and anticipate with pleasure the time when
we shall behold his face, regain his presence, and rejoice with
him, with the Savior, and with the spirits of the just made
perfect, in the eternal world. The Lord has revealed a great many
good and great things unto us, but yet we seem scarcely to
appreciate the privileges with which we are surrounded and
blessed, nor to comprehend exactly our true relationship to our
Heavenly Father.
73
I was very much pleased with some remarks made by President Young
in relation to our Father two or three weeks ago, wherein he
describes him as being like ourselves, and possessing the power
to associate with us, and, that if we were to gaze upon him we
should see a person like ourselves; yet he is spoken of as being
able to read the thoughts of our hearts, and that a sparrow
cannot fall to the ground without his notice. There are some
peculiar expressions in the Scripture and in the revelations that
we have had given to us, which we may term Scripture, if you
please, pertaining to our Father who is in heaven. We are told in
one place that "He is the light that enlighteneth every man that
cometh into the world." We are told, also, "That every good and
perfect gift proceeds from the Father of lights, in whom there is
no variableness nor shadow of turning." We are told in some of
our revelations, which the Lord has given to us in these last
days, that "He is the light that is in the sun, and the power
thereof by which it was made; that he is the light that is in the
moon, and the power by which it was made; that he is the light
that is in the stars and the power whereby they were made; and
that is the same light that enlighteneth the understanding of
man." According to some of our systems of philosophy, and the
ideas that theologists would entertain in relation to this
matter, these remarks would appear strange and incongruous.
74
We have been led generally to suppose that the light which
enlighteneth the understanding of man is what is termed of an
intellectual character, and differs materially from the solar
light, or the light of the sun; but if we examine these things
critically, we shall find that there is mixed up with the
philosophy of the heavens and the earth things that have been
altogether out of the reach of human philosophy; that all true
intelligence, all true wisdom, all intelligence that is of any
use or benefit to the human family, proceeds from the Lord; that
he is the fountain of truth, the source of intelligence, and the
developer of every true and correct principle that is known to
man upon the earth; that there is no branch of wisdom, of
science, of philosophy, of good, sound common sense but what
proceeds from him; and we shall furthermore learn, when we come
to be acquainted more particularly with heavenly things than we
are at the present time, that every thing associated with God and
with his economy, whether upon the earth or in the heavens is
strictly reasonable and philosophical; and that the only reason
why we do not comprehend many things that are revealed in former
times, is because we are not acquainted with the philosophy of
the heavens, nor the laws that govern the intelligences in the
eternal worlds. The philosophy of man, of the earth, and of the
things with which we are surrounded, is deep--it is abstruse; it
is difficult of comprehension even by the most enlightened mind
and the most comprehensive and enlarged intellect.
74
One great reason why men have stumbled so frequently in many of
their researches after philosophical truth is, that they have
sought them with their own wisdom, and gloried in their own
intelligence, and have not sought unto God for that wisdom that
fills and governs the universe and regulates all things. That is
one great difficulty with the philosophers of the world, as it
now exists, that man claims to himself to be the inventor of
everything he discovers; any new law and principle which he
happens to discover he claims to himself instead of giving glory
to God.
74
There are some ideas that have occurred to me lately in relation
to man, if I could only express them, which I consider have been
revealed by listening to the communications of others, and
through the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord. There is
something peculiar in the organization of man, particularly in
regard to his mind. We can think, we can reflect, we can conceive
of things, we can form our judgment of events that are
transpiring around; but it is difficult for us to perceive or to
comprehend how those things are accomplished, and by what process
they are brought about. A man, for instance, can store up in his
memory thousands and tens of thousands of things. A good
linguist, for example, can retain in his memory thousands of
words in his own language, and thousands and tens of thousands in
other languages, and he can draw upon these when he pleases, and
remember their significations. I can remember the time, some
years ago, when no person could tell me a passage in the Bible
but what I could turn to it; I could not remember every passage,
but I knew their connections and could tell others where they
could find them.
74
President Young's memory is remarkable in regard to names and
persons. I have travelled with him throughout the length and
breadth of this Territory, and I do not know that I have ever yet
seen him come in contact with a man whose name he did not
remember and the circumstances connected with him. There is
something remarkable in this.
75
Again, on theological subjects, a man will remember not only all
the doctrines which he himself believes, but also the doctrines
of various systems of religion that exist in the world, and be
enabled to separate, to describe, or define them. Now, the
question is, where are all these things stowed away? What book
are they written in; where are they recorded? A man may travel
over the earth, he may visit towns, cities, and villages, and
gaze upon oceans, seas, rivers, streams, mountains, valleys, and
plains; upon landscapes and different kinds of scenery, and make
himself acquainted with all the vegetable world, and these
pictures and this intelligence is carefully laid away somewhere.
He may study chemistry, botany, geology, astronomy, geography,
natural history, mechanics, the arts and sciences, and every
thing in creation which man is capacitated to receive and store
it away in his memory from the time of his youth up to old age.
There is something very remarkable in that. And then the question
arises, how do we judge of those things? If a man sees a thing,
how does he see it? There is something very remarkable in the
construction of the human eye; it is something like these
photographic instruments that receive impressions, only he gazes
upon them and his eye takes them in, and the scene he gazes upon
is actually imprinted upon what is called the retina of the eye;
and one thing after another is recorded, until thousands, and
tens of thousands, and millions of things are laid away through
that medium, and he is enabled to see any of these things
whenever he pleases; his will can call them forth, and they pass
in panoramic form before his vision from some source, where they
are deposited and registered; all those things that he has gazed
upon, that he has handled with his hands, or felt by the sense of
touch, he can call up at his pleasure. There is something
remarkable in this when we reflect upon it. Men talk about this
registry being in the brain, but mens' heads do not get any
larger. When men get what is called the "big head," it is because
there is nothing in their heads. The heart gets no bigger, the
body no larger, and yet all these records are laid away
somewhere.
75
Let us examine the Scriptures in relation to some things, and see
what they say concerning man. "But there is a spirit in man, and
the inspiration of the Almighty giveth it understanding." We
learn from this that there is a spirit in man in addition to this
outward frame, to these hands, these eyes, this body, with all
its powers, and appliances, and members; there is a spirit, an
essence--a principle of the Almighty, if you please--a peculiar
essence that dwells in this body, that seems to be inseparably
connected therewith.
76
We are told in a revelation which the Lord has given unto us,
"That the body and the spirit is the soul of man"--that the two,
when combined, form what is termed in Scripture the soul. Now,
then, according to this, man would be what may be termed a
natural and a spiritual being--a being connected with the
tabernacle that is associated with this earth, and earthy, and
another being that is connected with the heavens, or heavenly;
some would term it a temporal and a spiritual organization. It is
difficult, however, to find words to convey ideas correctly in
relation to these matters; our language is meagre when we speak
of heavenly things, because it is made for earthly beings, and
not for the heavenly; and therefore it does not embrace with that
distinctness and clearness those heavenly forms of speech which
might convey to our intelligence more clearly those ideas we can
better reflect upon than we can express. But, suffice it to say
that there are two natures, if you please, mixed up in the human
body; the one is what we term material, and the other, some would
call it, immaterial; but then, that is not a right phrase--the
one is earthly, or pertaining to the earth, that is, liable to
decay; the other is heavenly, more spiritual--an essence or being
that cannot be destroyed; and hence, says Jesus in speaking
concerning this, "And I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid
of them that kill the body, and after that, have no more that
they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear. Fear
Him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell;
yea, I say unto you, fear Him."
76
The body itself is a very remarkable structure or machine. Let me
refer to some few items associated with it--to the mediums
through which we receive the intelligence of which we speak. For
instance, the eye. How is it that you receive impressions into
the eye? Just in the same way as impressions are received by a
daguerreotype instrument, and they are planted there in what is
termed the retina of the eye; there are placed there a number of
small nerves which receive these impressions and convey the
intelligence somewhere, in some manner, that it is laid away in
some place where it can be called up. When we reflect upon and
witness their peculiar powers, we discover operations that are
very remarkable, comprehensive, accurate, and mysterious; you can
see a mountain to the distance of fifty miles, and your eye will
take it in and receive the impression; you can gaze upon a
thousand objects, and your eye will register them all, and will
convey an exact likeness of them, so that you can describe by
language, if you have the power to use it, a true resemblance of
the objects your vision takes in, so nice and so precise are the
figures conveyed to the human mind through the instrumentality of
the eye; so acute, so impalpable, so ethereal and refined is its
action and power, that its susceptibilities approach very near to
the spiritual, although it is temporal, so called.
76
Again, the power of smell is very peculiar; perfumes of various
kinds will last for years, and their various odors can be
distinguished by you. Take, for instance, a Tonquin bean, or a
rose. The former is very small, and yet it continues to emit or
exude, year after year, myriads of small, infinitesimal
particles, without any sensible diminution, all of which are
charged or impregnated with its own peculiar aroma; and convey
this delicate, impalpable matter to the organs of the nose, and
so exquisitely sensitive are the nerves associated with the nasal
organ, that the minuteness of this touch, and the peculiar odor
of the Tonquin bean, the rose, or any other peculiar aroma, is
conveyed as distinctly to the understanding as words or signs of
any kind can convey impressions to the human mind. This, indeed,
mysterious, yet strictly demonstrative, although, like the
capacity of the eye, it approaches the spiritual or ethereal.
77
Our sense of hearing is also another remarkable instance of the
peculiar sensitiveness of the organs of the human system. While I
am speaking to you, there is not in this vast assembly a man,
woman, or child that does not hear my voice at this time; all
present can distinguish every word I say. How do they hear it? My
voice causes a vibration in the atmosphere, the same as when a
stone is thrown into the water; the water undulates, and a
succession of waves are produced, which, if undisturbed, spread
in continuous increasing circles, until the disturbing force is
exhausted. So, in like manner, the action of the voice operates,
or vibrates, upon the atmosphere, which is full of impalpable
atoms or globules that undulate, vibrate and rush against each
other with great rapidity above, below, around, carrying with
great accuracy and distinctness, and conveying the sound so
correctly, that every man and woman hears alike; the sound is
conveyed in an inexplicable manner to the drum of the ear. The
nerves are affected, and those nerves convey intelligence to the
congregation I am now talking to--to the understandings of those
who hear me.
77
We are made in the image of God, we were designed by the
intelligence of God, and the organs we have are the same kind of
organs that the Gods themselves possess. I consider that the body
and the spirit are connected together in some inscrutable,
indefinable, and intelligent manner; that, if we comprehended,
would be a greater wonder and mystery to us than anything that we
have already referred to.
77
Now, then, let me speak of another subject immediately connected
with this. President Young remarked; and we are informed in the
Scriptures, and that was one of the things that led me to reflect
about some of these matters, as well as in our own revelations,
something like this, that "God sees and knows the acts of all
men." We read something like this, "But I say unto you, that
every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment." Now, this is a remarkable
declaration. Look at the millions of human beings that inhabit
this earth, and that have inhabited it from the creation up to
the present time. It is supposed, generally, by the best
authorities, that from eight hundred to a thousand millions of
people live upon this earth at the same time, that is, this has
been the case for a great many generations at least; they are
coming and going continually, they pass into the world by
thousands and tens of thousands, and go out of it in the same way
daily; a daily stream of this kind is coming and going. Then, if
we could discover the thoughts and reflections of these numerous
millions of human beings, look at the wisdom, the intelligence,
the folly, the nonsense, the good and the evil that is connected
with every one of them, it is so vast and complicated that the
human mind could not receive it, and it seems as if it would be
almost a thing impossible for God to gaze upon the whole of
them,--to comprehend the whole, and judge of the whole correctly.
How shall this be done? My understanding of the thing is, that
God has made each man a register within himself, and each man can
read his own register, so far as he enjoys his perfect faculties.
This can be easily comprehended.
80
Let your memories run back, and you can remember the time when
you did a good action, you can remember the time when you did a
bad action; the thing is printed there, and you can bring it out
and gaze upon it whenever you please. As I stated before, if you
have studied language, you can call that out at pleasure; you can
show the distinction between the different parts of speech very
readily. If you have studied mechanism, your mind will go to the
place where you saw a certain machine, and you will go to work
and make one like it. If you have travelled in cities, you can
tell what kind of houses and streets composed the different
cities you passed through, and the character of the people you
associated with; and you can ruminate upon them, and reflect upon
them by day or by night whenever you think proper, and call the
things up which you did and saw. Where do you read all this? In
your own book. You do not go to somebody else's book or library,
it is written in your own record, and you there read it. Your
eyes and ears have taken it in, and your hands have touched it;
and then your judgment, as it is called, has acted upon it--your
reflective powers. Now, if you are in possession of a spirit or
intellectuality of that kind, whereby you are enabled to read
your own acts, do you not think that that being who has placed
that spirit and that intelligence within you holds the keys of
that intelligence, and can read it whenever he pleases? Is not
that philosophical, reasonable, and scriptural? I think it is.
Where did I derive my intelligence from that I possess? From the
Lord God of Hosts, and you derived your intelligence from the
same source. Where did any man that exists or breathes the breath
of life throughout this whole universe get any intelligence he
has? He got it from the same source. Then it would be a very
great curiosity if I should be able to teach you something and
not know that something myself. How could I teach you A, B, C, if
I did not know the alphabet, or the rudiments of the English
Grammar, or anything else, if I did not know it myself? I could
not do it. Well, then, upon this principle we can readily
perceive how the Lord will bring into judgment the actions of men
when he shall call them forth at the last day. Let me refer to
some things in the Scriptures pertaining to this matter.
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, in which he saw a variety of things
pass before him. By-and-by the dream was taken from him, and he
could not remember it; and he called upon the magicians, and
soothsayers, and astrologers to give unto him the dream and the
interpretation thereof, but they said it was too hard a thing for
them to do; they could not give the king this information, for
nobody can know these things but the Gods whose dwelling is not
with flesh. They believed, as we do, that there is a Being that
had spirit and intelligence above the other gods, and that he
alone could unravel those mysteries. Finally, the king sent for
Daniel, and Daniel knew nothing about it until he prayed unto the
Lord, and the Lord showed it to him; for the Lord had given the
dream to Nebuchadnezzar, and if he had given it to one, he could
to another. He could read it in Nebuchadnezzar's mind or spirit
in the record which He kept. He revealed the same thing to
Daniel, who said unto the king, "Thou sawest a great image; its
head was of gold, its arms and breast of silver, its belly and
thighs of brass, its legs of iron, and its feet and toes part of
iron and part of clay." When Nebuchadnezzar heard the dream which
he had forgotten, he gave glory to the God of Israel, because he
could reveal secrets and manifest things which had been
manifested to him. We look at things again on natural principles,
according to things that we can judge upon by our natural senses.
A man gazes upon a thing in the day-dime, he goes to sleep, his
senses are gone, he wakes up in the morning, and he remembers the
things he had forgotten in his sleep--they are remembered as
fresh as ever. There have been men afflicted by what the
physicians call catalepsy; they lose their senses for a period of
time, sometimes for years, and in that state they are entirely
ignorant of their former existence; they do not know any events
that transpire, they cannot read their own register; but the
moment their senses come to them, they reflect and begin at the
place they left off when they became deranged. Man sleeps the
sleep of death, but the spirit lives where the record of his
deeds is kept--that does not die--man cannot kill it; there is no
decay associated with it, and it still retains in all its
vividness the remembrance of that which transpired before the
separation by death of the body and the ever-living spirit. Man
sleeps for a time in the grave, and by-and-by he rises again from
the dead and goes to judgment; and then the secret thoughts of
all men are revealed before Him with whom we have to do; we
cannot hide them; it would be in vain for a man to say then, I
did not do so-and-so; the command would be, Unravel and read the
record which he has made of himself, and let it testify in
relation to these things, and all could gaze upon it. If a man
has acted fraudulently against his neighbor--has committed
murder, or adultery, or any thing else, and wants to cover it up,
that record will stare him in the face, he tells the story
himself, and bears witness against himself. It is written that
Jesus will judge not after the sight of the eye, or after the
hearing of the ear, but with righteousness shall he judge the
poor, and reprove with equity the meek of the earth. It is not
because somebody has seen things, or heard anything by which a
man will be judged and condemned, but it is because that record
that is written by the man himself in the tablets of his own
mind--that record that cannot lie--will in that day be unfolded
before God and angels, and those who shall sit as judges. There
will be some singular developments then, I think. If this is to
be the case, as was said formerly, "What manner of persons ought
we to be in all holy conversation and godliness?" There is, in
fact, something in this, that in a partial degree can be read
even on this earth. There are men who profess to be phrenologists
and physiologists who profess to read character, and perhaps some
man, from a knowledge of human nature and from a study of the
human mind, can, upon natural principles, unfold a great many
things. And there is associated with this Church such a gift as
is called the discerning of spirits; but it is one of those
things which we see in part and understand in part, etc.; "but
when that which is in part is done away, and that which is
perfect has come, then we shall see as we are seen, and know as
we are known." That is only a part of what the other will be the
perfection of. When we get into the eternal world, into the
presence of God our Heavenly Father, his eye can penetrate every
one of us, and our own record of our lives here shall develop
all. I do not say that he will take trouble to read everybody. We
read concerning the apostles in former times, that when Jesus
should sit in judgment, they should be seated upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel; and it is also
written, "Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world?" Who
will be judges of the world in this generation? You, yourselves,
who understand the laws of the Priesthood must say, Now, then, if
these things are so, it behoves us to consider and ponder well
the paths of our feet, it behoves me to be careful what I do,
what doctrines I advance, what principles I inculcate, and see to
it that I do my duty before God, and the angels, and all men, for
I cannot obliterate the record which is written here. If I am
engaged in business transactions of any kind, it behoves me to
know what I am doing; that I am dealing as I would wish men to
deal with me; if I do not, the record is there. I think we read
somewhere, that if our own conscience condemn us, God is greater
than our conscience; "if our own hearts condemn us, God is
greater than our hearts." If I be a father and have charge of
family, it behoves me to know what kind of an example I set
before them, and how I conduct myself; it behoves both fathers
and mothers to know that they are making a record of their doings
that they will not be ashamed of. It behoves children to know
what kind of a course they take towards their parents, and
towards the building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth. If
I am an Elder in Israel, or whatever office I hold in the Church,
it behoves me to comprehend my position, know myself, and act as
a Saint of God in all things, which may the Lord help us to do in
the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Heber
C. Kimball, February 19, 1865
Heber C. Kimball, February 19, 1865
MEN OUGHT TO PRACTISE WHAT THEY TEACH.--NECESSITY OF FAITHFULNESS
ON THE PART OF THE SAINTS.--THE YOUNG OUGHT TO LIVE THEIR
RELIGION.--BLESSINGS RECEIVED THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF FAITH.
Remarks made by President Heber C. Kimball, at Centerville,
Sunday,
February 19, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
80
I desire most humbly to talk very simply to my brethren and
sisters. It is as much my duty as it is the duty of any other
member of this Church to learn how to be a Saint. I have got to
learn how to be a truthful man, an honest man, an upright man,
and I have got to make myself competent, through faithfulness to
God and my brethren, to teach others with propriety. It is a
common saying "Do as I say but not as I do;" but I want to do
just as I teach you to do without any deviation. There is not
anything in my calling that will justify me in doing wrong. It
would be nonsense for me to undertake to preach righteousness,
virtue, truthfulness, and justice, and not be a righteous,
virtuous, and just man myself. You hold hood which I hold; it is
no matter what office you hold in that Priesthood, and it has all
emanated out of the holy Apostleship, making these different
offices and callings branches of the Apostleship. We all have a
Priesthood to honor, which it is impossible for us to do unless
we honor ourselves; and all who hold the Priesthood and honor
themselves, are worthy of honor; and it is impossible to honor
the Priesthood in that man and not honor the vessel that holds
it.
81
We can command the respect of all men as a people by making
ourselves self-sustaining, by acquiring a knowledge of all kinds
of mechanical business; and our sisters can make themselves
honorable by learning to knit, weave, and spin; how to make a
harness for a loom, and how to warp the yarn, after they have
spun and colored it. Every young woman who calculates to be wife
and a mother, should make herself acquainted with these matters.
Is there any female in our society too good to learn and work at
this home industry? I think not. If there are any who consider
themselves so, they are also too good to wear home-made clothing.
The Priesthood is also with the woman, because she is connected
with the man, and the man is connected with his God. Being so
connected, we must all be honorable if we are good.
81
The earth is enlightened by the same light which enlightens our
eyes, which is the light of Christ, which enlighteneth every son
and daughter of Adam and Eve who cometh into the world, and it is
the same light by which I see you this morning. And we have, in
addition to this, a holy Priesthood, and have been commanded to
go forth and preach the Gospel, and teach the ways of life to all
men, and not to be taught by unbelievers. We are also instructed
to lead all meetings as we are dictated by the Holy Ghost. The
spirit of truth is the spirit of revelation, which we may all
possess, for it is the privilege of all Latter-day Saints so to
live and honor God as to receive of his attributes and nature in
greater perfection, and become more like Him. We are the sons and
daughters of God; we have proceeded from him through the laws of
generation, the same as my children have proceeded from me. God
is the great father of our race, and as a man is not perfect
without the woman, neither is the woman without the man in the
Lord; they depend upon each other, and are necessary to each
other for the propagation of our species.
82
I enjoyed myself very much at your party last night. Such social
gatherings are always good in their effects, so long as we keep
within the purview of the religion of Jesus Christ in all such
exercises. It is my privilege and duty to live so as to become a
good man, as much so as any man in this Church and kingdom. Being
an Apostle does not excuse me in the least from the performance
of every duty which the religion of Jesus makes binding upon me;
and, as far as I am concerned, I live as faithfully as possible,
considering the failings of mortality which I have in common with
all men. There is not a day passes over my head that I do not bow
before the Lord once, twice, or thrice; that is the way I have
got to live, in order to be a good man, and retain the light of
the Holy Spirit to guide me into all truth; and the same
faithfulness is required of you, because you are members of the
same body and of the same Priesthood. We should all be alive in
the performance of our duties. We cannot live the religion of
Jesus and not pray. I have had an experience in this Church of
some thirty-two years. I commenced to pray before I heard of the
Work of the last days, and I have prayed every day from that day
until the present time. I have never been in a circumstance or
place wherein I could not pray, if I was disposed to do so. As
faith without works is dead, being alone, so our religion is of
no benefit to us without prayer. I cannot live and be prospered
in the kingdom of God only by a faithful attendance to every
duty. When Jesus Christ came to the world as the messenger of
life and salvation, he called upon all the ends of the earth to
come unto him and be saved, for besides him there is no Savior.
He also said, I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman,
that is, he proceeded from the Father; and he further says to the
twelve, "And ye are the branches;" and he exhorted them to abide
in him even as he abideth in the Father. In doing this they
partake of the same spirit. If we abide not in Him, we become
like a limb that is dead and ready to be burned.
82
My being one of the First Presidency of the Church does not
excuse me from living my religion; but I should, on that account,
be more faithful, and show an example to the flock of Christ, and
constantly be alive to know how things are progressing in the
Church, and be dictated by the Holy Ghost in every act of my
life, that I may have power to discern the spirits of men, and be
able to give unto them the very counsel that my Father in heaven
would give them if he were here himself. I endeavor to take this
course, and when I give counsel, I do not run against Brother
Brigham, because I am led by the same spirit. You call these
things little things, but they are as big things as I know of;
these things lie at the root of the matter, and from them spring
the fruits of righteousness. The main roots of a tree are fed by
the little fibres, and from them spring the trunk, and the
branches, and the fruit. Let us cultivate those principles which
lie at the root of all righteousness, that our professions and
works may accord with each other, instead of being contented with
a mere form of godliness, without power or foundation. This
Church is founded upon eternal truth; its roots run into
eternity, and all the power of the devil and wicked men may seek
its overthrow in vain, for it will triumph over death, hell, and
the grave. I know this. I know it by revelation--by the Spirit of
God, for in this way my Heavenly Father communes with me, and
maketh known unto me his mind and will. I have never seen him in
person, but when I see my brethren I see his image, and I
discover the attributes of God in them. Then let us honor our
bodies and spirits, which are made in the likeness of him who has
created all things and upholds them by his power.
82
I have never seen a time since I entered this Church when there
was greater necessity for this people living faithfully than now.
It is a very prosperous time, and we are gaining property fast;
and many, I fear, are losing sight of everything else but the
riches of this world; and, were you to warn them of it, they are
so blinded by the deceitfulness of riches, that they would not
believe a word you say. The more people stray away from God the
harder it is to make them sensible of their danger; and the more
light that men and women possess, the easier it is to correct
them when they go astray; because they are more like the clay
that is in the hands of the potter, and they can be moulded and
fashioned according to the will and pleasure of the master
potter. We have got to walk very faithfully before our Father in
heaven, and strive with all our might to honor the covenants we
have made with him in his house.
83
I do not say but that you are just as good men and women in this
place as in any other place in the mountains; yea, I admit that
the people are better in the country towns than in Great Salt
Lake City, for the froth and scum of hell seem to concentrate
there, and those who live in the City have to come in contact
with it; and with persons who mingle with robbers, and liars, and
thieves, and with whores and whore-masters, etc. Such wicked men
will also introduce themselves into Davis County, and among all
the settlements throughout these mountains; but where the people
are truly righteous and just, wicked men can do them no harm;
were the people all righteous who profess to be Latter-day
Saints, they would constantly be on their watch against the
encroachment of a wicked power. The wicked and corrupt who have
settled in our community are taking a course to lead away those
who are willing to be led away from the truth--those who have
turned away from God; and it will be for our good, as a
community, if such persons will leave and never again return to
our Territory, unless they can do so with a determination to
serve God and keep his commandments. I love those who love God;
they are more precious to me than gold, and silver, or
possessions.
83
Do we live our religion as faithfully as we might? Are we not in
the habit of telling lies now and them? Oh, yes, we tell
occasionally a white lie, or a little catnip lie, once in a
while. We should be perfectly truthful and honest in all our
sayings and dealings with all men, especially with those who
serve the same God that we do, and are in the bonds of the same
religion. How to do this is one of the great mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven. By telling these little fibs we lose the
spirit of the Lord and get into darkness, then the simplest truth
becomes a mystery to us; but when our minds are enlightened by
the spirit of truth, everything is plain and clear to the
understanding. People get an idea that there is no sin in little
lies, or catnip lies. You read in the Book of Mormon, where it is
said that the devil goeth about deceiving the children of men,
and tells them to lie a little, and steal a little, and take the
advantage of your neighbour a little, and speak against thy
neighbors a little, and do wrong a little here and a little
there, and thus he leadeth them with silken cords, as it were,
down to destruction. It is just as much a crime to steal a penny
or a cent as it is to steal a quarter of a dollar--the quarter of
a dollar is more in value than the cent, but what difference is
there in the crime? These little things we are apt to pass over
unnoticed, but they will operate materially against your
obtaining that glory with you design to inherit in the next
existence. If little wrongs are not checked, they will lead on to
greater ones, until we are cheated out of our salvation. By
checking these little wrongs, as they are called, we become more
grounded and rooted in the faith of Christ, as a tree is rooted
and grounded in the earth.
83
We ought not to take a course to injure each other. A man holding
the Priesthood of the Son of God, a High Priest for instance,
will try to destroy the influence of a better man, causing him to
walk in sorrow, that he, the High Priest, may step over him and
get to some particular distinction; but as the Lord lives, and as
the sun shines, such men will be deceived in their designs, and
will receive in full the measure they have tried to measure out
to others. In our deal with each other, it is better to give a
man a dollar than to take a cent from him; by wronging a man of a
dollar or a few cents, you may thereby cause a division between
yourself and one of your best friends. What for? For a poor,
miserable dollar. I have been, and am now, subject to many
weaknesses that I would guard you against, but I am trying to
fortify myself and overcome every evil that is in me.
84
I will relate a little incident in my own experience to
illustrate the selfishness of the human heart, and how by
perseverance it can be overcome. I have lately been at work
putting down some carpets in the endowment rooms. I had a piece
of good carpet myself, and a spirit came upon me which whispered,
"Brother Heber, you may just as well put that carpet into the
endowment house as let it lie on one of your floors." Before I
got it out of doors to move it to the endowment house, my
generous feeling puckered up and a thought came to me, that the
Church was fully able to carpet its own rooms. I took the carpet
and put it away again. In a day or two afterwards a thought came
to me like this, "Heber, you had better take that carpet and use
it in the Lord's house, for before the spring it may be eat up
with moths." I looked at the carpet again, after bringing it from
its hiding place, and said to myself, "That is really a pretty
carpet; it is almost too good to put down in that house," and I
put it away again. The thought came to me again, "You had better
put it in the endowment house and beautify the Lord's house with
it, for the Lord may notice it, and he will, no doubt, see you
dressing up and adorning his house." I seized the carpet again
and dragged it out of doors at once, and placed myself between it
and the door, saying to the carpet, "You do not go back again
into that room any more." I presume that nearly all of you have
had just such feelings and just such fightings against the power
of evil in yourselves, and against carrying into effect your good
and generous intentions.
84
The other day my wife was sick; she came to me and requested me
to pray to the Lord that she might be healed. The matter passed
from my mind. The day following this I remarked to her that I had
not seen her looking so well for some time previous. She replied,
"I am perfectly sound." I had forgotten about her request that I
should pray for her, and had not done so; but she was healed
through her honesty, faith, and integrity towards the holy
Priesthood. She reverenced and honored it; the Holy Spirit saw
it, and the angels of God saw it, and she was healed by the power
of God, without the laying on of hands. It was with that
circumstance as it was anciently. "The centurion answered and
said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my
roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed."
85
We who hold the Priesthood do not honor each other as we ought in
our intercourse with each other; if we do not honor each other,
how can we expect to be honored by God and by his Holy Spirit,
who seeth us and is cognizant of all we do. We must try to
overcome all unpleasant and unkind language towards each other,
and strive to have our intercourse such as angels will applaud.
It is written, "resist the devil and he will flee from you." Some
people do not believe that there are any devils. There are
thousands of evil spirits that are just as ugly as evil can make
them. The wicked die, and their spirits remain not far from where
their tabernacles are. When I was in England, twenty-eight years
ago next June, I saw more devils than there are persons here
to-day; they came upon me with an intention to destroy me; they
are the spirits of wicked men who, while in the flesh, were
opposed to God and his purposes. I saw them with what we call the
spiritual eyes, but what is in reality the natural eye. The
atmosphere of many parts of these mountains is doubtless the
abode of the spirits of Gadianton robbers, whose spirits are as
wicked as hell, and who would kill Jesus Christ and every Apostle
and righteous person that ever lived if they had the power. It is
by the influence of such wicked spirits that men and women are
all the time tempted to tell little lies, to steal a little, to
take advantage of their neighbor a little, and they tell us there
is no harm in it. It is by the influence and power of evil
spirits that the minds of men are prejudiced against each other,
until they are led to do each other an injury, and sometimes to
kill each other.
85
We are the sons and daughters of God if we are faithful and honor
our calling, and he has respect unto one as much as unto another.
In a revelation given to Joseph Smith, it is written, "And again
I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself; for
what man among you having twelve sons and is no respecter of
them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one,
be thou clothed in robes, and sit thou here; and to the other, be
thou clothed in rags, and sit thou there, and looketh upon his
sons and saith, I am just?" In this way the Lord looks upon this
people, and I feel to say, God bless this people with all the
power I have got, and with all the good feeling, and with all the
Priesthood of the Son of God I bless you in the name of Jesus
Christ, and I pray for you and for all this people. Oh, how I
desire for us all to be one; for if we are not one, we must see
sorrow. Brother Brigham says, If we live our religion and keep
the commandments of God, we shall never be moved. That is true.
If we are ever disturbed again by our enemies, it will be because
we are unfaithful. The first Presidency of this Church and others
may be just as righteous and holy as our Father in heaven, and
yet a portion of this people can, by their wrong doing, bring
sorrow and suffering upon us. The first Presidency, and thousands
of others in this Church, are not guilty of crime; we have done
right all the time, and we have to suffer for those who are
punished for their sins. When one or two among a family are
wayward and break the laws of the land, see what sorrow, and
tears, and disgrace it brings upon the whole family. It is just
so with us. But oh! my desires are for you to do right, and honor
your calling, and work faithfully under the dictation of
President Young and others who are co-workers with him in the
great Work of the last days.
85
I feel that I would be willing to work day and night to do my
brethren and sisters good. I want the rising generation to come
forth and secure their blessings in the house of the Lord, that
they may be saved from the evil into which they might otherwise
fall. If our sons could fully and clearly see the propriety of
living their religion, they would from this day cease to mingle
with wicked persons; and our daughters, too, if they understood
the consequences, would never be found giving themselves in
marriage to wicked men. As parents and teachers, we should try
with all of our ability to impress upon the minds of our young
people, by precept and example, principles of truth, that they
may not remain uncontrolled and exposed to all the allurements of
sin. We should tie them to us by the saving principles of the
Gospel. I want to see this people established in peace, and in a
way that they can sway the sceptre of King Emmanuel over the
whole earth before I lay my body down to sleep a short time in
the grave.
86
Let us remember that the liberal man deviseth liberal things, and
by his liberality he shall live. I can tell you a hundred
instances where I have been poor and penniless, and did not know
what course to take, and the evil one would tempt me and seek to
make me bow down in sorrow, but I would rise up in the name of
the Lord, shake off my cares, exclaiming, I know that my Father
in heaven lives and has respect for me; then I have been blessed,
and my way has been opened before me. "Seek and you shall find,
knock and it shall be opened unto you. Draw near to God and he
will draw nigh unto you." Oh! what a great comfort it is to know
that you live in the favor of your Father in heaven. If I am
faithful, I know it is not in the power of any man upon earth to
throw an obstruction between me and Him.
86
Truth has sprung from the earth, and righteousness has looked
down from heaven, and they have met and have kissed each
other--they are one. It should be just so with those who possess
the holy Priesthood of the Son of God; it never will lead one man
to contend against another, and the angels of God never will
cause any person to contend about any of the follies of this
world, for all the glory of this world is perfectly worthless
without God. The life of man is but a few days, and these few
days well spent will be spent to secure a place in the heaven of
eternal rest. Seeing that we have only a few days allotted us to
secure so great a blessing, why can we not be faithful every day
and every hour of our lives; and why do we yield the point to
wicked influences and spend our precious moments in that which
yieldeth no profit?
86
We shall soon pass away and return again with renewed and
immortal bodies that will not be subject to sickness and death;
then shall we have plenty of time and opportunity to adorn the
earth and make it glorious, as we should be doing now, in order
to gain an experience by which we may be profited hereafter. We
came here into this world to gain an experience and to serve God
and keep his commandments. May peace be with you, and comfort and
consolation be multiplied upon you and all the Saints in these
valleys and in all the world. I do not fear the wicked, they can
do nothing against the truth; let us be troubled about doing
right ourselves, and I am willing to risk all the rest. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / John
Taylor, March 5, 1865
John Taylor, March 5, 1865
RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF THE WORLD CONTRASTED WITH THOSE OF THE
SAINTS.--LOYALTY LOYALTY OF THE SAINTS TO THE
CONSTITUTION.--PERSECUTIONS THEY HAVE ENDURED.--PROPHECY IN THE
CHURCH.
Remarks by Elder John Taylor, made in the Tabernacle, Great
Salt Lake City, Sunday, March 5, 1865.
Reported by E. L. Sloan.
87
As we travel along through what is sometimes called this "vale of
tears," there are many thoughts that occupy our minds, and many
subjects for reflection present themselves, sometimes concerning
the living and sometimes concerning the dead. However, it is with
the living that we have to do at the present time, and it is
"Life and the pursuit of happiness" that ought to occupy the
attention of all intellectual beings. Mankind have various views
and ideas in relation to the attainment of happiness upon the
earth, and also after we leave the earth; and those views and
ideas that are entertained by us in relation to these matters
influence, to a greater or less extent, our actions and
proceedings in life. We look at things through another medium,
and judge of them from another stand-point, than which they are
generally viewed by the inhabitants of the earth. We look upon it
that the greatest happiness that we can attain to is in securing
the approbation of our Heavenly Father, in fearing God, in being
made acquainted with his laws--with the principles of eternal
truth, and with those things that we consider will best promote
not only our temporal, but our eternal happiness.
87
There are a great many men in the world who, in the abstract,
would say this is correct--that it is very proper for man, who is
made in the image of God, to fear him. They would sing as Wesley
did.--
87
"Wisdom to silver we prefer,
And gold is dross compared with her:
In her right hand are length of days,
True riches and immortal praise," &c.
88
But then, when we come to scan the matter more minutely, we find
that it is, really, only in the abstract that these things are
viewed, and that people, generally, carry their religion very
easily. They wear it very loosely about them. They do not enter
into it with that earnestness and zeal which we, as a people,
generally do. Hence, there is quite a difference between them and
us in these particulars. Men generally suppose that it is well
enough to fear God on Sunday, and perhaps attend to religion a
little during the week, but not much; that a course of the latter
kind would interfere too much with the daily avocations of life;
and that it would be almost impossible for the generality of
mankind to attend to these things in the way that we, as a
people, believe in. Preaching, for instance, they believe must be
done by a man specially set apart for the purpose, who by that
means obtains his living, just as another man would in the
profession of law, or in any other avocation or trade. In the
Church of England, with which I was first connected--inducted
into it when a boy, or rather a child-- they have not only
ministers to read their prayers, but clerks to say amen for them,
so that the people have literally nothing to do but go to
meeting. Men may profess religion and be drunkards, riotous,
fraudulent, debauchees, &c.; yet that does not make much
difference, for when they die and are put into consecrated
ground, the minister, in reading the service for the dead,
declares that their bodies are committed to the dust "In the sure
and certain hope of a glorious resurrection." I used to think
when a boy, if such men went to heaven, I should not wish to be
in their society; but if there were more apartments than one, I
should like to select my company.
88
It must be a very pleasing sort of way for people to do just as
they please when living, and be considered very genteel and
fashionable, and then when they die, instead of running the risk
of being dammed, as they do among the Methodists, have a sure and
certain hope of a glorious resurrection. I have studied the
theories and views of many other Christian denominations,
particularly Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and various
sects of what is called Protestantism, and a similar
inconsistency runs through them. A man may be a robber, a
murderer, a blasphemer, in fact, no matter how wicked he is, if
they can only get him converted or born again immediately before
he dies, it is all right; if they can get him to receive religion
and believe in Jesus, even though he is about to be hung for some
horrible crime--murder in the most aggravated form--he is
prepared to enter into the kingdom of heaven to enjoy the society
of God and angels; while another man, who may have been moral,
upright, honorable, charitable, and humane, is consigned to
everlasting burnings because he has not been converted or born
again. Yet many of these people are sincere in their convictions,
both among teachers and taught, among priests and people. I used
to think, what becomes of the justice of God under such
circumstances?
88
In relation to these matters we differ very materially from them,
as well as in other things. We are what may emphatically be
called a kingdom of priests. But with us, we do not get so much
pay for so much work done in the discharge of the duties
appertaining to the Priesthood, in the sense in which the
religious world look for such remuneration. We have to preach, to
attend to the duties of our callings, to administer in the
ordinances of God, and to carry the Gospel to the nations of the
earth, trusting in God, without salary or pecuniary reward. That
is a thing the religious world do not think of, nor believe in
doing. The idea of having faith in God about temporal things is a
something they cannot understand; they cannot reconcile it with
their philosophy; though they profess any amount of faith in the
Lord in spiritual things. There is a very material difference
between them and us about these matters.
89
The same thing runs throughout almost every subject on which we
reflect and exercise thought upon. Many people suppose, because
we differ from them religiously, that we are opposed to them and
that we are their enemies. We feel a good deal as Paul felt
concerning the Israelites when he said, "My daily prayer is, that
Israel may be saved." Yet Israel persecuted him because he did
not believe as they believed in many things. We differ from
others in political matters to a great extent. We have other
ideas from what they have. We cannot help it. We reason upon
certain things and reflect upon them, and use our judgment about
them; and when we see things that are wrong, we consider they are
wrong, and so state it, and believe that nothing can make a wrong
into a right, nothing can turn an error into a truth; and hence
there is quite a difference of feeling sometimes arises in
relation to many of these things. We believe, for instance, in
our religious matters, that God ought to govern us. We believe
that when we are called upon to perform any labor or service of
any kind, it is part of our religious faith that we must perform
that, independent of any consequences whatever. No other people
have got this religious feeling. Do you think you could
transplant a number of the Church of England people into these
valleys in the condition they were in when we came here? No, you
could not. They would want to know where their living was to come
from, and how they were to be sustained. You may go to the old
Methodists, that are yet more zealous, and they would not do it.
When the rush was made for the California gold mines here,
shortly after they were discovered, a certain number of priests
went with them to dig gold, and to take care of their souls, I
suppose, at the same time. But then there was supposed to be gold
to pay for it. And, as the Scriptures say, "As with the people,
so with the priest," they all travelled in the one road.
89
With us a few, it is true, have gone after gold--a few straggling
ones here and there have wandered in search of it; but the
generality of our Elders, while some few have gone in this
direction, have been away travelling through the nations of the
earth, trying to help forward the best interests and happiness of
the human family, and inculcating those great principles which
God has revealed from the heavens for the salvation of man;
travelling, too, without purse or scrip. I remember, during the
time of the gold fever, everybody wished to see me, where I was
travelling, because they wanted to know something about the gold,
and they thought I was acquainted with the neighborhood where it
was obtained. They were surprised that our Elders should be
leaving the prospects of such wealth, and going forth on a
mission such as we are going on, so profitless and dishonourable
in the estimation of men. But the Elders who did it were so
infatuated, as some people would say, that they would go forward
to the ends of the earth to preach what was viewed as
imposture--a something that was considered to be opposed to
everything good. It was to them astonishing that men would leave
this gold that exerts so powerful an attraction upon the minds
and bodies of men; their motives and acts were not comprehended.
But our Elders did it, and hence we differed very materially from
others in relation to these matters.
90
We differ from them, also, with regard to our political views,
for they are based on our religious faith; we believe in God, and
therefore we fear him; we believe he has established his kingdom
upon the earth, and therefore we cling to it; we believe that he
is designing to turn, and overturn, and revolutionize the nations
of the earth, and to establish a government that shall be under
his rule, his dominion, and authority, and shall emphatically be
called the government of God, or, in other words, the kingdom of
God. There is nothing strange, however, in this; for a great many
parties, both in the United States and in the governments of the
old world, have believed in the kingdom of God being established
in the last days; it has been a favorite doctrine, both among
Socialists and Christians, and much has been said and written
about it, theoretically. The difference between them and us is,
they talk about something to come; we say that it has commenced,
and that this is that kingdom.
90
Well, but do you not hold allegiance to the government of the
United States also? Do you not believe in the laws and
institutions thereof? Yes, we have always sustained and upheld
them; and although we have had many very heavy provocations to
make us feel rebellious and opposed to that government, yet we
have always sustained it under all circumstances and in every
position. When they tried to cut our throats, we rather objected
to that, you know. We had some slight objection to have our heads
cut off and be trampled under foot; we did not think it was
either constitutional or legal. But when they took their swords
away from our necks and said that we might enjoy the rights of
American citizens, that was all we wanted.
90
There is, however, a kind of political heresy that we have always
adopted. We have always maintained that we had a right to worship
God as we thought proper under the constitution of the United
States, and that we would vote as we pleased. But some people
took a notion to say "they would be damned if we should." We told
them, however, that was a matter of their own taste; that we
would seek to be saved and yet we would do it. It has always been
a principle with us, and in fact is given in one of our
revelations, "that he who will observe the laws of God need not
transgress the laws of the land." It has always been a principle
inculcated by the authorities of this Church, and taught by our
Elders, never to interfere with the political affairs of any
nation where they might be--that is, as Elders. They go forth
with the Gospel of peace, to preach to the people, and not to
interfere with their political institutions. If a mission of that
kind should be given at any future time, all well and good. I
have always so represented our belief, and acted accordingly,
wherever I have been, and so have my brethren in England, in
France, in Germany, and in all nations where I have been. I have
always adhered to the laws of the nation where I sojourned. In
the United States we stand in a political capacity, in this
Territory, as part and parcel of the United States. We occupy
that position; we are obliged to do so; we cannot help ourselves
if we wish it, but we do not wish it. We are a number of men
here--a multitude of people, men, women, and children, occupying
quite an extensive Territory, with settlements extending over a
distance of 500 miles in length. What the amount of population is
I am not prepared to say; but I am prepared to say that, as a
population, as a people, as a Territory, we have always been
loyal to the institutions of our government, and I am at the
defiance of the world to prove anything to the contrary. When we
left--I was going to say the United States--what did we leave
for? Why did we leave that country? Was it because its
institutions were not good? No. Was it because its constitutions
was not one of the best that was ever framed? No. Was it because
the laws of the United States, or of the States where we
sojourned, were not good? No. Why was it? It was because there
was not sufficient virtue found in the Executive to sustain their
own laws. That was the reason, gentlemen. Is this anything to be
proud of? It is a thing that should make every honorable American
hide his head in shame; and all reflecting, intelligent, and
honorable men feel thus.
92
It is well understood that executive officers, whether State or
Federal, are bound by the most solemn oath, to sustain the
constitution and laws of the United States and of the States
where they reside; and where those concerned aided in, or
permitted, the expulsion of forty thousand American citizens from
their homes, they stood perjured before their country and God;
and this huge suicidal act of ostracism proclaimed them enemies
of republican institutions and of humanity; traitors to their
country, and recreant alike to its laws, constitution, and
institutions. "But it was only the damned Mormons. It was only
them, was it not?" Who were these "damned Mormons?" We cannot
help thinking about these things just the same as we do about
religious matters. Why, these "damned Mormons" were American
citizens; and the constitution and laws of the United States, and
of the several States, guaranteed, just as far as guarantee is
worth anything, to these "damned Mormons" just the same rights
and privileges that they did to the blessed Christians. But we
came here. Now, what is the use of trying to hoodwink us and tell
us that we have been very well treated? They know we cannot
believe them, and that no rational, intelligent, honorable man
would expect us to believe them; such assertions are an outrage
at variance alike with common sense and our own experience. But
did we rebel? No, we did not act as the Southern States have
done. We came here; and, in the absence of any other government,
we organized a provisional state government, just the same as
Oregon did before us. Thus, in the midst of this abuse heaped
upon us, we showed our adherence to the institutions and
constitution of our country. If bad men bore rule, if corrupt men
held sway--men who had neither the virtue nor the fortitude to
maintain the right and protect the institutions and constitution
of this, shall I say, our once glorious country,--if men could
not be found who possessed sufficient integrity to maintain their
oaths and their own institutions, there was a people here found
of sufficient integrity to the constitution and institutions of
the United States not to abandon them. That has been our feeling
all the time, and it is based, also, upon that belief considered
by a majority of the people of this and other nations as
erroneous and false. Again when, after these things had
transpired, we petitioned the United States to give us either a
territorial or a state government, did that show anything
inimical to the institutions of our Government? Verily, no; the
very fact of our doing this proclaimed our loyalty and attachment
to the institutions of the country. We got them, and had given
unto us, a territorial government. We were recognized once more
as citizens of the United States. We had sent among us Governors,
appointed by the United States; Judges, a Secretary, Marshal, and
all the adjuncts, powers, and officers with the territorial
government. By them, in many instances, we have been belied,
traduced, abused, outraged, and imposed upon. Have we retorted
against the United States? No, we have not. Is it the duty of
Federal officers, governors, judges, and other officers coming
into our midst, secretaries, Indian agents, etc., to conspire
against the people they come among? Is it their duty to traduce,
abuse, vilify, and misrepresent them? In other places such men
would be summarily dealt with. We have borne these things from
time to time. They were not very much calculated to strengthen
the attachment that we had so often and so strongly manifested to
the government of which we form a part. Still, we have been true
to our trust, to our integrity, and to the institutions and
constitution of our country all the time in the midst of these
things.
92
Through some of these misrepresentations and a corrupt
administration, a pretext was found to send an army out here. We
heard the report sounding along from those plains that they were
coming to destroy and lay waste. What, a government destroy its
own offspring? An army raised against an infant Territory? The
cannon and the sword, the rifle and the pistol, brought to spread
death and desolation among a peaceful people. Is that
republicanism? Are those the blessings of a paternal government?
Is that the genius of those institutions that were framed to
protect man in the enjoyment of all his rights, and to guarantee
equal rights to all men? Would that country be an asylum for the
oppressed? Would it be a place of refuge or protection to any
one? What was left for us to do under those circumstances but to
act as men and American citizens? To fall back on our reserved
rights, and say to those political gamblers who would stake the
lives of the citizens of a Territory in their damning games. Back
with your hosts, touch not God's anointed, and do his prophets no
harm. Was there anything wrong in that? No; I would do it ten
thousand times over under the circumstances, under this
government or any other on the face of the earth, with God to
help me. No man, no government has the right, at the instigation
of traitors, to destroy innocent men, women, and children. God
never gave them such a right, the people never gave it to them,
and they never had it. True, after a while, some
peace-commissioners came along; why did they not come before and
inquire into matters? Because of the lack of virtue and integrity
among those who professed to rule the nation, and because of a
desire to make political capital out of our destruction. Does
that alter the institutions of our country o interfere with the
Constitution of the country? Verily no. And our hearts beat as
fervent in favor of those principles to-day as they ever did. But
we feel indignant at the rascals who would try to betray those
principles bequeathed to the nation. We cannot help it. We reason
upon these principles the same as we do upon other things.
92
But we frequently hear, "You are not loyal." Who is it that talks
of loyalty? Those who are stabbing the country to its very
vitals. Are they the men that are loyal? Those who are sowing the
seeds of discord; those who are perjuring themselves before high
Heaven and the country they profess to serve? Are these the loyal
men? If so, God preserve me and this people from such loyalty
from this time, henceforth, and for ever. We look at these things
from another stand-point, and view them in a different light
entirely from most others.
92
We had a grand celebration yesterday. I was there, and much
pleased to see the brethren turn out as they did. I was glad to
hear the remarks of Judge Titus. They were very good; very
patriotic. I wish the principles then advanced could always be
carried out; that is the worst I wish. Sometimes people think we
are acting almost hypocritically when we talk of loyalty to the
constitution of the United States. We will stand by that
constitution and uphold the flag of our country when everybody
else forsakes it. We cannot shut our eyes to things transpiring
around us. We have our reason, and God has revealed unto us many
things; but never has he revealed anything in opposition to those
institutions and that Constitution, no, never; and, another
thing, he never will.
93
But did not Joseph Smith prophecy that there would be a rebellion
in the United States? He did, and so have I scores and hundreds
of times; and what of that? Could I help that? Could Joseph Smith
help knowing that a rebellion would take place in the United
States? Could he help knowing it would commence in South
Carolina? You could not blame him for that. He was in his grave
at the time it commenced; you killed him long ago; but you did
not do away with the fact that this state of things should exist.
If the Lord--we all talk about the Lord, you know, Christians as
well as "Mormons," and about the providences of God, and the
interposition of the Almighty--if the Lord has a design to
accomplish, if there is a fate, if you like the word any
better--and some infidels as well as Christians believe strongly
in the doctrine of fate--if there is a fate in these things, who
ordered it? Who can change its course? Who can stop it? Who can
alter it? Joseph Smith did not instigate the rebellion in South
Carolina, for he was not there. I heard yesterday from our former
representative in Congress--Mr. Hooper--that when in Washington
in that capacity, he was approached by two members of Congress
from the South who said we had grievances to redress, and that
then was the time to have them redressed, stating what great
support it would give the Southern cause if Utah was to rise in
rebellion against the government. He told them we had
difficulties with the government, but we calculated they would be
righted in the government or we would endure them. This has been
uniformly our feelings. "What is your opinion of the war?" some
would ask. If I had had the management of some of those things
long ago, I would have hung up a number of Southern fire-eaters
on one end of a rope and a lot of rabid Abolitionists on the
other end, as enemies and traitors to their country. That is not
very disloyal, is it?
93
We look at things through a different medium than some do, and we
feel perfectly calm, perfectly tranquil with regard to our status
and what is to come religiously, politically, and every other
way. One of our sisters showed me a letter the other day which
she had received from a gentleman in New York; he was one of
those psychologists who profess to be investigating mind and its
operations. He asked her in his letter something like
this:--"Have you got among you the vision of prophecy?" I do not
know that I give the words exactly. She came to me to see what
she should say in reply. Said I, "Tell the gentleman he does not
know the question he is asking, and he would not understand the
answer if he had it." The psychology and philosophy that is
trying to examine the human mind through the medium of human
intelligence, without the aid of the Spirit of God, can never
find it out. It was written of old that "no man can know the
things of God but by the Spirit of God;" and if they do not know
it, you cannot teach it unto them, unless they get a portion of
that Spirit.
94
I am not surprised at men marvelling at our proceedings and
wondering at the course we pursue, and in relation to our views.
It cannot be expected that they can do anything else. Jesus said
to Nicodemus, when he came to talk with Him concerning the things
of the kingdom of God, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God." And if he cannot see it, how can he
comprehend it? How can a man comprehend a thing which he cannot
see? So it is with the truth, because no man knows the things of
God but by the Spirit of God. "Then you place yourselves on a
more elevated platform than anybody else?" This we have the
arrogance to do; but we have the honesty to acknowledge that it
is from God we receive all, and not through ourselves; and that
is why the world will not acknowledge nor believe in the
philosophy of the heavens and the earth, of time and eternity;
that all things are within the grasp of the intelligence of that
mind that is lighted up by the light of the Spirit of God. But
how vague and uncertain are the ideas of those who have not that
Spirit! Look at the arguments, not only of the divines of the
present day but of past ages, in regard to their religious views;
look also at the difference of opinion of the best philosophers
in regard to the science of life. There is nothing tangible,
nothing real, nothing certain. Nothing but the Spirit of God can
enlighten mens' minds. Standing on this platform, we view all
things of a political and religious nature associated with the
earth we are living on as being very uncertain, intangible, and
unphilosophical. We expect to see the nations waste, crumble, and
decay. We expect to see a universal chaos of religious and
political sentiment, and an uncertainty much more serious than
anything that exists at the present time. We look forward to the
time, and try to help it on, when God will assert his own right
with regard to the government of the earth; when, as in religious
matters so in political matters, he will enlighten the minds of
those that bear rule, he will teach the kings wisdom and instruct
the senators by the Spirit of eternal truth; when to him "every
knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the
Christ." Then "shall the earth be full of knowledge like as the
waters cover the sea." Then shall the mists of darkness be swept
away by the light of eternal truth. Then will the intelligence of
Heaven beam forth on the human mind, and by it they will
comprehend everything that is great, and good, and glorious.
94
In the meantime, it is for us to plod along in the course God has
dictated, yielding obedience to his divine laws, and be
co-workers with him in establishing righteousness on the earth;
and with feelings of charity towards all mankind, let our motto
always be, "Peace on earth and good will to men."
94
May God help us to do so, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Heber
C. Kimball, April 31, 1859
Heber C. Kimball, April 31, 1859
ETERNITY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.--CONTINUED FAITHFULNESS
OF THE SAINTS.--HONESTY TO BE PRACTISED BY THEM.
Remarks made by President Heber C. Kimball, April 31, 1859.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
95
It is some time since I have occupied much time in this stand. I
want you, brethren, sisters, and friends, and all that live, to
understand that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
the kingdom of God, is the same to-day as it was thirty years
ago.
95
I think it is twenty-seven or twenty-eight years since I came
into this Church. My friends and relatives said it would come to
naught probably in about a year. I told them it was a Church and
kingdom which God had set up, and it never would come to naught;
and I now say, it never will be overcome worlds without end. I
know this just as well as I know I see you to-day. I knew it when
I first became a member of this Church but not so well as I do
to-day. All the nations upon this earth will crumble back to
their mother earth, but this Church will stand for ever; so you
may set your hearts at rest upon that point.
95
Things are as we see them to prove our integrity towards God and
his cause; for everything that can be shaken and overthrown will
not stand, and that which cannot be shaken will remain. And those
who stand will be like the gleaning of grapes after the vintage
is done. So it will be with this people. It mattereth not what
takes place, for it cannot affect the truth, but makes it shine
brighter and brighter in the eyes of those who cleave to it, and
bring forth the fruits of righteousness.
96
Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Most High, and laid the
foundation of this great Work, and established the holy
Priesthood upon the earth, and God gave many revelations through
him for our guidance. He said many a time while he was living, "I
am laying the foundation, and you, Brother Brigham, and your
brethren the Twelve Apostles, with those who are connected with
you in the holy Priesthood, will rear a great and mighty fabric
upon it; you will bear off the kingdom." And so it will be.
Wicked men and wicked spirits may bring into requisition all the
wisdom and cunning they possess to devise plans to overthrow this
kingdom, but all their deep-laid plots will fail. They cannot do
a thing to hinder the progress of this Work, but everything they
do will promote it and bring it more and more into notice, from
this time henceforth and for ever. I know it, and all hell cannot
prevail against it; for Jesus says, "And upon this rock will I
build my church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against
it." It is the same church that he established in his day which
he has renewed unto us, with the same Priesthood and the same
authority, and the Lord God will back up this kingdom and cause
it to spread like a thrifty plant, and bring about his great
purposes by the hands of those who cleave to it.
96
You may think me too absolute in my language; but how can I be
too positive in that which I know? Were I to say I know you are
in this tabernacle, would any language be too absolute? Just as
certainly do I know that this Work is true and cannot be
overthrown by the world; although they may seek to kill, and
destroy, and persecute the Saints of God to the death, they never
will prevail against it.
96
It would be well for every one of us to live the religion we
profess and let our light so shine that others may see our good
works and be led to honor the Lord, and do unto one another as we
would wish others to do unto us and stick to the faith and
principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul
says in his epistle to the Hebrews, "Therefore, (not) leaving the
principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from
dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of
baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection from the
dead, and of eternal judgment." But let us go on unto perfection,
keeping our covenants and vows we have made with each other, with
our God, and with the holy angels, and then we shall be blessed
all the day long.
96
When a man backslides and loses the spirit of the Gospel, it is a
hard case for that man to redeem himself and gain that communion
with his God, with angels, and with the Holy Ghost, which he had
in the beginning. Therefore, continue in the faith, progressing
from grace to grace unto perfection. This is my exhortation and
teaching unto you who profess the faith of Jesus Christ. Let us
live our religion, repent and forsake all our sins, lie not,
deceive not, steal not.
96
There is not a horse, ox, cow, sheep, or anything else that is
stolen in this Territory, but what it is said the Mormons have
done it. Though, doubtless, there are men who profess to be
Latter-day Saints that are thieves. And as I said the other day
to a person while talking on this matter, if a man will steal
from a Gentile, he will steal from me, and vice versa. An honest
man will be honest with all men.
96
This is the religion I have believed and practised ever since I
have been a member of this Church, and before I embraced any
religious profession, I was taught this by my mother and
teachers; for I came from a Christian country--from old
Vermont-and they are all Christians there, of course. How can
those of the New England States be otherwise who have held up so
nobly for their Christianity? They are much extolled for their
righteousness. I was there taught to be righteous, and I used to
say, like many others there, it was pretty hard for a man to be a
righteous man and get any property; for they, in that country,
were a pack of knaves who would take the teeth out of your head
if you did not keep your mouth shut. That was the kind of
Christianity I was brought up amongst, and I came to these
mountains to get among a people that worship the Lord God in
spirit and in truth.
96
Then armies, merchants, gamblers, the scum of the Eastern States
followed upon our trail; but this is no excuse for me to do wrong
and be unrighteous. If the strangers who are passing through to
California wish to trade with me, I will deal as righteously with
them as with my brethren. This kind of religion I have practised
from my youth up.
97
As for the emigration this year that is passing through our
country to California, let me tell you they are pretty fine
fellows; they are as civil a set of men as I ever saw pass
through these mountains; they mind their own business; they are
not damning everybody and swearing they will kill the first
Mormon they come across. Why is this? I expect all those kind of
characters came with the army, and all the rest are civil men
travelling west to find riches. May God bless them and help them
to do right. There is not one of them but what will be blessed in
doing unto others as they wish others to do unto them.
97
Would there be any trouble in this world if all would take that
course? Would there be any war, mobs, confusion, desolation,
poverty, and distress, as you now see it in the United States and
in the old countries? One half of the population of the world is
starving for the want of the actual necessaries of life, while
the other is living in pomp, and splendor, and extravagance;
still, we all come from the same Father and God. It is
astonishing to see the wrangling and confusion of this world. I
came here with my brethren to get rid of fighting and contention.
