Journal of Discourses Volume 1

BY BRIGHAM YOUNG
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

HIS TWO COUNSELLORS,
THE TWELVE APOSTLES, AND OTHERS.

REPORTED BY G. D. WATT,

AND HUMBLY DIDICATED TO THE
LATTER-DAY SAINTS IN ALL THE WORLD

VOL. I

LIVERPOOL:

 PUBLISHED BY F. D. AND S. W. RICHARDS 15, WILTON STREET.

 LONDON:

LATTER-DAY SAINTS BOOK DEPOT, 35, JEWIN STREET, CITY.

1854

Letter From the First Presidency.

Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, June 1, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.v
Elder Samuel W. Richards, and the Saints abroad.

Vol. 1, p.v
Dear Brethren—It is well known to many of you, that Elder George D.
Watt, by our counsel, spent much time in the midst of poverty and
hardships to acquire the art of reporting in Phonography, which he has
faithfully and fully accomplished; and he has been reporting the
public Sermons, Discourses, Lectures, &c., delivered by the
Presidency, the Twelve, and others in this city, for nearly two years,
almost without fee or reward. Elder Watt now proposes to publish a
Journal of these Reports, in England, for the benefit of the Saints at
large, and to obtain means to enable him to sustain his highly useful
position of Reporter. You will perceive at once that this will be a
work of mutual benefit, and we cheerfully and warmly request your
co-operation in the purchase and sale of the above-named Journal, and
wish all the profits arising therefrom to be under the control of
Elder Watt.

BRIGHAM YOUNG,
HEBER C. KIMBALL
WILLARD RICHARDS, 

First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
[p.vii]

Introduction

To the Saints abroad.

Vol. 1, p.vii
This Journal of Discourses appears in a semi-monthly sheet of sixteen
pages, upon good paper, and in a plain round type that aged persons
can lead with ease, and forms a Volume of nearly four hundred pages.

Vol. 1, p.vii
It affords me great pleasure in being able to put in your possession
the words of the Apostles and Prophets, as they were Spoken in the
assemblies of the Saints in Zion, the value of which cannot be
estimated by man, not so much for any great display of worldly
learning and eloquence, as for the purity of doctrine, simplicity of
style, and extensive amount of theological truth which they develop.

Vol. 1, p.vii
Realizing the moral and intellectual benefit the Saints at home derive
from them, I have earnestly desired the time when you also would be
enriched by the same incalculable treasure.

Vol. 1, p.vii
To those who are unacquainted with the Doctrines of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are mantled in the darkness of
ages, whose minds are sunk in the almost impenetrable shades of error,
uncertainty, and doubt, but who sincerely desire to know the truth,
these Sermons will prove a source of light, information, and joy. And,
according to the vocation which belongs to the Eternal Priesthood, all
authorized ministers of God will hail their publication with gladness,
for such an embodiment of doctrine will greatly accelerate the grand
object they have in view—the salvation of souls the instruction of
Saints, and the building up of Zion in the last days.

Vol. 1, p.vii
Particularly to the Elders who are scattered abroad upon the face of
the earth, far from those who alone can instruct them in the more
exalted branches of the Everlasting Gospel, these Sermons will be most
valuable, as a guage of doctrine, a rule of rectitude, and a square to
life, furnishing at the same time an extensive repository of
historical information.

Vol. 1, p.vii
May the Lord prosper every department of His work, and evenly laudable
effort of His servants to instruct the ignorant, build up and
establish the faithful, and gather the honest in heart from among all
nations home to Zion.

Vol. 1, p.vii
In the bonds of the New and Everlasting Covenant, I remain your
brother and fellow-labourer,

G. D. WATT.

Brigham Young, January 16, 1853

Salvation

A Discourse Delivered By President Brigham Young, in the 
Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 16, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.1
The plan of salvation, or, in other words, the redemption of fallen
beings, is a subject that should occupy the attention of all
intelligence that pertains to fallen beings. I do not like the term
fallen beings, but I will say, subjected intelligence, which term
suits me better—subjected to law, order, rule, and government. All
intelligences are deeply engaged in this grand object; not, however,
having a correct understanding of the true principle thereof, they
wander to and fro, some to the right, and some to the left. There is
not a person in this world, who is endowed with a common share of
intellect, but is laboring with all his power for salvation. Men vary
in their efforts to obtain that object, still their individual
conclusions are, that they will ultimately secure it. The merchant,
for instance, seeks with unwearied diligence, by night and by day,
facing misfortunes with a determined and persevering resistance,
enduring losses by sea and by land, with an unshaken patience, to
amass a sufficient amount of wealth to enable him to settle calmly
down in the midst of plenty in some opulent city, walk in the higher
classes of society, and perchance receive a worldly title, or worldly
honor, and enjoy. a freedom from all anxiety of business, and
constraint by poverty, throughout  the remainder of his life. He then
supposes he has obtained salvation.

Vol. 1, p.1
Descend from the busy, wealth-seeking middle classes, to the humbler
grade of society, and follow them in their various occupations and
pursuits, and each one of them is seeking earnestly that which he
imagines to be salvation. The poor, ragged, trembling mendicant, who
is forced by hunger and cold to drag his feeble body from under some
temporary shelter, to seek a bit of bread, or a coin from his more
fortunate fellow-mortal, if he can only obtain a few crusts of bread
to satisfy the hunger-worm that gnaws his vitals, and a few coppers to
pay his lodgings, he has attained to the summit of his expectations,
to what he sought for salvation, and he is comparatively happy, but
his happiness vanishes with the shades of night, and his misery comes
with the morning light. From the match-maker up to the tradesman, all
have an end in view, which they suppose will bring to them salvation.
King, courtier, commanders, officers, and common soldiers, the
commodore, and sailor before the mast, the fair-skinned Christian, and
the dark-skinned savage, [p.2] all, in their respective grades and
spheres of action, have a certain point in view, which, if they can
obtain, they suppose will put them in possession of salvation.

Vol. 1, p.2
The Latter-day Saint, who is far from the bosom of the Church, whose
home is in distant climes, sighs, and earnestly prays each day of his
life for the Lord to open his way, that he may mingle with his
brethren in Zion, for he supposes that his happiness would then be
complete, but in this his expectations will be in a measure vain, for
happiness that is real and lasting in its nature cannot be enjoyed by
mortals, for it is altogether out of keeping with this transitory
state.

Vol. 1, p.2
If a man's capacity be limited to the things of this world, if he
reach no further than he can see with his eyes, feel with his hands,
and understand with the ability of the natural man, still he is as
earnestly engaged in securing his salvation, as others are, who
possess a superior intellect, and are also pursuing the path of
salvation, in their estimation, though it result in nothing more than
a good name, or the honors of this world. Each, according to his
capacity—to the natural organization of the human system, which is
liable to be operated upon by the circumstances and influences by
which it is surrounded, is as eager to obtain that which he supposes
is salvation, as I am to obtain salvation in the Eternal world.

Vol. 1, p.2
The object of a true salvation, correctly and minutely understood,
changes the course of mankind. Persons who are taught by their
teachers, friends, and acquaintances, are traditionated, from their
youth up, into the belief that there is no God, or intelligent beings,
other than those that they see with the natural eye, or naturally
comprehend; that there is no hereafter; that at death, all life and
intelligence are annihilated. Such persons are as firm in their
belief, and as strenuous in argument, in support of those doctrines,
as others are in the belief of the existence of an Eternal God. The
early customs and teachings of parents and friends, to a greater or
less degree, influence the minds of children, but when they are
disposed to inquire at the hands of Him who has eternal intelligence
to impart to them, when their understandings are enlarged, when their
minds are enlightened by the Spirit of truth, so that they can see
things that are unseen by the natural eye, they may then be corrected
in their doctrine and belief, and in their manner of life, but not
until then.

Vol. 1, p.2
How difficult it is to teach the natural man, who comprehends nothing
more than that which he sees with the natural eye! How hard it is for
him to believe! How difficult would be the task to make the
philosopher, who, for many years, has argued himself into the belief
that his spirit is no more after his body sleeps in the grave, believe
that his intelligence came from eternity, and is as eternal, in its
nature, as the elements, or as the Gods. Such doctrine by him would be
considered vanity and foolishness, it would be entirely beyond his
comprehension. It is difficult, indeed, to remove an opinion or belief
into which he has argued himself from the mind of the natural man.
Talk to hint about angels, heavens, God, immortality, and eternal
lives, and it is like sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal to his
ears; it has no music to him; there is nothing in it that charms his
senses, soothes his feelings, attracts his attention, or engages his
affections, in the least; to him it is all vanity. To say that the
human family are not seeking salvation, is contrary to my experience,
and to the experience of every other person with whom I have any
acquaintance. They are all for salvation, some in one way, and some in
another; but all is darkness and confusion. If the  [p.3] Lord does
not speak from heaven, and touch the eyes of their understanding by
His Spirit, who can instruct or guide them to good? who can give them
words of eternal life? It is not in the power of man to do it; but
when the Lord gives His Spirit to a person, or to a people, they can
then hear, believe, and be instructed. An Elder of Israel may preach
the principles of the Gospel, from first to last, as they were taught
to him, to a congregation ignorant of them; but if he does not do it
under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord, he cannot enlighten
that congregation on those principles, it is impossible. Job said that
"There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth
them understanding." Unless we enjoy that understanding in this
probation, we cannot grow or increase, we cannot be made acquainted
with the principles of truth and righteousness so as to become
exalted. Admit that the Spirit of the Lord should give us
understanding, what would it prove to us? It would prove to me, at
least, and what I may safely say to this congregation, that Zion is
here. Whenever we are disposed to give ourselves perfectly to
righteousness, to yield all the powers and faculties of the soul
(which is the spirit and the body, and it is there where righteousness
dwells); when we are swallowed up in the will of Him who has called
us; when we enjoy the peace and the smiles of our Father in Heaven,
the things of His Spirit, and all the blessings we are capacitated to
receive and improve upon, then are we in Zion, that is Zion. What will
produce the opposite? Hearkening and giving way to evil, nothing else
will.

Vol. 1, p.3
If a community of people are perfectly devoted to the cause of
righteousness, truth, light, virtue, and every principle and attribute
of the holy Gospel, we may say of that people, as the ancient Apostle
said to his brethren, "Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates;" there is a throne for the
Lord Almighty to sit and reign upon, there is a resting place for the
Holy Ghost, there is a habitation of the Father and the Son. We are
the temples of God, but when we are overcome of evil by yielding to
temptation, we deprive ourselves of the privilege of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost, taking up their abode and dwelling with us.
We are the people, by our calling and profession, and ought to be by
our daily works, of whom it should be truly said, "Ye are the temples
of our God." Let me ask, what is there to prevent any person in this
congregation from being so blessed, and becoming a holy temple fit for
the in-dwelling of the Holy Ghost? Has any being in heaven or on earth
done aught to prevent you from becoming so blessed? No, but why the
people are not so privileged I will leave you to judge. I would to God
that every soul who professes to be a Latter-day Saint was of that
character, a holy temple for the in-dwelling of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost, but it is not so. Is there any individual within
the sound of my voice to day, that has received the Holy Ghost through
the principles of the Gospel, and at the same time has not received a
love for them? I will answer that question. Wait and see who it is
that falls out by the way; who it is in whom the seed of truth has
been sown, but has not taken root; and then you will know the
individuals who have received the truth, but have never received a
love of it—they do not love it for itself. What a delightful aspect
would this community present if all men and women, old and young, were
disposed to leave off their own sins and follies, and overlook those
of their neighbors; if they would cease watching their neighbors for
iniquity, and [p.4] watch that they themselves might be free from it!
if they were trying with all their powers to sanctify the Lord in
their hearts, and would prove, by their actions, that they had
received the truth and the love of it! if all individuals would watch
themselves, that they do not speak against the Father, the Son, the
Holy Ghost, nor in short against any being in heaven or on earth.
Strange as this may appear, there have been men in 'this Church that
have done it, and probably will be again! If this people would be
careful not to do anything to displease the spirits of those who have
lived on the earth, and have been justified, and have gone to rest,
and would so conduct themselves, that no reasonable being upon the
face of the earth could find fault with them, what kind of society
should we have? Why every man's mouth would be filled with blessings,
every man's hand would be put forth to do good, and every woman and
child in all their intercourse would be praising God, and blessing
each other. Would not Zion be here? It would. What hinders you from
doing this? What is the Lord or the people doing to cause this one and
that one to commit sin with a high hand, in secret and in the open
streets?

Vol. 1, p.4
If Elders of Israel use language which is not proper for the lips era
Saint, such Eiders are under condemnation, and the wrath of God abides
upon them, those who do it have not the love of truth in their hearts,
they do not love and honor the truth because it is the truth, but
because it is powerful, and they wish to join with the strongest
party. Do they love light because it is light? virtue because it is
virtue? righteousness because it is righteousness? No. But these
principles are almighty in their influence, and like the tornado in
the forest, they sweep all before them, no argument can weigh against
them, all the philosophy, knowledge, and wisdom of men may be set in
array against them, but they are like chaff before a mighty wind, or
like the morning dew before the sun in its strength such Elders
embrace truth because it is all-powerful. When a man of God preaches
the principles of the Gospel, all things give way before it, and some
embrace it because it is so mighty. But by and bye those characters
will fall out by the way, because the soil has not depth to nourish
the seeds of truth. They receive it, but not the love of it; it dies,
and they turn away. If every person who has embraced the Gospel would
love it as he loves his life, would not society wear a different
aspect from that of the present?

Vol. 1, p.4
I do not intend to enter into a detailed account of the acts of the
people, they are themselves acquainted with them; people know how they
themselves talk, and how their neighbors talk; how husband and wife
agree in their own houses, and with their neighbors; and how parents
and children dwell together. I need not tell these things, but if
every heart were set upon doing right, we then should have Zion here.
I will give you my reason for thinking so. It is because I have had it
with me ever since I was baptized into this kingdom. I have not been
without it from that day to this. I have therefore a good reason for
the assertion I have made. I live and walk in Zion every day, and so
do thousands of others in this Church and kingdom, they carry Zion
with them, they have one of their own, and it is increasing, growing,
and spreading continually. Suppose it spreads from heart to heart,
from neighborhood to neighborhood, from city to city, and from nation
to nation, how long would it be before the earth would become
revolutionized, and the wheat gathered from  among the tares. The
wheat and tares, however, must grow together until harvest. I am not,
[p.5] therefore, disposed to separate them yet, for if we pluck up the
tares before the harvest, we may destroy some of the good seed,
therefore let them grow together, and by and bye the harvest will
come.

Vol. 1, p.5
There is another thing, brethren, which I wish you to keep constantly
before your minds, that is with regard to your travels in life. You
have read, in the Scriptures, that the children of men will be judged
according to their works, whether they be good or bad, If a man's days
be filled up with good works, he will be rewarded accordingly. On the
other hand, if his days be filled up with evil actions, he will
receive according to those acts. This proves that we are in a state of
exaltation, it proves that we can add to our knowledge, wisdom, and
strength, and that we can add power to every attribute that God has
given us. When will the people realize that this is the period of time
in which they should commence to lay the foundation of their
exaltation for time and eternity, that this is the time to conceive,
and bring forth from the heart fruit to the honor and glory of God, as
Jesus did—grow as he did from the child, become perfect, and be
prepared to be raised to salvation? You will find that this probation
is the place to increase upon every little we receive, for the Lord
gives line upon line to the children of men. When He reveals the plan
of salvation, then is the time to fill up our days with good works.

Vol. 1, p.5
Let us fill up our days with usefulness, do good to each other, and
cease from all evil. Let every evil person forsake his wickedness. If
he be wicked in his words, or in his dealings, let him forsake those
practices, and pursue a course of righteousness. Let every man and
woman do this, and peace and joy will be the result.

Vol. 1, p.5
A few words more upon the subject of the eternal existence of the
soul. It is hard for mankind to comprehend that principle. The
philosophers of the world will concede that the elements of which you
and I are composed are eternal, yet they believe that there was a time
when there was no God. They cannot comprehend how it is that God can
be eternal. Let me ask this congregation, Can you realise the eternity
of your own existence? Can you realise that the intelligence which you
receive is eternal? I can comprehend this, just as well as I can that
I am now in possession of it. It is as easy for me to comprehend that
it will exist eternally, as that anything else will. I wish to impress
upon your minds the reality that when the body which is organized for
intelligence to dwell in, dies, and returns to its mother earth, all
the feelings, sensibilities, faculties, and powers of the spirit are
still alive, they never die, but in the absence of the body are more
acute. They are organized for an eternal existence. If this
congregation could comprehend that the intelligence that is in them is
eternal in its nature and existence; if they could realize that when
Saints pass through the vail, they are not dead, but have been laying
the foundation in these tabernacles for exaltation, laying the
foundation to become Gods, even the sons of God, and for crowns which
they will yet receive—they would receive the truth in the love of it,
live by it, and continue in it, until they receive all knowledge and
wisdom, until they grow into eternity, and have the vail taken from
before their eyes, to behold the handiworks of God among all people,
His goings forth among the nations of the earth, and to discover the
rule and law by which He governs. Then could they say of a truth, We
acknowledge the hand of God in all things, all is right, Zion is here,
in our own possession.

Vol. 1, p.5
I have thus summed up, in a broken manner, that which I desired to
speak. We are not able to comprehend all [p.6] things, but we can
continue to learn and grow, until all will be perfectly dear to our
minds, which is a great privilege to enjoy—the blessing of an eternal
increase. And the man or woman who lives worthily is now in a state of
salvation.

Vol. 1, p.6
Now, brethren, love the truth, and put a stop to every species of
folly. How many there are who come to me to find fault with, and enter
complaints against, their brethren, for some triffling thing, when I
can see, in a moment, that they have received no intentional injury!
They have no compassion on their brethren, but, having passed their
judgment, insist that the criminal shall be punished. And why? Because
he does not exactly come up to their standard of right and wrong! They
feel to measure him by the "Iron Bedstead principle"—"if you are too
long, you must be cut off; if too short, you must be stretched." Now
this is the height of folly. I find that I have enough to do to watch
myself. It is as much as I can do to get right, deal right, and act
right. If we all should do this, there would be no difficulty, but in
every man's mouth would be "May the Lord bless you." I feel happy, as
I always told you. Brother Kimball has known me thirty years, twenty
one of which I have been in this Church; others have known me twenty
years; and there are some here who knew me in England; I had Zion with
me then, and I brought it with me to America again, and I now appeal
to every man and woman if I have not had Zion with me from first
entering into the Church, to the present time! Light cleaves to light,
and truth to truth. May God bless you. Amen.

Parley P. Pratt, April 7, 1853

Spiritual Communication

A Sermon Delivered By Elder P. P. Pratt, Before 
the Conference at Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.6
I was led to reflection on this subject, not only by my acquaintance
with the present state of the world, and the movements and powers
which seem new to many, but because this text, written by Isaiah so
many centuries since, and copied by Nephi ages before the birth of
Jesus Christ, seemed as appropriate, and as directly adapted to the
present state of things, as if written but yesterday, or a year since.

Vol. 1, p.6
"Should not a people seek unto their God, for the living to hear from
the dead?" is a question by the Prophet, and at a time when they shall
invite you to seek unto those familiar with spirits, and to wizards,
&c., or in other words, to magnetizers, rappers, clairvoyants, writing
mediums, &c. When they shall say these things unto you, then is the
time to consider the question of that ancient Prophet—"Should not a
people seek unto their God, for the living to hear from the dead?"

Vol. 1, p.6
We hear much, of late, about visions, trances, clairvoyance, mediums
of communication with the spirit world, writing mediums, &c., by which
the world of spirits is said to have  found [p.7] means to communicate
with spirits in the flesh. They are not working in a corner. The world
is agitated on these subjects. Religious ministers are said to preach,
editors to write and print, judges to judge, &c., by this kind of
inspiration. It is brought into requisition to develop the sciences,
to detect crime, and in short to mingle in all the interests of life.

Vol. 1, p.7
In the first place, what are we talking about, when we touch the
question of the living hearing from the dead? It is a saying, that
"dead men tell no tales." If this is not in the Bible, it is somewhere
else; and if it be true, it is just as good as if it were in the
Bible.

Vol. 1, p.7
The Sadducees in the time of Jesus, believed there were no such things
as angels or spirits, or existence in another sphere; that when an
individual was dead, it was the final end of the workings of his
intellectual being, that the elements were dissolved, and mingled with
the great fountain from which they emanated, which was the end of
individuality, or conscious existence.

Vol. 1, p.7
Jesus, in reply to them, took up the argument from the Scriptures, or
history of the ancient fathers, venerated by reason of antiquity, in
hopes, by this means, to influence the Sadducees, or at least the
Pharisees and others, by means so powerful and so well adapted to the
end in view.

Vol. 1, p.7
Said he, God has declared Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. Now God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living;
as much as to say that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not dead, but
living; that they had never been dead at all, but had always been
living; that they never did die, in the sense of the word that these
Sadducees supposed, but were absolutely alive.

Vol. 1, p.7
Now if intelligent beings, who once inhabited flesh, such as our
fathers, mothers, wives, children, &c., have really died, and are now
dead in the sense of the word, as understood by the ancient Sadducees,
or modern Atheist, then it is in vain to talk of converse with the
dead. All controversy, in that case, is at an end on the subject of
correspondence with the dead, because an intelligence must exist
before it can communicate. If these individuals are dead, in the sense
that the human body dies, then there is no communication from them.
This we know, because of our own observation and experience. We have
seen many dead bodies, but have never known of a single instance of
any intelligence communicated therefrom.

Vol. 1, p.7
Jesus, in his argument with the Sadducees, handled the subject
according to the strictest principles of ancient and modern theology,
and true philosophy. He conveyed the idea in the clearest terms, that
an individual intelligence or identity could never die.

Vol. 1, p.7
The outward tabernacle, inhabited by a spirit, returns to the element
from which it emanated. But the thinking being, the individual, active
agent or identity that inhabited that tabernacle, never ceased to
exist, to think, act, live, move, or have a being; never ceased to
exercise those sympathies, affections, hopes, and aspirations, which
are founded in the very nature of intelligences, being the inherent
and invaluable principles of their eternal existence.

Vol. 1, p.7
No, they never cease. They live, move, think, act, converse, feel,
love, hate, believe, doubt, hope, and desire.

Vol. 1, p.7
But what are they, if they are not flesh and bones? What are they, if
they are not tangible to our gross organs of sense? Of what are they
composed, that we can neither see, hear, nor handle them, except we
are quickened, or our organs touched by the principles of vision,
clairvoyance, or spiritual sight? What are they? [p.8] Why, they are
organized intelligences. What are they made of? They are made of the
element which we call spirit, which is as much an element of material
existence, as earth, air, electricity, or any other tangible substance
recognized by man; but so subtle, so refined is its nature, that it is
not tangible to our gross organs. It is invisible to us, unless we are
quickened by a portion of the same element; and, like electricity, and
several other substances, it is only known or made manifest to our
senses by its effects. For instance, electricity is not always visible
to us, but its existence is made manifest by its operations upon the
wire, or upon the nerves. We cannot see the air, but we feel its
effects, and without it we cannot breathe.

Vol. 1, p.8
If a wire were extended in connection with the equatorial line of our
globe in one entire circle of 25,000 miles In extent, the electric
fluid would convey a token from one intelligence to another, the
length of the entire circle, in a very small portion of a second, or,
we will say in the twinkling of an eye. This, then, proves that the
spiritual fluid or element called electricity is an actual, physical,
and tangible power, and is as much a real and tangible substance, as
the ponderous rocks which were laid on yesterday in the foundation of
our contemplated Temple.

Vol. 1, p.8
It is true that this subtle fluid or spiritual element is endowed with
the powers of locomotion in a far greater degree than the more gross
or solid elements of nature; that its refined particles penetrate amid
the other elements with greater ease, and meet with less resistance
from the air or other Substances, than would the more gross elements.
Hence its speed, or superior powers of motion.

Vol. 1, p.8
Now let us apply this philosophy to all the degrees of spiritual
element from electricity, which may be assumed to be one of the lowest
or more gross elements of spiritual matter, up through all the
gradations of the invisible fluids, till we arrive at a substance so
holy, so pure, so endowed with intellectual attributes and sympathetic
affections, that it may be said to be on a par, or level, in its
attributes, with man.

Vol. 1, p.8
Let a given quantity of this element, thus endowed, or capacitated, be
organized in the size and form of man, let every organ be developed,
formed, and endowed, precisely after the pattern or model of man's
outward or fleshly tabernacle—what would we call this individual,
organized portion of the spiritual element?

Vol. 1, p.8
We would call it a spiritual body, an individual intelligence, an
agent endowed with life, with a degree of independence, or inherent
will, with the powers of motion, of thought, and with the attributes
of moral, intellectual, and sympathetic affections and emotions.

Vol. 1, p.8
We would conceive of it as possessing eyes to see, ears to hear, hands
to handle; as in possession of the organ of taste, of smelling, and of
speech.

Vol. 1, p.8
Such beings are we, when we have laid off this outward tabernacle of
flesh. We are in every way interested, in our relationships, kindred
ties, sympathies, affections, and hopes, as if we had continued to
live, but had stepped aside, and were experiencing the loneliness of
absence for a season. Our ancestors, our posterity, to the remotest
ages of antiquity, or of future time, are all brought within the
circle of our sphere of joys, sorrows, interests, or expectations;
each forms a link in the great chain of life, and in the science of
mutual salvation, improvement, and exaltation through the blood of the
Lamb.

Vol. 1, p.8
Our prospects, hopes, faith, charity, enlightenment, improvement, in
short, all our interests, are blended, and more [p.9] or less
influenced by the acts of each.

Vol. 1, p.9
Is this the kind of being that departs from our sight when its earthly
tabernacle is laid off, and the vail of eternity is lowered between
us? Yes, verily. Where then does it go?

Vol. 1, p.9
To heaven, says one; to the eternal world of glory, says another; to
the celestial kingdom, to inherit thrones and crowns, in all the
fulness of the presence of the Father, and of Jesus Christ, says a
third.

Vol. 1, p.9
Now, my dear hearers, these things are not so. Nothing of the kind.
Thrones, kingdoms, crowns, principalities, and powers, in the
celestial and eternal worlds, and the fulness of the presence of the
Father, and of His Son Jesus Christ, are reserved for resurrected
beings, who dwell in immortal flesh. The world of resurrected beings,
and the world of spirits, are two distinct spheres, as much so as our
own sphere is distinct from that of the spirit world.

Vol. 1, p.9
Where then does the spirit go, on its departure from its earthly
tabernacle? It passes to the next sphere of human existence, called
the world of spirits, a vail being drawn between us in the flesh, and
that world of spirits. Well, says one, is there no more than one place
in the spirit world? Yes, there are many places and degrees in that
world, as in this. Jesus Christ, when absent from his flesh, did not
ascend to the Father, to be crowned, and enthroned in power. Why?
Because he had not yet a resurrected body, and had therefore a mission
to perform in another sphere. Where then did he go? To the world of
spirits, to wicked, sinful spirits, who died in their sins, being
swept off by the flood of Noah. The thief on the cross, who died at
the same time, also went to the same world, and to the same particular
place in the same world, for he was a sinner, and would of course go
to the prison of the condemned, there to await the ministry of that
Gospel which had failed to reach his ease while on the earth.

Vol. 1, p.9
How many other places Jesus might have visited while in the spirit
world is not for me to say, but there was a moment in which the poor,
uncultivated, ignorant thief was with him in that world. And as he
commenced, though late, to repent while on the earth, we have reason
to hope that that moment was improved by our Saviour, in ministering
to him that Gospel which he had no opportunity to teach to him, while
expiring on the cross. "This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise,"
said Jesus, or, in other words, this day shalt thou be with me in the
next sphere of existence—the world of spirits.

Vol. 1, p.9
Now mark the difference. Jesus was there, as a preacher of
righteousness, as one holding the keys of Apostleship, or Priesthood,
anointed to preach glad tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken
hearted, to preach liberty to the captive, and the opening of the
prison to them that were bound. What did the thief go there for? He
went there in a state of ignorance, and sin, being uncultivated,
unimproved, and unprepared for salvation. He went there to be taught,
and to complete that repentance, which in a dying moment he commenced
on the earth.

Vol. 1, p.9
He had beheld Jesus expire on the cross, and he had implored him to
remember him when he should come into possession of his kingdom. The
Saviour under these extreme circumstances, did not then teach him the
Gospel, but referred him to the next opportunity, when they should
meet in the spirit world. If the thief thus favoured continued to
improve, he is no doubt waiting in hope for the signal to be given, at
the sound of the next trump, for him to leave the spirit world, and to
re-enter the fleshly tabernacle, and to ascend to a higher [p.10]
degree of felicity. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, departed from the
spirit world on the third day, and reentered his fleshly tabernacle,
in which he ascended, and was crowned at the right hand of the Father.
Jesus Christ then, and the thief on the cross, have not dwelt together
in the same kingdom or place, for this eighteen hundred years, nor
have we proof that they have seen each other during that time.

Vol. 1, p.10
To say that Jesus Christ dwells in the world of spirits, with those
whose bodies are dead, would not be the truth. He is not there. He
only staid there till the third day. He then returned to his
tabernacle, and ministered among the sons of earth for forty days,
where he ate, drank, talked, preached, reasoned out of the Scriptures,
commissioned, commanded, blessed, &c. Why did he do this? Because he
had ascended on high, and been crowned with all power in heaven and on
earth, therefore he had authority to do all these things.

Vol. 1, p.10
So much then for that wonderful question that has been asked by our
Christian neighbors, so many thousand times, in the abundance of their
charity for those who, like the thief on the cross, die in their sins,
or without baptism, and the other Gospel ordinances.

Vol. 1, p.10
The question naturally arises—Do all the people who die without the
Gospel hear it as soon as they arrive in the world of spirits? To
illustrate this, let us look at the dealings of God with the people of
this world. "What can we reason but from what we know?" We know and
understand the things of this world, in some degree, because they are
visible, and we are daily conversant with them. Do all the people in
this world hear the Gospel as soon as they are capable of
understanding? No, indeed, but very few in comparison have heard it at
all.

Vol. 1, p.10
Ask the poor Lamanites who have, with their fathers before them,
inhabited these mountains for a thousand years, whether they have ever
heard the Gospel, and they will tell you nay. But why not? Is it not
preached on the earth? Yea, verily, but the earth is wide, and
circumstances differ very greatly among its different inhabitants. The
Jews once had the Gospel, with its Apostleship, powers, and blessings
offered unto them, but they rejected it as a people, and for this
reason it was taken from them, and thus many generations of them have
been born, and have lived and died without it. So with the Gentiles,
and so with the Lamanites. God has seen proper to offer the Gospel,
with its Priesthood and powers, in different ages and countries, but
it has been as often rejected, and therefore withdrawn from the earth.
The consequence is that the generations of men have, for many ages,
come and gone in ignorance of its principles, and the glorious hopes
they inspire.

Vol. 1, p.10
Now these blessings would have continued on the earth, and would have
been enjoyed in all the ages and nations of man, but for the agency of
the people. They chose their own forms of government, laws,
institutions, religions, rulers, and priests, instead of yielding to
the influence and guidance of the chosen vessels of the Lord, who were
appointed to instruct and govern them.

Vol. 1, p.10
Now, how are they situated in the spirit world? If we reason from
analogy, we should at once conclude that things exist there after the
same pattern. I have not the least doubt but there are spirits there
who have dwelt there a thousand years, who, if we could converse with
them face to face, would be found as ignorant of the truths, the
ordinances, powers,  keys, Priesthood, resurrection, and eternal life
of the body, in short, as ignorant of the fulness of the Gospel,
[p.11] with its hopes and consolations, as is the Pope of Rome, or the
Bishop of Canterbury, or as are the Chiefs of the Indian tribes of
Utah.

Vol. 1, p.11
And why this ignorance in the spirit world? Because a portion of the
inhabitants thereof are found unworthy of the consolations of the
Gospel, until the fulness of time, until they have suffered in hell,
in the dungeons of darkness, or the prisons of the condemned, amid the
buffetings of fiends, and malicious and lying spirits.

Vol. 1, p.11
As in earth, so in the spirit world. No person can enter into the
privileges of the Gospel, until the keys are turned, and the Gospel
opened by those in authority, for all which there is a time, according
to the wise dispensations of justice and mercy.

Vol. 1, p.11
It was many, many centuries before Christ lived in the flesh, that a
whole generation, eight souls excepted, were cut off by the flood.
What became of them? I do not know exactly all their history in the
spirit world. But this much I know—they have heard the Gospel from the
lips of a crucified Redeemer, and have the privilege of being judged
according to men in the flesh. As these persons were ministered to by
Jesus Christ, after he had been put to death, it is reasonable to
suppose that they had waited all that time, without the knowledge or
privileges of the Gospel.

Vol. 1, p.11
How long did they wait? You may reckon for yourselves. The long ages,
centuries, thousands of years which intervened between the flood of
Noah and the death of Christ. Oh! the weariness, the tardy movement of
time! the lingering ages for a people to dwell in condemnation,
darkness, ignorance, and despondency, as a punishment for their sins.
For they had been filled with violence while on the earth in the
flesh, and had rejected the preaching of Noah, and the Prophets which
were before him.

Vol. 1, p.11
Between these two dispensations, so distant from each other in point
of time, they were left to linger without hope, and without God, in
the spirit world; and similar has been the fate of the poor Jew, the
miserable Lamanite, and many others in the flesh. Between the
commission and ministry of the Former and Latter Day Saints, and
Apostles, there has been a long and dreary night of darkness. Some
fifteen to seventeen centuries have passed away, in which the
generations of man have lived without the keys of the Gospel.

Vol. 1, p.11
Whether in the flesh, or in the spirit world, is this not hell enough?
Who can imagine a greater hell than that before our eyes, in the
circumstances of the poor, miserable, degraded Indian and his
ancestors, since the keys of the Gospel were taken from them some
fifteen hundred years ago? Those who had the Gospel in the former
dispensations, and were made partakers of its spirit, its knowledge,
and its powers, and then turned away, and became the enemies of God,
and of His Saints, the malicious and wilful opposers of that which
they knew to be true, have no forgiveness in this world, neither in
the spirit world, which is the world next to come.

Vol. 1, p.11
Such apostates seek, in all dispensations to bring destruction on the
innocent, and to shed innocent blood, or consent thereto. For such, I
again repeat, I know no forgiveness. Their children, who, by the
conduct of such fathers, have been plunged into ignorance and misery
for so many ages, and have lived without the privileges of the Gospel,
will look down upon such a parentage with mingled feelings of horror,
contempt, reproach, and pity, as the agents who plunged their
posterity into the depths of misery and woe.

Vol. 1, p.11
Think of those swept away by the flood in the days of Noah. Did they
wait a long time in prison? Forty years! O what a time to be [p.12]
imprisoned! What do you say to a hundred, a thousand, two thousand,
three or four thousand years to wait? Without what? Without even a
clear idea or hope of a resurrection from the dead, without the broken
heart being bound up, the captive delivered, or the door of the prison
opened. Did not they wait? Yes they did, until Christ was put to death
in the flesh.

Vol. 1, p.12
Now what would have been the result, if they had repented while in the
flesh at the preaching of Noah? Why, they would have died in hope of a
glorious resurrection, and would have enjoyed the society of the
redeemed, and lived in happiness in the spirit world, till the
resurrection of the Son of God. Then they would have received their
bodies, and would have ascended with him, amid thrones,
principalities, and powers in heavenly places.

Vol. 1, p.12
I will suppose, in the spirit world, a grade of spirits of the lowest
order, composed of murderers, robbers, thieves, adulterers, drunkards,
and persons ignorant, uncultivated, &c., who are in prison, or in
hell, without hope, without God, and unworthy as yet of Gospel
instruction. Such spirits, if they could communicate, would not tell
you of the resurrection or of any of the Gospel truths, for they know
nothing about them. They would not tell you about heaven, or
Priesthood for in all their meanderings in the world of spirits, they
have never been privileged with the ministry of a holy Priest. If they
should tell all the truth they possess, they could not tell much.

Vol. 1, p.12
Take another class of spirits—pious, well-disposed men; for instance,
the honest Quaker, Presbyterian, or other sectarian, who, although
honest, and well disposed, had not, while in the flesh, the privilege
of the Priesthood and Gospel. They believed in Jesus Christ, but died
in ignorance of his ordinances, and had not clear conceptions of his
doctrine, and of the resurrection. They expected to go to that place
called heaven, as soon as they were dead, and that their doom would
then and there be fixed, without any further alteration or
preparation. Suppose they should come back, with liberty to tell all
they know? How much light could we get from them? They could only tell
you about the nature of things in the world in which they live. And
even that world you could not comprehend, by their description
thereof, any more than you can describe colours to a man born blind,
or sounds to those who have never heard.

Vol. 1, p.12
What, then, could you get from them? Why, common chit chat, in which
there would be a mixture of truth, and of error and mistakes, in
mingled confusion: all their communications would betray the same want
of clear and logical conceptions, and sound sense and philosophy, as
would characterize the same class of spirits in the flesh.

Vol. 1, p.12
Who, then, is prepared, among the spirits in the spirit world, to
communicate the truth on the subject of salvation, to guide the
people, to give advice, to confer consolation, to heal the sick, to
administer joy, and gladness, and hope of immortality and eternal
life, founded on manifest truth?

Vol. 1, p.12
All that have been raised from the dead, and clothed with immortality,
all that have ascended to yonder heavens, and been crowned as Kings
and Priests, all such are oUr fellow servants, and of our brethren the
Prophets, who have the testimony of Jesus; all such are waiting for
the work of God among their posterity on the earth.

Vol. 1, p.12
They could declare glad tidings if we were only prepared to commune
with them. What else? Peter, James, Joseph, Hyrum, Father Smith, any,
[p.13] or all of those ancient or modern Saints, who have departed
this life, who are clothed upon with the powers of the eternal
Apostleship, or Priesthood, who have gone to the world of spirits, not
to sorrow, but as joyful messengers, bearing glad tidings of eternal
truth to the spirits in prison—could not these teach us good things?
Yes, if they were permitted so to do.

Vol. 1, p.13
But suppose all spirits were honest, and aimed at truth, yet each one
could only converse of the things he is privileged to know, or
comprehend, or which have been revealed to his understanding, or
brought within the range of his intellect.

Vol. 1, p.13
If this be the case, what then do we wish, in communicating with the
eternal world, by visions, angels, or ministering spirits? Why, if a
person is sick they would like to be visited, comforted, or healed by
an angel or spirit! If a man is in prison, he would like an angel or
spirit to visit him, and comfort or deliver him. A man shipwrecked
would like to be instructed in the way of escape for himself and
fellows from a watery grave. In case of extreme hunger a loaf of bread
brought by an angel would not be unacceptable.

Vol. 1, p.13
If a man were journeying, and murderers were lying in wait for him in
a certain road, an angel would be useful to him in telling him of the
circumstance, and to take another road.

Vol. 1, p.13
If a man were journeying to preach the Gospel, an angel would be
useful to tell the neighbors of his high and holy calling, as in case
of Peter and Cornelius. Or would you not like to have angels all
around you, to guard, guide, and advise you in every emergency?

Vol. 1, p.13
The Saints would like to enter a holy temple, and have their President
and his assistants administer for their dead. They love their fathers,
although they had once almost forgotten them. Our fathers have
forgotten to hand down to us their genealogy. They have not felt
sufficient interest to transmit to us their names, and the time and
place of birth, and in many instances they have not taught us when and
where ourselves were born, or who were our grandparents, and their
ancestry. Why is all this? It is because of that veil of blindness
which is cast over the earth, because there has been no true Church,
Priesthood, or Patriarchal order, no holy place for the deposit or
preservation of the sacred archives of antiquity, no knowledge of the
eternal kindred ties, relationship, or mutual interests of eternity.
The hearts of the children had become estranged from the fathers, and
the hearts of the fathers from the children, until one came in the
spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the keys of these things, to open
communication between worlds, and to kindle in our bosoms that glow of
eternal affection which lay dormant.

Vol. 1, p.13
Suppose our temple was ready, and we should enter there to act for the
dead, we could only act for those whose names are known to us. And
these are few with the most of us Americans. And why is this? We have
never had time to look to the heavens, or to the past or future, so
busy have we been with the things of the earth. We have hardly had
time to think of ourselves, to say nothing of our fathers.

Vol. 1, p.13
It is time that all this stupidity and indifference should come to an
end, and that our hearts were opened, and our charities extended, and
that our bosoms expanded, to reach forth after whom? Those whom we
consider dead! God has condescended so far to our capacity, as to
speak of our fathers as if they were dead, although they are all
living spirits, and will live for ever. We have no dead! Only think of
it! Our fathers are all [p.14] living, thinking, active agents; we
have only been taught that they are dead!

Vol. 1, p.14
Shall I speak my feelings, that I had on yesterday, while we were
laying those Corner Stones of the Temple? Yes, I will utter them, if I
can.

Vol. 1, p.14
It was not with my eyes, not with the power of actual vision, but by
my intellect, by the natural faculties inherent in man, by the
exercise of my reason, upon known principles, or by the power of the
Spirit, that it appeared to me that Joseph Smith, and his associate
spirits, the Latter-day Saints, hovered about us on the brink of that
foundation, and with them all the angels and spirits from the other
world, that might be permitted, or that were not too busy elsewhere.

Vol. 1, p.14
Why should I think so? In the first place, what else on this earth
have they to be interested about? Where would their eyes be turned, in
the wide earth, if not centered here? Where would their hearts and
affections be, if they cast a look or a thought towards the dark speck
in the heavens which we inhabit, unless to the people of these valleys
and mountains? Are there others who have the keys for the redemption
of the dead? Is any one else preparing a sanctuary for the holy
conversation and ministrations pertaining to their exaltation? No,
verily. No other people have opened their hearts to conceive ideas so
grand. No other people have their sympathies drawn out to such an
extent towards the fathers.

Vol. 1, p.14
No. If you go from this people, to hear the doctrines of others, you
will hear the doleful sayings—"As the tree falls, so it lyeth. As
death leaves you, so judgment will .find you. There is no work, nor
device, nor knowledge in the grave, &c., &c. There is no change after
death, but you are fixed, irretrievably fixed, for all eternity. The
moment the breath leaves the body, you must go to an extreme of heaven
or of hell, there to rejoice with Peter on thrones of power in the
presence of Jesus Christ in the third heavens, or, on the other hand,
to roll in the flames of hell with murderers and devils." Such are the
doctrines of our sectarian brethren, who profess to believe in Christ,
but who know not the mysteries of godliness, and the boundless
resources of eternal charity, and of that mercy which endureth
forever.

Vol. 1, p.14
It is here, that the spirit world would look with an intense interest,
it is here that the nations of the dead, if I may so call them, would
concentrate their hopes of ministration on the earth in their behalf.
It is here that the countless millions of the Spirit world would look
for the ordinances of redemption, so far as they have been enlightened
by the preaching of the Gospel, since the keys of the former
dispensation were taken away from the earth.

Vol. 1, p.14
Why? If they looked upon the earth at all, it would be upon those
Corner Stones which we laid yesterday; if they listened at all, it
would be to hear the sounds of voices and instruments, and the
blending of sacred and martial music in honour of the commencement of
a temple for the redemption of the dead. With what intensity of
interest did they listen to the songs of Zion, and witness the
feelings of their friends. They were glad to behold the glittering
bayonets of the guards around the temple ground, and they longed for
the day when there would be a thousand where there is now but one.
They wish to see a strong people, gathered and united, in sufficient
power to maintain a spot on earth where a baptismal font might be
erected for the baptism for the dead.

Vol. 1, p.14
It was here that all their expectations were centered. What cared they
for all the golden palaces, marble [p.15] pavements, or gilded halls
of state. on earth? What cared they for all the splendor, equipage,
tides, and empty sounds of the self-styled great of this world, which
all pass away as the dew of the morning before the rising sun? What
cared they for the struggles, the battles, the victories, and numerous
other worldly interests that vibrate the bosoms of men on either side?
None of these things would interest them. Their interests were
centered here, and thence extended to the work of God among the
nations of the earth.

Vol. 1, p.15
Did Joseph, in the spirit world, think of any thing else, yesterday,
but the doings of his brethren on the earth? He might have been
necessarily employed, and so busy as to be obliged to think of other
things. But if I were to judge from the acquaintance I had with him in
his life, and from my knowledge of the spirit of Priesthood, I would
suppose him to be so hurried as to have little or no time to cast an
eye or a thought after his friends on the earth. He was always busy
while here, and so are we. The spirit of our holy ordination and
anointing will not let us rest. The spirit of his calling will never
suffer him to rest, while satan, sin, death, or darkness, possesses a
foot of ground on this earth. While the spirit world contains the
spirit of one of his friends or the grave holds captive one of their
bodies, he will never rest, or slacken his labours.

Vol. 1, p.15
You might as well talk of Saul, king of Israel, resting while Israel
was oppressed by the Canaanites or Philistines, after Samuel had
anointed him to be king. At first he was like another man, but when
occasion called into action the energies of a king, the spirit of his
anointing came upon him. He slew an ox, divided it into twelve parts,
and sent a part to each of the tribes of Israel., with this
proclamation—"So shall it be done to the ox of the man who will not
come up to the help of the Lord of hosts."

Vol. 1, p.15
Ye Elders of Israel! you will find that there is a spirit upon you
which will urge you to continued exertion, and will never suffer you
to feel at ease in Zion while a work remains unfinished in the great
plan of redemption of our race. It will inspire the Saints to build,
plant, improve, cultivate, make the desert fruitful, in short, to use
the elements, send missions abroad, build up states and kingdoms and
temples at home, and send abroad the light of a never-ending day to
every people and nation of the globe.

Vol. 1, p.15
You have been baptized, you have had the laying on of hands, and some
have been ordained, and some anointed with a holy anointing. A spirit
has been given you. And you will find, if you undertake to rest, it
will be the hardest work you ever performed. I came home here from a
foreign mission. I presented myself to our President, and inquired
what I should do next. "Rest," said he.

Vol. 1, p.15
If I had been set to turn the world over, to dig down a mountain, to
go to the ends of the earth, or traverse the deserts of Arabia, it
would have been easier than to have undertaken to rest, while the
Priesthood was upon me. I have received the holy anointing, and I can
never rest till the last enemy is conquered, death destroyed, and
truth reigns triumphant.

Vol. 1, p.15
May God bless you all. Amen. [p.16]

John Taylor, August 22, 1852

Elder John Taylor's Mission to Europe in 1849-1852

His Report, Delivered in the Tabernacle, 
Great Salt Lake City, August 22, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.16
Brethren and Sisters—I feet happy in having the privilege of meeting
you once more in the Valley of the mountains. It is now about three
years since I left this place. Since then I have travelled a great
distance, enough, if in a straight line, to have gone round the world.
Had I only had that to do, I should have been back some time ago.
Before I enter upon anything else, I will tell you some of my
feelings, and speak of other things afterwards.

Vol. 1, p.16
I feel glad to see you, brethren, sisters, and friends, and permit me
to say that I feel just at home, for Zion is my home; wherever the
people of God are, I feel perfectly at home, and can rejoice with
them. It seems as though I want to look at you. I have been gazing
around at this, that, and the other one, while brother Wallace was
preaching; I have been trying to think where I had seen them, and the
various scenes we have pressed through together, in different
places—in journeying, in perils, in mobbing, in difficulties and
dangers of various kinds. But out of all we have been delivered, the
hand of God has been manifested towards us in a remarkable manner. And
then I see people here from different nations, with whom I have
associated—from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and from other
nations of the earth; from the Eastern, Western, Northern, and
Southern States; from Canada, and from almost all parts of the world.
I think of the various changes, annoyances, and tribulations that we
have passed through, the deliverances we have obtained, and the hand
of God which has been manifested to us in all these things; and I
rejoice, and praise God my Saviour. I feel perfectly at home, in fact
I feel at home wherever I meet with the Saints of God—in this country,
or in other countries, but this is the grand home, this is the home
for the gathering of the Saints of the Most High God, the place where
the oracles of God dwell, and where the Spirit of God is preeminently
poured out, where we have come to learn, of the great Jehovah, the
sacred things pertaining to, and associated with His kingdom.

Vol. 1, p.16
I am not going to preach, I wish to tell my feelings, and look at you,
and think about what we have done, and what we are going to do, for it
is not all done yet—we have only commenced the great work of the Lord,
and are laying the foundation of that kingdom which is destined to
stand forever; what we shall do, is yet in the future; we have
commenced at the little end of the horn, and by and bye we will come
out at the big end.

Vol. 1, p.16
I was talking about troubles, but I don't know that we need talk or
care about them. We have had some little amusements and frolics among
the Gentiles, some few difficulties, but we have struggled through
them all, and we are all here safe and sound. True, some of our
friends have dropped by the way, they have fallen asleep, but what of
that? and who  cares? It is as well to live as to die, or to die as to
live, to sleep as to be awake, or to be awake as to sleep—it is all
one, they have only gone a little before us. For [p.17] example, we
have left other parts and come here, and we think we have got to Zion;
they have gone to the world of spirits, and they think they have got
to heaven; it is all right. We have left some of our friends behind in
various places; when they arrive here, they will shake hands with us,
and be glad they have got to Zion; and when we go to where our
departed friends are gone, we shall strike hands with them, and be
glad we have got to heaven; so it is all one. Although our friends
were sorry when we left them, yet they rejoiced as well as we, that we
were going to Zion; and so we shall rejoice with those who have died
in the Lord, for they rest from their labors.

Vol. 1, p.17
We have the principles of eternal life in us, we have begun to live,
and we shall continue to live, as the Methodists very properly express
it, "while life, and thought, and being last, or immortality endures;"
and this is the beginning of it, consequently other little
circumstances in this world, or even life or death; have very little
to do with it. Some people have said to me, sometimes, Are you not
afraid to cross over the seas, and deserts, where there are wolves and
bears, and other ferocious animals, as well as the savage Indians? Are
you not afraid that you will drop by the way, and leave your body on
the desert track, or beneath the ocean's wave? No. Who cares anything
about it? What of it, if we should happen to drop by the way? We
expect the Lord and His angels can do as much as brother Benson has
done in gathering up the people—he has brought a great host from
Pottawatomie—and the Lord can surely as easily "send His angels, and
gather together His elect from the four quarters of the earth," and,
as old Daniel says, we shall all come up and stand in our "lot in the
end of the days." These things don't trouble me, but I have felt to
rejoice all the day long, that God has revealed the principle of
eternal life, that I am put in possession of that truth, and that I am
counted worthy to engage in the work of the Lord, and be a messenger
to the nations of the earth. I rejoice in proclaiming this glorious
Gospel, because it takes root in the hearts of the children of men,
and they rejoice with me to be connected with, and participate in, the
blessings of the kingdom of God. I rejoice in afflictions, for they
are necessary to humble and prove us, that we may comprehend
ourselves, become acquainted with our weakness and infirmities; and I
rejoice when I triumph over them, because God answers my prayers,
therefore I feel to rejoice all the day long.

Vol. 1, p.17
I feel as though I am among the honorable Of the earth when I am here;
and when I get mixed up with the people abroad, and mingle with the
great people in the world, I feel otherwise. I have seen and deplored
the weakness of men—their folly, selfishness, and corruption. I do not
know how they feel, but I have witnessed a great deal of ignorance and
folly, I think there is a great deal of great littleness about them.
There is very little power among them, their institutions are
shattered, cracked, and laid open to the foundation. It is no matter
what principle you refer to—if to their religion, it is a pack of
nonsense; if to their philosophy and politics, they are a mass of dark
confusion; their governments, churches, philosophy, and religion, are
all darkness, misery, corruption, and folly. I see nothing but Babylon
wherever I go—but darkness and confusion, with not a ray of light to
cheer the sinking spirits of the nations of the earth, nor any hope
that they will be delivered in this world, or in the world to come.

Vol. 1, p.18
I have been with my brethren hero who went with me some years ago
[p.18] to foreign nations—brother Erastus Snow, who is here; brother
Lorenzo Snow, who has not got back yet; brother F. D. Richards, who
has been over in England; and brother Pratt. There has been a great
work done in all of these places, but I will leave these brethren to
relate their own affairs themselves. I rejoice to associate with them,
I rejoice to hear of their prosperity, and to see the wisdom,
intelligence, and prudence that have been manifested in all their
deportment and transactions. I could not have bettered it, and I do
not know that anybody else could. Everything has been going on well,
and prospering, the hand of God has been with us, and His angels have
been on our' path, and we are led to rejoice exceedingly before Him as
the God of our salvation.