I have been driven five times, and tamely submitted to be robbed
of my home and possessions. I have but two articles now which I
had when I was first married, except my wife; one is a tea
canister of my own making, of brown earthenware, and the other is
a chest made by President Brigham Young.
97
God bless you, peace be with you, brethren and sisters, and with
all the righteous, wherever they be, in this Church or out of it,
it mattereth not to me; for I love a good and virtuous man, of
whatever profession, who would do to me as he would wish me to do
by him. Even so. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Q. Cannon, March 19, 1865
George Q. Cannon, March 19, 1865
CONDITION OF THE SAINTS, ETC.
Remarks by Elder George Q. Cannon, made in the Tabernacle in
Great Salt Lake City, March 19, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
98
A number of excellent remarks have been made to-day in our
hearing by the brethren who have spoken, to the truth of which,
the Spirit of God accompanying them has borne record in our
hearts. The Elders testify to the truth of the principles that we
have embraced, and to speak upon them is as delightful a treat as
we can have. There is nothing more delightful to the human mind,
properly constituted, than to listen to the words of life and
salvation spoken under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; they
are sweeter than the sweetest honey, and more satisfying than the
best and most nutritious food; because they fill our spirits with
joy and gladness, and we feel benefited, and refreshed, and
strengthened by them, and then we occupy a closer relationship to
our Father and God than before hearing his word. These are my
feelings to-day, and they always have been whenever I have
attended a meeting where the Spirit of God has prevailed.
99
A remark was made to-day which called up some reflections in my
mind respecting us as a people. The speaker said that we were
called illiterate and uneducated, and that we were despised
because of our ignorance--because of the class of society from
which the mass of us have been gathered. This, doubtless, is the
feeling that is entertained in many parts respecting the
Latter-day Saints. The remark brought into my mind a number of
reflections respecting the position that Jesus occupied, that
Jesus who is at the present time acknowledged, by all Christians
at least, to be the greatest Being that ever trod the footstool
of the Almighty. I thought of his lowly position, humble and
obscure birth, and the surroundings he was brought up under; how
he must have been despised by those who knew him when they heard
the declarations which he made respecting his relationship to God
our Father in heaven, and when they saw the men who had been
appointed by him to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to the
people, and also those associated with him. But now, as I have
already stated, there is no doubt in the minds of those who
profess to be Christians, that this same Jesus is the Son of God,
the Creator of the world; that by him and through him all things
were and are created, and that unto him we owe the salvation we
have all received, and which we will eventually receive when we
attain to the fulness of the glory promised unto us. It is not
always they who are called from the humblest classes who are the
most illiterate in the true sense of the word; at least, it is
not the case with us as a people, nor with any people who have
ever been called to the knowledge of the Gospel, o upon whom he
has bestowed the power to administer the laws of salvation.
99
I reflect with great pleasure upon the prospects before us, and
upon the past history of our people, and the wisdom God has given
unto his servants, and to this people, to establish his truth,
and to proclaim it unto the inhabitants of the earth, to
accomplish his purposes in building up the kingdom he has so long
promised he would establish in the latter times no more to be
thrown down. When we see how God made choice of his servant
Joseph, and brought him from obscurity and from the midst of
ignorance, and bestowed upon him the wisdom of eternity, how he
trained him in that knowledge which is necessary, both temporal
and spiritual, to enable him to organize this great people--I
call us a great people, not because of our numbers, but because
of our prospects, our power, and our organization--He gave him
wisdom necessary to organize His kingdom upon permanent
principles, that it might grow like a seed planted in good
ground--small in the beginning, but germinating and growing until
it becomes a great and mighty tree. It was by means of the wisdom
God gave unto Joseph Smith that he was enabled to organize the
kingdom of God upon the earth out of the contending, conflicting
elements in Babylon, upon principles that will cause it to
increase until it shall spread over the whole earth. He not only
gave this wisdom to his prophet Joseph, but he has also given it
to his prophet Brigham, whom he has endowed with power and wisdom
to take hold of His work where Joseph left it when he passed
beyond the vail, and carrying it forward until, in the eyes of
all observing and thinking men, it is the greatest wonder of the
present age.
99
It is a wonder that when all nations of the earth are full of
contention, strife, and disunion, when they are warring in deadly
strife one against another, when they have not the power to
cement themselves together, that there has been one man in the
midst of the nations who has had such controlling influence that
people have been gathered together from every nation, creed, and
church, speaking a great variety of languages--men and women
trained under different influences, circumstances, and habits. It
is a wonder to see them collected as this people are to-day, to
see them united and dwelling in peace, to see them governed by
the slightest whisper of him God has appointed to preside, to see
every obstruction moved from the path of the onward progress of
the kingdom of God; not only this, but to see this wisdom
developing itself though all the ramifications of that kingdom,
to see it filling the breasts of those occupying the various
offices in the Church--to see Bishops, Bishops' Counsellors,
Presidents and Presidents' Counsellors, Apostles, High Priests,
Seventies, Elders, Priests, Teachers, and Deacons filling the
various offices assigned unto them to perform; though the same
knowledge fills them to a less extent, still that spirit and that
power are increasing in them which give promise unto them that
the organization with which they are connected will become great,
and mighty, and overwhelming in the midst of the earth.
100
We are called uneducated, illiterate, but there is a wisdom which
is being developed in the midst of this people, and they are
being trained in those principles that will make them great and
mighty before God and man. We can see this now, but, with the eye
of faith, we can see much more in the future, when the nations
will seek for that wisdom which is alone in the possession of
this people--a wisdom that will save them from the calamities and
the evils that are coming upon them. It is not far distant. It
will not be very long before men will seek to be taught of this
people the principles that pertain to this and the next world.
Though they now pretend to despise them, that knowledge is,
nevertheless, in the midst of this people alone. They understand
the principles that will save men--not only men individually, but
as nations and communities, from the evils with which they are
threatened here and hereafter. They have been obtained by us in
the same manner in which they were obtained by Jesus Christ, by
Peter, and by those associated with him; they have been obtained
by the knowledge, and light, and intelligence of heaven, bestowed
on men in answer to prayer and faith properly exercised. There is
something very delightful and consoling in the reflection that
men and women, no matter how ignorant, if they become acquainted
with the principles of the Gospel, will become wise unto
salvation, and be elevated and be developed, and continue to
increase in everything that is great and desirable before God and
man. We see this promise, which the Gospel holds out to us, being
fulfilled.
100
We talk about the glory which is in store for us, and well we may
talk about it, because we have, to a certain extent, had a
foretaste on the earth of those promises, the fulness of which we
shall enjoy in that world to which we are all hastening. We can
see the effects of the Gospel upon the minds of the people, and
upon our own minds; we see the people being morally developed in
everything that will make them mighty before God. I know that the
Lord, for a wise purpose, has called the noblest spirits that he
had around him to come forth in this dispensation. He called them
to come in humble circumstances, that they might receive the
experience necessary to try and prove them in all things, that
they might descend below all things, and gradually begin to
ascend above all things; there was a wise design in this, and we
see it carried out at the present time.
100
I take great delight in these things; it is a great pleasure to
reflect upon this Work; for, view it which way you will, look at
it from any standpoint, there is something attractive and lovely
connected with it. We can all have this enjoyment, there is no
defect or flaw in the system; there is nothing about it, if we
had the power, that we could improve or make better. That is a
great consolation to us; it is not the work of man, a
cunningly-devised fable man has constructed. It is not made to
suit our peculiar tastes and views, but it is eternal; it has
always existed, and it accords with our being, and with the laws
of our being, because the plan of salvation emanated from the
same eternal source that we emanated from, and everything
connected with us and this system is in perfect harmony. There is
nothing conflicting between the perfect laws of our nature and
the laws of God, revealed in the Gospel. It is this that makes it
so beautiful, that causes it to have such an elevating effect
upon us; and we have to live in agreement with it, in order to
eventually be exalted in the presence of our Father and God;
which, may God grant, may be our happy lot, in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, May 15, 1865
Brigham Young, May 15, 1865
DUTIES OF THE SAINTS,--OBEDIENCE TO COUNSEL, ETC.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, Sunday afternoon, May 15, 1865.
Reported by E. L. Sloan.
101
I will say to you, and wish you to inform your neighbors, that on
the morrow I expect to start with some of my brethren on a short
trip north. I do this lest some might suppose that we are going
to leave you. If we would live according to our acknowledgments
in the holy Gospel, according to the faith we have embraced, and
according to the teachings we receive from time to time, we never
would be in the dark with regard to any matters we should
understand.
101
Much is taught the Saints by the Elders of Israel concerning
their religion, the way we should live, how we should deal with
each other, how we should live before God, what our feelings
should be and the spirit we should possess. If we live according
to our covenants, we will always enjoy the light of truth; and if
we live faithful enough, we shall enjoy the blessings of the Holy
Ghost to be our constant companion. In such case no person would
turn either to the right hand or to the left, in consequence of
the motives, the sayings, or the doings of this one or that one;
but they would march straightforward in the path that leads to
eternal life; and if others stepped out of the way, they would
walk straight along. Without the power of the Holy Ghost, a
person is liable to go to the right or the left from the straight
path of duty; they are liable to do things they are sorry for;
they are liable to make mistakes; and when they try to do their
best, behold they do that which they dislike.
101
I mention my intended trip, because I do not want to hear, when I
return that Brother Brigham, or Brother Heber, or somebody else,
"has slipped away"--that "there is something the
matter"--"something that is not right"--somebody saying "there is
an evil of some kind, and we want to know it;" "why don't you
come right out with it?" "If you do not come back so-and-so, we
will leave."
102
It was said here to-day, that very few have embraced the truth,
considering the great number of the inhabitants of the earth. It
can hardly be discovered where those few are. It is astonishing
to relate facts as they are. The Elders go forth and preach the
Gospel to the nations; they baptize the people,--hunt them up
from place to place; yet, if you take the names of those who have
been baptized, have the one-fourth ever been gathered? No. Is not
this strange? Do they keep the faith and stay in the midst of the
wicked? No, they do not. The kingdom of God is living and full of
spirit; it is on the move; it is not like what we call
sectarianism--religion to-day and the world to-morrow; next
Sabbath a little more religion, and then the world again; "and as
we were, so we are; and as we are, so we shall be, ever more,
amen." It is not so with our religion. Ours is a religion of
improvement; it is not contracted and confined, but is calculated
to expand the minds of the children of men and lead them up into
that state of intelligence that will be an honor to their being.
102
Look at the people who are here--the few that have gathered--and
then look back at the branches you came from. How many have
gathered? Where are the rest of those who composed those
branches? It is true that occasionally one will remain and keep
the faith for many years; but circumstances are such in the
world, that they eventually fall away from it, if they remain
there.
102
It was truly said here to-day, that the spirit we have embraced
is one, and that we will flow together as surely as drops of
water flow together. One drop will unite with another drop,
others will unite with them, until, drop added to drop, they form
a pond, a sea, or a mighty ocean. So with those who receive the
Gospel. There never was a person who embraced the Gospel but
desired to gather with the Saints, yet not one-fourth ever have
gathered; and we expect that a good many of those who have
gathered will go the downward road that leads to destruction. It
seems hardly possible to believe that people, after receiving the
truth and the love of it, will turn away from it, but they do.
102
Now, brethren and sisters, proclaim that Brothers Heber and
Brigham, and some others, will be gone for a few days; though I
do not promise to preach to you when I come back. I do not intend
to preach while I am away, but I expect to attend meeting when I
return; so that you can see that I am with you in readiness to
meet the requirements of my calling. This should satisfy you
about my being absent for a few days.
102
I expect to be absent, some time from now, for quite a while. I
do not say I will be absent, but I expect to be. I expect to take
the back track from here. When we came back from the south, I
told the brethren this. When we shall go is not for me to say. If
the people neglect their duty turn away from the holy
commandments which God has given us, seek their own individual
wealth, and neglect the interests of the kingdom of God, we may
expect to be here quite a time--perhaps a period that will be far
longer than we anticipate. Perhaps some do not understand these
remarks. You are like me, and I am like you. I cannot see that
which is out of sight; you cannot see that which is out of sight.
If you bring objects within the range of vision--within the power
of sight--you can see them. These sayings may be somewhat
mysterious to some.
103
Some may ask why we did not tarry at the centre stake of Zion
when the Lord planted our feet there? We had eyes, but we did not
see; we had ears, but we did not hear; we had hearts that were
devoid of what the Lord required of his people; consequently, we
could not abide what the Lord revealed unto us. We had to go from
there to gain an experience. Can you understand this? I think
there are some here who can. If we could have received the words
of life and lived according to them, when we were first gathered
to the centre stake of Zion, we never would have been removed
from that place. But we did not abide the law the Lord gave to
us. We are here to get an experience, and we cannot increase in
that any faster than our capacities will admit. Our capacities
are limited though sometimes we could receive more than we do,
but we will not. Preach the riches of eternal life to a
congregation, and when the eyes and affections of that
congregation are like the fool's eyes, to the ends of the earth,
it is like throwing pearls before swine. If I can actually reach
your understandings, you will know just what I know, and see just
what I see, in regard to what I may say.
103
Take the history of this Church from the commencement, and we
have proven that we cannot receive all the Lord has for us. We
have proven to the heavens and to one another that we are not yet
capacitated to receive all the Lord has for us, and that we have
not yet a disposition to receive all he has for us. Can you
understand that there is a time you can receive and there is a
time you cannot receive, a time when there is no place in the
heart to receive? The heart of man will be closed up, the will
will be set against this and that that we have opportunity to
receive. There is an abundance the Lord has for the people, if
they would receive it.
103
I will now lead your minds directly to our own situation here,
leaving the first organization of the people, their gathering,
etc., and come to our being now here. Some have been here six
months some one year, some two, some five, some six, some ten,
and some seventeen years this summer. Now, I will take the
liberty of bringing up some circumstances and sayings to connect
with the ideas I wish to present in regard to our wills,
dispositions, opportunities, etc.
103
It was said here to-day, by Brother William Carmichael, that he
had proved a great many of the sayings and prophecies of Joseph
to be true, and also the prophecies of Heber and others. Now you,
my brethren and sisters, who have been in the habit of coming
here for the last ten, twelve, or fifteen years, have you not
been told all the time, at least as often as once a month, that
the time would come when you would see the necessity o taking
counsel and laying up grain? It has been said that Brother
Brigham has prophecied there would be a famine here. I would like
to have any one show me the man or woman who heard Brother
Brigham make that statement. I did not make that statement; but I
have said you would see the time when you would need grain--that
you would need bread. You have seen that time. Brother Heber said
the same thing. But you never heard me saying the Lord would
withdraw his blessings from this land while we live here, unless
we forfeit our rights to the Priesthood; then we might expect
that the earth would not bring forth.
103
We have had a cricket war, a grasshopper war, and a dry season,
and now we have a time of need. Many of the inhabitants of this
very city, I presume, have not breadstuffs enough to last them
two days; and I would not be surprised if there are not
seven-eighths of the inhabitants who have not breadstuffs
sufficient to last them two weeks. Has the Lord stayed the
heavens? No. Has he withdrawn his hand? No. He is full of mercy
and compassion. He has provided for the Saints. No matter what
scarcity there is at present, He gave them bread. If they go
without bread, they cannot say the Lord has withheld his hand,
for he has been abundantly rich in bestowing the good things of
the earth upon this people. Then why are we destitute of the
staff of life? Comparing ourselves with our substance, we might
say we have sold ourselves for naught. We have peddled off the
grain which God has given us so freely, until we have made
ourselves destitute. Has this been told us before? Yes, year
after year.
104
How will it be? Listen, all who are in this house, is this the
last season we are going to have a scarcity? I will say I hope it
is, but I cannot say that it is, if the people are not wise. Some
sow their wheat, and after the Lord has given one hundred-fold of
an increase, they sell that at one-fourth of its value, and leave
themselves wanting. The last time I spoke upon this subject I
tried to stir up the minds of the people regarding it; I want
them to reflect upon it.
104
At our Semi-Annual Conference last fall, the Bishops were
instructed to go to each house and see what breadstuffs were on
hand. Why? "Because the time is coming when they will want
breadstuffs." It comes to my ears every day that this one and
that one is in want. "Such a one has had no bread for three
days."
104
What was told you last harvest? "Sister, you had better get a
chest, or a little box, for there is plenty of wheat to be
had--it is not worth a dollar a bushel--and you had better fill
your box with it." "Oh, there is plenty of it; there is no
necessity for my emptying the paper rags out of my box, or my
clothes out of the large chest where I have them packed away; my
husband can go and get what he wants at the tithing store." They
would not get the wheat and the flour that was then easy to be
obtained, and now they are destitute. Why could they not believe
what they were told? They ought to have believed, for it was
true; and in all these matters, the truth has been timely told to
the people. And here let me say to you, that instead of our
having plenty here, with nobody to come to buy our substance--to
purchase our surplus grain--the demand for what we can raise here
will increase year by year.
104
Are we going to live our religion--to be the servants and
handmaids of the Almighty? Are we going to continue in the faith,
and try to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth? If we
are, the prophecies will be fulfilled on us. We shall have the
privilege of seeing the blest, and will be blest.
104
I look at things as a man looking philosophically; I look at
things before us in the future as a politician, as a statesman,
as a thinking person. What is going to be the condition of this
people and their surrounding neighbors? Do we not see the storm
gathering? It will come from the north-east and the south-east,
from the east and from the west, and from the north-west. The
clouds are gathering; the distant thunders can be heard; the
grumblings and mutterings in the distance are audible, and tell
of destruction, want, and famine. But mark it well, if we live
according to the holy Priesthood bestowed upon us, while God
bears rule in the midst of these mountains, I promise you, in the
name of Israel's God, that he will give us seed-time and harvest.
We must forfeit our right to the Priesthood before the blessings
of the Heavens cease to come upon us. Let us live our religion
and hearken to the counsel given to us.
105
And here let me say to you, buy what flour you need, and do not
let it be hauled away. Have you a horse, or an ox, or a wagon, or
anything else, if it takes the coat off your back, or the shoes
off your feet, and you have to wear moccasins? sell them and go
to the merchants who have it to sell, and buy the flour before it
is hauled away. Why did you not buy it when it was cheap? There
is a saying that wit dearly bought is remembered. Now buy your
wit, buy your wisdom, buy your counsel and judgment, buy them
dearly, so that you will remember. You were last fall counselled
to supply yourselves with breadstuffs, when flour could have been
bought for whistling a tune, and the seller would have whistled
one-half of it to induce you to buy. Why have the children of
this world been wiser in this day than the children of light?
Have not there been Saints enough before us for us to learn by
their experience, and revelations enough given for the Saints now
not to be in the background? It is mortifying that the children
of this world should know more about these things than the
children of light. We know more about the kingdom of God. Take
these young men, sixteen or eighteen years old, or these old men,
or some who have just come into the Church, and let them go into
the world, and, with regard to the kingdom of God, they can teach
kings and queens, statesmen and philosophers, for they are
ignorant of these things; but in things pertaining to this life,
the lack of knowledge manifested by us as a people is
disgraceful. Your knowledge should be as much more than that of
the children of this world with regard to the things of the world
as it is with regard to the things of the kingdom of God.
105
Take your money or your property, brethren and sisters, and buy
flour; or shall I hear, to-morrow morning, "I am out of bread"?
Why not go down street and sell your bonnets and your shawls,
sisters, and not wait? "Why, some good brother will feed us." But
that good brother has not got the flour. "I am not going to buy
any; I will trust in the Lord; He will send the ravens to feed
me." Perhaps the faith of some people is such that they think the
Lord will send down an angel with a loaf of bread under one arm
and a leg of bacon under the other--that an angel will be sent
from some other world with bread ready buttered for them to eat;
or that it will be as was said of the pigs in Ohio, when it was
first settled; it was said the soil was so rich that if you hung
up one pound of the earth two pounds of fat would run out of it,
and that pigs were running through the woods ready roasted, with
knives and forks in their backs. My faith is not like that.
105
A bother told me, when speaking of the rotation of the planets,
that he could never believe that the earth did rotate. Said I,
"do you believe that the sun which shone to-day shone yesterday?"
"Yes." He had not faith to believe that the earth turns round,
but he believed that the sun moved round the earth. Now, said I,
take your measuring instruments. If the earth rotates upon its
axis each given point upon it moves 24,000 miles in twenty-four
hours; while, if the sun goes round the earth, it must travel
over a circle, in the same time, of which 95,000,000 is about the
semi-diameter. He had not faith to believe that the earth could
turn on its axis in twenty-four hours, but I showed him that he
had to have millions and millions more faith than I had, when he
believed the sun went round the earth.
105
My faith does not lead me to think the Lord will provide us with
roast pigs, bread already buttered, etc. He will give us the
ability to raise the grain, to obtain the fruits of the earth, to
make habitations to procure a few boards to make a box, and when
harvest comes, giving us the grain, it is for us to preserve
it--to save the wheat until we have one, two, five, or seven
years' provisions on hand--until there is enough of the staff of
life saved by the people to bread themselves and those who will
come here seeking for safety.
106
Will you do this? "Aye, maybe I will," says one, and "maybe I
wont" says another; "the kingdom that cannot support me I don't
think of much account; the Lord has said it is his business to
provide for his Saints, and I guess he will do it." I have no
doubt but what he will provide for his Saints; but if you do not
take this counsel and be industrious and prudent, you will not
long continue to be one of his Saints. Then, continue to do
right, that we may be His Saints; sow, plant, buy half a bushel
of wheat here, and a bushel there, and store it up till you get
your five or seven years' provisions on hand.
106
The war now raging in our nation is in the providence of God, and
was told us years and years ago by the Prophet Joseph; and what
we are now coming to was foreseen by him, and no power can
hinder. Can the inhabitants of our once beautiful, delightful,
and happy country avert the horrors and evils that are now upon
them? Only by turning from their wickedness and calling upon the
Lord. If they will turn unto the Lord and seek after him, they
will avert this terrible calamity, otherwise it cannot be
averted. There is no power on the earth, nor under it, but the
power of God, that can avert the evils that are now upon, and are
coming upon, the nation.
106
What is the prospect? What does the statesman declare to us? What
does he point us to? Peace and prosperity? brotherly-kindness and
love? union and happiness? No! no! calamity upon calamity; misery
upon misery.
106
Do you see any necessity, Latter-day Saints, for providing for
the thousands coming here? Suppose some of your brothers, uncles,
children, grand-children, or your old neighbors, fleeing here
from the bloodshed and misery in the world, were to come to you.
"Well, I am glad to see you; come to my house; come, uncle; come,
grandson; come, aunt; I must take you home." But what have you to
give them? Not a morsel! "The country was full of food; I could
have obtained it for sewing, for knitting, for almost every kind
of work; I could have procured it a year ago, but it grated on my
feelings to have it offered to me for my work. I am sorry to say
I have nothing in the house, but I think I can borrow," when you
ought to have your bins full, to feed your friends when they come
here.
106
It is not our open enemies who will come here. I told the people
last year that the flood and tide of emigration were conservative
people, who wished in peace to raise the necessaries of life, to
trade, etc.--peaceful citizens. What do they come here for? To
live in peace. Were they those who robbed us in Missouri and
Illinois? No.
106
The time is coming when your friends are going to write to you
about coming here, for this is the only place where there will be
peace. There will be war, famine, pestilence, and misery through
the nations of the earth, and there will be no safety in any
place but Zion, as has been foretold by the Prophets of the Lord,
both anciently and in our day.
106
This is the place of peace and safety. We would see how it would
be if the wicked had power here, but they have not the power, and
they never will have, if we live as the Lord requires us to.
(Amen, by the congregation.)
106
Buy flour, you who can; and you, sisters, and children too, when
harvest comes, glean the wheat fields. I would as soon see my
wives and children gleaning wheat as anybody's. And then, when
the people come here by thousands, you will be able to feed them.
What will be your feelings when the women and children begin to
cry in your ears with not a man to protect them? You can believe
it or not, but the time is coming when a good man will be more
precious than fine gold.
107
It is distressing to see the condition our nation is in, but I
cannot help it. Who can? The people en masse, by turning to God
and ceasing to do wickedly, ceasing to persecute the honest and
the truth-lover. If they had done that thirty years ago, it would
have been better for them to-day. When we appealed to the
government of our nation for justice, the answer was, "Your cause
is just, but we have no power." Did not Joseph Smith tell them in
Washington and Philadelphia, that the time would come when their
State rights would be trampled upon?
107
Joseph said, many and many a time, to us, "Never be anxious for
the Lord to pour out his judgments upon the nation; many of you
will see the distress and evils poured out upon this nation till
you will weep like children." Many of us have felt to do so
already, and it seems to be coming upon us more and more; it
seems as though the fangs of destruction were piercing the very
vitals of the nation.
107
We inquire of our friends who come here, the emigration, how it
is back where they came from. They say, you can ride all day in
some places but recently inhabited and not see any inhabitants,
any plowing, any sowing, any planting; you may ride through large
districts of country and see one vast desolation. A gentleman
said here, the other day, that 100 families were burned alive in
their own houses, in the county of Jackson, Missouri; whether
this is true is not for me to say but the thought of it is
painful. Have you, Latter-day Saints, ever experienced anything
like that? No! You were driven out of your houses, I forget the
number, but you were not burned in them. I have said to the
Saints, and would proclaim it to the latest of Adam's generation,
that the wicked suffer more than the righteous.
107
Why do people apostatize? You know we are on the "Old Ship Zion."
We are in the midst of the ocean. A storm comes on, and, as
sailors say, she labors very hard. "I am not going to stay here,"
says one; "I don't believe this is the Ship Zion." "But we are in
the midst of the ocean." "I don't care, I am not going to stay
here." Off goes the coat, and he jumps overboard. Will he not be
drowned? Yes. So with those who leave this Church. It is the old
Ship Zion, let us stay in it. Is there any wisdom in all doing as
we are all told? Yes.
108
While Brother Woodruff was talking about the notable text given
by Brother Hardy to a gentleman in England, when speaking of the
Mormon creed, I thought I could incorporate a very large
discourse in the application of that creed. "To mind your own
business" incorporates the whole duty of man. What is the duty of
a Latter-day Saint? To do all the good he can upon the earth,
living in the discharge of every duty obligatory upon him. If you
see anybody angry, tell them never to be angry again. If you see
anybody chewing tobacco, ask them to stop it and spend the money
for something to eat. Will you stop drinking whisky? Let me plead
with you to do so. And if the sisters would not think it
oppressive, I would ask them to not drink quite so much strong
tea. And if I make an application of these remarks in my own
person, it is my business to point out these things and to ask
you to refrain from them. It is the business of a Latter-day
Saint, in passing through the street, if he sees a fence pole
down, to put it up; if he sees an animal in the mud, to stop and
help to get it out. I make such acts my business. When I am
travelling, I stop my whole train and say, "Boys, let us drive
those cattle out of that grain and put up the fence." If I can do
any good in administering among the people, in trying to have
them comprehend what is right and do it, that is my business, and
it is also your business. Let us preach righteousness, and
practise it. I do not wish to preach what I do not practise. If I
wish to preach to others wholesome doctrine, let me practise it
myself--show that example to others I wish them to imitate. If we
do this, we will be preserved in the truth. We wish to increase;
we do not wish to become aliens to the kingdom of God.
108
When people's eyes are opened and they see and understand how
heinous it is to turn away from the truth, were they to reflect,
and ask, "Shall I ever leave the faith? ever turn away from the
kingdom of God?" it would make them shudder; there would be a
chill over them from their heads to their feet; they would feel
to say, "No, God forbid!"
108
It was said here this morning that no person ever apostatized
without actual transgression. Omission of duty leads to apostacy.
We want to live so as to have the Spirit every day, every hour of
the day, every minute of the day; and every Latter-day Saint is
entitled to the Spirit of God, to the power of the Holy Ghost, to
lead him in his individual duties. Is no one else entitled to it?
No. But this wants explanation.
108
Here, perhaps, is a good Presbyterian brother, a good Baptist
brother, or, perhaps, a good Catholic one. Are they entitled to
that degree of the Spirit of God that we are? No; but they are
entitled to light. And there is one saying I heard here to-day
that I will repeat;--Whenever any one lifts his voice or hand to
persecute this people, there is a chill passes through him,
unless he is lost to truth and the Spirit of God has entirely
left him. He feels it day and night; he feels the Spirit working
with him. And the Spirit of the Lord will strive, and strive, and
strive with the people, till they have sinned away the day of
grace. Until then, all are entitled to the light of Christ, for
he is the light that lighteth every man who cometh into the
world. But they are not entitled to receive the Holy Ghost. Why
not, as well as Cornelius? That bestowal of the Holy Ghost was to
convince the superstitious Jews that the Lord designed to send
the Gospel to the Gentiles. Peter said, well, now, brethren, can
you forbid water to baptize these, seeing the Lord has been so
merciful to them as to give them the Holy Ghost? And he baptized
them; and that was the opening of the door of the Gospel to the
Gentiles.
108
I pray the Lord for you; I pray for you to get wisdom--worldly
wisdom; not to love the things of the world, but to take care of
what you raise. Try to raise a little silk here; you know we are
raising cotton. Try to raise some flax, and take care of it. Try
and make a little sugar here next fall; I understand that article
is now fifty cents a pound in New York. As was is wasting the
productive strength of the nation, do you not think it becomes us
to raise sugar, corn, wheat, sheep, etc., for the consumption of
the old, the blind, the lame, and the helpless who will be left,
that we may be able to feed and clothe them when they come here?
We will feed and care for them, for there are thousands of them
who are good people, who have lived according to the best light
and truth they knew. And by-and-by the prejudices that exist
against us will be wiped away, so that the honest can embrace the
truth.
109
I do not want "Mormonism" to become popular; I would not, if I
could, make it as popular as the Roman Catholic Church is in
Italy, or as the Church of England is in England, because the
wicked and ungodly would crowd into it in their sins. There are
enough such characters in it now. There are quite a number here
who will apostatize. It needs this and that to occur to make some
leave. If "Mormonism" were to become popular, it would be much as
it was in the days of the early Christians, when no one could get
a good position unless he was baptized for the remission of sins;
he could not get an office without he was baptized into the
church.
109
Suppose this Church were so popular that a man could not be
elected President of the United States unless he was a Latter-day
Saint, we would be overrun by the wicked. I would rather pass
through all the misery and sorrow, the troubles and trials of the
Saints, than to have the religion of Christ become popular with
the world. It would in such case go as the ancient church went. I
care not what the world thinks, nor what it says, so they leave
us unmolested in the exercise of our inherent rights. Take a
straightforward course, and meet the jeers and frowns of the
wicked.
109
Unpopular. "Oh! dear, how they are despised and hated, those
'Mormons!'" Did not Jesus say that his disciples should be hated
and despised? Said he, "They hate me, and they will hate you
also." Has it ever been otherwise? He said, emphatically, "In the
world ye shall have persecution, but in me ye shall have peace."
109
What is proved by people's leaving us, before the heavens, before
the angels, and all the prophets and holy men who ever lived upon
the earth? You will see every man and woman, when they once
consent to leave here. I don't care what name they are known by,
whether Morrisites, Gladden Bishopites, Josephites, or any other
ite, they make friends with the wicked--with those who blaspheme
the holy name we have been commemorating here this afternoon, and
they are full of malice and evil. Whenever any person wants to
leave here, the thread is broken that bound him to the truth, and
he seeks the society of the wicked; and it proves to every one
who has the light of truth within him, that this is the kingdom
of God, and that those who leave are of Anti-Christ.
109
Be steadfast, always abiding in the truth. Never encourage malice
or hatred in your hearts; that does not belong to a Saint. I can
say in truth, that with all the abuse I have ever met, driven
from my home, robbed of my substance, I do not know that a spirit
of malice has ever rested in my heart. I have asked the Lord to
mete out justice to those who have oppressed us, and the Lord
will take his own time and way for doing this. It is in his
hands, and not in mine, and I am glad of it, for I could not deal
with the wicked as they should be dealt with.
109
My name is had for good and evil upon the whole earth, as
promised to me. Thirty years ago Brother Joseph, in a lecture to
the Twelve, said to me, "Your name shall be known for good and
evil throughout the world;" and it is so. The good love me, weak
and humble as I am, and the wicked hate me; but there is no
individual on the earth but what I would lead to salvation, if he
would let me; I would take him by the hand, like a child, and
lead him like a father in the way that would bring him to
salvation.
110
Would we not rather live as we are living than to become one with
the spirit of the world? Yes. Do not be anxious to have this
people become rich and possess the affection of the world. I have
been fearful lest we come to fellowship the world. Whatever you
have, it is the Lord's. You own nothing, I own nothing. I seem to
have a great abundance around me, but I own nothing. The Lord has
placed what I have in my hands, to see what I will do with it,
and I am perfectly willing for him to dispose of it otherwise
whenever he pleases. I have neither wife no child, no wives nor
children; they are only committed to me, to see how I will treat
them. If I am faithful, the time will come when they will be
given to me.
110
The Lord has placed it in our power to obtain the greatest gift
he can bestow--the gift of eternal life; He has bestowed upon us
gifts to be developed and used throughout all eternity--the gifts
of seeing, of hearing, of speech, etc.--and we are endowed with
every gift and qualification, though in weakness, that are the
angels'; and the germ of the attributes that are developed in Him
who controls, is in us to develop. We can see each other, hear
each other, converse with each other, and, if we keep the faith,
all things will be ours. The Saints do not own anything now. The
world do not own anything. They are hunting for gold--it is the
Lord's. If my safe had millions of gold in it, it would be the
Lord's, to be used as he dictates. The time will come when those
who are now dissatisfied will not be satisfied with anything; but
the Saints who live their religion are and will be satisfied with
everything. They know the Lord controls, and that he will control
and save the righteous.
110
May the Lord help us to be righteous and to live our religion,
that we may live for ever. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, June and July, 1865
Brigham Young, June and July, 1865
SUMMARY OF INSTRUCTIONS
Given by President Brigham Young to the people, on his visit to
Utah,
Juab, and Sanpete Counties, in June and July, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
111
The Latter-day Saints in these mountains are growing in grace and
in favor with God and his servants, and we feel to bless them as
parents, as children, as school teachers, as musicians, as
singers, as Elders in Israel, and as Saints, in all their
employments and honest pursuits. As soon as the people spread out
from Great Salt Lake City to form a new settlement, we have
visited them to instruct and encourage them; in this we feel
satisfied that we have done our duty. We are still travelling
from settlement to settlement, and have great joy in visiting and
talking to the Saints, and in blessing them. When I leave home to
visit the Saints, I leave all in the hands of God, and would not
swerve from the fulfilment of my duties as a preacher of
righteousness, and as the leader of this great people, if it
should save my property from being burnt to ashes. This has been
my course from the beginning.
111
It gives us great joy to see the public manifestations of welcome
which the people give everywhere. The little children who take
part in these demonstrations, dressed in their best, receive
impressions they can never forget; time cannot wear them out;
they are impressions of respect and honor to the leaders of
Israel. It is a duty we owe to our children to educate and train
them in every principle of honor and good manners, in a knowledge
of God and his ways, and in popular school education. I am happy
to hear the little children sing, and hope they are also learning
to read and write, and are progressing in every useful branch of
learning.
111
I feel happy; I feel at peace with all the inhabitants of the
earth; I love my friends, and as for my enemies, I pray for them
daily; and, if they do not believe I would do them good, let them
call at my house, when they are hungry, and I will feed them;
yea, I will do good to those who despitefully use and persecute
me. I pray for them, and bless my friends all the time.
111
We are now located in the midst of these mountains, and are here
because we were obliged to go somewhere. We were under the
necessity of leaving our homes, and had to go somewhere. Before
we left Nauvoo, three Members of Congress told us that if we
would leave the United States, we should never be troubled by
them again. We did leave the United States, and now Congressmen
say, if you will renounce polygamy you shall be admitted unto the
Union as an independent State and live with us. We shall live any
way, and increase, and spread, and prosper, and we shall know the
most and be the best-looking people there is on the earth. As for
polygamy, or any other doctrine the Lord has revealed, it is not
for me to change, alter, or renounce it; my business is to obey
when the Lord commands, and this is the duty of all mankind.
111
The past of this people proves that we are better able to take
care of ourselves than any other people now living. This fact
stares the world in the face. When we first came to these
mountains, as pioneers to develop their resources, we were poor,
and had been scattered and peeled by our enemies, yet our trust
was in God. We are now not only able to feed ourselves, but to
feed thousands who travel through our settlements, and give them
protection from the savage foe who otherwise would have infested
this region and made it dangerous to travel. We must watch and
pray, and look well to our walk and conversation, and live near
to our God, that the love of this world may not choke the
precious seed of truth, and feel ready, if necessary, to offer up
all things, even life itself, for the kingdom of heaven's sake.
We must not love the world, nor the things of the world, until
the world is sanctified and prepared to be presented to the
Father with the Saints upon it; then they will inhabit if for
ever and ever.
112
We are living in a country where we are subject to be endangered
by aggressions from a savage foe, and I would advise the people
to dwell together in cities, and not in a scattered condition.
When men and women cannot live together in a community, close
enough for self-defence, it denotes a lack of fellowship and
friendship, a lack of those brotherly and neighborly feelings
which should exist in the bosoms of all true Saints. When I see
men and women inclined to withdraw from the community, and
children from their parents, I know that there is a spirit of
alienation in them which they should not possess. There are
persons who say they believe in Joseph the Prophet, in the Book
of Mormon, in the gathering of the house of Israel, in the
building up of Zion, and in all the blessings promised to the
Church and kingdom of God upon the earth; but they do not like to
be quite so nigh their neighbors; they want to be off on one
side, from under the influence of city regulations, and from
under the eye of their Bishop. When I see this feeling
manifested, I fear those persons have never felt that brotherly
felling that belongs to the spirit of our religion; if they ever
did have it, they certainly do not possess it when they entertain
such desires. I would like to see a disposition manifested to
live close to the meeting-house, or to the school-house, where
the Saints can attend the public worship of God and can send
their children to school, where they can live so that their
children can associate together and form lasting friendships,
that may serve them for good in a day to come, and where they can
pass the dreary winter months in associations with people who are
informed, and are capable of educating them in singing, in
mathematics, spelling, and other branches of education; and when
they want to recreate, that they can mingle together in the dance
without having to go long distances through the snow and the
cold; and that in the case of sickness or accident of any kind,
they may be within the reach of sympathetic hearts and the hand
of kindness and benevolence, being ever ready to receive kindness
or to give it to their neighbors. Those who possess these desires
manifest plainly the spirit of the Gospel.
112
This people are improving; they are improving in the cultivation
of the soil, in the study of horticulture, both theoretically and
practically, and in all matters that are calculated to multiply
around them every substantial comfort of life. Yet we are
imperfect, we are weak, and we cannot see afar off, though I
think we can see as through a glass darkly, and comprehend the
outlines of many things; if we cannot see all the details, we can
see the future of this people and the destiny of the nations. We
should love the earth--we should love the works which God has
made. This is correct; but we should love them in the Lord, as I
think the majority of this people do; for what people would have
done as this people have, were it not for the kingdom of heaven's
sake? They have forsaken their homes, and friends, and country to
come up to these mountains to serve God and build up his kingdom
on the earth.
112
We are doing well, notwithstanding all our failings and
weaknesses; but the Lord would like to have us a little more
diligent; he would like us to cleave a little more closely to the
things of his kingdom, have more of his Spirit, and know more of
him and of one another, that complete and perfect confidence may
be restored. The confidence which would exist among all people is
gone, and the wise men of the world are aware of this fact, but
they are at a loss to know how to recover it. The Latter-day
Saints alone know how to do this; they know how to sustain
themselves and restore the confidence which has been lost. We are
actually restoring this confidence. The people abroad who have
confidence in our Elders, and in their testimony, are baptized in
water according to the ancient pattern, and are born of the
water, and are also born of the Spirit, and receive a testimony
from the heavens for themselves. This is the only way in which
confidence can be restored among men.
113
All men ought to understand that confidence is one of the most
precious jewels that they can possibly possess on the earth, and
when we have the confidence of a good man or woman, we never
should allow ourselves to do an act that would in the least
degree impair it. It is an absolute truth that the confidence of
this people in the men God has placed to lead them is daily
increasing, and the confidence of the heavens is increasing in us
in the same ratio as our confidence increases in one another. It
will not do to lie to and deceive one another; neither will it do
to cease to chasten and reprove the people when it is necessary
to do so. There is no people on the earth that can bear to be
spoken to in the language of reproof, and have their faults laid
open before them, as this people can. All who are in possession
of the Holy Spirit of truth receive such reproofs as kindnesses,
and are thankful. In this way we go on from truth to truth, and
from light to light.
113
It is interesting to follow this people from the beginning of
their existence--through all their drivings and persecutions up
to the present time. It will be seen that they have steadily
increased in numbers, in righteousness, and in power and
influence up to this day. Note the increase of love, of joy and
of peace; our peace flows like a river: it is glorious.
Hallelujah; praise the God of heaven, for He has spoken from the
heavens and has called us to truth and virtue, and wishes to put
into our possession the wisdom of eternity; this to us is a
matter of great joy. If we will do right and seek the Lord with
all our hearts, he will give unto us everything our hearts can
desire. The earth is before us, heaven is before us, and the
fullness of eternity is before us, and it is for us to live for
all our hearts can desire in righteousness.
113
We have enemies; they are with us all the time, prompting the
Saints to do wrong, that their minds may be darkened, and they be
plunged into sorrow and grief. Are we ready to receive an enemy?
We should be as ready to meet and enemy in one capacity as in
another. Every time the enemy throws us off our guard, and we
give way to temptation, he gains so much; he weakens us and
strengthens himself; when we resist temptation, it strengthens
the Saints and weakens the enemy. We should be ready for all
emergencies at all times, in all places, and under all
circumstances, meeting the enemy at the door, and not waiting
until he takes possession of the house. We should at all times be
well qualified by faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit of the
Gospel which we possess, and be well fortified on every
side,--this we should do spiritually; this we should do
temporally. If the enemy finds that we are prepared, he will be
very apt to keep out of doors.
113
The earth is before us, and all the blessings of the earth. There
is not a man who is called now to receive the blessings which
pertain to the spiritual world, and the things of eternity, but
what is first called to learn how to sustain his natural life
here in this world. This life is worth as much as any life that
any being can possess in time or in eternity. There is no life
more precious to us in the eye of eternal wisdom and justice than
the life which we now possess. Our first duty is to take care of
this life; and in this duty we are, as a people, tolerably
skilful.
114
I do not think that another community can be found anywhere more
capable of taking care of themselves than are the Latter-day
Saints. It is true that we do not raise our own tobacco: we might
raise it if we would. We do not raise our tea; but we might raise
it if we would, for tea-raising, this is as good as country as
China; and the coffee bean can be raised a short distance south
of us. Our ladies wear imported silk, when in reality this is one
of the finest silk countries in the world. The mulberry tree
which produces the natural food of the silk worm, flourish on all
our bench lands, and our climate is adapted to the healthy
condition of the silk worm. I would recommend the planting and
propagating of the mulberry tree as shade trees, and as
ornamental trees; they also yield a great abundance of excellent
fruit. Let our cities and gardens be adorned with trees that are
both ornamental and useful. Our young ladies can be amused and
profitably employed in feeding that useful insect, in winding and
spinning their silk into sewing silk, and into yarn, which can be
converted into silks and satins of the finest texture and
quality; for we have in our community artisans who can do this
work as well as it can be done in any country in the world. We
can sustain ourselves; and as for such so-called luxuries as tea,
coffee, tobacco and whiskey, we can produce them or do without
them. When we produce our food and clothing in the country where
we live, then are we so far independent of the speculating,
money-making world outside, whereas, if we were to dig gold, and
make this our business, then should we become slaves to the
producers of food and clothing, and make fortunes for speculators
and freighters; and instead of working to build up Zion and its
interests, we should be labouring to build up gentile
institutions and gentile interests. When this people are prepared
to properly use the riches of this world for the building up of
the kingdom of God, He is ready and willing to bestow them upon
us. If the Latter-day Saints will walk up to their privileges,
and exercise faith in the name of Jesus Christ, and live in the
enjoyment of the fullness of the Holy Ghost constantly day by
day, there is nothing on the face of the earth that they could
ask for, that would not be given to them. The Lord is waiting to
be very gracious unto this people, and to pour out upon them
riches, honor, glory, and power, even that they may possess all
things according to the promises He has made through His apostles
and prophets.
115
I refer to this, having my eye particularly on the chastisement I
gave the merchants last fall and spring Conferences. I said then,
what I will say anywhere, for it is as true as the sun shines.
Are our merchants honest? I could not be honest and do as they
do; they make five hundred percent on some of their goods, and
that, too, from an innocent, confiding, poor, industrious people.
What do this people, who have been gathered from the
manufacturing and rural districts of foreign countries, know
about speculation? Nothing. Where they lived they worked by the
day or by the week for so much, and then would buy so much bread
and so much meat, &c., with their wages. Here, when they have a
dollar instead of a farthing, they do not know what to do with
it; but the merchants are ready to say give it to us for a piece
of rag. If they do not repent they will go to hell. They have
made fortunes out of the poor Saints. What do you thing about
them? I know how God looks at them, and I know how I look at
them. They have got to devote the riches they have gathered from
this poor people to the building up of the kingdom of God, or
they and their riches will perish together. I mean this to apply
to our merchants that are here, and to those who are scattered
through the Territory. I am speaking of our Mormon merchants.
When a gentile merchant comes here he gives us to understand that
he is here to make all the money he can out of the Mormons; we
know how to take him; but when men come and say they are
Latter-day Saints, brethren, Mormons, the people trust them as
friends and are deceived and suffer through their avarice.
115
I like to see men get rich by their industry, prudence,
management and economy, and then devote it to the building up of
the kingdom of God upon the earth, and in gathering in the poor
saints from the four corners of the earth; and I am pleased to
say that our rich brethren are doing well. I have no fault to
find with our brethren who are merchants, in regard to their deal
with me as an individual; they are kind to me. I believe they
would give me half they are worth, if I were to ask them for it.
115
The Lord will bestow riches and honor upon this people as fast as
they can receive them and learn to take care of them in the Lord.
We all have faults; fault could be found with our mechanics and
with our common labourers, as well as with our merchants. Yet,
notwithstanding all our faults, where is there as good a
community of people upon the earth, or as good looking a one, or
as wise and knowing a one as the Latter-day Saints in this
Territory? Let us continue to improve until we are filled with
the knowledge of the truth. We have yet much to learn. It is
necessary that the people be taught how to live with each other,
and enjoy each other's society in peace, and in the light of the
Holy Spirit of the gospel which we have embraced, that every
minute of our lives may be a scene of peace. We should learn to
live with our neighbours without contention, learning to do good
to each other.
115
To build up the kingdom of God is our business; we have nothing
else on hand. When will we see and understand the general
principle of building up the kingdom of God on the earth? When
shall we see the interest of the whole of God's people sought by
each person instead of an individual interest? The question in
our minds ought to be, what will advance the general interests of
our settlements and increase intelligence in the minds of the
people. To do this should be our constant study in preference to
how shall we secure that farm or that garden, or to saying, I
want that house, and I do delight in that horse, and this
carriage, &c., so much so that we cannot worship our God in
public meeting or kneel down to pray in our families without the
images of earthly possessions rising up in our minds to distract
them and make our worship and our prayers unprofitable. Until a
selfish, individual interest is banished from our minds, and we
become interested in the general welfare, we shall never be able
to magnify our Holy Priesthood as we should.
116
On to-morrow (June 27) it will be twenty-one years since Joseph
Smith was killed, and from that time to this the Twelve have
dictated, guided and directed the destinies of those great
people. Can you not discern clearly that this kingdom grows? In a
few years more those who composed the Church in the days of
Joseph Smith will be found only one here and one there. It will
soon be hard to find one who knew the Prophet Joseph. The kingdom
has made rapid strides in advance, and prospered amazingly in the
last twenty-one years. We have travelled abroad into the
world--into the wide field--and have scattered the seed of truth
broad-cast, and gathered from the crude masses our brethren, our
sisters, their children, and all those who have received the
truth, and cemented them together by the power of the Holy
Priesthood, into a great people. In this the hand of God is
visible to all, in acknowledging the labors of His servants, and
this people as His people. I can witness one fact, and so can
others, that by paying attention to the building up of the
kingdom of God alone we have got rich in the things of this
world; and if any man can tell how we can get rich in any other
way, he can do more than I can. We leave our business and our
families and go out to preach the peaceable things of the
kingdom, and pay attention to that, never thinking of our
business or our families, except when we ask the Lord to bless
our families in common with all the families of the Saints
everywhere.
116
In my first administrations in the gospel, in the rise of this
church when I went out to preach, I would leave my family and
friends in the hands of the Lord, and I gave them no further
thought, but my mind looked forward and my thoughts were, I am
going among strangers, how can I present myself to that
congregation to which I am going to speak this afternoon, this
evening, or to-morrow morning; how can I draw their attention to
the principles of the Holy Gospel, and engage their feelings to
that degree that they will inquire about the truth and embrace
it. I did not think about wife, children, home, native land or
friends; but my thoughts were on the great work before me. This
should be the state of our feelings continually. The prosperity
of the kingdom is before us; we see it as we see one another in
this congregation; we see the spread of the people and their
increase. Thousands of children are born yearly in Utah; we have
an immense immigration among us in this way; and still we are
sending Elders abroad to gather in the honest in heart from
foreign lands. Sixty Elders have gone out this spring, men of
experience, character, ability and good standing in society--men
who can be depended upon.
116
The increase of our children, and their growing up to maturity,
increases our responsibilities. More land must be brought into
cultivation to supply their wants. This will press the necessity
of digging canals to guide the waters of our large streams over
the immense tracts of bench and bottom lands which now lie waste.
We want our children to remain near us, where there is an
abundance of land and water, and not go hundreds of miles away to
seek homes. In these great public improvements the people should
enter with heart and soul, and freely invest in them their
surplus property and means, and thus prepare to locate the vast
multitudes of our children which are growing up, and strengthen
our hands, and solidify still more--make still more compact our
present organized spiritual and national institutions. The river
Jordan will be brought out and made to flow through a substantial
canal to Great Salt Lake City. When this is done, it will not
only serve as a means of irrigating, but it will form a means of
transportation from the south end of Utah Lake to Great Salt Lake
City. Thus we will keep labouring, and preaching, and gathering
the people, and the Lord will keep blessing and sustaining us,
until the land is full of Saints, and they begin to spread out,
to hive forth, seeking for room to dwell, until the earth shall
be full of the glory of the Lord and His Saints.
117
We are greatly blessed as a people. We have had peace here for
many years. To-day we are able to meet together to speak to each
other, to strengthen and do each other good; and by forsaking our
fields for a season, to gather together to worship our God, I can
assure you that our crops will be better than they would be if we
were to spend all our time in our fields. We may water and plant
and toil, but we should never forget that it is God who gives the
increase; and by meeting together, our health and spirits will be
better, we will look better, and the things of this world will
increase around us more, and we will know better how to enjoy
them.
117
At Mount Pleasant, in San Pete county, and Elder wished to give
out a notice for the brethren to water their wheat immediately,
for it was suffering. I requested him to allow me to give out the
notice for him, which he did; and I gave out the appointment,
informing the saints that if they would place guards sufficient
to keep their homes from Indian depredations, fires, &c., and the
rest of the men, women, and children attend our meetings, I would
promise them, in the name of Israel's God, better crops than if
they did otherwise. This was on Wednesday, and in the night there
came a beautiful shower, and we continued to have showers, until
at Manti, on Sunday, we were under the necessity of suspending
our meeting in the Bowery, and repairing to the meeting-house;
the earth was thoroughly soaked, and vegetation was refreshed,
and the people were satisfied. I notice this incident merely to
show that if we will do our duty, and be faithful to our God, He
will never be backward in dispensing His mercies liberally to us.
117
We should spend a portion of our time and means in training our
children, and a most effective way is to do it by example. If we
wish our children to be faithful to us, let us be faithful to God
and to one another. If we wish them to be obedient to us, let us
be obedient to our superiors. Parents should manifest before
their children all that they wish to see exhibited in them.
Whatever a husband requires of a wife, or of a child, in
obedience, in meekness, in submission, manifest before them all
that you require of them. Example is better than precept. When we
present precepts they should correspond with our own example.
117
I say to fathers, mothers, and to the whole Priesthood of the Son
of God, if we expect to sanctify ourselves and the earth upon
which we tread, we must begin that work in our own hearts; let
them be pure and holy, and devoted entirely to the service of
God, then will the earth become sanctified and holy under our
feet; we shall begin to spread abroad and enlarge our borders
with greater power when we can conquer ourselves and be able to
exercise a good influence over our friends and neighbors. We do
many wrongs which we would not do if we knew better, and so it is
with our children. You may remember it and lay it to heart, and
if you wish, write it in your journals, that some of the best
spirits that have ever been sent to earth are coming at the
present time, comparatively speaking.
118
Solomon said, "He that spareth his rod hateth his son," but
instead of using the road, I will teach my children by example
and by precept. I will teach them every opportunity I have to
cherish faith, to exercise patience, to be full of long-suffering
and kindness. It is not by the whip or the rod that we can make
obedient children; but it is by faith and by prayer, and by
setting a good example before them. This is my belief. I expect
to obtain the same as Abraham obtained by faith and prayer, also
the same as Isaac and Jacob obtained; but there are few who live
for the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob after they are
sealed upon them. No blessing that is sealed upon us will do us
any good, unless we live for it. Whereas, if we are faithful,
there is nothing which is calculated to please the eye, to
gladden the heart, to cheer and comfort the body and spirit of
man, everything in the heavens, with the fullness of the earth,
its pleasures and enjoyments, with perfect health, without pain,
with appetites made pure, all this, and more that has not yet
entered into the heart of man to conceive, the Lord has in store
for His children. This earth, when it shall be made pure and
holy, and sanctified and glorified and brought back into the
presence of the Father and the Son, from whence it came at the
time of the fall, will become celestial, and be the glorified
habitation of the faithful of this portion of the great family of
our Heavenly Father.
118
Abraham was faithful to the true God, he overthrew the idols of
his father and obtained the Priesthood after the order of
Melchizedek, which is after the order of the Son of God, and a
promise that of the increase of his seed there should be no end;
when you obtain the Holy Priesthood, which is after the order of
Melchizedek, sealed upon you, and the promise that your seed
shall be numerous as the stars in the firmament, or as the sands
upon the sea shore, and of your increase there shall be no end,
you have then got the promise of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and
all the blessings that were conferred upon them.
118
How many of the youth of our land are entitled to all the
blessings of the kingdom of Heaven, without first receiving the
law of adoption? When a man and woman have received their
endowments and sealings, and then had children born to them
afterwards, those children are legal heirs to the kingdom and to
all its blessings and promises, and they are the only ones that
are on this earth. There is not a young man in our community who
would not be willing to travel from here to England to be married
right, if he understood things as they are; there is not a young
woman in our community, who loves the gospel and wishes its
blessings, that would be married in any other way; they would
live unmarried until they could be married as they should be, if
they lived until they were as old as Sarah before she had Isaac
born to her. Many of our brethren have married off their children
without taking this into consideration, and thinking it a matter
of little of importance. I wish we all understand this in the
light in which heaven understands it.
118
Those whom I once knew as little boys are growing out of my
recollection; these young men know nothing but Mormonism. They
are in some instances called wild and ungovernable; but these
wild boys, properly guided and directed, will make the greatest
men who have ever lived upon this earth; and I want them to throw
aside their diffidence and come up and shake hands with me, and
say, "How do you, brother Brigham," for I feel warmly towards
them. I say to our young men, be faithful, for you do not know
what is before you, and abstain from bad company and bad habits.
Let me say to the boys sixteen years old and even younger, make
up your minds to mark out the path of rectitude for yourselves,
and when evil is presented, let it pass by unnoticed by you, and
preserve yourselves in truth, in righteousness, virtue and
holiness before the Lord. You were born in the kingdom of God; it
is to be built up; the earth has to be renovated, and the people
sanctified, after they are gathered from the nations, and it
requires considerable skill and ability to do this; let our young
men prepare themselves to aid and do their part in this great
work. I want you to remember this teaching with regard to our
youth.
119
We are hated and despised as a people, and every one who hates
this people, hates the God of heaven; and when men lift their
hands against the Latter-day Saints, they lift them against the
Almighty. We are the men and women who will renovate the earth,
redeem it, and restore all things through the strength of Him who
has paid the debt for us, and who has been and is still willing
to help us, and give unto us every blessing we need. Our religion
is worth everything to us, and for it we should be willing to
employ our time, our talent, our means, our energies, our lives.
119
Let the Latter-day Saints be separate from the ungodly, and learn
to live within themselves; and let us cease to give to them the
proceeds of our hard toil for that which does not profit us. Any
man in this church and kingdom who will cater to a gentile for a
little money will be poor in time and in all eternity. To those
who plead poverty, and contend that they must take wicked and
corrupt men into their houses to board them, etc., for a living,
I promise poverty, unless they repent, and turn from the error of
their ways. So long as we will fellowship unholy and wicked
persons, so long God and angels and holy men will not fellowship
us.
119
May God bless you as parents, as children, as Elders in Israel,
as musicians, and as sweet singers; may He bless your houses, you
barns, your fields, your flocks, and your herds, your cities and
the ranges around them, the mountains, the timber and the waters,
and greatly comfort you, and enable you to pursue the journey of
life so as to land safely in the haven of eternal rest. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, June 18, 1865
Brigham Young, June 18, 1865
PERSONALITY OF GOD--HIS ATTRIBUTES--ETERNAL LIFE, ETC.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Bowery,
Great
Salt Lake City, June 18, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
119
I wish the strict attention of the congregation, which is so
large and widely spread under this low bowery that I fear it will
be with difficulty that I can make myself heard by all. To
persons who wish to understand and improve upon what they hear,
it must be very annoying to only hear the sound of the speaker's
voice and not be able to comprehend its signification.
120
The gospel of life and salvation has again been committed to the
children of men, and we are made the happy partakers of its
blessings, and my sincere desire is that all may improve upon the
words of life which have been revealed from the heavens in our
day. It is written, "And this is life eternal, that they might
know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast
sent." All nations, tribes and communities of men worship
something, it may be a stump, a stock, a tree, a stone, a figure
moulded in brass, iron, silver, or gold, or some living creature,
or the sun, the moon, the stars, or the god of the wind and other
elements, and while worshiping gods which they can see and
handle, there dwells within them a crude and undefined impression
of a great Supreme and universal Ruler whom they seek to
represent and worship in gods made with their own hands; but
where he is located, what his shape and dimensions and what his
qualifications are they know not. The Apostle Paul found the city
of the Athenians wholly given to idolatry; and they called him a
"babbler," because he preached unto them Jesus and the
resurrection. He disputed in the synagogue with the Jews and with
the devout persons, and in the market daily with them who met
with him; and standing, in the midst of Mars-hill, he said, "Ye
men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too
superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I
found an altar with this inscription, 'To the Unknown God.' Whom,
therefore, ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you."
120
The Athenians knew not what to worship, and it seems they were
willing to worship a god unknown to them, very likely under the
impression that he might be the true God, whom they had tried to
represent no doubt in various ways.
120
Wherever the human family dwell upon the face of the earth,
whether they are savage or civilised, there is a desire implanted
within them to worship a great, Supreme Ruler, and not knowing
Him, they suppose that through offering worship and sacrifice to
their idols they can conciliate his anger which they think they
see manifested in the thunder, in the lightning, in the storm, in
the floods, in the reverses of war, in the hand of death, etc.,
etc.; thus they try to woo his protection and his blessing for
victory over their enemies, and at the termination of this life
for a place in the heaven their imaginations have created, or
tradition has handed down to them. I have much charity for this
portion of the human family called heathens or idolators; they
have made images to represent to their eyes a power which they
cannot see, and desire to worship a Supreme Being through the
figure which they have made.
121
There is a Power that has organised all things from the crude
matter that floats in the immensity of space. He has given form,
motion and life to this material world; has made the great and
small lights that bespangle the firmament above; has allotted to
them their times and their seasons, and has marked out their
spheres. He has caused the air and the waters to teem with life,
and covered the hills and plains with creeping things, and has
made man to be a ruler over His creations. All these wonders are
the works of the Almighty ruler of the universe, in whom we
believe and whom we worship. "The earth rolls upon her wings, and
the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by
night, and the stars also giveth their light, as they roll upon
their wings in their glory, in the midst of the power of God.
"Behold all these are kingdoms, and any man who hath seen any or
the least of these, hath seen God moving in his majesty and
power."
121
All people are conscious of the existence of a Supreme Being:
they see Him or His power in the sun, in the moon and in the
stars, in the storm, in the thunder and in the lightning, in the
mighty cataract, in the bursting volcano, or in the powerful and
disgusting reptile, etc. He is also described by some as having
no form, attributes, or power, or in other words, "without body,
parts or passions," and, consequently, without power or
principle; and there are persons who suppose that He consists
entirely of attributes universally diffused. Not knowing God they
worship His works that manifest His power and His majesty, or His
attributes which manifest His goodness, justice, mercy and truth.
According to all that the world has ever learned by the
researches of philosophers and wise men, according to all the
truths now revealed by science, philosophy and religion,
qualities and attributes depend entirely upon their connection
with organised matter for their development and visible
manifestation.
121
Mr. Abner Kneeland, who was a citizen of Boston, and who was put
into prison for his belief, in an essay which he wrote, made this
broad assertion: "Instead of believing there is no God, I believe
that all is God."
121
We believe in a Deity who is incorporated--who is a Being of
tabernacle, through which the great attributes of His nature are
made manifest. It is supposed by a certain celebrated philosopher
that the most minute particles of matter which float in space, in
the waters, or that exist in the solid earth, particles which
defy the most powerful glasses to reveal them to the vision of
finite man, possess a portion of divinity, a portion of infinite
power, knowledge, goodness and truth, and that these qualities
are God, and should be worshipped wherever found. I am an infidel
to this doctrine. I know the God in whom I believe, and am
willing to acknowledge Him before all men. We have persons in
this church who have preached and published doctrines on the
subject of the Deity which are not true. Elder Orson Pratt has
written extensively on the doctrines of this church, and upon
this particular doctrine. When he writes and speaks upon subjects
with which he is acquainted and understands, he is a very sound
reasoner; but when he has written upon matters of which he knows
nothing--his own philosophy, which I call vain philosophy--he is
wild, uncertain, and contradictory. In all my public
administration as a minister of truth, I have never yet been
under the necessity of preaching, believing or practising
doctrines that are not fully and clearly set forth in the Old and
New Testaments, Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and Book of
Mormon.
122
The Book of Mormon, which we firmly believe to be the word of God
to nations that flourished upon this continent many centuries
ago, corroborates the testimonies of the writers of the Old and
New Testaments, and proves these books to be true. They were
given to us in weakness, darkness and ignorance; I will, however,
give the translators of King James's version of the Bible the
credit of performing their labor according to the best of their
ability, and I believe they understood the languages in which the
Scriptures were originally found as well as any men who now live.
I have in my life-time met with persons who would persist in
giving different renderings, and make quotations from the dead
languages to show their scholarship, and to confuse and darken
still more the minds of the people. To all such I have always
felt like saying, there is the Bible, if you are capable of
giving us a more correct translation of it than we have, it is
your duty to do so. The Old and New Testaments have always
answered my purpose as books of reference. Many precious parts
have no doubt been taken from them; but the translation which we
have, has been translated according to the best knowledge the
translators possessed of the languages in which the ancient
manuscripts were written, yet as uninspired men they were not
qualified to write the things of God.
122
I believe in one God to us; as it is written, "For though there
be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there
be gods many, and lords many); but to us there is but one God,
the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him," and, "They
were called Gods unto whom the word of God came." I believe in a
God who has power to exalt and glorify all who believe in Him,
and are faithful in serving Him to the end of their lives, for
this makes them Gods, even the sons of God, and in this sense
also there are Gods many, but to us there is but one God, and one
Lord Jesus Christ--one Saviour who came in the meridian of time
to redeem the earth and the children of men from the original sin
that was committed by our first parents, and bring to pass the
restoration of all things through His death and sufferings, open
wide to all believers the gates of life and salvation and
exaltation to the presence of the Father and the Son to dwell
with them for ever more. Numerous are the scriptures which I
might bring to bear upon the subject of the personality of God. I
shall not take time to quote them on this occasion, but will
content myself by quoting two passages in the 1st chapter of
Genesis, 26th and 27th verses. 'And God said, let us make man in
our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing
that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God crated he him; male and female created
he them."
123
I believe that the declaration made in these two scriptures is
literally true. God has made His children like Himself to stand
erect, and has endowed them with intelligence and power and
dominion over all His works, and given them the same attributes
which He himself possesses. He created man, as we create our
children; for there is no other process of creation in heaven, on
the earth, in the earth, or under the earth, or in all the
eternities, that is, that were, or that ever will be. As the
Apostle Paul has expressed it, "For in Him we live, and move, and
have our being." "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or
silver, or stone, graven by art or man's device." There exist
fixed laws and regulations by which the elements are fashioned to
fulfill their destiny in all the varied kingdoms and orders of
creation, and this process of creation is from everlasting to
everlasting. Jesus Christ is known in the scriptures as the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and it is
written of Him as being the brightness of the Father's glory and
the express image of His person. The word image we understand in
the same sense as we do the word in the 3rd verse of the 5th
chapter of Genesis, "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years,
and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image." I am quite
satisfied to be made aware by the scriptures, and by the Spirit
of God, that He is not only the God and Father of Jesus Christ,
but is also the Father of our spirits and the Creator of our
bodies which bear His image as Seth bore the image of his father
Adam. Adam begat many children who bore His image, but Seth is no
doubt more particularly mentioned, because he was more like his
father than the rest of the family.
123
We bear the image of our earthly parents in their fallen state,
but by obedience to the gospel of salvation, and the renovating
influences of the Holy Ghost, and the holy resurrection, we shall
put on the image of the heavenly, in beauty, glory, power and
goodness. Jesus Christ was so like His Father that on one
occasion in answer to a request, "Show us the Father," He said,
"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." The strongest
testimony that can be bone to the minds of men is the testimony
of the Father concerning the Son, and the testimony of the Son
concerning the Father, by the power of the revelations of the
Spirit, which every man who is born of woman possesses more or
less, and which, if mankind would listen to it, would lead them
to the knowledge of God, and ultimately, assisted by the
ordinances of the gospel, into His presence.
123
If there is anything that is great and good and wise among men,
it cometh from God. If there are men who possess great ability as
statesmen, or as philosophers, or who possess remarkable
scientific knowledge and skill, the credit thereof belongs to
God, for He dispenses it to His children whether they believe in
Him or not, or whether they sin against Him or not; it makes no
difference; but all will have to account to Him for the way and
manner in which they have used the talents committed unto them.
If we believe the plain, broad statements of the bible, we must
believe that Jesus Christ is the light that lighteth every man
that cometh into the world; none are exempt. This applies to all
who possess the least degree of light and intelligence, no matter
how small; wherever intelligence can be found, God is the author
of it. This light is inherent according to a law of
eternity--according to the law of the Gods, according to the law
of Him whom we serve as the only wise, true and living God to us.
He is the author of this light to us. Yet our knowledge is very
limited; who can tell the future, and know it as the past is
known to us? It is a small thing, if we were acquainted with the
principle. Were we acquainted with this principle, we could just
as well read the future as the past.
123
The Latter-day Saints believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten
Son of the Father, who came in the meridian of time, performed
his work, suffered the penalty and paid the debt of man's
original sin by offering up Himself, was resurrected from the
dead, and ascended to His Father; and as Jesus descended below
all things, so He will ascend above all things. We believe that
Jesus Christ will come again, as it is written of Him: "And while
they looked steadfastly toward Heaven as He went up, behold, two
men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of
Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which
is taken from you unto heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen Him go unto heaven."
124
Strange as it may appear to many we believe that Jesus Christ
will descend from heaven to earth again even as He ascended into
heaven. "Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see
Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the
earth shall wail because of Him." He will come to receive His
own, and rule and reign king of nations as He does king of
saints; "For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under
His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." He
will banish sin from the earth and its dreadful consequences,
tears shall be wiped from every eye and there shall be nothing to
hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain.
124
In view of the establishment of the kingdom of God upon the earth
by Jesus Christ, John the Baptist proclaimed, that the kingdom of
heaven is at hand. "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His
paths straight;" and, "John did baptize in the wilderness, and
preach the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins."
Jesus Christ sent His disciples to preach the gospel to every
creature, to the king and the peasant, to the great and the
small, to the rich and the poor, to the bond and the free, to the
black and the white; they were sent to preach the gospel of
repentance and remission of sins to all the world, and "He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth
not shall be damned; and these signs shall follow them that
believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink
any deadly thing it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on
the sick and they shall recover."
124
The Latter-day Saints, this strange people as they are called,
believe and practice this gospel; they believe that the acts of
the creatures, in the performance of the ordinances, prove to the
heavens, to God, to angels and to the good who are upon the
earth--to their brethren and to those who are not their brethren
in a church capacity--to those who believe and to those who do
not believe, that they are sincere in their belief before God and
man. Every doctrine and principle that is laid down in the Old
and New Testaments for salvation, this people will persist in
believing and practicing; and, for so doing, they have become a
byword, and are wondered at by the orthodox Christians of the
19th century, who are truly astonished that anybody, in this
enlightened age, should emphatically believe that the Lord and
His servants anciently spoke the truth, and intended their words
should be believed and practiced by all who desire salvation. It
is our privilege, if we so wish, to disbelieve the words of God
or a part of them; but we choose rather to believe all the words
of God, and are trying to observe all of His precepts, to purify
the Lord God in our hearts.
125
There cannot be found a people upon the face of the whole earth
who are more perfect in the belief and practice of the gospel of
Jesus Christ than are the Latter-day Saints, and there exists no
people who are more easily governed. We have been gathered from
many nations, and speak many languages; we have been ruled by
different nationalities, and educated in different religions, yet
we dwell together in Utah under one government, believe in the
same God and worship Him in the same way, and we are all one in
Christ Jesus. The world wonder at this, and fear the union that
prevails among this, as they are called, singular people. Why is
this? It is because the Spirit of the Lord Almighty is in the
people, and they follow its dictates, and they hearken to the
truth, and live by it; this unites them in one, and causeth them
to dwell together in peace; and were it not for pettifogging
lawyers and judges who are among us, a law suit would not be
heard of in Utah from one year's end to another. When many of
these people come to Utah they are poor and houseless, but they
go to work and labor away with all their might, without a murmur,
under wise and judicious guidance, and in a short time they are
able to gather from the soil, the water and the air, the
essential and solid comforts of life.
125
When a lawyer comes into the church, if he happens to have a
little common sense left, and will take to ploughing and
cultivating the soil, there is a chance for him to make a man of
himself; but if he follows his former customs and habits, the
chances are against him, he may ruin himself, lose the Spirit of
the Lord, if he ever possessed it, and go back into midnight
darkness.
125
It is through the proclamation of the gospel that this great
people have been gathered from their homes in distant parts of
the earth. It is not in the power of man to accomplish such a
work of gathering thousands of men, women, and children from
different nations to a distant inland country, and unite them
together and make of them a powerful nation. They heard the sound
of the gospel, they repented of their sins, and were baptized for
the remission of them, and received the Holy Ghost by the laying
on of hands; this Spirit caused them to gather themselves
together for the truth's sake; they came here because the voice
of the Lord called them together from the ends of the earth. They
needed not to be persuaded to gather themselves together, for
they knew it was the will of God by the power of the Spirit which
they had received through the ordinances of the gospel. Here sits
brother George D. Watt, our reporter, who was the first man to
receive the gospel in a foreign land; there had not been a word
spoken to him about gathering to America; but he prophesied that
the land of America was the land of Zion, and that the Lord would
gather His people to that land in the last days, and thus he
prophesied by the Spirit of prophecy which he had received by
embracing the gospel.
125
Wherever the gospel is preached in all the world, and the people
repent, are baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on
of hands, that Spirit teaches them that America is the land of
Zion, and they begin straightway to prepare to gather, and thus
the Lord is building up His kingdom in our day. Were it not that
I possess the Spirit of truth which reveals to me the purposes of
God, it would appear to me a strange work and a wonder; but I can
understand that the Lord is feeling after the inhabitants of the
earth, and teaching the honest in heart the truth, and diffusing
His Spirit among them, and offering to all men life and
salvation.
125
If the message which the Lord is sending among the nations is
rejected by them, they will crumble and fall, and cease to exist.
The set time has come for the Lord to favor Zion; He is sending
His servants to the uttermost parts of the earth to declare the
truth to the inhabitants thereof, which they can receive or
reject, and be saved or be damned. This is a hard saying--who can
bear it? A gentleman asked the Prophet Joseph once if he believed
that all other sects and parties would be damned excepting the
Mormons. Joseph Smith's reply was, "Yes, sir, and most of the
Mormons too, unless they repent." We believe that all will be
damned who do not receive the gospel of Jesus Christ; but we do
not believe that they will go into a lake which burns with
brimstone and fire, and suffer unnamed and unheard of torments,
inflicted by cruel and malicious devils to all eternity.
126
The sectarian doctrine of final rewards and punishments is as
strange to me as their bodiless, partless, and passionless God.
Every man will receive according to the deeds done in the body,
whether they be good or bad. All men, excepting those who sin
against the Holy Ghost, who shed innocent blood or who consent
thereto, will be saved in some kingdom; for in my father's house,
says Jesus, are many mansions. Where is John Wesley's abode in
the other world? He is not where the Father and the Son live, but
he is gone into what is called hades, or paradise, or the
spirit-world. He did not receive the gospel as preached by Jesus
Christ and His apostles; it was not then upon the earth. The
power of the Holy Priesthood was not then among men; but I
suppose that Mr. Wesley lived according to the best light he had,
and tried to improve upon it all the days of his life. Where is
the departed spirit of that celebrated reformer? It occupies a
better place than ever entered his heart to conceive of when he
was in the flesh. This is a point of doctrine, however, which I
have not time to speak upon at large now, even if I had strength
to do so.
126
The Lord sent His angel and called and ordained Joseph Smith,
first to the Aaronic and then to the Melchizedek Priesthood, and
Joseph Smith ordained others. He baptized believers and confirmed
them and organized the church. The Lord revealed to him that
order which is now in our midst with regard to our organization
as a people, and there is no better among men. It is the
government of the Lord Almighty, and we think it is very good.
The Lord is again speaking to the children of men, who have
opened their ears to hear, and their hearts to understand; He
communicates His will to this people, although they may be
ignorant and guilty of a thousand wrongs, and some will
apostatize; yet we are the best people upon the earth, the most
peaceable, the most industrious, and know the best how to take
care of ourselves of any people now living who are not the people
of God; and what we do not know God will teach us, and what we
cannot do He will help us to perform, if we continue to do His
will and keep His commandments; for in doing this we shall live,
grow and increase in numbers and in strength, and I pray that we
may grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth, for without
this we are nothing. To me it is the kingdom of God or nothing
upon the earth. Without it I would not give a farthing for the
wealth, glory, prestige and power of all the world combined; for,
like the dew upon the grass, it passeth away and is forgotten,
and like the flower of the grass it withereth, and is not. Death
levels the most powerful monarch with the poorest starving
mendicant; and both must stand before the judgment seat of Christ
to answer for the deeds done in the body.
127
To us life is the sweetest of all enjoyments. A man will give all
that he has for his life, yet it is compared to a span length,
and is swift to its termination like the shuttle that passeth
over the weaver's beam. Even when denied the enjoyment of health
and of worldly comforts and conveniences, still will men cling to
life to the last. The kingdom of God secures unto the faithful
eternal life, with wives, children, and friends, in glory
immortal, and in eternal felicity and bliss. Life eternal in His
presence is the greatest gift that God can bestow upon His
children. This life is nothing in point of duration in comparison
with the life which is to come to the faithful, and for that
reason we say that in this life it is the kingdom of God or
nothing to us. With the kingdom of God and the facilities it
offers for an everlasting progression in godliness until we know
all things as our Father in Heaven knows them, there is no life
of grater importance than this life, for there is no life in
heaven or on earth to the true followers of Jesus Christ that is
not incorporated in His gospel. Those who reject the gospel, when
it is proclaimed to them by the authority of heaven, cannot know
the Father and the Son, and are cut off from the eternal life
which this knowledge alone gives.
127
We are in the hands of the Almighty as a people, and He is able
to take care of us. We entertain no antipathies against any
person or community upon this earth; but we would give eternal
life to all, if they would receive it at our hands--we would
preach the truth to them and administer to them the ordinances of
the gospel. But, it is said, you believe in polygamy, and we
cannot receive the gospel from your hands. We have been told a
great many times that polygamy is not according to Christianity.
The Protestant reformers believed the doctrine of polygamy.
Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, one of the principal lords and
princes of Germany, wrote to the great reformer Martin Luther and
his associate reformers, anxiously imploring them to grant unto
him the privilege of marrying a second wife, while his first
wife, the princes, was yet living. He urged that the practice was
in accordance with the Bible, and not prohibited under the
Christian dispensation. Upon the reception of this letter,
Luther, who had denounced the Romish church for prohibiting the
marriage of priests, and who favored polygamy, met in council
with the principal Reformers to consult upon the letter which had
been received from the Landgrave. They wrote him a lengthy letter
in reply, approving of this taking a second wife, saying:--
127
"There is no need of being much concerned for what men will say,
provided all goes right with conscience. So far do we approve it,
and in those circumstances only by us specified, for the gospel
hath neither recalled nor forbid what was permitted in the law of
Moses with respect to the marriage. Jesus Christ has not changed
the external economy, but added justice only, and life
everlasting for reward. He teaches the true way of obeying God,
and endeavours to repair the corruption of nature."
127
This letter was written at Wittemburg, the Wednesday after the
feast of St. Nicholas, 1539, and was signed by Martin Luther,
Philip Melancthon, Martin Bucer and five other Reformers, and was
written in Melancthon's own handwriting.
127
The marriage was solemnised on the 4th of March, 1540, by the
Rev. Denis Melanther, chaplain to Philip. Philip's first wife was
so anxious "that the soul and body of her dearest spouse should
run no further risk, and that the glory of God might be
increase," that she freely consented to the match.
127
This letter of the great Reformer's was not a hasty conclusion on
their part that polygamy was sanctioned by the gospel, for in the
year 1522, seventeen years before they wrote this letter, Martin
Luther himself, in a sermon which he delivered at Wittemburg for
the reformation of marriage, clearly pronounced in favor of
polygamy.
127
These transactions are published in the work entitled "History of
the variations of the Protestant churches."
128
Ladies and gentlemen, I exhort you to think for yourselves, and
read your Bibles for yourselves, get the Holy Spirit for
yourselves, and pray for yourselves, that your minds may be
divested of false traditions and early impressions that are
untrue. Those who are acquainted with the history of the world
are not ignorant that polygamy has always been the general rule
and monogamy the exception. Since the founding of the Roman
empire monogamy has prevailed more extensively than in times
previous to that. The founders of that ancient empire were
robbers and women stealers, and made laws favoring monogamy in
consequence of the scarcity of women among them, and hence this
monogamic system which now prevails throughout all Christendom,
and which has been so fruitful a source of prostitution and
whoredom throughout all the Christian monogamic cities of the Old
and New World, until rottenness and decay are at the root of
their institutions both national and religious. Polygamy did not
have its origin with Joseph Smith, but it existed from the
beginning. So far as I am concerned as an individual, I did not
ask for it; I never desired it; and if I ever had a trial of my
faith in the world, it was when Joseph Smith revealed that
doctrine to me; and I had to pray incessantly and exercise faith
before the Lord until He revealed to me the truth, and I was
satisfied. I say this at the present time for the satisfaction of
both saint and sinner. Now, here are the commandments of the
Lord, and here are the wishes of wicked men, which shall we obey?
It is the Lord and them for it.
128
I pray that the Spirit of Truth may find its way to each heart,
that we may all love the truth more than error, and cling to that
which is good that we may all be saved in the kingdom of our God.
Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, August 1-10, 1865
Brigham Young, August 1-10, 1865
SUMMARY OF INSTRUCTIONS.
Given by President Brigham Young to the people of Box Elder and
Cache Counties, August 1-10, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
129
I wish to present some counsel unto to the people on the subject
of their temporal life and point out to them what is their true
interest in regard to merchandising. I would propose to the
brethren that they keep their grain until they can get money for
it, then put that money into the hands of business men, and let
them purchase goods with it, which the people can freight
themselves, and thus let every ward in the Territory supply
themselves from abroad with what they really require; by so
doing, the people will have the handling of the means which the
Lord has given them, and the greater portion of it will not go
into the pockets of speculators to enrich and fatten strangers,
but the large profits, which they have made and carried out of
the country, will remain here to improve the country, and to
improve our condition as a people. We sell our grain to the
merchant, and receive our pay in goods. The grain he has bought
of us, he sells to the army, or to mail contractors for a greatly
increased price, which affords him a large profit upon his goods,
and upon the wheat which his goods have bought, and all this he
gets in money.
129
Let the past ignorance and folly suffice us, and instead of
giving away our strength for naught, let us enjoy the full
benefit of our labors ourselves. Why not appoint in every ward of
the Territory a good business man, who is filled with integrity
and truth, to make contracts for the people of the ward, and let
the convention prices be the rule or not sell? Why not draw money
for our grain and spend it ourselves, instead of allowing those
who have no interest with us to handle it for us and pocket
fortunes which we should enjoy and lay out in redeeming the earth
and in building up the kingdom of God in all the world? We can do
this if we will.
130
We have yet much to learn, and we are learning little by little,
and I do think that we shall yet come to understanding in
sustaining ourselves, building up the kingdom of God, renovating
the earth, keeping our enemies from our midst, sanctifying
ourselves and the earth, that the latter may be finally
celestialized to dwell in the presence of our Father and God. If
we could all see and understand things as they are, we would heap
up the riches of this world. What for? To gather the poor from
among all nations, and buy out every foot of land that is for
sale upon the continent of America. We should be the most
industrious and the most economical of any people upon the face
of the whole earth. We should waste nothing, but make everything
in some way or other minister to our wants and independence.
Everything which we use to feed the life of man or beast, not a
grain of it should be permitted to go to waste, but should be
made to pass through the stomach of some animal; everything,
also, which will fertilize our gardens and our fields should be
sedulously saved and wisely husbanded, that nothing may be lost
which contains the elements of food and raiment for man and
sustenance for beast.
130
Time is allotted unto man wherein to labor and perform his work
under the sun; if our time is properly employed and judiciously
divided to our varied duties and labors, each man and woman
performing his or her part faithfully, the land would be filled
with real wealth, and there would be an abundance of means to
prosecute every labor and every private and public improvement
which we desire to make for our own comfort and convenience and
that of our friends and neighbors and the community at large.
Were we to pursue this course faithfully, and continue so to do,
eternal permanency would be added to the general peace and
freedom which we now enjoy, and we never would be brought into
bondage again in any respect by the power of the enemy, but we
would continue to live and serve the Lord until the earth would
be sanctified and the saints inherit it for ever and ever.
130
A few words upon the subject of example; and these I speak
particularly to my brethren, the Elders of Israel, yet they will
apply to all classes of mankind. It is a rule with me, and always
has been, to request nothing of the people that I am not willing
to do myself, to require no obedience of them that I am unwilling
to yield. Experience has taught me, that example is the best
method of preaching to any people. It is written--"Then spake
Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples, saying, the Scribes
and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: all, therefore, whatsoever
they bid you observe, that observe and do: but do not ye after
their works: for they say and do not." If we teach righteousness,
let us also practice righteousness in every sense of the word; if
we teach morality let us be moral; let us see to it that we
preserve ourselves within the bounds of all the good which we
teach to others. I am sure this course will be good to live by
and good to die by, and when we get through the journey of life
here, what a consolation it will be to us to know that we have
done as we have wished others to do by us in all respects. This
is my doctrine.
131
Let us, as teachers of righteousness, not only teach the whole
law of God, but do it ourselves. And when we pray, let us not ask
our Heavenly Father to do that for us which we would not help Him
to do were it in our power. When our brethren, who have the cause
of God at heart pray, we invariably hear them ask Him to cleanse
the earth from sin, and sanctify it and prepare it for the Lord
to dwell upon. While we thus pray, we should be employed in
sanctifying ourselves first, and then in redeeming and
sanctifying the earth, for this the work we are called to
perform, aided by the Almighty. We pray the Lord to preserve the
righteous and to let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
and "O Lord defend Thy people and fight their battles." We should
be prepared and be as ready and willing to defend ourselves as we
are that the Lord should be ready and willing to defend us. We
should be as ready and willing to fight our own battles as to
have the Lord fight them for us. We should be just as willing to
exercise the ability God has given to us to clothe ourselves, to
build comfortable habitations for ourselves and our families, as
He has been willing to bestow that ability upon us. We should be
just as willing to learn to govern and control ourselves, and to
abide in the truth, as we are to have the Lord assist us in doing
so. When we fully perform our part, the Lord will not be backward
in performing all that He has promised, if He should have to
waste away and utterly destroy nations and kingdoms to do it.
131
We all believe that the Lord will fight our battles; but how?
Will He do it while we are unconcerned and make no effort
whatever for our own safety when an enemy is upon us? If we make
no efforts to guard our towns, our houses, our cities, our wives
and children, will the Lord guard them for us? He will not; but
if we pursue the opposite course and strive to help Him to
accomplish His designs, then will He fight our battles. We are
baptized for the remission of sins; but it would be quite as
reasonable to expect remission of sins without baptism, as to
expect the Lord to fight our battles without our taking every
precaution to be prepared to defend ourselves. The Lord requires
us to be quite as willing to fight our own battles as to have Him
fight them for us. If we are not ready for an enemy when he comes
upon us, we have not lived up to the requirements of Him who
guides the ship of Zion, or who dictates the affairs of his
kingdom.
132
The Lord has promised to provide for His Saints, to feed them and
clothe them; but He expects them to plough and plant, sow and
reap, and prepare their bread from the increase of the soil. It
is just as reasonable to suppose that He will raise our grain and
fruit for us while we are sunning ourselves, or lying in a state
of inactivity in the shade--that He will grind our wheat and make
it into cakes for us--as to expect that He will fight our battles
when we will not make a motion towards preparing for self-defence
against any enemy that may approach us. We cannot expect that the
Lord will fight our battles if we sell our powder and lead and
arms to the Indians, and leave ourselves unarmed and defenceless.
If we do this, He will leave us to ourselves to suffer for this
great neglect, as we should have to suffer or want of bread, if
we did not take the proper precautions to raise it from the
ground when it would be in our power to do so. If we wish to
preserve ourselves from suffering cold in the winter, it is
expected that we build houses and provide fuel. Now, the Lord
will not do this for us, when we have the material all around us
and the strength to perform the labor required. If we wish to
keep our cattle from perishing, it is necessary to lay up fodder;
the winter may be severe or it may be mild; but in taking the
precaution of laying up fodder, we are prepared for either a mild
or a severe winter. The Lord has endowed us with ability to
gather from the elements around us every material which is
necessary for food, raiment, and shelter. We know how to raise
sheep, and how to manufacture their wool into cloth. We know how
to raise flax, and cotton, and hemp, and silk, and how to make
them contribute to our comfort. We know how to raise grain and
fruit in abundance, and what to do with them when we have raised
them; and we hope to know how to use weapons of defence as well
as any other people or nation, if ever necessary, which I hope
and pray will never be necessary. We should always be willing and
ready to obey every good and wholesome law, whether it be to arm
ourselves as the law directs, to train in the ranks, to labor
with our hands, to preach the Gospel, to pray or to pay tithing;
for those who obey in all things will enjoy the spirit and
blessings of the kingdom of God in time and in eternity. Those
who refuse to do their part for the maintenance of the public
peace and the public security are not worthy o the fellowship of
the Saints, and should be severed from the church.
132
It is required by the laws of the Territory of Utah of every male
citizen from eighteen to forty-five to be armed and equipped and
ready for any duty he may be called upon to perform as one of the
militia of the county; and if any refuse to obey the laws of the
land, I would try them before their bishops for that as readily
as I would if they were to refuse to pay a just debt; and if they
would not repent, I would sever them from the church, and give
them over to the laws of the land. I do no know that there is one
person in the Territory who would refuse to perform military
duty; there are strangers in our midst; but I very much doubt if
one could be found who would refuse to do military duty.
132
I look upon the Saints with delight; they are my pride; they are
my glory; in fact, this is the family that our heavenly Father
has selected as His chosen children, although many may yet leave
it and go away; but here are my fathers, my mothers, my sisters,
my brothers, here are my friends and associates, and here is my
joy. I have never desired to be in any place only where the
Saints live; I have never desired to associate with any other
people. I know that we must become of one heart and one mind in
all things, to fulfil the requirements of heaven in the building
up of the kingdom of God upon the earth. We enjoy ourselves in
our public amusements, but our greatest joy is to meet, as we
have now met, to instruct each other in the principles and faith
of the holy Gospel, that we may increase in faith, in knowledge,
in understanding, and in the power of God to obtain all that is
for us, and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth as
Jesus Christ did when He was upon the earth.
132
Prepare to die, is not the exhortation in this church and
kingdom; but prepare to live is the word with us and improve all
we can in this life that we may be the better prepared to enjoy a
better life hereafter, wherein we may enjoy a more exalted
condition of intelligence, wisdom, light, knowledge, power,
glory, and exaltation. Then let us seek to extend the present
life to the uttermost, by observing every law of health, and by
properly balancing labor, study rest, and recreation, and thus
prepare for a better life. Let us teach these principles to our
children, that, in the morning of their days, they may be taught
to lay the foundation of health and strength and constitution and
power of life in their bodies. Let us teach them good manners,
orderly conduct and good behavior in every respect; and as soon
as they can understand what you mean, teach them to be strictly
honest, truthful and virtuous, that they may grow up in Christ
their living head. Some of the brightest spirits who dwell in the
bosom o the Father are making their appearance among this people,
of whom the Lord will make a Royal Priesthood, a peculiar nation
that He can own and bless, talk with, and associate with.
133
I wish to present before the people the subject of a telegraph
wire through our settlements. It is a subject which is worthy of
our attention, and an enterprise which, when completed, will be
of immense benefit in many ways to our country. This work we can
do almost entirely within ourselves. We can get the poles from
the mountains and plant them; the wires and insulators we shall
be under the necessity of importing from abroad, and for which we
must pay money. We can sell our grain and get the money. The
freighting we can do ourselves.
133
Cache Valley should be strong enough to poll three thousand
votes, and the people are well able to sustain a printing press.
I think that sufficient news could be collected in Cache Valley
to make a small sheet interesting, and I have no doubt talent
sufficient to produce communication both instructive and amusing.
I would also recommend the establishment in Logan of a machine
shop for the general good of the people in this and the
neighboring valleys.
133
We know the Gospel to be true by the spirit of revelation, "For
what man knoweth the things of a man, save by the spirit of man
which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but by
the spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the
world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the
things that are freely given to us of God." It is our privilege
to live so as to know the voice of the good shepherd for
ourselves, and to understand the will of God concerning us as
individuals. When we live so as to enjoy the glory of our
religion, then is our life a happy one, and our hope is bright
that we shall secure to ourselves life everlasting in the
presence of our Father and God.
133
The religion of Jesus Christ is a matter-of-fact religion, and
taketh hold of the every-day duties and realities of this life.
When people go to meeting in the so-called Christian world, they
expect to hear the sayings of Jesus Christ explained and enlarged
upon and dressed up and polished by the learning of men to make
them fit for the ears of the professors of the 19th century; or,
they expect to hear some of the dark sayings of the ancient
prophets expounded, and how the Lord used to manifest himself to
the people in the days of old, and how He spoke to them, and gave
them dreams and visions and wonderful manifestations, and what a
delightful thing it was for them to gather out from the wicked
world and be organised by Him, and how they enjoyed themselves in
their social capacity, and what good times they all had in
ancient days; and thus they extol the ancients to the heavens,
tell of the doings of Adam, of Enoch, of Noah, of Abraham, of the
patriarchs, of the prophets, of Jesus and His Apostles; and go on
to tell about the resurrection, and describe the mysteries and
joys thereof on the one hand and the torments of the damned in
that lake of fire and brimstone and bottomless pit to which they
are to be consigned on the other, and who are going to have their
blood spilled, and their spirits spilled, etc. At the close of
such a meeting the exclamation heard on all sides is, what a
glorious meeting we have had, what a glorious sermon we have
listened to; when I would not give the ashes of a rye straw for
the whole of it as to the amount of real practical good it does
the people, more than in a moral point of view.
134
When people are hungry they need substantial food; when they are
thirsty they need substantial drink. Moses' smiting the rock
would not have benefitted the people in the least, if water had
not gushed out. It is the duty of the true minister of Christ to
instruct the people of God how to get their food to-day, and to
teach them by precept and example how to become an independent
nation. How long shall we have the privilege of ending to New
York, St. Louis, or other places to buy our goods? Babylon will
surely fall. It may be said that we shall always be poor without
commerce, we shall always be poor with it, unless we command it;
and unless we can do this, we are better without it. Instead of
sending our wealth abroad to purchase artificials, why not try to
make them ourselves, or do without them? Why not continue our
endeavours until we can manufacture cotton cloth as fine as these
children are wearing today? Why not raise flax and prepare it
with care, and continue our efforts until we can make linens of
every description and quality? This home industry should be
persevered in from year to year with the view to our ultimate
independence of a foreign market. This is our duty. It is true we
do not do it. Instead of our young ladies letting the time hang
heavily upon their hands, or instead of being engaged in some
useless and profitless employment, they would enjoy much more
real peace of mind to be engaged in the production of some useful
material of some kind, it may be of silk, of linen, of woollen,
of straw, or of artificials and ornaments manufactured from
paper, feathers, or other material produced at home.
134
Every effort of this kind made by our sisters has its weight in
the struggle which we should all make to cut ourselves entirely
loose from any dependence upon those who have no other aim in
view but our final dismemberment as a society, and our utter
overthrow as a people. The Lord requires this of us; it comes
within the pale of our duty; and in addition to this, to
live--for it is the first and foremost of all He requires of
us--so that we shall know the voice of the good Shepherd always;
to lie so that we shall know the truth when we hear it, and our
heart shall say amen to it. If there are any who have never heard
the Gospel until to-day, and wish to know how to serve God, begin
by repenting of your sins, and by being baptised for the
remission of them, and receive the laying on of hands for the
gift of the Holy Ghost, and ever after live so as to be able to
say, "my conscience is void of offence towards God and man."
134
The Lord rules in the heavens, and does His pleasure among men. I
will here say as the Lord live, if this people will be faithful
in the performance of every duty, they will never come upon a
field of battle to fight their enemies. There is no man among
them who trifles with the counsel given to him to be armed and
equipped and ready for any emergency but what has lost the spirit
of God more or less. If the Saints neglect to pray, and violate
the day that is set apart for the worship of God, they will lose
His spirit. If a man shall suffer himself to be overcome with
anger, and curse and swear, taking the name of the Deity in vain,
he cannot retain the Holy Spirit. In short, if a man shall do
anything which he knows to be wrong, and repenteth not, he cannot
enjoy the Holy Spirit, but will walk in darkness and ultimately
deny the faith. Every good and wholesome law we should obey
strictly, and do it with a good and honest heart. If we will
pursue this course, the Lord Almighty will put hooks in the jaws
of our enemies, and lead them whithersoever. He will.
135
It is far better to die in a good cause than to live in a bad
one; it is better to die doing good than to live doing evil. To
the Saints of latter-days who do their duty to the best of their
knowledge, I promise peace; but I have no promise of God for
those who do not do their duty. When I speak of our duty it
applies to all, male and female. It is the right of the mother
who labors in the kitchen, with her little prattling children
around, to enjoy the Spirit of Christ, and to know her duty with
regard to those children; but it is not her duty and privilege to
dictate to her husband in his duties and business. If that mother
or wife enjoys the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, she will
never intrude upon the rights of her husband. It is the right and
privilege of the husband to know his duty with regard to his
wives and children, his flocks and his herds, his fields and his
possessions; though I have seen women who, I thought, actually
knew more about the business of life than their husbands
themselves did, and were really more capable of directing a farm,
the building of a house, and the management of flocks and herds,
etc., than the men were; but if men were to live up to their
privileges this would not be the case; for it is their right to
claim the light of truth and that intelligence and knowledge
necessary to enable them to carry on every branch of their
business successfully.
135
It is the right and privilege of every Elder in Israel to enjoy
the Holy Ghost, and the light of it, to know everything which
concerns himself and his individual duties, but it is not his
right and privilege to dictate his superior in office, nor to
give him counsel, unless he is called upon to do so, then he may
make suggestions; and if the people of a ward are living in the
faithful performance of their several duties, their faith and
their prayers will be concentrated before the Lord, in the name
of Jesus, for and in behalf of their bishop, that he may know his
business and be made fully capable to fulfil the duties of his
calling to the honor of God and the salvation of the people.
Wherever a man is appointed to preside, he should preside in the
dignity of his office, and be able to discriminate between his
duties as a presiding officer in a branch, he being a high priest
we will say, and the duties of the bishop. I am gratified to say
that such a thing does exist in the midst of this people that one
man can preside as a president and another as a bishop, in the
same ward, and not quarrel with each other; each one has the
privilege for himself of knowing his duty by the revelations of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And if all presidents and bishops were
inspired by this spirit, they never would have any difficulty,
but they would see eye to eye. It is the duty and privilege of
the Twelve Apostles to have the Holy Ghost for their constant
companion, and live always in the Spirit of Revelation, to know
their duty and understand their calling; this is also the duty
and privilege of the First Presidency of the church.
136
In the setting forth of items of doctrine which pertain to the
progress and further building up of the kingdom of God upon the
earth, and the revealing of His mind and will, He has but one
mouth through which to make known His will to His people. When
the Lord wishes to give a revelation to His people, when He
wishes to reveal new items of doctrine to them, or administer
chastisement, He will do it through the man whom He has
appointeth to that office and calling. The rest of the offices
and callings of the church are helps and governments for the
edifying of the body of Christ and the perfection of the Saints,
etc., every president, bishop, elder, priest, teacher, deacon and
member standing in his order and officiating in his standing and
degree of priesthood as ministers of the words of life, as
shepherds to watch over departments and sections of the flock of
God in all the world, and as helps to strengthen the hands of the
Presidency of the whole church. A sister who receives the gift of
tongues is not thereby empowered to dictate her president, or the
church. All gifts and endowments given of the Lord to members of
His church are not given to control the church; but they are
under the control and guidance of the priesthood, and are judged
of by it. Some have erred upon this point, and have been led
captive by the devil.
136
Whenever there is a disposition manifested in any of the members
of this church to question the right of the President of the
whole church to direct in all things, you see manifested the
evidences of apostacy--of a spirit which, if encouraged, will
lead to separation from the church and final destruction;
wherever there is a disposition to operate against any legally
appointed officer of this kingdom, no matter in what capacity he
is called to act, if persisted in, it will be followed by the
same results; they will "walk after the flesh in the lust of
uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they,
self-willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not
railing accusations against them before the Lord."
136
In all our daily pursuits in life, of whatever nature and kind,
Latter-day Saints, and especially those who hold important
positions in the kingdom of God, should maintain a uniform and
even temper, both when at home and when abroad. They should not
suffer reverses and unpleasant circumstances to sour their
natures and render them fretful and unsocial at home, speaking
words full of bitterness and biting acrimony to their wives and
children, creating gloom and sorrow in their habitations, making
themselves feared rather than beloved by their families. Anger
should never be permitted to rise in our bosoms, and words
suggested by angry feelings should never be permitted to pass our
lips. "A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir
up anger." "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous;" but "the
discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to
pass over a transgression."
137
All that we possess and enjoy are the gifts of God to us, whether
they be in earthly substance, physical constitution, or mental
power; we are accountable to Him for the use we make of these
precious gifts, and it is the imperative duty of all the sons and
daughters of Adam and Eve to pay their tribute to Him who has
created all things, and who is now pouring from the heavens
instructions upon the people that they may know how to live here
and return again into His presence. It is not our privilege to
waste the Lord's substance upon the lusts of the flesh, nor to
devote one day of time to vanity and sin, or to any employment
which will tend to death. We are willing to acknowledge that we
receive all our blessings both temporal and spiritual, from the
munificent hand of God; but we are not always willing that He
should advise us how to use His blessings, when they are in our
hands, in the best possible way to build up His kingdom on the
earth. O, consistency, thou art one of the fairest jewels in the
life of a Saint. We ask God to bless us with houses and lands,
and possessions, chariots and horses, etc. When we plough our
fields, and sow grain and plant vegetables, we pray to the Lord
for good crops, to give us a great increase; and when we have
gathered in the abundance which He has sent us until our barns
are full and there is no room for more, then we ask no odds of
the Lord, and are impatient and rebellious in our feelings, when
dictated and advised as to how this fullness of the Lord's
blessings should be disposed of for the individual and general
good of the community. This remark will not apply to all; but
when the word of the Lord comes to the people, which it does all
the time, every man and woman professing to be Latter-day Saints
should say amen, and then straightway fulfil it to the letter.
137
We calculate to continue to visit and preach to the Saints until
all shall see eye to eye upon this matter, and become of one
heart and of one mind in all things, and become perfectly united
in building up the kingdom of God upon the earth, and wipe out
wickedness from the world. I thank God that I now live in a
community where I can live from one year to another and not hear
the name of God blasphemed, and all the butter and eggs and flour
that the people take to Bannack and other places would not hire
me to be obliged to listen to it. All may not feel as tenacious
on this point as I do; some care not how much the names of God
and of Jesus Christ are blasphemed in their presence, if they can
only sell their butter and eggs; or, "only give me a dollar for
your breakfast or dinner, and I care not how much you swear and
curse in my house and in the presence of my family." I would not
hear the name of God blasphemed as some who profess to be
Latter-day Saints do for all the gold that has been taken from
the mines of California.
137
May the Lord bless His people. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, October 9, 1865
Brigham Young, October 9, 1865
HOME MANUFACTURING, MERCHANDISING, AND GENERAL ECONOMY.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, at the General Conference,
Great
Salt Lake City, October 9, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
137
I wish now to deliver a few short discourses to the Latter-day
Saints, and it does not matter which of them I deliver first,
because they are all of equal interest and importance to the
Saints, and will be spread upon the pages of the Deseret News for
them to read at their leisure in that order that may suit them.
138
The first item that presents itself to me is, to call upon these
sisters--they forming an important element of the kingdom of God
in the last days--to listen to the will of God concerning them,
that they go to now and manufacture from straw, grass, or any
other fitting material that grows in these valleys, their bonnets
and hats, and cease to sell the barley, the oats, the wheat, etc,
to buy imported ones, or when the wheat, and the oats and the
barley are all sold, get your husbands to run into debt for that
which you can as well make yourselves as not. I am satisfied that
we can make, from material grown in these valleys, bonnets and
hats as beautiful to look upon as any that have ever been
imported to this Territory. I am addressing myself to the ladies
of the kingdom of God, to those who know how to keep their
houses, furniture and beds pure and clean, who can cook food for
their husbands and children in a way that it will be clean,
tasteful and wholesome. The woman that can do this I call a lady.
In this view I differ from the world generally; for the lady of
the world is not supposed to know anything about what is going on
in the kitchen; her highest ambition is to be sure and be in the
fashion, at no matter what cost to her husband or father; she
considers that she may as well be out of the world as out of the
fashion.
138
There has been a great deal said upon the subject of Home
Manufacturing; and the article of straw is the readiest to come
at of any other material of which clothing is made. Now, my
sisters, will you hearken to those who spend all their time to do
you good, who traverse the world over to gather the Saints, to
preach the Gospel, make believers and gather them together that
they become Saints--will you hearken to this counsel and obey it?
Rye should be sown in the spring, and cut in the proper season,
and cured as it should be to make good straw for hats and
bonnets, and our boys and girls should braid it, and have it made
up, and save the immense amount of ready means which we have to
pay out for that article alone. Will the sisters belonging to the
kingdom of God do this? I might call for a vote of those who are
present, and no doubt you would enter into a covenant to perform
this duty, and many very likely would not give the matter another
thought. I will not ask you to vote; but I will ask you to do
this as a duty, and to commence right away in this city by wards,
and form yourselves into societies for the accomplishment of this
purpose, and see that the little boys and girls, instead of their
running wild in the streets, throwing the dust and dirt into
their hair and garments from morning until night, are brought
into the house, their skins and clothes washed clean, their hair
combed neatly, and they set to braiding straw. This will teach
them to be industrious, and save them from contracting habits of
indolence and slothfulness, and be the means of introducing an
important branch of industry into our country. How much better
this would be than to let our children waste their time in
unnecessary play; they need time to study, time for recreation,
and time to be engaged in some useful employment. It is the duty
of parents to see that the time of their children is properly
appropriated to pursuits of usefulness, profit and advantage to
themselves, to their parents or guardians, and to the kingdom of
God at large, that they may grow up to become efficient and
worthy citizens of that kingdom.
139
Bishops, will you see that enough rye is sown to supply the wants
of the people of your wards, and see that the crop is harvested
when it should be to make good straw for braiding? If you will do
this, and the people will not avail themselves of making their
own hats and bonnets, there is no complaint can be attached to
you. I have raised crops of rye from year to year, and invited
the people to use the straw for making bonnets and hats; but no;
the merchants had imported bonnets, and our ladies preferred
going to the stores and buying them. When will this people become
Saints indeed? Not until they observe every counsel that is given
to them of this kind, doing with their might the things that are
required of them. I know it is the will of the Lord that this
people should manufacture what they wear and consume; and, in
addition to its being the will of the Lord, the liability of our
being cut off from supplies, through being so far distant from
the great manufacturing districts, teaches us that it is wisdom
and true economy that we should adopt this course. The money
which this community has expended in hats and bonnets for men,
women, and children in the last year would bring scores and
hundreds of the poor Saints from the old countries to these
valleys of Utah. Is it wise in us, and pleasing to the Lord, for
us to place the means he has blessed us with where it does not
belong, while our sons and our daughters, instead of idling away
their time or being employed in that which does not profit them
or us, might be engaged in preserving such means among us to be
applied in the further progress of the work of God?
139
My next discourse will be upon merchandising. We are
here in these valleys of the mountains organised as a people; and
we know how we came to be here; and we know the designs of God,
and the designs of our enemies concerning us; we know the
distinction which is drawn between this people and the world;
these things we understand. Now, we propose to the Bishops,
presiding Elders and leading members of the church, who are here
assembled to represent the kingdom of God upon the earth, and to
all those who are not here, who act in these capacities in the
various places where there are Saints gathered together, to do
their own merchandising and cease to give the wealth which the
Lord has given us to those who would destroy the kingdom of God
and scatter us to the four winds, if they had the power. Cease to
buy from them the gewgaws and frivoulous things they bring here
to sell to us for our money and means--means that we should have
to bring the poor here, to build our temples, our towers,
ornament our public grounds and buildings, and to beautify our
cities. For, as merchandising has been generally conducted here,
instead of having our means to perform these public works, it has
been borne away by our enemies by the million.
140
I wish the brethren, in all our settlements, to buy the goods
they must have, and freight them with their own teams; and then
let every one of the Latter-day Saints, male and female, decree
in their hearts that they will buy of nobody else but their own
faithful brethren, who will do good with the money they will thus
obtain. I know it is the will of God that we should sustain
ourselves, for, if we do not, we must perish, so far as receiving
aid from any quarter, except God and ourselves. If we have not
capital ourselves, there are plenty of honorable men whom our
brethren can enter into partnership with, who would furnish and
assist them whenever they should receive an intimation to that
effect. I know it is our duty to save ourselves; the enemy of all
righteousness, will do nothing to help us in that work, neither
will his children; we have to preserve ourselves, for our enemies
are determined to destroy us. I know it is the duty of this
people to build up themselves; for our enemies will not build us
up, but they will do their uttermost to tear us down. This will
not apply to all; but there are enough to bark, and yelp, and
growl, and snarl till the peaceable, good meaning man dare not
open his mouth. We have thousands of warmhearted friends who dare
not say anything in favour of this people. We have friends in
Congress who wish us to become a State in the Union; but they
dare not tell of it. No, let them only say in their own districts
that they would vote for Utah to become a State, and that would
be their political grave, and they know it. If nobody will speak
for us, let us speak for ourselves; if no person else will do
anything for us, let us do something for ourselves. This is
right; it is politically right, religiously right, nationally
right, socially and morally right, and it is right in every sense
of the word for us to sustain ourselves.
140
Let us save that money which we spend for bonnets and hats, and
the trimmings that are upon them. You may ask me if I think my
family will start out with a good example in this direction; I
hope they will. If we will be diligent in this kind of economy,
and make all we can within ourselves, and send out as little of
our ready means as possible, it will place at our control means,
which we do not now command, to gather thousands of the poor
Saints.
140
What I am now about to say is on the subject of the use of
tobacco. Let us raise our own tobacco, or quit using it. In the
years '49, '50, '51, '52, and '53, and so long as I kept myself
posted respecting the amount expended yearly by this people at
the stores for articles of merchandise, we spent upwards of
100,000 dollars a year for tobacco alone! We now spend
considerably more than we did then. Let us save this ready means
in our country by abstaining from the use of this narcotic, or
raise it ourselves. By so doing we will have that amount of means
to circulate in channels of usefulness and profit which will add
to our strength, to our permanency, and to our influence and
importance as a great people. But when we place hundreds of
thousands of dollars in the hands of those who are not of us,
whose homes are not with us, who spend nothing to build up our
country, but come here merely to make fortunes to spend
elsewhere, we give them so much of our strength, and we are
proportionately weakened. This is poor economy, and is
displeasing to the Lord, because it retards the development of
His purposes.
140
I will not call upon you to enter into a covenant to do this, for
some might break their covenants and that would be a sin, but I
want what you do in this matter to be prompted by a desire to
bring to pass some permanent profit and good to yourselves and to
the cause which we represent. I want you to do it as I have done
it myself. I have never made a covenant since I entered this
Church only to do good and serve the Lord our God, and in every
possible way aid in developing His purposes. The Lord gave me
strength to lay aside tobacco, and it is very rarely indeed that
I taste tea or coffee; yet I have no objection to aged persons,
when they are fatigued and feel infirm, taking a little stimulus
that will do them good. It is wrong to use narcotics, for the
nervous system is destroyed or injured thereby; but we should
maintain a healthy action of all the powers of the body, which
should be devoted to the service of our Father and God in
building up His kingdom on the earth.
141
Now, brethren, bishops, presiding elders, influential men, men of
property and money will you go to now and gather up the means in
your settlements and set some good reliable men to merchandising
in every settlement, men who, if they make anything, will devote
it to the building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth. I
care not how much a man makes, if he only devotes it to proper
uses, or how rich he may be if he make a right application of his
riches. It is the bad use that men make of their wealth which God
objects to. Go to, my brethren, and prepare yourselves forthwith
to import the goods you must have, and never admit of a store
being started in your neighbourhood again that you cannot
control. It may be asked how can you prevent it? By never
spending a dollar with any who will not aid in developing the
country and in building it up.
141
It is the duty of this people to do their own merchandising, and,
if I had the power, I would prevail upon them to take care of
themselves, to provide for themselves, and use their means in a
way to benefit and bless themselves, instead of pouring into the
laps of those who will squander and make an ill use of it, who
will use it to sustain the power of the enemy in his operations
against the kingdom of God. This is right, and who can say aught
against it? Nobody but a fault-finder or an accuser. As it has
always been, and will be yet for some time, when the sons of God
assemble together, Satan will be on hand as an accuser of the
brethren, to find fault with those who are trying to do good.
What I have said on this matter will answer my purpose.
141
There is another item which I will now notice, and until we learn
such things I will promise you that we shall never inherit the
Celestial Kingdom. We are gathered together for the purpose of
learning what to do with this present life and with the present
blessings bestowed upon us. If we do not learn these lessons, how
can we expect to be trusted with the riches of eternity; for he
that is faithful over a few things shall be made ruler over many
things. The item I wish to refer to is the great loss which the
people of this Territory suffer yearly in stock. I have talked
about it heretofore many times, and tried to prevail upon the
brethren to save their stock. When we are blessed with an
increase of cattle, and we disregard this blessing which the Lord
bestows upon us, we thereby incur His displeasure, and lay
ourselves liable to punishment. What earthly father would bestow
blessings upon a son with satisfaction and pleasure while that
son would continue to squander them and gamble them away for
nothing? After a time that father would withhold his favors, and
bestow them upon the more worthy child. The Lord is more merciful
than we are; but there may be a termination to His gifts, if we
do not receive them with gratitude and take good care of them
when we have them in our possession. Let the people take care of
their cattle and horses, and the man who does not do it will lay
himself liable to censure in the eyes of justice.
142
Listen to this advice, for here is economy. We have to gather the
people, to send our Elders forth into the world to preach the
Gospel to every creature; and when the people are gathered, there
is probably not one family to fifty out of those who are brought
here that knows anything about cultivating the earth, raising
cattle, or doing anything to sustain themselves; we have to teach
them this after they come here. We have importuned and plead with
and instructed the people on these topics all the day long,
rising early and continuing late until now; and many, a great
many, have profited by our labors. The citizens of this city are
tolerably comfortable; a great many of them have an abundance of
fruit, and they enjoy it. It is very healthy for them and their
children to eat in the season thereof, and it helps many to
sustain their families pretty comfortable; and then they raise a
few chickens, and they have one or two pigs in the pen, and a cow
to give them milk and butter; though as the cows are now fed they
are not very profitable to their owners.
142
I have lamented much that the people do not take the precaution
to feed their cows. Let those who have cows in the city sow a
little lucerne seed in their gardens, say three or four rods
square, and see that it is well cultivated, and you can feed your
cows with a little of this two or three times a day, and take a
little oats or wheat for your labor and get it chopped, and feed
them a little of that every day and give them the weeds you pull
out of the garden, and the slops from the kitchen. In this way it
is not difficult to keep a cow the year round. But take a cow six
or seven miles over Jordan for a few dry weeds, and be all day or
as long as she remains there, without water and without shade,
when she returns to the river he fills herself with water and
comes home looking very full, yet hungry enough to crop the
currant bushes where she can reach them, and eat the weeds from
under our fences. This is not right. Raise lucerne, plant a few
hills of corn, and take off the outside leaves of your cabbages
and give to her; sow your beets and carrots, and what you do not
use for greens, save and give to the cow. Save everything that
she will eat, and fed it to her in a way that she will relish it
and eat it all up; feed it to her fresh, and not suffer it to rot
about the kitchen and the doors to become a sickly nuisance to
your children.
142
By taking this course, you can as well milk eight quarts of milk
twice a day as two, according to the quality of the cow and the
kind of feed you give her. Thus you have your milk and a little
butter, and your meat of your own raising, and your eggs and
chickens, and your fruit; and you have a living here off an acre
and a quarter of land. Such a little farm well tilled and well
managed, and the products of it economically applied, will do
wonders towards keeping and educating a small family. Let the
little children do their part, when they are not engaged in their
studies, in knitting their stockings and mittens, braiding straw
for their hats, or spinning yarn for their frocks and
underclothing. If this people would strictly observe these simple
principles of economy, they would soon become so rich that they
would not have room sufficient to hold their abundance; their
store-houses would run over with fullness, and their vats with
new wine.
142
Now, cultivate your farms and gardens well, and drive your stock
to where they can live through the winter, if you have not feed
for them. Do not keep so many cattle, or, in other words, more
than you can well provide for and make profitable to yourselves
and to the kingdom of God. We have hundreds and thousands of fat
cattle upon the ranges, and yet we have no beef to eat, or very
little. Kill your cattle when they are fat, and salt down the
meat, that you may have met to eat in the winter and some to
dispose of to your neighbors for their labour to extend your
improvements. Lay up you meat, and not let it die on your hands.
Such a course is not right. Cattle is made for our use, let us
take care of them.
143
I have now a proposition to make to the Latter-day Saints; and
here is the strength and power of Israel to listen to it. It is
to send five hundred teams to the Missouri river next
season--five hundred good teams, with four yoke of oxen forward
of a good wagon, to bring all the poor who have a mind to come to
these valleys. There are hundreds of the Saints who can get to
the frontiers, but no further; and rather than leave their homes
in the old countries and be left among strangers in a strange
land, they stay at home. What do you say, shall we send down five
hundred teams next season? [The Conference was unanimously in
favor of this movement.] I would suggest that we take cattle and
wagons from Utah. The wagons that are made in the east now are
not so good as they were years ago. The demand has made good
wagon timber scarce, and it is rather difficult now to get as
good wagons as we got a few years ago. Before the time of
starting, you will be furnished with a circular of instructions.
May the Lord bless you. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Heber
C. Kimball, October 6, 1865
OTHERS' SINS, NO JUSTIFICATION OF OURS.
Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, delivered in the Bowery,
Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
143
Brethren and sisters, may the very peace of our God be upon you,
upon all Israel, and upon all those who love our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ in all the world.
143
The more we grow in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, the more are we
inclined to extend the blessings of our God to all men, women and
children who love Him. We are called to a very exceeding high
calling, namely, to be messengers of life and salvation, holding
the Priesthood of the Son of God for the redemption of the world.
What manner of men ought we to be? Of all men upon the earth our
morality should be the best, and our light should not be hid
under a bushel but should be on the top of a bushel to be seen of
all, that our good works may be known, and that by our good
example we may influence others to do good and to trust in and
serve God. Every man can exercise an influence for good or for
evil in his sphere, and in the circle wherein he moves.
144
How often people justify themselves in doing wrong because Mr. or
Mrs. So-and-So did so; or in conducting themselves like foolish
persons in imitation of somebody's foolish example! People
generally are disinclined to acknowledge their faults and forsake
them, but this we ought to do, purely because we love the right,
doing it independently, and in defiance of the evil customs and
examples with which we are surrounded. Every man ought to receive
the truth wherever he finds it. Some would rather receive the
truth only from the First Presidency and the Twelve; but we
should acknowledge it, let it come from what source it may. Every
person should learn to govern himself and live in this world so
as to secure life everlasting; and to do this, we must identify
ourselves with our Father and our God, being grafted into Him by
the ordinances of the Gospel, and through faithfulness being
conformed to His image, partaking of His heavenly nature as the
graft which is put into the roots of a tree partakes of the sap
and nature of the tree, bringing forth the fruits of
righteousness, drawing nourishment, life and strength for ever
from the great source of all life and good. There is no other way
for us to identify ourselves with God. Being baptized into Christ
we put him on and become one with Him, as he was baptized into
His Father and became one with His Father; and thus we are all
one in Christ Jesus. We are made one with the Father and the Son
by observing His word, His law and His ordinances.
144
If I were to commit an impropriety, another person would not be
justified in doing the same thing. If I violate the law of God I
shall be condemned and will not escape upon the plea that
somebody else did the same. Every man must answer for his own
sin. It is true we have our weaknesses. How? I am afflicted with
rheumatic pains, or the infirmities of old age, or I am naturally
consumptive, etc. These are weaknesses of the flesh; but may it
be termed a weakness when men wilfully violate a plain,
well-known law of God? The Lord requires nothing of His creature
which they cannot perform. We are subject to the weaknesses of
human nature, but they are not crimes, neither should they stand
in the way of our doing all the good in our power while we live
in the flesh, and as little harm as possible. It is a sin to
break any of the commandments of God. When a person bears false
witness, it is a sin; or when a person steals, it is a sin; and
these sins must be accounted for, either in time or in eternity,
by the person who commits them.
144
We have come to this Conference from all parts of the Territory
to be reminded of our duties, and to obtain strength in the
worship of the Lord, and we are a good-looking people, and
greatly blessed of the Lord. Our happiness consists not in the
possession of earthly wealth so much as in the possession of that
Spirit which it is our right to obtain and cherish.
145
The short sentence, "Do right," embraces a great deal, and
extends over the period of man's life, embracing all his daily
duties. It is right for us to build that Tabernacle; it is a work
which all the people of the Saints in these mountains are engaged
in; and the more faithful we are in paying our tithing, these
public works will progress the more vigorously. We all know what
the word of the Lord is on the subject of paying tithing, and the
use to be made of the means thus collected, namely--to build
temples and tabernacles, and to establish the kingdom of God
generally. The Israelites built a tabernacle in the wilderness
wherein they deposited their holy things, which were afterwards
removed into the temple at Jerusalem. When our temple is
completed, it will be used for the administering of the holy
ordinances of God; it will be for the use of the Priesthood to
give endowments to the people. It is just as requisite that that
temple should be built as it is that we build houses for our
wives and children to dwell in, because the service of our God is
not so acceptable of Him in a temporary place of worship when His
people can make a permanent one after the pattern which is
pleasing to Him. Let us pay our tithing faithfully, and when we
do that there will be no trouble in making any public improvement
we desire to make; we can bring out the rivers and large streams
of these valleys into canals for the purposes of transportation
and irrigation, and become enriched by the facilities which these
mountain streams offer unto us.