Vol. 1, p.18
It gave me great joy, on my way home, to find the Saints leaving
Kanesville. It seemed as though they were swept out with a besom
almost. When I was there, I rode out in my carridge one day to a place
called Council Point. I thought I would go and visit some of the folks
there, but, when I got there, behold, there were no folks to see. I
hunted round, and finally found a place with something like "grocery"
written upon it. I alighted, and went into the house, and asked a
person who presented himself at the door, if he was a stranger there.
Yes, says he, I have only just come. And the people have all left,
have they? Yes, was the answer. I next saw a few goods standing at the
side of a house, but the house was empty, these were waiting to be
taken away. I went into another house, and there were two or three
waiting for a boat to take them down the river, and these were all the
inhabitants I saw there!

Vol. 1, p.18
When I first reflected upon this removal, my heart felt pained. I well
knew the disposition of many of the men on those frontier countries,
and I thought that some miserable wretches might come upon them after
the main body of the Saints had removed, and abuse, rob, and plunder
the widow, the orphan, 'the lame, halt, blind, and destitute, who
might be left, as they did in Nauvoo; and thus the old, decrepit, and
infirm would be abused, insulted, and preyed upon by wretches in human
shape, who never have courage to meet men, but are cruel and
relentless with the old, infirm, the widow, orphan, and destitute.
But, thank God, they are coming, nearly all, old and young, rich and
poor.

Vol. 1, p.18
When I see my brethren and sisters here, I cannot help but to rejoice
with them, and especially with those who have been engaged in these
various labours,

Vol. 1, p.18
The reports that have reached me from time to time, of your
prosperity—accounts of the great work of the Lord that was going on
here, have caused me much joy. I have heard of your progress in the
city, and out of it; of your various settlements and explorations; and
of the many organizations made by the Presidency, This has been joyful
to me while abroad in foreign nations.

Vol. 1, p.18
Some people think that preaching is the greatest part of the business
in building up the kingdom of God. This is a mistake. You may pick out
our most inferior Elders, in point of talent and ability, and send
them to England to preach and preside, and they think they are great
men there. Their religion teaches them so much more than the Gentiles
know, that they are received as the great men of the earth. Anybody
can preach, he is a poor simpleton that cannot, it is the easiest
thing in the world. But, as President Young says, it takes a  man to
practise. A great many preach first-rate when they get abroad; you
there meet with most eloquent men, they will almost make the stones
[p.19] under your feet tremble, and the walls of the building to
quake; but the moment they get into a little difficulty, they
immediately dwindle down into nothing, and they have not got as much
force as would draw a musquito off its nest:

Vol. 1, p.19
But the things that are going on here, require talent, force, energy,
a knowledge of human nature and of the laws of God. The sacrifices
that are being made, in leaving home, and travelling from place to
place, combating and overcoming the many difficulties that we have had
to cope with,  and standing in a distinguished position in the eyes of
the nations of the earth, are no small affair. They gaze with
astonishment at the stand that this people take at the present time in
their territorial capacity; to that all the nations and courts of
Europe are looking. Talk about preaching; this is a matter of another
importance entirely. I do not care how eloquent men are—these are all
good in their place—but it is the organization in this place; the wise
policy of the Governor who presides here, in the extension of this
infant state, by building up new colonies, &c.; making such extensive
improvements that preach louder among the courts of Europe, at the
present time.

Vol. 1, p.19
It is one of the most remarkable things that has ever taken place in
any age; and kings, and philosophers are obliged to acknowledge it. I
remember noticing an article in the London Times, not long ago, (and
it is one of the leading papers of the day). In speaking about the
"Mormons," giving an account of some affairs associated with the
Church, and with the establishment of a Territorial Government here,
the editor remarks nearly as follows—"We have let this people alone
for some time, and said nothing about them; we have been led to
believe that they were a society of fanatics and fools. &c.; but let
this be as it may, their position in the world, in a national
capacity, demands at our hands, as public journalists, to report their
progress, improvements, and position." I sent the Epistle of the First
Presidency to the Journal Des Debats, which is one of the principal
papers in Paris. They published the Epistle, and the chief editor made
some excellent remarks upon it, and signed his name to them. It was
taken from the paper, and translated and published in Switzerland,
Italy, Denmark, and Germany, and thus, in their various languages, it
was spread before the nations of Europe. Our place and people are
becoming well known abroad. While in the city of Paris, I had to do
with some of the leading government men. In seeking to obtain
authority to preach, all I had to do, generally, was to send my
card.—John Taylor, du (from) Deseret.

Vol. 1, p.19
We are becoming notorious in the eyes of the nations; and the time is
not far distant when the kings of the earth will be glad to come to
our Elders to ask counsel to help them out; of their difficulties; for
their troubles are coming upon them like a flood, and they do not know
how to extricate themselves.

Vol. 1, p.19
I will here give a short history of some of my proceedings. I was
appointed to go to France some years ago, in company with some of the
Twelve, who were appointed to go to other places. The First Presidency
asked us if we would go. Yes, was the reply: we can go anywhere, for
if we cannot do little things like these, I don't know what else we
can do. Some people talk about doing great things; but it is not a
great thing to travel a little, or to preach a little. I hear some of
our Elders saying, sometimes, that they are going to do  great
things—to be rulers in the kingdom of God, Kings and Priests to the
Most High, and are again to exalt thousands of others to thrones,
[p.20] principalities, and powers, in the eternal worlds; but we
cannot get them out of their nests, to travel a few miles here. If
they cannot do this, how will they ever learn to go from world to
world?

Vol. 1, p.20
We went, and were blessed in our journeying, We had a pretty hard time
in crossing the plains, and I should not recommend people to go so
late in the season as we did. We should have lost all our horses, but
the hand of God was over us for our good; He delivered us out of all
our dangers, and took us through safely. When we got to the Missouri
river, the ice was running very strong, so that it was impossible to
ferry; but in one night the river froze over, and we passed over as on
a bridge, in perfect safety; but as soon as the last team was over,
the ice again removed. Thus the Lord favoured us in our extremities.

Vol. 1, p.20
You may inquire, how did you get along preaching? The best way that we
could, the same as we always do. We went to work (at least I did) to
try to learn the language a little. I went into the city of Boulogne,
and I obtained permission there from the mayor to preach; this I was
under the necessity of doing. At that time, I had not been very
particular in seeking recommends as I went along; but I had a
recommend from Governor Young: he told the folks I was an honorable
man, and signed his name to it as the Governor of the Territory of
Utah, and Willard Richards as Secretary. I told the mayor, in relation
to these matters, I had not many papers with me, but I had one that I
obtained from the Governor of the state I came from. O, says he, "Mr.
Taylor, this is very good indeed, won't you leave it with me, and if
anybody finds any fault, I shall have it to refer to."

Vol. 1, p.20
Several Protestant priests from England commenced to annoy us, and
wanted to create a disturbance in the meeting, but I would not allow
it, besides I was in a strange city, and was received courteously by
the mayor, and wished my meeting to be orderly. These insolent men
came to create disturbance in our meetings, but seeing they could not
get a chance of speaking inside the doors, they followed me in the
streets, asking me questions as I walked along. Among the questions,
they said something about "Joe Smith." Says I, Who are you talking
about? I was well acquainted with Mr. Joseph Smith; he was a
gentleman, and would not treat a stranger as you do me. They still,
however, dogged after me, asking me more questions. I told them, I did
not wish to talk with men of their caste. They finally sent me a
challenge, and we had a discussion; the result of it you may have read
as published. The Methodist preacher denied his calling, and was to be
removed from his place, in consequence; and the others sunk into
forgetfulness—I could obtain no information of them when last there. I
decreed, then, I would let the English alone, and turn to the French.

Vol. 1, p.20
I went from there right into the city of Paris, and commenced
translating the Book of Mormon, with brother Bolton to assist me. We
baptized a few; some of them men of intelligence and education, and
capable of assisting us in the work. Brother Pack went to Calais, and
raised a small Church there. We afterwards united some English
Branches, Boulogne en France, to it, called the Jersey Islands. There
the people speak half English, half French; and brother Pack went to
preside over them. Brother Bolton and I remained principally in Paris,
and in that neighborhood; we there organized a Church. Before I came
away. we held a Conference, at which four hundred members were
represented, including  those [p.21] Branches that were added to the
Branch in Calais.

Vol. 1, p.21
We have got a translation of the Book of Mormon, as good a one as it
is possible for anybody to make. I fear no contradiction to this
statement from any man, learned or illiterate. I had it examined and
tested by some of the best educated men in France. I have got a
specimen with me. [The Book was produced, which was beautifully
bound.] This is the Book of Mormon, translated into the French
language, and it is got up in as good a style as any book that was
ever published, whether in the Church or out of it. The translation is
good, the printing is good, and the paper is good. I have made some
little alterations, that is, I have marked the paragraphs, and
numbered them, so as to tell where to refer to, when you wish to do
so; and in some instances where the paragraphs are very long, I have
divided them. The original simplicity of the book is retained, and it
is as literal as the genius and idiom of the French language would
admit of.

Vol. 1, p.21
This book is stereotyped, and I have arranged it so that when copies
of this work are sold, a certain amount of money is put away, that
when another edition is called for, the money is there; and thus it
can be continued from time to time, as necessity shall require, until
200,000 copies are printed without any additional expense. We also
publish there a paper called "L'Etoile du Déséret," (The Star of
Deseret.) It is got up in good style, and printed in new type. It is
also stereotyped, and most of it is new matter. I have given an
account of the organization of the Church, and a brief history of it;
of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the evidences of it; of
the doctrines of the Church, and the position of things in this
country, &c. &c. These are some of the leading items of this
publication. Instead of filling it with the news of the day, we have
filled it with all that is good for the people to read, that it may be
a standing work for years to come. It contains articles written on
baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the necessity of gathering
together, and all the leading points associated with the religion we
believe in, that there may be evidence forthcoming at any time and
place, in the hands of the inquirer. If men should be there, not
acquainted with the language, and individuals should make inquiries of
them relating to the doctrines of their religion, they have nothing to
do but hand them this Number or that Number of the "Star of Deseret,"
containing the information they wish. This will save them a great deal
of trouble in talking.

Vol. 1, p.21
We found many difficulties to combat, for it is not an easy thing to
go into France and learn to talk French well; but at the same time, if
a man sets to work in good earnest, he can do it. I have scratched the
word "can't" out of my vocabulary long since, and I have not got it in
my French one.

Vol. 1, p.21
The Spirit of the Lord was with us, and with the people, and He
prospered us in our undertakings, and we were enabled to accomplish
the thing we set about. We had difficulties to cope with in regard to
the government. If it had not been for the position of things there in
relation to the late revolution, that was then brewing, I believe we
should have obtained the privilege from the government to preach
throughout all France, and also protection for the Elders.

Vol. 1, p.21
I petitioned the Cabinet for that privilege. While talking to some of
them, they told me there would be no difficulty in obtaining
permission. But we were unable to obtain the liberty we wished. And I
believe it originated from the position of things just before the
revolution broke out; [p.22] it was through that, or through
difficulties in Denmark, wherein a mob was raised against the Saints.
They were then banishing strangers out of Paris, and would not allow
them a place there unless they were wealthy persons, and had money in
the bank, as security for their conduct.

Vol. 1, p.22
"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, and Brotherhood," was written almost
upon every door. You had liberty to speak, but might be put in prison
for doing so. You had liberty to print, but they might burn what you
had printed, and put you into confinement for it. The nations of
Europe know nothing about liberty, except England; and there it is
much the same as here, that is, liberty to do right.

Vol. 1, p.22
When you get into France, Germany, or any of the foreign nations,
where the language is different from ours, the spirit of the people is
different, and it appears to me that a different spirit is carried
along with these languages, which is peculiar to them.

Vol. 1, p.22
I might tell you about their political state, but I will preserve that
for some political speech or other; we will let that go for the
present. At the same time, there are thousands of as good spirited,
honest hearted men as I ever met with in any part of the world; they
are quiet, calm, peaceable, and desirous to know the truth, and be
governed by it; and if we only had liberty to preach to them the
principles of truth, thousands would flock to the standard of truth.

Vol. 1, p.22
Infidelity prevails there to a great extent, and at the same time a
great deal of a certain kind of religion, a sort of Catholicism; not
the Catholicism that was, but which is. Men have got sick of it, and
look upon it as moonshine and folly. You may divide the people into
three classes—the most religious class are the women; from observation
you would judge that they attend to the affairs of the souls of their
husbands, as well as their own. The fact is, the men care little about
it themselves. You will find nothing but women in the places of
worship there, while on the other hand, if you go out to the public
promenades, and theatres, and public amusements on Sunday, you will
see men by thousands; and if you judge of their religion by their
actions, you would consider that the theatre and public amusements are
their places of worship; at the same time, that the Church is the
place to do penance, and that the women do it.

Vol. 1, p.22
I am not surprised that infidelity should prevail in such countries. I
declare, personally, if I could see nothing better than what is called
Christianity there, I would be an infidel too; and I say the same also
in regard to Protestantism. The Protestants talk a great deal about
Catholic priests, but I believe they are much more honest in the sight
of man, and will do more for their pay, than. any Protestant minister
you can find. You will find them up at five o'clock in the morning,
saying mass, and attending to what they consider are their religious
duties—visiting the sick, and going among fevers and plagues, where
Protestant ministers, dare not go. This is my notion of that. (A voice
in the stand—The children are always lazier than their daddy.) The
idea of taking Protestantism among the French people is nonsense, for
one Catholic priest could prevail over fifty Protestants, The Catholic
priests are more intelligent, they know the basis upon which their
church is founded, and they can reason upon principles the Protestants
cannot enter into. Protestants can do very well when they have got a
mass of their own people around them.

Vol. 1, p.22
When I was in Boulogne, some Protestant ministers were afraid lest. I
should make a division among them; they were fearful lest I should
show [p.23] up some of their follies, and the Catholics should laugh
at them. One of these Jesuit priests came to me; he was a well
educated man. In speaking on those discussions, says he, when they ask
about the character of your founders, just examine into theirs, and I
will furnish you all the testimony you want. I told him I was much
obliged to him, but I could attend to my own business. I thought if I
could not get along, and defend "Mormonism" without the help of a
Jesuit priest, it was a poor case.

Vol. 1, p.23
I was speaking, a while ago, about the people there being divided into
three classes. One of them you may call infidel, under the head of
Socialism, Fourierism, and several other isms. Communism is a specimen
of the same thing, and they call it religion! These are generally
known under the head of what is called Rouges, or Red Republicans.
There is one class that think it is necessary to sustain religions as
a national policy, to subdue the minds of the people, and make them
easier to govern. The third class is in the minority a long way; it is
those who are actually sincere in their religion.

Vol. 1, p.23
I will give you a specimen of Protestantism as I witnessed it in a
grand anniversary Bible Society meeting in Paris. There were some of
the most notable men in Paris going to preach there and that attracted
the attention of the public. The meeting was held in one of the
principal Protestant churches. The late Prime Minister of Louis
Philippe, Monsieur Guizot, presided, and many other eminent men were
present. M. Guizotis a man of great ability, and quite an orator, so
that all parties respected him on account of his talent. As he was
going to be there, and deliver a speech, it attracted quite, an
audience. I went to hear them, in company with a French minister that
was baptized there. The place was pretty well crowded, not so full as
this hall is this morning; but in that country it was considered a
first rate congregation. When M. Guizot finished his discourse, about
one-third of the congregation left. I thought this a curious
proceeding; they don't act so in Protestant countries. Another got up
to speak, and when he had made a speech, another third of what was
left, left the house and went away; and when four or five of them had
made speeches, there were about as many left in the house as you would
see at a Catholic chapel at mass. I was really surprised at the
indifference and carelessness manifested.

Vol. 1, p.23
This was at the anniversary of a Bible Society in the city of Paris,
where some of the most notable men gathered together. I speak of this
to represent to you the position of things there, and the spirit of
the people in relation to these matters. In a theatre, or in any
public spectacle, all would have stayed till the last.

Vol. 1, p.23
It is among this people we have got to introduce the Gospel. When they
come to see it, they rejoice in it, but we do not preach religion much
to them, for a great many of them are philosophers, and, of course, we
must be philosophers too, and make it appear that our philosophy is
better than theirs, and then show them that religion is at the bottom
of it. It would be nonsense to talk about justification by faith: they
would say it was moonshine, or something else. You have got to talk
common sense, you have got to affect their bodies as well as their
souls, for they believe they are possessed of both. When they once get
interested in the work of God, and get the Spirit of God, they rejoice
exceedingly in the blessings of the Gospel. I have seen Saints in that
country who rejoiced and thanked God, for the blessings of the new and
everlasting covenant, as much as ever I saw Saints in any country.

Vol. 1, p.24
[p.24] I had thought, after having completed the translation of the
Book of Mormon into the French language, in which I was assisted by
brother Bolton, of returning home last year, but I met with the
Epistle of the First Presidency, from which I could learn their desire
that we should stay another year. I, therefore, thought I would alter
my course immediately, and follow the directions of the Spirit of
God—for I wished all the time, as Paul says, to be obedient to the
heavenly calling; I wished at all times to pursue the course the
Spirit of the Lord should dictate. I knew it would dictate them right,
though I did not see at that time that it would be of much benefit for
me to stay long there, as it was no place for preaching in. The
government, after studying about these things some time, denied us the
privilege of preaching; and all the place we had to meet in was a
private room; and, according to a law of the government, if more than
twenty persons were known to meet together they were in danger of
being put in prison. The officers were continually on the alert, and
when we would meet, lest there should be more than twenty people, they
would be counting how many there were in the room, and thus the Saints
were continually under the spirit of fear of the authorities. It is
under these circumstances we have had to labour.

Vol. 1, p.24
As it stated in the Epistle, that it was better for the brethren to
extend their labours to other nations, it immediately occurred to my
mind to go to Germany, so I made a plan before t got up in the
morning, for thought flows quickly, you know. The plan was—to publish
the Book of Mormon there. I wrote to brother Hyde to send me out some
brother that was acquainted with the German language, and my letter
got there about the time he left for the Valley, and he did not get
it. I said to brother Bolton, and brother De La Mere, who was from the
island of Jersey, that there was one man in the Valley I wished was
here, and that was brother Carn. There was one brother in France, who
was a German, and was well acquainted with the languages, both German
and French: I engaged him to go with me to Germany, that is, to
translate. However, I went over to England, and thought we would hunt
in England to find some person qualified to go and preach in Germany.
I found many Germans. but none with sufficient experience in the
Church. Finally, I thought I would start by myself. When I got to
London, I met with brother Dykes; he had said something about going to
Germany, but he concluded. he had better be with brother Snow, as he
was acquainted with the Danish language; he had got his discharge from
that engagement, and was on his way home when I met him. This placed
things in another position. He said he would like to go if his family
could be provided for, but I could not say anything particular about
his family.

Vol. 1, p.24
I finally had him go for a month or two, for I did not wish to put a
thing upon him I would not do myself. He felt a desire to go, and said
he would do as I said, so I told him to go for two months. I made an
appointment to meet him in Germany, as I had to go through France.

Vol. 1, p.24
When we arrived there, we started the translation of the Book of
Mormon, and it was half completed before I came away. We also started
to publish a paper in Germany, called Zions Paníer, (Zion's Banner.) I
wished to be perfectly satisfied that the translation was right;
brother Richards and I heard some of it read in Boulogne, and we
thought it was very  good, but still it had to be altered. I,
therefore, got some of the best professors in the city of [p.25]
Hamburg to look over it: some few alterations were necessary, but not
many. Also, with regard to the paper, one of the professors said he
would not have known it was written in English and translated; he
should, if not told to the contrary, have supposed it written
originally in German.

Vol. 1, p.25
I have often heard men in this Country splutter a great deal about the
meaning of odd words in the Bible, but this only exhibits their folly:
it is the spirit and intention of the language that are to be looked
at, and if the translator does not know this it is impossible for him
to translate correctly, and this is the reason why there are so many
blunders in the Bible. I believe the English Bible is translated as
well as any book could be by uninspired men. The German translation of
the Bible, I believe, is tolerably correct, but some of the French
editions are miserable.

Vol. 1, p.25
A Protestant minister in Germany refused to discuss the doctrine of
Baptism, because their Bible is so plain upon that subject that the
doctrine of sprinkling could not be maintained. Among the German
people, we find a great deal of infidelity, but at the same time we
find very much sterling integrity, and there will be thousands and
tens of thousands of people in that country wire will embrace the
faith, and rejoice in the blessings of the Gospel. We have sent our
French papers to Switzerland, Denmark, and to Lower Canada, and some
of our German papers to France, and vice versa.

Vol. 1, p.25
The languages in these countries are mixed up: it is a profession more
general than it is in this country; they think a man is very ignorant
if he professes to. be a teacher and does not know two or three
languages, but  with all their knowledge of languages, there is a
great amount of ignorance. There are men there acquainted with two or
three languages, and that is all they do know; if you except that,
there is not an ounce of common sense remains. What if you can read
French, or German, or Hebrew, or anything else—what good would it do
you unless you read to understand the works written in those
languages? Simply none at all. A man is a fool if he boast about
anything of that kind.

Vol. 1, p.25
The Book of Mormon by this time is printed and stereotyped in the
German language. I left brother Carn there, to attend to this
business: everything was going on smoothly, so I thought I could leave
it as well as not. When I got to Liverpool, and was about coming away,
the very man I wanted to come from the Valley arrived there. I was
glad to meet him in Liverpool.

Vol. 1, p.25
I shall want to get some folks to go to France, and to Germany. I
would not ask anybody to do that which I would not do myself.

Vol. 1, p.25
There are books, thousands of them, if you cannot talk to the people,
you can give them the books to read. But you can learn the language,
or you are poor concerns. Any sane person can.

Vol. 1, p.25
I do not know that it is necessary for me to say anything more. O yes,
I organized a society to make sugar, and a woollen manufactory. The
sugar factory will be here soon. If you will only provide us with
beets and wood, we will make you sugar enough to preserve yourselves
in. We can have as good sugar in this country as anywhere else; we
have as good machinery as is in the world. I have seen the best
specimens of it in the World's Fair, but there was none better than
this; there is not any better on the earth, nor better men to make
sugar than those who are coming. I found this affair as difficult to
arrange as anything I have had to do. We could not bring the other
machinery on this year, for we had as much on hand with the sugar
machinery as we could get along with, [p.26] so we had to leave it,
that is, the woollen and worsted machinery, to another year. I can say
also of this, that it is as good machinery as there is in the world.
It is the same kind of machinery that is made use of in the west of
England to make the best kind of broad cloth; also a worsted
manufactory to manufacture cloth for ladies' wear, such as merinoes,
and alpaccas, and other sorts of paccas, I don't know the names of
them all; and various kinds of shawls, blankets, carpets, &c., &c., if
we can only command the wool.

Vol. 1, p.26
After having gone through these things, I will say again, I am glad
that I have got back to this place. Some people have asked me if I was
not pretty near being taken up and put in prison by the authorities of
France. I might have been, but I did not know it.

Vol. 1, p.26
A gentleman in Paris would make me promise to call on him when I came
back to Paris, and make his house my home. I agreed to return, and
stay a few days in that city, and hold a Conference there. This was a
few days after the revolution. I saw the place where the houses had
been battered down, and the people killed by wholesale; where were
shot down promiscuously, both big and little, old and young, men,
women, and children. I was there soon after this occurrence; and at
the very time the people were voting in their President, we were
holding a Conference on the same day, for I thought they would have
something else to do than to attend to us. Some of the Elders,
however, were afraid to come to Paris, lest there should be
difficulty.

Vol. 1, p.26
There were about 400 represented at this Conference; Elders, Priests,
and Teachers were ordained; and a Conference was regularly organized.
The Spirit of the Lord was with us, and many were ordained to the
Priesthood with a Presidency over the nation.

Vol. 1, p.26
After I had left Paris, on my arrival in England, I found a letter
from brother Bolton, who is president in France; he informed me that
the haut (high) police had been inquiring for me at my lodgings, but
that the gentleman of the house had kept him talking for two hours,
defending my character, &c. They came to the house ten minutes after I
had left in a cab for the railroad, but I had then finished my work,
and when they would hays put their fingers on me, I was not there. But
at the very time they were voting for their president, we were voting
for our president, and building up the Kingdom of God; and I
prophesied then, and prophesy now, that our cause will stand when
their's is crushed to pieces; and the kingdom of God will roll on and
spread from nation to nation, and from kingdom to kingdom. And from
these nations we have been preaching the Gospel of Christ to, you will
see thousands and tens of thousands yet flocking to Zion, and singing
Hallelujahs to the God of Israel.

Vol. 1, p.26
Did we not talk about England in the same way when the Gospel was
first introduced into that country? Brother Kimball prophesied the
sams things of that country, and they have all come to pass, and this
will come to pass by and bye, for there is " a good time coming,
Saints, wait a little longer;" and we will rise up like the servants
of the living God, and accomplish the work He has given us to do; and
when we have done our work here, we will then join our friends in the
eternal worlds, and engage in acts more vast, more mighty, and that
will require more energy than the works we are now engaged in.

Vol. 1, p.26
I rejoice that I am happy to meet with you and my family: you are my
friends, and you are the friends of God, and we are building up the
kingdom of God, and by and bye the kings and princes of the earth will
come, and gaze upon the glory of Zion.

Vol. 1, p.27
[p.27] I used to think there was a good deal of intelligence among the
world But I have sought for it so long I have given up all hopes of
ever finding it there. Some philosophers came to visit me in France,
and while conversing, I had to laugh a little at them for the word
philosophy is about every tenth word they speak. One of them, a Jesuit
priest, who had come in the Church, a well educated man, was a little
annoyed in his feelings at some of my remarks, on their philosophy. I
asked them if any of them had ever asked me one question that I could
not answer. They answered in the negative. But, said I, I can ask you
fifty that you cannot answer.

Vol. 1, p.27
Speaking of philosophy, I must tell another little story, for I was
almost buried up in it while I was in Paris. I was walking about one
day in the Jardin des Plantes—a splendid garden. There they had a sort
of exceedingly light cake; it was so thin and light that you could
blow it away, and you could eat all day of it, and never be satisfied.
Somebody asked me what the name of that was. I said, I don't know the
proper name, but in the absence of one, I can give it a name—I will
call it philosophy, or fried froth, which you like. It is so light you
can blow it away, eat it all day, and at night be as far from being
satisfied as when you began.