145
This is the head-quarters of Zion, and the law shall go forth
from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. The Lord gave
the law through Joseph when he was here, and now he gives it
through President Brigham Young. The law shall go forth from Zion
unto all nations, and the word of the Lord is, "Look unto me, and
be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God and there is
none else." All who will not comply with this call will be
damned. The Elders who have faithfully fulfilled their missions,
warning all men who came within the sound of their voices, have
identified themselves with the Savior, and with the Father, and
with the Holy Ghost; and the Holy Ghost will abide with all such
if they continue faithful; and herein consists the authority and
power of every faithful servant of God in this and in all ages of
the world.
145
When a man revolts against the work of God and against the
counsels of his servants, and will not be subject to the Holy
Ghost which dwells in him, he commits treason against God, and
against his authority on the earth, and neither the Father, nor
the Son, nor the Holy Ghost will take up their abode with such a
man, and he may bid farewell to the guidance of good angels.
145
We should so live that we can have the spirit of truth
sufficiently to judge between truth and error, between him that
serveth God and him that serveth Him not. It is every man's right
so to live, for a people that are informed and intelligent are
much easier led and directed in the truth than a people that are
untaught and ignorant. It is for the purpose of instructing the
Saints that we need the Temple and Tabernacle erected; and thanks
be to God that he acknowledges our labors in the small house we
are now using for the purpose of giving endowments; and those who
keep their covenants made in that house will reap the blessings
promised to them; while those who look upon their endowments as a
light thing, and trifle with the things of God, will meet with
desolation which they cannot avoid; but in doing so they are
deceiving themselves and will bring upon themselves sorrow and
wretchedness, and finally destruction.
145
To be a Saint is an individual work, and it is out of the power
of God, angels, or men to make a Saint of a man who is determined
to be a sinner. If a man will revolt against God and his
authority on the earth, he has a right to do so, as much so as
Lucifer had a right to turn away from his Father and God. Men are
damned or saved by acting upon their agency, in receiving or
rejecting the revealed truths of heaven. The majority of the
members of this Church are the very elect of our God. There are
some that are not so good, who care not for God, for His servant
Brigham, for Heber, nor for the Twelve Apostles. But the day will
come when the Lord will choose a people out of this people, upon
whom he will bestow his choicest blessings. Think of the great
numbers who were baptized into this Church when the Work first
commenced in England, and how few there are who have stood to
this day:--"many are called but few are chosen."
146
Notwithstanding this sifting out of the unfaithful, the Lord has
got a chosen people in these valleys of Utah, and He desires them
to become self-sustaining, and fully able to control the trade
and traffic of these mountains for their own profit and
advancement. In view of this we wish our brethren to import their
own merchandize, establish stores in their towns and cities, and
trade with one another, and thus keep the wealth which we create
among ourselves, making every effort in our power to bring about
the redemption of Israel, and the great Work of our Father and
God. This may be the means of destroying some through the
deceitfulness of riches; but Jesus Christ will save all whom the
Father hath put in his power to save, and great efforts will be
made by the wicked one to destroy, if it were possible, the very
elect; but as Jesus Christ hath said, "My sheep hear my voice,
and will follow me, and a stranger they will not follow."
146
All who profess to be Latter-day Saints will not be saved in the
celestial world, for they cannot abide the celestial law, but all
will attain to the glory which they can abide. Every righteous
thing that we do in this mortality is a rudimental lesson in the
celestial law of our God. Let us go to with our might mind, and
strength to abide the celestial law, as it shall be revealed to
us from time to time, until we can abide its fulness, that we may
ultimately be introduced into the presence of our heavenly Father
to dwell with him for ever more. Whatever the Prophet and
President of the Church tells us to do that we should do, for he
is directed by the unerring Spirit of the Almighty to counsel
this people. We are connected with him in the Lord, and we talk
and pray together upon all subjects concerning the progress of
this people; and it is for him to decide, and give the law to
Israel; and all who do not abide it must suffer the consequence
of their disobedience; and all those who obey it will obtain the
blessings which are promised to faithfulness and obedience.
146
I desire to do right and to bring about that which is good. I
have no other desire in my heart than to make all the acts of my
life praise God. When I go into a ballroom I can there
contemplate upon the things of God and praise Him in the dance.
Virtue cleaveth to virtue, and light to light, and if we receive
them they will have a place in us. I shall, the Lord being my
helper, try to be a Saint and live my religion. I have come to
this Conference with a determination to hear the word of God and
be a Saint. We are blessed of the Lord now more than all the
people upon the face of the earth, and we ought to be faithful to
His commandments every moment of our lives, for we owe all we
have and are to His beneficent bounty, and all should be devoted
to His interest, or in other words, to our own interests by
devoting all to the building up of His kingdom.
147
No man has a right to commit sin, nor to intrude upon the rights
of his neighbor. It is our privilege to do right, to serve God
and keep his commandments, and follow faithfully the counsels of
President Brigham Young in all things The world is mad at what
they call the one-manpower, but they need not find fault with the
"Mormons" for this, when the same thing is so faithfully upheld
almost everywhere. For instance, the General Government sends a
Governor to the Territory of Utah; the Territorial legislature
can make laws and this one man can veto every one of them, making
them of none effect. Brigham Young will always exercise an
influence over this people for good, and I am going to help him,
and the Twelve Apostles will help him, and so will all the
faithful Saints of God in all the world. We shall prosper and God
will bless all this people for the righteous' sake that dwell
among them, for there is just as good a people here as ever did
live in any part of the earth, according to their blessings and
privileges. God has his elect here, and he is gathering them from
the four quarters of the earth; and like a net that is cast into
the sea, he gathers good and bad, that out of the multitude which
he brings over the sea in ships he may gather His chosen people.
147
Thirty years ago the whole Church was under condemnation because
they had neglected the new and everlasting covenant, even the
Book of Mormon and other revelations God had given to them, and
they were driven by their enemies, for they were under
condemnation at that early day of our history. How is it with us
now? There are scores of this people who never look at those
books. The Book of Mormon is the ensign which God has lifted up
to the nations in the last days, and we are not justified when we
in our feelings neglect or forsake it. I take much comfort in
reading those books which the Lord has given us through Joseph
Smith. The Book of Mormon was written by the Spirit and power of
God; the man that will read it faithfully will be filled with
light and with truth. We should hold everything in reverence that
God has revealed in the latter-day and in former days; but that
which is revealed for us more nearly concerns us.
147
This Church and kingdom will prevail; it is the kingdom of God,
and he will bear it off, and there is no power on earth nor in
hell can stay it in its progress from this time henceforth and
for ever. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Orson
Hyde, October 7, 1865
Orson Hyde, October 7, 1865
INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THINGS TEMPORAL AND SPIRITUAL.
Remarks by Elder Orson Hyde, delivered in the Bowery, in Great
Salt Lake City, General Conference, October 7, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
148
By the request and permission of my brethren, I have the pleasure
of rising up in the midst of the Saints to say a few words to
them this morning. I feel very thankful to the Lord our God that
I still have a name and a place among his people, that I am
permitted to meet with them in General Conference, to speak of
the goodness of our Father in Heaven, and to join in worship with
the general assembly of the Church of God. We are favored, truly,
with fine weather; this is not only a great blessing to us, but
it is a great blessing to our friends and brethren who are
journeying on the plains to join us in our localities here. First
and foremost, brethren and sisters, I will say that, on Thursday
evening I arrived in this city from the south--from my field of
labor. As I came near the borders of the city I came in contact
with a very disagreeable smell, arising from the decomposition of
some animal that had been hauled out on the outside to remove the
nuisance from the city. When I passed a certain line I entered
the city and beheld shady trees and fruit trees laden with fruit,
and experienced with delight the agreeable odor from the ripening
fruit. The contrast was as agreeable as it was great. It
immediately occurred to my mind that our brethren who are
crossing the plains might come in contact with dead bodies that
had been removed from among the Saints, I mean dead as to the
spirit life of God in them, for they must of necessity come in
contact with these ere they could reach the city of the Saints. I
believe that the evil things that could be said of the Saints are
said around the borders, and those that are coming here to find a
home have these things to encounter, that are quite disagreeable,
and it requires of a little perseverance and faith to force their
way through and to arrive here untarnished by the evil that meets
them on the way. But when they can come with the Spirit of the
Lord--with the spirit of the Saints in them--they forget all
those disagreeable things on the borders, and their minds are
charged with a heavenly influence, when they find themselves
among the Saints here in peace and in truth.
148
Five years ago, the 10th of last June, I left this city to bestow
my labors in another part of the heritage of our God, in the
county generally known as that of Sanpete. At the time I went
there, there were six efficient settlements, the largest of which
would not exceed 125 or 130 families. According to the ability
which the Lord has given me, in connection with my brethren who
have been laboring more or less with me, the industry of the
Saints, and the blessings of the Lord, the settlements have now
increased to fifteen in number. They advanced southward until it
was deemed expedient and necessary in the Legislature of last
winter to organize two new counties namely, the Sevier county and
Piute county. The land in these counties that is susceptible of
cultivation is mostly occupied with settlements, which, in
several places in these new counties, are quite large.
148
We have had some difficulties to encounter, and all those who are
acquainted with the establishment of new settlements in new
localities, are not ignorant that there is always more or less
difficulty to contend with; especially when they are so remote
from what may be termed headquarters, or from the sources of aid
and succor. We have enjoyed generally, very good health; we have
had some little sickness among children, and several have died.
149
There is a good deal of ambition among our people to cultivate a
great quantity of ground, the result of which is, that we
cultivate our lands poorly in comparison to what we would if we
were contented with a smaller area, and would confine our labors
to it. We have found some difficulty with regard to water, and
complaints have been made about a scarcity of water in many
places when, indeed, I suppose the Lord has apportioned the water
to the amount of land he intended should be cultivated. I do not
think that the things are passed over unnoticed by Him without
some kind of arrangement or calculation. He understands perfectly
well what the elements are capable of producing, and how many of
His people may be established here or there with profit and with
advantage. I have labored most industriously since I have
acquired a little experience myself, to induce my brethren to
direct their energies upon smaller tracts of land; for I have
noticed where men would attempt to raise a crop off forty acres
of land that they could not get their crops in season, and
frequently the frost came early and destroyed a great portion of
them. This is bestowing our labor for that which does not profit.
Now, would it not be better to confine our energies to a small
tract of land, put in our crops in due season, have ample time to
do it, do it well, and then it would only require on-half or
one-third the amount of water to mature them, and they would
mature in advance of the frost?
149
I do not know how it is in other sections of the country, but I
presume it is more or less with them like the circumstances I
will relate. I have known men, single handed, attempt to raise
twenty-five and thirty acres of grain, when it is more than any
one man can well do; the result is, they find themselves troubled
to get the water; they run from break of day until dark at night,
wearing themselves out, and with all they can do they cannot
bestow that attention upon their fields which they need, and they
only get from eighteen to twenty bushels of wheat to the acre.
When men have confined themselves to ten acres of land, having
plowed it well the season before, all the foul weeds killed out
and the soil left clean, the seed sown at an early day in the
Spring, and put in in good order, I have known such fields to
produce from forty to sixty bushels of good plump wheat to the
acre. Besides, when fields are so cultivated, less water is used;
the necessary labor can be performed without being hurried, and a
plentiful harvest of golden sheaves reward the toil of the
laborer.
149
This season, in all probability, our crops will fall short of
other years some thirty thousand bushels of wheat by reason of
the early frosts. While I regret this loss, I am happy to say
that there is plenty of good wheat in the granary, or in the
Egypt of Utah; and I think the loss this year, through early
frosts will aid very much in enforcing the principles which I
have endeavored to advance namely, to confine our labors to
smaller tracts of land and put in our crops in good time; that
while they are growing luxuriantly and yielding bountifully,
filling our bins with golden grain, we are not worn out with toil
before the days allotted to us to live are expired; but we still
have our strength, time to build comfortable houses for our
families to live in, barns and sheds, and to prepare shelter for
our stock.
149
I find the longer we live in these valleys that the range is
becoming more and more destitute of grass; the grass is not only
eaten up by the great amount of stock that feed upon it, but they
tramp it out by the very roots; and where grass once grew
luxuriantly, there is now nothing but the desert weed and hardly
a spear of grass is to be seen.
150
Between here and the mouth o Emigration kanyon, when our
brethren, the Pioneers, first landed here in 47, there was an
abundance of grass over all those benches; they were covered with
it like a meadow. There is now nothing but the desert weed, the
sage, the rabbit-bush, and such like plants that make very poor
feed for stock. Being cut short of our range in the way we have
been, and accumulating stock as we are, we have nothing to feed
them with in the winter and they perish. There is no profit in
this, neither is it pleasing in the sight of God our Heavenly
Father that we should continue a course of life like unto this.
Hence, in my labors I have exerted an influence, as far as I have
been able, to cultivate less land in grain and secure to
ourselves meadows that we might have our hay in the time and in
the season thereof, shades for our stock, barns, and stable for
our horses, and good houses for our families, where they may be
made comfortable and happy, and that we may not be everlasting
slaves, running, as it were, after an ignus fatuus, or jack in
the lantern, following a false light, but that we may confine
ourselves to a proper and profitable course of life. I do say
that a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things
that he possesses, nor upon the vast amount he extends his
jurisdiction over, but it consists in a little well cared for,
and everything in order. When we confine ourselves and our labors
to small tracts of land, we shall then find time to do everything
that is necessary to be done; but if we branch out so largely in
plowing, sowing and reaping, we have no time to make necessary
improvements around our homes and in our cities; in fact, we have
so much to do that we can do nothing at all.
150
Now I speak of these things, my brethren, not because I think
that they are the most edifying to you, but I speak of them
because I consider that a temporal salvation is as important as a
spiritual one. It is salvation in every respect that we are
laboring to obtain, not only to make ourselves comfortable and
happy, so far as the physical energies of the body are concerned,
but, also, that the mind should not constantly be on the strain
day and night. There should be a little time for relaxation and
rest to both body and mind, that while our bodies are resting the
mind may be fresh to plan and arrange for our personal comfort
and how to make everything snug and tidy around us. How much more
agreeable is life when everything is in order and good regulation
is maintained in and around our homes and cities. This is what I
have endeavored, in my weak way to instil into the minds of the
Saints. In some instances I have been successful, and where men
have adopted the course I have suggested they have invariably
borne testimony in its favor I would rather have half a dozen
cows in the winter, and have them well taken care of, than to
have twenty and have fourteen of them die for want of feed and
proper attention, which would leave me only six. I would rather
only have the six to begin with then I would not have the
mortification of seeing so many suffer and die. In the present
condition of the ranges, we cannot indulge in the hope of raising
such large herds of stock as we have done heretofore; but we have
got to keep about what will serve us, and take care of them well;
then we can enjoy ourselves, and we are not the authors o misery
to any part of creation.
151
We are trying to get into this way; it is a slow operation, and
it seems that men's inordinate desire for wealth and extensive
possessions is hard to overcome. They hate to be limited; they
think their fields are not large enough for their strength; but
it is a good thing to have a little strength on hand all the
time, and not let out the very last link, because there might be
an emergency that would really require it. If we drive a pair of
horses all the time at their utmost speed they are soon worn out;
and if you want to make a trip very speedily you cannot do it,
your animals are run down, you have not husbanded their strength,
and they are not capable of performing the journey you wish;
whereas, if they are properly driven, judiciously fed, and their
strength properly husbanded, when you want to make a sudden dash
you have the power to do it. We are not unlike, in this respect,
to other portions of the animal creation. Perhaps I have said
enough upon this subject.
151
We have had our difficulties to encounter in the south; it has
not all sunshine and fair weather with us, but we have got along
as well as we could. Perhaps that is saying too much, it is
saying a good deal; I do not know that I dare say it. I look back
frequently upon my past life and find many places that I think I
could have bettered; but were I to live my life over again I do
not know that I could do any differently. I will, however, let
the past take care of itself and for the future seek to do the
will of God and keep myself in subjection to it.
151
I have no objections to men obtaining wisdom and learning from
books whether old or new; that is all right and good enough; but
I consider it is better to have the Spirit of God in our hearts
that we may know the truth when we hear it; and not only know it
when we hear it, but be capable by that Spirit of bringing forth
things that we never heard. I feel that it is our privilege,
brethren and sisters to have this principle dwelling within us;
and when I see men laboring through books, ancient and modern, to
find but little that is good, I am reminded of those who run over
forty acres of land in a superficial manner, and only reap a
little, when a small quantity of land, well watered and well
cultivated, would be sure to yield a rich harvest.
152
I want to speak a few words now in relation to our position. We
look back to the days of Abraham, and we consider him to be a
great man. Truly, he was a great man; he was among the first of
great men in this world, according to our limited knowledge.
There were great men before his day, but we are not so well
acquainted with the revelations given previous to his time, nor
with the men that lived before him, as we are with Abraham, and
with the revelations given to him and to prophets subsequent to
his time. The Lord called him away from the worship of idols,
telling him to separate himself and go into a land He would show
him. He was guided by that Spirit that always guides aright, so
he came into the land of Canaan. The Lord told him to look
"northward and southward, and eastward and westward; for all the
land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed
for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so
that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy
seed also be numbered." The Lord promised to make him a great
ruler, a prince, and the father of the faithful. I want to ask
the Latter-day Saints if the field is not wide enough, and if it
is not the good will of our Father in heaven to make Abrahams of
every faithful man of God that lives on the earth at this
day?--if it is not according to the loving kindness of our
Heavenly Father to bless every faithful man of God as he blessed
Abraham? It seems so to me. Abraham had several wives, and he had
children. Is not the same blessing extended to us? That if
Abraham was to be a prince and a ruler, and his posterity become
numerous, may we not, if faithful to our God and to our
covenants, be as Abraham? Shall there be any end to our
posterity? May they not be as numerous as the stars in the
firmament, and as the sands upon the sea shore? Abraham may be in
advance of us; he lived in an earlier period; but we are
following up in the same track. Although we may not be called
upon to yield up an only son, as Abraham was, yet, may we not
enjoy through faithfulness the blessings, and honors, and
privileges that he did? I see nothing in the way of it. I believe
it is according to the goodness, and generosity, and loving
kindness of our Father in heaven. Now, the Jews boasted that they
were the literal descendants of Abraham; and notwithstanding
their unrighteousness, stubbornness of heart, blindness of mind,
and unbelief, they considered themselves heirs to all the
promises made unto Abraham, and a distinguished and honored
people. Jesus came to them, and taught and instructed them, and
would have saved them, but they would not allow him to be their
Savior; hence he said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest
the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how
often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen
gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." The
Savior began to reason with them on one occasion; they answered
and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them,
"If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye
will do; he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in
the truth, because there is no truth in him," etc. Now, they are
the people to whom the promises were made, of whom it is said
they should be remembered for ever, and that too with loving
kindness and favor. It was understood that they would be
chastened if they went astray but the Lord would always remember
them on account of their fathers.
153
They that are the children of Abraham do the works of Abraham.
What did Abraham do? The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and
the voice of the Lord was heard by him, and when the Lord
commanded him he obeyed; when he was commanded to offer up his
only son, his darling Isaac, he prepared to do so. Abraham, no
doubt, felt all the sympathies of a kind-hearted father but still
the voice of God to him was paramount to all things else, and he
laid his son upon the alter and was about to slay him; and while
the knife was aimed at the life of the lad, showing that Abraham
was fully bent to do the will of God and follow out the
instructions given him, and angel's voice from on high said,
Abraham spare thy son; I have tried and proved you; now I have
the evidence that you will not withhold anything from me; there
is a ram in the thicket, take him and offer him up instead; and
Isaac was accepted in a figure and was saved. Abraham went on in
obedience to the requirements of Heaven and faltered not. Now,
then, if we will do the works of Abraham, we are the children of
Abraham. The natural seed of Abraham rejected the offers of
mercy, and it was said of them, "Reprobate silver shall men call
them, because the Lord hath rejected them." Again, Paul says,
"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that
circumcision, which is outward in the flesh." Their true line of
connection with Abraham was broken because of unbelief, and
Heaven regarded it no more. But here is a new institution, hence,
says Jesus, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom
of God, and except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God. To be born again is
necessary to be a child of Abraham--to be a child of God. We are
to be born of water and of the Spirit. What will the Spirit do
for us if we give place to it and allow it to act according to
its office in our own bosoms, and oppose it not, doing nothing to
grieve it and to paralyze its force and influence upon our
systems? Will it not create us anew in Christ Jesus, making our
flesh, blood, and bones anew, creating the whole creature anew,
being born from above and sanctified unto God? It seems so to me.
It was said to Jesus, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand
without, desiring to speak with thee." But he answered and said
unto him who told him, "Who is my mother? and who are my
brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples,
and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall
do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my
brother and sister and mother." I do not know that I understand
the exact meaning of the word sanctification, it is a very
commonly used word; what I understand by it is, that the
sanctifying influences of the Spirit of God is that influence
which purges us from every thing that is worldly, selfish, and
contrary to the mind of God: and the creature who is sanctified
can say, "Our Father who art in heaven," because he is born from
above. Now, the presumption is, if a child is born to me, that
child inherits my spirit--my nature--by virtue of his birth and
"being begotten by me." If we are, then, begotten of God and born
of his Spirit, we inherit the qualities of the Deity himself.
Then may we not all become Abrahams? It seems to me that the
Almighty can furnish territory enough, room enough: for He is not
limited: and this world and all other worlds are subject to him.
He controls, governs, and manages them, and they are to provide
ample room for the existence and increase of His faithful
children.
153
I do not pretend to understand the secret springs that are
subject to the Almighty's touch, but suffice it to say that I
know they exist, and that He can touch them aright; and that if
we will serve Him and honor Him and keep His commandments, He
will touch them every time in our favor. I do not feel that the
kingdom of God is going to be overthrown, that the wicked are
going to prevail against it. I would have great mercy upon the
wicked, so far as they will repent and obey the Gospel; but if
they will not repent and obey the Gospel, if they will love
unrighteousness and practice it all the day long, they cannot be
acknowledged as the children of God, but will be accounted
enemies of the Most High, and will be overthrown.
154
I wish to put the most charitable construction upon the purposes
of all men. When the army was sent up to Utah under Johnston,
their design was to overthrow the "Mormons" in these valleys; for
they considered our religion a dangerous error, though this was
not their manifest and avowed reason. They, however, did us no
harm, and that great army, the flower of the United States, was
broken to pieces and scattered hither and thither. They exhibited
to all men and to the heavens their purpose, but God saved his
people. What did they get for their reward? Look at the fields of
Virginia and Tennessee. Look on the battle-fields in the South
that have been drenched with blood; the nation has been clothed
with mourning, sorrow, and wretchedness, and this is their reward
for seeking to fight against God and to overthrow his kingdom. Do
they look at it so? They do not. And they will spurn this
testimony as they would the testimony that Joseph Smith was a
Prophet of God, was armed with the Spirit of God, and carried
life and death on his tongue. The nation has had a bloody war and
a sore time of suffering, and many a heart will ache and be
filled with sorrow after this day; it will take a long time to
heal up the deadly wound it has inflicted upon the nation, a long
time to cure up the sore, and while it is being cured up in one
place, I have thought there is danger of it breaking out in
another place. The whole organization of the nation has been
infected with a disease that seems to be incurable: perhaps it
may be cured, but I cannot say how this may be. Is the trouble
ended? I do not apprehend that it is; they may cry peace and
safety, but I do not think there is a good foundation for it. If
they will provoke further calamities, after the severe reproof
that has been given, further calamities will come upon them.
154
It is perfectly right to look at things as they really are. Here
is, perhaps, a million of men to be disbanded that have been
accustomed to live not by agricultural and mechanical pursuits,
but they have been accustomed for the last few years to live by
destroying the fruits of the ground and the productions of
mechanical labor; by destroying men, women, and children, and
laying towns and cities in flames, and they have had joy in the
work of their hands. When this multitude of men are turned loose,
are they going to adopt their former course of industry? Some
may, but I fear the majority of them will not; the great mass of
them have learned to do otherwise, and they are like so many
firebrands scattered over the land.
154
When I was young I used to read about a day that should burn as
an oven, and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as
stubble. I then had an idea that a sheet of fire would come down
from heaven and burn up the ungodly; that the sun would be
darkened and the moon turned to blood and the stars fall from
heaven. I look at things in another point of light now; I now
consider that the elements, the agents of destruction, are right
here to accomplish that work, and the revelations of God will be
fulfilled; for God has put in their hearts to fulfil his will,
and they shall make the whore of all the earth desolate and
naked, and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. That great
day of burning is beginning; we have had a few drops before the
shower; it will wax worse and worse, and men will continue to
deceive and be deceived until the earth shall be burned up. The
word of the Lord is, "Come out from her, my people, that ye be
not partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues."
154
In conclusion, let me say that I know this is the work of God, I
know it to be the truth of heaven, I know that Joseph is a
Prophet of the Most High God, and I know that he gave the mind
and will of Heaven to the world in the days of his mortal life. I
know that President Brigham Young is the man now chosen of God to
guide the destinies of this people, and I say, May the Lord bless
him, and those that are connected with him, and those that listen
to his counsel; and may the blessing of God be upon all Israel,
and His wrath and indignation be upon all that hate Him, in the
name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Albert Smith, October 7, 1865
George Albert Smith, October 7, 1865
PROSPERITY OF THE SAINTS.
Remarks made by Elder George A. Smith, in the Bowery, General
Conference, Great Salt Lake City, October 7, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
155
It is with very great pleasure that I have listened to the
instructions and counsels of my brethren at this Conference. In
fact, the season of Conference is a period of reflection with me.
It is eighteen years ago yesterday when the first October
Conference was held in this valley under the shade of a hay
stack, and it served an abundant means of shading all that
attended. As we are here assembled now, it would require an
extensive hay stack to create a shade sufficient to accommodate
the assembly, and there is but a very small representation here
from the settlements of the Territory, though there are
considerable numbers from some of them--trains of fifty or sixty
wagons loaded with persons to attend Conference. Those of us who
are in this city, and who have not had the privilege of
travelling through the settlements, can form very little
comprehension of the extent, strength, and population of the
Territory, and of the amount of labor, toil, and the results of
that toil and labor which are progressing throughout.
155
President Young has devoted a large portion of his time since
last Conference, associated with a number of Elders, in
travelling and visiting the Saints. He has visited, perhaps,
one-half of them, after travelling about eighteen hundred miles.
Our Territory is said to be sparsely settled, but our location
renders it necessary that wherever a settlement exits it shall be
of considerable size, in order to carry out the necessary
arrangements for protection and cultivation. It is seldom that a
small settlement can do this successfully. I have been pleased
with the suggestions offered by President Hyde in relation to the
better cultivation of the soil; for when we go to the expense of
taking out water, of keeping up dams, making requisite canals,
repairing tunnels and smaller ditches and water sects, it would
seem really sound policy that every foot of land thus watered, in
order to make it effective, should be cultivated in the best
possible manner. If the Lord had seen proper to send rains from
heaven to water our lands sufficiently and gratuitously as in
other places, we might spread over the land and cultivate the
soil without so much labor on our part. If the suggestions which
have been made are duly considered and applied throughout the
Territory, the result will be the production of from one to three
times more of the necessaries of life on the same area.
156
So far as the unity of the people is concerned, I have felt to
rejoice the past season; I have accompanied the President this
summer, except when on his last trip to Cache Valley, during
which I was on a journey to the South with Elder Amasa Lyman. We
held twenty-four meetings. It is really an expressive and
singular incident that we live to visit so many climates
inhabited by Saints in so short a time. We passed near the snow
region in July, went directly into a semi-torrid zone to see the
effects of all the changes in this variety of climate,
thermometer at Washington 110° in the shade, all within our own
borders. Our settlements may be compared to a thrifty tree,
throwing out annually a new growth more extended and more
vigorous. While President Young and company passed on south,
Elders F. D. Richards and A. M. Musser took another direction
through the new counties of Sevier, Piute, and Kane, through a
chain of new settlements never before visited, only in part, by
some of the Twelve, visiting on their route some 600 families. It
is really astonishing to reflect that such an extent of
settlements have been thrown out. We have been gratified very
much with the efforts and exertions made by our brethren who were
sent on missions to our cotton region in opening and enlarging
the settlements there. They have met with many difficulties of
which their northern brethren have very little conception. The
soil along their streams in many places is composed of such loose
material that it is almost impossible to carry a water ditch
through it for irrigation, the soil of the banks dissolving in
the water like sugar in coffee; dams are washed away by frequent
bursting of clouds. You may take the best fields in the vicinity
of St. George, and the annual expense of keeping up their canals
and dams for irrigation has been 15 dollars per acre, and yet the
courage, energy, perseverance, and diligence of the brethren have
not failed, but they continue to construct dams, and contend with
the natural obstacles that lie in their way to the permanent
improvement of the country. This perseverance, which will
eventually bring forth an abundant supply of the needful staples
which can be successfully produced in that climate, is very
commendable; to support themselves by producing their own
breadstuff is true political economy. Notwithstanding the number
of mechanics sent there, they have not sufficient to supply the
wants of the people. There are many towns without a blacksmith,
plasterer, mason, or carpenter. A considerable number of these
could find employment and make themselves good homes in many of
the southern settlements. We would direct the minds of the
brethren to this item.
157
There is much land that can be cultivated in wheat with flood
water that cannot be made to produce cotton, in consequence of
drouth later in the season. The raising of bread this year has
not interfered to any great extent with the culture of cotton,
the supply of which has been greater than last year; and
two-thirds of breadstuff necessary has been produced to supply
the inhabitants, the other third must be brought from the north.
Many vineyards have come into bearing, and extensive new
vineyards have been planted, and the efforts at cultivating more
breadstuffs have proven successful; and if the brethren continue
their efforts an ample supply will be produced for home
consumption without materially lessening the breadth cultivated
in cotton and vines. While my brethren are contending with these
obstacles I sympathize with them, and rejoice when I see them
victorious. As I passed through the mineral lots in St. George I
saw their barren aspect, and saw the men working on them to
conquer those combined chemical elements which eat up everything
that grows, and though the rocks and fences of sandstones were
dissolving before them, yet men are conquering this soil and
making it produce. Nearly three-fourths of all the fruit trees
planted in St. George have been unsuccessful, yet the place is
looking like the Garden of Eden, showing that perseverance,
faith, and energy will conquer everything. It is a delightful and
pleasant locality. I name these things because we are interested
in them, and wish the brethren to realize that those brethren on
that mission have spent the accumulated property of many years,
and many of them are successful; some are yet struggling to make
a start, and it is with them as the old adage has it, while the
grass grows the cow starves; but they are not discouraged; their
eyes look bright their spirit is determined, and I was pleased to
hear Elder Snow speak of the good spirit they felt, and that they
were determined to overcome. A people possessed of such great
energy aided by the ready co-operation of their brethren in the
north, are bound to conquer that desert and not only make it
blossom as the rose, but make one of the most delightful regions
of the earth. I would suggest to all persons who go there to
fulfil what is required of them, and not forget that it is
necessary to carry the staff of life with them, that those that
are there, and those that are going, may be provided with ample
supplies of bread; it is better to have a little over when the
next harvest comes than to go two or three weeks without bread.
May the blessings of God be upon Zion, and may her cords be
lengthened and her stakes strengthened, that she may be blessed
continually with that wisdom, knowledge, and intelligence that
guide the head and inspire the body. We are improving in
everything; we must continue to improve until the light of life
shines throughout the whole earth; for our business is to be like
a city set upon a hill, or a candle set upon a table, to
illuminate the earth, and bring all to a knowledge of the truth,
life, and peace. May God enable us to be so is my prayer, in the
name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / John
Taylor, October 7, 1865
John Taylor, October 7, 1865
REVELATION FROM GOD, TRUE KNOWLEDGE.
Remarks by Elder John Taylor, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt
Lake City, General Conference, October 7, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
158
It is good to meet together as we are met on the present
occasion. It is good to speak on the goodness of God, and it is
pleasant and instructive to hear; we enjoy a privilege that is
not possessed by any of the inhabitants of the earth except
ourselves; it is a privilege which, when properly understood by
the Saints, they will esteem to be greater than any other earthly
blessing that can be bestowed upon them. We assemble together in
a different capacity from that of any other people; we meet here
as the representatives of God upon the earth. Yet occupying the
high position that we do, blessed as we are with the light of
truth, with the Holy Priesthood, with the fullness of the
everlasting Gospel; in possession of light and intelligence that
is not imparted unto others, but of which they are ignorant, we
stand emphatically as God's elect, as His representatives on the
earth; at the same time, there is mixed up with us a great amount
of weakness, infirmities, and follies, and we need continually
the aid, teaching, and protection of the Almighty God to govern,
guide, lead, and direct us in the right path.
158
As I before stated, we stand in a different position to the
Almighty and to the world from that of any other people. To us
God has revealed his will; He has opened the heavens to us; among
us He has organized the Holy Priesthood, and revealed those
principles which exist in the eternal world; of us He has made
messengers of life and salvation, to us He has communicated his
law, and from us He expects obedience and a ready co-operation
with Him in bringing to pass those great events that must
transpire in the building up and establishment of the kingdom of
God in the last days. The Lord is anxious to do us good, to
enlighten our minds, to inform our judgment, to unfold unto us
His will, and to strengthen us and prepare us for the great
events that must transpire in these last days. He is desirous to
show us how to save ourselves, how to bless ourselves, temporally
and spiritually, intellectually, morally, physically, politically
and in every possible way that He is capable of bestowing his
blessings upon fallen humanity. He is desirous to perform a great
work upon the earth, to bring a bout a great revolution among
men; to establish correct principles of every kind, and to make
the earth and the inhabitants thereof fulfil the measure of their
creation, and prepare all that are capable or worthy to receive
everlasting life and exaltation in the celestial kingdom where he
dwells. He is desirous of making use of us as his instruments in
the development of this great work in which He has engaged.
158
We have been in the habit of reading the words of the prophets in
relation to the establishment of the kingdom of God, and what
they have said, and the Spirit by which they were inspired. We
have reflected a good deal upon what the Lord would do in
relation to establishing correct principles upon the earth in the
last days. We have read about these things, and we have believed
them in part; and as the Spirit of God has beamed upon our minds,
latterly we have been enabled to comprehend more fully some of
the things that the prophets in ancient times wrote about, but of
which they understood very little and we can only understand them
as we are taught; we can only comprehend the designs of God as he
reveals them to us; we can only understand our duty as the Spirit
of God makes it manifest, either through the Elders of Israel or
by the revelations of God to ourselves, or both.
159
It is in vain for the Elders of Israel to teach the principles of
truth unless the people are prepared to receive them; and it is
vain for the Lord to communicate his will unto the people unless
the people possess a portion of his Spirit to comprehend
something of that will and the designs of God towards them, and
towards the earth upon which they dwell. Nor can the Lord work
with them unless they are prepared to co-operate with him in the
establishment of his kingdom upon the earth.
159
There are a great many things of which we speak that seem to be
very simple, and very unnecessary, in the estimation of some, for
us to talk about. We have herd in this Conference reports from
different parts of the Territory about their crops, about the way
the land is cultivated about the kind of improvements the people
are making, about the prospects that lie before them for
sustaining themselves with all the common necessaries of life
etc. And some people think that we might when we convene together
talk about something else--about something which they would
designate as being more spiritual. We meet together as men of
intelligence, as men possessing natural wants, who have natural
bodies, which bodies have to be clothed, to be fed and provided
for; we meet together as rational individuals and as heads of
families, who have children growing up that need, in the first
place to be instructed in the common laws of life, and in those
things that are necessary to promote our common well-being. The
first thing that devolves upon all human beings, so far as I can
comprehend it is to provide a way for their own sustenance. One
of the very first commandments that God gave to Adam was, when He
placed him in the garden, He told him to dress or till it, so
that he might be able to provide for his necessities. The fiat of
the Almighty, at the time when Adam was expelled from the Garden
of Eden was to him, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread;" that we cannot avoid. By this inscrutable law we are
compelled to attend to some of the first necessary affairs of
life or to go without bread and necessarily die. Consequently,
when we talk about land and possessions, an inheritance, etc., we
talk about things that are some of the first necessaries
pertaining to human existence. We live by breathing the air that
God gives us, by drinking the water that He causes to flow for
our sustenance, and by cultivating the earth in order that we may
partake of the products of the earth. This is one of the first
duties pertaining to man, and hence when we meet together to form
new settlement as part of the body politic--as part of the
kingdom of God, it devolves upon all of us always to ascertain
how we can sustain ourselves in the position in which we are
placed. Hence, when we hear of any difficulties, such as we have
heard of in the south at various times, and from other sources,
pertaining to the existence of man, it causes a thrill of feeling
to go through the whole of the people that form part of the
kingdom of God; for if one member of the body suffers they all
suffer with it; and if one member of the body rejoices the rest
rejoice with it. When we hear from the south as at the present
time, that they are raising their bread, and that there is every
reasonable prospect of them being enabled to sustain themselves,
we feel comforted by the report. When we hear from the north of
the destruction made by the early frosts and yet, notwithstanding
this disaster of the prospects that lie before them, and the
encouragement that they hold out to us of the prosperity of their
settlements there, and that they will be able to provide for
themselves, we feel comforted thereby and feel thankful to the
God of Israel that He is providing for and taking care of his
Saints.
160
We believe that the kingdom of God is a temporal
kingdom as well as a spiritual and eternal kingdom, to use this
expression according to our comprehension; and when men are
deprived of the common necessaries of life, and have not
wherewith to sustain themselves, they have but very little time
to attend to religious matters, and they cannot be of much
benefit to their brethren in helping to establish the kingdom of
God upon the earth. But when, on the other hand, we see that the
Saints are blessed in the north, in the south, in the east, and
in the west; when we see them industrious, persevering, diligent,
and using all lawful measures to provide for themselves, and
their families, and those that depend upon them; and when we see
them cultivating the Spirit of God in them and living their
religion, cleaving close to the Almighty and drawing blessings
from his hand, then we acknowledge the hand of God in all things,
and feel to bless the name of the God of Israel. Every one of
these things is of great importance to the Saints of God, and we
feel interested in all these matters. Are they prospering in the
south? We acknowledge the hand of God in it. Is the climate
tempered in the north? We acknowledge the hand of God in it. Do
the rains descend upon our parched land and cause it to bring
forth luxuriantly? We acknowledge the hand of God in it; and so
we do in everything that we see, and in everything that we have
to do with; for we read "that the wrath of the Almighty is
kindled against none but those who do not acknowledge his hand in
all things."
160
We are gathered together here as a peculiar people; we differ, as
I stated before, in almost every respect from the world of
mankind with which we are surrounded. The Lord gives to them
seed-time and harvest, summer and winter, and pours the rich
blessings of heaven into their laps; He gives them mechanical
talent and ingenuity; He inspires them with a knowledge of the
arts and sciences; He has been pouring upon them the rich
blessings of intelligence and of plenty for ages, but they do not
acknowledge his hand. Men boast of their own intelligence, of
their own wisdom, of their own power, might, and
understanding--this is a general rule, with but few exceptions.
They feel a good deal like the king of Babylon did when in his
pride he rose up and said, "Is not this great Babylon that I have
built? have I not done these things by my wisdom, by my
intelligence, by my power and might?" With us it is different. We
are indebted to God for the first rays of light and intelligence
that ever beamed upon us. Who among us knew the first principles
of the Gospel of Christ until we heard them from the Elders of
Israel? There is not a man among us that did; there is not a man
in existence to-day that knows them, only as they have been
communicated to him from God. Who told us that it was right to be
baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins? Who
taught us it was right to receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on
of hands? Who taught us that it was right that there should be an
authority given by God to man to enable him to officiate legally
in His name, and that everything in the shape of religion upon
the earth was spurious and not of Him? It was communicated to
Joseph Smith by the opening of the heavens, by the ministering of
Holy Angels, and by the voice of God. Until that voice was heard,
until these communications were made known, the inhabitants of
the world were wrapped in ignorance; they knew nothing about God
nor the principles of eternity, nor the way to save themselves
nor anybody else.
161
We have nothing to boast of in this particular. I do not speak of
these things by way of boasting, but I speak of them to
acknowledge the hand and mercy of God towards us as a people.
What would a man give in exchange for his soul? We are told that
a man will give all he hath for his life; what will he give,
then, in exchange for his soul, or has he anything to barter for
it? What is it that hath loosed us from the shackles of
ignorance, error, superstition, and folly with which we were
bound? It is the light of heaven, the revelations of God, the
ministration of the Holy Priesthood that has imparted to us
intelligence in relation to these things; without this it is
impossible that we could follow anything in relation to them. Who
is there in the world that understands anything of God, or his
will? They cannot be found; they know nothing of Him. It would be
needless to talk about the folly of many of their priests, and
their ideas and notions in relation to these matters. What do
they know of God? They tell us he is a spirit. What else? That He
is without "body, parts, and passions." Some tell us that He sits
on the top of a topless throne, etc. It is not necessary to enter
into these matters; we know them, and we do not wish, at the
present time, to reflect upon them. I am simply reflecting upon
my own ignorance as one of them. When I was among them I was a
teacher, and what did I know? Simply nothing. I knew nothing of
God, of the principles of eternal truth and life, and I could not
find anybody anywhere that knew any more than I did. I am
indebted to "Mormonism," to the light of truth, to the
revelations of God, to the administrations of the Holy
Priesthood, for all the knowledge, and light, and intelligence
that I may possess in relation to these matters; and this is the
case with all of us; we were all unacquainted with God, with the
Holy Priesthood, and with the way to obtain eternal life; and the
same ignorance that beclouded our minds, previous to the opening
of the heavens to Joseph Smith and the coming forth of the
fulness of the Gospel through him, beclouds the rest of the world
at the present time. They know not where they are going to, nor
where they came from. I used to ask myself sometimes questions
like the following:--Who am I? Where did I come from? What am I
doing here? What is the object of my existence? Who organized the
world, and for what purpose was it organized? Could I answer
them? No; and nobody else could answer them for me; for they know
nothing about thee things,--neither priest, nor philosopher, nor
statesman, nor any man that I could associate with, could unravel
these questions; they could not tell the whys and the wherefores
in relation to some of these simple things that have been given
to us.
162
The Gospel, we are told in one place, is "the law of the spirit
of life in Christ Jesus," and "it hath made us free from the law
of sin and death." We are told in another place that it is "good
news and glad tidings;" but, if we comprehend it correctly, the
Gospel holds the keys, through the Priesthood, of the mysteries
of God; the Gospel "brings life and immortality to light;" and
wherever it exists, in whatsoever bosom it dwells, whoever has
engaged in the propagation of the Gospel, has a knowledge of life
and immortality; it is that which unveils the heavens, and
without it men are ignorant in relation to the future, and of
that salvation of which they talk so much. The Gospel places men
in communication with the Lord, so that they can understand
something of God, and something of His law, and without the
Gospel they cannot understand anything about Him; and hence some
will think one thing about Him and some another. Whoever has
possessed the Gospel, whether in former or in latter times, it
has brought life and immortality to light to them; it shows men
who they are and what they are; it shows them something about
God; and it was said in former times that, this is life eternal
to know God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. Without the
Gospel it would be impossible for men to have any knowledge of
God, or of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. Hence, when Jesus
asked the question of his disciples, "Whom do men say that I, the
Son of Man, am?" they answered him, "Some say thou art Elias, and
some say thou art Moses, and some that thou art one of the
prophets risen from the dead." "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter
answered, "Thou art the Son of the Living God." Jesus said unto
him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath
not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven;
and thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
162
How did Peter know that He was the Christ? He knew it by
revelation; he had the Gospel, and the Gospel brings life and
immortality to light, and reveals unto the human family the
existence of a God and their relationship to him. We are indebted
to God for light, for the intelligence we enjoy, for the
knowledge of the Gospel that is placed within our reach.
163
Now let us proceed a little further in relation to these matters.
God is desirous of benefiting us, and for this reason he has
revealed unto us his will; for this reason he has opened the
heavens and communicated with us. God is desirous of establishing
his law, his authority his kingdom, his dominion among men. He is
desirous to be obeyed by the human family and to have them submit
to his teachings to his guidance, and to his direction. He is
desirous of establishing correct principles among mankind that
will do them good, that will bless them, that will exalt them,
that will prepare them to fulfil their destiny upon the earth,
and the first step that he has taken is to impart unto them,
through obedience to the principles of the Gospel of Christ, the
Holy Ghost, and only through that can they comprehend God or his
laws. "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of
God; and except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God." We sometimes feel a little
indignant at the actions of men around us; we think that they act
strangely and so they do. We think that they are very full of
prejudice, and so they are; we think that they are very wicked
and show a very malignant spirit toward us, and are desirous to
injure us, and we have often been astonished at this when we have
been abroad in the world; we have seen very honorable,
high-minded men and women that fear God and work righteousness,
and yet there is an array of prejudice and persecution against
them that would almost astonish us. What is the matter? They do
not see things as we see them; there is a thick veil over them;
they are something like the people that Jesus spoke about in his
day when he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do." They know not the light and intelligence of the Holy
Ghost, and, consequently, they do not understand our position,
and they are led by other influences they know nothing about.
They do not see the kingdom of God, nor can they. I do not care
what their wisdom is, nor their intelligence; I do not care what
school they were taught in, or who was their teacher; I care
nothing about the extent of their capacity, reading, or
intelligence acquired or possessed; unless they have possessed
the Spirit of the living God, they cannot comprehend the affairs
pertaining to the kingdom of God. Well, but are there not many
very honorable and high-minded men in the world that are not
Latter-day Saints? Yes; but they do not see the kingdom of God
any more than Nicodemus did when he came to Jesus by night. We
stand upon a different platform from what they do, and we have to
make many allowances for their conduct and actions towards us.
They do not understand our designs, nor what we are after. Why
are we gathered together? Because God has called us and we are
willing to obey him; because God sent a message to the nations of
the earth, and we possessed a portion of the Spirit of God; and
when the Elders of Israel came forth to teach us the words of
life, as Jesus Says, "My sheep hear my voice, and they know me,"
etc, the word of life was sown broadcast among thousands, and
millions of the human family arose and believed it at first, as
much as you and I did; but the cares of the world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, and the influences with which they were
surrounded choked the precious seed, and it could not bring forth
fruit. These influences, more or less to the present time, prey
upon our minds and darken and benumb our feelings and interpose
between us and our Heavenly Father.
163
What is it that we are aiming at, and who are we seeking to
injure in the world? Who have been injured by us? There is no man
living who can speak the truth and say he has been injured by
this people. He does not exist; and whenever they make statements
of that kind, you may brand them as liars. Who have we interfered
with? What people have we deprived of their rights? Among whom
have we sown the seeds of sedition or injury of any kind? Have we
gone to the North or South and interfered with any of the
Territories or States surrounding us? No man that tells the truth
can say so, for we have never done it; we have no need to do it;
it is not in our hearts to do it; we cannot do it while we live
our religion. The Lord is trying to teach us if he can, and we
are trying to teach each other, if we can; so that we may be
elevated and exalted in the scale of intelligence, morality
virtue, honesty, and truth; and with regard to anything and
everything that tends to exalt and ennoble the human mind. This
is what we are after, and what the Lord is desirous to make of
us.
163
We emanated from Him; we are His children, and not only His
children temporally and spiritually, but we are united to Him by
covenant to serve Him; we have covenanted to serve Him in
baptism; we have covenanted to serve Him in our endowments, to
keep His commandments, and walk according to the laws of life.
163
The Lord is desirous to root out error from among us--from me,
and from you, and from all of us; to tear away error, and
superstition, and vice, and vanity and folly, and pride, and evil
of every kind; to show us the beauty of holiness, the excellency
of truth; to show us every principle that is calculated to build
us up, and bless us with life and health and our posterity after
us, worlds without end.
163
And what does the Gospel show us? It shows us who our Father is;
it shows us our relationship to Him, and to our earthly father;
it shows us our duty towards our children, our duty towards our
wives, and wives their duty towards their husbands; it enters
into all the ramifications of human existence.
164
As God is our Father, and the organizer of these bodies, and of
this earth on which we live, He wants to teach us all, principles
that will be calculated to exalt us and exalt the earth on which
we live. If anybody has any fault to find with us in any part of
the world, it is that we seek to fear God and work the works of
righteousness; and if we cannot be swayed from the principles of
truth by any power under heaven, our society is ignored.
164
How often has it been told us, "Gentlemen, if you would only lay
aside your religion and become like us, and live as we do, then
we will all be good neighbors together." How often have we had to
listen to such stuff and nonsense; like them, serve the devil,
commit iniquity, go down to darkness and the shades of death, and
live and die without God and without hope in the world, as they
would have us to do, and die and be damned. God forbid, we will
not do it. (Amen.) Our desire is to serve God; we know the ways
of life, for God has taught them to us. We know in whom we have
believed, for God has revealed it to us. We know the Gospel is
true, because the Gospel has made manifest itself to us, and we
feel satisfied with regard to the course we are taking, and God
being our helper, we will pursue it to the end. God is our
friend, and we are the friends of God.
164
It was said this morning that we might all be Abrahams. Abraham
was the friend of God; we are the friends of God, and if we are
not his friends, he cannot find them on the earth; if we are not
his friends, he cannot find friends who dare do as we do--who
dare cleave to the truth in the midst of shame, obloquy,
persecution, and reproach. But we till live, and the truth still
lives, and the kingdom of God still exists; and when the kingdoms
of the world crumble to pieces and "become like the chaff of the
summer threshing-floor, and no place found for them," we shall
still live; for we have within us the seeds of eternal life, and
no man can take them from us.
164
We have begun to live for ever, and feel to rejoice and be glad
under all circumstances, and to sing "Hallelujah, for the Lord
God Omnipotent reigneth, and will reign until he hath put all
enemies under his feet." We are striving to help God to do that
which he desires to do; and what is that? It is to benefit
mankind.
165
How often have we heard President Young, President Kimball, and
others say to the people, "Why not go to work and plant orchards
it is a very little thing to talk about; why will you not make
good fences, and make good gardens, and build good, comfortable
houses, and try to make yourselves happy and comfortable." We now
see the fruits of these things and we begin to eat the fruits of
our obedience to those instructions and to realize the benefit of
them: our fields teem with plenty, our peach trees, and apple
trees, and plum trees are laden down with fruit, and we possess
the good things of this earth in abundance. Is there any harm in
all this? We are taught, also, to love one another; there is
nothing bad about that. Husbands are taught to love their wives,
and wives are taught to love their husbands, and children to obey
their parents; these are good principles, and they have been
taught to us all the day long. We have been taught to pay our
tithing, that we might acknowledge to God that we are his people,
and that if he gave us all we ask, we might give one-tenth back
to him, and by that act acknowledge his hand. Does the Lord care
about these things? No. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. No. He does not care
about them, so far as they benefit Him, but He does, so far as
they develop perfection in the Saints of God, and show that they
acknowledge his hand as the author and the giver of every
blessing they enjoy. One of the prophets says, "The gold and the
silver are His, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." If you
want gold, you will have to go a little further away from here.
People think it is strange that the "Mormons" do not develop the
gold in these mountains; but those who understand the mind of
God, understand that he has a protecting care over his people,
and that we are in his hands, and that he will sustain us.
165
That we do not develop the gold in these mountains is not strange
to the Saints of God. He has wisely planned for our sakes in a
thousand ways. We can remember the time when we could not raise
peaches to eat, and it was a doubt whether an apple tree would
grow or not. Now go and look at your orchards; there is not a
better peach growing country in the world than this. How is this?
God has blessed the elements for our sakes, and also the earth;
but let the Saints leave this place, and it would return again to
its wilderness condition; the wicked could not live here; they
could not live here before we came, and they could not if we went
away; consequently, if any of them think that they could by any
means or stratagem drive us away to possess themselves of our
property, it would not do them one particle of good if they got
it, for God blessed it for our sakes. He blesses the land for our
sakes.
165
It is hard sometimes to realize this. What does the Lord say to
ancient Israel in one place? "Wherefore it shall come to pass, if
ye hearken to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the
Lord thy God shall keep with thee, the covenant and the mercy
which He sware unto thy fathers: and He will love thee, and bless
thee, and multiply thee; He will also bless the fruit of thy
womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and
thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep,
in the land which He sware to thy fathers to give thee. Thou
shalt be blessed above all people; there shall not be male or
female barren among you, or among your cattle." "The Lord shall
cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten
before thy face; they shall come out against thee one way, and
flee before thee seven ways." Then the curses are enumerated that
should come upon them if they forsook the Lord their God and
observed not his statutes. While the children of Israel obeyed
the Lord their God the land abounded in wine, corn, and oil, and
they vanquished their enemies. When they departed from God and
disobeyed his laws, those calamities which were promised them
through disobedience fell upon them to the very letter even to
this day. Their temple was destroyed, and not one stone left upon
another, as the Savior told, and the ground upon which it stood
was plowed up by the Romans in search for gold which they
expected to find there.
166
It is sometimes hard for us to realize that we are in the hands
of God, and that he controls, and manages, and guides our
affairs. This is the thing we wish to understand, and wish the
people to understand that our confidence is in Him. People talk
sometimes about what they are going to do with the "Mormons," and
the rumor flies that we are going to be rooted out, destroyed,
and overthrown. We shall, when God says so, and not before. The
Lord knew in former times how to put a hook into the jaws of the
enemies of Israel, and he knows just as well where to place it
to-day. The nation in which we live and all nations are in the
hands of God; and so are we, and our enemies cannot help
themselves nor avert the destiny that awaits them. He will
accomplish his purposes towards them, and they cannot help it,
and towards us, and they cannot help it. Then we are all in the
hands of God, like clay in the hands of the potter, to be
moulded, and trained, and fashioned according to the designs of
God and according to his will.
166
As it regards any of those outside influences, we need not fear
in relation to them; we need not fear anything they can say and
do, for they can do nothing but what God permits. He will let
them wander about on Hams Fork, and live on mule flesh for a
while; and they were a little independent about things and would
not take a little salt when we sent it to them; did they harm us?
did they destroy us? No. Why? Because God would not let them. He
controlled them, and He now controls and governs kings, and
rulers, and magistrates, and generals, and officers, and
authorities, though they may not know it; but He says unto them,
as He said to the waves of Jordan, "Hitherto shalt thou go and no
further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed."
166
We are in the hands of God, and we are trying to do the things
God requires of us to do, and that is, to establish his kingdom
and his laws--his government. Where do we get the laws of God
from? We get them by revelation through the medium He has
appointed; and if we keep these laws, the blessing o God will be
with us, His Spirit will attend us, He will bless us in all our
endeavors, and we shall bring to pass the great designs of the
Almighty that have been spoken of by the Holy Prophets. It is for
us to keep the commandments of God, whether they refer to
temporal or to spiritual things; whether they relate to this
world or to the world to come. We should seek to know God and
cleave unto him, carry out all his purposes, and he will lead us
in the paths of life.
166
I am glad that the Spirit of the Lord rests upon the President
and people at this Conference. We are here to talk about these
things, to preach, and sing, and pray, and commune with one
another and with the Lord, and to try to get full of the Spirit
of light, that we may go from this Conference and communicate it
to others.
166
May God help us to do his will and keep his commandments, in the
name of Jesus. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Q. Cannon, October 8, 1865
George Q. Cannon, October 8, 1865
RICHES OF THE GOSPEL.
Remarks made by Elder George Q. Cannon, in the Bowery, General
Conference, Great Salt Lake City, October 8, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
167
I appreciate very highly the privilege that I have this morning,
and that I have had during this Conference, in meeting with the
Saints; it is the first Fall Conference I have had the
opportunity of attending for sixteen years. These are, indeed,
precious privileges which God, our Heavenly Father, has given
unto us; these opportunities which we now have of assembling
ourselves together and dismissing the cares that press us from
week to week and month to month, casting them aside to
concentrate our minds and our thoughts upon the things of His
kingdom, devoting our attention to those heavenly principles
which have produced so much happiness and peace in our midst. It
is good for us to thus devote a portion of our time to the
worship of our God. I do not know how the Conference felt; but,
for myself, after the vote was taken yesterday to continue our
Conference a week or a month if it were necessary, or as long as
the servants of God should feel inclined to continue it, I
experienced a great relief in my feelings; I felt that that
restraint was removed which had, to a certain extent, oppressed
us, with the view of hurrying through the business and getting
done by this evening. I thought that it was right, and I felt a
spirit of freedom that I had not experienced before, and I
presume that all the Saints felt alike on this subject. There is
nothing more important for us to attend to than that which we are
engaged in to-day. We cannot think of anything that is of greater
importance to us, as individuals and as a people, than this
service. It is a delightful work--a labor of love that our
Heavenly Father has guaranteed unto us the privilege of
performing. The organization that we now behold, the wonderful
fruits and results which have attended us from the beginning, and
that are so delightful to contemplate to-day, have all sprung
from the service that we are now engaged in. We may devote time,
as it is necessary we should, to the labors of this life--to
plowing, to sowing, to harvesting, to building settlements, to
accomplishing the labors that devolve upon us of a temporal
character; these labors are important and necessary, but they are
no more necessary than those that we are now engaged in; they are
no more necessary than that we should assemble ourselves together
frequently to listen to the word of God, to be instructed in the
principles of life and salvation by those who have been our
fathers in the Gospel.
168
It is necessary that we should examine ourselves, bring ourselves
to the light of truth, to learn whether we are taking the right
course: like the mariner, when he returns to port, he compares
his ship chronometers with the correct time on shore, to see
whether they have been keeping true time and are in good
condition to enter upon another voyage to enable him to obtain
his bearings correctly, that he may not lose himself when he is
on the trackless ocean. We can come to Conference in this manner
and examine ourselves like men returning from a mission after an
absence of years among the nations. They come back desirous of
comparing themselves with their brethren in Zion, saying, like
Paul of old, that they have indeed not run in vain; ascertaining
for themselves that the Spirit that they have been possessed of,
and the course that they have taken, are the Spirit and course
that their brethren in Zion have been possessed of and taken.
There is a great deal of profit to be derived from association of
this character. It is necessary that we should be brought very
frequently to a sense of our condition, of our dependence upon
God, of our relationship to him, of the obligations that rest
upon us as his children, and servants, and handmaidens. We cannot
do this as we should when we neglect opportunities like this;
but, when we come together and our hearts are filled with prayers
and anxious desire before God for his Holy Spirit to be poured
out upon us we then can see if we have erred, if we have gone
astray if we have done anything wrong and displeasing in the
sight of our Father. These things are brought to our minds, and
we see ourselves in the light of the Holy Spirit, we renew our
strength before the Lord, and our determinations to go forth and
serve him with greater diligence and faithfulness in the future
than we have done in the past.
169
There is a mine of wealth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is
yet comparatively undiscovered by us. We see the world around us
digging here and there, and wandering over valleys and mountains
in search of hidden treasures; they spend their days and nights
in searching for those things and in planning by what means they
can obtain them; but we have, in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ which has been revealed unto us, an inexhaustible mine of
wealth that is eternal. There is room for us to continually
exercise every faculty of our minds and of our bodies in
searching out the deep and inexhaustible riches of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ which has been committed unto us. We have already
partaken to some extent of this wealth; we already have realized
to some extent its richness, its abundance; and what we have
already obtained of it should be an incentive to us to be still
more diligent and persevering in seeking with earnestness and
faith unto God to give unto us of his power, and more and more of
his Spirit, and of that wealth which He alone possesses, that we
may go on increasing in eternal riches on earth to be prepared to
enjoy them throughout eternity. That man is truly rich whatever
his worldly circumstances may be, who improves the opportunities
he has, and who seeks with all diligence to obtain all the
blessings that pertain unto the holy religion of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. There are those, however, whom I have met
with who profess to be good Latter-day Saints, who seem to be
satisfied with the profession of their religion, who seem to be
satisfied with the fact that what is called "Mormonism" is
superior to everything else that is taught among men. I presume
they are of that class of whom President Young has spoken--men
who have been compelled to bow in submission to the truth because
they could not contradict nor gainsay it; and that they have
become connected with this system has seemed to be enough for
them; but is it enough?
169
In one sense it ought to be enough for us to know that we have
received the truth and be satisfied with it, yet we should
continue to seek with energy and with faith to partake of those
blessings and of that power which our Father and God has to
bestow upon us. If we would seek to be possessed of these things
with the same diligence the world seeks for earthly riches, there
is not a soul within the sound of my voice but what will be
refreshed, filled, and satisfied with the blessings God will
bestow upon him or upon her. It is a characteristic of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ to not be easily exhausted; on the contrary, it
is always attractive. You hear it to-day, as you heard it thirty
years or thirty-five years ago, and it possesses as many charms
and as many attractions now as then; repeating it does not wear
it out--does not make the subject threadbare--does not deprive it
of its interest; but, on the contrary, its interest increases as
years roll over our heads; as they pass by our interest in the
work of God, and our love for it, and our appreciation of its
greatness, increase. In this respect it differs from everything
else we know of; it satisfies every want of man's nature. Is
there a want you can think of, is there anything, in fact,
connected with man's existence here, spiritual or temporal,
mental or physical, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ does not
satisfy? If there is, I have failed to discover it. It
comprehends everything; it gives light and it gives intelligence,
it gives wisdom upon every department of human life, it satisfies
every longing desire of the soul.
169
Before the Gospel reached you, my brethren and sisters who have
received it since you were of mature years, there were wants that
existed which now no longer exist; there were longing desires
which you indulged in and which were ungratified by that which
you could obtain from the world, that are to-day gratified to
their fullest extent; there is no desire of your heart there is
no feeling of your soul, that cannot be satisfied legitimately
and consistently with your nature in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. You know how you were, those of you who embraced the
Gospel in Babylon--you know how you were when the Gospel found
you; there was, to quote a familiar expression, an aching void
within you. There were desires of your soul, or of your spirit,
which could not be gratified by the chaff and husks fed unto you
by the so-called teachers of the day; there were aspirations for
knowledge, for truth and for God, that nothing could satisfy; you
sought in vain for their gratification; you searched on the right
hand and on the left, you inquired here and there, but you could
not get the knowledge you needed; there was no one who could give
you the satisfaction you yearned after; but no sooner did you
hear the truth; no sooner did you hear the sound of the
everlasting Gospel, and the voice of a man endowed with the
Priesthood, than you felt that you had found the pearl of great
price, you felt that the desire of your heart was about to be
gratified, and that if this religion proved true, if these
statements and testimonies could be relied upon, then that which
you had so long sought for and desired was within your grasp.
170
Men may strive to repress these yearnings and desires after
knowledge, as priests and teachers do today throughout the earth;
they may ridicule and deny their existence, but there is that
within us, as children of God, which speaks louder and has more
force, potency and effect than the traditions of our fathers or
the teachings of our former priests and teachers ever had; there
is the voice of nature there is the voice of heaven in our
hearts, which calls for revelation from God, which calls for
knowledge, which calls for certainty, which calls for something
that is tangible and that can be relied upon, and which man with
his man-made systems and with his fooleries, cannot gratify nor
supply by any means in his power. We hear men constantly talk
about the delusion that exists here, and about the folly of men
seeking for revelation and knowledge from God. The man must be an
idiot who talks so; he who makes such assertions does not
understand the human character. If he had studied himself he
would have seen that there was something within himself which
claimed more than that which man can give--that there was a voice
within him which demanded and called loudly for truth--tangible,
reliable truth--something that could be understood and that came
from God. If this were not so, why do we see so many men running
hither and thither after knowledge, after spirit-rappers,
astrologers, fortune tellers, and phrenologists, to tell them
their fortunes and reveal something relating to the future; they
will do anything that will give them any idea of their future.
These may be the perversions of the feeling, yet you see the
manifestations of this want cropping out in various forms all
over the earth, among every people, and even among the heathen.
When it is not governed by truthful principles, it is found
running astray, and leading men and women astray who are guided
by it.
170
Wherever human nature exists, there is found a desire for the
knowledge of truth, a want of that which pertains to God and to
eternity, and this want or desire cannot be repressed. There is
no power on earth that can repress it; men's traditions may
stifle it; but when the spirit is allowed to operate freely and
unrestrained, it breaks through all these barriers and brushes
aside these cobwebs to seek for truth--pure truth as it comes
from the Eternal; and when it once obtains a taste from the
fountain of truth and can drink freely, it is refreshed, and the
one great desire of the heart is satisfied. This is as it has
been with us, my brethren and sisters; hence the contentment that
prevails through our valleys and settlements; hence the peace
that is to be observed in our families. Peace broods over Zion;
there is life and buoyancy in the hearts of the children of Zion.
Why is this? It is because we have received that which we have
desired; because we are living in harmony with the laws of our
being; it is because the wants of our nature are being gratified
through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If there be any
among us who are not satisfied, if there be any among us who are
wandering hither and thither, looking for something that they do
not have, they are the ones who have committed sin and
transgressoon; they are the ones who have grieved the Spirit of
God; they are the ones who have forfeited their claims upon God
for his spirit and his love, and they go with their souls
unsatisfied, seeking for contentment but finding it not. If there
be any among us who are thus seeking, they form a class that is
distinct from the faithful, humble Saints of God who live their
religion and work righteousness.
171
It should be a cause of thanksgiving and gratitude with us that
God, our Heavenly Father, in the abundance of his goodness and
mercy has revealed unto us his everlasting Gospel; that in his
kindness he has sent his Holy Angels from the heavens with the
truth, and the power, and authority to administer the truth, and
the ordinances pertaining to the truth, unto the inhabitants of
the earth. Yes God in his mercy has visited our planet where
darkness reigned, where confusion and ignorance had spread their
dread consequences, and all were like the blind groping for the
wall, when the voice of God sounded from the heavens and broke
the long silence that had existed for so many generations.
Brother Brigham has said that in his young days when he looked at
the inhabitants of the earth he was reminded of an ant hill in a
state of excitement, with the ants running hither and thither
without aim or purpose. Now, this was the condition of ourselves
and fathers when the sound of the everlasting Gospel came to the
earth. The inhabitants of the earth were running hither and
thither, and there was none to guide them, no one to control
them, no voice to be heard among the children of men saying with
authority, "Here is the way, walk ye in it;" there was none to
say, "Thus saith the Lord;" not a voice inspired of God, to be
heard from pole to pole, from east to west; but all were
ignorant, all were confused, all were dark. But since the Gospel
has been restored, since it was received by Brother Joseph Smith,
the Prophet, and preached to the people, and they listened to the
testimony of God, what a change has taken place in the character
of some portion of the population of the globe since that time.
171
There are principles and qualities that have been and are being
developed for the last thirty-five years, that were supposed to
have no existence among men; it was supposed that they had
disappeared, that they never would be restored again. The key of
knowledge through which the Apostles wrought such wonders in the
days in which they lived was no longer to be found among men; but
as soon as the Holy Priesthood was restored to Joseph Smith--for
he received the power and authority from heaven, and through him
the principles of heaven were restored to the earth--then what a
change we behold! From the midst of the chaos that existed, order
has been produced; from the midst of the strife that everywhere
prevailed, union has been brought to light; from the midst of
confusion and war, peace has been established; and we see
qualities developed now in the midst of our fellow-men which we
supposed never could have existed again. What is this
attributable to? Says one, "It is attributable to imposture and
delusion." So they said in the days of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ; but, let them say as they please, we enjoy these fruits;
for, whereas we lived in strife, we now live in peace; whereas we
lived in confusion, we now live in the midst of good order;
whereas we lived in ignorance, we now live in the midst of
knowledge, we bask now in the light of eternity in the rays of
that light which surrounds the throne of God our Heavenly Father,
and our souls are satisfied, and we can rejoice and be glad, and
thank God from morning until night for having bestowed upon us
his everlasting truth. Why should it not be so?
172
We are taught to believe that the Gospel is the power of God unto
salvation to every soul that believes. Salvation from what? "Oh,"
says one, "salvation to our souls." It is the power of God unto
salvation--the salvation not only of our spirits, but of our
bodies. In ancient days it saved the Jews, the Greeks and the
Barbarians from error, from evil of various kinds, and it will in
like manner save us. In heaven, we believe, it produces order,
peace, and happiness; and we expect, when we leave here, to go to
a sphere where, under the influence of the Gospel, every good
quality of our nature will be developed. Why should we not
receive, by the application of those heavenly principles to us
and our lives here on the earth, the same results? They have
produced them in days gone by, they are producing them now, and
will continue to produce them as long as we live in accordance
with them.
172
Now, my brethren and sisters, there is nothing left for us to do
but to be faithful to that which has been revealed unto us. The
evidences which we have received are of that character that we
will be under the heaviest condemnation unless we live agreeably
to the principles God has given unto us. We cannot plead, as many
can, that we are ignorant; we cannot make excuses of this kind,
for we are not ignorant; we are in the enjoyment of knowledge. We
never went to prayer in our lives, in secret, and supplicated God
in faith for the blessings that we needed, that we did not
receive the desires of our hearts, and we arose from our knees
feeling that God was with us and that his Spirit and power were
near unto us and resting upon us. There never was a time, from
the day that we became Latter-day Saints to this day, that we
have asked in humility and meekness for any blessing and have had
to arise from our knees dissatisfied and empty; but we have
always received those blessings that have been necessary for us
when we have asked in faith. What a blessed and glorious
privilege is this! When we are in trouble, in the midst of
affliction, and harrassed by our enemies we can go unto Him, who
is the Author of our being, unto Him who created all things, who
has the power to control our enemies and pour out our souls in
prayer and in supplication, and feel that the record has been
made, that the incense of our hearts has ascended acceptably unto
God, and is treasured up there, and held in remembrance by his
Holy Angels in his presence. What a glorious privilege is this
that we have, as a people and as individuals, no matter how bowed
down in sorrow, no matter how deep the affliction that may be
around us, this is an unfailing source of strength that God has
given unto us, and to this may be attributed the wonderful
preservations that we have experienced from the beginning.
173
How diligently our enemies have sought to destroy us, to destroy
the Holy Priesthood from the earth and kill the Lord's anointed!
How often has it seemed that they were just upon the point of
closing upon us, when it seemed that no earthly power that could
be exerted could save us from destruction! To whom shall we
attribute these wonderful deliverances which we have experienced?
Shall we attribute them to mortal power? Oh, no; we have learned
too well how weak and futile is mortal power. But what is it
attributable to? To the faith that God has implanted in us
through the revelation of the truth unto us. It is attributable
to his having rent the vail of darkness that has covered the
earth and revealed himself unto us. It is attributable to His
having opened up the channel of communication between Himself and
us. Yes, there is a channel of communication between this people,
the men and women who compose this people, and the throne of our
Father and God; and our prayers have ascended acceptably in His
ears, and they have been registered on high, and they will be
answered in their time. There never has been a prayer offered up
in faith, meekness, and humility from the day this Church was
founded until now, but has reached the ears of the Lord, and is
registered in His presence, and will be fulfilled, sooner or
later, upon the earth we inhabit, upon our posterity and upon the
wicked who have afflicted us. Is not this a glorious consolation?
Do not your hearts swell with gratitude and thanksgiving to God
when you reflect upon this? It has been as a wall of strength
surrounding us; it has been greater than the munitions of rocks
and the lasting hills that have been reared like a mighty bulwark
around our homes. The prayers of the faithful servants of God,
which have been exercised from the beginning in behalf of Zion,
have been a tower of strength. Shall we call ourselves Latter-day
Saints and fail to appreciate and make a right use of the
privileges and blessings which our God has given unto us? If we
do, we are unworthy of them; and if we continue to do so, the
privileges and the blessings which we may enjoy will be withdrawn
from those who do so and given to those who appreciate them, and
who are more worthy of them. You may depend upon that, as surely
as you may depend that night will come in the course of a few
hours when the earth has performed its diurnal revolution.
173
If I were to ask you to-day, my brethren and sisters, what you
would take for your standing and your privileges as Latter-day
Saints, is there anything that you could name? Is there anything
on earth that would be sufficient in your estimation to induce
you to barter off the standing you have in the Church of God and
the privileges you enjoy as members of his Church? There is
nothing. You would say, if the wealth of the world were to be
laid at your feet in exchange, you would spurn it as a thing of
naught. But Satan does not tempt us in that style; he knows
better. He understands our nature more perfectly than this. The
experience he has gained in the past has enabled him to
understand the best way of approaching the human heart, how he
can best beguile us and insidiously lead us astray by temptations
that are most effective. If a man who was in the enjoyment of the
Spirit of God one year ago had been told that yesterday, on the
7th of October, a trifling temptation would be presented to him
of a certain character (and that at the time he would think
contemptible) and he would yield to it, he would be astonished;
he would scarcely believe it. "What! will I barter the wealth
that God has given me, the wealth of the Gospel, the wealth of
freedom which is contained in it? What! will I barter the joy,
peace, and happiness that I now have for so contemptible a
temptation as that? Will I do it? No; I will not." Yet the year
passes away and the 7th of October comes to hand, the temptation
is presented, and the man who thought himself so impregnable in
the truth, and thought that he could not be tempted and seduced
from it, falls a victim, and to what? to the wealth of the world?
No; but to something that is so truly contemptible, mean, and
low, that it is a matter of astonishment to everybody who knows
him how he could be overcome by it.
174
By this we see the power of Satan, the knowledge of Satan, and
his cunning. He understands the avenues through which he can
approach us best; he knows the weaknesses of our character, and
we do not know the moment we may be seduced by him, and be
overcome and fall victims to him. Our only preservation is in
living near to God, day by day, and serving him in faithfulness,
and having the light of revelation and truth in our hearts
continually, so that, when Satan approaches, we will see him and
understand the snare that he has laid for us, and we will have
the power to say, "O no; God being my helper, I will not yield to
it; I will not do that which is wrong; I will not grieve the
Spirit of God; I will not deviate from the path that my Father
has marked out for me; but I will walk in it. "Can we do this
without the light of the Spirit? No; we cannot see where the path
upon which we have entered will lead to; we cannot tell what the
results will be; but when the light of the Spirit of God
illuminates our minds and we are enlightened by it, we plainly
see the results; and if we do not see them at the time, the Lord
soon reveals them to us, and shows us that if we continue to take
that course we will grieve his Spirit and fall victims to the
adversary.
174
As I said in the beginning of my remarks, there is wealth in the
Gospel of Jesus Christ of which we have little knowledge to-day.
There is an eternity of truth and knowledge, principle after
principle, law after law, until every quality of our nature, of
that God-like nature which we have inherited from our Father and
God, shall be fully developed; until we shall be made capable of
associating with God and angels through eternity. The Gospel that
has been revealed unto us contains the principles that will bring
this about. As we progress in it we will receive additional
knowledge, additional light and intelligence, and our souls will
be more and more satisfied. I rejoice exceedingly in this, I
thank my God for it, because my soul is satisfied in this Gospel,
and I know it would not have been anywhere else. I know there is
every good thing for us if we will live the religion of the Lord
Jesus.
175
There is this difference between God and Satan in the treatment
of mankind. Satan is perfectly reckless as to what the
consequences may be of anything he may give to the children of
men. He will heap temptation upon temptation before them, give
them honor, riches, and position, and, if necessary, he will give
them revelation. What for? To damn them. He does not care
anything as to what may become of them; but he offers them all he
can control without judgment or discrimination. God does not do
so. What is the course God has taken with us from the beginning
to the present time? Is there a parent in the congregation who
has watched as carefully over his children as God has over us? Is
there a parent in the congregation who has withheld improper
blessings as carefully from them as God has from us? He has
watched over us tenderly and kindly, giving us a blessing here
and a blessing there, a revelation here and a revelation there, a
precept here and a precept there, as we could bear them,
developing our experience, and knowledge, and our wisdom, leading
us gently and safely in the path that will bring us into his
presence. This is the difference between God and Satan; but I can
only give you a little idea of it. Our Heavenly Father is a
loving and a kind and beneficent Parent. He, himself, has trod
the path we are now treading. He is familiar with every step of
the road, with all the meanderings of this life; for he has had
the experience in it. He knows how to guide us and how to time
his blessings to our wants; and when you feel impatient and
dissatisfied because he does not give you more than you now have,
and when you are afflicted and bowed down in sorrow and pain, let
the reflection enter into your hearts to comfort you, that our
Father and God, our Lord and Savior Jesus christ, trod the path
we are now treading, that there is no affliction and sorrow that
we are acquainted with, or can be, that the Lord has not already
had an experience in; and he knows our condition, he knows what
is good for us. If we need a gift and a blessing, he knows when
to bestow it upon us. This ought to comfort us; it ought to cause
us to rejoice and be glad, and our hearts to be filled with
thanksgiving continually before the Lord our God for his abundant
mercy and kindness unto us his children.
175
Can we think of anything that would be good for us, or that we
ought to possess that Satan can offer unto us, that we will not
obtain if we are faithful? Will he present unto us a good outfit
by going to California or to any other place? If we are only
patient, and abide our time, and serve God faithfully, he will
bestow on us far more than that. There is no good thing that may
be presented to us that we cannot obtain in the Gospel. We may
let our minds range over the earth and think of the greatness and
glory possessed by kings and potentates, these things are all
embraced in the Gospel as a reward for the Saints, who will enjoy
even greater blessings than these through their faithfulness. We
talk about kings and nobles, and we have admired their glory; but
the day is not far distant when there will be thousands of men in
Zion holding more power, and having more glory, honor, and wealth
than the greatest and the richest of the nobles of the earth. The
earth and its fulness are promised unto us by the Lord our God,
as soon as we have the wisdom and experience necessary to wield
this power and wealth. Shall we not be patient, then, and
diligent when we have so much assistance given unto us? Shall we
not plod unwearingly and unmurmuringly forward in the path God
has marked out for us, when we have the help, the comfort, and
the consolation which he gives us day by day?
175
We are not working for that which is in the distance, and toiling
for the reward that is far removed, and that we have to look
forward to; but we are receiving our reward as we go along, even
the rich blessings of heaven, day by day and hour by hour, and we
rejoice in them; and if we are houseless and friendless--that is,
so far as the world is concerned--we have within us a wealth of
comfort and joy that the world know nothing of; they cannot give
it, they cannot take it away, for it comes from God. Why should
we not be encouraged, then, under these circumstances? If the
Latter-day Saints conduct themselves so as to receive
condemnation, their condemnation will be most severe, for they
have light, they have knowledge, they have blessings the superior
of which no other people that we have any account of ever
received in the same length of time on the earth. Well, I rejoice
in these things. I do not wish to occupy your time any longer. My
prayer is, that God will bless you and us all, and enable us to
appreciate the great salvation he has committed unto us, for
Christ's sake. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Albert Smith, October 8, 1865
George Albert Smith, October 8, 1865
SYNOPSIS OF REMARKS
By Elder George A. Smith, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt
Lake City, General Conference, October 8, 1865.
Reported By G. D. Watt.
176
It is somewhat of an undertaking to address so large an assembly.
I bear my testimony to the truth of the restoration of the
everlasting Gospel and this Work which God has commenced in these
latter days.
176
It has been the earnest desire of my heart, from the time I
received the ordinance of baptism in 1832, to be able to fulfil
my duties as a Saint, and to perform those things which were
required of me as an individual--to watch over myself and keep
out of mischief; that I might be prepared, when my work is
accomplished on the earth, to inherit the blessings and glory of
that King in whose service I am enlisted. I presume that a large
proportion of the Saints have kept these things in mind, though I
am astonished when I reflect upon the great number with whom I
have been acquainted that are not now to be found, and of whom we
have no report only that they have gone off this, that, or the
other way.
176
This reminds us of the parable of the sower that went forth to
sow, as described by our Savior; some of the good seed fell among
thorns, and they grew up and choked it; some fell by the way
side, and the fowls gathered it up; some fell upon stony ground
where it had not much depth of earth, and it came up quickly, and
when the sun was up it was scorched and withered away; and some
fell upon good ground and brought forth thirty, sixty, and an
hundred fold. This is the substance of the parable, and the
kingdom of God in the last days is certainly very much like unto
it.
176
Among the great number who have entered into the fold of Christ,
by baptism, few have remained faithful to the present time. There
were men among us whose hearts were faint--who felt that it would
not do to gather here, because peradventure, it was the greatest
undertaking of any age. To attempt to settle a whole people,
situated as we were, in the midst of a howling desert a thousand
miles from supplies was too great an undertaking in the eyes of
many, and they dared not risk it. It required faith, courage,
energy, daring, and perseverance, almost beyond description, to
lead a people into the heart of the great American desert and
establish settlements. We now see travellers arrive here by
stage, who are proud of the achievement of having crossed the
Rocky Mountains. It required a people full of faith, energy and
devotion to the cause of God, and a willingness to abide every
counsel given by the servants of God, to come here; and also
required a large amount of faith, patience, energy, self-denial,
and long-suffering to stay when they got here.
177
I presume it was over three years after we came before a score of
men in the valleys ever believed that an apple, peach, or plum
could be grown here, and when the few men who had the faith and
the determination to set an example began to produce their
peaches, plums, and apples, and exhibit them, many opened their
eyes with astonishment. Who on the face of the earth would think
that at an altitude of four thousand four hundred feet above the
level of the sea, and in latitude nearly forty-one, and near the
southern limit of the isothermal line, such nicely-flavored
delicate fruit could be raised!
177
We came to this land because it was so desert, desolate, and
God-forsaken that no mortal upon earth ever would covet it; but
as Colonel Fremont reported that at the mouth of Bear River, in
the early part of August, his thermometer stood at 29° Fah.,
three degrees below freezing point, which would kill grain,
fruit, or vegetables, our enemies said, "You Mormons may go there
and welcome," chuckling to each other over what seemed to them
our annihilation. We had been driven several times; our homes had
been devastated both in Missouri and Illinois; we had been robbed
of everything, and some came here with the little that they
gathered up from the smoking ruins of their habitations. The
priests sent compliments to each other rejoicing that those
"Mormons" (who had been making the people acquainted with the
principles of the Gospel by teaching them that the Bible meant
what it said) had gone into the heart of a desert, never more to
be heard of, for the Indians would destroy and grim want would
consume them. The newspapers recorded the joy and gratification
felt at the Utter end of "Mormonism." Governor Thomas Ford wrote
as follows in the title page of his History of Illinois:--"An
account of the rise, progress, and FALL of Mormonism."
Notwithstanding, however the many drawbacks and difficulties
encountered in the shape of drouth, crickets, grasshoppers, and
the cold, sterile climate, the Spirit of the Lord was hovering
over the Great Basin; as linguists tell us the Spirit of the Lord
brooded over the face of the waters anciently, so it brooded over
the Great Basin and the climate became genial and soft. I never
was at the crossing of the Sevier river in summer, for seven
years after our settlements in Iron county had been established,
without experiencing frost; and now the Sevier valley produces
luxuriant fields of grain and vegetables in the season thereof,
in every place where the water has been taken out from the mouth
of that river to the head of it, nearly nine thousand feet above
the level of the sea. Who has done this? God and the Saints have
done it! The Saints have had faith and walked over the land with
the Holy Priesthood upon them and blessed and dedicated it to the
Lord, and have labored according to the counsels of God, and the
work has been accomplished.
177
To have told the Mountaineers ten years ago that grain could be
raised in the upper valleys of the Weber, where they encountered
heavy frosts every month in summer, would have incurred their
ridicule; but the genial influence of the Spirit of the Almighty
has softened the rigor of the climate, and the flourishing
counties of Morgan and Summit are the result.
178
In 1853, an expedition went out from Provo city after some
Indians that had stolen stock. They went up the Provo river and
encamped near where the city of Heber now stands, in the middle
of summer. On their return they reported to me that they were
nearly frozen, and that much of the wild vegetation was killed by
the severity of the weather, and that it would be useless ever to
attempt to raise grain there. I suppose that Provo valley this
season, with all its losses, will raise not less than thirty
thousand bushels of grain and vegetables. With a little
reflection we can readily perceive that the Lord God of Israel
has blessed these mountains and valleys which have been dedicated
and set apart by His servants for the gathering together of His
people and the establishment of His latter-day work upon the
earth.
178
Go to Pottawatomie, Iowa; Nauvoo, Illinois; or Kirtland, Ohio,
and ask for apples and peaches, and you will find them few and
far between. In February 1857, I visited my former field of labor
in Western Virginia, and inquired of an old friend for fruit; his
reply was, "My peach trees are all killed, and I have not been
able to raise any peaches for six years." Have you any good
apples? "Not an apple that is fit to eat; our trees are all
diseased and many of them have perished." This condition of
things was very general. It is so wherever the Saints have lived
and been driven away--their glory has departed to return no more,
until the land is dedicated and consecrated to God and occupied
by the Saints.
178
We had to produce the necessaries of life from the ground, for we
had not the means to send abroad eleven hundred miles to
purchase. In a short time after the Pioneers settled this country
some twenty-five thousand pilgrims to the land of gold passed
through this Great Basin; a large portion of them came here
destitute, and they are indebted to the inhabitants of these
settlements for the preservation of their lives.
178
California is indebted to the Latter-day Saints for its present
greatness. We opened its gold mines, explored its country,
explored and made the three principal roads leading there, and
ran the first ship load of American emigrants into the port of
San Francisco, then called Yerba Buena. We are the men that
developed the resources of the Pacific Coast, and then we fed
those tens of thousands passing through to that land, who would
have starved and perished on the deserts had we not provided them
with bread while they travelled the roads we made, to go to the
mines.
178
The passengers on board the ship Brooklyn not only brought to the
Pacific Coast their valuable library, but a printing press, which
they established at Yerba Buena--now San Francisco, and from
which was issued the California Star in 1847-8. We are the
Pioneers of the great west. The Latter-day Saints established the
first printing press in Western Missouri, the Evening and Morning
Star, published at Independence in 1832-3, and the Upper Missouri
Advertiser, in 1833, by W. W. Phelps. After the destruction of
the printing office by the mob, the press was removed to Liberty,
and was for years used to print the only newspaper printed west
of Booneville, Mo., excepting the Elder's Journal, published for
a short time in Far West.
178
We were the Pioneer settlers of Western Iowa, making the road and
bridging the streams from the vicinity of Keeosaqua to the
Missouri river, nearly three hundred miles. We established the
first paper at Council Bluffs, published by Elder Orson Hyde,
entitled the Frontier Guardian, in 1848-9 and 50.
178
The Omaha Arrow, published by Joseph E. Johnson, was the first
paper published in Nebraska, who subsequently published the
Huntsman's Echo at Wood river.
179
We introduced the culture of wheat and fruit in Western Missouri
and Iowa, improved agriculture in California, and developed the
resources of these mountains, making the roads and showing men
how to travel them safely.
179
While all this has been done for our country, and we have
comparatively tamed the savage and held in check his wild and
blood-thirsty nature, that the inhabitants of the world could
travel across the deserts without being robbed and murdered, we
have been the subject of vile scandal, simply because our
religious views were different from those of the hireling clergy
who occupy the pulpits of Christendom. We taught that men should
preach the Gospel without pure or scrip--preach it freely; and a
man who depended upon a congregation for a salary by which to
obtain his black coat and fit-out, was ready to denounce
preaching without purse and scrip as a heresy; why? Because it
would reduce him to the necessity of going to some useful
calling, instead of making merchandise of the Gospel, which God
has made free. It endangered his bread and butter; and thus
priestcraft has raised a constant howl that the Mormons were
leagued with the Indians. Why? Because we crossed the plains and
the Indians did not rob us. The reason the Latter-day Saints
crossed the plains and the Indians did not rob them was, they
organized their companies camped in order, kept up guards,
treated the Indians with kindness and respect, seeking no quarrel
with them, and passed right along. When the Indians look down
from the hills on one of our trains and see it camped, they know
it is a "Mormon" train; they see a nice corral, and a guard out
with the cattle who are carefully attending to their duty. When
they come up they get a kind word. When night comes the "Mormons"
kneel down to pray; they do not blaspheme the name of God. The
Indians see all this and conclude not to interrupt that company,
for they might get hurt--the "Mormons" having always provided
their companies with sufficient arms for protection. That is the
way the Latter-day Saints travel through these mountains
uninterrupted. How is it with others? They would organize a
company on the frontiers, travel a while in that condition,
quarrel who should be captain, and divide into five or six
squads; and by the time they got to the Sierra Nevada there would
be only two families together, and they would divide their wagon
and make it into two carts, and separate, if they were not afraid
of the Indians. This way of scattering presents a temptation to
the red men which is really very hard for them to resist, for the
plains cannot boast of being safer than the streets of New York,
Philadelphia, and Washington, where millions are expended to pay
police to guard and protect the property and lives of white men
from the depredations of white men.
180
We can but have a deep feeling of sympathy when we realize the
grievous afflictions that have befallen our common country. We
look at the cause. When the Latter-day Saints organized their
first settlements in Missouri--when they undertook to lay the
foundation of Zion, although there was no charge which could be
brought against them for violating any law, constitutional or
moral, yet, because they introduced a new system of religion, the
hireling clergy, the priestcraft of the world, arose against them
to destroy them. As Governor Dunklin, of Missouri, said, "There
are ample provisions in the Constitution and laws of the State to
protect you, but the prejudice is so great among the people
against you, that it is impossible to enforce these laws." There
is a great deal said about the origin of the trouble between the
North and the South; some said it was the almighty negro; but the
fact is, the people did not respect the Constitution of our
country; for the Latter-day Saints were driven in violation
thereof from Jackson County to Clay and from Clay to Caldwell and
Davis counties, and then from the State of Missouri to Illinois,
and from Illinois to the Rocky Mountains, robbed and plundered of
their property, their women ravished, their leaders murdered, and
there was not a solitary man arose to enforce the laws or the
Constitution in our defence. When the President of the United
States was applied to, all he would say was, "Your cause is just,
but we can do nothing for you." As soon as the Saints had found a
shelter in the Rocky Mountains, this feeling of lawlessness went
rampant throughout the Union. Men despised the statutes and the
laws with which they were bound, and it was mob upon mob, army
against army, until the whole country has been deluged in blood
and craped in mourning. When will the nation repent of these
follies and maintain those institutions God has introduced for
the perfection of mankind? When will they hold the Constitution
sacred and inviolable, and seek no longer to prostitute it for
the destruction of the innocent? Until this is done they may
expect to see sorrow and woe, which will increase upon their
heads until they shall repent.
180
Brethren, we should consider these things within ourselves. We
commenced to make our settlements here under these circumstances,
and here we have found a shelter. It has been a home for the
oppressed, and a shelter to everybody that desired rest. The
weary traveller has had a chance here to refresh himself and
enjoy the blessings that are to be enjoyed in these valleys and
no man's rights have ever been trampled upon.
180
It is true we have had a species of animals pass through here
that Alfred Cumming, in imitation of General Zachary Taylor, used
to call "Camp poicks," newspaper reporters, who, Cumming
declared, prostituted not only the body but the soul, by selling
themselves for a penny-a-line to lie; publishing their lies to
the world as scandal upon the heads of the Saints. They come here
and drink of the mountain water, partake of fine potatoes, and
turnips, and luscious strawberries, and feast upon the fruits of
the valleys--the products of our industry--and then go off and
defame the people, and try to get armies sent here to destroy the
Saints. We care very little about these things; but when that
species of animals appear among us, we look upon them as we do
upon a serpent; we calculate they intend to bite, and all we ask
of them is, to do as they generally have done, tell such big lies
that nobody in their right senses can believe them.
180
We have had another class of animals in the shape of Federal
Officials. We have had fifty-eight of them, part of whom came
here and conducted themselves like gentlemen; but we have had one
thing always to consider, with one or two exceptions--very
honorable ones,--they have scarcely ever sent anybody here that
could get a place anywhere else. If they could get an appointment
in any other Territory or a magistracy in the District of
Columbia, or a clerkship in a Department, or the appointment of a
weigher or gauger in the Custom House they would never come to
Utah. Coming to Utah was the last thing and the last place for a
man perfectly desperate for the want of an office. As the
Secretary of State said when he sent Perry E. Brochus here to be
judge, he had to send him somewhere to get him "out of the way;"
and when he would not stay here, he was immediately sent to New
Mexico.
181
We have generally known what the qualification of men was, and
understood it precisely when they came. Their qualification
generally was that they had performed some dirty work for some
successful politician. A few that have come here have done as
well as they knew how, with a mediocrity of talent--that is, if
they had bright talents they seldom displayed them; and the
majority of them come in here, open their eyes (putting one in
mind of chickens just come through the egg-shell, when they get a
sight of the light for the first time), and exclaim, "There are
awful things here! tremendous things here!" and they begin to
make reports, and print and publish them, go off to California
and write for a year in succession there, drawing their salaries
to report how things are in Utah. All these things we have had to
encounter; but our industry, our economy and prudence, our
loyalty, and our firm and determined adherence to the
Constitution of the United States, have carried us through the
whole of it.
181
The administration of President Buchanan brought the power of the
Government to bear against us. The traitor, General A. S.
Johnston, was sent with what was then called by Secretary Floyd
the best appointed army that was ever fitted out by this
Government since its formation. General Scott issued orders to
keep the troops massed and in hand, the supply trains to be kept
with the main body of the army. The newspaper press of the
country asserted that this army was to cause the blood of the
Elders and Saints to flow in the streets of Great Salt Lake City.
The mails being stopped, and the ordinary sources of
communication closed, it was supposed the "Mormons" would be
ignorant of the movements until the army came upon them like a
thunder cloud. The Governorship was tendered to a number who were
unwilling to come out with a formidable army but were willing to
come without. Benjamin McCullough, of Texas, declined the honor
on the ground that a confirmed old bachelor ought not to
interfere with polygamy. Colonel Alfred Cumming accepted the
office, and his appointment was hailed with general acclamation
by the enemies of Utah, as he was considered a man of desperate
character, who had on one occasion compelled even Jeff. Davis to
apologise. When Governor Cumming arrived here and investigated
the matter, he was satisfied that the Administration had been
duped, and he made official reports to Washington that the
charges against the Saints were totally unfounded, and the
Administration let the whole matter fizzle out, and Uncle Sam,
the generous old gentleman, had to submit to his pocket being
picked to the tune of about forty millions of dollars--the cost
of the Utah expedition.
181
The lies upon which the Administration had acted were, that we
had driven the judges from the country, had burned the Utah
Library and the records of the courts of the Territory. When the
matter was investigated it was discovered that the judges had
gone off to the gold mines, where they could get some feet, or on
other speculations, where they stayed until their time was out,
not forgetting, however, to draw their salaries. The Library and
court records, never having been disturbed, were found all right.
181
I have been truly astonished at the character and conduct of a
large portion of the Government officials we have been brought in
contact with. One of them, Governor Harding, was presented by the
grand jury of the 3rd Judicial District of the United States
Court as a nuisance, and he was removed by Mr. Lincoln's
Administration immediately after.
182
Whenever a bill is presented before Congress to benefit the
people of Utah in any way, it is generally referred to a
committee, and there it dies. What is the reason? There is not a
man in either House of Congress that dares to record a vote
calculated to favor the people of Utah, for the mass of the
inhabitants here are "Mormons." It is admitted that we have
established ourselves in the desert under the most trying
circumstances, making a half-way house for travellers between the
Mississippi and the Pacific, rendering it safe to establish mail
and telegraph lines; but the member who would record a vote in
favor of this people in any way, the first thing he would hear
would be his denunciation in every pulpit of his district by the
black-coated gentry, and that would make his political grave. I
sympathise with that class of men, as many of them otherwise
would be willing to extend the same privileges, donations of land
to settlers, means to erect public buildings, open highways, and
sustain schools, as to other Territories.
182
We have never had one dollar from any source to aid in the cause
of education. We have built our school houses, hired our school
teachers, paid the school bills for our poor--have done
everything that has been done in education, without one dollar of
encouragement from the parent Government. I have been astonished
at this. I suppose it is the policy of the Government to extend
the facilities of education, but it has not been done here; not
one solitary dime has been received by Utah, while millions upon
millions have gone into the treasuries of other states and
Territories for school purposes from the Federal Government.
182
This is the freest people on the face of the earth. By a faithful
observance of the laws and Constitution of our country, and by
obedience to the principles of our holy religion, we can enjoy
the greatest amount of freedom.
182
The foundation has been laid, and the building will be erected
upon it. God is at the helm, and no power can destroy his
kingdom.
182
May God bless us, and enable us to fulfill our high destiny, is
my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Daniel
H. Wells, October 8, 1865
Daniel H. Wells, October 8, 1865
ETERNAL LIFE REVEALED IN THE GOSPEL.
Remarks by President Daniel H. Wells, delivered in the Bowery,
Great
Salt Lake City, General Conference, October 8, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
182
It is with joy and satisfaction indescribable to myself that I
enjoy the privilege, brethren and sisters, of standing before you
at this Conference this afternoon.
183
It is known to a great majority of you that I have been to Europe
on a mission. I am glad that I have been to that country and that
I have been permitted to return to these valleys again. Whether I
go away or return is all one to me, inasmuch as I am called to
act in the Church and kingdom of God; and where the Lord appoints
me to act is where I wish to be; that is my place and position,
and it is my delight to be subservient unto the call, and unto
the counsel of those who hold the authority to dictate in the
Church and kingdom of God. If I know myself, that is the place I
wish to occupy at all times and on all occasions, and it gives me
great satisfaction if I can fill that place, and perform the
mission and duties required of me to perform, in that way that
shall be pleasing to them and unto my Father in heaven; for if I
please them I shall please Him, and if I please Him I shall
please them.
183
I feel grateful for the privilege of being a member of the Church
and kingdom of God, and of being willing to do his bidding and
abide the counsels of his servants. I feel happy in this calling,
and to be associated with a people whose bosoms beat responsive
with mine in regard to the great principles of the Gospel of
salvation which has been revealed in these days for the guidance
of the children of men upon the earth, that all people may avail
themselves of these privileges and principles the same as we have
done, if they choose it. They have this option within themselves,
to obey and walk in the ways of life and salvation or to reject
them; they can do as they please when the principles of salvation
are made known unto them; they have their agency, and inasmuch as
they will adopt them, they can enjoy the privileges which we now
enjoy, and they cannot obtain them upon any other principle. As
we have heard this morning, everything that is worth having we
can obtain through the principles of the Gospel, and they are for
the people of God.
184
The whole world, we may say, have gone a whoreing after other
gods, and they worship not the God of Israel, the true God. They
do not know Him, nor do they take the pains to know Him whom to
know is life eternal, as we read in the Scriptures. What can the
world tell you about Him? Nothing; they do not know Him. How are
we to learn God whom to know is eternal life? We learn to know
Him through the principles of the Gospel. He is revealed to man
through the authority of the Holy Priesthood, which has been
established among the children of men through the revelations of
the Lord Jesus Christ to His servants. What did we know about Him
who is our Father, previous to receiving this latter-day Work?
Could we tell anything about the relationship that existed
between God and his children? anything about the object of God in
bringing man upon the earth? We knew nothing about this nor about
the laws which should govern and control him to bring him to
exaltation in the presence of God. In ignorance of these great
principles, mankind come upon the earth, they live and they die.
They do not know how to subserve the purposes of the Almighty in
their own being, how to accomplish the object of their creation
and the end of their being on the earth. They cannot learn the
things of God without the Spirit of God. I have in my own feeble
way tried to teach the people concerning the things of God, to
teach them who God our Heavenly Father is, or in other words, the
ways of eternal life, and the relationship which exists between
God and man; to teach them those principles which will subserve
their being on the earth while they tarry here, and the laws
which the Almighty has revealed for them to obey. I have borne a
faithful testimony to the children of men, so far as I have had
the power, while I have been on my mission, and Have endeavored
to do what good I could whenever an opportunity presented itself.
But I have often times felt as though the people did not wish to
know the things I had to teach them, and that they might as well
be left with their idols. I have felt that my testimony has
rebounded back upon me, for they cared not to know the things of
God. The world treat the revelations of God to Joseph Smith in
the last days as an idle dream. They do not care to investigate
it because they think it is a humbug and beneath their notice;
they treat it with contumely and disrespect; they are united
almost universally in rejecting it, in passing it by while the
kingdom of God is actually transpiring upon the earth, and before
the face and eyes of the whole world, and they mark it not; they
have eyes and cannot see, ears and cannot hear, hearts and cannot
comprehend nor understand, or if they do understand, will not
obey the truth, but they will reject it. But does this conduct
make it any less true? No, my good friends, No.
184
We read in the good book that "strait is the gate and narrow is
he way which leads to eternal life, and few there be which find
it." If the world wish to be saved in the kingdom of God, let
them take heed to the words of his servants that are abroad in
the earth, for they have the authority of the Holy Priesthood,
the authority of heaven; the angel of God has come and restored
the Gospel to the earth in these last days, and we know it, and
feel able to bear this testimony to all the world, and it has
already gone as it were upon the wings of the morning to all the
world. Let the people reject it if they can afford to do so; we
know they cannot afford to reject it; it is the most expensive
thing they ever rejected; they had better receive it if they knew
what would be for their best good. The authority of the Holy
Priesthood is here upon the earth, and all people can avail
themselves of it if they think proper to do so. Why do not the
world do it? That, however, is their own affair: if we are
faithful and acquit ourselves as men of God, we thereby clear
ourselves of the blood of this generation. The communication has
been opened up between the heavens and the earth. Do you know it,
Latter-day Saints? You do. Do the world know it? They may if they
will take the proper course to put themselves in possession of
this knowledge, but they do not care to know it; they are like
the blind that are led by those who are blind, and they will all
fall into the ditch together.
185
I have felt a pride in speaking to the people in different
nations and countries, of telling them that there is a place
where good men may gather together, where men and women of
integrity dwell, where the rights of all men are protected; that
there is a place upon the footstool of God where the rights of
mankind can be enjoyed and respected, where all can have the
liberty of worshipping God according to the dictates of their
conscience; that there dwells a people who are for God: there the
earth has been reclaimed and is being brought in subjection to
the rule of the God of Heaven, and the predominating feeling is
for God. I have felt proud in bearing this testimony, and
pointing my finger to Utah, where good men and women may dwell in
peace and where good order and good government prevail, and the
people are in subjection to Heaven's rule. Who is doing this?
You, Latter-day Saints. Where else can such a thing be found?
Nowhere. Abroad in the world evil influences predominate
everywhere, but here it is not so. Not but that there is evil
here, more or less: I expect to find it. If it were not mingled
up with the people of God, then the wheat and the tares would not
grow together until harvest, as the parable of the Savior plainly
intimates would be the case, and this would supply grave reasons
against it being the Church and kingdom of God. The kingdom of
heaven is like unto a net cast into the sea, which gathers both
good and bad. I expect this is the characteristic of the Church
of God here; but still, the predominating influences are for God,
the great majority of the people are submitting themselves to
high Heaven's rule, and seeking with all their might to establish
the kingdom of God upon the earth, and it is extending abroad,
lengthening its cords and strengthening its stakes. It is a great
blessing to live in such a place as this; a great blessing to be
a citizen of the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth, and to
hail from Zion. The world may treat you with contempt, but let
them laugh who wins; and who will win if the Latter-day Saints do
not?
185
The world are in ignorance with regard to the principles that
will save mankind; they do not know of any principles that will
save any portion of mankind either here of hereafter--they do not
know how to save themselves. They have a pretty good government
in England, and I like that country pretty well for a great many
things. You can go there and bear your testimony, and tell the
truth, and be protected by the laws of the country; you can do
that without being exposed to much danger of being mobbed, as the
Latter-day Saints have been in this country, although there is
some opposition; but the people stand in fear of the
administrators of the law, because they will administer it even
in protection of the Latter-day Saints. It is a nice little
island, the island of Great Britain; and there dwell upon it a
great many good, warm-hearted people, and I love them. There are
a great many people there who are trying to know the ways of
eternal life, and they will treat the ministers of salvation with
more respect than in many other countries. I am glad to be
associated with such a people.
185
There are many persons who belong to the Church in foreign
countries who would be glad to be gathered with the people here,
and there are many who, although they do not belong to the Church
and kingdom of God, still feel to realize and know that there is
something necessary to be done. They have no confidence in the
organized systems of religion of the present day. They can see no
consistency in them, and suppose that everything in the shape of
religion is a humbug. "Mormonism" has sprung up in the same age,
and they condemn it without examination as being like all the
rest, nothing more than an idle dream. Talk to them about
revelation; yes, they have false revelations, and if they have
false revelations and false spirits, does it prove that there are
no true ones? The very reverse is the fact, and they would find
true revelation and true spirits if they would only seek for them
in the right way.
186
We, as Latter-day Saints have cause to be thankful that we have
found out the way of eternal life because we have had the blessed
privilege of living in this day and age of the world in which the
Gospel of salvation has been revealed for the guidance of the
children of men; that we have been recipients of that knowledge
which leads to eternal life and salvation in the presence of God;
that we have been gathered out from the world that we may not
partake of her abominations and of the plagues which are to come
upon her; that this land has been consecrated and dedicated to
God; that it has been held for the Latter-day Saints to occupy,
to plant, and build, and inhabit, and that in consequence of this
the land has been made to bring forth for the sustenance of His
people who have been gathered out from where the wicked rule and
the people mourn.
186
Those who have embraced the Gospel in foreign lands sigh for
deliverance, and the hope of this deliverance is the only ray of
light that burns in their souls, and that gives them joy;
although they live with their whole lives oppressed, this beam of
gladness has found its way into their souls through the
principles of the Gospel, and hence they are less oppressed in
their feelings than many others. A hope springs up in their
bosoms that the time will come for their deliverance from the
oppression under which they groan. Many of you have been
delivered from those bonds, and from that oppression. You may
have suffered poverty and sickness, and been afflicted in many
ways, and perhaps have found things different than what you
anticipated in many respects in this your newly adopted country
yet you have been delivered from a land where oppression reigns,
and have been placed in a land of liberty--in a country where you
can expand and grow, where you can plant your children with a
hope that they may rise to importance in the kingdom of God, to
something beyond what you and your forefathers have been enabled
to do in the land where you have formerly lived, that you and
your offspring may dwell where virtue, peace, and industry may
meet with their reward.
186
How is it in many of those old countries with the poor?--and it
is with this class that we have the most to do; for some cause,
known perhaps best to Him that rules on high, it is the poor who
embrace the Gospel, who receive the Gospel who receive the
message of good tidings, it is to them a theme of gladness and
joy more than to any other class of men. Hundreds and thousands
of them are out of employment, their stores gone, and they have
no resources but what arise from their daily labor, and they are
on the borders of starvation. The dearth in cotton has thrown
thousands of people out of employment upon the cold charities of
the world. How is it here, saying nothing about religion? Here a
man can get a little land, and in a short time gather around him
the necessaries of life upon which he can subsist and let the
world wag as it will; his condition is improved, and he may hope
to rise to wealth and influence. How is it there? Why he may
tread in the path in which his fathers trod, but can go no
further--can advance no higher in the scale of existence; if
times are good he may subsist, and that comfortably--I am
speaking of the poor classes, those that the Gospel most
generally find, to them such a deliverance as the Gospel offers
is glad tidings of great joy, for they can plant themselves where
their children can rise above what their fathers have been. This
is what many thousands of the Latter-day Saints have accomplished
by emigrating from that country to this, and many more thousands
will be benefited in the same way.
187
This is only one of the benefits which the Gospel confers upon
those who obey it; it benefits man whenever it touches him,
temporally and spiritually, religiously, morally, and
politically; it gives him an understanding of life; it teaches
him how to live and how to exalt his being to the standard of
heavenly intelligence; how to bring up his children and educate
them in a proper manner, and how to avail himself of the
facilities and advantages which the sciences and arts present to
advance the purposes of the Almighty in the redemption of the
human race; teaching him not only how to live in time, but in all
eternity; giving him knowledge how to stand forth like a man of
God in the world to subserve His purposes.
187
The Latter-day Saints have the most cause of any people on earth
to rejoice continually in Him who has bestowed upon them the
proud position which they occupy; for the authority of Heaven is
here, and the wisdom of Heaven is here, and you can find it
nowhere else. I had the privilege of telling the people in those
old countries that the sanctuary o the Lord was not with them;
but in order to get the blessings necessary to qualify them to
enter into the presence of God, they would have to go to that
place where the people of God are abiding, where they shall be
strengthened and become even a great and mighty nation; and I
thank God that there is a people on the earth that can no longer
be ignored by the great and mighty o the earth, for they have
attained a standing and a position that must be respected. They
may ignore this people if they think they can afford to do it,
and we can afford to wait and see the purposes of the Almighty
roll forth on the earth better than any other people can, because
we are on the safe side; we have more time to wait. If the wicked
knew when it is well with them, they would hasten to make their
peace with the Almighty for his judgments are abroad upon the
earth, and who can stay his hand. They are upon the wicked, and
they know and feel it.
188
The great mass of mankind are ready to ridicule the people of
God, they are ready to ridicule his servants because they stand
forth and declare that an angel of the Almighty has come to
restore the Gospel in its fullness, and that Joseph Smith was
called of God to be his Prophet; all this they say is nonsense,
and they reject it without inquiring into the reason why they
reject it. If they can afford to do this, we can afford to live
our holy religion and bear their contumely and reproaches better
than they can afford to give them. Such abuse hardly ruffles my
feelings, if they will only keep their hands off; and if there is
any danger of violence of that sort, we shall be apprised of it;
there is not much danger in them, that is, unless they can take
you by surprise. If the Latter-day Saint is on his guard,
panoplied with the armor of righteousness, he may walk through
the earth without being molested, because the Spirit o the
Almighty will show him where the danger lies, and he can ward it
off; and wisdom will be given him to absent himself from those
places where danger is and turn away in another direction. Wisdom
will be given him also what to say and what to do under every
circumstance. The great evil that besets the path of the Saints
is when they depart from the principles of eternal truth and
rectitude, and betray their trust; for this they place themselves
in the power of the enemy; and this they do when they are asleep,
not when they are wide awake, and they are led little by little
until they make shipwreck of their faith and go headlong to the
devil, which they would not do while walking in the ways of
righteousness. Have I felt that I have been in deadly peril? Yes,
many times, if the enemy could have had his way. Sometimes I have
felt like buckling on pistols, and at other times I would feel
perfectly safe without them. In my travels no man has had the
temerity to come up to my face and insult me; but I have heard
the grinding of their teeth; I have heard what they would say to
me addressed to somebody else. As I have already said, I cannot
express to you the feelings of joy and gladness which pervade my
whole soul upon my return home and to meet with so friendly a
people; you cannot imagine what big feelings it gives me to have
the privilege of meeting with the Saints in this and in other
countries. Wherever I meet the Saints I feel that I always have
known and been with them. Why is this? Because they have partaken
of the same Spirit that I possess, and it runs from soul to soul
like oil, or like water, or electricity, pervading each and every
Saint wherever I have met them in any country. It is good when
you are far distant from Zion to meet a people who will receive
you with such a spirit and feeling. It is different now to what
it has been with some of the Elders who have gone forth to preach
the Gospel in the early days of the Church, when they found none
to receive them possessed of a kindred spirit. After they had
made known the message of heaven and found a people willing and
glad to receive it, they soon found friends, and they found the
same friends I found, namely, and honest-hearted people in
ignorance with regard to the principles of life and salvation;
they have been made acquainted with those principles, and there
are many others who have not yet been made acquainted with them,
although the Gospel has reached the ears of many of the
inhabitants of the earth, and we have established ourselves in
the earth as Latter-day Saints--the sons of God--in other words
the Almighty has established his Church and kingdom on the earth
with the authority thereof, and it is no longer to be ignored by
the people of the world; it is a fixed fact.
188
I do not know what they will do next, but I expect they will be
found trying to do their utmost against it. I do not look for
anything else. The Latter-day Saints expect to do a great work
when they seek to dig down the hill of error which has
accumulated for six thousand years on the earth; this they expect
to do with the Gospel and by the blessings of God and his power
assisting them, and so continue their labor until the earth is
redeemed and brought back again to its pristine glory and
perfection, and the kingdom of God rules and predominates all
over its face, and the power of the wicked be essentially broken,
and law and good order prevail everywhere, and men learn war no
more. These may appear high-swelling words, and they may appear
absurd to the millions of the earth. It does not matter to me how
absurd they look, the facts in the case remain the same; all
these things will be fulfilled in the own due time of the Lord;
this Work has already commenced and is now transpiring before the
face and eyes of all men. It is not done in a corner, but before
the whole world in the tops of the mountains; our light is not
hid under a bushel, but it is set upon a hill, that all the world
may see it. The truth of the Almighty is being made known in
these last days and it is a mighty testimony to the people, and
they will be sorry if they do not take heed to it. There cannot
be a grate testimony to the world than the living existence of
this people in the tops of the Rocky Mountains, and all people
can see it.
189
I rejoice in this work; let it roll forth and my heart is glad. I
feel proud to be associated with such a people; I feel proud that
such a people exist; I feel glad and rejoice exceedingly in my
soul, that I have lived in this day and age of the world, and
have the privilege of bearing this testimony to the nations, and
of becoming a citizen of the kingdom of God; of aiding to lay a
foundation to build upon for time as well as for eternity, that
we may come forth in the great hereafter and become associated
with the Gods of eternity. What do the world know about all this?
Simply nothing.
189
I have been absent from home about eighteen months; during that
time I have attended meetings in England among the different
Conferences; I have been to Scandinavia on a short visit, and
have been engaged in the Office at Liverpool in the publishing
department a portion of my time. I felt exceedingly to rejoice in
my labors and had pretty good health, for me, as a general thing;
although I have felt as though I could have done more if my
health had been better. I felt to regret that I could not do half
as much as I wanted to do; this was the only feeling of regret
which accompanied me on my return. I have not accomplished half
as much as I would liked to have done. It seems a long way to
travel, considerable time spent in coming and going, for so short
a mission, but with me it is all right to go or to stay; so long
as I am useful in the Church and kingdom of God, it does not
matter to me where my time is spent as long as I live.
189
The joy and gladness which I feel in meeting with my brethren
again in this place is inexpressible. Some of them have told me
that they intended to give an expression of their gladness at my
return, and were disappointed at my entering the city sooner than
they expected I would. I will take the will for the deed; the
good feelings which prompted the wish to do that I think more of
than any manifestation or demonstration that might have occurred.
I know there exists in the bosoms of my brethren towards me a
good and genial feeling that mingles with the feelings in my own
breast. I realize that I have the faith and prayers of my
brethren, and have realized their efficacy in many dangers, both
by sea and by land, while I have been travelling to preach the
Gospel, while I have been writing, while I have been afflicted in
sickness, and while I have had difficulties to overcome. In all
these circumstances I have felt buoyed up by that feeling which
beats responsive in your hearts and my own. I have had the
benefit of your prayers and appreciate them; they have been
answered upon my head, and this is a living testimony to me,
also, that your prayers are heard, and that you have learned how
to approach God in an acceptable manner to find favor in his
eyes, and have your prayers answered. My health is much better;
the journey to Europe has done me good, and God has done it. This
is His work, and we are His people.
189
We talk about having done this and that; but it is the Lord who
has done it, and we are merely instruments in his hands of
accomplishing His purposes in the earth. It is a great honor to
be an instrument in the hands of God of establishing His kingdom,
and of bringing forth His purposes in the last days. The Saints
are based upon the eternal rock of truth, and they will stand
when the refuge of lies is swept away; they are those who will be
found wise in their generation, and with oil in their lamps, and
they will be the ruling and governing class of mankind; they will
possess the earth, and the kingdom under the whole heavens will
be given unto them.
190
If we read the Bible we find that God has placed in His Church
Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, gifts and blessings for
the edifying of the Saints and the work of the ministry, etc.;
but the religious world in the 19th century say that these are
all done away; they are satisfied to read about what the ancients
enjoyed, and go hungry and naked themselves. When you go into an
hotel for dinner you read the bill of fare, and actually partake
of the good things therein noted. We should think a man either
crazy or a fool who would read the bill of fare and exclaim
against eating the savory food it describes. The Bible cannot
ordain a person with authority to stand forth and obey himself
and administer the ordinances of the house of God to others. "No
man taketh this honor upon himself but he that is called of God
as was Aaron;" and how can a man be called of God as was Aaron
without immediate revelation from Him? If Jesus had to be
baptised unto the baptism of repentance to fulfill all
righteousness, who else should be exempt? He went down into the
waters and was baptized, and the voice of God said, "This is my
beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him." He said to
Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he
cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." This is recorded in the
Bible which the Christian world acknowledge to be their rule of
faith. I exhort them to live to it. There is nothing said in the
Bible about sprinkling, and the world baptize means immersion,
and the world may quibble about it as much as they please. It is
through these principles and this administration from under the
hands of the servants of God that we receive the Holy Ghost,
which will lead into all truth, and to an increase of knowledge
in the things of God; through this channel we learn to know God,
whom to know is eternal life. That Spirit which lighteth every
man that cometh into the world, causeth mankind to seek after the
truth and to become anxious after their eternal welfare, and to
know about their hereafter. You may travel in every country and
you will find this feeling pervading mankind; for everybody,
except the infidel, worships at some shrine, and the infidel says
there is no God, and does not worship anything. The Scripture
says to know God is eternal life. How can we now Him and learn
Him? This is an important question for Latter-day Saints as well
as for others. How shall we learn to know the only wise and true
God and Jesus Christ who he has sent and know the relationship
that exists between Him and His children, and the purpose He had
in bringing us into this existence?
190
Let us keep this our second estate, for having kept our first
estate we have been reserved to come upon this earth and obtain a
tabernacle of flesh, pass through this mortality and have the
privilege of accomplishing the object and the purpose of the
Almighty in the organization of this earth. Let us be wise in our
day, and secure unto ourselves those blessings that are for us.
Let us be true and faithful, and full of that integrity with can
look Heaven in the face without a blush, clinging to the truth,
and never swerving from it for a single moment; and may God bless
us and help us to do so is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Ezra
T. Benson, October 9, 1865
Ezra T. Benson, October 9, 1865
EXHORTATION TO HOME-MANUFACTURE.
Remarks by Elder Ezra T. Benson, at the General Conference, Great
Salt Lake City, October 9, 1865.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
191
I feel grateful for this opportunity of speaking a few words at
this Conference, and for the blessings that have been conferred
upon us during its session.
191
We have had a very interesting Conference, and there has been a
great deal said which is of vital interest to the kingdom of God.
We have come here to receive instruction for our further progress
in prosecuting the purposes of God in the future, and for our
present individual and mutual benefit. Can we carry the spirit of
these instructions home with us and diffuse it in our families,
in our wards, and in the different settlements where we, as
delegates to this Conference, reside? If we an do this, then the
Saints in the different settlements who have not been at this
Conference will be equally benefited with us.
191
Can we not only treasure up, but carry out, what we have heard
this afternoon, and manufacture at home all we possibly can? Yes,
we can do it; and we all feel that we can; and we now feel
determined in our hearts to commence to do it when we go home
from this Conference, that we may be benefited and enjoy the
blessings that it is our privilege to enjoy. Who has made this
request of us? The President and Prophet of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, whom we have raised our hands to
heaven to sustain. There is not an Elder in this vast assembly
that would refuse to go to Europe, or to the islands of the sea,
were he called to do so by this Conference. To refuse to respond
to such a call would be a disgrace to him, and a sure token that
he was weak in the faith, and if he possessed any influence among
the Saints he would lose it. Now, it is the same Priesthood, the
same power and authority, that has called upon us unitedly as a
people, as parents, as children, as families and settlements, as
the Saints of the Most High, to produce and make among ourselves
that which we consume, to carry out to the best of our ability in
all our settlements this very excellent counsel. It is a faithful
attention to such instructions that will insure our salvation
here, and our salvation in the celestial kingdom of God
hereafter; for it is by means of the Holy Priesthood, and the
keys and power of it, that we shall be led back into His
presence.
192
The great object and purpose of the religion of Jesus Christ is
to bring all the faithful back into the presence of their Father
and God; for all who will abide a celestial law shall have a
celestial glory, and a celestial glory is the highest glory that
we have any knowledge of--it is where our Heavenly Father dwells;
and no faithful Saint can ever feel satisfied short of reaching
His presence and beholding His face. We are banished from our
Father in Heaven in this low, sinful world; but we are not
altogether lost, for He is feeling after us, and if we will
listen to and obey the counsels of His servants, we shall be
saved.
192
The brethren have spoken to us with great power during this
Conference; I never have seen, in all my life, more power resting
upon the Elders. I feel to bear my testimony to the truth of
"Mormonism," as the world call it, to the truths that the Prophet
Joseph Smith has brought forth and to the truth that President
Brigham Young reveals to this people; these are the truths of
heaven, and they will lead all who obey them to the possession of
eternal life. Let us give diligent heed to these things. There is
plenty for us to do if we are diligent in the things of the
kingdom of God. How simple and plain are the principles of
salvation! They pertain to us as mortals, and to this mortal
world, and they show us that our heaven is here and will be of
our own making, for we are of the earth, earthy; we came from the
earth, and the meek will inherit it.
192
We have got to learn how to take care of ourselves, and to
organize the elements around us for our own comfort, and cease
going to New York, Boston, and other places for supplies. Let our
young ladies take pride in wearing bonnets made of straw raised
in the country and braided with their own hands. In doing this
they have the satisfaction of following the counsel of the
servants of God, and of aiding a little in attaining our
independence of foreign markets. Such a course as we have been
advised to take at this Conference, with regard to home
manufactures, will affect us for the better more sensibly in the
future than in the present; but we are apt to think of the
present and let the future take care of itself. When shall we be
fully delivered from the corruptions of the world and from the
influence of the false traditions which our fathers have taught
us? The sooner we can overcome these, and follow faithfully and
to the letter the instructions of the Holy Spirit, the better it
will be for us as individuals and as a people.