Vol. 1, p.27
There are a great many false principles in the world, and as I said
before, whether you examine their religion, their philosophy, their
politics, or their national policy, you will find it a mess of
complete baby work, there is nothing substantial about it, nothing to
take hold of. There is no place that I have found under the whole
heavens where there is true intelligence, but in the land of Zion.

Vol. 1, p.27
I will risk our Elders among the world, if they will only brush up
their ideas a little. I will take any of you rough looking fellows,
put you in a tailor's shop a little, and start you out like gentlemen,
as large as life. I tell you there is a great difference between our
people and others. Many others have a nice little finish on them; they
may be compared to scrimped up dandies; but everything is on the
outside, and nothing in the inside.

Vol. 1, p.27
Our folks who are operating round here in the kanyons, and on the
land, are listening to the servants of God, and studying principles of
eternal truth; they are like young rough colts, with plenty of bone,
sinew, and nerve in them; all they want is rubbing down a little, and
they will come out first rate. I believe in the polish, and a little
of every thing else, you know I am a Frenchman now.

Vol. 1, p.27
I have found that all intelligence is good, and there is a good deal
in the world, mixed up with all their follies, It is good for the
Elders to become acquainted with the languages, for they may have to
go abroad, and should be able to talk to the people, and not look like
fools. I care not how much intelligence you have got, if you cannot
exhibit it you look like art ignoramus. Suppose a Frenchman. should
come upon this stand to deliver a lecture upon Botany, Astronomy, or
any other science, and could not speak a word of English, how much
wiser would you be? You may say, I thought the Lord would give us the
gift of tongues. He won't if we are too indolent to study them. I
never ask the Lord to do a thing I could do for myself. We should be
acquainted with all things, should obtain intelligence both by faith
and by study. We are instructed to gather it out of the best books,
and become acquainted with governments, nations, and laws. The Elders
of this Church have need to study these things, that when they go to
the nations, they may not wish to return home before they have
accomplished a good work.

Vol. 1, p.28
When I was in Hamburg, there were [p.28] 30,000 soldiers quartered in
the city, and that is called a free city. If you ask any of the
inhabitants what they are doing there, they will answer—Ich weise
nicht, (I don't know,) but we have to keep them. They are there
because the Emperor of Austria placed them there, and he had power to
have them there. 

Vol. 1, p.28
In Paris, you would suppose you were in an armed city for you could
not step anywhere without meeting soldiers at every step.

Vol. 1, p.28
When I was in Hamburg, I had to go and get a permit to authorize me to
stay one month, and when that was done, I had to get another to
authorize me to stay another month. The only thing we can do in that
country at present is to baptize some of the citizens, and set them to
preaching, as they have more rights and privileges than a stranger. No
man has a right to receive his own son into his own house, if not a
citizen, without a card; or a permit from the Government; and that is
a free city, so called. We cannot know anything about the blessings
and privileges we have as Americans, without becoming acquainted with
the condition of other nations, this is one of the greatest countries
in the world, but they (the Americans) do not appreciate their
privileges.

Vol. 1, p.28
I am glad to see things moving on so well here; I observe great
improvements and changes: you have done a great work, and God will
bless you for it. I am glad to see and hear that you are more diligent
in paying tithing, and attending to your duties than before I left. It
is not hard to do the will of God, and if some of you would go out
into the world for two or three years, you would not find it hard
repay tithing when you camo back again. I am glad to hear of these
things—of the building up of the kingdom of God; and union is
strength, and to fulfil the will of God brings down blessings upon our
heads. I now expect to rest a little, and visit a little, and we will
talk and preach, and do all the good we can in this world, and then go
into the next to do more good.

Vol. 1, p.28
I feel obliged to the brethren hero for putting me up a house; and
brother Brigham, I am much obliged to you for it; God bless you for
it. And I pray that the blessings of God may rest down upon all the
Saints, worlds without end. Amen.

Brigham Young, March 4, 1852

Recreation, and the Proper Use of It

A Speech Delivered By President Brigham Young, at the 
Legislative Festival Held in the Territorial House, 
Great Salt Lake City, March 4, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.28
With joy and delight I look upon you, brethren and sisters. I feel to
render all praise, thanks, and adoration to our Father and God, that
my heart is capable of rendering; and with all the affections,
together with [p.29] all the talent bestowed upon me, I feel to serve,
praise, adore, and acknowledge the Lord our God.

Vol. 1, p.29
Let me ask a question. Finding ourselves in our present position in
the world of sin and darkness, of ignorance, unbelief, superstition,
and tradition, which have been woven and interwoven with our lives;
thrown around us like a mantle, which is used to shield the body from
the cold and from the storm; considering ourselves as we are, then ask
ourselves the question, if on earth we have any idea of anything like
a kingdom or community of people being celestial; then ask ourselves
again, if we have, does not the presentation this evening border very
nigh to it? I can say for one, as far as we do know and understand, as
far as our capacities can expand, and grasp life and happiness, just
so far this community which is present this evening, is advanced in
the celestial path.

Vol. 1, p.29
If there is a heart here this evening, that does not chime in with
every sentiment of righteousness, that heart has no power in this
assembly. This company are controllable, like the ship by the rudder,
in a gentle breeze, that can be turned hither and thither at the will
and pleasure of him who commands; so with all here present; at the
sound of the voice, all is hushed, and every heart throbs in unison in
response to the words of praise and thanksgiving to our Father and our
God. This proves that the majority, at least, are right; and I have no
reason to believe that there is a heart in this house, but chimes in
with my own. Every countenance is cheerful; every face is lit up with
a lively glow of joy, peace, and tranquillity.

Vol. 1, p.29
We are now enjoying our pastimes. We often meet together and worship
the Lord by singing, praying, and preaching, fasting, and communing
with each other in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Now we are met
in the capacity of a social community—for what? That our minds may
rest, and our bodies receive that recreation which is proper and
necessary to keep up an equilibrium, to promote healthy action to the
whole system.

Vol. 1, p.29
Let our minds sing for joy, and let life diffuse itself into every
avenue of the body; for the object of our meeting is for its exercise,
for its good.

Vol. 1, p.29
This party was gotten up by the members of the Legislature, to rest
their minds, to convene in a social capacity, and enjoy the society of
each other, with their families, and to give renewed activity and
energy, which will invigorate and strengthen them in the discharge of
the arduous duties devolving upon them.

Vol. 1, p.29
With regard to these feelings prevailing in our midst this evening, as
well as the correctness of these principles, all men and women must be
their own judge. I judge for myself, and not for another, although I
have that privilege, and can do it with safety and propriety. Why is
this? Because when I look upon the faces of my brethren, I know their
hearts; let the roots of bitterness be there, and their countenances
meet mine, and I know it in a moment. Do you not know it also? Can you
not feel it? Can you not see it? You can. This is why I say that I
have the privilege of judging others. You have the same privilege.
Having this privilege to judge for others as well as myself, I feel to
say, that every heart of the company present this afternoon and
evening, feels to sing praises to the Lord, and shout hallelujah to
His holy name. I am in the best place I ever was during my life, and
With the best society. I never saw a community that enjoyed the
tranquillity and peace that are enjoyed by this people in these
vallies of the mountains. Is it not so? Judge for yourselves, ye are
my witnesses.

Vol. 1, p.30
A few words, perhaps, will suffice [p.30] the company. I was requested
to make a few remarks at the opening of the meeting, but I chose to
delay speaking until a more suitable time; for when any of my brethren
or myself speak to the people, I wish all to hear that conveniently
can, because when we are in this capacity, and call our minds
together, it is to reflect for a few moments, and look at each other,
and think of the Lord; view over the past times of our lives, and
contrast their history with the present festive moments. It is good to
look upon each other, because the faces of our friends, and the
gladness of their countenances, cheer our hearts, furnishing food for
future reflection. Under all circumstances, in every situation of our
past lives, in every transaction of business and of social enjoyment,
remember it is good to reflect and consider upon it now in the days of
peace and prosperity, while we have the privilege.

Vol. 1, p.30
Our present situation, and the enjoyments of this evening, will become
subjects of pleasant and agreeable reflection, when we shall be
separated from each other. Some of these, my brethren, may be absent
in foreign lands; our sisters may be separated from this community,
and go to the right and to the left; then these moments of festive joy
will be remembered with pleasing emotions, and cherished in fond
memory in after years.

Vol. 1, p.30
Again, when we meet in this capacity, it is good for our minds to be
refreshed on this wise a little, for the reason, as you are all aware,
that we are naturally forgetful, and it is according to the frailties
of human nature to decline and falter in our feelings at the varied,
besetting, enticing, and almost overwhelming temptations that are
abroad in the world, and with which the people, especially those of
the household of faith, have to contend. Our former life, its
anxieties and enjoyments, are apt to be forgotten. This is our
experience. If we should suffer ourselves to spend our time day after
day, and week after week, as we are today, how long would it be,
before we would forget the Lord? It would not be long. If we continued
in the exercising of the body without reflection, this company would
soon think—it is no matter about praying, or asking the Lord about
anything; we have enjoyed ourselves heretofore, and all has been
peace, quietness, anal good order. But how long would it remain so?
How long would it be before we would become careless, if we remembered
not the Lord? For this reason, I say, on every such occasion, it is
right, reasonable, and necessary, that every heart be directed to the
Lord. When we have had sufficient recreation for our good, let that
suffice. It is all right; then let our minde labor insteed of our
bodies; and in all our exercises of body and mind, it is good to
remember the Lord. If it cannot be so, but otherwise, I do not wish to
see another party while I live. If I could not enjoy the Spirit of the
Lord in this capacity with you this evening, and feel the power of God
to rest upon me, I should cease from all such indulgence. From this
time, never let us permit ourselves to go one step beyond that which
the Lord will own and bless.

Vol. 1, p.30
But I pause here, and for this reason—I want it distinctly understood,
that fiddling and dancing are no part of our worship. The question may
be asked, What are they for, then? I answer, that my body may keep
pace with my mind. My mind labors like a man logging, all the time;
and this is the reason why I am fond of these pastimes—they give me a
privilege to throw every thing off, and shake myself, that my body may
exercise, and my mind rest. What for? To get strength, and be renewed
and quickened, and enlivened, and animated, so that my mind may not
wear [p.31] out. Experience tells us that the most of the inhabitants
of the earth wear out their bodies without wearing their minds at all,
through the sufferings they endure from hard labor, with distress,
poverty, and want. While on the other hand, a great portion of mankind
wear out their bodies without laboring, only in anxiety. But when men
are brought to labor entirely in the field of intelligence, there are
few minds to be found possessing strength enough to bear all things;
the mind becomes overcharged, and when this is the case, it begins to
wear; upon the body, which will sink for want of the proper exercises.
This is the reason why I believe in and practice what I do. The
question might be asked, Why not go into the kanyons and get out wood,
which would be good exercise enough? If you would know, come up to my
house, you will soon find out. Were I to go to the kanyons, the whole
camp of Israel would follow me there; and they would not be there long
before they would say, Come, brother Brigham, I want to talk with you;
come, I will chop this wood. How many scores of times I have
undertaken to work, since I came into this ministry! Scores and
hundreds of times when my calling in the kingdom of God was less than
it is now, have I endeavored to set myself to work, but seldom could
have a chance to do so more than five minutes; some one would come
along, "Give me the hoe, brother Brigham, I want to talk with you ;"
and so stop me, and no sooner stop me than he stops also. I have given
it up, I do not intend to work any more at manual labor. I do not
wrestle, or play the ball; all the exercise I do get is to dance a
little, while my council room is from my office to this room, and from
this room to my house again, into my sitting room, dining room, &c.

Vol. 1, p.31
You will see the time, you will know what my labor is. I wish this
community to consider that I have feelings of a very acute nature.
There is not a man or a woman, Saint or sinner, it mattereth not, that
feels injured, and lays his or her complaints before me; but what it
rests upon my feelings; but my faith is unyielding, and I intend to
keep it so, as much as I can; my feelings sympathize so with the
injured, that I am grieved and distressed, and my head aches, and
large drops of cold sweat sit upon my brow, and no man or woman knows
anything about my feelings, and I do not want them to know, for I
calculate to kick off from my heels all that I cannot carry. I will
carry all I should, but there is not a person in this community that
can bring to mind or mention the time whenever I exhibited one
particle of sorrow or trouble to them. I calculate to carry my own
sorrows just as long as I live upon this earth; and then I go to the
grave, I expect them all to go there, and sleep with me in eternal
silence.

Vol. 1, p.31
But to return to our party. I would just say, it was gotten up by the
Legislature to enjoy ourselves. I have enjoyed myself first-rate: my
heart is cheerful and full of gladness. I am in the midst of the
Saints of the Most High, and my desire is, and I will say with all my
heart, may God grant that the blessings, favors, and mercies, and
kindness of our Father in heaven, may bring us to a sense of the
obligations we owe to Him; and cheer, and cause joy and tranquillity
to reign in, this community, that every heart may be bound up in the
Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, without having to feel the rod again.
What is the use of it, when mercy and kindness are lavished upon the
people of God, and to see them falter in their faith, see them grow
cold towards the Lord their God, see them Slacken their pace? Is it
not grievous? Just look at it. Suppose you had all the [p.32] good
gifts to bestow upon your children that heart could wish, and you
lavish them out, but the more you give, the more slothful they
become—how would you feel? Just apply this to yourselves: I know how I
should feel. When I bring my mind to bear upon this subject, and see
what the Lord has done for me, and for this people, and think that I
should become remiss in my duty, so that the Lord should have need to
chasten me again, it seems, on the first reflection, that I ought to
be damned. When I look at myself before the Lord, and see what Itc has
called me to, and what He has called my brethren and sisters to; how
He has bestowed blessings upon us, and heaped them up until there is
not room to receive them, and I should want to go to the gold mines,
and return again here to speculate upon the Saints, and should be
guilty of complaining all the time, it seems, if I were to do this,
the Lord would damn me.

Vol. 1, p.32
I know you feel as I do upon this subject. When you take this into
consideration, your serious reflections having place in your heart,
you feel as I do. For heaven's sake, for your own sake, and for the
sake of Him who died for us, never let us falter in our duty. While we
live, it is our duty to love the Lord with all our might, and with all
our strength, and with all our souls. This is our duty first and
foremost: we ought to love Him better than our wives, children, and
brethren and sisters, and all things besides. Is this our duty? Verily
yes. Let the heart love God, and serve Him, without any division of
feeling: never suffer it to wander to the right or to the left for one
moment.

Vol. 1, p.32
If these were the feelings of this people, the Lord would lift up our
hands, exalt our hearts, and cause us to walk in His almighty
strength, so that the devil and his imps would nover have power to
bring another affliction upon us, never, no, never. therefore, love
the Lord, keep His commandments, cleave to the Israel of God; this is
my exhortation all the time. And what is the next duty? Love your
neighbor as yourself, do unto others as you would that others should
do unto you, cease your contention and bad feelings, your evil
speaking and evil doing.

Vol. 1, p.32
As I observed here not long since, I consider it is a disgrace to the
community, and in the eyes of the Lord, and of Angels, and in the eyes
of all the Prophets and Revelators that have ever lived upon the
earth, when a community will descend to the low, degraded state of
contention with each other; this little bickering, jarring,
fault-finding, somebody's abused me; why do you not say, if you have a
mind to abuse, abuse away? Suppose every heart should say, if my
neighbor does wrong to me, I will not complain, the Lord will take
care of him. Let every heart be firm, and every one say, I will never
contend any more with a man for property, I will not be cruel to my
fellow-creature, but I will do all the good I can, and as little evil
as possible. Now, where would be the wrong of taking this course? This
is the way to approximate toward a celestial state. A community cannot
be produced upon all the face of the earth that presents a celestial
aspect like this. If we continue to be faithful and prayerful, and
strive continually to resist every evil, we shall approximate more and
more towards that celestial kingdom, where there is an eternal
inheritance, and an unsullied glory And if we should look back upon
ourselves, when we were doing evil to each other, should we not do so
with regret and shame? Should we not look upon our past mortal lives
with anguish and disgust? I wish men would look upon that eternity
which is  before them. In the [p.33] great morning of the
resurrection, with what grief would they look upon their little
trifling affairs of this probation; they would say, O! do not mention
it, for it is a source of mortification to me to think that I ever
should be guilty of doing wrong, or of neglecting to do good to my
fellow men, even if they have abused me. O! how would it appear if you
understood the heart of the Lord, and understood the heart and
faithfulness of those in the celestial kingdom. As good as we are, we
shall not want to look upon our past actions; we shall say, O! do not
mention it, but let it sleep; I never want that to be resurrected, but
let it die in the grave, and sleep an eternal sleep. Brethren and
sisters, I hope and pray that our evils may never rise with us. I can
say to you, with all my heart, and with all my soul, and not only to
this company, but to all the Saints throughout the world—may the
heavens bless you; the Lord Almighty blesses you, my soul blesses you,
how my soul loves you, may angels bless you, guard and preserve you;
and may all the heavenly hosts, arrayed in all their panoply of power,
be engaged for your exaltation.

Vol. 1, p.33
One thing more. You will perceive all the time, this one thing in me,
viz., by my conduct, there is no lack of confidence—not a particle of
jealousy arises in my bosom towards this people. I never felt for one
moment a shadow of doubt upon that subject. I have never seen one
moment but this people loved me; although I may get up here and cuff
them about, chastising them for their forgetfulness, their weaknesses
and follies, yet I have not seen a moment when they did not love me.
The reason is, because I love them so well. Do you not know that
spirits beget spirits, and likeness begets likeness. I love this
people so well that I know they love me; they have confidence in me,
because I have confidence in them. You may scan the history of the
whole Church, and look over the whole surface of the matter, and did
you ever see this people, when they had the same confidence as they
have in each other at this day? No, never. And it is on the increase;
and this is what will make a community powerful. But if we lack
confidence in each other, and be jealous of each other, our peace will
be destroyed. If we cultivate the principle of unshaken confidence in
each other, our joy will be full. What does it prove? It proves that
we are fast advancing and approximating towards that degree of light,
knowledge, and glory, and all the principles that pertain to the
everlasting Gospel, and that we are actually in the favor of the Lord.
We need not bring any proofs of that, for that devils never kick and
cuff their own is certain. As I used to say, fifteen years ago, when I
was out preaching, and the people would get alarmed, when the devil
would get mad, and would say to me, "Oh! dear, sir, what is the
matter, I am afraid we are all going to be killed, for all hell is
boiling over"—my answer was, "Thank God, the devil has not forsaken us
yet." Will he not sustain his own kingdom? When you see all the powers
of the evil one combined against a community, you may know that is
Christ's kingdom. Everything has proved that this is God's kingdom,
and I need not say anything more about these two powers.

Vol. 1, p.33
The Lord Almighty is for us, and the devil is against us. However, I
will tell you what I think of the whole of the devil's company on this
earth—if they will just keep out of my path, I shall be glad, for I
never want to see one of them. My soul is satisfied with looking upon
this wicked world. If I never see another wicked person while I live,
I am perfectly satisfied with the Saints; these are my feelings. True,
it is my duty to preach to them; but I am willing, if the Lord is
satisfied, that I should never see another [p.34] wicked person upon
this earth. I would be satisfied to live with the Saints and Angels
from this time henceforth. May heaven bless you, brethren and sisters.
Amen.

Heber C. Kimball, July 11, 1852

Believing the Bible—the Gospel—Persecution—Spirit-Rapping, Etc.

An Address Delivered By President H. C. Kimball, 
in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 11, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.34
I have been much interested with the principles that have been laid
before us by brother Daniel Tyler. He is a man with whom I have been
acquainted for many years, and I know him to be a good man. I can say
truly that I have heard the Gospel presented before us this morning,
as it is recorded in the NeW Testament.

Vol. 1, p.34
You know that it is generally understood, and perhaps by many of the
strangers who are present to-day, that we do not believe the Bible.
That is a great mistake: we do believe it. I can say, as one of the
Apostles of old said, and it is my advice and instruction to you—prove
all things, and try all things, and hold fast to that which is good.
As he exhorted you to prove these things, to investigate them, and
reflect upon them, and prove the truth of that which is called
"Mormonism," let me tell you, gentlemen, the day will come, if you
don't do it, you will he sorry. Why? Because there is a future day
that will determine these things.

Vol. 1, p.34
It will be but a few years, perhaps not to exceed fifty, that not a
person here this day will then be upon the earth. You will go into the
world of spirits, to try the realities of another state of existence.
What we have to do we must do in this state of existence, while in our
tabernacles of flesh; and if we make good use of our lives, and of our
bodies, and of our talents, it will be well with us; but if we do not,
we have to give an account of the deeds done in the body. These bodies
are given to you by the same Being that gave to me my body, and they
are committed to you as a stewardship by that God who placed us here;
and you have got to give an account of your stewardship, and the
course you take. If you permit that tabernacle to become polluted, and
if your spirit suffers your body to be contaminated with sin and
corruption, you will have to make an atonement for it before you can
get your redemption worked out. Gentlemen, mark it, for it is even so.

Vol. 1, p.34
This is the Gospel which has been taught to us to-day, in a plain and
simple manner, and in that simplicity that it was taught by Jesus
Christ and his Apostles, and by many others who were ordained by them.
The people profess to believe the Bible; the whole Christian world
profess to believe that book—to believe that it is the Bible, but do
they believe what  is in that Bible? If they do, they don't practise
it. How many of you, my [p.35] brethren and fellow travellers to
eternity, how many times have you said in your day, and in your
generation, and in your family circles, "If I could see one man
practise that religion that was taught by Jesus and his Apostles,  I
would be a Saint." I said it  many times before I ever heard of
"Mormonism," and sought for these things, and wished for them, and
prayed for them according to the knowledge I then had. But what did I
know about God, or about the Gospel, by what I heard from the pulpits
of the day?

Vol. 1, p.35
I have been at the Methodists' meeting many a time, and have followed
up their protracted meetings, and sought for religion; and when people
were converted to the faith of Methodism, I have seen the priest go to
the water because some wished to be baptized in the water, but not
because it was at all necessary. One would say I want to be sprinkled;
another, I want to have the water poured upon me; and another, I want
to be plunged. All right, says the minister, either of these is just
as necessary as the other, for none of them are essential to
salvation; we only attend to them to satisfy the candidate. Suppose
the laws of the United States were made upon this principle, just to
suit everybody's fancy and notions, making laws for every one to do
just as he pleased—what kind of laws would they be? What would you
think of such a law-making department? Would you sustain it? Would you
send to it a man, as a delegate, to represent your case, to make
wholesome taws that would give every man his rights and privileges? I
would not have such a law, but I would cast it out with those who made
it.

Vol. 1, p.35
God has one mode of saving men and women, and you cannot be saved upon
any other principle than that which Jesus Christ taught, and I know
it. I can say to this congregation, and to every other, which thing I
have said in the United States and in Great Britain—except you receive
the words of Jesus Christ, and those that are ordained and sent forth
by him, you are just as sure of damnation as you are sure of dying,
and I know it. These things are plain, and the Gospel that brother
Daniel has spoken has been revealed in these last times. That light
that was once extinguished by wickedness has been lit up again. The
ancient Gospel is again revealed, and the Priesthood of the Son of
God, and the Latter-day Saints have this power, and you cannot help
yourselves. That is why we are here to-day, that is the reason why I
am here to-day, in a land of peace and plenty, and a healthy location,
with my brethren who have come here to find a good home. Don't you
find the people here peaceable, and kind, and affectionate, attending
to their own business? Did you ever find a more peaceable place in
your life, in the United States, or in England, or in any part of the
world, than this? No, I defy you to find any more peaceable place than
this. The reason we are here in these silent valleys is, because we
could not have the privilege of worshipping God according to His
requirements in our native country. Some of you may say, "I can
scarcely believe that;" but, as sure as you live, I have been robbed
and broken up six times before I came here, and was forced to leave my
habitation, and my substance. It is there now, and they are welcome to
it. I am not the only person who has suffered so, by a great many; and
all because of my religion. We are looked upon as the worst kind of
beings on the earth. Did you ever think of a wicked thing but what it
was placed upon us.

Vol. 1, p.36
Joseph Smith and his brother were killed in Carthage jail. Joseph
Smith was a Prophet of God, and I know it. I am not testifying to this
[p.36] because I have believed it so long, but I knew it twenty years
ago, just as well as I do now, and have testified of it to the nations
of the earth. And what will be the consequences of this testimony?
They that believe and are baptized shall be saved, and they shall
receive the Holy Ghost under the hands of those who have due authority
to confer that blessing; and if they go forward and are baptized with
full purpose of heart, believing with all their soul, obeying the
Gospel, being buried with Christ by baptism, they Shall obtain the
Holy Ghost.

Vol. 1, p.36
On the day of Pentecost, when Peter proclaimed the Gospel, about 3000
souls were added to the Church that day. How long did it take them to
repent? No longer than they were willing to believe, and put away
their sins, with a determination to forsake them, and not sin again.

Vol. 1, p.36
I rejoice that I live in this day and age of the world; I rejoice that
I have passed through what I have for the Gospel's sake; but will it
compare with what men passed through in the days of Jesus, who was
hung upon a cross for his religion? He expired upon Calvary for his
religion; they killed him as a false prophet, and even those of his
own household did not believe in him; they also slew his Apostles, and
those who believed in them. Don't you suppose it was as degrading to
them to believe in Jesus Christ, as for us to believe that Joseph
Smith was a Prophet? He was a Prophet, and Jesus was the Son of God;
and Hyrum Smith was a Patriarch, and a son of God, and I bear witness
of it unto all men. Many feel to damn the "Mormons," and call them
everything that is evil—does it harm us? Does it affect our salvation
in the least? No! The more patiently we bear it the greater will be
our glory and exaltation. It is because of our religion that the
people are in trouble.

Vol. 1, p.36
In the United States they are troubled about it; in Great Britain,
France, and Denmark, they are troubled about it. The priests of the
day are stoutly crying, false Prophet, and delusion; and the invisible
world are rapping, muttering, and peeping, and they are finding fault.
They are at a loss to know what can he the matter. The invisible world
are in trouble; they are knocking, and rapping, and muttering; and the
people are inquiring of them to know concerning the things of God, and
there is not a soul of them can tell them anything about the end of
the world. They are in a dreadful situation; and in the city of
Rochester, near where I used to live, the last information I received
from there, there were 135 spiritual writers in that city. I have a
brother-in-law there, who is a Presbyterian priest: he couldn't
inquire of God about future things, so he inquired of the spirits; but
they could not tell him anything about the dead nor the living. They
are just about as intelligent in their revelations as this world are
in theirs. They are all in commotion—what is going to be done? I will
tell you—God is going to make a short work upon the earth, and the
invisible world are troubled about it. You do not doubt that,
gentlemen; you who come from the United States can see that it is so;
and the people are troubled in New York, and in many of the other
States, so that they cannot rest, no not a day. They are in confusion,
and so disspirited they know not what to do. The idea strikes me that
the day of the Lord is approaching, and nearer than you think it is.
You are here in quest of gold, but there is something here worth more
than the glittering jewels of the earth. I say, let me serve God, and
keep His commandments, and you may have the gold, and all the riches
and wealth of the earth in welcome;  I care nothing about it; for all
you can take with [p.37] you, when you leave this earth, is not much.

Vol. 1, p.37
A dream that my own daughter had lately, comes forcibly to my mind. I
will relate it. She dreamed that she was driven, and those that were
with her, but they had a great many fine things in the earth, in the
shape of furniture, gold and Silver, and every thing else; and she
suffered in her feelings, because she was under the necessity of
leaving all, and could not take anything out of the world with her.
Finally she was permitted to take a white dress. I said to her, that
is all we can take, in our shroud we shall be laid in the silent tomb.
Naked we came into the world, and naked we shall go out of it, for
dust we are, and unto dust we shall return. Can you help yourselves?
If you can, you have more power than I have. I expect to be laid low,
with all the human family, as was the Son of God, and I cannot help
myself. I know your feelings; I have seen the day when I loved gold,
and silver, and fine carriages, and fine horses, and the good things
of this world; but I have lost those feelings, and may God ever
continue to separate them from me, as far as the east is from the
west; and let my affections be upon Him, and His kingdom, until I
breathe my last breath. I know if I never go to. the United States
again, or to Great Britain, my skirts are clear from the blood of this
generation. I have received nothing but ill wages for my labor from
them; and if ever a man did his duty, I have done it to this
generation. I have told you the truth, and whether you are in hell or
in heaven you shall know that "Mormonism" is true, and what I and my
brethren have told you this day is the Gospel of salvation. So may God
have mercy upon you, and save you in His kingdom. Amen.

Brigham Young, July 11, 1852

Knowledge of the Doctrine of Christ—The Religions of Men,
 and the Religion of God—Joseph Smith—Persecutions, Etc.

An Address Delivered By President Brigham Young,
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 11, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.37
There are a few minutes more of time allotted to us for worship this
morning, which I will occupy for the consolation of my hearers, and
for my own.

Vol. 1, p.37
I can bear testimony that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true; and the
word of the Lord, whether written or spoken, is true.

Vol. 1, p.37
Permit me to ask a question. Who are the individuals upon the face of
the earth, that can make this statement in truth? Who are the
individuals that can say that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and
that he lives? Can the Christian world? They cannot. They may say that
they believe, and have all confidence that [p.38] Jesus lives; they
may have all confidence in declaring that the Gospel of Jesus Christ
is true; they may firmly declare that the Bible (referring
particularly to the New Testament) is true; that therein contained is
the  plan of salvation, and is true. This they may declare in all good
conscience, and with all soberness. But let me ask, where are the
individuals that can say that they know that Jesus lives? And who are
the individuals that can say that his Gospel is true, and is the plan
of salvation to man? I will let Christendom answer this question for
themselves; but to me it is certain, that no man lives on the face of
the earth—no woman lives that can say this, except those to whom
Christ has revealed himself.

Vol. 1, p.38
Though others may say in all good conscience they believe he lives—who
knows the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ to be true? There is one
class of people, and one only, that live upon the face of the earth,
who do know it; and that class of men and women are those that keep
his commandments, and do his will; none others can say it. None others
can declare with boldness, and emphatically, that Jesus lives, and
that his Gospel is true. Upon the plain and simple principle of
logical and philosophical deduction, we learn this from his own words,
as written by one of his disciples—"They that do my will, shall know
of my doctrine, and they that love me will keep my commandments; "and
I will add, "they that know and love me," says Jesus, "will keep my
sayings."

Vol. 1, p.38
This is my testimony. We have had the first principles of the Gospel
laid before us this morning, and we have heard the testimony of one of
the Apostles of the last days to confirm it. I am also a witness to
the truth of these sayings contained in the New Testament.

Vol. 1, p.38
Permit me, my hearers, brethren and strangers, to say to you, there is
not that man that hears the sound of my voice this day, that can say
that Jesus lives, whether he professes to be his disciple or not; and
can say at the same time, that Joseph Smith was not a Prophet of the
Lord.

Vol. 1, p.38
There is not that being that ever had the privilege of hearing the way
of life and salvation set before him as it is written in the New
Testament, and in the Book of Mormon, and in the Book of Doctrine and
Covenants, by a Latter-day Saint, that can say that Jesus lives, that
his Gospel is true; and at the same time say that Joseph Smith was not
a Prophet of God. That is strong testimony, but it is true. No man can
say that this book (laying his hand on the Bible) is true, is the word
of the Lord, is the way, is the guide-board in the path, and a charter
by which we may learn the will of God; and at the same time say, that
the Book of Mormon is untrue; if he has had the privilege of reading
it, or of hearing it read, and learning its doctrines. There is not
that person on the face of the earth who has had the privilege of
learning the Gospel of Jesus Christ from these two books, that can say
that one is. true, and the other is false. No Latter-day Saint, no man
or woman, can say the Book of Mormon is true, and at the same time Say
that the Bible is untrue. If one be true, both are; and if one be
false, both are false. If Jesus lives, and is the Saviour of the
world, Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, and lives in the bosom of his
father Abraham. Though they have killed his body, yet he lives and
beholds the face of his Father in heaven; and his garments are pure as
the angels that surround the throne of God; and no man on the earth
can say that Jesus lives, and deny at the same time my assertion about
the Prophet Joseph. This is my testimony, and it is strong.

Vol. 1, p.39
[p.39] Permit me to say, that I am proud of my religion. It is the
only thing I pride myself in, on the earth. I may heap up gold and
silver like the mountains; I may gather around me property, goods, and
chattels, but I could have no glory in that, compared with my
religion; it is the fountain of light and intelligence; it swallows up
 the truth contained in all the philosophy of the world, both heathen
and Christian; it circumscribes the wisdom of man; it circumscribes
all the wisdom and power of the world; it reaches to that within the
veil. Its bounds, its circumference, its end, its beige, and depth,
are beyond the comprehension of mortals, for it has none.

Vol. 1, p.39
Permit me to remark, my hearers, as for the intelligence of the day,
and the knowledge that they have had in Christendom—how long will it
take a man of reflection, of deep thought, and of a sound mind, to
circumscribe every particle of it? It can be weighed and measured, as
easy as the gold dust. For instance, go to the "Mother Church," from
whence all the religions of Christendom have sprung; go back to the
time when she flourished in her glory; and how long would it take us
to circumscribe the religion of the "Mother Church," the "Holy
Catholic Church?" Cannot we learn the principles of that church in a
very few years? We can study her theology until we get all the
knowledge and wisdom to be had upon every point of doctrine contained
in her from first to last. Go then to the Church of England, and from
that to the latest and last reformer that lives upon the earth—and how
long would it take to circumscribe every particle of their religion
from first to last? Not long.

Vol. 1, p.39
Why do I make these remarks and assertions? It is because I have an
experience. All the religion of the world, I have learned already. The
best and greatest divines that lived in my boyhood, I may say almost
in my childhood, children not as old as I was at the time, almost
babes and sucklings, would drown them in their own arguments, and
confuse them. Question them, and they cannot answer the simplest
question concerning the character of the Deity, heaven, or hell, this
or that, or the other; a sucking child would comparatively confuse and
confound them upon these subjects; and they would wind up all by
saying, "Great is the mystery of Godliness, God manifest; in the
flesh." I would say, great is their foolery; they are profound in
their ignorance.

Vol. 1, p.39
But I am proud to say of my religion, I have studied it faithfully for
twenty-two years, day and night, at home and abroad, Upon the rivers,
and upon the lakes, when travelling by sea and by land; have studied
it in the pulpit; from morning till night; whatsoever might be my
pursuit, I have studied it with as close an application as any college
student ever did any subject he wished to commit to memory; and I can
say I have only just got into the A B C of it; it leads the vision of
my mind into eternity.

Vol. 1, p.39
Suppose the Almighty should unfold the future destiny of the nations
to you, and wrap you in a sea of vision, and show you the eternity of
knowledge, with the history of worlds on worlds, and their destiny—you
can then have a faint idea of what it is like; and any other man, or
any other woman, who ever has received the promise of the Gospel,
knows that the Lord Almighty is in the midst of all His creatures that
are scattered abroad among the nations of the earth, and does His
pleasure among them. His scrutinizing eye will not suffer & hair of
your head to fall to the ground unnoticed; His attention is at once so
minute and so extensive.

Vol. 1, p.40
He presides over the worlds on [p.40] worlds that illuminate this
little planet, and millions on millions of worlds that we cannot see;
and yet He look upon the minutest object of His creations; not one of
these creatures escapes His notice; and there is not one of them but
His wisdom and power has produced. But that is no matter to me, I
speak with regard to you. Is there a man who believes, or professes to
believe in what Jesus says, where he declares by one of his Apostles,
or by more than one pointedly, there is no half way work in this
matter? Now if you can believe it, it is directly to the point; says
he, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments;" and if you do not
love me, you will not keep my commandments—this follows as a matter of
course; and that will show to my Father, and to my brethren that
follow me, that you do love me; and so say I, they that love the Lord
Jesus, will keep his commandments.

Vol. 1, p.40
Why should I not be proud of my religion? if a man be permitted to
have pride at all; or if this people be permitted to indulge in it in
the least degree, why not be proud of their religion? for God loves
it, angels adore it, all the heavenly hosts delight in it; it is in
the midst of an eternity of intelligence, and forms a part of it;
while, on the other hand, all hell is opposed to it, all wickedness is
opposed to it, all men and women who desire to make sin their refuge,
hate it; and all hell, and all its votaries hate it, and the Lord
Almighty, with all His subjects, loves it; and He will yet rule
triumphantly over this earth. What shall we say, will not Jesus reign
and subdue the world? Is he not the Saviour of the world, and the
only-begotten Son of the Father,. and will he not accomplish the work
he came to accomplish? Is not the earth the Lord's, the wheat, the
fine flour, the gold, the silver, the earth and all its fulness? Can
you imagine to yourselves anything that pertains to this earth that
does not belong to its Redeemer? He is my master, my elder brother. He
is the character I look to, and the one I try to serve to the best of
my ability. Should I not be proud of my religion? I think if pride can
at all be indulged in, the Latter-day Saints should be proud.

Vol. 1, p.40
I know there are a great many people who are not acquainted with the
history of this people; I am personally and most intimately acquainted
with the history of Joseph Smith and this people, for twenty-two
years. There are a great many people that are not; and they have
thought we have been persecuted from state to state, and from place to
place, because of our wickedness and lawless acts among the people. I
need not say it to my Father in heaven, to Jesus Christ His Son, or to
the holy angels, or the Prophets and Apostles, who have lived in
former, or in latter days; for they know it; but I can say to those
who do not understand and know our history, that we have been
persecuted because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and do just as
he has told us, and not because of the evil acts of Joseph Smith.

Vol. 1, p.40
Joseph Smith Was not killed because he was deserving of it, nor
because he was a wicked man; but because he was a virtuous man. I know
that to be so, as well as I know that the sun now shines. Every man
and woman who does the will of the Father, and will keep the
commandments of Jesus Christ, may also know, as well as myself—it is
their privilege. I know for myself that Joseph Smith was the subject
of forty-eight law-suits, and the most of them I witnessed with my own
eyes; but not one action could ever be made to bear  against him. No
law or constitutional right did he ever violate. He was innocent and
virtuous; he kept the law of his country, and lived above it; out of
[p.41] forty-eight law suits, (and I was with him in the most of
them), not one charge could be substantiated against him. He was pure,
just, and holy, as to the keeping of the law. Now this I state for the
satisfaction of those who do not know our history; but the Lord and
the angels know all about it.     

Vol. 1, p.41
Let me ask another question; do the people know what we were driven
from Missouri for? An old friend of mine, called upon me the day
before yesterday. He said he had been watching my course, had looked
and inquired after me, and had endeavored to find out my history, for
we were friends. I asked him if he knew anything about the Latter-day
Saints, or not? I found he had been looking after me, and had learned
I had become a follower of Joseph Smith. I said, Do you know anything
about our history? By his reply, I found he knew nothing at all of it,
in comparison.

Vol. 1, p.41
A great many are in the like situation. Now let me relate one item of
it, not for those who are wise, and pretend to be filled with
knowledge, and at the same time know nothing, but I relate it for the
information of those who know nothing about it. To my certain
knowledge, men and women left the counties of Davies and Caldwell, in
the upper part of the state of Missouri, set fire to their own
buildings, drove off their catttle killed and slayed, (I know, and
could name the people), and then swore the "Mormons" had done it. Now
this circumstance came under my certain knowledge. Says I, can it be
possible that men can become so corrupt, and so sunken in wickedness?
I say this for the information of those who do not understand and know
this people from the beginning. From the first day I knew brother
Joseph to the day of his death, a better man never lived upon the face
of this earth.

Vol. 1, p.41
From the days of my youth, and I will say from the day that I came
upon the stage of action to act for myself, there never was a boy, a
man, either old or middle aged, that ever tried to live a life more
pure and refined than your humble servant. As I told my friend, says
I, Brother Brown, I have tried to make myself a better man froth the
day of our first acquaintance to this. I have not infringed upon any
law, or trod upon the rights of my neighbors; but I have tried to walk
in the paths of righteousness, and live an humble life, that I might
gain eternal happiness. I make bold to speak thus, though in the
eastern world it is quite unpopular to speak in one's own praise; but
since I have become a western man, I can make stump speeches. Why am I
driven from my possessions? Why am I persecuted, and forced to leave
thousands and thousands of dollars' worth of property in Ohio,
Missouri, and Illinois? though I have never looked back upon it, it is
as ashes under my feet. I am in the hands of God, He gave it, and He
took it away; and blessed be the name of the Lord.

Vol. 1, p.41
I am in His hands; all men are in His hands; and He has turned the
enemy in his way, and held him by His power. It is not I, it is not
Joseph, it is not this people, nor the wisdom they possess, that has
delivered them from their enemies; but it is the Lord. He is our
captain, our pilot, and our master, and in Him do we glory, and will
glory. Let the world say what they please, we will glory in our holy
religion, and God will we serve. And furthermore let me remark, I am
not afraid nor ashamed to expose and oppose the iniquity of men,
though they may stand in high places; neither was Joseph Smith. Let
death come, no matter for that; who cares for it?

Vol. 1, p.41
I am aware, as well as brother Kimball, if my body fall into the dust,
I am laying it down to abide the penalty of the law broken in the fall
of man; for dust I am, and unto dust I [p.42] must return. It is all
right to me; I have seen a great many times that I would like to have
this body lie down, but as long as the spirit and body hold together,
my tongue shall be swift against evil, the Lord Almighty being my
helper. Though it may be in "Mormon" Elders, among the people in or
out of the Church, if they come in my path, where I can chastise them,
the Lord Almighty being my helper, my tongue shall be swift against
evil; and if evil come, let it come. If for this my body shall fall,
let it fall; when they have destroyed the body, then they have no more
that they can do; that is the end of their power, and of the power of
the devil on this earth; but Jesus Christ has power to destroy both
soul and body in hell. I thank you for your attention. May the Lord
bless you, Amen.

George A. Smith, July 24, 1852

Liberty and Persecution—Conduct of the U. S. Government, Etc.

An Oration Delivered By Hon. Geoege A. Smith, 
in the Tabernacle Great Salt Lake Valley, July 24, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.42
My Friends—It is with a heart lifted up in gratitude to Him who reigns
above, for the privilege of rising before you to express my feelings,
and of beholding so many persons happily situated in the enjoyment of
civil and religious liberty, that I have the privilege this day, in
the company of the thousands that surround me, of rejoicing in the
celebration of the 24th of July, it being the first day for seventeen
years since the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, that they could lie down to rest in perfect
peace—without being disturbed by the cruel hand of persecution. Yes,
my friends, after seventeen years of cruel, bloody persecution,
inflicted in the most ruthless and savage manner upon the people of
the Church of Latter-day Saints, they—a few pioneers, 143 in number,
had at last the privilege, on the 24th of July, 1847, of lying down in
this secluded valley, in this desolate and mountain country; of
establishing institutions that insure freedom to all, liberty to every
person—the liberty of conscience, as well as every privilege which can
be desired by any citizens of this earth.

Vol. 1, p.42
As I walked with the procession from the habitation of the President
to this place, with heart and eyes filled with weeping, I saw the
beauty and the glory of the liberty and the happiness that surrounded
us: my mind was caught back in an instant to the days of bloody
persecution. Joseph was not there; Hiram was not there; David (Patten)
was not there in the procession. Where are they? Sleeping in the
silent tomb. They were murdered, cruelly murdered, in violation of all
law, and every principle of justice; cruelly murdered for their
religion, and we survive their  ashes that are mingling with the dust,
[p.43] after being sacrificed; after, as martyrs, sealing their
testimony, we are even permitted to live, and enjoy five years of our
lives where no man has power to murder, or to rob, or to burn our
houses, or destroy our property, or ravish our women, or kill our
children; no man has the power to do it without justice overtaking
him.

Vol. 1, p.43
The history of our persecutions is unparalleled in the history of past
ages. To be sure, persecutions have existed in countries where
religion was established by law, and where any other religion than the
one established, was decreed by law to be heretical, and its votaries
doomed to persecution and the flames. But in the countries where we
suffered our persecution, there is a good government; there are good
institutions that are calculated to protect every person in the
enjoyment of every right that is dear to man.

Vol. 1, p.43
The persecutions we have suffered were in violation of every good
institution, of every wholesome law, of every institution and
constitution which exist in the countries where they have been
inflicted. And what is more singular, out of the hundreds of murders
which have been committed upon men, women, and children, in the most
barbarous, ruthless, and reckless manner—not one murderer has ever
been brought to justice; not a single man who has shed the blood of a
Latter-day Saint has ever been punished or brought to justice; but
they are permitted to run at large, in the face and eyes of every
officer of government, who are directly concerned to preserve the
laws, and see them faithfully executed. The history of no country on
the earth affords a parallel to this; it cannot be found; that is,
such a wholesale murder, robbery, house-burning, butchering of men,
women, and children, and, finally, the wholesale banishment of tens of
thousands of souls from their homes and country; this has actually
been effected in violation of the laws and regulations of the country
where it occured, and not one person has ever been punished for these
crimes. I challenge the world to produce the record upon the face of
the earth, that shows, in all these murders, cold-blooded butcheries,
house-burnings, and wholesale robberies, that a single person has
suffered the just penalty of the law; that a solitary criminal was
punished; that any of the unprincipled savages who were guilty of
these high-handed depredations, were ever brought to justice. Ought we
not, then, to rejoice, that there is a spot upon the footstool of God,
where law is respected; where the Constitution for which our fathers
bled is revered; where the people who dwell here can enjoy liberty,
and worship God in three or in twenty different ways, and no man be
permitted to plague his head about it? I rejoice that this is the
case; and when I reflect upon the scenes we have passed through, and
realize our present prosperity, my heart is filled with joy.

Vol. 1, p.43
I have looked upon scenes that are calculated to stir up the stoutest
heart, without shedding a tear; but I cannot look upon the procession
of this day, and consider the blessings that now surround this people,
without shedding tears of gratitude, that God has so kindly delivered
us out of all our distresses, and given to us our liberty. To be sure,
after working our way into these valleys, making the roads through
mountains, seeking out the route, and coming here, our persecutions
did not cease; our enemies were like the good old quaker when he
turned the dog out of doors: said he, "I won't kill thee, thou hast
got out of my reach; I cannot kill thee, but I will give thee a bad
name;" and he hallooed out "bad dog," and somebody, supposing the dog
to be mad, shot him. So with us; after robbing [p.44] us of millions
of property, and driving us cruelly from the land of our birth; after
violating every Solitary law of the government; in which many of the
officers were partakers; expelling us into the wilderness, where they
thought we would actually perish, (and there is not to be found in the
history of the world, a parallel case of suffering that this people
endured;) while in the midst of this, the cry of mad dog was raised,
to finish, as they thought, the work of destruction and murder.
Without a guide; without a knowledge of the country, without reading
even the notes of any traveller upon this earth, or seeing the face of
a being who ever set foot upon this land, we were led by the hand of
God, through His servant Brigham, threading the difficult passes of
these mountains, until we set our foot upon this place, which was, at
that time, a desert, containing nothing but a few bunches of dead
grass, and crickets enough to fence the land. We were more than one
thousand miles from where provisions could be obtained, and found not
game enough to support an Indian population. We set down here, and we
called upon God to bless our undertakings. We formed a government
here; and a government has been in existence in this Territory of Utah
for five years.

Vol. 1, p.44
I now want to ask a few grave questions upon this subject. It is
customary for the General Government to extend a fostering hand and
parental care to all new territories. When we first settled here, this
was Mexican territory; but it was soon after acquired by treaty, and
became U.S. territory. Four years and a half a government has been
supported here, governmental laws and regulations have been kept up.

Vol. 1, p.44
I inquire, has the Government of the U.S. ever expended one dollar to
support that government? No! with the exception of the U.S. officers
in the Territory a little over one year; 20,000 dols. for the erection
of public buildings; and 5,000 dols. for a library.

Vol. 1, p.44
Has the Legislative Department ever received one dollar? No! And why?
Because they are "Mormons;" and fugitive officers could run home to
see their mammy, and cry out "Bad dog, bad dog," "They are Mormons,
they are Mormons."

Vol. 1, p.44
What is the reason that a citizen of this Territory cannot get a foot
of land to call his own? for there is in reality no such thing. Why
has not the Indian title been extinguished, and the people here been
permitted to hold titles to land? Let the people answer.

Vol. 1, p.44
Why is it that the inhabitants of this Territory have never had one
dime expended to defray the expenses of their Legislature? Four or
five winters they have held their session, and not one solitary dime
has been expended by the General Government, as has been done in all
other Territories. What is the reason?

Vol. 1, p.44
What is the reason that the Oregon land law was not extended over
Utah, which gives to the citizens who broke up the new ground, a home
free, for themselves, as was the case in other Territories? Why axe
these hardworking pioneers, who dug down the mountains, not permitted
a title to their homes?

Vol. 1, p.44
Let me ask again. The people here have sustained three Indian wars at
their own expense. Who pays for the Indian wars of Oregon? the Indian
wars in California? or in New Mexico? for the difficulties in
Minnesota? and other sundry wars and difficulties that have occurred
or may occur in the Territories? Whose duty I ask, is it to pay for
them? It is the duty of the Government of the United States.

Vol. 1, p.44
Why has not Utah the same privilege, the same treatment? Why is it
that these three wars have to be totally [p.45] and entirely sustained
by those citizens, without a dollar of aid from the parental
Government?

Vol. 1, p.45
I need not follow up this train of reflection, But I will add one
question more. Why was it that the judges and the secretary returned
home last year without performing one particle of their duty? You can
read it in their own report; say they, "When we got there, we found
that the people were all Mormons;" as if we were horses, or elephants,
or Cyclops, whose business it was to get up into these mountains and
forge thunderbolts. "Oh! we will run home again, because when we got
there, we found the people all Mormons."

Vol. 1, p.45
I will say, with all reverence to the constituted authority that
exists in the General Government, that I do believe that the same
spirit of tradition, and the same spirit of persecution, that have
ever followed the people of God, have more or less influence with
them; and that if we would actually go to work, and alter our name, we
might possibly be treated as other men. Be this as it may, I feel,
while I stand upon the face of the earth, determined to defend my
right, and the rights of my friends and brethren. I know that there is
no "Mormonism" known in the constitution of the U.S., but all men are
there considered equal, and free to worship God according to the
dictates of their own consciences, and enjoy equal rights and
privileges.

Vol. 1, p.45
There is one item of history which I have observed among this people.
The very men who were the murderers of our fathers, and our brothers,
the burners of our houses, have come here among this people since that
time, where they have received protection; they have been fed when
they were hungry. The very man who burned the house of Elder Moses
Clawson, at Lima, came to him and said, "Mr. Clawson, I want to get
some provisions from you." Now, these very persecutors knew that our
religion was true, and that we were men of sterling integrity, or else
they never would have thrown themselves in our way, and called upon us
for aid afterwards; and I am proud to say, that kind aid and
assistance on their journey to the gold mines, have been extended "to
hundreds of these robbers, and thus coals of fire have been heaped
upon their heads; but their skulls were so thick, it never burned many
of them a bit.

Vol. 1, p.45
I have but a few more remarks to make, which will be directed to the
twenty-four young men, and the braves and warriors of these mountains.
Young men, braves and warriors, who sit before me this day, let me
admonish you, never to let the hand of tyranny or oppression rise in
these mountains, but stand unflinchingly true by the constitution of
the United States, which our fathers sealed with their blood; never
suffer its provisions to be infringed upon; and if any man, or set of
men form themselves into a mob in these mountains, to violate that
sacred document, by taking away the civil or religious rights of any
man, if he should be one of the most inferior beings that exist upon
the face of the earth, be sure you crush it, or spend the last drop of
blood in your veins with the words of—Truth and Liberty, Liberty and
Truth, for ever! [p.46]

Brigham Young, April 9, 1852

Self-Government—Mysteries—Recreation and Amusements,
Not in Themselves Sinful—Tithing—Adam, Our Father and Our God.

A Sermon Delivered By President Brigham Young,
in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 9, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.46
It is my intention to preach several discourses this evening, but how
many I do not know.