192
May God bless you, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Amasa
M. Lyman, October 9, 1865
Amasa M. Lyman, October 9, 1865
DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNDERSTANDING NECESSARY.
Remarks by Elder A. M. Lyman, delivered in the Bowery, in Great
Salt Lake City, General Conference, October 9, 1865.
Reported by David W. Evans.
192
I am happy to meet with you, my brethren and sisters, this
morning, and I simply give expression to my feelings, in
repeating what has been expressed by others that this Conference
has been to me one of interest--richly instructive and edifying.
193
In the admonitions that have been imparted we have been led to
see, what in us is weak, dark, and should be improved. And in
addition to that, the instructions have been rich in suggestions
as to the ways and means by which we can secure to ourselves the
blessings of that much needed improvement. While I have listened,
the inquiry has risen in my mind as to how we, the people of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, could substantially
and profitably pursue the labors devolving upon us and honestly
continue the struggle to become what we are denominated--Saints.
193
In the admonition that has been imparted we were truthfully told,
that we were as yet only in part what we should be as Saints;
that with all our labors and experience, with all the advantages
for acquiring knowledge that have characterized our history thus
far, we have yet much to learn. This truth, it appears to me,
should be impressed upon the minds of all who think and reflect.
It is one that is evinced in our conduct and actions as a people.
There is no one feature in our history that is rendered more
distinct or plain to be read and comprehended by the reflecting
mind than this--that we, in all our learning, learn but slowly,
and have as yet learned comparatively little of that large amount
that may be learned, and that we yet manifest in our lives but a
small degree of that perfection that should characterize us as
the children of God, as the people of the Saints of the Most
High, who are blessed with the light of the Gospel, ministered to
them continually in simplicity and in truth. All our meetings,
like the present, where there is congregated together the largest
representation of the people of God to be met with in any one
place, still continue to be characterized by instruction and
teaching on those principles that it has ever been the object of
our heavenly Father, and of his servants, to impress upon the
minds of the Saints.
193
Now, how shall we, as the servants and ministers of God, expect
to see in ourselves, and in the people to whom our ministrations
extend, a permanent and progressive improvement, as the fruits of
our labors, unless we, to some extent justly and truthfully
comprehend the principles that are involved in the work that is
devolved upon us? It appears to me, as but consistent and
truthful, that the enlightenment of the people and the
development in them of the knowledge necessary for their blessing
and exaltation should legitimately follow the development of
knowledge and a just comprehension of truth in those who minister
to them.
193
Well, we are almost all teachers and preachers; in some
relationship in life, in some position in the community, we all
put on the character of teachers; and when we take into account
the sum of the evils that exist as barriers between us and the
enjoyment of a fulness of happiness, when we consider what these
are, to remove, conquer, and overcome them should be our labor.
And if the knowledge of God, of truth and of the principles of
the Gospel is necessary to the accomplishment of this work, it
should be our business, as servants of God and of the people, to
learn this lesson ourselves; for it is evident to my mind that
our attention and devotion to the truth and to such a course of
action as the knowledge of the truth would suggest to us, is that
which should regulate us in life, and the extent of our devotion
to this is always marked and determined by our appreciation of
its value.
194
If we, as a people, were capable of appreciating, and had justly
estimated the counsels that have been imparted to us continually
in relation to what is denominated our temporal salvation, our
devotion to the advice would have produced far different results.
There would not have been, as there is to-day, a feeling to
expostulate with the people on the necessity of laying up and
securing to themselves bread against a time of want. There would
not be the empty granaries and the comparative lack of that which
should exist in abundance among the people.
194
I do not know what name men may give to the causes that have
induced this condition of things. In my mind there exists but one
general reason--our lack of comprehending the truth in relation
to the nature of the work in which we are engaged; and that with
all our opportunities of acquiring knowledge and getting
understanding we are, as has been truthfully told us in the
fatherly admonitions imparted to us during this Conference, only
just beginning to be Saints--only just entering on that work, the
consummation of which will make of us that kind of a people for
whom the Lord says it is his business to provide.
194
Now, perhaps, we may have been to some extent presuming too much
upon the kindness, charity, and goodness of our heavenly Father.
We may have fancied, perchance, that he is pledged to preserve us
irrespective of the course that we pursue, simply because we have
supposed that we are Saints, because we have been baptized into
the Church. But this truth cannot be too forcibly impressed on
our minds--that if it is the business of the Lord to provide for
his Saints, it is our business exclusively so to live that the
Lord may have Saints for whom to care and provide, whom He may
protect, and who may securely rest beneath the shadow of His
wings, enjoying the blessings of His protection against evil.
194
But what is it that will constitute us Saints? A knowledge of the
work we have to perform, and then a faithful, humble, undivided,
and unreserved devotion to its accomplishment. That will
constitute us Saints; that will constitute us teachers in the
midst of the people; that will constitute us a people to whom the
ministrations of the Priesthood will extend as a fountain of
blessings.
194
The attainment of this knowledge, the possession of this rich
understanding, is that to which you and I must reach ere we are
established in the truth beyond a chance of becoming unsettled.
This is the way it appears to me. My paths may be crooked, and my
efforts to attain to this position and condition may be feeble,
and not only feeble, but they may be characterized by a
corresponding amount of improprieties and inconsistencies; but
this is what appears to me to be the great object that is before
me, that invites my exertions, induces me to labor and
struggle--not till I am worn out, but until I find the
realization of my brightest hopes in the possession of that which
I seek.
194
As the Gospel presents itself to me, as the work of God is spread
out before my mind, so I judge of it, so I appreciate it, so I
talk about it, so I recommend it to you, my brethren and sisters.
195
"Well," says one, "when will we learn?" That depends altogether
upon ourselves. "Why," says one, "will not the Lord have
something to do with it?" The Lord has to do with it; and if we
would be more careful about what we should do, instead of
troubling ourselves about what the Lord should do, it might
perhaps result in bringing us to the enjoyment of greater and
richer blessings. Why, the Lord knows what to do, and He has no
need of our instruction. The Lord is supposed, by me at any rate,
to be fully up to all that devolves upon Him in relation to
ourselves. The Lord is waiting for us to come along; He is only
waiting for us to come up to that which it is our privilege to
enjoy.
195
Some people may suppose, per-chance, that the channels of
knowledge are not open to all the people, as they are to the few.
Some may cherish the idea that position, or place in the Church
and kingdom of God may make a vast difference in the attainment
of the blessings requisite to our happiness, and to our
acceptance with God, and to our progress as Saints in the way of
life. Position may make vast differences, perchance; but I do not
know of an individual so low, I do not know of an individual so
poor, but what the fountains of knowledge are as accessible to
him as to the highest, as well to the last as to the first. It is
not from the fact that the fountain of knowledge is only open to
the teachers among the people, that they occupy their position.
The teachers in the midst of the people are something like what
we see in our schools. You go into our schools, and if the
teacher has a large number of pupils in charge, he very likely
will have recourse to this bit of policy--he takes some of his
most advanced scholars and gives them the position of teachers
amongst their school-fellows and associates. Well, does this
exalt them above the character or capacity of pupils? No! They
are still learners in the school, and it is just as necessary for
them to continue their labor for the acquisition of knowledge as
before. This is the character of the teachers in Israel; that is,
as I view it. This is the way I view myself as a teacher in the
midst of Israel--as one upon whom has devolved the duty of
extending the principles of salvation to those around me. When I
labor to teach or instruct, I do not feel that they whom I am
instructing need instruction any more than I do myself. I feel
that all the necessity that may exist for any increase of wisdom,
knowledge, and understanding in reference to the humblest soul in
the kingdom of God, exists in all its force for me.
195
Well, with this feeling I look upon the work of God, I think of
it, I study about it, and then I make my efforts for the
accomplishment of the duties that seem to devolve upon me. And
when I get to know more and become wiser with that increase of
wisdom, shall not need to tell any body, it will be evinced in
increased propriety of action to the accomplishment of what I
seek to accomplish. What duty, then, devolves upon us as the
ministers of God--the Priesthood dispersed and living among the
people? Why, we should seek for the development in ourselves of
that knowledge without which we tell the people that neither they
no we can be exalted to glory and greatness.
196
"But," says my brother, "we must tell the people they should be
correct in the duties of life in its multiplied details." Yes,
this is good; this must be; but what is it that will correct all
these matters? My neighbor kindly takes me by the hand to-day and
says, "Brother Lyman, you can walk in this, that, or the other
direction, it is safe." It may be ground that I have not explored
and do not understand, and I feel that his direction and
instruction are a blessing to me. So is that a blessing which
shall lead and guide the people until the "day shall dawn and the
day star shall arise in their hearts," whether it be the kindly
instruction of teachers who live in their midst, and with whom
they meet and associate from time to time, or whether it be the
suggestions of the written history of those who have long since
passed away, it makes no difference. The history or record
contained in the Bible presents an example of the right, and it
is suggestive of right to those who read it, and upon the same
principle that what could be said to you by the living teacher is
suggestive of the truth.
196
Now, this appears to be what we need; we want to have
understanding developed within us. Well, what is it? Perhaps if I
were to describe my notions and views of things, it would not be
the same as if described by some other man. One of the ancient
apostles spoke of understanding in such a way that we can judge
something of what his views were in regard to it. Said he, "We
know that Jesus has come." It was a great question in New
Testament times among the immediate successors of Jesus--"Has
Jesus come, or has he not?" "Has Jesus been and died, or is it an
imposture?" the same as it is about the Saints now--"Is this the
work of God or is it an imposture?" Well, now, says the apostle,
"When that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding
to determine between those that serve God and those who do not."
This is what we want; we want understanding, that we may know for
ourselves that this is the work of God. Why? Until this is
developed within us there is a chance for uncertainty to hang
around and cling to us, and a possibility that our feet may be
moved from the path of rectitude and truth. We may be like men
whom I have seen that have travelled for a score of years with,
and have labored in the Church, and have suffered--that is, about
as far as men have suffered who have not died--and then, after
the expiration of this time, we find them floating off to the
east and to the west, to the north and to the south. "Why, good
brother, what is the matter? I did not believe you would ever
have left the Church." "Ah!" said he, "I have not found it what
it was said to be." Such individuals have not understanding
developed within them; they do not know that this is the work of
God. The apostle in ancient times knew that Jesus had come,
because of the gift of understanding by which he was able to
determine for himself. It is this understanding that, when
developed in the mind or soul of a man, sets aside all
uncertainty and silences all doubt. Uncertainty departs from the
mind at once, and the soul settles in unbroken, undisturbed
tranquility and repose, so far as the nature of the work in which
it is engaged is concerned, and the language of that soul is, "I
know that this is the work of God."
196
Now we, as the ministers of God, called from among the people to
labor among them, should remember all the time, that it is our
first great duty to learn ourselves, to obtain knowledge and
understanding ourselves, and then to use all the judgment and
understanding with which God may favor and bless us, to enlighten
the people and to lead them onward.
196
But, says one, the people have been taught for years, and they
have not yet leaned; when will they learn? I will tell you. When
they have been taught long enough they will learn. How? Just as
you and I when we went to school. We had to study our lessons
until we could master them, and then that labor was completed.
197
I am glad of this continuous principle that seems to mark the
character of the work of God. If we do not learn in two, five,
ten, twenty, or thirty years the truth that would make us free,
still the opportunity is open, still the chance is afforded us to
learn and to mend our cooked ways. This is why I love the Gospel;
this is what first fixed a deep and abiding regard for it in my
affections--the mercy that was in it, the kind forbearance, that
seemed to have a life like the life of the Almighty--eternal,
that would never die.
197
Let us be encouraged to hope for such an increase of intelligence
among the people--the fruit of the labors and ministrations of
the ministry in their midst, as shall develop increasing
perfection of action among the people, and buy-and-by they will
know enough of themselves to adopt such a policy as would enrich
and save them temporally.
197
Well, says one, would they not get spiritually saved if they were
not temporally saved? I do not know. I want to be saved, and I
would like to be temporally and spiritually saved. If there
should be any difference between them, I want them both. This is
the salvation before us. If we had that spiritual salvation
which, in the language of the Savior, constitutes eternal
life--the knowledge of God, an understanding of the principles of
salvation, if we had a sufficiency of divine wisdom, in that
light would vanish all these dark clouds that exist around us as
so many drawbacks to our prosperity and to our progress in the
way of life. In that light we would be able to appreciate the
value of doing right, above that of doing wrong. This is the way
the matter appears to me, and I look forward to the time when the
Saints will be all they should be, as Saints. I hope and labor
for it, and there is no feeling in my soul but what reaches
forward with hopeful confidence to a time when the last dark
cloud shall be moved from the minds, not of every body, but of
the Saints with whom our labors in this work begun, and with whom
we have been associated the last thirty years of our lives; of
the Saints with whom we have endured toil, with whom we have been
driven, and in whose fate and fortunes we have shared. We expect
it for them, we hope for it for them, and we labor for it for
them. Will not you labor with us? We tell you that to know God is
eternal life, which is simply repeating the truth declared by the
Savior of the world; and while we impress this repeatedly, again
and again, on your minds, and bring it to your attention, will
not you unite with us in struggling for the acquisition of that
knowledge for yourselves? Why says one, can't you get it for us?
No; it is all I can do to get knowledge for myself. Well, but,
says one, can't you impart to us? I can do what I am doing this
morning--making the best effort in my power, within the compass
of my ability, to awaken such trains of thought and reflection in
your minds as will lead you to seek after the truth, and seeking,
find it. If what I have learned, if the little knowledge I
possess should have enlightened any other mind than mine, or
could be possessed by any other individual than me, without his
action being required for its attainment, things would be
different from what they are. Our Father has fixed it so that we
might live, and find the elements of happiness and joy for
ourselves; and when they were acquired, they would be ours to
possess, fixed within, the treasure of our own souls, for ever
ours, constituting our happiness with all its eternal increase
and greatness.
197
Let us wake up and feel that we are the children of God, and that
as God's children, the object of our being here is to find and
realize within ourselves that development of our natures that we
inherit from our Father and God, that will exalt us till we can
be fit associates for Him, that between Him and ourselves there
may exist all that wealth of harmony that will constitute the
happiness of heaven, the bliss and glory of the saved and
sanctified.
198
Well, now, to acquire this, what is the labor before us? What is
necessary? That we turn from evil. Well, how shall we know evil?
Why our evils are pointed out continually, not only by the feeble
dawnings of light within us, but by the light of that inspiration
that burns in the hearts of the servants of God, making their
comprehensions of truth reach incomparably beyond those who have
not in such a way devoted themselves to the acquirement of
knowledge. In that light our weaknesses and follies are brought
to our understanding, that we may see them, and that seeing and
comprehending we may go to work and regulate our actions so that
when God blesses, aids, and strengthens us, we may acquire that
knowledge that will exalt us above the influence of the ignorance
that is around us.
198
Now, my brethren and sisters, having expressed these few
thoughts, I hope that we may be able to go away from this
Conference to our respective homes to live and labor in the great
work of our Father, and that when the half-year shall have passed
away, and we are again assembled in this capacity that we may
feel, and not only feel, but that it may be true, that we are a
wiser and better people than to-day; and that we may entertain
more truthful conceptions of God and the character of his work,
and be acting in a manner better calculated to please Him and to
secure His blessings upon us, than to-day.
198
That this may be our happy lot, and that God's blessings may
attend our every exertion for the development of Zion on the
earth, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Amasa
M. Lyman, April 5, 1866
Amasa M. Lyman, April 5, 1866
MARRIAGE; ITS BENEFITS.
Remarks by Elder Amasa M. Lyman, delivered in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 5, 1866.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
198
I am glad to enjoy the privileges that are extended to us on this
occasion, and to meet with my friends, and to unite with my
brethren in the ministry to render the occasion instructive and
profitable. Whether we have much or little to say with regard to
the great good there is to be secured and enjoyed, I would hope
that in our efforts we might be blessed and favored in making
some suggestions to the audience that will be calculated to
awaken in their minds good thoughts that will lead them to God,
and to a knowledge of the principles that are involved in its
work.
199
From all I have been able to gather from observing the course
taken by ministers in their labors for the enlightenment of the
people, I have come to the conclusion that, perhaps, there are
not very many who will be able of themselves, and within the
limited circle of their personal labors and exertions, to tell
everything, even if they should know it, and communicate all that
may be communicated for the benefit of the people. I believe that
the servants of God, in their efforts generally, reveal to the
people the workings of their own minds, under the influences of
the Spirit of God, and are able to bestow upon them for their
comfort, encouragement, and aid in the great work in which they
are engaged, the results of their experience, of their reflection
and thought. The Gospel that we have received is something that,
as I view it, bears a direct relationship to our condition here
and hereafter, and that it proposes to so direct our actions and
our conduct in life, that they may all be made to assume a proper
character. When our actions are right they have the character of
virtues, and virtues commend us to God and to one another.
Virtue, when practiced by us, is the surest and best foundation
that we can have for confidence, not only in God, but in
ourselves, and in one another, a degree of which is necessary to
our happiness, to our comfort and joy. It appears to me that the
man or woman, whose course of life is such that he or she has no
confidence in his or herself, properly can have but very little
in God. As brother Hyde has remarked, the time is near when we
are to encounter the realities of our religion. I believe it is
so. We have professed to receive the Gospel and have adopted our
faith years ago. We have received more or less of a series of
lessons that have been given to the Saints, from time to time,
through the revelations of God, as they have been communicated to
His people.
199
There is a feature in our religion that I have thought was but
little understood; it is like many other things that would be of
much more value to us if they were well understood; our
understanding of it is limited as a people, and about that very
feature in our religion I feel disposed to make a few
suggestions, as the results of my own thoughts and reflections,
and of all that has been opened up of the matter in my mind with
regard to it. As this feature of our religion is now receiving
considerable attention from the people of the United States, who
have become deeply concerned in regard to it, probably it would
be well if we talk a little about it ourselves, that they may not
be the first to learn, the first to know that which we ought to
know.
199
The question arises here, what is it that they have become
concerned about? Not about our sins; but they have given us
credit for a great many good things. They can but acknowledge
that we have been brave in conquering the dangers of pioneering
our way into an untried land and country; a land that was barren
of comfort, barren of these things that were necessary to the
sustaining of human life. They will compliment us to-day for our
persevering industry, for the toil that we have endured, and for
the perseverance that we have evinced in working our way, not to
where we expected to find hidden treasures of gold and silver,
but to the desert, to find a place so poor, so barren, and so
forbidding in its aspect that none others would desire it, but
that we might, in its desolation and isolation from the rest of
the world, enjoy the poor privilege of living there without
having our right questioned. They say we were brave. So we were:
we had good reason to be so; we could not well be anything else.
We encountered the desert with all its worthlessness and with all
its unproductiveness, and we not only made bridges and roads, but
we actually conquered the desert.
200
"Why do you not say that the Lord did it?" If I were to say the
Lord did it, then would you not ask me how the Lord did it? I
know how he did it, because I saw it done. The Lord led us out
here, but I know that he walked us on our own feet all the weary
miles of our journeyings until we reached our destination. I know
that since all this our friends from the States have come out
here, and can now partake of our hospitality and feast on the
fruits of our labor, industry, and enterprise. They are pleased
at finding a comfortable half-way house between the Atlantic and
the Pacific, where they can rest, eat our fruit, and enjoy
themselves; yet they smooth down the wrinkles upon their visages
(the fruits of indwelling hate), look very grave, and returning
home lie about us, and represent the people of Utah different
from what they are.
200
We would suppose that they are blind with a holy horror, excited
in them by the contemplation of a phantom which haunts their
imaginations continually; they are afraid that the people in Utah
will do wrong; they have got so far from the confines of
Christian civilization and refinement that they are fearful, if
they do not take some action in relation to the Saints, that they
will go widely astray and perpetrate some great wrong. We have
been asking them for years to admit us into the Union. Would they
listen to us? No. Does our constant begging and praying for
admittance into the Union ever awaken a feeling of sympathy in
them towards us? It does not. Yet they make out to be so alarmed
for our moral safety that they seem to have forgotten all the
festering corruptions of the great cities of the east.
200
When the great nation with which we are connected politically
begin to make our faith the subject of special legislation, is it
not time that we should know and say something about it? They do
not complain of any dishonesty and corruption among us; they do
not tell us that the land is sowed broadcast with iniquity; they
are not alarmed about this, but they are alarmed because men out
here in Utah dare marry a wife honorably and fearlessly, and then
publicly own her as his wife. This is all they complain of. If we
will only ignore this, I do not know but they will admit us into
the Union. Do you think we had better ignore this little bit of
our religion, or have we really determined within ourselves,
soundly and sentimentally, whether it is actually necessary,
proper, right, and just. If we could only slip it off and get
admitted into the Union, it might be an advantage to us; but if
it is worth enough to cling to, even if we have to live out of
the Union, we ought to know it, that we may be the better able to
make a good trade when we do trade. It is simply plural marriage
that they complain of. They corrupt themselves elsewhere all over
the world; but out in Utah men actually presume to marry women
honestly; they presume to consider this the best course to be
pursued to maintain the purity of man and woman.
201
How shall we determine anything about the value of plural
marriage, so that we may know whether it is worth anything or
not? I do not know any way better than by determining first
whether single marriage is of value or not--whether it extends
any advantages or not to those who are parties to this
relationship. Were we to ask the multitudes of the earth what the
institution of marriage is worth, what the amount of blessing and
salvation that accrues from it, to those who are parties to it,
we should, no doubt, receive for a reply, "We do not know." A man
marries a wife to keep his house, to do the drudgery to become a
slave who shall do the labor about his place, and become the
creature of his wants and wishes. Does he entertain any ideas of
any value that pertains to the institution of marriage beyond
this; if he does, it is but little. A great many men live in the
world, and throughout all their lives they never appreciate the
value of marriage in such a way as to ever induce them to marry;
they think they can get along better in single life.
202
How can we be led to an understanding, in a limited degree, of
the many advantages that result to men and women who are
honorably married? Why, look at the evil and the corruption, and
consequent wretchedness that curse the condition of that broad
margin of women that never are made to feel the responsibility,
comforts and blessings resulting from a pure, and healthy, and
virtuous marriage. Where is this state of things to be found? In
every Christian community that I know anything about. It is the
root of that festering corruption that is eating out the core and
vital energies, and sapping the foundation of life in the race of
man. It is found in every community where it is declared that a
man shall marry one wife only, and it shall be considered a
virtue; but to marry a second wife while the first wife is alive,
is considered a crime and punishable by confinement in prison, or
the payment of a fine, because it is a sin. What, this in a
Christian land? Yes, this in a Christian land! Christianity of
the most approved kind is advocated where it exists. In the same
thoroughfare the victims of corruption and vicious passion, and
the devotees of Christianity jostle against each other. In the
same locality edifices, whose lofty towers point to heaven, and
wherein are held sacred the paraphernalia of Christian worship
casts its lengthening shadows over the dens of corruption and
crime, where the victims of passion and unhallowed lust live to
drag out a miserable existence; in the reeking corruption which
is the result of their own sins. The religious sanctuary and the
brothel flourish together; they have their development there; in
that land we see woman in her most wretched condition. We first
see her in the morning of her life, innocent and pure--innocent
as innocence itself, pure as the spirit that comes from God. In
this condition we see her enter upon her life's journey. We meet
with her when she has progressed, when she has trod far in the
path of folly, degradation, wretchedness, and sin; but she is
innocent no more. Are the blessings of home extended around her
any more? No. Has she the blessings of the warm sympathy of kind
friends any more? No; they are frigid and cold; the warm heart
gushing out the blessings of friendship is closed against her;
she is not fit to be associated with any more; she is unfit to be
welcomed to the society of her more fortunate sisters; and,
consequently, she is not welcome to return to a pure and better
life, could a disposition be awakened in her to do so, and she
seeks for the means of prolonging that worthless life as best she
can find them. If she carries personal charms, they are to feed
the wishes and satiate the appetite of the gloating libertine;
for he will give her money. When those charms have faded from her
form--when youth is passed and followed by decrepid old age, she
becomes the loathsome thing that no one claims or desires, for
which none manifests any warm sympathy and affectionate regard.
This is the fate of a class of women who were born pure and
innocent as you, my sisters, were born, situated as you were,
bearing the same relationship to high heaven by creation as you
bear, yet she drags out her miserable existence to her resting
place, the grave, when death terminates her suffering and
wretched existence; no father was there, no mother was there, no
kind sister to weep over her departure, no bother had regard for
her, no kindred relationship to pay so much as the tribute of a
single tear on the spot where her frail dust found its last
resting place.
202
This is the unwept, friendless fat of an extensive class of our
erring sisters. What do we call them? Oh, she is merely "a common
woman on the street," "prostitute," which means a woman, created
by and bearing the image of God our Heavenly Father--a woman
prostituted to become the victim of passion--passion unhallowed,
impure passion in man who should have guarded her virtue with the
most scrupulous care, with the most vigilant watchfulness,--man
who should ever have recognized in her his sister, who should
have regarded her as the personification of the purity and
innocence of heaven itself, and who should never have made her
the victim of his unholy passion. But she has fallen, and this
terminates her wretched career. If she leaves an offspring, the
vile stain of bastardy is attached to it, and her children are
cast out of society, like their disgraced mother; they are
discarded and shunned by what is called refined and Christian
society; no paternal provisions are made for them, no paternal
care and anxiety is cherished in relation to them. The state only
sees in them, if males, prospective soldiers, who for a little
pay are marshaled to fight its battles, and bleed and die upon
the battle field. If any of them happened to be brave, can
venture further and kill more than his associates, the
probability is that he will gather to himself the honor, and the
glory, and respect which his frail mother failed to secure.
202
This is the most favorable termination of the earthly career of
that class of unfortunate women and their children. I appeal to
you, who are honorable wives and mothers, if you do not think
there is real, unmitigated misery in this? Or do you think that
it is merely something of my picturing? I am not here to treat
you to empty romance. The tithing of all the misery,
wretchedness, and crime that exist among the female sex, or our
race, in the great Christian cities and heathen cities of the
world, cannot be told; it would be vain for me to undertake to
tell it all. I have instanced what I have, that you who are wives
and mothers may see something of what you have been saved from,
by being blessed with the opportunity of becoming honorably
married. You are saved from all the wretchedness which
characterizes the life and death of your unfortunate sisters.
203
Does marriage possess any value, then? Would it not be a very
good thing if the blessings arising from it, which you enjoy,
could be extended to all? Why is it not so? Because monogamic
Christianity says it shall not be extended to all. This
Christianity is like the prophets bed, "shorter than that a man
can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he
can drop himself in it." I do not know that the prophet thought
anything of Christianity as it now exists in the world, although
this figure is very apt in its fitness to it. Comparing monogamic
Christianity with the prophet's covering, it may be of a fine
texture and good, as far as it goes, but it is decidedly too
small. This is unquestionably the fault with a Christianity that
does not extend the mantle of salvation to all who should be the
recipients of its blessings. If all men and all women in a
community were honorably married, you can readily understand one
thing, that there would be no prostitution of women in that
community, there would be an end of the corruption of man in that
community, there would be no illegitimacy there. You can see,
then, that it is only a question of advantages resulting from a
pure marriage to all the inhabitants of any community, who can be
blessed by such an institution of marriage; only introduce this,
and the cause of all this sin and moral and physical degeneracy
would have an end.
203
"But then," says one, "is it right?" "We should have no
objections to a plural marriage if we could only believe that it
was right." How in heaven's name you would have to feel, to feel
that it is wrong, I cannot imagine. You say that when one wife is
married to a man, there is in that transaction nothing but what
is religious; nothing but what is godly, healthy, pure and good;
it is good enough to go to church with; it is something you can
pray about; you can have it sanctified by the presence of the
priest. It is sacred; it is so commendable that the most
fastidious will hardly blush at the idea of a man's marrying one
wife. He who marries one wife is considered an honorable man, and
his wife finds a place among honorable women, and their children
are honored upon the same plane that is secured to them by the
character and standing of their honored parents in the community.
They have their entry into society; it smiles upon them and
extends to them its patronage, and their path is the path of
honor from the time they open their infant eyes and gaze upon the
surrounding objects in the midst of which life to them has a
beginning, and though all the subsequent stages of the lengthened
way. These blessings come to them because their parents were
honorably married and kept sacredly the vows that made them
husband and wife. Their marriage was virtuous and just. What a
pity it is that this state of things could not be extended to
all. I allude to this single marriage because I want you,
Latter-day Saints, that are before me to-day, to begin to think,
if you never have, to begin to reason, if you never have, that
you may know and understand, if it is only to a limited extent,
the reasons that exist why marriage is a pure, holy, and saving
institution.
203
Says one, "The Bible says it is." But suppose the Bible did not
say so, would that make any difference? If a woman were
associated in the relationship of wife with an honorable man who
kept his marriage vow, would it change the fact that there would
be purity, innocence, truthfulness, and virtue in this that could
not be found elsewhere--that could not occur without the same
intimate relationship between man and woman--aside from the
covenant that makes them man and wife.
203
We say, then, if this is the reason why in Heaven's wisdom it was
ordained that man and woman should be married, it was simply to
regulate the actions of man and woman in the most sacred, holy,
high, and responsible relationships that exist between them, to
preserve in man and woman the fountain of life in purity, that
there might be given to earth a people in purity, and free from
the taint of inherent corruption. How do I know that? Because
that it only requires the careful and continued observance of the
law of marriage, as God has revealed it, to preserve man and
woman in purity.
204
Then what bearing has a pure marriage upon the interest of the
world that it should be necessary to introduce it as one of the
leading features in the great work of God, developed and
established in this our day for the prosecution of his will and
purposes in the salvation of mankind? Has it any bearing at all
upon the purity of man and upon the race? From the little
reflection that I have bestowed upon the matter, I have learned
to regard it as the world's great necessity--the great necessity
of the race to-day, and it is God's greatest necessity in
reference to the salvation of the world, and to the development
of His universal empire of peace and righteousness over all the
earth. Why? Because I have learned that there has been, and that
there is still in existence, operating and producing its deadly
effects, a system of physical degeneracy that is telling
fearfully upon the history of the race.
204
The Bible tells us that men used to reach a longevity that
extended to near a thousand years; this was near six thousand
years ago. To say that this is not true would be to question the
validity of the Bible, and I would not dare to do that, however
presumptuous I may be in a thousand other things. We are
descendants of that same race who enjoyed the blessing, if it was
a blessing, of an extended longevity; yet the statistics of
to-day relating to the average life of the human race show that
it extends to a fraction over a quarter of a century. Should
anybody be alarmed at this? If they not know the causes which
have led to it they will not be; but if they have a knowledge
sufficient to understand that if the race has so degenerated,
physically, in five thousand years that the term of a man's life
is reduced from near a thousand years to a quarter of a century,
the question would be awakened in their minds as to how narrow a
margin of time is left for the continuation of our race on the
earth before it becomes entirely extinct--that there will not be
a man, woman, or child to awaken the cheerless condition of the
desolate earth with the music of their voices and the light of
their smiles. They have ceased to be.
205
It used to be told us when we were children that the world was
coming to an end. We thought it was coming to an end; that
something was about to be revealed from somewhere that would burn
it up. We see that the world is actually approaching desolation,
to a point beyond which it would not be possible for human life
to be extended. Is there nothing alarming in this? To me there
is. I pore over, in my own mind, what my prospects are as a
servant of God. I have entered upon this work, which we
denominate the work of God, and which comprises the building up
of the kingdom of God and the extension of the government of God
over all the earth, carrying with it the blessings of the rule of
righteousness and peace, and it promises that I am going to be a
prince and a ruler over countless millions of intelligent beings
like myself. Where are they all coming from? Why, they will be
your children. That cannot be; for as the human race is fast
wearing to an end, there would not any of my children be left in
a few generations more. You are, no doubt, mathematicians enough
to see this. I give the Lord credit in my feelings for having
known this long before I did; and hence I say that plural
marriage is the great necessity of the age, because it is a means
that God has introduced to check the physical corruption and
decline of our race; to stop further contributions to the already
fearful aggregate of corruption that has been developed as the
result of sin in man and woman. What will that do? It will take
off a great tax from the recuperative energies of the race by
relieving them from the necessity of contending with increasing
corruption beyond its present limits; that man may begin to live
until he attains to the age of a tree, as he lived before he
first began to sin and violate the laws of his being. It is to
effect this that the Lord has introduced plural marriage. "But,"
says one, "why do you not prove it from the Bible?" You can read
the Bible yourselves. I want to know, see, read, and understand,
as it is evinced in the physical condition of the race that these
are truths, whether the books refer to them or not. If there was
no revelation to reach us from foreign quarters, it is a
revelation that is before our eyes; its truth is demonstrated
within the circle of our own being--within the narrow limits of
our own observation it is made plain, and we should understand
and comprehend. When we know this, then we know what the Bible
may say with regard to polygamy being true, because we find the
evidence of it in truth itself. That is what polygamy is worth.
It is simply an extension of pure marriage to all the social
elements in the community man and woman, that is all.
205
Who is it that says there is licentiousness connected with plural
marriage? It is the libertine; that man that is corrupt himself;
who has worshipped at the shrine of passion; whose passion
clamors in his corrupt soul for victims. He dreams of it and
talks of it; and because the Saints believe in a plurality of
wives, he thinks there must certainly be a lack of moral purity
there--virtue must be easy with the people that have more than
one wife.
205
What do you think they have found out? After making experiments
that have turned out rather futile, they have found out that with
all their mistaken notions of their deluded fellow-citizens in
the mountains, the virtue of woman and the sanctity of the
marriage relationship cannot be invaded with impunity--it is
guarded with jealousy. The same men that were brave in coming
over the plains, and energetic in making the roads and in
building the bridges, etc., are still here, and continue to be
brave. They have not dared so much in the past that they will
stop daring now.
205
Are you going to say something in support of plural marriage? No.
I do not wish anybody to tell that I have said a word by way of
supporting and sustaining plural marriage. Are you ashamed of it?
No. Do you love it? Yes, I love it because it is true, and stands
alone, without my aid. "What are you talking about it for, then?"
That you may understand the truth and know its value, and secure
to yourselves the blessings that only can accrue from the
knowledge of the truth. That doctrine is safe and can take care
of itself; and if you make an application of the truth to
yourselves, it will take care of you; it will secure you from
corruption, wretchedness, and death, and give you life and
immortality; while others will still sink under the accumulating
weight of corruption, until they go down to hell.
206
"But," says one, "I have been looking, but I have not seen much
change that has taken place in consequence of the introduction of
polygamy." You are not a very close observer, perhaps. When the
first edition of Federal officers came out here, we had hardly
made a beginning in practical plurality of wives; however, it was
awful times for them; they could only once in a while see a
woman, and when they did see one, they inquired who she was. "O,
she is Elder such a one's wife." "Who is that woman over yonder?"
"She is brother so and so's wife." "Who is that woman that is
crossing the street?" "She is Bishop such a one's wife." "O, the
devil, the women are all married out here." They begin to look
round for a peculiar kind of institution that flourishes so well
in Christendom, where such prevail, where they make ample
provisions for the gratification of lustful passion; no odds how
foul, black, and damning in its consequences, still it can find
its gratification at those favored institutions. Those Federal
gentlemen began to look for similar accommodations in Utah; but
instead of finding them they found school houses and houses for
the public worship of God, dedicated to the best interests of
humanity, for the improvement of the condition of our race. Their
peculiar institutions they could not find here, and they could
not stay; they went to Washington, and there they began to send
up awful howls about the sins of Utah, and the necessity of
active measures by the general government to chastise the Mormons
in Utah.
206
How far they have succeeded is evident. The great Buchanan war
brought the flower of the army of the United States out here; the
bran and shots were left behind. They came to correct the poor
misguided Mormons. For making prostitutes of the women? No. There
are plenty of them at home; but the Mormons make wives of them,
and this awakened all their sense of horror. It is this that
excites our friends in the east--because we think more and better
of women than they do. That is the foundation of all the
difficulty; they do not complain of us for any thing else now.
When the C. V.'s from the west came out here they did not succeed
any better. Then they thought they would try the negro. He got
part way out here, got tired, and they turned him out. What they
will do next to correct our morals is not for me to say. They may
tell us that we ought to demolish our school houses and put up
houses of assignation, and keep houses of accommodation, such as
travellers can find in other countries. They are well pleased
with our potatoes and johnny cake, but they would be still better
pleased if we would have the other luxury.
206
We fought our way to this country against all the hardships and
obstacles that stood in our path and, through God's blessing, we
have overcome them; we have cultivated the land and done the best
that we could under the circumstances, and we have provided for
ourselves and for our wives and children as well as we could, and
we have been contented. If the husbands of Utah were poor, their
wives were willing to share that poverty with them; they were
willing to nibble a living from the same dry crust, out of the
same stinted fare that we partook of, because they were our
wives, and we regarded them as honorable and as good as
ourselves, if they behaved as well. This our friends do not like.
Our business here in the mountains is to develop a community in
which man and woman shall find, through the extension of
honorable, pure, just, and virtuous marriage, the legitimate
position that Heaven ordained them to occupy as wives and
mothers, husbands and fathers, and a response to every
requirement of nature, without stepping aside from the path of
virtue and honor.
207
That is what God designed when he commenced this work--"Why did
He not introduce it at the very commencement of this work?"
Because He could not--because our ears were not open to hear
it--our prejudices would not allow us to receive it. If I had
been talked to about plurality of wives when I was baptized into
the Church, the Lord may know, but I do not know what I would
have done. I had to go wandering over the world preaching the
Gospel years after, had to work longer than Jacob did for a wife
to get myself in that state of mind that the Lord dare name the
doctrine to me. We were not aware that any such a thing as plural
marriage had to be introduced into the world; but the Lord said
it after a while, and we obeyed the best we knew how, and, no
doubt, made many crooked paths in our ignorance. We were only
children, and the Lord was preparing us for an introduction to
the principles of salvation. "What, the principles of salvation
connected with marriage?" Yes; because they are nowhere else.
"Will not our preaching save us, our going to Church, and our
paying tithing?" People have been preaching, praying, paying
tithes, building cathedrals and churches, and the deadly work of
physical degeneracy is still going on until the race is nearly
upon the brink of extinction. Christianity, as it now is, and has
been for centuries, has proved entirely insufficient to stop the
great evil--to check it in its fearful growth.
207
The Lord understood this when he talked to the people of Nephi:
He told them they should have but one wife, and concubines they
should have none. Why would He not allow them to have concubines?
I suppose it was because He delighted in the chastity of women.
This was simply avowing His feeling with regard to that matter.
Concubinage was displeasing in His sight. He left them at liberty
to have a wife, but concubines they should have none; informing
them that when He wanted His people to raise up seed unto Him,
and if it was necessary they should have many wives He would
command them. That is simply what He has done. He has commanded
us. It is well enough now for the brethren and sisters who have
been in practical polygamy for many years to begin to understand
something of the nature and object of the institution, that they
may not trade it off simply for admittance into the Union, or for
anything whatever that may be offered for its exchange. However
their enemies may plead to the contrary, the Saints are gathered
together from all the world, that the provisions of a virtuous
marriage may be extended to all the social element in the
community, and that by this there should cease to be developed in
that community the curse of woman's prostitution or man's
corruption, and where mothers in Zion can make it their business
to teach their children the way in which they should go; to
implant in early childhood principles of truth; to lead them to
God; to grow around the hearth like plants of righteousness, that
the saying of the old preacher may be verified, "Train up a child
in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart
from it."
207
We are not a numerous people, but we are more numerous than when
the Lord told Adam and Eve to be fruitful, and multiply and fill
this their earthly inheritance with intellectual beings like
themselves. How well that first pair succeeded is evidenced here
to-day. We need not be discouraged, for we can count thousands
that are pledged to this work, which is established to re-people
the world, to fill the earth with virtuous, pure, and holy men
and women. That is the work that devolves upon us. Should every
woman be married? Every woman should be married for the same
reasons that one woman is married, namely, to subserve the same
high, healthy, and God-like objects of our being. And for the
same high purpose should every man be married.
208
There are certain facts of our existence which we cannot escape
from. We are men and women. The very reason why I have spoken
here to-day is that we are men and women; we have come here with
men's and women's natures, passions, and appetites; and if we are
ever saved in heaven, we shall be saved as men and women. Our
business here is to save men and women by teaching them to live
lives of purity. These are self-evident truths. When we count up
the men and women that are in the world, we shall find a broad
margin more of women than men; and there is a numerical
difference in the sexes, as they are developed in our community
and every other community. Women must be saved, if the task
should devolve on a man to marry two or three of them, and treat
them as honorable wives, bless them, and bless their children,
provide for them, and teach them principles of purity. When we
who made this feeble beginning in that matter can bear the
struggle no longer, we will call around us our stalwart sons and
daughters, and pledge them before high heaven to devote
themselves for ever, and their children after them, to the great
work of man's regeneration.
208
Let us get the body improved first, that the spirit may live and
dwell in a pure tabernacle. When this is done, we can go and
cultivate the spirit as much as in needful. The world wants a
religion that will address itself to this task, because it will
enter into the relationship that exists between man and woman,
that will purify them and establish within them the seed of
eternal life. Let us pray always and never faint, and ask God to
bless us in all that we do, and never do anything that is not
sufficiently holy that we can ask God to bless; carrying the
purity of Heaven's religion and ordained principles of salvation
into every relationship of our lives, and let the Zion of our God
extend forth upon all the earth from this point. What will become
of the world? They will live in their corruption until they sink
and die in it. Our blessings are to build up the kingdom of God
in purity and in its perfection in these mountains. This is our
work, and may God help us, is my prayer, in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / Heber
C. Kimball, April 4, 1866
Heber C. Kimball, April 4, 1866
BLESSINGS SECURED BY FAITHFULNESS.
Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, made in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 4, 1866.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
209
Self-preservation is the first great law of nature. It is true,
whether it be applied to temporal or spiritual salvation. If a
man does not try to save himself through the means which are
provided in the Gospel, he cannot be saved. If people will not
stop committing sin and learn to do better, my doing so will not
benefit them. It would be just as reasonable to argue that I can
eat, drink, breathe, and reflect for them. When a minister of the
truth arises to address a congregation it aids him much when the
people give their undivided attention to him; but when their
attention is drawn off by some trifling interference that may
occur in the house, their minds are closed to the effects of
truth, and the spirit of the preacher is grieved, and so is the
Spirit of the Lord. Paul says, "Let the prophets speak two or
three, and let the others judge. If anything be revealed to
another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may
all prophecy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be
comforted." "For God is not the author of confusion, but of
peace, as in all the churches of the Saints."
209
No one man knoweth everything, "But the manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit withal;" "now there are
diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit," "dividing to every
man severally as he will." If we exercise upon the gifts we
possess in simplicity as little children, striving to do good to
one another, and to build up the kingdom of God upon the earth,
then we shall be entitled to greater gifts and greater blessings.
Let no man lay a snare for his neighbor because of the simplicity
of his words, and because he reproves in the gate. If the truth,
simply told, is unwelcome to people, it is because they are
themselves guilty of sin unrepented of; and by this ye may know
that ye need repentance.
209
The faithful love the truth, though it may be told in the most
simple manner; it is sweeter to them than honey or the honey
comb; they are no more afraid of it than they would be afraid of
eating a piece of good honey. And to the same extent that they
love the truth plainly and simply told, do they hate a lie, and
the more so when it is dressed up in the garb of truth to deceive
the unwary. Truth is the sanctifier of those who love it and are
guided by it, and will exalt them to the presence of God; while
falsehood corrupts and destroys, or, to use a common scriptural
figure, it lays the axe at the root of the tree. As the axe cuts
down and destroys the fruitless trees that cumber the ground, so
do wicked acts destroy and overthrow all who persist in them.
209
Truth is an attribute of the nature of God. By it he is
sanctified and glorified. Jesus Christ proceeded from his Father.
He is called "His only begotten Son," and inherited germs of his
Father's perfections and the attributes of his Father's nature,
so that he sinned not. So with us; if the attributes of our
nature become refined and regenerated by the truth, our offspring
must inherit those perfections, more or less. Then, how essential
it is that parents should, by living their religion, improve
themselves for the improvement of their race. We, too, are the
children of God, but we are the offspring in the flesh of fallen
and degenerate parents, and we are prone to sin as the sparks fly
upward; but by observing the truth, and by following the
direction of the Holy Priesthood which has been restored in our
day, we may overcome the evil that is within us and that is in
the world, begin to improve and perfect the attributes of our
nature, which are like the attributes of the nature of God, and
lay the foundation of goodness and truth in our offspring.
210
The devil was a liar from the beginning. Truth has no place in
him; but it being a principle of power associated with all
goodness, he hates it, and so do all his faithful followers. It
is written, "And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the
beginning with the Father, and am the first-born; and all those
who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the
same, and are the church of the First-born." "Truth is a
knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they
are to come; and whatsoever is more or less than this is the
spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning." He
that keepeth the commandments of God receiveth truth and light
until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things. Truth is a
principle of power, and is independent in that sphere in which
God has placed it to act for itself, as well as intelligence
also, otherwise there is no existence."
210
Under President Young I have presided over the giving of
endowments for the last fifteen years. Last Saturday there were
over twenty persons in the house to receive their endowments.
They came well recommended by their bishops as being worthy,
good, and faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. I had previously had an impression that many
of the people were becoming lukewarm, and even cold, in the
performance of some of their duties. After the company had gone
through I gave them a lecture, and it came to me by the Spirit of
God to try if my impression was correct or not. After instructing
them that they must not lie, steal, nor bear false witness, etc.,
I asked them how many of them prayed in their families, and it
transpired that there were many who neglected their duties in
this respect; yet they were all recommended by their bishops as
good, faithful members of the Church of Christ. It made me think
of the parable of the ten virgins, five foolish and five wise.
Shall we thus cease to perform our duties, while the wicked are
striving with all their power to introduce their wickedness in
our community and into our families; while they are seeking to
influence our wives and children to be disobedient to us and to
God? Should we not rather be more faithful in the performance of
every known duty, that God may hear us when we pray to him for
strength to aid us to resist the encroachment of evil?
211
The revelations which Joseph Smith has given to this people were
given to him by Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world; and this
people cannot be blessed if they lightly esteem any of them, but
they will lose the Spirit, and sorrow and vexation will come into
their families. The Lord designs that we shall be separate and
distinct from every other people, and wishes to make us His
peculiar people, and to raise up for himself a pure seed who will
keep His law and walk in His statutes. For this purpose did He
give the revelation on plurality of wives, as sacred a revelation
as was ever given to any people, and fraught with greater
blessings to us than we can possibly conceive of, if we do not
abuse our privileges and commit sin. This doctrine is a holy and
pure principle, in which the power of God for the regeneration of
mankind is made manifest; but while it offers immense blessings,
and is a source of immense power to God's people, it will bring
sure and certain damnation to those who seek through its means to
defile themselves with the daughters of Eve. All those who take
wives from any other motive than to subserve the great purpose
which God had in view in commanding his servants to take unto
themselves many wives, will not be able to retain them. Wives are
sealed to men by an everlasting covenant that cannot be broken,
if the parties live faithfully before God, and perform with a
single eye to his glory the duties of that sacred contract. Jesus
Christ said to the Pharisees, when they tempted him upon the
subject of a man's putting away his wife, "For the hardness of
your heart Moses allowed you to give a bill of divorcement, but
from the beginning of the creation it was not so." "What,
therefore God hath joined together let no man put asunder."
211
I speak of plurality of wives as one of the most holy principles
that God ever revealed to man, and all those who exercise an
influence against it, unto whom it is taught, man or woman will
be damned, and they and all who will be influenced by them, will
suffer the buffetings of Satan in the flesh; for the curse of God
will be upon them, and poverty, and distress, and vexation of
spirit will be their portion; while those who honor this and
every sacred institution of heaven will shine forth as the stars
in the firmament of heaven, and of the increase of their kingdom
and glory there shall be no end. This will equally apply to Jew,
Gentile, and Mormon, male and female, old and young.
211
The words of the Lord to the Church, through Joseph the Prophet,
in Sep., 1832, will apply very well to many now:--"And your minds
in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because
you have treated lightly the things you have received, which
vanity and unbelief hath brought the whole Church under
condemnation; and this condemnation resteth upon the children of
Zion, even all, and they shall remain under this condemnation
until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of
Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not
only to say, but to do according to that which I have written,
that they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father's kingdom,
otherwise there remaineth a scourge and a judgment to be poured
out upon the children of Zion; for shall the children of the
kingdom pollute my holy land?" Unless we keep our families in
order, and instruct our children to be faithful in keeping the
commandments of God, not suffering our wives and children to
speak lightly of the Priesthood of the Almighty, and of the holy
order of marriage which He has revealed for a great purpose,--I
say, unless we do this, God will visit our families with a
scourge, and if they continue in their disobedience they will be
removed out of their place, and their names will not be found on
the record of the faithful. But, on the contrary, if we are
righteous and keep faithfully all the commandments of God, we,
with all that portion of our wives and children who also have
been faithful, will go into the celestial inheritance prepared
for us in the presence of our God. Will the unfaithful,
disobedient, and unbelieving of our families enter with us into
the celestial kingdom? They will not. The Lord said to Ezekiel,
"Son of man, the house of Israel to me has become dross." So with
the unbelieving and disobedient of our families, and of this
people; they will be separated from the pure silver, to occupy a
place in the mansions of our Father according to their worth.
211
If our wives would remember and keep faithfully the covenant they
have made, they would observe the laws of their husbands, and
teach their children to honor every law of God, and to love,
honor, and obey their earthly father. If I keep my covenants, I
shall be saved in the presence of God; if I violate them, I shall
be damned; and so it will be with my family; and what applies to
me in this respect will apply to all.
212
Let us carry out the great purposes of God, and be separate from
the ungodly. "Woe unto him that has the law given; yea, that has
all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth
them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is
his state." "And woe unto the deaf, that will not hear, for they
shall perish; woe unto the blind, that will not see, for they
shall perish also; woe unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down
to hell; woe unto the murderer, who deliberately killeth, for he
shall die; woe unto them who commit whoredoms for they shall be
thrust down to hell; and woe unto them who die in their sins, for
they shall go to their place and suffer the wrath of God."
212
May God bless the righteous; but the men or women who raise their
voices or use their influence against that holy order of plural
marriage will be cursed, and they will wither away, for they have
undertaken to fight against God. "For, behold, the day cometh
that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that
do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn
them up, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall leave them neither
root nor branch."
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, April 29, 1866
Brigham Young, April 29, 1866
HOLY GHOST REQUISITE TO TEACH THE TRUTH.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Tabernacle, Great
Salt Lake City, April 29, 1866.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
213
You have heard what Elder Charles S. Kimball has said this
afternoon relative to the general belief of the people in the old
countries,--That Brigham Young reads all letters before they
leave this county, and if any are not written to suit him, they
are destroyed by his order! In this way they account for so few
letters reaching the members of the Church in distant lands from
their friends here in Utah. I will now make a public request that
the Saints hereafter cease to bring their letters to me, if there
are any that have ever done such a thing; and I also request the
postmasters throughout the Territory to stop sending all foreign
letters to me for my inspection previous to mailing for abroad;
that is, if they have ever done such a thing; and for this simple
reason, that I have so much to do that I cannot possibly pay
attention to such an extensive amount of reading. If any of you,
or if any of the people in any part of the Territory have ever
sent letters to me to read, previous to sending them to their
friends abroad, be so kind as to take notice and cease to do this
thing from this time henceforth. If any postmaster has ever sent
me a single letter to read belonging to any person--Jew or
Gentile, Saint or sinner--I request him never to do so again; for
I have such an extensive correspondence of my own, that it is a
very great labor for me to read and answer what I am obliged to
do in my business and calling. People who suppose that I can see
and read the foreign correspondence of this whole community, give
me credit for an amount of physical and mental endurance which I
do not possess.
213
Brother Charles has strongly requested those who have friends in
the old country to write to them, and I would make the same
request, that you write often to your fathers and mothers, and
brothers and sisters and friends, and acquaintances and
neighbors, whom you have left behind in those old countries. Tell
them the truth with regard to the people here, and with regard to
the country, and when you, who are going to that country, arrive
there, tell the people the truth.
213
In this country there is ample opportunity for people to get
rich, to gather up property and accumulate and store up wealth,
and the minds of the people are so occupied in this labor that
they do not take time to write to their friends, and many not
even to fulfill their promises to write. Some of those who have
borrowed money of their friends in the old countries, and
promised to work when they got to America and send it back again
to them, have forgotten to do so. I am sorry to be obliged to say
this. If I could have my way, every man who professes to be a
Saint would act like a Saint. However, we are trying to be
Saints. We have embraced the Gospel of the Son of God; we have
embraced a marvellous work--a work which is a great wonder to all
people. As the Prophet has said, "Therefore behold, I will
proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a
marvellous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men
shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be
hid."
213
The brethren have been testifying to the truth of this work, and
there is not a man or a woman on this earth who receives the
spirit of the Gospel but what can testify to its truth. We are
the witnesses of this great work which the Lord has commenced in
the Latter days. Were you to ask me how it was that I embraced
"Mormonism," I should answer, for the simple reason that it
embraces all truth in heaven and on earth, in the earth under the
earth, and in hell, if there be any truth there. There is no
truth outside of it; there is no good outside of it; there is no
virtue outside of it; there is nothing holy and honorable outside
of it; for, wherever these principles are found among all the
creations of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and his order and
Priesthood, embrace them.
213
When we talk about making sacrifices for this work, the word to
me is without meaning; for if a man desires to get a good name--a
good character--if he wishes to make fast friends, if he wishes
wealth, comfort, joy, and peace in all of his life here on the
earth, let him embrace the truth and then live it. When the
unbeliever has a realizing sense of his own condition, he lays
down on his bed in sorrow, he wishes things were a little
different; he lays down in sorrow, and wakes up in doubt, to live
every hour and minute through the day in anxiety. There may be
hours and minutes in which people forget themselves; but, when
their minds dwell upon their situation and being in life, they
are in doubt, they are in anxiety, darkness, and ignorance; they
do not know who they are, what they are on the earth for; they
know nothing of their pre-existence, or comparatively little of
their present existence, only that they are here in the world,
and by-and-by they will die and leave the world. Where they will
go when they leave the world, they know not, and there are many
who do not care. Some strive to be infidels to a great deal of
that which is true, to that which it would be to their best
interest to believe and know.
214
If you have truth, you have got what is called "Mormonism," or,
more properly, the Gospel of life and salvation. It is here, and
it is nowhere else to the same extent that it is in the doctrine
that this people say they have embraced. Do they know it all? In
comparison to what we have yet to learn of the things of God, we
are but babes and sucklings in the knowledge of God our Father,
in the knowledge of his work and of the labor and the mission of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that we profess to be so familiar with. If
it can be said of us that we are children in the knowledge of
God, we have progressed tolerably well.
214
It has been remarked this afternoon how difficult it is for our
Elders to go forth and contend with the learning of the age. You
heard the few remarks regarding the religions of the day, and the
idea that generally prevails in Christian countries that it
requires men to be qualified, and learned, and eloquent to stand
before the people to act as religious teachers. I will give you
the reason why this is so. When a false theory has to be
maintained, it requires to be set forth with much care; it
requires study and learning, and cunning sophistry to gild over a
falsehood and give it the semblance of truth, and make it
plausible and congenial to the feelings of the people; but the
most simple and unlearned person can tell you the truth. A child
can tell you the truth, in child-like language, while falsehood
requires the lawyer and the priest to tell it to make it at all
plausible; it requires a scholastic education to make falsehood
pass for truth. Anciently, all the people, and the publicans, who
heard Jesus, justified God, being baptised with the baptism of
John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God
against themselves, not being baptized of him. When a simple,
honest hearted man, sent of God with the truth to the world,
shall question the most learned upholders of false theories, the
gilding falls off, and falsehood, in all its deformity, stands
naked and exposed. I have scores of times read from the Bible,
and the people would declare that it was not the Christian Bible,
but the "Mormon" Bible I Was reading in; and to convince them to
the contrary, would have to read the title page.
215
Men are educated to promulgate and sustain false theories to make
money, and to create and uphold powerful sects. "And they teach
with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth
utterance." "Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and
false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted; and their
churches are lifted up, because of pride they are puffed up. They
rob the poor, because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the
poor, because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek
and the poor in heart because in their pride they are puffed up."
And all this because the fathers transgressed the laws, changed
the ordinances, and broke the everlasting covenant delivered unto
them. The truth is easily understood, and as easily told. The
agriculturist and the mechanic can tell the truth, and become
efficient ministers of it, by living faithfully in accordance
with what they know of the Gospel; for in this way they obtain
the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance. Education is a good
thing, and blessed is the man who has it, and can use it for the
dissemination of the Gospel without being puffed up with pride.
"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 things which are mighty; and base things of the
world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen; yea, and
things which are not, to bring to naught things which are: that
no flesh should glory in His presence."
215
However good and useful a classical education may be in the
possession of a good and wise man, yet it is not essentially
necessary for him to have it to tell the simple truth which is
given to mankind by the revelations of God because it can be told
by the simple and the unlearned. But if the profession of a
lawyer is chosen by any person he needs to be educated in all the
learning of the age to be successful; for it is a hard thing for
him to make a man appear innocent before a jury of his countrymen
whom he knows to be guilty. It is a hard matter to make a jury of
men endowed, not with great learning perhaps, but with hard
sense, believe that white is black, and that black is white, as
the case may be, to present the truth in such a way that they
will believe it as a lie, and a lie in such a way that they will
believe it as a truth. It requires a lawyer--a man who is well
schooled in all that men know, to make things appear what they
really are not.
215
That which will apply to law in this case will apply to a false
religion. We take our young men who have been brought up in this
community and I care not whether they can read a chapter in the
Bible or not, if they will repent and seek diligently for the
Spirit of the Lord, and send them out into the world to preach
the Gospel, and if they are faithful, they will be able, ere
long, by the blessing of God, to confound the great and the wise
of the age in matters of theology. "I thank thee, O Father Lord
of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the
wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."
215
It was observed here this afternoon that it requires our boys to
go into the world to preach the truth to know that "Mormonism" is
true. The older portion of this community embraced the truth
through the conviction of it, and prayed unto the Lord for the
light of it, and they received the testimony of the Spirit of
God; but our children do not know the greatness of their
blessings and privileges. They are entitled to the Spirit of the
Gospel from their mothers wombs; they have it with them all the
time; they are born in it. We say that they are rude, that they
are rough and unmanageable, etc.; they do not know that they
possess the light of the Holy Spirit until they go out into the
world and learn the great contrast--see the blackness of night,
the thick darkness of error that has settled down like a great
pall upon the moral and religious world. They hear their fathers
pray, and they hear the Apostles and Prophets preach, but they
cannot know that "Mormonism" is true for themselves until they
have had the privilege of being placed in circumstances to
exercise faith for themselves, and to pay to God for themselves
for testimony and knowledge. Then they obtain the power of the
Holy Spirit, which awakens their senses, and they know for
themselves that God lives, for he hears and answers their
prayers.
216
I could say something encouraging to parents, if they would heed.
Let the father and mother, who are members of this Church and
kingdom, take a righteous course, and strive with all their might
never to do a wrong, but to do good all their lives; if they have
one child or one hundred children, if they conduct themselves
towards them as they should, binding them to the Lord by their
faith and prayers, I care not where those children go, they are
bound up to their parents by an everlasting tie, and no power of
earth or hell can separate them from their parents in eternity;
they will return again to the fountain from whence they sprang. I
am sorry that this people are worldly-minded; that they are in
their feelings and affections glued to the world so much as they
are. I am sorry to hear Elders of Israel use words, and manifest
anger and impatience that are unbecoming. Men who are vessels of
the holy Priesthood, who are charged with words of eternal life
to the world, should strive continually in their words and
actions and daily deportment to do honor to the great dignity of
their calling and office as ministers and representatives of the
Most High. We are trying to be Saints, and many of the brethren
sin, and repent, and ask forgiveness, and intend to do better in
the future, and perhaps to-morrow they lose their temper and
swear at their oxen, etc. They love the world, and covet their
fine horses; their affections are upon them, and upon their
farms, upon their property, their houses and possessions, and in
the same ratio that this is the case, the Holy Spirit of God--the
spirit of their calling--forsakes them, and they are overcome
with the spirit of the evil one, so that they have not strength
to resist the weaknesses of their nature; and they swear and take
the name of God in vain, are impatient with their families and
often abuse them. Such things as these should not be among the
servants of the Most High.
216
If we have possessions, it is because the Lord has given them to
us, and it is our duty to see that everything we have is devoted
to the advancement of truth, virtue, and holiness, to beauty and
excellence; to redeem the earth, and adorn it with beautiful
habitations, and orchards, and gardens, and farms, and cities,
until it shall become like the garden of Eden. All that we
possess belongs to the Lord, and we are the Lord's, and we should
never lust after that over which he has made us stewards, but we
should use it profitably to the upbuilding of the Zion of our
God, to send the Gospel to all the world, and to gather and feed
the poor. I am thankful that I am able to say these few words.
May God bless you. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / John
Taylor, April. 7, 1866
John Taylor, April. 7, 1866
OUR RELIGION IS FROM GOD.
Remarks by Elder John Taylor, made in the Tabernacle, Great
Salt Lake City, April. 7, 1866.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
217
It is good for the Saints to meet together; it is good to reflect
upon the work of God; it is good to be in possession of His
blessings; it is a great privilege to enjoy the light of eternal
truth, and to be delivered from the darkness, the error, the
confusion, and the iniquity that prevails generally throughout
the world. There are but very few men in the world who can
realize the blessings which we enjoy unless their minds are
enlightened by the Spirit of the living God. There are, in fact,
comparatively few among the Saints who realize their true
position, and who can comprehend correctly the blessings and
privileges that they are in possession of; for men can only grasp
these things as they are enlightened by the spirit of truth, by
the spirit of revelation--by the Holy Ghost--which has been
imparted to the Saints by the laying on of hands, and through
their obedience to the principles of the everlasting Gospel. If
men are in the dark in relation to any of these principles, it is
because they do not live their religion; because they do not walk
according to that light which has been given to them; because, as
we have heard here, they do not pray sufficiently, they do not
deny themselves of evil, and cleave close enough to the
principles of eternal truth. The Gospel is calculated to lead us
on from truth to truth, and from intelligence to intelligence,
until that Scripture will be fulfilled which declares that we
shall see as we are seen and know as we are known, until one will
not have to say to another, know ye the Lord, but all shall know
Him from the least unto the greatest, until the light and
intelligence of God shall beam forth upon all, and all shall bask
in the sunlight of eternal truth.
218
It is a blessing to have the privilege of meeting together in our
general Conference, where the Authorities of the Church can
assemble from different parts of the Territory, and of the earth,
to learn the law of God, to transact business pertaining to His
Church and kingdom, and to build up and establish righteousness
on the earth. We cannot realize the extent of the blessings that
we enjoy. We are situated differently from any other people under
the face of the heavens. There is no people, no government, no
kingdom, no nation, no assembly of people, civil religious,
political, or otherwise, that enjoy the blessings that we are in
possession of this day; for whilst others are groping in the dark
and laboring in a state of uncertainty in relation to the
position that they occupy, whether political or religious, we are
free from any surmises or doubts concerning these matters. As it
regards our political status, we are well acquainted with that;
we know the destiny of this Church and kingdom; we know the
position that we occupy towards God and towards the world; we
know that the Lord will accomplish His own purposes; and having
this knowledge, we rest perfectly easy in relation to the result.
We know that the kingdom of God, which is established among us,
will continue to spread increase, and extend, until it covers the
earth; and we know that all the plotting, and machinations, and
designs, and combinations of men and devils will not be able to
stop it in its progress; but as it has begun to roll forth, its
speed will continue to accelerate until it has accomplished all
for which it is designed of God, and until the kingdoms of this
world shall become the kingdoms of our God and His Christ, and He
shall reign with universal empire over this earth, and to Him
every knee shall bow and every tongue confess. Therefore, we have
no trembling, no feeling of fear, no anxiety or care as to the
result. All that we have to care about in relation to these
matters is, that we, individually and collectively, do our duty;
that we maintain our integrity before God; that we honor our
Priesthood and our calling; that we pursue a course that shall at
all times receive the smiles and approbation of the Most High,
and then as to the result we care not for we know what the result
will be.
218
As it regards our religious status, we feel just the same in
relation to that, for everything is connected with our religion
and our God. We are not indebted to any church in existence for
the position which we occupy, nor for the intelligence we are in
possession of. We have no need to trace our authority through the
Popes, or through any other medium, we care nothing about them.
We do not need either to go to the Roman or to the Greek Church
to find out whether we are right or wrong, where our religion
commenced, and whether we are placed on the right or on the wrong
foundation. We are not under the necessity of searching the
Jewish records, or any other records, in relation to these
matters. We are not indebted to any of the schools, academies, or
systems of divinity, or theology, or any of the religious systems
extant, nor to any of the heathen nations. There is no nation,
people, kingdom, government; no religious or political authority
of any kind that is of an earthly nature, that we have to go to
in relation to this matter. We disclaim the whole of them; claim
no affinity to any of them; are not of them nor from them; and,
consequently, so far as they are concerned, we are perfectly
independent of them. Our religion came from God; it is a
revelation from the Most High; it is that everlasting Gospel
which John saw an angel bring to be preached in all the earth,
and to every people, nation, kindred, and tongue, crying with a
loud voice, fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His
judgment is come.
218
Then God is the author of our religion; He has revealed it from
the heavens; He has sent His holy angels for that purpose, who
communicated it to Joseph Smith and others. Having restored the
everlasting Gospel, He has sent it forth to all the world, and
those men who have delivered that Gospel to us have received it
by revelation directly from God, and have been ordained by that
authority. If God has not spoken, if the heavens have not been
opened, if the angels of God have not appeared, then we have no
religion--it is all a farce; for, as I have said before, we claim
no kindred, no affinity, or relationship with them--God forbid
that we should, we do not want it. This, then, is the platform we
stand upon; this is the position that we occupy before God; for
this is God's work that we are engaged in. If He has given any
authority in the last days to mankind, we are in possession of
that authority; and if He has not, then we have no authority, nor
any true religion, nor any true hope. I shall not this morning
enter into all the arguments concerning these matters. All that I
can say to you is what Paul said in his day, "Ye are His
witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Ghost, whom God
hath given to them that obey Him."
219
Brethren, is your religion true, and do you know it? (Voices,
yes). Yes, you know and realize it; it is written in living,
indelible characters on your hearts, which nothing can remove. We
are living witnesses of the truth of God and the revelations
which He has given to His people in these last days. Well, then,
we are not concerned about what the nations of the world can do
against it, for they will crumble and totter, and thrones will be
cast down, as it is written in the Scriptures. The empires of the
earth may be dissolved, and all the nations may crumble to
pieces, and wars, and pestilence, and famine may stalk through
the earth; this is not our affair; they are not our nations; they
are not God's nations. Religionists may squabble, and contend,
and quarrel, and live in difficulty, doubt, and uncertainty in
relation to their affairs; but that is none of our business, it
is entirely their own affair. There may be written upon the whole
world, religious and political, "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin."
(Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting) What is
that to us? It is none of our affair. We are not associated with
them; our interest is not bound up with them; they have nothing
which we can sustain. In relation to all these matters we feel
perfectly easy. If war goes forth and desolates the nations; if
confusion exist among religious denominations; and if they should
continue to act as they are doing, like perfect fools, it is
their own business. The Pope may tremble on his throne, and be
afraid that France or some other power will not sustain him; it
is not our affair; we feel perfectly easy and tranquil; all is
right with us, for we are in the hands of God, and it is his
business to take care of his Saints; therefore, we feel perfectly
easy, quiet, and peaceable in relation to all these matters.
219
Would they try to injure us? Yes. They never tried anything else,
and we are not indebted to them for any thing which we enjoy. Did
any of them help us along in our religious matters? Who are we
indebted to in this world? Is there a religious society under the
heavens that we are indebted to for any ideas or intelligence
which we possess? Not one. Is there any priest in Christendom
that has helped us forward in the least in our religious career?
Not one. You cannot find one. Are we indebted to anybody for our
political status? We are not. Who is there that helps us? There
has never been a man yet who dared, at any time, to advocate our
principles and rights in the legislative halls of this or any
other nation; there has never been a man who has had the honesty,
and truthfulness, and integrity to do it; they dare not do it,
because it is unpopular. We dare advocate our principles, and God
dare help us; and if we enjoy any rights, and privileges, and
peace--if there are any blessings of any kind that we enjoy--we
derive them from our Heavenly Father, and we are not indebted to
any power, government, rule, or authority, religious, political,
or otherwise, throughout the whole of this habitable globe, for
any blessings or privileges we enjoy, excepting sometimes, by a
little persecution they help us to be a little more united,
that's all; and we do not thank them for this, for it does not
come with their good will. If their lies shall make the truth of
God abound to his glory, all right; they will lie on, because
they are of their father the devil, and his work they will do. He
was a liar from the beginning; he is the father of lies, and they
are his children. Therefore, in relation to all of these matters
we feel perfectly easy.
219
I was asked the other day if I would like to go and bear
testimony before the court in relation to whether polygamy was a
religious ordinance or not. I answered yes, if they subpoena me.
They have not done it yet, and I do not know whether they will or
not. I am quite willing to go and testify to that matter at any
time. I think I will testify to you here. To begin with, there is
nothing that I know of, or am acquainted with in this world, but
what is a part of my religion and mixed up with it. It is all
religion with me. I was told that the parties desired to know
whether or not I believed that polygamy was a religious ordinance
or institution. If this question had been put to me, I should
have been inclined to ask the parties what they understood by the
word religion; because, if I could not find out what their view
of religion was, of course I could not tell whether I, in their
estimation, had any or not.
220
This consideration led me to a few reflections in relation to
this matter. I had recourse to some of our dictionaries, to find
out what popular lexicographers said about it. I referred to the
standard works of several different nations, which I find to be
as follows:--
220
Webster (American), "Religion includes a belief in the revelation
of his (God's) will to man, and in man's obligation to obey his
command."
220
Worcester (a prominent American). 1. An acknowledgement of our
obligation to God as our creator. 2. A particular system of faith
or worship. We speak of the Greek, Hindoo, Jewish, Christian, and
Mahomedan religion.
220
Johnson (English), "Religion, a system of faith and worship."
220
Dictionary of the French Academy, "La croyance que l'on a de la
divinite' et le culte qu'on lue rend en consequence."
220
Foi croyance.
220
The belief we have in God and his worship.
220
Faith--belief.
220
German Dictionary of Wurterbuch, by Dr. N. N. W. Meissner, a
standard work in Germany.
220
"Religion, glaube, faith, persuasion."
220
Here, then we have the opinion of four of the great leading
nations of the earth, as expressed by their acknowledged standard
works, on what they consider to be the meaning of the word
religion.
220
The German has it--faith, persuasion. The French--faith, belief;
faith in God and his worship. The English--a system of faith and
worship. These three are very similar.
220
Next we have Webster, American, which is our acknowledged
standard, and he says, "Religion includes a belief in the
revelations of God's will to man, and in man's obligation to obey
his commands."
220
This is, indeed, very pointed; and if this definition be correct,
it would necessarily lead us to inquire, as did Paul of old.
"Whether is it better to obey man or God judge ye."
220
Worcester, another prominent American lexicographer, speaks of
"Religion as an acknowledgement of God as our creator, and a
particular system of faith or worship." Here he agrees with the
French, German, and English. He then quotes from a prominent
work--"We speak of the Greek, Hindoo, Jewish, Christian, and
Mahomedan religions." He might very properly have added Mormon.
220
Faith, belief, and worship seem to be the prominent idea
advanced, with the addition of our popular lexicographer Walker,
who adds to the faith in God, that it must be in the revelations
of His will to man, and in man's obligations to obey His
commands.
220
Having now found out what the meaning of religion is, we shall be
the better prepared to inquire whether a plurality of wives, or,
as it is sometimes called, polygamy, is a part of our religious
faith or not.
221
The Constitution of the United States says that "Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof." I have thought of the law
which Congress has made in relation to polygamy. The question,
however, necessarily arises, is it constitutional for Congress to
interfere with religious matters--with the establishment of
religion, or the free exercise thereof? The Constitution says no.
Then is polygamy a religious question or is it not? Is it a
marriage ceremony or is it not? Marriage is received by the Greek
church as a solemn sacrament of the church; the Roman Catholic
church and the Church of England also admit marriage to be a
religious sacrament; and so it is admitted by the great mass of
religious sects now in the world. These are facts that need no
proof; everybody is acquainted with them. It is true that in
France and in the United States magistrates are authorized to
officiate in solemnizing marriages. But in France, to this day,
unless they are married by a minister of religion, many of the
more conscientious feel that they are living in a state of
adultery.
221
Now, in relation to the position that we occupy concerning
plurality, or, as it is termed, polygamy it differs from that of
others. I have noticed the usage of several nations regarding
marriage; but, as I have said, we are not indebted to any of them
for our religion, nor for our ideas of marriage, they came from
God. Where did this commandment come from in relation to
polygamy? It also came from God. It was a revelation given unto
Joseph Smith from God, and was made binding upon His servants.
When this system was first introduced among this people, it was
one of the greatest crosses that ever was taken up by any set of
men since the world stood. Joseph Smith told others; he told me,
and I can bear witness of it, "that if this principle was not
introduced, this Church and kingdom could not proceed." When this
commandment was given, it was so far religious, and so far
binding upon the Elders of this Church that it was told them if
they were not prepared to enter into it, and to stem the torrent
of opposition that would come in consequence of it, the keys of
the kingdom would be taken from them. When I see any of our
people, men or women, opposing a principle of this kind, I have
years ago set them down as on the high road to apostacy, and I do
to-day; I consider them apostates, and not interested in this
Church and kingdom. It is so far, then, a religious institution,
that it affects my conscience and the consciences of all good
men--it is so far religious that it connects itself with time and
with eternity. What are the covenants we enter into, and why is
it that Joseph Smith said that unless this principle was entered
into this kingdom could not proceed? We ought to know the whys
and the wherefores in relation to these matters, and understand
something about the principle enunciated. These are simply words;
we wish to know their signification.
221
Where is there in the world a people that make any pretensions to
have any claim upon their wives in eternity? Where is there a
priest in all Christendom that teaches anything of this kind? You
cannot find them. Marriage is solemnized until death do them
part, and when death comes to either party, then there is an end
to the whole matter, and what comes after death is in the dark to
them. It was so with us up to the time of the giving of that
revelation; we had no claim upon one wife in eternity. They had
obeyed the Gospel as we had; they had been baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins as we had; we had been
married to them according to the laws of the land, and were
living as other Gentiles were, but we had no claim upon them in
eternity. It was necessary that one grand truth should be
unlocked, which is, that man and woman are destined to live
together and have a claim upon each other in eternity. The
Priesthood being restored, the key was turned in relation to this
matter, and the privilege was placed not only within the reach of
the Elders of this Church, but within the reach of all who should
be considered worthy of it, to make covenants with their partners
that should be binding in the eternal worlds; that in this
respect, as well as in other respects, we might stand as a
distinguished people, separate and apart from the rest of the
earth, depending upon God for our religion.
222
Previous to this revelation, who in all the world had any claim
upon their wives in the eternal world, or what wife had a claim
upon her husband? Who ever taught them any such principle?
Nobody. Some of the novel writers have noticed it, but they did
not claim authority from heaven; they merely wrote their own
opinions and followed the promptings of their own instincts,
which led them to hope that such a thing might be the case; but
there was no certainty about it. Our position was just as Joseph
said: if we could not receive the Gospel which is an everlasting
Gospel; if we could not receive the dictum of a Priesthood that
administers in time and eternity; if we could not receive a
principle that would save us in the eternal world, and our wives
and children with us, we were not fit to hold this kingdom, and
could not hold it, for it would be taken from us and given to
others. This is reasonable proper, consistent, and recommends
itself to the minds of all intelligence when it is reflected upon
in the light of truth. Then, what did this principle open up to
our view? That our wives, who have been associated with us in
time--who had borne with us the heat and burden of the day, who
had shared in our afflictions, trials, troubles, and
difficulties, that they could reign with us in the eternal
kingdoms of God, and that they should be sealed to us not only
for time, but for all eternity. This unfolded to us the eternal
fitness and relationship of things as they exist on the earth, of
man to man, and of husband to wife; it unfolds the relationship
they should occupy in time to each other, and the relationship
that will continue to exist in eternity. Hence it is emphatically
a religious subject so deep, sacred, and profound, so extensive
and far-reaching, that it is one of the greatest principles that
was ever revealed to man. Did we know anything about it before?
No. How did we get a knowledge of it? By revelation. And shall we
treat lightly these things? No. The Lord says that his servants
may take to themselves more wives than one. Who gives to them one
wife? The Lord. And has he not a right to give to them another,
and another, and another? I think he has that right. Who has a
right to dispute it, and prohibit a union of that kind, if God
shall ordain it? Has not God as much right to-day to give to me,
or you, or any other person two, three, four, five, ten, or
twenty wives, as he had anciently to give them to Abraham, Isaac,
David, Solomon, etc.? Has not the Lord a right to do what he
pleases in this matter, and in all other matters, without the
dictation of man? I think He has. Every principle associated with
the Gospel which we have received is eternal, hence our marriage
covenant is an eternal covenant given unto us of God. Then, when
poor, miserable, corrupt men would endeavor to trample us under
their feet because of the principles of truth which we have
received from God, shall we falter in the least? No, never. Its
opposers may croak against it until they go down to the dust of
death; God will defend his work which he has introduced in the
latter days; and, the Lord being our helper, we will help him to
sustain it.
223
Associated with this is another important principle--the baptism
for the dead. One of the prophets has said that, "I will send you
Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible
day of the Lord; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to
the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest
I come and smite the earth with a curse." This Elias signifies a
restorer. Jesus said of John the Baptist, in his day, "And if ye
will receive it, this is the Elias (or restorer) which was for to
come." "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." But they would
not hear: they did not receive it. They beheaded John, crucified
Jesus, killed his apostles, and persecuted his followers; and
their temple, nation, and polity were destroyed. But the times of
restitution spoken of by the prophets must take place; the
restorer must come "before that great and terrible day of the
Lord." The hearts of the fathers must be turned to the children,
and the hearts of the children to the fathers, or the earth will
be cursed. This great eternal marriage covenant lays at the
foundation of the whole; when this was revealed, then followed
the other. Then, and not till then, could the hearts of the
fathers be turned to their children, and the hearts of the
children to the fathers; then and not till then, could the
restoration be effectually commenced, time and eternity be
connected, the past, present, and future harmonize, and the
eternal justice of God be vindicated. "Saviors come upon Mount
Zion to save the living, redeem the dead, unite man to woman and
woman to man, in eternal, indissoluble ties; impart blessings to
the dead, redeem the living, and pour eternal blessings upon
posterity.
223
Let us now go back to the action of Congress in relation to
plural marriage, of which these eternal covenants are the
foundation. The Lord says, "I will introduce the times of the
restitution of all things; I will show you my eternal covenants,
and call upon you to abide in them; I will show you how to save
yourselves, your wives and children your progenitors and
posterity, and to save the earth from a curse. Congress says, if
you fulfill that law we will inflict upon you pains and
penalties, fines and imprisonments; in effect, we will not allow
you to follow God's commands. Now, if Congress possessed the
constitutional right to do so, it would still be a high-handed
outrage upon the rights of man; but when we consider that they
cannot make such a law without violating the Constitution and
thus nullifying the act, what are we to think of it? Where are we
drifting to. After having, with uplifted hands to heaven, sworn
that they will "make no law respecting the establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," to thus
sacrilegiously stand between a whole community and their God, and
deliberately debar them so far as they have the power, from
observing his law, do they realize what they are doing? Whence
came this law on our statute books? Who constituted them our
conscience keepers? Who appointed them the judge of our religious
faith, or authorized them to coerce us to transgress a law that
is binding and imperative on our consciences? We do not expect
that Congress is acquainted with our religious faith; but, as
members of the body politic, we do claim the guarantees of the
Constitution and immunity from persecution on merely religious
grounds.
224
What are we to think of a United States judge who would marry a
man to another man's wife. He certainly ought to know better. We
are told that she was a second wife, and, therefore, not
acknowledged. Indeed, this is singular logic. If she was not a
wife, then polygamy is no crime in the eyes of the law; for
Congress have passed no law against whoredom. A man may have as
many mistresses as he please, without transgressing any law of
Congress. The act in relation to polygamy contemplates punishing
a man for having more wives, not mistresses. If she was simply
his mistress, then the law is of no effect; and the very fact of
Congress passing such a law is the strongest possible proof in
law, of the existence of a marriage covenant, which, until that
law was passed was by them considered valid. If, then, she was
not his wife, no person could be punished under that law for
polygamy. If she was his wife, then the judge transgressed the
law which he professionally came to maintain.
224
In relation to all these matters, the safe path for the Saints to
take is, to do right, and, by the help of God, seek diligently
and honorably to maintain the position which they hold. Are we
ashamed of anything we have done in marrying wives? No. We shall
not be ashamed before God and the holy angels, much less before a
number of corrupt, miserable scoundrels, who are the very dregs
of hell. We care nothing for their opinions, their ideas, or
notions; for they do not know God, nor the principles which he
has revealed. They wallow in the sink of corruption as they would
have us do; but, the Lord being our helper, we will not do it,
but we will try to do right and keep the commandments of God,
live our religion, and pursue a course that will secure to us the
smiles and approbation of God our Father. Inasmuch as we do this
He will take care of us, maintain His own cause, and sustain His
people. We have a right to keep His commandments. But what would
you do if the United States were to bring up an army against you
on account of polygamy, or on account of any other religious
subject? We would trust in God, as we always have done. Would you
have no fears? None. All the fears that I am troubled with is
that this people will not do right--that they will not keep the
commandments of God. If we will only faithfully live our
religion, we fear no earthly power. Our safety is in God. Our
religion is an eternal religion. Our covenants are eternal
covenants, and we expect to maintain the principles of our
religion on the earth, and to possess them in the heavens. And if
our wives and children do right, and we as fathers and husbands
do right in this world, we expect to have our wives and children
in eternity. Let us live in that way which will secure the
approbation of God, that we, his representatives on the earth,
may magnify our calling, honor Him and maintain our integrity to
the end; that we may be saved in His celestial kingdom, with our
wives, and children, and brethren, from generation to generation,
worlds without end. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Q. Cannon, May 6, 1866
George Q. Cannon, May 6, 1866
CONFLICT OF TRUTH IRREPRESSIBLE--SIN CAUSES FEAR, THEN APOSTACY.
Remarks by Elder George Q. Cannon, made in the Tabernacle in
Great Salt Lake City, May 6, 1866.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
225
It is very gratifying to me as it must be to all the Saints, to
hear the testimonies of the Elders who return from their missions
accompanied by the Spirit of God. There is no position that I
know of where a man is more likely to derive a knowledge--a fixed
and reliable knowledge--for himself respecting the work of God,
than to be called to go to the nations of the earth, without
purse and scrip, to travel among the people to proclaim unto them
the restoration of the everlasting Gospel in its fullness again
to the earth. It is not that there is more power manifested
abroad than there is in Zion; but the position in which the
Elders are placed is of such a nature, that they are compelled,
of necessity, to seek unto God to obtain all the power possible
for them to receive through faithfulness and diligence. Men are
compelled, if they have any desire whatever to magnify their
calling, to live so near unto the Lord that his Spirit and power
will be with them all the time; for without these blessings every
man, who has had any experience whatever, well knows it is
impossible for man to edify and build up the people.
225
The Lord, since the establishment of his Church upon the earth in
these latter days, has performed a great many marvellous works.
When our minds are enlightened by the Spirit of God, and we take
a review of the Work from the beginning to the present, the only
reflection that we can have is one of wonder, that in the midst
of the many evidences of divinity which have been exhibited to
the inhabitants of the earth since the foundation of this Work,
men still justify themselves in the rejection of these principles
and the denouncement of those who advocate them. It would be
impossible, in the brief time allotted for our meeting, to
enumerate all the evidences of the divinity of this Work, which
are patent to the observer; but, look wherever we will, in
contemplating this Work in the various changes through which it
has passed from its first origin to the present we see the hand
of God manifested and his power exhibited, and these things have
been no more shown forth in the past than they are being shown
forth at the present. The present circumstances which surround us
are of such a nature that every man, who can divest himself
sufficiently of prejudice and view this Work calmly, must be
convinced that there is a power greater than that of man
connected with it.
226
This morning, Brother George A. Smith in his narrative of the
trials through which the Church passed in its early days, alluded
to the great number of persons who have apostatized from this
Church. There is a peculiar feature attending those who
apostatize, of which the parallel cannot be found among any other
people, except we go back to the primitive Christians--the
immediate disciples of Jesus. Men may belong to any of the
so-called Christian sects of the day, and they may renounce their
belief or dissolve their connection with the religious bodies of
which they are members, and we do not see that virulence, that
spirit and disposition to seek for the blood of those with whom
they were formerly connected, manifested on their part, which are
manifested by those who have been members of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, and have apostatized therefrom. In
consequence of this, the inhabitants of the earth are frequently
deceived. Many honest people may have been deceived through this
manifestation of hatred, and animosity, and blood-thirstiness on
the part of those who have been connected with us. They do not
trace these manifestations to their proper cause, and they jump
at the conclusion that the people who are so much hated and
maligned, and whose injury is so diligently sought by those who
were once connected with them, must of course be a very bad
people, or there could not be such feelings manifested towards
them. Men are misled on this point, because they are not
acquainted with the causes which operate on the minds of those
who reject the work of God.
226
The work of God, from its beginning on the earth until the
present time, is something that has not a parallel, there being
nothing like it that we can see elsewhere. There are traits of
character and manifestations of disposition exhibited by the
Latter-day Saints which are not to be found elsewhere among men.
Under the operations of the Gospel upon the people who obey it,
new motives and new manifestations are brought into existence.
They may be called new, because they have not been witnessed
among men for many generations past. And as there are new and
peculiar features of character developed and exhibited by the
Saints, so also there are traits manifested by those who oppose
the Saints, which are diverse from any that the opponents of
other systems exhibit. This is particularly the case with those
who have been connected with us, and have apostatized, and
thereby dissolved that connection.
227
We who are Latter-day Saints understand this; some, probably,
understand it better than others; but still, there is a general
understanding among the Saints of God respecting this work. We
know that it is as strict a law of heaven as any other that has
been given, that the man who enters into this Church, and
practices impurity, will lose the Spirit of God, and, sooner or
later, will be opposed to this Work. This is a truth that has
been proclaimed almost daily in our hearing, from the time the
Church was organized until now. There is no general truth that
has been so frequently dwelt upon, and so powerfully enforced
upon the minds of this people, as this truth to which I now
allude. We who are connected with this Church, and retain our
membership with this people, must be pure in our thoughts, in our
words, and in our actions; we must take a course to retain the
Spirit of God in our hearts; and if we do not take a course of
this kind, the Spirit of God will inevitably leave us, and that
light which has illumined our understandings, that joy and peace
which have filled our souls and caused us to rejoice exceedingly
before the Lord will depart from us, and we shall be left in a
worse condition than we were before we obeyed the Gospel. If we
turn to the history of the Apostles we find a striking instance
of this in the case of Judas, one of the twelve Apostles--one of
the chosen disciples of the Lamb--whom we may suppose was once
possessed of the Spirit of truth; but he was a hypocrite; he
broke the commandments of God; he did that which is evil. How did
this disposition manifest itself? As soon as he chose to dissolve
his connection with the people of God, did he go and bury himself
among the rest of the Jews, and from that time say nothing more
about the work of God he had been connected with? No; but the
first promptings of his evil heart were to sell his Lord and
Master--to be his betrayer, and the destroyer of the
innocent--prostituting the knowledge which he had received to a
base purpose, distorting and misrepresenting it in such a manner
that it proved the means of condemning the man who he had
previously looked upon as his Lord. This is the spirit that will
manifest itself, the spirit that the ancient Apostles had to
contend with in the midst of those who were opposed to them, and
who had formerly been connected with them--false brethren.
Whenever a man loses the spirit of the Gospel, whenever the
Spirit of god is supplanted by the spirit of the evil one, that
man is a fit tool for the adversary to work with and to use to
effect his accursed purposes in shedding the blood of innocence;
because he gives way to the spirit of him who was a murderer and
a liar from the beginning, and whose works have been evil from
the creation until now. In our day the two spirits are
manifested, only with more power, with more strength than have
been witnessed on the earth since the days of the Apostles.
228
For generations there has been an indifference manifested by the
adversary of truth to the systems of religion which have
prevailed among men. When men partake of error, when they are not
accompanied by the Spirit of God, when the power and authority
which God imparts to fulfill his great purposes are not in
existence among them, then there is an indifference manifested by
the adversary; religious organizations and religious movements
are regarded by him with unconcern, because the necessity does
not exist, under those circumstances, for vigilant exertion on
his part. But the moment the Holy Priesthood of God is restored,
being the power and authority imparted by heaven to men, which
gives them capacity to go forth and administer in the things of
God, then all hell is moved, all who are under the influence of
the adversary are at once in commotion, and they seek to destroy
all those who have the temerity to stand up in the defence of the
truth and righteousness in the power of the Holy Priesthood of
the Son of God. This has been the case from the beginning until
now, from the shedding of the blood of righteous Abel down to the
time that the last Apostle was slain. There have been feelings
manifested, dispositions exhibited in connection with this Work
which have not been seen among men for a great length of time
before. There have been a faith and devotion, a love and
integrity manifested by the Saints of God, by those who have
received the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that have not been seen for
a long period of time. On the other hand, there have been intense
feelings of bitterness, hatred, and strife, and murder, and
everything that is evil, manifested in opposition thereunto. As I
have said, these manifestations are traceable to the fact that
God has attempted to do a work again among men at the present
time, which is an uncommon thing to this generation. If we
converse with the votaries of modern Christianity about the
persecutions which the Apostles and Prophets endured, and which
all righteous men in every age have endured from the hands of the
wicked, they say that those were ages of barbarism and darkness;
civilization and enlightenment had not spread their benign
influences over the inhabitants of the earth; the printing press
was not in existence, and the benefits that flow therefrom were
not known and enjoyed by man; they were, consequently, dark,
uneducated, and ignorant, and therefore superstitious and cruel.
To such ignorance and darkness do many modern Christians
attribute the persecutions righteous men met with in former days.
But in this day, they say, we live in the blaze of Gospel light;
the Bible is published in almost every language, and extensive
means have been taken to disseminate the truth, and the
exhibition of those cruel feelings which were common in ancient
times are not to be seen now. Thus they delude themselves with
the idea that they are better than were the fathers, even as the
Jews did in the days of Jesus when they exclaimed, "If we had
been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers
with them in the blood of the Prophets;" and they built the tombs
of the Prophets, and garnished the sepulchres of the righteous;
but Jesus said unto them, "Wherefore ye be witnesses unto
yourselves that ye are the children of them which killed the
Prophets." "Fill ye up, then, the measure of your fathers."
229
To reason with many men upon this subject, and to have them
reason in return, they would impress you with the idea that the
antagonism which formerly existed between Satan and God has
ceased, and that there is a sort of amnesty existing between
them, and hence Satan does not have that power over the hearts of
men that he had formerly. This is a very great delusion, and a
very common one. It is a delusion which has been common to every
generation when the Gospel has been preached among the
inhabitants of the earth. Every generation has flattered itself
that it is a little better than the one that preceded it. Every
generation has prided itself in its knowledge and great
advancement in the arts and sciences and its superiority over
preceding generations; yet the power of the adversary and his
hatred of righteousness and truth are as great to-day as they
ever were since the creation of the earth. The moment a man
undertakes to proclaim true principles--to declare the Gospel of
Jesus Christ and exhort the people to cry unto God in faith, he
stirs up in the hearts of the people a feeling of opposition and
strife which, if he be not acquainted with the cause, strikes him
with wonder and astonishment. How often has it been the case that
our Elders in going forth to preach have labored among people who
were ignorant of the existence of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, and of their principles, or, if they have
heard anything, it has been but little. This could not be done
now; but there have been times in the past when it could be done.
But when Elders could go to places where the people had heard but
little or nothing about the Latter-day Saints, as soon as they
commenced declaring to the people that God had spoken from the
heavens, and exhorted the people to seek unto God, and He would
answer their prayers as anciently, a spirit of opposition would
be aroused. This has been so time and time again with our people,
showing that it is not the evils of the Latter-day Saints, nor
because they are polygamists, &c., that they are hated; for they
met with opposition before anything was known of the doctrine.
This feeling did not have its origin in any of these causes; but
in the hatred which the adversary always has to the truth, and in
the power which he exercises over the hearts of the children of
disobedience, prompting them to go to any and every length to
prevent the accomplishment of that which God our Heavenly Father
seeks to bring to pass among the people.
229
It is the most foolish thing that people ever attempted to tell
us that if we were to do so and so, take such and such a course,
that we should not be persecuted. Men who make such assertions do
not know this Work; they cannot comprehend it; they know nothing
about the characteristics of this people, nor the work which they
are connected with; if they did, they would know that the world
would love its own, and that it would hate everything that is not
of the world, and that comes in contact with religious popularity
in the world, and that everything of this kind is hated by the
world and by him who is the master of the world.
229
My brethren and sisters, we are engaged in the greatest of all
warfares. No sooner did Joseph Smith receive the Holy Priesthood
from heaven, and the power and authority to administer the
ordinances of life and salvation, than this warfare commenced;
and it has gone on widening and increasing until it has assumed
its present dimensions; and it will go on increasing until it
will fill the whole earth--until the warfare that has been
inaugurated will occupy the thoughts and minds of all the
inhabitants of the earth, and until one of these powers will
prevail in the earth. It was said on one occasion by a leading
statesman of our nation, that the conflict between freedom and
slavery was irrepressible. It may be truthfully said respecting
the warfare in which we are engaged that it is irrepressible, and
it will not terminate until one power or the other succumbs to
the other. Which power shall succumb? There will be no cessation
to this strife and contest. One or the other has to ride
triumphant and hold dominion over this earth. Truth must prevail,
or error must hold sway.
229
God has spoken on this point in unmistakable terms, that it is
his intention to establish his kingdom and carry on his work,
which the Prophets in vision had seen from the commencement of
the earth until now; that it is his intention to roll forth his
kingdom until it shall fill the whole earth--until the laws of
the kingdom of God shall be universally respected and obeyed by
all the inhabitants of the earth; until he whose right it is to
reign shall sway his sceptre over an obedient earth, or over a
population who will be obedient to him.
229
On the other hand, a declaration has been made, not by
the adversary directly but by his emissaries, and those who are
under the influence of his spirit, that the work of God must
stand still--that it must go backward and be overwhelmed.
230
The contest is not with cannon or with rifles and swords, and
weapons of this description; but it is, nevertheless, a
warfare--a warfare between the spirit of darkness and that of
light--between he who attempts to usurp the dominion of this
earth and the God of heaven. The war which was waged in heaven
has been transferred to the earth, and it is now being waged by
the hosts of error and darkness against God and truth; and the
conflict will not cease until sin is anguished and this earth is
fully redeemed from the power of the adversary, and from the
misrule and oppression which have so long exercised power over
the earth. Do you wonder, then, that there is hatred and
bitterness manifested; that the servants of God have had to watch
continually to guard against the attacks of the enemy; that the
blood of Joseph and Hyrum, David Patten, and others has been
shed, and that the Saints, whose only crime was desiring to serve
God in truth, virtue, uprightness, and sincerity, have been
persecuted and afflicted all the day long? I do not wonder at it;
there is no room for wonder in the minds of those who understand
the work in which we are engaged.
230
This power, which is waging a warfare against us, would shed the
blood of every man and woman who profess to be Latter-day Saints
and who try with all their might to live their religion and honor
the Holy Priesthood. There is no excess of cruelty at which they
who are influenced by it would stop, no length to which they
would not go to accomplish their damnable and hellish purposes.
Why? Because the devil was a murderer from the beginning--he has
murdered from the beginning; he prompted the first murder, and he
prompted the last one. It was he who prompted men at all times to
shed the blood of innocence, and seek by so doing to stop the
work of God. He induced Judas to betray and shed the blood of
Jesus Christ--to shed the most precious blood that ever flowed in
human veins. He it was who stirred men up to commit these
murders, impressing them with the false idea that some great
advantage would result from such crimes, and that they would be
able to check the progress of the kingdom of God and arrest the
purposes of Jehovah. And it is the same power which is at work
to-day and that suggested to men to shed the blood of Joseph, and
instilled into their minds the thought that if they could kill
him they could thereby interrupt the work of God. But as we see,
instead of accomplishing what they expected, they have only
forwarded the purposes of God our heavenly Father.
231
In suggesting to men to shed the blood of Jesus Christ, and the
blood of innocence in every dispensation and age when God has had
a people on the earth the devil has shown great ignorance and
blindness, and God has, through his superior wisdom and power,
overruled all these acts for his own glory, and for the
accomplishment of his own purposes and the salvation of man upon
the earth. We shall have his hatred to meet, and no man need
suppose for a moment that Latter-day Saints can avoid it, for in
so doing he deceives himself. As long as there is any power on
the earth that can be wielded by Satan we shall have to encounter
these things and contend with them; and any man not connected
with us who imagines that this continued and unceasing warfare is
going to discourage us, or cause our determination to roll forth
the kingdom of God to slacken in the least, deceives himself. He
knows not the men who are engaged in this work, and the power
which God has bestowed, and the light and intelligence he has
imparted to us respecting this conflict in which we are engaged.
God has reserved spirits for this dispensation who have the
courage and determination to face the world, and all the powers
of the evil one, visible and invisible to proclaim the Gospel,
and maintain the truth, and establish and build up the Zion of
our God, fearless of all consequences. He has sent these spirits
in this generation to lay the foundation of Zion never more to be
overthrown, and to raise up a seed that will be righteous, and
that will honor God, and honor him supremely, and be obedient to
him under all circumstances. The experience that we have gained
in this respect in the past is only a foretaste of that which is
in the future. Those who started in this Work with an
understanding of its nature, made their calculations that, if it
were necessary to lay down their lives and sacrifice everything
that is near and dear to them, they with the Lord's help, would
do so to break the yoke of Satan and free mankind from the
thraldom of sin that has so long oppressed them. There is no
doubt that many have had their lives shortened through the
cruelty of their enemies; many have been spoiled of their goods
and have been called upon to make sacrifices, if we may term them
such, but in our view they are not sacrifices, yet we cannot
express the idea better than by using this word. The difficulties
which we have encountered in the past in this respect we shall
doubtless meet in the future, with this difference, that the
kingdom of God is gaining power and strength; the people are
gaining faith and experience, which enable them to endure far
more than in former days.
231
This morning, Brother George A. Smith alluded to circumstances in
the early history of this people which caused those who called
themselves Saints to apostatize. While he was speaking I
contrasted the difference in my mind between the Saints today and
then. There is a very great difference. Many apostatized then
from trivial and foolish causes; they were so ignorant of the
nature of the work of God. Now it is somewhat better understood,
and apostacy is not near so common as then; people begin to
understand the mind of the Lord. The adversary has less power and
influence over the Latter-day Saints than he had in that early
day. The kingdom of God is becoming more consolidated, and it
wields greater influence every day; and it will be so from this
time forward until the Priesthood shall prevail.
231
The hatred of the adversary will not be lessened by the lapse of
time; in fact, I sometimes think that he will make more desperate
exertions; he will arouse all the inhabitants of the earth by his
influence, and by slanders, and lies, and storms of vituperation,
and, by his mists of darkness, endeavor to becloud the
understandings of mankind, so that they will be deceived
respecting this Work. We have these agencies at work here.
231
I heard a gentleman remark lately, who himself had just arrived
in the city, that he supposed from the reports that were
circulated about affairs at this city that all the people here
were in a blaze of excitement, that men dare not go out of their
houses, and that a certain class were in danger of their lives.
Now, we who live here know how false these reports are; yet, it
shows the nature of the agencies which are at work, and the means
wicked men use to becloud the understanding and to stir up the
anger of the powers that be--the Government and its agents--to
take steps to crush, if possible, this people. Doubtless, we
shall have this to contend with from this time forward to an
increased extent, as the kingdom advances and occupies a larger
share of public attention and a more conspicuous position among
the nations. But, with the increase of this disposition among the
wicked, there will be an increase of strength, and power, and
faith, and experience on the part of the Latter-day Saints.
232
I often think about our circumstances to-day, and those which we
have been surrounded with for some time. Who, do you think, on
all the face of the earth could enjoy themselves so calmly as we
do with the influences operating against them that we have
working against us? We know that men have gone from here with the
avowed purpose and determination to do all in their power to stir
up the power of the nation against us, and endeavor to get a
military force sent here to enforce their obnoxious views. They
have boasted of this, and have in anticipation rejoiced over the
fulfillment of their accursed hate. Have these things disturbed
us as a people? No. I do not know a person in this entire
community who has lost five minutes' sleep through concern and
agitation on these points. We have gone to bed as calmly as
though all mankind were at peace with us, and we had not an enemy
in the world who sought our injury. What is the cause of this
calmness? It originated in the experience we have gained. God has
promised that we shall be delivered. We believe his promise. He
has delivered us in the past, and he will in the future. It is
His work, and it is for us to do our duty and leave events with
Him.
232
Our enemies are only fulfilling their mission as we are
fulfilling ours. They are accomplishing the works they have
undertaken, and we are performing those for which we have
enlisted, namely, the works of God. They are foolish for taking
that path which leads to their destruction, when they might take
the opposite course. I have all these thoughts respecting them;
but then God gives them their agency, and it is not my place to
quarrel with them about the way in which they exercise that
agency. If they choose to be the tools of wicked and designing
men, and of him who is the father of lies, they will get their
reward according to their works. If we are faithful, if we are
humble, live our religion, and cultivate the Spirit of God and
cherish it continually, we will get our reward, and in proportion
to our diligence. That is a consolation that we have; therefore,
we have no cause to be disturbed at the wicked. Let them fill
their destiny and perform their part in the great drama of the
last days. It is necessary, probably, in the wisdom of God that
every man and woman on the face of the earth should have the free
and unrestrained exercise of their agency to do good or evil.
233
In speaking about apostacy, it is a remarkable feature connected
with it and with those who favor apostates and consort with them
that they are filled with the spirit of fear. It can be
truthfully aid of the Latter-day Saints, that they are a fearless
people. Even our enemies give us credit for this--that in the
midst of dangers and difficulties we are undisturbed and not
easily appalled. But there is this peculiarity connected with
apostacy and apostates, and with those who consort with and favor
them: they are continually in dread of some impending
danger--some evil that is about to be perpetrated upon them by
the Latter-day Saints. Go where you will among apostates, you
will see this feature in their character, but especially in Zion.
Hence, so many stories about destroying angels, Danites, &c.,
&c., being among the Saints. The moment a man loses the Spirit of
God and the spirit of the adversary takes possession of him, he
is filled with fear; for "the sinners in Zion are afraid;
fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites." They say their lives
are in danger. All the terrible stories that are circulated in
the east and the west about the people of Utah have their origin
in the fears of the wicked, in the fears of those who have a
consciousness within themselves of having committed wrong. No
honest man or woman need fear; indeed they never fear. What are
they afraid of? They have done nothing to cause the spirit of
fear to come upon them. It is only when a man does that which is
wrong that he receives the spirit of fear.
233
This peculiarity has been manifest from the beginning of this
Church up to the present time. As was stated here a few Sundays
ago, it was exhibited by William Law in Nauvoo. He thought that
somebody had designs against his life. His fear had its origin in
the spirit of apostacy and adultery with which he was filled.
Whenever a man indulges in the spirit of apostacy, he begins to
be filled with fear. Those who have the Spirit of God and love
their religion have nothing to fear; they can meet their brethren
and sisters, the angels of God, and even the Lord himself,
without having that dastardly fear with them. In the knowledge of
their weakness, and their ignorance, and doing many things
unintentionally, they feel sorry; but still they are sustained
with a consciousness of doing no intentional wrong.
233
The spirit of evil takes possession of the wicked--the same
spirit that is possessed by the damned; that spirit seizes upon
them while they are in the flesh.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 / George
Q. Cannon, May 6, 1866
233
The Latter-day Saints who live their religion partake of the joys
of heaven; the spirit of it shines in their countenances; it is
in their habitations; it is around about them, and all who come
in contact with them feel its influence resting upon them. This
will increase more and more.
233
May God help us to cultivate it, and may we approximate nearer to
our Father and God, and be able to fight the good fight of faith,
not laying off our armor, and bravely resist the adversary, and
carry forward this great Work until it shall prevail throughout
the length and breadth of the earth, and the sound shall go forth
that the earth is redeemed and the purposes of God are
consummated, which may God grant. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, June 3, 1866
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, June 3, 1866
Brigham Young, June 3, 1866
OPPOSITION ESSENTIAL TO HAPPINESS.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Tabernacle, Great
Salt Lake City, June 3, 1866.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
233
I wish the few remarks which I may now make to be comprehensive
and instructive.
234
The subject upon which Brother Wells has spoken this afternoon is
a very intricate one to define. It is very difficult to convey
even the ideas which we may have respecting the operations of, to
us, invisible spirits upon the hearts of the children of men; and
it is very difficult to frame in the mind a system of thinking
and reasoning upon this subject that is at all satisfactory. It
is very difficult to form in the mind an even, and unbroken, and
correct thread of ideas which will truthfully and satisfactorily
explain the variations which we see in the motives and actions of
mankind, and to understand the varied motives and feelings of the
people, and what they design in performing such and such acts.
There are some who have a correct and clear thread of ideas
framed in their minds relating to this subject, but cannot convey
them to their fellow-beings. This is a weakness that I believe is
inherent to a greater or less degree in each and every one of us.
234
The opposition which we find in the hearts of the children of men
to the Gospel of life and salvation, Brother Wells has been
setting before us this afternoon in a very able manner. Upon this
subject I have my own reflections, and my own way of revealing
those reflections to others.
234
The opposition which we see manifested against the truth in this
our day has been manifested in every day and age of the world
wherein the Gospel of the Son of God has been preached to the
children of men. There is no difference to-day in this respect
from what it was formerly. Our opponents tell us that were it not
for the doctrine we believe, teach, and practice, there would be
no difficulty--no strife between the Latter-day Saints and those
who call themselves Gentiles. We are all Gentiles by birth who
are not of Jewish descent. We who are called Latter-day Saints
are Gentiles by birth--we are nationally so. The opposition which
we have to meet is not because we believe in polygamy. That
principle is not the real bone of contention, but it is the power
of Satan against the power of Jesus Christ here upon this earth.
It is no matter what the doctrines are; it is no matter by what
name they are called, in what manner they are presented, or by
whom they are believed; it is the power of God on the one hand,
and the power of Satan on the other. We can see the workings of
the two spirits upon the hearts and dispositions of the children
of men. Opposition to the truth is made manifest by those who
render themselves servants to obey false principles or false
ideas, and their actions are directed by the power of Satan
against the truth of heaven in the persons of those who love and
advocate it.
234
We have been told that when error is introduced it is generally
done in a most genteel, religious, scientific, and most refined
and civilized manner. The servants of sin should appear polished
and pious. It is necessary they should be learned, and be able to
call to their assistance the accomplishments and elegancies of
science and art, and the subtle, persuasive power of rhetoric.
Jesus Christ describes this class of deceivers very forcibly in
the following words:--"But all their works they do to be seen of
men; they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders
of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and
the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets,
and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi." This external polish is
really necessary for them as a covering to make successful the
introduction of false theories and false principles, and to cover
up licentious and wicked lives.
235
The servants of God have truth, and nothing but truth to present
to the world, that the world may be sanctified by the truth. The
truth needeth no polish to make it lovely and desirable to those
who love it. The principles of truth and goodness, and of eternal
lives and the power of God are from eternity to eternity. The
principle of falsehood and wickedness, the power of the devil and
the power of death are also from eternity to eternity. These two
powers have ever existed and always will exist in all the
eternities that are yet to come. Although in relation to this
earth, some time in its future history there will be no death,
and him that hath the power of death will be destroyed. It is
written in the Book of Mormon, "For it must needs be that there
is an opposition in all things. If not so, righteousness could
not be brought to pass; neither wickedness; neither holiness nor
misery; neither good nor bad."
235
When man is born into the world he is at once subject to the
influences of life and death and to the innumerable and varied
vicissitudes which he meets in his passage from birth to the
grave, to give him an experience which will prepare him to enter
into and enjoy life everlasting. He is endowed with agency to
choose either life or death, and must abide the consequences in
the next life of the choice which he makes in this. Were it not
that evil exists with good, man could not have been an agent unto
himself. When the spirit of man enters the earthly tabernacle, it
is as pure as an angel of God. When man, as a child, is brought
forth to the light, and begins to live, move, and have a visible
and an individual being in this world, he is brought in contact
with the principle of evil--he receives the mark of sin, and as
passes the usual stages from infancy to manhood, he learns to
become disobedient to the requirements of heaven, disobedient to
the laws of man, and disobedient to the laws of his own nature;
he engenders the spirit of hatred, malice, wrath, strife, and all
that class of evils which render him unfit to return again to the
presence of his Father and God; but if he will obey the Gospel
and walk in the ways of the Lord, his mortal existence and his
proneness to sin, which he has inherited through the fall, become
profitable and essentially necessary to the full enjoyment of
salvation and eternal life.
235
These ideas may be profitable to the Saints and aid them in
understanding to some extent why things are as they are.
236
Then the opposition to the truth is not because we have no wife,
because we have one wife or many wives; it is not because we are
Socialists and have all things common; it is not because we
believe in or practice this or that doctrine as individuals and
as a people; but it is the spirit of him who is an enemy to all
righteousness that is in the hearts of those who yield themselves
to obey false principles. Paul, in his writing to the Romans,
says, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those
that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God." "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield
yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
When truth comes, error comes also. When the Gospel of the Son of
God is introduced among the children of men, it comes with light
and intelligence, with pure and holy principles. It embraces all
morality, all virtue, all light, all intelligence, all greatness,
and all goodness. It introduces a system of laws and ordinances,
and a code of moral rectitude which, if obeyed by the human
family, will lead them back to the presence of God. As we were
exhorted this morning to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, be
baptised for the remission of sins, receive the laying on of
hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, receive the spirit of
prophecy, the spirit of discerning of spirits, the gift of
healing, and, in short, all the gifts, and graces, and laws, and
ordinances of the Gospel, which are for life and salvation. Now,
the power of Satan is opposed to all this.
236
Now, let me state somewhat the reason why the devil appears as a
gentleman when he presents himself to the children of men. The
children of men have good principles dwelling within them. When
their spirits came into this mortal flesh, they brought with them
the love of all truth, virtue, and goodness; but the sin that has
contaminated the mortal tabernacle through the fall creates what
the Apostle Paul, when writing to Timothy, calls a "warfare."
When Joseph Smith first preached the Gospel to this generation
the Spirit of God attended it, and that Spirit met an opposing
spirit, which was the spirit of Satan, exerting his power to lead
away mankind from the truth to everlasting ruin; while the Spirit
of the Gospel, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, sought to
lead to exaltation and everlasting life. Here are the two powers
in opposition to each other.
236
Now, remember that it is not because we are called "Mormons," or
Latter-day Saints, that we meet opposition; there is nothing
odious in mere names and titles. Joseph Smith has as good a right
to his name as John Smith has to his. There is nothing criminal
in the simple name of Joseph Smith; yet, he being a servant of
God and a preacher of righteousness, his name became odious to
the wicked, and the three simple words, "Old Joe Smith," were
sufficient to arouse in their hearts every vindictive and
blood-thirsty desire. It was not, however, this simple name that
aroused the worst feelings of the human heart against those who
loved and obeyed the truth; but it was the spirit of Satan
working in the hearts of the children of disobedience against the
truth. Why was Joseph Smith, and why are his brethren, so odious
to those who are not of us? Because we have the words of eternal
life to offer to the world. The devil is opposed to this, and
offers resistance to the progress of the spirit of the Gospel by
arousing the wicked, who are under his influence, to hate, and
persecute, and annoy in every possible way, the true followers of
the Lord Jesus.
236
Let me say to you, my friends (and if I have foes here I say it
also to them), there is no spirit inhabiting a mortal tabernacle
(that has not sinned away the day of grace), but what naturally
loves and adores the truth, and would bless and honor all those
who seek to walk in the way of the Lord, were it not for the
influence and power of evil by which they are controlled. There
is a constant warfare between the good and the evil. The mortal
tabernacle is of the earth earthy, and came forth for the express
purpose of being prepared to serve as a dwelling for the eternal
spirit; and the spirit has come hero for the express purpose of
getting a tabernacle; and the sin that is in the fleshy
tabernacle is against the good that is in the spirit. The Apostle
Paul, when writing to the Romans, says, "For I delight in the law
of God, after the inward man: but I see another law in my members
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."
237
It is not the name of a man or the name of a sect which inspires
this warfare, but it is a war which has always existed, and will
always continue to exist, between the good and the bad, between
the power of God and the power of the devil. To those who are not
instructed in the things of God it appears to be a warfare
between sects and parties. The votaries of the bad excuse
themselves for their persecutions of the good by supposing that
they, themselves, as individuals, or their nations, are about to
suffer some great wrong from the upholders of the good. As an
example of this I will quote from the Gospel according to St.
Luke:--"And the whole multitude of them arose and led him (Jesus
Christ) unto Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, we
found this fellow perverting the nation and forbidding to give
tribute to Caesar, saying, that he himself is Christ, a king."
This is the cunning of the devil, and a means by which he leads
down to destruction great numbers of the human family. He gets
the political world to believe that they are, or are going to, be
infringed upon; he makes the religious world believe that the
sanctity and rights of their holy religion are in danger, and
thus he gets them to make his cause their own; they are lashed
into a frenzy of excitement and hatred against the Saints; every
high-toned, honorable and truthful feeling of the human heart is
blunted or entirely subdued in them; they plan for the
destruction of God's people, and, in many instances, the blood of
the Saints--the blood of innocence--has been shed by their hands.
It is written in the book of Revelation: "And the great dragon
was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and satan,
which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth,
and his angels with him."
237
Paul in view of the power of the great deceiver and his host
exhorted the Saints anciently to "Put on the whole armor of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places." A great number of those who oppose the truth, and mob
and rob and kill the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, know not
what they oppose, but they are moved to commit depredations
against the people of God by men who are desperately wicked;
these are among the bitterest enemies of the truth. The multitude
in the days of Jesus cried out: "Crucify him." The chief priests
had delivered him up from envy. Pilate knew this; "but the chief
priests moved the people that he should rather release Barabas
unto them. When Pilate inquired what evil he had done, they cried
out more exceedingly: crucify him." They know not what they did.
237
Wherever the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been preached either in
these or in former days, it has met with a class of men to whom
the truth looked lovely and God-like, and the spirit within would
prompt them to embrace it; but they find themselves so
advantageously connected in the world and have so many interests
at stake if they should embrace it, they conclude that it will
not do, and here comes the warfare again. Some few will overcome
the reasonings of the flesh and follow the dictates of the
Spirit; while the great majority of this class of persons are won
over by sordid considerations and cleave to their idols. The good
spirit tries to overcome the wayward will of the flesh, and the
flesh, aided by the cunning and power of the devil, maintains a
strong warfare; but, notwithstanding this great power against
which the spirit has to contend, the power of God is greater than
the power of the wicked one; and unless the Saints sin against
light and knowledge, and wilfully neglect their plain and well
understood duties, and the Spirit of God is grieved and it ceases
to strive with them, the Spirit is sure to prevail over the
flesh, and ultimately succeeds in sanctifying the tabernacle for
a residence in the presence of God.
238
The spirit which inhabits these tabernacles naturally loves
truth, it naturally loves light and intelligence, it naturally
loves virtue, God and godliness; but being so closely united with
the flesh their sympathies are blended and their union being
necessary to the possession of a fullness of joy to both, the
spirit is indeed subject to be influenced by the sin that is in
the mortal body, and to be overcome by it and by the power of the
devil, unless it is constantly enlightened by that spirit which
enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, and by the
power of the Holy Ghost which is imparted through the Gospel. In
this, and this alone, consists the warfare between Christ and the
devil.
238
It is not in my being called a Quaker, a Methodist or a "Mormon"
that is the true cause of contention between these two great
powers--Christ and Belial; but it is in the fact that God has
established His kingdom upon the earth and restored the Holy
Priesthood, which gives men authority and power to administer in
His name.
238
It has been told us this afternoon, and was this morning also,
that we must be baptized in order to be saved. Much remains to be
said on the means necessary to effect salvation in its
completeness. We might as well say that a beautiful temple could
be built and all its details completed and finished in a day, as
to say that we can tell all we know about the plan of man's
salvation in a short hour and a half or in a day. It is plain to
every enlightened person that the Lord has introduced fit and
proper laws by which he will save His children and exalt them
into his presence. If these laws are not obeyed by the human
family, they cannot be saved, nor be exalted to the presence of
God. What will become of all those who will not obey the laws of
salvation? Will they be confined throughout an endless enternity
in that bottomless pit, where their worm dieth not, and where
their fire is not quenched?
238
It is necessary that men should become acquainted with the laws
of God, and the ordinances of His kingdom, and receive of the
power of the world to come in order to fit them to become angels
of the devil, and that the devil may have full power over them;
and these are the only ones who are cut off from every degree of
salvation. Jesus said, "now is the judgment of this world: now
shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted
up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."
238
He has been lifted up, and He will save every son and daughter of
Adam and Eve, except the sons of perdition, in some kingdom where
there shall be no more death, no more aches and pains to afflict
and torment them; and let me assure you that none of those
kingdoms will be any worse than the one we now inhabit. Jesus
Christ will draw all men unto him, except those who contend
against the power of God and against his kingdom until they have
sealed their own damnation.
239
The adversary presents his principles and arguments in the most
approved style, and in the most winning tone, attended with the
most graceful attitudes; and he is very careful to ingratiate
himself into the favour of the powerful and influential of
mankind, uniting himself with popular parties, floating into
offices of trust and emolument by pandering to popular feeling,
though it should seriously wrong and oppress the innocent. Such
characters put on the manners of an angel, appearing as nigh like
angels of light as they possibly can, to deceive the innocent and
the unwary. The good which they do, they do it to bring to pass
an evil purpose upon the good and honest followers of Jesus
Christ. Yet the little good, if any, that is in them, they have
received from God. Lucifer, the son of the morning, has not got a
good principle, does not say a good word, perform a good act, or
present a good idea to any people upon this earth or any other
earth that he has not received from that God whom you and I
serve. Every thing that is good, every thing that is lovely and
truthful, virtuous and kind, everything to be admired and desired
by the pure in heart comes from God, our Father, who dwells in
heaven. The most wicked person that ever dwelt upon the earth,
the Lord supports; He gives to him the breath of life, and causes
His sun to rise upon that poor miserable wretch, who would, if he
had the power, destroy everything that is good. The Lord our God
sends His rain upon the just and upon the unjust, and gives food
and raiment to the good and to the evil; He parcels out the earth
among his children, and his mercy and loving kindness are over
all the works of his hands. Though the Lord is thus kind and
merciful to all, yet he saith, "them that honour me I will honor,
and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."
239
In the days before Noah's flood those who served God and kept his
commandments were prepared to receive glory, immortality and
eternal life according to the law of the Gospel. When this law
was given to the people in any age, the kingdom of God was
established, and the devil and his hosts were made mad even as
they are at this day.
239
We are told that if we would give up polygamy--which we know to
be a doctrine revealed from heaven and it is God and the world
for it--but suppose this Church should give up this holy order of
marriage, then would the devil, and all who are in league with
him against the cause of God, rejoice that they had prevailed
upon the Saints to refuse to obey one of the revelations and
commandments of God to them. Would they be satisfied with this?
No; but they would next want us to renounce Joseph Smith as a
true prophet of God then the Book of Mormon then baptism for the
remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the reception of
the Holy Ghost. Then they would wish us to disclaim the gift of
prophecy, and the other gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, on
the ground that they are done away and no longer needed in our
day, also prophets and apostles, etc.
239
They want us to yield all these points, transgress the laws God
has revealed for the salvation of the world, and change all the
ordinances of God's house, and conform to the dogmas of modern
Christianity and to the corruptions of the age. Will the
Latter-day Saints do this? No; they will not to please anybody.
Shall we have a warfare? We shall; we will war and contend for
the right, and trust in our God until righteousness is
established upon the earth, until peace shall reign everywhere,
until the children of men shall lay down the weapons of their
warfare and cease to exhaust their ability and ingenuity in
forming weapons of destruction to slay their fellow men, until
the minds and affections of mankind shall be turned unto the Lord
their God, and their energies be directed to beautifying the
earth and making it like the garden of Eden. We calculate to
struggle on, and continue to exercise faith and enjoy our
religion, keeping all the commandments of God, observing the
ordinances of his house, trying to fulfill all his words,
trusting in him, and we shall see what this course will come to.