Vol. 1, p.46
I will in the first place bear testimony to the truth of many remarks
made by brother Hunter, and especially his exhortation to the
Seventies and Elders, and those men who wish to go on missions. I wish
also to Urge the necessity of your proceeding on your missions
immediately, and of going to the place of your destination full of the
Holy Ghost, preaching righteousness to the people; and while you do
this, live up to the principles you preach, that you may teach also by
your example, as well as by precept. Go, ye Elders, and now consider
yourselves from this time forth missionaries. If the Gospel is in you
like a flaming fire, to be poured upon the people, gather your
neighbors together, and give your brethren an invitation to your
house, and set before them the duties of man; and preach, if you can
speak but for five minutes, occupying that time to the best advantage.
Continue to preach, study, and learn, by faith and prayer, until your
minds and mouths are opened, and you understand most perfectly the
love of Christ.

Vol. 1, p.46
It is not uncommon for Elders to say, "If I could have a mission, and
be sent among strangers, I could speak to them, because they have not
been instructed in the way of life and salvation; I could lay before
them the principles of the Gospel, which have been taught to me,
without that diffidence of feeling, and fear, which I experience while
speaking to my brethren." It is very true that the first principles of
the Gospel taught by the Elders of this Church are easy to be
understood, compared with what it is to preach them to our families,
or to our neighborhood, and to govern and control ourselves by the
principles of righteousness which the Gospel inculcates. Again, to
gather the Saints, to preach the Gospel to the world, and convince
them of the truth, are much easier tasks than to convince men that you
can master yourself, and practise the moral principles inculcated by
your religion. That is a small portion of the duty required of you in
order to obtain crowns of glory, immortality, and eternal lives. I
will here remark, that it is natural for the people to desire to know
a great deal of the MYSTERIES; this, however, is not universally the
case, though it is so with a great many of the Elders of Israel. I do
not suppose it will apply to those who compose this congregation; your
object in being here this evening is not to hear some great mystery of
the Kingdom, which you never understood before. The greatest mystery a
man ever learned, is to know how to control the human mind, and bring
every faculty and power of the same in subjection to Jesus Christ;
this is the greatest [p.47] mystery we have to learn while in these
tabernacles of clay. It is more necessary for the Elders to learn and
practise upon this lesson in the midst of the Saints at head quarters
than in the world; for their facilities for learning are much greater,
and I will tell you wherein. Let a Bishop, a High Priest, a President
of any Stake or Quorum, any who are Elders in Israel, or any
individual Saint from the first to the last of them, fall into error,
and it is at once made manifest; he cannot pursue that course any
further, for he is where he can learn his duties, and know how to walk
straight in the paths of righteousness. Here is the place for you to
teach great mysteries to your brethren, because here are those who can
correct you. This fault the Elders of Israel do not fall into in this
Tabernacle, although they may in private houses and neighborhoods.
When a man is capable of correcting you, and of giving you light, and
true doctrine do not get up an altercation, but submit to be taught
like little children, and strive with all your might to understand.
The privileges of those who dwell here are greater than the privileges
of those who are abroad. When your duties call you into foreign lands,
and you there exhaust your stock of knowledge and wisdom, and you are
not in possession of the keys to obtain that instruction which you
desire, it is because you are far from the right fountain—far from the
body, where all the members are in lively operation—where the eye can
see, the ear hear, the nose smell, and the mouth speak, and so forth.
When your face is turned from the body, let mysteries alone, for this
is the only place for you to be corrected if wrong. Preach the simple,
unadorned truth; work out your salvation with diligence, and do that
which will guarantee you a warranted deed, an undeniable title to
eternal lives.

Vol. 1, p.47
If you feel prayer in you, pray; and if you feel the spirit of
preaching in you, preach; call in your brethren, and read the Bible,
the Book of Mormon, the Book of Covenants, and the other revelations
of God to them; and talk over the things contained in those books, and
deal them out to your brethren and neighbors; pray with them, and
teach them how to control themselves; and let your teachings be
sustained by your own example. Teach your families how to control
themselves; teach them good and wholesome doctrine, and practice the
same in your own lives. This is the place for you to become polished
shafts in the quiver of the Almighty. This will answer for one sermon.

Vol. 1, p.47
I feel much inclined to talk to the brethren: I have not had the
privilege of preaching much for some time, because of the
inconvenience of our former meeting place. Now, as we have a good,
convenient place to meet in, and my health will serve me, I expect to
improve the time. I love to preach at home with the Saints. I love to
meet with them, and look upon their happy countenances, lit up with
the joys of eternity. In short, I love the society of all good men,
and to preach salvation to them.

Vol. 1, p.47
You may consider what I shall now lay before you a small matter; but I
think it of some importance. When the Elders of Israel leave this
place. and go forth among the wicked, it is not their privilege to
mingle with them in any of their worldly exercises; for if they do,
the devil will obtain an advantage over them, and succeed in drawing
them away from the path of their duty. For instance—suppose you and I,
with many more of the brethren, meet together in a convenient place in
the Valley, and dance to the sweet strains of the violin; we could do
so with a perfect good will but if we should be called to England. and
there have an invitation to join [p.48] with the wicked in their
pastimes and recreations, and we in our feelings bow down to this, and
suffer our spirits to be subject to their commandments, we suffer
ourselves to be ruled over by them, and at once become their servants.
While I am here, I am in the midst, of the Priesthood of heaven, and
in the centre of the kingdom of God. We are before the Lord, where
every hand I shake is the hand of a Saint, and every face I see, when
I look upon the assembled thousands, is the countenance of a Saint. I
am the controller and master of affairs here, under Heaven's
direction; though there are those who do not believe this. I invite
those who are not subject to me as their President, not to contaminate
my friends; for were I and my friends to become subject to those who
object to us, we are then on the ground of the devil, and subject
ourselves to him they serve.

Vol. 1, p.48
Never suffer yourselves to mingle in any of those recreations that
tend to sin and iniquity, while you are away from the body of the
Church, where you cannot so fully control yourselves. Let the Elders
who are going out from this place carry this instruction with them
into the other portions of the earth. Whatever a man does, let him do
it in the name of the Lord—let him work in the name of the Lord, let
all his acts through life be in the name of the Lord; and if he wants
light and knowledge, let him ask in that name.

Vol. 1, p.48
You are well aware that the wickedness of the world, or the apostacy
of the Church, is so great, that those who now profess religion cannot
enjoy their own natural privileges in the world. In many places their
folly and superstition are so great that they would consider they had
committed the sin of blasphemy if they happened to hear a violin. The
whole world could not hire a good, honest, sound Presbyterian, of the
old fashion and cut, to look into a room where a company of young men
and women were dancing, lest they should sin against the Holy Ghost.
This over-righteous notion is imbibed by the generality of professors
of religion, but it is because they themselves have made it a sin. Let
us look at the root of the matter. In the first place, some wise being
organized my system, and gave me my capacity, put into my heart and
brain something that delights, charms, and fills me with rapture at
the sound of sweet music. I did not put it there; it was some other
being. As one of the modern writers has said, "Music hath charms to
soothe the savage breast." It has been proved that sweet music will
actually tame the most malicious and venomous beasts, even when they
have been stirred up to violent wrath, and make them docile and
harmless as lambs. Who gave the lower animals a love for those sweet
sounds, which with magic power fill the air with harmony, and cheer
and comfort the hearts of men, and so wonderfully affect the brute
creation? It was the Lord, our heavenly Father, who gave the capacity
to enjoy these sounds, and which we ought to do in His name, and to
His glory. But the greater portion of the sectarian world consider it
sacrilege to give way to any such pleasure as even to listen to sweet
music, much more to dance to its delightful strains. This is another
short sermon.

Vol. 1, p.48
I wish now to say a few words to the brethren upon the subject of
tithing. it is well known to the majority of this Conference what
transpired, last Conference, upon the stand in the old Bowery. At that
Conference I had good cause to find fault with the Bishops, and I took
the liberty to brush them down a little. From that day to this there
has been more  accomplished by our Bishops in the short space of seven
months, than [p.49] was accomplished by them for the space of years
previously. This gives me great satisfation. The Bishops have done as
well as men could do: their conduct in fulfilling the duties of their
calling has truly been praiseworthy, and I feel to bless them, and
pray the Lord to bless them all the day long, for they have done first
rate. When we consider the ignorance of the world, their unbelief in
God, and realize that the vail of the covering is over the face of all
nations, and remember the ignorance we were once in ourselves, having
to commence like babes at the rudiments of learning, knowing also how
faltering men are in their faith, and then look at what this people
have accomplished, we are led to exclaim, "It is marvellous in our
eyes!" Were I to say, "Elders of Israel, you that feel to put your all
upon the altar, rise upon your feet," who would be left? [All present
rose up simultaneously.] Where is there another people upon the earth
who would have done this? I have no tithing, but all—all I have is the
Lord's. You know the word sacrifice: as brother Banks said to-day, it
is a mere burlesque—a nonsensical term. No man ever heard me say I had
made a sacrifice. I possess nothing but what my heavenly Father has
been pleased to give me, or, in other words, Helms loaned it to me
while I remain here in this mortal flesh.

Vol. 1, p.49
Is it not marvellous, considering the weakness of man, to see the
willingness of this whole people to die if necessary for the truth?
How do you suppose it makes me feel? Though I may sometimes chastise
my brethren, and speak to them in the language of reproof, there is
not a father who feels more tenderly towards his offspring, and loves
them better than I love this people; and my Father in heaven loves
them; my heart yearns over them with all the emotions of tenderness,
so that I could weep like a child; but I am careful to keep my tears
to myself. If you do wrong, it grieves my heart, and it also grieves
the heart of my heavenly Father. I feel continually, to urge my
brethren to cease from all evil, and learn to do well.

Vol. 1, p.49
The fulness of the heavens and the earth is the Lord's—the gold and
the silver, the wheat, the fine flour, and the cattle upon a thousand
hills; and when we fully understand His works, we shall know that He
is in all the earth, and fulfils His will among the children of men,
exalting and debasing them according to His pleasure; for the systems,
creeds, thrones, and kingdoms of the world are all under His control.
"Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it"—or that
He doth not control? The Lord controls the whole; and in the end, you
will find Itc has regulated all things right, for all will be
consummated to His glory:

Vol. 1, p.49
The children of men are made as independent in their sphere as the
Lord is in His, to prove themselves, pursue which path they please,
and choose the evil or the good. For those who love the Lord, and do
His will, all is right, and they shall be crowned, but those who hate
His ways shall be damned, for they choose to be damned.

Vol. 1, p.49
As I was meditating on the philosophy of the day, it occurred to my
mind how visible it must appear to all eyes that the Lord does indeed
work, that it is He who blesses this people; and yet it seems as
though they cannot see His hand. The Lord fills the immensity of
space. What saith the Psalmist? "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven,
thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there; if I
take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the
sea, even there shall thy hand [p.50] lead me." I was trying to think
of the place where God is not, but it is impossible, unless you can
find empty space; and there I believe He is not. If you can find such
a place, it will become useful for a hiding place to those who wish to
hide themselves from the presence of the Lord, in the great day of
accounts. I will close this sermon, as I intend to preach another
before I present the subject I more particularly wish to speak upon.

Vol. 1, p.50
My next sermon will be to both Saint and sinner. One thing has
remained a mystery in this kingdom up to this day. It is in regard to
the character of the well-beloved Son of God, upon which subject the
Elders of Israel have conflicting views. Our God and Father in heaven,
is a being of tabernacle, or, in other words, He has a body, with
parts the same as you and I have; and is capable of showing forth His
works to organized beings, as, for instance, in the world in which we
live, it is the result of the knowledge and infinite wisdom that dwell
in His organized body. His son Jesus Christ has become a personage of
tabernacle, and has a body like his father. The Holy Ghost is the
Spirit of the Lord, and issues forth from Himself, and may properly be
called God's minister to execute His will in immensity; being called
to govern by His influence and power; but He is not a person of
tabernacle as we are, and as our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ
are. The question has been, and is often, asked, who it was that begat
the Son of the Virgin Mary. The infidel world have concluded that if
what the Apostles wrote about his father and mother be true, and the
present marriage discipline acknowledged by Christendom be correct
then Christians must believe that God is the father of an illegitimate
son, in the person of Jesus Christ! The infidel fraternity teach that
to their disciples. I will tell you how it is. Our Father in Heaven
begat all the spirits that ever were, or ever will be, upon this
earth; and they were born spirits in the eternal world. Then the Lord
by His power and wisdom organized the mortal tabernacle of man. We
were made first spiritual, and afterwards temporal.

Vol. 1, p.50
Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and
sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came
into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wires, with
him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the
Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! about whom holy men have written and
spoken—HE is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE
have to do. Every man upon the earth, professing Christians or
non-professing, must hear it, and will know it sooner or later. They
came here, organized the raw material, and arranged in their order the
herbs of the field, the trees, the apple, the peach, the plum, the
pear, and every other fruit that is desirable and good for man; the
seed was brought from another sphere, and planted in this earth. The
thistle, the thorn, the brier, and the obnoxious weed did not appear
until after the earth was cursed. When Adam and Eve had eaten of the
forbidden fruit, their bodies became mortal from its effects, and
therefore their offspring were mortal. When the Virgen Mary conceived
the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He
was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the
first of the human family; and when he took a tabernacle, it was
begotten by his Father in heaven, after the same manner as the
tabernacles of Cain, Abel, and the rest of the sons and  daughters of
Adam and Eve; from the fruits of the earth, the first earthly
tabernacles were originated by the Father, and so [p.51] on in
succession. I could tell you much more about this; but were I to tell
you the whole truth, blasphemy would be nothing to it, in the
estimation of the superstitious and over-righteous of mankind.
However, I have told you the truth as far as i have gone. I have heard
men preach upon the divinity of Christ, and exhaust all the wisdom
they possessed. All Scripturalists, and approved theologians who were
considered exemplary for piety and education, have undertaken to
expound on this subject, in every age of the Christian era; and after
they have done all, they are obliged to conclude by exclaiming "great
is the mystery of godliness," and tell nothing.

Vol. 1, p.51
It is true that the earth was organized by three distinct characters,
namely, Eloheim, Yahovah, and Michael, these three forming a quorum,
as in all heavenly bodies, and in organizing element, perfectly
represented in the Deity, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Vol. 1, p.51
Again, they will try to tell how the divinity of Jesus is joined to
his humanity, and exhaust all their mental faculties, and wind up with
this profound language, as describing the soul of man, "it is an
immaterial substance!" What a learned idea! Jesus, our elder brother,
was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the garden
of Eden, and who is our Father in Heaven. Now, let all who may hear
these doctrines, pause before they make light of them, or treat them
with indifference, for they will prove their salvation or damnation.

Vol. 1, p.51
I have given you a few leading items upon this subject, but a great
deal more remains to be told. Now, remember from this time forth, and
for ever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. I will
repeat a little anecdote. I was in conversation with a certain learned
professor upon this subject, when I replied, to this idea—"if the Son
was begotten by the Holy Ghost, it would be very dangerous to baptize
and confirm females, and give the Holy Ghost to them, lest he should
beget children, to be palmed upon the Elders by the people, bringing
the Elders into great difficulties."

Vol. 1, p.51
Treasure up these things in your hearts. In the Bible, you have read
the things I have told you to-night; but you have not known what you
did read. I have told you no more than you are conversant with; but
what do the people in Christendom, with the Bible in their hands, know
about this subject? Comparatively nothing.

Vol. 1, p.51
I will now again take up the subject of tithing. The brethren have
done well. They have been willing and obedient, no people could have
been more so; for this I thank my Father in Heaven. I could not wish a
people to work more kindly in the yoke of Jesus than this people do;
the yoke grows more and more easy to them. It seems that every man
will not only pay his tithing, but give all he has, if the Lord
requires it: still I see wherein they may do better. I asked the
people to day to assist to pay our Church liabilities. The offer of
three or four yoke of oxen only, we do not want; but I will lay before
you what we wish you to do. By the manifesto which has been read, you
have learned the precise situation of the property of the Church. What
has incurred this debt? Why does it exist in the shape in which it now
appears? And wherein could we have obviated the difficulty, and done
better? A fourth part of the money already paid out, did not come in
upon tithing. This money we have had to borrow in order to keep the
public works in progress. You may say, wherein could we have done
better, for we have paid our tithing punctually? But has that brother,
who sent $100 back to the [p.52] East for merchandize, paid $10 of it
I into the tithing office? Or did the brother who has sent $500 back,
let us have $50? No; these have used it themselves, and thereby
involved  those who hear the responsibilities of the Trust. Again,
those who have not possessed sufficient money to send back for
merchandize, have been necessitated to pay out what they had.
Thousands of dollars have been paid here for merchandize. Has
one-tenth of all that money been paid into the tithing office? It has
not. And where is the tithing that should have come in from England
and California. Instead of tithing their money, they have used it for
other purposes, and paid it in property, with which we could not pay
our debts. This is wherein we have failed to liquidate our debts. The
people go to these Gentile stores, on the Saturday, in crowds, to
purchase goods. I think we shall not over-rate the amount, if we say
that $500,000 has been paid, in these rallies, to the merchants. But
suppose they have received no more than, $50,000 from this community,
$5,000 of that money ought to have been first paid into the tithing
office; and we could have sent it to the States, and purchased goods
ourselves, for one-third or one-half less than we have to pay the
merchants here. And $25,000 more should have come into the tithing
office from the Church in the United States. The brethren in
California have made no less than $100,000; the tenth of which is due
this tithing office. For want of this money, we are brought into
bondage and we must now apply our faith and works to raise means to
liquidate our indebtedness, which has accumulated by purchasing goods
at high and extortionate prices. I find no fault with the merchants,
for they came here to gather gold by the hundred weight.

Vol. 1, p.52
Now, brethren, and Bishops, look over this matter, and try to think
what your feelings would be if you were laid under the same
responsibility that I and my brethren have upon our shoulders. We are
required to see the Gospel preached to the nations afar off, to build
council houses and temples, to cope with the united wisdom and craft
of legislative assemblies, and with the powers Of darkness in high
places; and then place yourselves in the circumstances we are now
placed in! Besides all this, see the hundreds who come to us every day
to be administered to in various ways: some want fruit, some sugar,
others tea, and all want clothing, &c. Then step into our private
rooms, where we commune with the people, and you will see and hear all
this, and a great deal more. Instead of every man bringing his
picayune, or his sixpence, or his $5, &c., as tithing on the money in
his possession, it is all used for something else, and the storehouse
of the Lord is left empty. Suppose nothing had been put in there but
what the people have put in, the workmen would have been naked. Walk
into the storehouse, and examine for yourselves. To be sure there has
been a little clothing put in lately; for instance, there was an old
silk dress put in for $40, that had been lying for years rotting in
the chest: this is a specimen of the rest. What are such things worth
to our workmen? Why, nothing at all. We wish you to put in strong and
substantial clothing. Good, strong, homemade stuffs make the most
suitable clothing for those who are building up the public works.

Vol. 1, p.52
Will you help us out of this thraldom, and have it credited to your
future tithing? There is already a great deal more due than would
liquidate all our debts, but we cannot command  it now. Do you feel
willing to put your shoulder to the wheel, and continue to roll it
forward, and still continue, you that have faith to [p.53] continue,
to increase in faith? for the business of this kingdom will increase,
and the responsibility also; the labor will and must grow, and
continue to increase, until the kingdoms of this world become the
kingdom of our God and His Christ. So much on tithing; you see where
the failure is; it is in that point, and nowhere else.

Vol. 1, p.53
It is not for any man to think he is a cipher—that what he can do will
not tell in this matter, and say, "They will get along well enough
without me;" but it is every man's duty to lay it to heart, and help
what he can with his earthly substance; though I wish you to
understand distinctly that it is no commandments—you are left to act
freely.

Vol. 1, p.53
Let all the sheep stay in the Valley; also the cows; for they will
give milk and butter, and replenish the stock. But when we speak of
the horses, mules, and oxen, let every man look up his spare stock of
this description, and with them help to liquidate these debts. Stock
will now pay debts. I will use my stock for this purpose, and my
brethren will do the same, until we have enough. I do not enjoin this
upon you, as you have already paid the tithing which is required of
you; except in some instances in the money tithing. Had we received
the money due to us, we should have had no debts; but this failure has
been, and is now, in existence. I will take every kind of spare stock
I have, except my cows and sheep, and wipe off these debts until they
are cancelled; and now every man who will do the same, let him rise
upon his feet. [The whole congregation of two thousand men rose up to
a man.] Do you suppose we want to deprive you of your teams? It is not
so, but we wished to know the state of your faith, so that when we are
ready to call upon you, we can be sure our call will be responded to.
I would not cripple any man, I would rather give him five yoke of
oxen, than destroy his team, and you know it. [Some of the brethren in
the stand, not believing their own eyes, that the whole congregation
rose, it was tried over again, to satisfy them, when the congregation
all rose again to a man.] Brother Hunter now knows what to do. Mary of
the brethren are killing their calves; don't do this; if you cannot
raise them, it will be better to give them away to those who can.

Vol. 1, p.53
I bless you, and may the Lord bless you, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Orson Pratt, August 29, 1852

Celestial Marriage

A Discourse Delivered By Elder Orson Pratt,
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, August 29, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.53
It is quite unexpected to me, brethren and sisters, to be called upon
to address you this forenoon; and still more so, to address you upon
the principle which has been named, namely, a plurality of wives.

Vol. 1, p.54
It is rather new ground for me; that is, I have not been in the habit
[p.54] of publicly speaking upon this subject; and it is rather new
ground to the inhabitants of the United States, and not only to them,
but to a portion of the inhabitants of Europe; a portion of them have
not been in the habit of preaching a doctrine of this description;
consequently, we shall have to break up new ground.

Vol. 1, p.54
It is well known, however, to the congregation before me, that the
Latter-day Saints have embraced the doctrine of a plurality of wives,
as a part of their religious faith. It is not, as many have supposed,
a doctrine embraced by them to gratify the carnal lusts and feelings
of man; that is not the object of the doctrine.

Vol. 1, p.54
We shall endeavour to set forth before this enlightened assembly some
of the causes why the Almighty has revealed such a doctrine, and why
it is considered a part and portion of our religious faith. And I
believe that they will not, under our present form of government, (I
mean the government of the United States,) try us for treason for
believing and practising our religious notions and ideas. I think, if
I am not mistaken, that the constitution gives the privilege to all
the inhabitants of this country, of the free exercise of their
religious notions, and the freedom of their faith, and the practice of
it. Then, if it can be proven to a demonstration, that the Latter-day
Saints have actually embraced, as a part and portion of their
religion, the doctrine of a plurality of wives, it is constitutional.
And should there ever be laws enacted by this government to restrict
them from the free exercise of this part of their religion, such laws
must be unconstitutional.

Vol. 1, p.54
But, says the objector, we cannot see how this doctrine can be
embraced as a matter of religion and faith; we can hardly conceive how
it can be embraced only as a kind of domestic concern, something that
pertains to domestic pleasures, in no way connected with religion. In
reply we will show you that it is incorporated as a part of our
religion, and necessary for our exaltation to the fulness of the
Lord's glory in the eternal world. Would you like to know the reasons?
Before we get through, we will endeavour to tell you why we consider
it an essential doctrine to glory and exaltation, to our fulness of
happiness in the world to come.

Vol. 1, p.54
We will first make a few preliminary remarks in regard to the
existence of man, to his first existence in his first estate; and then
say something in relation to his present state, and the bearing which
it has upon his next or future state.

Vol. 1, p.54
The "Mormons" have, a peculiar doctrine in regard to our
pre-existence, different from the views of the Christian world, so
called, who do not believe that man had a pre-existence. It is
believed, by the religious world, that man, both body and spirit,
begins to live about the time that he is born into this world, or a
little before; that then is the beginning of life. They believe, that
the Lord, by a direct act of creation, formed, in the first place, man
out of the dust of the ground; and they believe that man is possessed
of both body and spirit, by the union of which he became a living
creature. Suppose we admit this doctrine concerning the formation of
the body from the dust; then how was the spirit formed? Why, says one,
we suppose it was made by a direct act of creation, by the Almighty
Himself; that He moulted the spirit of man, formed and finished it in
a proper likeness to inhabit the tabernacle He had made out of the
dust.

Vol. 1, p.54
Have you any account of this in the Bible? Do the Scriptures declare
that the spirit was formed at the time the tabernacle was made? No.
All the tabernacles of the children of men  that were ever formed,
from remote [p.55] generations, from the days of Adam to this time,
have been formed out of the earth. We are of the earth earthy. The
tabernacle has been organized according to certain principles, and
laws of organization, with bones, and flesh, and sinews, and skin.
Now, where do you suppose all these tabernacles got their spirits?
Does the Lord make a new spirit every time a tabernacle is made? if
so, the work of creation, according to the belief of Christendom, did
not cease on the seventh day. If we admit their views, the Lord must
be continually making spirits to inhabit all the tabernacles of the
children of men; he must make something like one thousand millions of
spirits every century; he must be working at it every day, for there
are many hundreds of individuals being born into the world every day.
Does the Lord create a new spirit every time a new tabernacle comes
into the world? That does not look reasonable, nor God-like.

Vol. 1, p.55
But how is it, you inquire? Why the fact is, that being that animates
this body, that gives life and energy, and power to move, to act, and
to think; that being that dwells within this tabernacle is much older
than what the tabernacle is. That spirit that now dwells within each
man, and each woman, of this vast assembly of people, is more than a
thousand years old, and I would venture to say, that it is more than
five thousand years old.

Vol. 1, p.55
But how was it made? when was it made? and by whom was it made? If our
spirits existed thousands of years ago—if they began to exist—if there
were a beginning to their organization, by what process was this
organization carried on? Through what medium, and by what system of
laws? Was it by a direct creation of the Almighty? Or were we framed
according to a certain system of laws, in the same manner as our
tabernacles? If we were to reason from analogy—if we admit analogical
reasoning in the question, what would we say? We should say, that our
spirits were formed by generation, the same as the body or tabernacle
of flesh and bones. But what says revelation upon the subject? We will
see whether revelation and analogy will agree.

Vol. 1, p.55
We read of a certain time when the corner stones of the earth were
laid, and the foundations thereof were made sure—of a certain time
when the Lord began to erect this beautiful and glorious habitation,
the earth; then they had a time of joy. I do not know whether they had
instruments of music, or whether they were engaged in the dance; but
one thing is certain, they had great joy, and the heavens resounded
with their shouts; yea, the Lord told Job, that all the sons of God
shouted for joy, and the morning stars sang together, when the
foundations of this globe were laid.