240
I can tell the whole world that we shall preach the gospel of
life and salvation and call upon the children of men to cease
their wickedness and their warring against God and one another,
and embrace those saving principles that will lead them to life
here and to eternal life hereafter. We shall preach on, we shall
struggle on until the kingdoms of this world shall become the
kingdoms of our God and his Christ. To be gentle and kind, modest
and truthful, to be full of faith and integrity, doing no wrong
is of God; goodness sheds a halo of loveliness around every
person who possesses it, making their countenances beam with
light, and their society desirable because of its excellency.
They are loved of God, of holy angels, and of all the good on
earth, while they are hated, envied, admired and feared by the
wicked.
240
What, then, is the mission of Satan, that common foe of all the
children of men? it is to destroy and make desolate. When this
house was built, every principle, every desire that prompted the
putting of these materials together, had good for its object in
making the people comfortable and happy. The desire to build
cities, open farms, set out orchards and adorn and beautify the
earth in every possible way is of God. But you say that those who
do not believe in religion at all do that. Very good, are not
their lives as much in the hands of God as yours and mine? Does
He not prompt them day by day to do good, and blessed are they
who resist not the Spirit. There is a spirit of truth gone forth
to all the inhabitants of the world. The book of Job says, "but
there is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty
giveth them understanding." Again, it is written of Jesus, "that
was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the
world." "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither
cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he
that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made
manifest, that they are wrought in God."
240
There is that in all men which prompts them to do good and
forsake evil; then there is another principle which prompts them
to do evil and forsake the good. The few who have moral courage
enough to yield obedience to the promptings of the Spirit of God,
bringing themselves in subjection to his will, are the ones who
compose the church and kingdom of God on the earth, so far as
they have opportunity. Whatsoever is good is of God, no matter by
whom possessed or presented. If the devil presents principles
that are good and pure and lovely, they are not of him, but they
are of God.
240
The devil delights in the work of destruction--to burn and lay
waste and destroy the whole earth. He delights to convulse and
throw into confusion the affairs of men, politically, religiously
and morally, introducing war with its long train of dreadful
consequences. It is evil which causeth all these miseries and all
deformity to come upon the inhabitants of the earth. But that
which is of God is pure, lovely, holy and full of all excellency
and truth, no matter where it is found, in hell, in heaven, upon
the earth, or in the planets. Let us live in obedience to the
good; let us live our religion.
241
I do not know that I have explained these things sufficiently
clear to you. The thread of the whole subject is clearly defined
in my mind. I know what the children of men are when they come
upon the earth, and the influence that attends them, and the
power of satan who lives upon the earth by permission like the
wicked and ungodly do. Will we live our religion? I hope so. It
was asked me by a gentleman how I guided the people by
revelation. I teach them to live so that the Spirit of revelation
may make plain to them their duty day by day that they are able
to guide themselves. To get this revelation it is necessary that
the people live so that their spirits are as pure and clean as a
piece of blank paper that lies on the desk before the inditer,
ready to receive any mark the writer may make upon it. When you
see the Latter-day-Saints greedy, and coveteous of the things of
this world, do you think their minds are in a fit condition to be
written upon by the pen of revelation? When people will live so
that the Spirit of revelation will be with them day by day, they
are then in the path of their duty; if they do not live according
to this rule, they live beneath their duty and privileges. I hope
and pray that we may all live up to our privileges. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Wilford Woodruff, October 22, 1865
Wilford Woodruff, October 22, 1865
THE PRIESTHOOD ANCIENT AND MODERN--GOD'S DEALINGS WITH
THE CHILDREN OF MEN IN EVERY AGE--FINAL TRIUMPH OF HIS KINGDOM.
Remarks by Elder Wilford Woodruff, Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake
City,
October 22d, 1865.
Reported by E. L. Sloan.
241
There is a great responsibility resting upon any prophet,
apostle, high priest, elder, or any messenger or servant of God,
who is called to preach the Gospel; and any person who is called
to preach the Gospel to the children of men is entirely dependent
upon the Spirit of the Lord for all the principles he may present
unto those who hear him. Any generation, also, to whom a message
is sent from heaven, is held responsible for the receiving or
rejecting of that message.
242
It is a very hard matter for the Lord to build up His kingdom
upon the earth, where the devil has power and dominion over the
minds of the children of men. It would be impossible for Him to
do so in this or any other age of the world, unless he found an
element to work with Him, for the very reason that He has given
to all men an agency to choose the path in which they will walk.
This is the reason why there has been so small a portion of time
since the creation of the world in which God has had an organized
kingdom upon the earth--when He has had a church that He himself
has organized, guided, dictated, directed and controlled. The
devil--Lucifer--the son of the morning, has had great dominion
here upon the earth; he has had great dominion over the minds of
the children of men; and the Lord has taken great pains, I may
say from the creation, to endeavour to establish His kingdom, to
present His laws upon this earth, and to get the children of men
to obey those laws that they might fulfil the object of their
creation.
242
The Lord gave father Adam the priesthood, and the Gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ, after the fall. When he went out into the
dreary world, driven from the Garden of Eden, he received the
Gospel, he received the priesthood, and he started forth upon the
face of the earth with the keys of the kingdom of God, to
endeavour to establish the works of righteousness upon the earth.
He gave this priesthood to his sons. A number of them were
ordained high priests. But in the commencement we find not only
the work of God but the work of the devil manifest in the hearts
of men. Cain was stirred up in anger against his brother Abel,
and rose up and slew him, shedding innocent blood, and the power
of evil commenced in the beginning. We find from the Bible, as
well as from other revelations which God has given us, that Adam
and the early patriarchs, those who were willing to be led by the
law of God in that generation, received the high priesthood, and
lived to a great age. It is said Methuselah lived to be almost
1,000 years old, and so did father Adam and others. They held the
priesthood, and taught their children truth and righteousness to
establish the kingdom of God in their day and generation. Herein
is where I say the Lord commenced and laboured to establish his
kingdom and to guide men to receive the word of the Lord, that
they might walk in obedience to His laws, fulfil the object of
their creation and be saved when they got through with this
probation,--that they might keep their estate and receive an
exaltation and glory in the presence of God.
243
We are informed by revelation that Adam, three years previous to
his death, "called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch,
and Methuselah. Who were all high priests, with the residue of
his posterity who were righteous, into the valley of
Adam-ondi-ahman," and there bestowed upon them his last
patriarchal blessing; and he prophesied what would take place
even till the coming of Messiah, which prophecy is said to be
written in the Book of Enoch. But men soon began to work
corruption and unrighteousness on the earth in that early age;
and in tracing the history of the church and kingdom of God from
those prophets down, we find that the majority of the human
family were unwilling to keep the commandments of God or to live
according to those principles which were revealed to them for
their salvation. It was but a little time after, comparatively
speaking, that Enoch, who was acquainted with the teachings of
Adam and of his fathers who held the holy priesthood, laboured to
gather the people together to practise righteousness, but the
majority of them would not be guided by him. He laboured 365
years, we are informed by revelation teaching them principles of
righteousness, that they might become sanctified and prepared to
receive celestial glory, but his labors were not appreciated by
them. Why did not Enoch remain on the earth and Zion prevail?
Because wickedness prevailed. The majority of the human family in
that generation were wicked; they were not ruled over by the
Lord; and, hence, there were not men enough on the face of the
earth, in that generation, who were willing to receive the
Gospel, keep the commandments of God, and work the works of
righteousness, for Enoch to have power to remain on the earth.
Therefore it was that the Lord took Enoch and the city of Enoch
to himself; for we are informed by revelation that the city was
translated and all its inhabitants. There were not men enough in
the days of Enoch who were willing to sustain that which was
right; one part or other had to leave the earth; and the Lord
translated Enoch and his city and took them home to Himself.
243
You may trace the history of the kingdom of God from that time
down and you will find this prevailing among the nations of the
earth. They were prone to evil, to sin, to blasphemy, to lie, to
steal, to swear, to commit adultery, to pollute the earth which
they inherited, in their day and generation, and hence it was an
impossibility for the Lord to establish His kingdom among the
children of men, unless He could find willing minds enough to
receive that kingdom, to build it up and sustain it and do the
works of righteousness. The devil did not make this earth. It
never belonged to him, and never will; but Lucifer was cast down
to the earth with the third part of the hosts of heaven, and they
have dwelt here until to-day. They remain here yet; and they have
had their effect upon the hearts and minds and lives of the
children of men for nearly six thousand years--from the time that
man was cast out of the Garden of Eden into the cold and dreary
world.
243
The Lord has set His hand many times in different dispensations
to establish His kingdom upon the earth, He has raised up
men--noble spirits--who have come forth and tabernacled in the
flesh at different periods and times. He has inspired those men;
given them revelations; filled them with inspiration, with light,
with truth, with the things of the kingdom of God; and many of
them had the vision of their minds opened to behold the fate of
the work of God in all generations--the beginning, the middle and
the end. Many old prophets have seen, by revelation, our day,
have seen the sorrow, calamity, war and afflictions in various
dispensations and ages of the world. The earth had become so
corrupted under its inhabitants in the days of Noah, that the
word of the Lord came to him to build an ark; he received
revelation from God to prepare to save himself and his family,
while the wicked were destroyed. Enoch before him had seen this
event; he had seen the same things as Noah. The Lord had shown
him what was in the future. Whenever a generation have corrupted
themselves and defiled the earth, and the cup of their iniquity
is full, the Lord has brought judgments upon that generation.
This we have ample testimony of from the commencement of the
world.
244
Noah was 120 years building the ark, we are informed in the
Scriptures, and during that time he preached the Gospel. How many
who were willing to believe his testimony? Only eight souls in
all, including himself. He was very unpopular, I presume, and had
as much derision heaped upon his head, for building an ark on dry
ground, as any man that ever lived on the earth. But Noah was a
prophet and a messenger of God, called to warn that generation
and to build an ark, and if he had not done it he would have been
held responsible for the lives of himself and family and all that
generation. But he had the Spirit of God and was willing to do as
he was told, whether the doctrine he preached was popular or
unpopular. He built the ark, and went into it with his family,
and they were saved. The history of the flood and of the
salvation of Noah and his family is well known. He performed the
work assigned him to do, and was saved; and that generation went
to hell, there to remain until Christ went and preached the
Gospel to their spirits in prison that they might be judged like
men in the flesh. So you may trace the history of the kingdom of
God through the world, generation after generation, and there is
no generation that we have ever read of, the majority of whom
have been willing to serve the Lord.
244
Look at the days of Abraham, whose faith was so great that he was
called the father of the faithful. He was an heir to the royal
priesthood, another noble spirit, the friend of God. He came upon
this earth, not in a way of light, but through idolatrous
parents. His father was an idolator. I do not know who his
grandfather was; but his father had false gods that he worshipped
and sacrificed to. God inspired Abraham, and his eyes were opened
so that he saw and understood something of the dealings of the
Lord with the children of men. He understood that there was a God
in heaven, a living and true God, and that no man should worship
any other God but Him. These were the feelings of Abraham, and he
taught his father's house, and all around him as far as he had
the privilege. The consequence was, his father and the idolatrous
priests of that day sought to take his life. In the book of
Abraham, translated in our day and generation, we are informed
that Abraham was bound, and those priests sought to take his
life, but the Lord delivered him from them. One reason why they
did so was, that he had gone into those places which his father
considered sacred, and among the wooden gods which were there,
and, being filled with anger that his father should bow down and
worship gods of wood and stone, he broke them. When his father
saw that his son Abraham had broken his gods he was very angry
with him. But Abraham, trying to reason with his father, said
that probably the gods had got to fighting among themselves and
had killed one another. He tried to bring him to reason, but his
father did not believe they had life enough to kill one another.
If he had possessed the spirit which his son had, he would have
said there is no power with these gods; but he did not, and
Abraham had to flee from his father's house, confiding in the
Lord who gave many promises to him and concerning his posterity.
245
We have no account of the Lord's having organized a kingdom upon
the earth in that day; but he gave the priesthood to Abraham, who
taught his children the principles of righteousness. Isaac taught
Jacob; and Jacob's sons, the twelve Patriarchs, were taught by
the priesthood, and God gave unto them many great and glorious
blessings. From that time until the days of Moses we can trace in
sacred history that the Lord had witnesses on the earth, from
time to time, who were raised up and bore record of the truth to
the people. Moses was raised up and led Israel forty years, he
was a high priest after the order of Melchizedek, and received
his priesthood from Jethro, his father-in-law, who received it
through Abraham. Moses undertook to preach the Gospel to the
Israelites; but they were very dark, very prone to evil, as well
as the Gentiles around them; and they had not that faith and the
fulness of inspiration which the Lord desired, to build up his
kingdom; consequently, they had a law of carnal commandments
given to them to bring them to Christ. The Lord labored with
them, and Moses labored with them; he could not leave them for a
short time but they were ready to turn to idolatry and make a
golden calf to worship, or something contrary to the kingdom of
God. Trace this down to the days of Christ and you will find it
has been a hard matter for the Lord to get people to have faith
in Him to build up His kingdom. Jesus came in fulfilment of the
prophecies; He was the Son of God, and a literal descendant of
Abraham. He came to his own and his own received him not, though
he was the Son of God. Take the Jews to-day anywhere in the
world, and they do not believe in Jesus. I do not say this
because I wish to find fault with them. I have a great love for
them as a people. But they have rejected the Messiah, and they
will remain in unbelief until they go back and rebuild
Jerusalem--which they will do in this generation--and until the
Messiah comes. The day will come when Judah will know who Shiloh
is, and that day is not very far distant. Jesus came, organized
his church and kingdom and sent the Gospel to the Jews; but the
Jews failed, through unbelief, and the Gospel was given to the
Gentiles, to whom one of the ancient apostles said, "If God
spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not
you." Did the kingdom of God remain in the days of Christ, with
apostles, pastors, teachers, and the gift of the Holy Spirit? But
a little time elapsed until the Lord could not find men enough
throughout the whole Gentile world who would receive the kingdom
of God in its purity, embrace its principles and maintain it on
the earth. Hence there was a falling away; the gifts and graces
of the Gospel were lost to men; those who held the priesthood
were overpowered, and put to death by wicked men. The Church went
into the wilderness, and all that the prophets had spoken
concerning the kingdom of God in that day had its fulfilment.
245
Christendom professes to believe the Bible; and all we have asked
of this generation is to believe the Bible, and then they will
believe that God will establish his kingdom in the last days, for
the Bible plainly points it out, and shows that the Lord will
send an angel bearing the everlasting Gospel to them that dwell
on the earth, that it may be preached to every nation, kindred,
tongue and people. All the prophets who have spoken of the last
days have spoken of this work. Daniel saw it and prophesied of
it. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and all the prophets have referred to it.
And the Lord sent his angel, in fulfilment of what he declared he
would do, who called upon a man on the earth, a literal
descendant of Abraham and of Joseph--one of the promised seed who
had been prophesied of in ages past and gone, that he would come
forth and lay the foundation of the kingdom of God. The angels of
God ministered unto him; his name was Joseph Smith; and he laid
the foundation of this kingdom, or this congregation would not be
before me to-day. You are the fruits of the labors he commenced.
246
The Lord has said that in the last days his kingdom should not be
taken from the earth, nor given to another people; but that the
kingdoms of this world should become the kingdoms of our God and
his Christ. We have the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the book of
Doctrine and Covenants, and other revelations of God to this
effect. Either this is the kingdom of God or it is not the
kingdom of God. If it is not the kingdom of God, then are we like
the rest of mankind; our faith is vain, our works are vain, and
we are in the same condition of ignorance with regard to the
Gospel and the purposes of God, as the rest of the world. There
are tens of thousands throughout these valleys, who know that
this is the kingdom of God. They know this by the revelations of
Jesus Christ. It is not the testimony of another man that gives
me the knowledge for myself. If I had not the testimony of truth
for myself I would not be qualified to build up this kingdom.
There is no man or woman qualified to build up the kingdom of God
if they have not the testimony of truth for themselves.
247
I will say to this congregation, Jew and Gentile, believer and
unbeliever, that this is the great kingdom spoken of by Daniel,
the commencement of the Zion of our God, which every prophet has
spoken of who has referred to the Zion of the last days. The Lord
has sworn by himself, because he could swear by no greater, that
he will establish it in the latter days. But to do this he must
get a people to work with him. It could not be done otherwise if
the world stood for a million years, for it is by the agency
which men hold that he accomplishes his purposes on the earth.
The Lord prepared the way for this age and generation, and he has
raised up some of the noblest spirits in this dispensation that
ever dwelt in the flesh. He ordained Joseph Smith from before the
foundation of the world, to come forth and lay the foundation of
his kingdom. Those that knew Joseph know that he was true and
faithful unto death. He laboured, after he was ordained with
Oliver Cowdery, fourteen years, two months and twenty-one-days,
in the establishment of this work, after he organized the first
branch, with six members on the 6th day of April, 1830. He was
martyred on the 27th June, 1844. What did he accomplish, raised
up, as he was, in the midst of a generation as full of tradition
as the inhabitants of the earth were in the days of Noah, and
almost as unbelieving as that generation were? He had to combat
the errors of our forefathers which had been handed down for
generations. He built upon the same foundation that Jesus and the
Apostles built upon. He preached the same Gospel accompanied by
the same ordinances that they preached. He organized the Church
in the same way, with the same gifts and blessings, and the same
Spirit accompanied the Gospel to those who believed. The elders
went forth calling upon the children of men to repent and be
baptized for the remission of sins, and have hands laid upon them
that they might receive the Holy Ghost. And the testimony was,
that if they obeyed the Gospel they would receive that Spirit.
Did the Lord sustain that testimony by giving the Holy Ghost from
the heavens? He did, as every faithful man and woman in this
Church knows and can bear testimony to before God, angels and
men. This was a great work. He lived until he sent the Gospel to
the nations of the earth; he built temples, gave endowments to
the Twelve and others, and told them that they must bear off this
kingdom. He accomplished all that the Lord required of him, and
he sealed his testimony with his blood; and his testimony is in
force to-day. Had Joseph Smith shrunk from the duty which God
required of him; had he said, "It is unpopular, I will not make
as much by preaching the Gospel as if I were to let it alone, I
will only be persecuted," the consequence would have been he
would have been damned. The Lord would have taken the priesthood
from him, and held him responsible for the testimony he had given
him. We are all in this position. If we do not do our duty and
bear a faithful testimony to this generation, the Lord will hold
us responsible. This generation, who have shed the blood of
Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum and others of the anointed of
God, are held responsible for so doing before high heaven, and
the judgments of God will follow them for shedding innocent
blood.
247
But did the kingdom stop when the prophets were put to death? No,
for it is the kingdom of God. It fell to the lot of brother
Brigham Young to receive the priesthood and hold the keys of the
kingdom. You who have been acquainted with him for the past
thirty years, know his life. You know what he has accomplished. I
have traveled many thousands of miles with him, and have been
familiar with his labors. No man ever lived in the flesh who
traveled more miles to carry salvation to the children of men,
who preached more and did more for the redemption of mankind and
to carry out the purposes of God, during thirty years, than he
has done and is doing. The Lord has sustained him, for he is
going to cut his work short in righteousness. He is determined to
build up his kingdom as he has promised. Did you ever see an
elder refuse when called upon to go on a mission to preach the
Gospel? Hardly one in five thousand. This is because they are
true and faithful unto God. The Spirit of God is in them. The
Lord has planted that Spirit in them that they might go and work
to build up this kingdom.
247
The world feel to-day concerning "Mormonism" and this people as
they did in the days of Noah and Lot concerning the revelations
of God and those who believed them then. But what of it? The
unbelief of men does not make the work of God of no effect. The
Lord requires faithfulness at our hands; and if we do not do our
duty we will be held responsible before high heaven for the use
we make of the holy priesthood which has been bestowed upon us.
247
While I sat and gazed, last Conference, upon the vast assembly of
elders who were here in this Tabernacle, I thought of the words
of Isaiah when his mind was opened and he looked in vision upon
the future. Said he, "Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth;
and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the Lord hath
comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted."
What do you see, Isaiah, that should cause you to break forth in
such language as this? I see what the Gods of eternity see. I see
what all the prophets and patriarchs before me have seen--that
the Lord Almighty will build up his Zion upon the earth in great
power and glory in the latter days. Yes, "But Zion said, the Lord
hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman
forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on
the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget
thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy
walls are continually before me. Thy children shall make haste;
thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of
thee." Elder Woodruff quoted from the 13th to the 26th verse of
Isaiah, 49th chap.; the 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8 verses of the 52nd
chap.; and the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 14, 15, and 22 verses of the
60th chap.)
248
Thus chapter after chapter he goes on to declare that Zion's
strength is in the Lord Almighty; and his strength is with her
because of her faithfulness and integrity. If the elders of
Israel had the vision of their minds opened to see Zion in her
beauty and glory, they would have no time to sin or do evil; but
they would rise up in the strength of the Lord God of Israel and
accomplish all that he requires at their hands. Zion is yet in
her weakness, but the little one shall become thousands, and the
small one a great nation. We talk of the future and of the
promises of God to us. They are worthy to be talked of, worthy to
be lived for, and to rejoice over, because they are true.
248
We have warned our own and other nations; and so far our garments
are clear of the blood of this generation. There never were men
in the flesh who labored harder and tried more to fulfil the
commandments of God than the elders of this Church have done.
Some of our elders have traveled over 100,000 miles in thirty
years to preach the Gospel and build up the kingdom of God; and
the Lord Almighty has labored with us.
248
I have an anxiety--a strong desire, to see the people of the
Latter-day Saints--the inhabitants of Zion, rise up and put on
their strength. I desire to see them increase in the knowledge of
the truth, in faith and good works, and in the knowledge of the
things of the kingdom of God. The Lord is not pleased with
wickedness and sin. Let any man look at our own beloved country.
There is more crime now committed in ten years in it, than used
to be in a century. Will the Lord bear with this? No, he will
not. He has already destroyed two great and powerful nations that
dwelt on this continent, and the remnants of another are
scattered over the country in the miserable few who bear the
marks of the curse of God upon them--the Indians. If men shed
innocent blood, do wickedly, and work iniquity, the seed that
they sow they must reap the harvest of.
248
If the Latter-day Saints, to whom the Lord has revealed the light
and truth of the Gospel, were to prove unfaithful and rebel
against God, they would be cursed below any people on the earth,
below even these miserable Lamanites that we see wandering around
our settlements; for we know more than they or their fathers
knew; we know better what the mind and will of God is. It is that
knowledge that has sustained us for the last thirty years, and
over. We know this is the kingdom of God; that we are the friends
of God; that the kingdom will stand; and woe be to that nation,
kindred, tongue or people, to that individual or family under the
whole heaven that lifts a hand against the Lord's anointed or
against the friends of God, for they will feel the chastening
hand of God. We wish this generation well, and we have labored
hard to try and save them. Whether men believe or disbelieve is
nothing to us; it is our business to keep the commandments of
God. If we live so as to keep the Spirit of God with us we will
have power to do good and to carry out the things which he
requires at our hands.
248
Be true and faithful; do you duty to yourselves, to your country,
to your God, and to one another. When we do this we shall
overcome and inherit eternal lives. May God grant that we may do
so for Christ's sake. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, June 17, 1866
THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH IS A LIVING, MOVING,
WE DO NOT CARRY IT, BUT IT CARRIES US.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, in the Tabernacle, in G. S.
L.
City, June 17th, 1866.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
249
The elders frequently refer to the kingdom of God, and to the
ordinances thereof, and to this people and their duty and
privilege to roll it forth and to maintain it until it shall
triumph, and introduce peace and universal brotherhood over all
the earth. I will inform all the elders of Israel and their wives
and their children, and also those who are not of us but whose
eyes are upon the results arising continually from its
establishment among men, that when the kingdom of God is
established, if each member of that kingdom singly and
individually will do his or her duty it will take care of itself,
for it is a living, self-moving, self-sustaining, independent and
heaven-ordained establishment.
249
The priesthood of the Son of God in its operations comprises the
kingdom of God, and I know of no form of expression that will
better tell what that priesthood is than the language given to me
by the Spirit, namely, that it is a pure system of government. If
the people who subject themselves to be governed by it, will live
strictly according to its pure system of laws and ordinances,
they will harmonize in one, and the kingdom of God will steadily
move on to the ultimate triumph of truth and the subjugation of
wickedness everywhere on this earth.
249
The establishment of this kingdom is a standing fact--an
established truth in the eyes of the rulers and people of all
nations; it is like a city upon a hill that cannot be hid. Its
great governing power is not confined to one man, or to ten or a
thousand men, but the Great architect, manager and
superintendent, controller and dictator who guides this work is
out of sight to our natural eyes. He lives on another planet; he
is in another state of existence; he has passed the ordeals we
are now passing through; he has received an experience, has
suffered and enjoyed, and knows all that we know regarding the
toils, sufferings, life and death of this mortality, for he has
passed through the whole of it, and has received his crown and
exaltation, and holds the keys and the power of this kingdom; he
sways his scepter, and does his will among the children of men,
among Saints and among sinners, and brings forth results to suit
his purpose among kingdoms and nations and empires, that all may
redound to his glory and to the perfection of his work.
250
This kingdom is governed and controlled by him who knows all
things; and he will bring forth the righteous, the just, the
humble and the meek of the earth, all those who serve him and
keep his commandments to the enjoyment of the fulness of his
glory. This kingdom or work is proffered to the whole of the
human family, even to all who will accept it, upon the terms of
strict obedience to all its ordinances and requirements, and to
its organization of prophets and apostles, gifts and blessings
and graces. All may receive it upon these simple terms, and
become entitled to all its blessings and privileges. When all who
constitute this kingdom are faithful to its requirements, it
moves along; the old ship Zion will not stop; upon this we may be
satisfied, and give ourselves no further trouble.
250
When we look abroad upon the world we see mankind running to the
east and to the west, to the north and to the south, here and
there. They are thrown upon the great ocean of human affairs,
without compass, rudder or pilot to guide their little barques to
a safe haven of rest. They wander to and fro upon the earth; eyes
have they, but they see not; ears; but they hear not, and they
know not whither to go to find that joy and peace their hearts
seek and long for. Their minds individually are confused and
distracted, and they cannot see the way of safety when it is
placed before them; yet here it is--this kingdom, a living
miracle to all its beholders; this is admitted by and astonishes
the world.
250
The great skill and ability of a single man in bearing off this
people, and in giving this kingdom success as a nation and as a
community is often referred to. This is a mistaken idea; but
still the people who know not and understand not the things of
God, will entertain it. They attribute the success of this work
to human agency entirely; they are averse to giving the Lord
Almighty the credit which justly and rightly belongs to him. The
same disposition was manifested by the Scribes and Pharisees of
old. In the 9th chapter of the gospel by John, we have an
instance of this in the case of the man who was born blind, but
whose eyes were opened by Jesus Christ. The neighbors and those
who had seen him that was blind, said: "Is not this he that sat
and begged." They inquired how his eyes were opened. He told them
and gave the credit of this great miracle to Jesus Christ. The
Scribes and Pharisees were not willing to give the glory and
credit of this miracle to the Saviour; and because the man that
was blind, and could now see, persisted that Jesus was a prophet
and had opened his eyes, they cast him out.
250
If the Father of Jesus christ were here, and should publicly feed
the multitudes, and clothe them, and build their houses for them,
they would not be willing to acknowledge God and give him the
praise and glory and credit that is due to him. This arises from
the spirit of opposition which is in the hearts of the children
of men. It is the spirit and power of evil in opposition to the
power of good that has forever existed, and ever will exist, and
here is the warfare.
250
We are the subjects of the kingdom of God; if we observe its laws
and ordinances and transgress none of them--neglect none of
them--lay aside none of them--then the kingdom itself will bear
off all its members to the haven of salvation and rest. We know
this; it is our daily experience. How can the world know the
things of God? They can read about them, but they cannot know
them without the Spirit of God; "For what man knoweth the things
of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the
things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." They know
nothing about this kingdom; we do not expect them to know, and it
is no marvel to us when we reflect upon all that is done by the
power of Satan against it, for his power will be continually
exerted against it through the agency of the ignorant and wicked
of mankind.
251
How long will this opposition continue? until Jesus comes to take
the kingdom and destroys death and him that hath the power of
death. Will evil all be destroyed? Yes, the evil which pertains
to this earth; but still the same principle of evil will exist
elsewhere. Pertaining to this earth death will be swallowed up in
victory, and Jesus Christ will come and rule and reign over all
nations as he does in the kingdom of the Saints. Until then, this
evil power will be exerted to its uttermost to destroy and lead
astray every man and woman who loves the truth. It is no matter
to the devil what religion men profess or what they worship, how
many sacraments they observe, or how many ordinances they pass
through, so that they are not legally in the possession of the
priesthood of the Son of God, and will not worship the true and
living God in the manner he has directed. The devil does not care
how much religion there is on the earth; he is a great preacher,
and to all appearance a great gentleman, and it is necessary that
he should be, and that all his co-workers should be as like their
great leader and master as possible. They have forsaken the
fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken
cisterns, that can hold no water. It is popular now-a-days to be
religious, it has become the seasoning to a great deal of
rascality, hypocrisy and crime.
251
Here is the kingdom of God, and the Saints should understand,
that, if they abide in this kingdom they will realize every
promise made to them in its ordinances and covenants. There can
be no safety or merit claimed in forsaking the true Church and
kingdom of God; there is nothing excellent or praiseworthy in
this act. What would you think of a person who would forsake a
good staunch ship at sea in a storm and commit himself to the
mercy of the raging elements? I should think the same of him as I
would of those who forsake this Church. The devil has blinded
their eyes to that degree that they recklessly and wilfully
plunge into sure and certain destruction. The devil and his
servants give their sanction and support to anything that will
lead astray the people, even if it is very like the kingdom of
God, yet a little different to that order of things which the
Lord has established in his Church for the salvation of mankind.
251
Paul writes to the Corinthians. "Now ye are the body of Christ,
and members in particular. And God hath set some in the Church,
first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after
that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues."
251
The same Apostle writes to the Ephesians upon the same subject,
"He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above
all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers: for the perfecting of the Saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
statue of the fulness of Christ." What kind of ministers do the
modern Christian churches acknowledge? Are they apostles? No;
they tell us apostles are done away. Are they prophets? No; they
tell us prophets are no longer needed in the church in this
enlightened age, in which, they say, all the people bask in the
sunshine--in the full blaze of gospel light.
252
The kingdom of God on earth is a living, moving, effective
institution, and is governed, controlled, dictated and led by the
invisible God whom we serve, who is an exalted living being,
possessing body, parts and passions, who listens to the prayers
of his Saints, is a reasonable, merciful, and intelligent being,
who is filled with knowledge and wisdom, who is full of light and
glory, and the foundations of whose throne are laid in eternal
truth; whose personal form is perfect in proportion and beauty.
He loves the good, and is angry with the wicked every day as it
is written in the Scriptures. He hates the evil that is done by
evil doers, and is merciful to the repenting sinner. He is
beloved by all who know him for the attributes he possesses in
and of himself, in common with all glorified beings who now dwell
with him, and who will yet be glorified and crowned with crowns
of glory, immortality and eternal lives. This kingdom of which we
are citizens has life in itself; and if we individually and
collectively do our duty, it will move on to intelligence, to
glory, and to God. We do not have to carry off the kingdom but,
through our faithfulness, it giveth us the victory, through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
252
I have seen men who belonged to this kingdom, and who really
thought that if they were not associated with it, it could not
progress. One man especially, whom I now think of, who was
peculiarly gifted in self-reliance and general ability. He said
as much to the Prophet Joseph a number of times as to say that if
he left this kingdom, it could not progress any further. I speak
of Oliver Cowdery. He forsook it, and it still rolled on and
still triumphed over every opposing foe, and bore off safely all
those who clung to it. "How is it, brother Brigham, that you
manage affairs, and dictate and guide and direct this kingdom as
you do? The secret is I know enough to let the kingdom of God
alone, and it goes of its own accord.
252
When King David, together with all the chosen men of Israel,
thirty thousand in number, arose to bring up the ark of God from
the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah, they put it upon a new
cart, and Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinadab drove the new cart.
When they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his
hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it, for the oxen shook
it. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God
smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of
God. Let the kingdom alone, the Lord steadies the ark; and if it
does jostle, and appear to need steadying, if the way is a little
sideling sometimes, and to all appearance threatens its
overthrow, be careful how you stretch forth your hands to steady
it; let us not be too officious in meddling with that which does
not concern us; let it alone, it is the Lord's work. I know
enough to let the kingdom alone, and do my duty. It carries me, I
do not carry the kingdom. I sail in the old ship Zion, and it
bears me safely above the raging elements. I have my sphere of
action and duties to perform on board of that ship; to faithfully
perform them should be my constant and unceasing endeavor. If
every bishop, every president, every person holding any portion
of the holy priesthood, every person who holds a membership in
this church and kingdom would take this course the kingdom would
roll without our help.
253
Let each bishop attend faithfully to his ward, and see that every
man and woman is well and faithfully and profitably employed that
the sick and aged are properly cared for that none suffer. Let
each bishop be a tender and indulgent father to his ward,
administering a word of comfort and encouragement here, a word of
advice and counsel there, and a word of chastisement in another
place, where needed, without partiality, wisely judging between
man and man, caring for and seeking earnestly the welfare of all,
watching over the flock of God with the eye of a true shepherd,
that wolves and dogs may not enter among the flock to rend them.
Let the presidents and apostles and elders do the work the Lord
has set them to do, and obey the counsel which is given them, and
the kingdom will continue to roll, to increase in strength, in
importance, in magnitude and in power, in wisdom, intelligence
and glory; and no one need be concerned, for it is the kingdom
which the Lord our God has established, and has sustained by his
matchless wisdom and power from the beginning to this day. He
called upon his servant Joseph Smith, jun., when he was but a
boy, to lay the foundation of his kingdom for the last time. Why
did he call upon Joseph Smith to do it? because he was disposed
to do it. Was Joseph Smith the only person on earth who could
have done this work? No doubt there were many others who, under
the direction of the Lord, could have done that work; but the
Lord selected the one that pleased him, and that is sufficient.
253
From the spirit and tenor of the ancient Scriptures and
revelations which we have received, it is plainly set forth that
there are men pre-appointed to perform certain works in their
lifetime, and bring to pass certain ends and purposes in the
economy of heaven. I believe that Jesus Christ was fore-ordained
before the worlds were to perform the work he came to do; whom
God "hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the
worlds." He was ordained to come to this world and redeem it,
with mankind upon it and all things pertaining to it. "Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." The Lord has
ordained some men to the performance of good and some to the
performance of evil. Pharaoh was ordained to do the work which he
performed. "For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this
purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in
thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth." The Lord fulfilled his purpose through the wickedness of
Pharaoh, and the nations beheld his handy-work in bringing the
children of Israel out of the wilderness. They had a crooked path
to walk in, and it was made crooked through their disobedience,
and hard heartedness. They rebelled against the Lord, and against
his servant Moses, they would not submit to the ordinances of
salvation which they had in their possession. After they had
received many chastisements and many blessings and mercies from
the hand of God, the children of those who left Egypt possessed
the land of promise. These works were wrought by the hand of the
Almighty, and so does he with all his people.
253
He has set up his kingdom among us, and the people had better
look to it closely and see that each one is performing his and
her duty faithfully. If we do this, then all will be well. Will
the Latter-day Saints do this? I know not what they will do, but
I fully believe that we are naturally a little rebellious, and
that we are practically so; we are a little disposed to have our
own way too much. There is a disposition among mankind generally
that leads them to the extreme of being damned rather than to
submit to anything only that which suits them, unless they are
made to submit by the strong hand of the law.
254
As the world is now so were ancient Israel; they were ignorant of
God's righteousness, and went about to establish their own
righteousness, not submitting themselves to the righteousness of
God. We are too much disposed to believe and act like the world,
not rendering that submission and humble obedience to the
righteousness of God which would justly accord with our high
profession. Many are disposed through their own wickedness "to do
as I damned please," and they are damned. The volition of the
creature is free, to do good or to do evil; but we are
responsible to God for our acts, as man is responsible to man if
he breaks the laws which man enacts. When we boast of our
independence to act, it would be well for us to remember that we
are bounded by these limits; if we transcend them and violate the
laws of God and man, we shall sooner or later be made to suffer
the penalty, without any reference to our choice whether we are
willing to suffer that penalty or not. Hence, true independence
and freedom can only exist in doing right. It is written, "that
every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Every item
will be recorded and all will be known when the books are opened.
254
We are acting upon our own responsibility and agency which God
has given us, if we secretly violate the laws of righteousness,
and our wicked works are in the dark while we maintain a pious
and fair exterior; they are nevertheless known; and for every
evil word and work which we commit, unless repented of we shall
be brought into judgment and be made to pay the utmost farthing
of the penalty. The Spirit of the Lord is in the hearts of all
people to teach them to cleave to good, and to forsake evil. If
they will listen to the whisperings of this Spirit when the
Gospel of Jesus Christ is presented to them, whether by the voice
of his ministers, or in the written word, their minds will be
enlightened to understand it.
254
Before Joseph Smith made known what the Lord had revealed to him,
before his name was even known among many of his neighbours, I
knew that Jesus Christ had no true Church upon the earth. I read
the Bible for myself; I was supposed to be an infidel and to
content myself with a moral religion. When I was told to believe
in Jesus Christ, and that was all that was required for
salvation, I did not so understand the Bible. I understood from
the Bible that when the Lord had a church upon the earth it was a
system of ordinances, of laws and regulations to be obeyed, a
society presided over and regulated by officers and ministers
peculiar to itself to answer such and such purposes, and bring to
pass such and such results, and I have not received a revelation
to the contrary. Such a system answering the description given in
the Bible I could not find on the earth, and I was not prepared
to listen to the men who said "lo here" and "lo there," who
presented themselves, as they said, as true ministers of heaven.
When I would ask the ministers of religion, if they were prepared
to tell me how the kingdom of God should be built up; if that
which is laid down in the new Testament is not the pattern, all
the reply I could receive from them was; "but you know, my dear
friend, that these things are done away." They would tell me that
ordinances were mere matters of ceremony, that belief in Jesus
Christ was all-essential and all that was really necessary.
255
I could only think of the religious world as a mass of confusion;
and when I visited England I saw it in its perfection. There I
saw hundreds of men and women down upon their knees in the middle
of the streets praying for sinners. In that country it rains
often, and it is then very muddy. I would stop and listen to
their cries for the power to come down upon them, etc., and
concluded that that filled the bill exactly for sectarian
religion as I looked upon it, no acknowledged ordinances, no
standard, no beacon light, no compass or rudder to guide the ship
of Zion. In one of their chapels, on one occasion, where a
Latter-day Saint sister happened to be present, a young man was
convicted of his sins, and cried out, saying: "What can I do to
be saved." That sister answered him, and said: "Repent and be
baptized for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the
Holy Ghost." They put her down stairs in double quick time.
255
Will the inhabitants of the earth receive the truth? They will
not. Will the Latter-day Saints live the truth? You answer, "I
mean to be a good Saint;" yet there are contention and abuse here
and there. We are elders in this Church--ministers of God to
perfect the people for the coming of the Son of man. Many of us
have been in this Church for years, and yet we cannot live in
peace and dwell together in union; and if we cannot do this, how
can we sanctify the people; and if we cannot live and love each
other as we should, be as neighbours as we should, serve the Lord
together as we should, deal with each other as we should,
fellowship each other as we should how are we going to prepare
the people for the coming of the Son of man? It is folly in the
extreme to think of it, unless we set the pattern ourselves.
255
I believe it is our duty to imitate everything that is good,
lovely, dignified and praiseworthy. We ought to imitate the best
speakers, and study to convey our ideas to each other in the best
and choicest language, especially when we are dispensing the
great truths of the Gospel of peace to the people. I generally
use the best language I can command. We often hear people excuse
themselves for their uncouth manners and offensive language, by
remarking "I am no hypocrite," thus taking to themselves credit
for that which is really no credit to them. When evil arises
within me let me throw a cloak over it, subdue it instead of
acting it out upon the false presumption that I am honest and no
hypocrite. Let not thy tongue give utterance to the evil that is
in thine heart, but command thy tongue to be silent until good
shall prevail over the evil, until thy wrath has passed away and
the good spirit shall move thy tongue to blessings and words of
kindness. So far I believe in being a hypocrite. This is
practical with me. When my feelings are aroused to anger by the
ill-doings of others, I hold them as I would hold a wild horse,
and I gain the victory. Some think and say that it makes them
feel better when they are mad, as they call it, to give vent to
their madness in abusive and unbecoming language. This, however,
is a mistake. Instead of its making you feel better, it is making
bad worse. When you think and say it makes you better you give
credit to a falsehood. When the wrath and bitterness of the human
heart are moulded into words and hurled with violence at one
another, without any check or hindrance, the fire has no sooner
expended itself than it is again re-kindled through some trifling
course, until the course of nature if set on fire; "and it is set
on fire of hell."
256
If this practice is continued, it will lead to alienation between
man and wife, parents and children, brethren and sisters, until
there is no fellowship to be found in the hearts of the people
for one another. How can we, and be consistent, with the same
tongue bless God, even the Father, and curse man who is made in
the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth should not proceed
blessings and cursings, but bless and curse not. "Who is a wise
man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a
good conversation his works with meekness and wisdom." The wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and
easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy."
256
As I have often remarked on former occasions, confidence is lost
from among mankind; men who are in authority, who sit at the head
of nations, kingdoms and governments, all fear the knife of the
assassin, and the torch of the incendiary. Wickedness has
submerged the world, and confidence and good faith have fled. We
are trying to restore the lost treasure to the world. Then, let
me exhort the Latter-day Saints to live a life that is worthy of
imitation. Envy not those who do better than you do; do not
pursue them with malice, but try to shape and frame your life by
theirs. We are trying to govern ourselves, and if we continue
trying and faint not, we shall assuredly conquer. Let us from
this time forth live so as to create confidence in all men with
whom we deal and come in contact; and treasure up each particle
of confidence we obtain as one of the most precious possessions
mortals can possibly possess. When by my good actions I have
created confidence in my neighbour towards me, I pray that I may
never do anything that will destroy it. I have tried to do this,
and have constantly endeavored to have it increase within me,
that when my word is given it may be just as good as the word of
an angel. Let us seek always to be guided by the spirit of truth
in our utterances, that we may never say anything which we shall
afterwards regret.
256
The psalmist inquires, "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?
who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and
worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He
that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his
neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor. In whose
eyes a vile person is condemned; but he honoreth them that fear
the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not, etc.
Let every man honour his word that he has given to his neighbor,
although it may be to his disadvantage and loss, yet in the
future it will be to his gain. Preserve your honour, and your
integrity, and ever cherish the confidence that men repose in
you.
256
May the Lord bless you. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, August 12, 1866
Brigham Young, August 12, 1866
ADVICE TO LAWYERS--ROYAL POLYGAMY IN EUROPE--POLYGAMY
REVEALED FROM HEAVEN.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, in the Bowery,
in G.S.L. City, August 12, 1866.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
257
I have a few words to say to the Latter-day Saints this
afternoon, and if I had time, I have many I could say. I would
exhort the Latter-day Saints to live in peace, to pursue a course
that will effectually preserve the peace that is taught them in
the Gospel of the Son of God, and avoid by every possible and
righteous means entering into contention, quarreling,
disputations, law suits, &c., &c.
257
You have heard from brother Geo. A. Smith this afternoon a little
of the history of this Church and people, and the cause of their
coming to these valleys. I am thankful that the rehearsal of
those occurrences has ceased to irritate me as it did formerly.
But we are here, and we wish to enjoy peace; we earnestly desire
it, and we calculate to have it. We are where our enemies cannot
come from Carthage and Warsaw before breakfast, and from
Springfield in two days. We are so far off, and it is so
inconvenient to bring this people to sorrow and affliction in the
way it was formerly done, that they consider another plan
necessary to be instituted. I wish to tell you what it is.
257
Brother George A. this afternoon has referred to the lawyers.
Where the carcass is there will the eagles be gathered together,
and it seems they think that there is one here to which they are
gathering. I want them to live here; but I want them to plant
their own potatoes and hoe them. It would appear that they think
that a civilized community cannot live long together without
contention and consequent law suits. I think that a community is
civilized so far as it is free from contentions, law suits and
litigation of every kind. We wish our friends to come here, and
participate with us in the good things the Lord has provided for
his people; but we do not want contention. When I hear men and
women say that they will go to a Gentile court to have their
difficulties adjusted, I think they will go to hell unless they
refrain from such a spirit.
257
The law is made for the lawless and disobedient, not for the
good, wise, just and virtuous. Law is made for the maintenance of
peace, not for the introduction of litigation and disorder.
258
What is the true relationship of lawyers to the law and to the
community? They should be the true representatives of peace; it
should be their business to promote it. I am now taking the
liberty of discharging a duty I owe to the lawyers in telling
them what their duty is. They read the law; they do or should
understand the law of the United States, of the States, and of
the Territories and cities in which they live, and whenever they
have an opportunity of telling the people how to live in a way to
avoid litigation, it is their duty so to do. Then if they wish to
get a living, instead of picking people's pockets, as is too
commonly the case, let them have their stores, and bring on goods
and trade, buy farms and follow the healthy and honorable
professing of farming, and raise their own provisions, and stock
enough for themselves and some to part with, and when their
services are wanted in the law, give it as freely as we do the
Gospel. It is said by lawyers, "We cannot spend our time without
some remuneration." You have no need to spend your time only in
some way to produce means for your subsistence. You can give
legal advice freely, and pursue an honorable and productive
business for a living.
258
Once I had the pleasure of hearing of a lawyer in old
Massachusetts, who attended strictly to his duty. He came into
the western part of Massachusetts and bought him a farm. He was
probably as sound a lawyer as Boston ever produced. They wanted
to know why he went to farming instead of following the
profession of the law. He replied, that according to the present
practice a man could not answer the demands of his clients and be
honest. When any of the people would come to him for advice, if
he was ploughing in the field, he would stop his team and request
them to tell him the truth, to state the case as it was, keeping
nothing back on their side of the question. When he had heard
their case he would advise them to settle the affair without
going to law, telling them what was right and just. When they
would ask him what he charged for his advice, he would receive
nothing; his team had been resting while he had been conversing,
and he would go to ploughing again. One lawyer has actually lived
in the United States who did not depend upon the practice of the
law for a living, but followed a legitimate business and gave
legal advice freely to all who asked it. In pursuing this course
he did not follow the practice of picking the pockets of the
widow and the fatherless.
259
We have a few lawyers here, and I know the object of their being
here. I object to their introducing litigation among this people.
In some instances it may be necessary to sue men. We have some
men in this community who are dishonest; they will run into debt,
and will not pay their debts. What shall we do with such men?
Shall we sue them? Yes; if they will not pay their debts and have
the means to do so, sue them; turn them over to the law, which is
made for such characters, but they should first be deprived of
the fellowship of the Saints. A man who will run into debt, when
he has no prospect of paying it back again, does not understand
the principles that should prevail in a well regulated community,
or he is wilfully dishonest. In this country no persons need run
into debt to get bread to feed themselves and their families.
There is no need to go into the second house in this community to
ask for food. Those who need can obtain food at the first house,
in nearly every instance, at which they will apply. This
community feed the poor and the hungry, and clothe the naked, and
they will not let the stranger, or those in necessity, ask alms
without responding to their calls, if it is in their power to
relieve them. Consequently, there is no need of any person
running into debt without a prospect of paying. Men in our
community run into debt to our brethren, and if they are asked
for the pay, they think it is not saint-like if they are asked to
sell their stock or put themselves about in the least to pay
their just debts. I have had to contend for, and defend men of
business who have sought to do the community good in transacting
business here, from being imposed upon in this way. But there is
no need of further explanation regarding this; we all understand
it; if there are strangers, or any who belong to the church, who
do not understand it, watch the careers and lives of those who
have been long in the church and who understand true principle,
and see whether they pay their debts or not.
259
Now, I ask every man and woman who wishes an honorable name in
the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth, if they have
entertained any idea of going to law, to banish it from their
minds at once. We have our Bishop's courts; they can tell us what
is right. We have our High Councils, and we have also our
Selectmen here who are sustained by the suffrages of the people.
If you are not satisfied with the decisions of the Bishop's court
and the High Council, call upon the Selectmen, and let them judge
your case. We may be told that it is necessary for us to have a
lawyer to present our case in a legal manner before the courts;
but the less we have to do with this class of professional men
the easier and cheaper will our difficulties be settled. When a
lawyer is going to court with a case, if you ask him, "do you
calculate to be honest?"
259
"Certainly."
259
"Just?"
259
"Yes, sir."
259
Truthful?"
259
"Most assuredly."
259
"Do you expect, in presenting a case to the court, to do anything
more than to present the facts in the case?"
259
"No."
259
"Where do you get the facts which you present before the judge
and jury?"
259
"From the witnesses."
259
"Have you men of common sense on the jury?"
259
"Yes; the best we can find; they are men of good capacity and
capable of judging right from wrong."
259
Then what good does it do to reiterate the testimony of witnesses
before the jury? It is an endeavor to make white black and black
white, to make the jury believe that they do not know anything,
but that "I know it all," and "I tell you law," &c. Lawyers will
quote law that has been obsolete for years before a jury who may
not be so well acquainted with the letter of the law, and this
they will do to endeavor, if possible, to blind the eyes and
confuse the minds of the judge and jury, to make out something
that is different from the facts in the case. Is this the
business and duty of a lawyer? It is not. His duty is to place
facts before the court. The jury can hear the witnesses as well
as the lawyer can, the judge can hear the witnesses as well as
the lawyer can, and when the simple facts are told, then let just
men decide.
260
It should be considered beneath the profession of a lawyer to
endeavor to clear the guilty, and place the innocent in bonds or
bring them into disrepute. I wish to say to that class of
gentlemen who are here, that if they expect to break up this
people by lawsuits, I think they will have a hard time. I will
use my influence with every good man, whether he is in the church
or out of it, never to think of going to law. What comes of
litigation? Poverty and degradation to any community that will
encourage it. Will it build cities, open farms, build railroads,
erect telegraph lines and improve a country? It will not; but it
will bring any community to ruin. It draws hundreds of men within
the circle of its influence, who crowd the court rooms and spend
days and weeks and months of their precious time for naught, time
that should be employed in getting lumber from the kanyons, in
building houses and in providing comfortable means of subsistence
for their families. Does it make peaceable, honest, and
industrious citizens? It does not, but it engenders strife and
habits of intemperance and idleness. Instead of crime being
lessened by its influence, it only helps to swell the dark
stream.
260
We have not been broken up, as has been anticipated, by military
force, and now it is expected that a course of law suits will
accomplish what the military failed to do. I will say one thing
to my friends, or to my enemies as they may consider themselves
(I myself am not an enemy to any man, yet I am an enemy to some
actions), if you undertake to drive a stake in my garden with an
intention to jump my claim, there will be a fight before you get
it; if you come within an enclosure of mine with any such intent,
I will send you home, God being my helper. You can occupy and
build where you please, but let our claims alone. We have spent
hundreds of thousands of dollars in taking out the waters of our
mountain streams, fencing in farms and improving the country, and
we cannot tamely suffer strangers, who have not spent one day's
labour to make these improvements, to wrest out homesteads out of
our hands. There is land enough in the country: go to and improve
it, as we have improved the country from its wild state. Is it
not a strange thing that men cannot see anything only what the
"Mormons" possess; hence, I swear it, by the Gods of eternity, if
we are obliged to leave this country, we will leave it as
desolate as we found it, and we will hunt those who would compel
us to leave to the last minute. Let us alone, and help us to
build up cities and towns and villages in these mountains,
instead of seeking to destroy the few industrious inhabitants
that are here and have made the country. You cannot destroy this
community; it never can be done. Remember that. And you men and
women who think of going to Gentile law to have your difficulties
adjusted, I would advise you to stop it, and let the lawyers go
into other business.
261
We have plenty of good lawyers who belong to the Church, and
there are more coming. I have some friends coming here, as
eminent lawyers as Massachusetts can produce. I advised them to
bring their capital and so invest it that they could live without
depending upon litigation and the practice of the law. Ever since
this Church was first organized until now we have had to manage
and scheme to escape the toils and snares of our enemies. We have
had to ask God for wisdom that we might know how to wind our way
through the difficulties you have just heard Brother George A.
Smith relate. Lawyers will plead law for the Latter-day Saints as
well as for anybody else in the world if they can get their pay
for it. I have seen too much of this for 34 years past. In the
days of Joseph Smith lawyers would get together and hatch out a
vexatious lawsuit; one would agree to defend him and another
would agree to plead against him, and this with a view to get his
money. Thousands, and tens of thousands of dollars have been
collected to pay lawyers' fees. "Brother Brigham, how much have
you paid?" Not one farthing. I defied our enemies to get anything
against me wherein I had in any way transgressed the laws of my
country; and if they tried unlawfully, and with a design to put
me in bonds, and to get money from me, they would have to run
some risk. We have had to work and pray in order to get along
when we had lawyers watching us all the time to get something
against the leaders of this people whereby they could in some way
bring a lawsuit against them.
261
Now, they suppose that they have got us safely on polygamy. What
about that? I would say to Congress that if they will pass a law,
making it death for any man to hold illicit intercourse with any
woman but his lawful wife, we would meet them half way on that
ground. It is not uncommon for men who have not been lawfully
married to any woman, but who pass as old bachelors, to have
children by several women. A recent case occurred in Europe which
illustrates this point. Prince Christian of Holstein, who has
recently married one of the daughters of Victoria, Queen of
England, has what is termed a morganatic wife in Germany, by whom
he has several children, yet the first lady in Europe, as Queen
Victoria is called, with the knowledge of the fact that this
Prince, who proposed for her daughter's hand, was the father of
several children by a woman, who to all intents and purposes was
his wife, accepts him as a suitable match for her youthful
daughter. The first Court in Europe is not shocked by an alliance
of this kind, no more than is the first society of this country
by similar occurrences in the cities east. Men may do as they
please with women, have numerous children by them, and take as
many liberties with them as if they were their wives, and yet not
call them wives, and modern society smiles upon them. But
whenever a man applies the sacred name of wife to the mother of
his children, if he happen to have more than one, then the world
professes to be wonderfully shocked at the idea. What
inconsistency!
261
Such men will go to hell for ruining innocent women and
increasing illegitimate children in the land. The community or
nation that indulge in such practices will be damned. If I have
wives, I take care of them, and I want my neighbors to let them
and my daughters alone. Do you understand it? If you do not, and
should undertake to infringe upon any of them, I will point my
finger at you. Our young men, and we have many, live virtuous
lives with regard to illicit communication with the sexes; they
observe the law which has been given to this people. Ask the
Lamanites if their women ever complained of being insulted by any
of our men at any time, and they cannot produce an instance. How
is it with the outsiders--mountaineers, trappers, hunters,
soldiers, and other men who have been brought in contact with
them. What will the Indians tell you about them? By mingling with
those outsiders the Indians will soon be in the dust. Many of
them have gone there already by mingling with the Gentiles; the
seeds of death have been sown among them, and many of them are
dying off; and they will continue to die through that cause. When
our Elders go abroad to preach the Gospel, or when they remain at
home, if they do not live according to the law of God, we sever
them from the Church, and have no further fellowship with them.
262
The doctrine of plurality of wives was revealed to this people
from heaven, and if heaven had revealed that we should have no
wife at all, it would have been as faithfully observed as the
present law, even if it should result in the depopulation of the
world, according to the profession of the Shaking Quakers. But
the Lord did not get his kingdom in that way. The kingdoms he
possesses and rules over are his own progeny. Every man who is
faithful and gets a salvation and glory, and becomes a king of
kings and Lord of Lords, or a father of fathers, it will be by
the increase of his own progeny. Our Father and God rules over
his own children. Wherever there is a God in all the eternities
possessing a kingdom and glory and power it is by means of his
own progeny. I am not going to ask the people whether they
believe it or not; and I do not want Brother Heber to do it
either, for it is none of their business. When I tell the truth I
do not ask any one's testimony to swear to it.
262
The economy of heaven is to gather in all, and save everybody who
can be saved. Do we wish to destroy people? We do not, not even
those ignorant, blood-thirsty Lamanites. Did we ever destroy? No;
it is not our doctrine; but our doctrine is to build up and save
life instead of destroying it. Is it necessary on any occasion,
and under any circumstances whatever? Yes, let a man meet me with
a design to kill me, and I am going to get the first blow if I
can. I have not come to die for the sins of the world as our
Savior, Jesus Christ, did. It was necessary for him to be killed;
but it is not necessary for me. It was not necessary for Joseph
Smith to be killed, if the people had believed his testimony; but
as the testator has sealed it with his blood, his testimony is in
force on all the inhabitants of the earth, and wherever it goes
those who reject it will be damned. Our doctrine is to preach the
Gospel of life and salvation, and get every man, woman and child
to believe and embrace it, and live as near to its requirements
as possible. That is the duty of the Elders of Israel, and it is
our duty to preserve ourselves, our wives and children, whether
we have many or few. Why does not our government make a law to
say how many children a man shall have? They might as well do so
as to make a law to say how many wives a man shall have.
262
There are a few in the Government who will listen to any
testimony against us, no matter how false. The man who was
referred to this morning has given testimony against us,
respecting matters here, which is utterly false. After making
such infamous statements, that man could not live here
twenty-four hours, if it were not that we are Latter-day Saints
who live here. By letting him alone, however, he will kill
himself. There is also a man down the street who tried to exhibit
the endowments to a party who was here. You will see what becomes
of that man. Do not touch him. He has forfeited every right and
title to eternal life; but let him alone, and you will see by and
by what will become of him. His heart will ache, and so will the
heart of every apostate that fights against Zion; they will
destroy themselves. It is a mistaken idea that God destroys
people, or that the Saints wish to destroy them. It is not so.
The seeds of sin which are in them are sufficient to accomplish
their destruction. Every government of the world has the seeds of
its own destruction in itself.
263
I hope and trust and pray that the government of our country may
remain, because it is so good; but if they cut off this, and cast
out that, and institute another thing, they may destroy all the
good it contains. This, I hope, they will not do; they cannot do
it. I expect to see the day when the Elders of Israel will
protect and sustain civil and religious liberty and every
constitutional right bequeathed to us by our fathers, and spread
those rights abroad in connection with the Gospel for the
salvation of all nations. I shall see this whether I live or die.
263
May the Lord bless you. Amen.
Journal of Discourses / Journal of Discourses, Volume 11 /
Brigham Young, July 28, 1866
Brigham Young, July 28, 1866
OUR INDIAN RELATIONS--HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM.
Remarks by President Brigham Young, in Springville, Sunday,
July 28, 1866.
Reported by G. D. Watt.
263
Brother Ezra T. Benson's remarks referring to our present
difficulties with the Indians, and prospects of future
difficulties, should be well considered by this people. As we
have here an assemblage of the people from other settlements, I
wish to impress them with the necessity of treating the Indians
with kindness, and to refrain from harboring that revengeful,
vindictive feeling that many indulge in. I am convinced that as
long as we harbor in us such feelings towards them, so long they
will be our enemies, and the Lord will suffer them to afflict us.
I certainly believe that the present affliction, which has come
upon us from the Indians, is a consequence of the wickedness
which dwells in the hearts of some of our brethren. If the Elders
of Israel had always treated the Lamanites as they should, I do
not believe that we should have had any difficulty with them at
all. This is my firm conviction, and my conclusion according to
the light that is in me. I believe that the Lord permits them to
chasten us at the present time to convince us that we have to
overcome the vindictive feelings which we have harbored towards
that poor, down-trodden branch of the house of Israel.
264
I spoke a harsh word here yesterday with regard to a man who
professes to be a Latter-day Saint who has been guilty of killing
an innocent Indian. I say to-day that he is just as much a
murderer through killing that Indian, as he would have been had
he shot down a white man. To slay an innocent person is murder
according to the law of Moses. Not that we believe that the law
of Moses should, in all its bearings, be observed by us; but we
believe that it has been fulfilled in a great measure with regard
to the law of sacrifice. The Lord said to Noah, before the law
was given to Moses: "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his
blood be shed; for in the image of God made he man." Those who
shed the blood of the innocent at the present day will have to
pay the penalty here, or come short of receiving the glory and
the peace which they anticipate receiving hereafter. This may
appear very hard and unreasonable to some.
264
Brother Benson expressed himself as though some of the brethren
felt like wiping out the Lamanites in these regions, root and
branch. The evil passions that arise in our hearts would prompt
us to do this, but we must bring them into subjection to the law
of Christ.