Vol. 1, p.55
The SONS of God, recollect, shouted for joy, because there was a
beautiful habitation being built, so that they could get tabernacles,
and dwell thereon; they expected the time—they looked forward to the
period; and it was joyful to them to reflect, that the creation was
about being formed, the corner stone of it was laid, on which they
might, in their times, and in their seasons, and in their generations,
go forth and receive tabernacles for their spirits to dwell in. Do you
bring it home to yourselves, brethren and sisters? Do you realize that
you and I were there? Can you bring it to your minds that you and I
were among that happy number that shouted for joy when this creation
was made? Says one, I don't recollect it. NO wonder! for your
recollection is taken from you, because you are in a tabernacle that
is earthly; and all this is right and necessary. The same is written
of Jesus Christ himself, who had to descend below all things. Though
he had wisdom to assist in the organization of this world; though
[p.56] it was through him, as the great leader of all these sons of
God, the earth was framed, and framed too, by the assistance of all
his younger brethren—yet we find, with all that great and mighty power
he possessed, and the great and superior wisdom that was in his bosom,
that after all, his judgment had to be taken away; in his humiliation,
his reason, his intelligence, his knowledge, and the power that he was
formerly in possession of vanished from him as he entered into the
infant tabernacle. He was obliged to begin down at the lowest
principles of knowledge, and ascend upward by degrees, receiving grace
for grace, truth for truth, knowledge for knowledge, until he was
filled with all the fulness of the Father, and was capable of ruling,
governing, and controlling all things, having ascended above all
things. Just so with us; we that once lifted up our united voices as
sons and daughters of God, and shouted for joy at the laying of the
foundation of this earth, have come here and taken tabernacles, after
the pattern of our elder brother; and in our humiliation—for it is
humiliation to be deprived of knowledge we once had, and the power we
once enjoyed—in our humiliation, just like our elder brother, our
judgment is taken away. Do we not read also in the Bible, that God is
the Father of our spirits?

Vol. 1, p.56
We have ascertained that we have had a previous existence. We find
that Solomon, that wise man, says that when the body returns to the
dust the spirit returns to God who gave it. Now all of this
congregation very well know, that if we never existed there we could
not return there. I could not return to California. Why? Because I
never have been there. If you never were with the Father, the same as
Jesus was before the foundation of the world, you never could return
there, any more than I could to the West Indies, where I have never
been. But if we have once been there, then we can see the force of the
saying of the wise man, that the spirit returns to God who gave it—it
goes back where it once was.

Vol. 1, p.56
Much more evidence might be derived in relation to this subject, even
from the English translation of the Bible; but I do not feel disposed
to dwell too long upon any particular testimony; suffice it to say,
that the Prophet Joseph Smith's translation of the fore part of the
book of Genesis is in print, and is exceedingly plain upon this
matter. In this inspired translation we find the pre-existence of man
clearly laid down, and that the spirits of all men, male and female,
did have an existence, before man was formed out of the dust of the
ground. But who was their Father? I have already quoted a saying that
God is the Father of our spirits.

Vol. 1, p.56
In one sense of the word, there are more Gods than one; and in another
sense there is but one God. The Scriptures speak of more Gods than
one. Moses was called a God to Aaron, in plain terms; and our Saviour,
when speaking upon this subject, says, "If the Scriptures called them
Gods unto whom the word of God came, why is it that you should seek to
persecute me, and kill me, because I testify that I am the Son of
God?" This in substance was the word of our Saviour; those to whom the
word of God came, are called Gods, according to his testimony. All
these beings of course are one, the same as the Father and the Son are
one. The Son is called God, and so is the Father, and in some places
the Holy Ghost is called God, They are one in power, in wisdom, in
knowledge, and in the inheritance of celestial glory; they are one in
their works; they possess all things, and all things are subject to
them; they act in unison; and if one has power to become the Father of
spirits, so has another; [p.57] if one God can propagate his species,
and raise up spirits after his own image and likeness, and call them
his sons and daughters, so can all other Gods that become like him, do
the same thing; consequently, there will be many Fathers, and there
will be many families, and many sons and daughters; and they will be
the children of those glorified, celestial beings that are counted
worthy to be Gods.

Vol. 1, p.57
Here let me bring for the satisfaction of the Saints, the testimony of
the vision given to our Prophet and Revelator Joseph Smith, and Sidney
Rigdon, on the 16th day of February, 1832. They were engaged in
translating the New Testament, by inspiration; and while engaged in
this great work, they came to the 29th verse of the 5th chapter of
John, which was given to them in these words—"they who have done good,
in the resurrection of the just; and they who have done evil in the
resurrection of the unjust." This being given in different words from
the English translation, caused them to marvel and wonder; and they
lifted up their hearts in prayer to God, that He would show them why
it was that this should he given to them in a different manner; and
behold, the visions of heaven opened before them. They gazed upon the
eternal worlds, and saw things before this world was made. They saw
the spiritual creation who were to come forth and take upon themselves
bodies; and they saw things as they are to be in the future; they saw
the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial worlds, as well as the
sufferings of the ungodly; all passed before them in this great and
glorious vision. And while they were yet gazing upon things as they
were before the world was made, they were commanded to write, swing,
"this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him, that he
lives; for we saw him, even on the right hand of God: and we heard the
voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father; that
by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created;
and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God."
Notice this last expression, "the inhabitants thereof are begotten
sons and daughters unto God," (meaning the different worlds that have
been created and made.) Notice, this does not say, that God, whom we
serve and worship, was actually the Father Himself, in His own person,
of all these sons and daughters of the different worlds; but they "are
begotten sons and daughters unto God;" that is, begotten by those who
are made like Him, after His image, and in His likeness; they begat
sons and daughters, and begat them unto God, to inhabit these
different worlds we have been speaking of. But more of this, if we
have time, before we get through.

Vol. 1, p.57
We now come to the second division of our subject, or the entrance of
these spirits upon their second estate, or their birth and existence
in mortal tabernacles. We are told that among this great family of
spirits, some were more noble and great than others, having more
intelligence.

Vol. 1, p.57
Where do you read that? says one. Out of the Book of Abraham,
translated from the Egyptian papyrus by the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Among the great and numerous family of spirits—"the begotten sons and
daughters of God"—there are some more intelligent than others; and the
Lord showed unto Abraham "the intelligences that were organized before
the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and
great ones." And God said to Abraham, "thou art one of them, thou wast
chosen before thou wast bore." Abraham was chosen before he was born.
Here then, is knowledge, if we had time to notice it, upon the
doctrine of election. However, I may just remark, [p.58] it does not
mean unconditional election to eternal life of a certain class, and
the rest doomed to eternal damnation. Suffice it to say, that Abraham
and many others of the great and noble ones in the family of spirits,
were chosen before they were born, for certain purposes, to bring
about certain works, to have the privilege of coming upon the stage of
action, among the host of men, in favorable circumstances. Some came
through good and holy parentages, to fulfil certain things the Lord
decreed should come to pass, from before the foundations of the world.

Vol. 1, p.58
The Lord has ordained that these spirits should come here and take
tabernacles by a certain law, through a certain channel; and that law
is the law of marriage. There are a great many things that I will pass
by; I perceive that if I were to touch upon all these principles, the
time allotted for this discourse would be too short, therefore I am
under the necessity of passing by many things in relation to these
spirits in their first estate, and the laws that governed them there
and come to their second estate.

Vol. 1, p.58
The Lord ordained marriage between male and female as a law through
which spirits should come here and take tabernacles, and enter into
the second state of existence. The Lord Himself solemnized the first
marriage pertaining to this globe, and pertaining to flesh and bones
here upon this earth. I do not say pertaining to mortality; for when
the first marriage was celebrated, no mentality was there. The first
marriage that we have any account of, was between two immortal
beings—old father Adam and old mother Eve; they were immortal beings;
death had no dominion, no power over them; they were capable of
enduring for ever and ever, in their organization Had they fulfilled
the law, and kept within certain conditions and bounds, their
tabernacles would never have been seized by death; death entered
entirely by sin, and sin alone. This marriage was celebrated between
two immortal beings. For how long? Until death? No. That was entirely
out of the question; there could have been no such thing in the
ceremony.

Vol. 1, p.58
What would you consider, my hearers, if a marriage was to be
celebrated between two beings not subject to death? Would you consider
them joined together for a certain number of years, and that then all
their covenants were to cease for ever, and the marriage contract be
dissolved? Would it look reasonable and consistent? No. Every heart
would say that the work of God is perfect in and of itself, and
inasmuch as sin had not brought imperfection upon the globe, what God
joined together could not be dissolved, and destroyed, and torn
asunder by any power beneath the celestial world, consequently it was
eternal; the ordinance of union Was eternal; the sealing of the great
Jehovah upon Adam and Eve was eternal in its nature, and was never
instituted for the purpose of being overthrown and brought to an end.
It is known that the "Mormons" are a peculiar people about marriage;
we believe in marrying, not only for time, but for all eternity. This
is a curious idea, says one, to be married for all eternity. It is not
curious at all; for when we come to examine the Scriptures, we find
that the very first example set for the whole human family, as a
pattern instituted for us to follow, was not instituted until death,
for death had no dominion at thai time; but it was an eternal blessing
pronounced upon our first parents. I have not time to explain further
the marriage of Adam and Eve, but will pass on to their posterity.

Vol. 1, p.58
It is true, that they became fallen, but there is a redemption. But
some  may consider that the redemption only [p.59] redeemed us in
part, that is, merely from some of the effects of the fall. But this
is not the case; every man and woman must see at once that a
redemption must include a complete restoration of all privileges lost
by the fall.

Vol. 1, p.59
Suppose, then, that the fall was of such a nature as to dissolve the
marriage Covenant, by death—which is not necessary to admit, for the
covenant was sealed previous to the fall, and we have no account that
it was dissolved—but suppose this was the case, would not the
redemption be equally as broad as the fall, to restore the posterity
of Adam back to that which they lost? And if Adam and Eve were married
for all eternity, the ceremony was an everlasting ordinance, that they
twain should be one flesh for ever. If you and I should ever be
accounted worthy to be restored back from our fallen and degraded
condition to the privileges enjoyed before the fall, should we not
have an everlasting marriage seal, as it was with our first
progenitors? If we had no other reasons in all the Bible, this would
be sufficient to settle the case at once in the mind of every
reflecting man and woman, that inasmuch as the fall of man has taken
away any privileges in regard to the union of male and female, these
privileges must be restored in the redemption of man, or else it is
not complete.

Vol. 1, p.59
What is the object of this union? is the next question. We are told
the object of it; it is clearly expressed; for, says the Lord unto the
male and female, I command you to multiply and replenish the earth.
And, inasmuch as we have proved that the marriage ordinance was
eternal in its nature, previous to the fall, if we are restored back
to what was lost by the fall, we are restored for the purpose of
carrying out the commandment given before the fall, namely, to
multiply and replenish the earth. Does it say, continue to multiply
for a few years, and then the marriage contract must cease, and there
shall be no further opportunity of carrying out this command, but it
shall have an end? No, there is nothing specified of this kind; but
the fall has brought in disunion through death; it is not a part of
the original plan; consequently, when male and female are restored
from the fall, by virtue of the everlasting, and eternal covenant of
marriage, they will continue to increase and multiply to all ages of
eternity, to raise up beings after their own order, and in their own
likeness and image, germs of intelligence, that are destined, in their
times and seasons, to become not only sons of God, but Gods
themselves.

Vol. 1, p.59
This accounts for the many worlds we heard Elder Grant speaking about
yesterday afternoon. The peopling of worlds, or an endless increase,
even of one family, would require an endless increase of worlds; and
if one family were to be united in the eternal covenant of marriage,
to fulfil that great commandment, to multiply his species, and
propagate them, and if there be no end to the increase of his
posterity, it would call for an endless increase of new worlds. And if
one family calls for this, what would innumerable millions of families
call for? They would call for as many worlds as have already been
discovered by the telescope; yea, the number must be multiplied to
infinity in order that there may be room for the inheritance of the
sons and daughters of the Gods.

Vol. 1, p.59
Do you begin to understand how these worlds get their inhabitants?
Have you learned that the sons and daughters of God before me this
day, are His offspring—made after His own image; that they are to
multiply their species until they become innumerable?

Vol. 1, p.59
Let us say a few words, before we leave this part of the subject, on
the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, [p.60] and Jacob. The promises
were, Lift up your eyes, and behold the stars; so thy seed shall be,
as numberless as the stars. What else did He promise? Go to the
sea-shore, and look at the ocean of sand, and behold the smallness of
the particles thereof, and then realize that your seed shall be as
numberless as the sands. Now let us take this into consideration. How
large a bulk of sand would it take to make as many inhabitants as
there are now upon the earth? In about one cubic foot of sand,
reckoning the grains of a certain size, there would be a thousand
million particles. Now that is about the estimated population of our
globe. If our earth were to continue 8,000 years, or eighty centuries,
with an average population of one thousand millions per century, then
three cubic yards of sand would contain a greater number of particles
than the whole population of the globe, from the beginning, until the
measure of the inhabitants of this creation is complete. If men then
cease to multiply, where is the promise made to Abraham? Is it
fulfilled? No. If that is the end of his increase, behold, the Lord's
promise is not fulfilled. For the amount of sand representing his
seed, might all be drawn in a one-horse cart; and yet the Lord said to
Abraham, thy seed shall be as numerous as the sand upon the sea-shore;
that is, to carry out the idea in full, it was to be endless; and
therefore there must be an infinity of worlds for their residence. We
cannot comprehend infinity. But suffice it to say, if all the sands on
the sea-shore were numbered, says the Prophet Enoch, and then all the
particles of the earth besides, and then the particles of millions of
earths like this, it would not be a beginning to all thy creations and
yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and thy curtains are
stretched out still. This gives plenty of room for the fulfilment of
the promise made to Abraham, and enough to spare for the fulfilment of
similar promises to all his seed.

Vol. 1, p.60
We read that those who do the works of Abraham, are to be blessed with
the blessing of Abraham. Have you not, in the ordinances of this last
dispensation, had the blessings of Abraham pronounced upon your heads?
O yes, you say, I well recollect, since God has restored the
everlasting Priesthood, that by a certain ordinance these blessings
were placed upon our heads—the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Why, says one, I never thought of it in this light before. Why did you
not think of it? Why not look upon Abraham's blessings as your own,
for the Lord blessed him with a promise of seed as numerous as the
sand upon the seashore; so will you be blessed, or else you will not
inherit the blessings of Abraham.

Vol. 1, p.60
How did Abraham manage to get a foundation laid for this mighty
kingdom? Was he to accomplish it all through one wife? No. Sarah gave
a certain woman to him whose name was Hagar, and by her a seed was to
be raised up unto him. Is this all? No. We read of his wife Keturah,
and also of a plurality of wives and concubines, which he had, from
whom he raised up many sons. Here then, was a foundation laid for the
fulfilment of the great and grand promise concerning the multiplicity
of his seed. It would have been rather a slow process, if Abraham had
been confined to one wife, like some of those narrow, contracted
nations of modern Christianity.

Vol. 1, p.60
I think there is only about one-fifth of the population of the globe,
that believe in the one-wife system; the other four-fifths believe in
the doctrine of a plurality of wives. They have had it handed down
from time immemorial, and are not half so narrow and contracted in
their minds as some [p.61] of the nations of Europe and America, who
have done away with the promises, and deprived themselves of the
blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The nations do not know
anything about the blessings of Abraham; and even those who have only
one wife, cannot get rid of their covetousness, and get their little
hearts large enough to Share their property with a numerous family;
they are so penurious, and so narrow and contracted in their feelings,
that they take every possible care not to have their families large;
they do not know what is in the future, nor what blessings they are
depriving themselves of, because of the traditions of their fathers;
they do not know that a man's posterity, in the eternal worlds, are to
constitute his glory, his kingdom, and dominion.

Vol. 1, p.61
Here, then, we perceive, just from this one principle, reasoning from
the blessings of Abraham alone, the necessity—if we would partake of
the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—of doing their works; and
he that will not do the works of Abraham and walk in his footsteps.
will be deprived of his blessings.

Vol. 1, p.61
Again, let us look at Sarah's peculiar position in regard to Abraham.
She understood the whole matter; she knew that, unless seed was raised
up to Abraham, he would come short of his glory; and she understood
the promise of the Lord, and longed for Abraham to have seed. And when
she saw that she was old, and fearing that she should not have the
privilege of raising up seed, she gave to Abraham, Hagar. Would
Gentile Christendom do such things now-a-days? O no; they would
consider it enough to send a man to an endless hell of fire and
brimstone. Why? Because tradition has instilled this in their minds as
a dreadful, awful thing.

Vol. 1, p.61
It matters not to them how corrupt they are in female prostitution, if
they are lawfully married to only one wife; but it would be considered
an awful thing by them to raise up a posterity from more than one
wife; this would be wrong indeed; but to go into a brothel, and there
debauch themselves in the lowest haunts of degradation all the days of
their lives, they consider only a trifling thing; nay, they can even
license such institutions, in Christian nations, and it all passes off
very well.

Vol. 1, p.61
That is tradition; and their posterity have been fostered and brought
up in the footsteps of wickedness. This is death, as it stalks abroad
among the great and popular cities of Europe and America.

Vol. 1, p.61
Do you find such haunts of prostitution, degradation, and misery here,
in the cities of the mountains? No. Were such things in our midst, we
should feel indignant enough to see that such persons be blotter out
of the page of existence. These would be the feelings of this
community.

Vol. 1, p.61
Look upon those who committed such iniquity in Israel, in ancient
days; every man and woman who committed adultery were put to death. I
do not say that this people are going to do this; but I will, tell you
what we believe—we believe it ought to be done.

Vol. 1, p.61
Whoredom, adultery, and fornication, have cursed the nations of the
earth for many generations, and axe increasing fearfully upon the
community; but they must be entirely done away from those who call
themselves the people of God; if they are not, woe! woe! be unto them,
also; for "thus edith the Lord God Almighty," in the Book of Mormon,
"Woe unto them that commit whoredoms, for they shall be thrust down to
hell!" There is no getting away from it. Such things will not be
allowed in this community; and such characters will find, that the
time will come, that God, whose eyes are upon all the children of men,
and who discerneth the things that are done in secret, will [p.62]
bring their acts to light; and they will be made an example before the
people; and shame and infamy will cleave to their posterity after
them, unto the third and fourth generation of them that repent not.

Vol. 1, p.62
How is this to be prevented? for we have got a fallen nature to
grapple with. It is to be prevented in the way the Lord devised in
ancient times; that is, by giving to His faithful servants a plurality
of wives, by which a numerous and faithful posterity can be raised up,
and taught in the principles of righteousness and truth: and then,
after they fully understand those principles that were given to the
ancient Patriarchs, if they keep not the law of God, but commit
adultery, and transgressions of this kind, let their names be blotted
out from under heaven, that they may have no place among the people of
God.

Vol. 1, p.62
But again, there is another reason why this plurality should exist
among the Latter-day Saints. I have already given you one reason, and
that is, that you might inherit the blessings and promises made to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and receives continuation of your
posterity, that they may become as numerous as the sand upon the
sea-shore. There is another reason, and a good one, too. What do you
suppose it is? I will tell you; and it will appear reasonable to every
man and woman of a reflecting mind. Do we set believe, as the
Scriptures have told us, that the wicked nations of the earth are
doomed to destruction? Yes, we believe it. Do we not also believe as
the Prophets have foretold, concerning the last days, as well as what
the new revelations have said upon the subject, that darkness prevails
upon the earth, and gross darkness upon the minds of the people; and
not only this, but that all flesh has corrupted its way upon the face
of the earth; that is, that all nations, speaking of them as nations,
have corrupted themselves before the Most High God, by their
wickedness, whoredoms, idolatries, abominations, adulteries, and all
other kinds of wickedness? And we furthermore believe, that according
to the Jewish Prophets, as well as the Book of Mormon, and modern
revelations given in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, that the
sword of the vengeance of the Almighty is already unsheathed, and
stretched out, and will no more be put back into the scabbard until it
falls upon the head of the nations until they are destroyed, except
they repent. What else do We believe? We believe that God is gathering
out from among these nations those who will hearken to His voice, and
receive the proclamation of the Gospel, to establish them as a people
alone by themselves, where they can be instructed in the right way,
and brought to the knowledge of the truth. Very well; if this be the
case, that the righteous are gathering out, and are still being
gathered from among the nations, and being planted by themselves, one
thing is certain—that that people are better calculated to bring up
children in the right way, than any other under the whole heavens. O
yes, says one, if that is the case—if you are the people the ancient
Prophets have spoken of, if you are the people that are guided by the
Lord, if you are under the influence, power, and guidance of the
Almighty, you must be the best people under heaven, to dictate the
young mind: but what has that to do with the plurality of wives? I
will tell you. I have already told you that the spirits of men and
women, all had a previous existence, thousands of years ago, in the
heavens, in the presence of God; and I have already told you that
among them are many spirits that are more noble, more intelligent than
others, that were called the great and mighty ones, reserved until the
dispensation of the fulness of times, to come forth [p.63] upon the
face of the earth, through a noble parentage that shall train their
young and tender minds in the truths of eternity, that they may grow
up in the Lord, and be strong in the power of His might, be clothed
upon with His glory, be filled with exceeding great faith; that the
visions of eternity may be opened to their minds; that they may be
Prophets, Priests, and Kings to the Most High God. Do you believe,
says one, that they are reserved until the last dispensation, for such
a noble purpose? Yes; and among the Saints is the most likely place
for these spirits to take their tabernacles, through a just and
righteous parentage. They are to be sent to that people that are the
most righteous of any other people upon the earth; there to be trained
up properly, according to their nobility and intelligence, and
according to the laws which the Lord ordained before they were born.
This is the reason why the Lord is sending them here, brethren and
sisters; they are appointed to come and take their bodies here, that
in their generations they may be raised up among the righteous. The
Lord has not kept them in store for five or six thousand years past,
and kept them waiting for their bodies all this time to send them
among the Hottentots, the African negroes, the idolatrous Hindoos, or
any other of the fallen nations that dwell upon the face of this
earth. They are not kept in reserve in order to come forth to receive
such a degraded parentage upon the earth; no, the Lord is not such a
being; His justice, goodness, and mercy will be magnified towards
those who were chosen before they were born; and they long to come,
and they will come among the Saints of the living God; this would be
their highest pleasure and joy, to know that they could have the
privilege of being born of such noble parentage.

Vol. 1, p.63
Then is it not reasonable, and consistent that the Lord should say
unto His faithful and chosen servants, that had proved themselves
before Him all the day long; that had been ready and willing to do
whatsoever His will required them to perform—take unto yourselves more
wives, like unto the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of old—like
those who lived in ancient times, who walked in my footsteps, and kept
my commands? Why should they not do this? Suppose the Lord should
answer this question, would He not say, I have here in reserve. noble
spirits, that have been waiting for thousands of years, to come forth
in the fulness of times, and which I designed should come forth
through these my faithful and chosen servants, for I knew they will do
my will, and they will teach their children after them to do it. Would
not this be the substance of the language, if the Lord should give us
an answer upon this subject?

Vol. 1, p.63
But then another question will arise; how are these things to be
conducted? Are they to be left at random? Is every servant of God at
liberty to run here and there, seeking out the daughters of men as
wives unto themselves without any restriction, law, or condition? No.
We find these things were restricted in ancient times. Do you not
recollect the circumstance Of the Prophet Nathan's coming to David? He
came to reprove him for certain disobedience, and told him about the
wives he had lost through it; that the Lord would give them to
another; and he told him, if he had been faithful, that the Lord would
have given hint still more, if he had only asked for them. Nathan the
Prophet. in relation to David, was the man that held the keys
concerning this matter ancient days; and it was governed by the
strictest laws.

Vol. 1, p.63
So in these days; let me announce to this congregation, that there is
but one man in all the world, at the same [p.64] time, who can hold
the keys of this matter; but one man has power to turn the key to
inquire of the Lord, and to say whether I, or these my brethren, or
any of the rest of this congregation, or the Saints upon the face of
the whole earth, may have this blessing of Abraham conferred upon
them; he holds the keys of these matters now, the same as Nathan, in
his day.

Vol. 1, p.64
But, says one, how have you obtained this information? By new
revelation. When was it given, and to whom ? It was given to our
Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, Joseph Smith, on the 12th day of July,
1843; only about eleven months before he was martyred for the
testimony of Jesus.

Vol. 1, p.64
He held the keys of these matters; he had the right to inquire of the
Lord; and the Lord has set bounds and restrictions to these things; He
has told us in that revelation, that only one man can hold these keys
upon the earth at the same time; and they belong to that man who
stands at the head to preside over all the affairs of the Church and
kingdom of God in the last days. They are the sealing keys of power,
or in other words, of Elijah, having been committed and restored to
the earth by Elijah, the Prophet, who held many keys, among which were
the keys of sealing, to bind the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the children to the fathers; together with all the other
sealing keys and powers, pertaining to the last dispensation. They
were committed by that Angel who administered in the Kirtland Temple,
and spoke unto Joseph the Prophet, at the time of the endowments in
that house.

Vol. 1, p.64
Now, let us enquire, what will become of those individuals who have
this law taught unto them in plainness, if they reject it? [A voice in
the stand, "they will be damned."] I will tell you: they will be
damned, saith the Lord God Almighty, in the revelation He has given.
Why? Because where much is given, much is required; where there is
great knowledge unfolded for the exaltation, glory, and happiness of
the sons and daughters of God, if they close up their hearts, if they
reject the testimony of His word, and will not give heed to the
principles He has ordained for their good, they are worthy of
damnation, and the Lord has said they shall be damned. This was the
word of the Lord to His servant Joseph the Prophet himself. With all
the knowledge and light he had, he must comply with it, or, says the
Lord unto him, you shall be damned; and the same is true in regard to
all those who reject these things.

Vol. 1, p.64
What else have we heard from our President? He has related to us that
there are some damnations that are eternal in their nature; while
others are but for a certain period, they will have an end, they will
not receive a restoration to their former privileges, but a
deliverance from certain punishments: and instead of being restored to
all the privileges pertaining to man previous to the fall, they will
only be permitted to enjoy a certain grade of happiness, not a full
restoration. Let us inquire after those who are to be damned,
admitting they will be redeemed, which they will be, unless. they have
sinned against the Holy Ghost. They will be redeemed, but what will it
be to? Will it be to exaltation, and to a fulness of glory? Will it be
to become the sons of God, or Gods to reign upon thrones, and multiply
their posterity, and reign over them as kings? No, it will not. They
base lost that exalted privilege for ever; though they may, after
having been punished for long periods, escape by the skin of their
teeth; but no kingdom will be conferred upon them. What will be their
condition? I will tell you what revelation [p.65] says, not only
concerning them that reject these things, but concerning those that
through their carelessness, or want of faith, or something else, have
failed to have their marriages sealed for time and for all eternity;
those that do not do these things, so as to have the same ordinances
sealed upon their heads by divine authority, as was upon the head of
old Father Adam—if they fail to do it through wickedness, through
their ungodliness, behold, they also will never have the privilege of
possessing that which is possessed by the Gods that hold the keys of
power, of coming up to the thrones of their exaltation, and receiving
their kingdoms. Why? Because, saith the Lord, all oaths, all
covenants, and all agreements, &c., that have been made by man, and
not by me, and by the authority I have established, shall cease when
death shall separate the parties; that is the end; that is the
cessation; they go no further; and such a person cannot come up in the
morning of the resurrection, and say, Behold, I claim you as my wife;
you are mine; I married you in the other world before death; therefore
you are mine: he cannot say this. Why? Because he never married that
person for eternity.

Vol. 1, p.65
Suppose they should enter into covenant and agreement, and conclude
between themselves to live together to all eternity, and never have it
sealed by the Lord's sealing power, by the Holy Priesthood, would they
have any claim on each other in the morning of the resurrection? No;
it would not be valid nor legal, and the Lord would say, It was not by
me; your covenants were not sealed on the earth, and therefore they
are not sealed in the heavens; they are not recorded on my book; they
are not to be found in the records that are in the archives of
eternity; therefore the blessings you might have had, are not for you
to enjoy. What will be their condition? The Lord has told us. He says
these are angels; because they keep not this law, they shall be
ministering servants unto those who are worthy of obtaining a more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory; wherefore, sixth the Lord, they
shall remain singly and separately in their saved condition, and shall
not have power to enlarge themselves, and thus shall they remain
forever and ever.

Vol. 1, p.65
Here, then, you can read their history; they are not Gods, but they
are angels or Servants to the Gods. There is a difference between the
two classes; the Gods are exalted; they hold keys of power; are made
Kings and Priests; and this power is conferred upon them in time, by
the everlasting Priesthood, to hold a kingdom in eternity that shall
never be taken from them worlds without end; and they will propagate
their species. They are not servants; for one God is not to be a
servant to another God; they are not angels; and this is the reason
why Paul said, Know ye not, brethren, that we shall judge angels?
Angels are inferior to the Saints who are exalted as Kings. These
angels who are to be judged, and to become servants to the Gods, did
not keep the law, therefore, though. they are saved, they are to be
servants to those who are in a higher condition.

Vol. 1, p.65
What does the Lord intend to do with this people? He intends to make
them a kingdom of Kings and Priests, a kingdom unto Himself, or in
other words, a kingdom of Gods, if they will hearken to His law. There
will be many who will not hearken; there will be the foolish among the
wise, who will not receive the new and everlasting covenant in its
fulness; and they never will attain to their exaltation; they never
will be counted worthy to hold the sceptre of power over a numerous
progeny, that shall multiply themselves without end, like the sand
upon the sea shore.

Vol. 1, p.66
We can only touch here and there [p.66] upon this great subject, we
can only offer a few words with regard to this great, sublime,
beautiful, and glorious doctrine, which has been revealed by the
Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, Joseph Smith, who sealed his testimony
with his blood, and thus revealed to the nations, things that were in
ancient times, as well as things that are to come.
 

Vol. 1, p.66
But while I talk, the vision of my mind is opened;the subject spreads
forth and branches out like the branches of a thrifty tree; and as for
the glory of God, how great it is! I feel to say, Hallelujah to His
great and holy name; for He reigns in the heavens, and He will exalt
His people to sit with Him upon thrones of power, to reign for ever
and ever.

Brigham Young, April 8, 1852

Education

A Discourse Delivered By President Brigham Young,
in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 8th, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.66
It does not exactly please me at this time to make the remarks I wish
upon the subject of education, as the greater part of the morning has
been devoted to laying before the congregation, the necessity of
improving ourselves in the knowledge of the sciences. The subject
which has been aimed at by the speakers this morning, bearing
particularly upon the necessity of instructing the human family, has
been laid before us in the light in which it is generally held by the
world. When we speak upon education, it is not to be understood that
it alone consists in a man's learning the letters of the alphabet, in
being trained in every branch of scholastic lore, in becoming a
proficient in the knowledge of the sciences, and a classical scholar,
but also in learning to classify himself and others. It has been
hinted that education commences with the first dawn of knowledge upon
the mental faculties of the child, and continues with it till death.
But I will trace it a little further back still, and say that
education commences with the mother, and the child in connection. I
will state the facts in the case, as you will find them to be
hereafter, in the education of your children. It depends in a great
degree upon the mother, as to what children receive, in early age, of
principle of every description, pertaining to all that can be learned
by the human family. When will mothers understand this? Knowing that
this is the case, I am perplexed with grief when I see such a wanton
diversion from the real design of life, it causes me to mourn for my
poor, ignorant, fellow mortals, and sometimes almost goads me to
anger. I can see mothers pay attention to everything under heaven, but
the training up of their children in the way they should go, and they
will even make it appear obligatory on the father to take care of the
child at a year  old. How often is it the case that mothers will
say—"Why, Pa, this child is growing up in ignorance, he is going to
ruin. Really, dear husband, what shall we do with him?" I [p.67] will
tell you the truth as you will find it in, eternity. If your children
do not receive impressions of true piety, virtue, tenderness and every
principle of the holy Gospel, you may be assured that their sins will
not be required at the hands of the father, but of the mother. Lay it
to heart, ye mothers, for it will unavoidably be so. The duty of the
mother is to watch over her children, and give them their early
education, for impressions received in infancy are lasting. You know,
yourselves, by experience, that the impressions you have received in
the dawn of your mortal existence, bear, to this day, with the
greatest weight upon your mind. It is the experience of people
generally, that what they imbibe from their mothers in infancy, is the
most lasting upon the mind through life. This is natural, it is
reasonable, it is right. I do not suppose you can find one person
among five hundred, who does not think his mother to be the best woman
that ever lived. This is right, it is planted in the human heart. The
child reposes implicit confidence in the mother, you behold in him a
natural attachment no matter what her appearance may be, that makes
him think his mother is the best and handsomest mother in the world. I
speak for, myself. Children have all confidence in their mothers; and
if mothers would take proper pains, they can instil into the hearts of
their children what they please. You will, no doubt, recollect
reading, in the Book of Mormon, of two thousand young men, who were
brought up to believe that if they put their whole trust in God and
served Him, no power would overcome them. You also recollect reading
of them going out to fight, and so bold were they, and so mighty their
faith, that it was impossible for their enemies to slay them. This
power and faith they obtained through the teachings of their mothers.

Vol. 1, p.67
The character of a person is formed through life, to a greater or less
degree, by the teachings of the mother. The traits of early
impressions that she gives the child, will be characteristic points in
his character through every avenue of his mortal existence.

Vol. 1, p.67
This is the education I wish you to establish in this Church, that
mothers may not suppose they are not required to watch over the early
education and impressions of their children, but over their husbands
to know where they are every moment of their lives, taking special
care to order them thus and so, so as to keep them advised and
properly instructed all the time, instead of doing that which they
ought in their houses with their children. I am not quite so strenuous
as some of the ancients were, who taught that if the women wanted to
learn anything, to learn it at home from their husbands. I am willing
they should come to the meetings and learn, but some of the ancients
proscribed them in this privilege, and would confine them at home to
learn through their husbands. I am a little more liberal than they
were, but this is not liberal enough for many of the women, they must
also be watching their husband's, while at the same time their
children are running abroad in the streets, naked and barefooted,
cursing and swearing. What time have I got to watch my children
to-day? Does not my duty demand my presence here? Where are my
children? Some are here. Where are the rest of them? Perhaps in the
streets, with other children, playing, or doing that which is wrong,
entirely unnoticed by their mothers. This applies to the community.
And then their mother will say—"Husband, our children will certainly
be ruined." Mothers, what do you want? Do you wish your husband to sit
all the time in the parlor with you? Yes, and I should suppose, by the
conduct of some, you want to be seated over the head of [p.68] God
Almighty, to rule over Him, and all His kingdoms. If I mention my own
family, and use them as an example, I do it that other people cannot
complain. Do you suppose that I cannot see faults in my own family, as
well as in my neighbors? I am not so prejudiced in their favour, as
not to discover faults in them, neither can I close my eyes upon the
faults of my neighbors'.

Vol. 1, p.68
What faults do I discover in my neighbors' families? I can see their
women go off visiting, riding on horseback, attending parties, while
their little ones are neglected, and left to run at large in the
streets, exposed to the pernicious examples of vile company. Hear it
again! The blood of these wicked children will be required at the
hands of their mothers! Should your husbands be called out to fight
the Indians, or go to the islands of the sea to gather the poor, it is
none of your business, when it is their calling to be away from home.

Vol. 1, p.68
I want education to commence here. I wish you strictly to follow out
this principle, and when children are old enough to labor in the
field, then the father will take them in charge. If children are not
taught by their mothers, in the days of their youth, to revere and
follow the counsels of their fathers, it will be hard indeed for the
father ever to control them. I know it is so, for it is too true.
Mothers will let their children go to the Devil in their childhood and
when they are old enough to come under the immediate guidance of their
fathers, to be sent out to preach the Gospel in the world, or to learn
some kind of mechanism, they are as uncontrollable as the winds that
now revel in the mountains.

Vol. 1, p.68
It is not for the mother to rise up and encourage her children to
fight against their father. You know my feelings on this point—they
are pointed, resolute, and strong. And when I undertake to conquer a
child who wants to conquer me, it shall be death to him before I
yield. I would rather see every child I have, go into the grave this
day, than suffer them to rise up and have control over me.

Vol. 1, p.68
Mothers, if you suffer your children to grow up wild, and uncorrected,
when they come into the hands of their fathers, and will not follow
their counsels; let them be disowned, and have no portion in the
inheritance; let them be disfranchised, be banished from Israel, and
not be numbered in the books of the offspring of Abraham. This shall
be the fate of my disobedient children, if I have any; and if there
are any of my children here today, let them hear it! for if they will
not keep my commandments, they shall have no part or lot in the
household of faith.

Vol. 1, p.68
Let education commence at this point, you mothers! and then with
brother Spencer and the board of Regents. Let mothers commence to
teach their children while in their laps, there do you learn them to
love the Lord, and keep His commandments. Teach them to keep your
commandments, and you will learn them to keep the commandments of your
husbands. It is not the prerogative of a child to dictate to his
mother, or his father; and it is not the prerogative of the father to
rise up and dictate to his God whom he serves. Is it right that my
wife should dictate to me? It is just as reasonable, and as right, as
it is for your children to rise up and dictate to their mother. It is
not their business to dictate to you, their duty is to obey, and not
to dictate.

Vol. 1, p.68
The Lecture which you have heard from Chancellor Spencer, is so far in
advance of us, that it does not touch the case of this people, at
present, with regard to education, until they have learned the
rudiments, that is. according to my view of the subject.

Vol. 1, p.69
It is true the Lord has revealed [p.69] great and precious revelations
to us through our language, and I believe it is as good a language as
any now in use; but when we scan it narrowly, · we find it to be
fraught with imperfections and ridiculous vagaries. I am as far from
believing that it is meet for us to adopt it in preference to any
other tongue, as I am that it is to adopt Presbyterianism, or the
Baptist's religion, in preference to any other of the same order of
antichristian churches, for they are all imperfect. The Lord can
reveal Himself to these Indians, He can talk to any nation, it makes
no difference to Him, as He can connect the ideas He wishes to convey
by means of their language, as imperfect as it is.

Vol. 1, p.69
I wish to impress my lecture more particularly upon the minds of
mothers. Am I not continually exhorting the brethren to be kind to
their families, and never to ill use a human being on the earth? I
exhort you, masters, fathers, and husbands, to be affectionate and
kind to those you preside over. And let them be obedient, let the wife
be subject to her husband, and the children to their parents. Mothers,
let your minds be sanctified before the Lord, for this is the
commencement, the true foundation of a proper education in your
children, the beginning point to form a disposition in your offspring,
that wilt bring honor, glory, comfort, and satisfaction to you all
your life time. To the mothers who may be here today, who have not the
experience they will have, and young women who are perhaps just
entering upon the stage of life, let me say, (and I wish you always to
keep it in remembrance, even you younger females who have newly
entered into the sacred state of matrimony,) fulfil the commandments
of Eloheim, fill up the measure of your creation, that the joy of your
hearts may be fall in the day of the resurrection, in that you have
done all you could to fulfil His law, and bring to pass the purposes
of the Lord. Always keep your minds pure before the Lord. You may say
it is impossible, because of your temptations, but let me inquire, Do
you pray? Did you pray this morning, before you left your houses? Did
you pray last evening, before you laid your bodies down to rest? Did
you pray that the Holy Spirit might rest upon you, so that your sleep
might be sweet and refreshing? Some of you may reply, that you have
children, and have not time to pay attention to this duty in the
morning. Some of you may have sick families, and others of you may be
afflicted in other ways, and you will offer these facts as reasons for
similar neglect. In these circumstances the mind must be centred upon
the Lord, and upon His work, continually. When you embark to fill up
the end of your creation, never cease to seek to have the Spirit of
the Lord rest upon you, that your minds may be peaceable, and as
smooth as the summer breezes of heaven. Never cease a day of your life
to have the Holy Ghost resting upon you. Fathers, never cease to pray
that your wives may enjoy this blessing, that their infants may be
endowed with the Holy Ghost, from their mother's womb. If you want to
see a nation rise up full of the Holy Ghost, and of power, this is the
way to bring it about. Every other duty that is obligatory upon man,
woman, or child, will come in its place, and in its time and season.
Remember it, brethren. Let your hearts be pure before the Lord, and
never cease to do anything you can for the satisfaction and comfort of
your family, that all may enjoy the comforts of the Spirit of the Lord
continually. If you do not come to this, your literary attainments
will not exceed those of the world.

Vol. 1, p.69
We have but few collegians among us, but I know that a thoroughly
educated man knows no more than you do, when his literature is
displayed, [p.70] though he spreads himself like the green bay tree.
Brother Spencer has given us a display of the learning of the day, he
has erected a beautiful building, but where is the foundation? In his
discourse, he referred to Joseph. Joseph built on the sure foundation,
and, when I build up my superstructure, it shall be upon the same
foundation. Brother Spencer has used language quite beyond your reach.
Well, I have the foundation, and he can make the building. When he
commences the building, I have asked the Board of Regents to cast out
from their system of education, the present orthography and written
form of our language, that when my children are taught the graphic
sign for A, it may always represent that individual sound only. But as
it now is, the child is perplexed that the sign A should have one
sound in mate, a second sound in father, a third sound in fall, a
fourth sound in man, and a fifth sound in many, and, in other
combinations, soundings different from these, while, in others, A is
not sounded at all. I say, let it have one sound all the time. And
when P is introduced into a word, let it not be silent as in Phthisic,
or Sound like F in Physic, and let two not be placed instead of one in
apple.

Vol. 1, p.70
I ask, have the great and learned men completed their education? No
they are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the
truth. Let the Board of Regents commence on the proper foundation,
that when we have learned a great while, we may find to our
satisfaction, we have at last come to the knowledge of the truth.

Vol. 1, p.70
The English language, in its written and printed form, is one of the
most prominent now in use for absurdity, yet as a vehicle in which to
convey our ideas verbally, it is one of the best for extent and
variety it goes before and far beyond, any other. Its variety is what
I dislike. The schools in the Southern, New England, and Eastern
States, all teach the English language, yet the same ideas are
conveyed with entirely different classes of words, by these separate
communities. If there were one set of words to convey one set of
ideas, it would put an end to the ambiguity which often mystifies the
ideas given in the languages now spoken. Then when a great man
delivered a learned lecture upon any subject, we could understand his
words, for there would be only one word with the same meaning, instead
of a multiplicity of words all meaning the same thing, as is the case
now. For instance, there are men in this house so technical in their
feelings with regard to their choice of words, that when their ideas
are formed, and they commence to convey them, they will stop in the
middle of a sentence, and introduce another set of words to convey the
same idea. If I can speak so that you can get my meaning, I care not
so much what words I use to convey that meaning.

Vol. 1, p.70
I long for the time that a point of the finger, or motion of the hand,
will express every idea without utterance. When a man is full of the
light of eternity, then the eye is not the only medium through which
he sees, his ear is not the only medium by which he hears, nor the
brain the only means by which he understands. When the whole body is
full of the Holy Ghost, he can see behind him with as much ease,
without turning his head, as he can see before him. If you have not
that experience, you ought to have. It is not the optic nerve alone
that gives the knowledge of surrounding objects to the mind, but it is
that which God has placed in man—a system of intelligence that
attracts knowledge, as light cleaves to  light, intelligence to
intelligence, and truth to truth. It is this which lays in man a
proper foundation for all education. I shall yet [p.71] see the time
that I can converse with this people, and not speak to them, but the
expression of my countenance will tell the congregation what I wish to
convey, without opening my mouth. We are at present low, weak, and
grovelling in the dark, but we are planted here in weakness for the
purpose of exaltation. It is at the time of the formation of the
tabernacle of flesh, that the education of human life commences. Now,
mothers, train up your children in the way they should go. Fathers and
husbands, instruct your wives and children in the ways, of the Lord,
and love, joy, and prosperity will attend you from this time,
henceforth and for ever, which may God grant for Jesus sake. Amen.

Orson Hyde, April 9, 1853.

Sanctification—Economy—Apostates—
The Wolves and the Sheep

An Address Delivered By Elder Orson Hyde in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 9, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.71
We have been listening to a very interesting discourse from brother
Pulsipher. His remarks were truly appropriate when speaking upon the
subject of sanctification.

Vol. 1, p.71
I want to say a little more touching that principle. If I understand
it correctly, it means a purification of, or a putting away from, us,
as individuals, and as a community, everything that is evil, or that
is not in accordance with the mind and will of our heavenly Father.

Vol. 1, p.71
Sanctification has also an eye to our own preservation for
usefulness—for executing, carrying forward, and perpetuating the work
of the Most High God.

Vol. 1, p.71
We have been hearing that this is a fruitful valley. The blessing of
the Lord descends upon the mountains, and abundantly flows into the
Valley, causing it to spring forth, and produce whatever is necessary
to sustain life.

Vol. 1, p.71
I wish to observe here, that so bountiful have been the productions of
the fields of our farmers, that after they have harvested their grain,
they have not taken care of it, but have thrown it together in a very
loose and careless manner. From want of proper respect for the
temporal blessing of heaven, hundreds of bushels of grain have been
wasted, to which .many who are here to-day can testify. In consequence
of this, and some other causes, flour can scarcely be bought for six
dollars per hundred-weight. A short time ago it was sold in great
quantities at the rate of three dollars per hundred to the stores, and
now there is hardly bread enough in Israel to supply the wants of our
children. Why is this waste? A little more care should be exhibited by
the farmers for the products of the soil.

Vol. 1, p.71
If God our heavenly, Father has given us temporal blessings in the due
course and order of nature, we ought to hold them sacred, and be as
prudent and economical of them as we  are of a precious truth revealed
from heaven by the agency of an holy [p.72] angel from the presence of
God. I know not which to prize the most, the blessings of the earth
which pertain to the sustenance of these bodies, or the blessings of
heaven that give food to the mind; for they are all the blessings of
heaven to me and to you. I look upon every blessing as the gift of
Jehovah, as the Apostle James wrote anciently, "every good and perfect
gift cometh from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning," whether it be wheat, corn,
flocks, herds, houses, lands, wives, or children; we can obtain none
of these things independent of this blessing; neither can we make one
hair white or black, or add one cubit to our stature, without it is by
the blessing of our Father in heaven.

Vol. 1, p.72
Sometimes for want of proper care in keeping a secure fence, cattle
break through, and destroy the fruits of our toil I hope, as the time
of sowing seed is at hand, that we shall remember these things. And
let me say further, that a good fence is the most effectual "Stray
Pound Law" that can exist. If there are any so circumstanced as not to
be able to walk up to the full extent Of these instructions, let us,
however, try to do a little more than we have done heretofore, and by
a little extra exertion secure to ourselves an additional amount of
comfort, and have a little more to contribute to the building up of
the Temple of God, in which operation we may be sanctified. Brethren,
bear these things in mind.

Vol. 1, p.72
We have heard, of late, a great deal about stray cattle, stealing,
dissension and apostacy. I have not spoken upon the subject, I
believe, from this stand; at the same time I have my feelings and
views in relation to these matters, and I wish now to express them by
introducing a figure, from which you may draw your own conclusions.

Vol. 1, p.72
Now sanctification means, not only the purifying of the heart by
prayer, and by acts of obedience to God, but it means also to purify a
people, and purge from their midst that which is evil. I will suppose
a case, viz., that here is a large flock of sheep out on the prairie,
and here are shepherds also to watch over them with care. It is
generally the case that shepherds are provided with most excellent
dogs, that understand their business—their duty in relation to the
flock. It has been said by some, that shepherd dogs should be reared
with the sheep, and suck the milk from them, and thus partake of their
nature; that the child not only draws its nourishment from the woman,
but from the same source conceives a strong attachment, a kindred
feeling and sympathy, for the fountain of its life. How this is I
cannot; say; I have heard the observation, but those who understand
and know concerning this matter, can properly appreciate the remark in
relation to it.

Vol. 1, p.72
Suppose the shepherd should discover a wolf approaching the flock,
what would he be likely to do? Why, we should suppose, if the wolf was
within proper distance, that he would kill him at once with the
weapons of defence which he carries; in short, that; he would shoot
him down, kill him on the spot. If the wolf was not within shot, we
would naturally suppose he would set the dogs on him; and you are
aware, I have no doubt, that thence shepherd dogs have very pointed
teeth, and they are very active, very sensitive to know when the flock
is in danger. It is sometimes the case, perhaps, that the shepherd has
not with him the necessary arms to destroy the wolf, but in such a
case he would set his faithful dogs on him, and by that means
accomplish his destruction.

Vol. 1, p.72
Is this true in relation to the shepherd, and the flock, and the dogs?
You can all testify to its truth. Now was Jesus Christ the good
shepherd? Yes. What the faithful shepherd is [p.73] to his sheep, so
is the Saviour to his followers. He has gone and left on earth other
shepherds who stand in the place of Jesus Christ to take care of the
flock. When that flock is out on the prairie, and the pasture range
extending broad and green before them, and completely cleared of
wolves, is not that sanctified and cleansed, when there is nothing to
hurt or destroy them? I ask if one wolf is permitted to mingle with
the flock, and unmolested proceed in a work of destruction, will he
not go off and tell the other wolves, and they bring in a thousand
others, more wicked and ravenous than themselves? Whereas, if the
first one should meet with his just deserts, he could not go back and
tell the rest of his hungry tribe to come and feast themselves upon
the flock.

Vol. 1, p.73
Now don't say that brother Hyde has taught strong things, for I have
only told you what takes place between the shepherd and the flock,
when the sheep have to be protected.

Vol. 1, p.73
If you say that the Priesthood or authorities of the Church here are
the shepherd, and the Church is the flock, you can make your own
application of this figure. It is not at all necessary for me to do
it.

Vol. 1, p.73
It is all the same to me whether they want to destroy the flock, or
destroy, steal, and carry off the property of the took. If you steal
my team, which is my means of living, you might just as well kill me
at once. It is like this—"Brother Hyde, I will not disturb, molest, or
harm you, or any of the rest of your brethren; but we will take you
out on the bleak and comfortless prairie, and leave you there to
starve or freeze to death, and take possession of your property." You
might as well destroy us at once as take us where we should starve. It
would be much better to take our heads offer once than to subject us
to a lingering death. Says the Apostle, to the flock over which the
Holy Ghost had made him overseer—"The time will come when grievous
wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the took, and even of
yourselves will men arise speaking perverse things to draw disciples
after them." &c.

Vol. 1, p.73
I will tell you a feeling that I have ever cherished, though some may
think I speak contrary to my real sentiments; because in certain
circumstances I spoke in defence of a certain individual, which heaven
knows whether he be guilty or innocent. Perhaps my zeal carried me
beyond mediocrity, if it did that will be overruled for my good, for
it may show me who among my friends are my enemies. At the same time
my feelings are these—the best way to sanctify ourselves, and please
God our heavenly Father in these days, is to rid ourselves of every
thief, and sanctify the people from every vile character. I believe it
is right; it is the law and practice of our neighbouring state to put
the same thing in execution upon men who violate the law, and trample
upon the sacred rights of others. It would have a tendency to place a
terror on those who leave these parts, that may prove their salvation
when they see the heads of thieves taken off, or shot down before the
public. Let us clear up the horizon around us; and then, like the
atmosphere after the thunder storm has spent its fury in the tops of
the mountains, becomes purified; and a calm sunshine pervades the
whole. I believe it to be pleasing in the sight of heaven to sanctify
ourselves and put these things away from our midst.

Vol. 1, p.73
I have delivered the sermon I wanted to preach. I told the President I
wished to preach a sermon of about twenty minutes long, and I believe
I am at an end of it, inside of the time. I bequeath these remarks to
you in the name of Jesus my master, with the best feelings of a heart
devoted to your good. Amen. [p.74]

Brigham Young, September 11, 1853

Confidence—Advice to Emigrants—Danger in Prosperity

An Address Delivered By President B. Young
in the Tabernacle Great Salt Lake City, Sept. 11, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.74
After giving you a brief explanation of the feelings of those who
profess to be Saints, I wish to give a little counsel—as I have
frequently done before—to new comers.

Vol. 1, p.74
I am acquainted with the general disposition of mankind, and also
considerably acquainted with the traditions under which their minds,
feelings, passions, judgments, or I will comprehend the whole by
saying their consciences, have been formed by parents, teachers,
ministers, and others, who have exercised an influence over the young
and tender mind; these things are familiar to me in a great degree,
and have been for many years. I see them manifested each day I live.
The branches of the tree shoot forth, and bear their fruit, and men
can judge of the nature of the tree, by its fruit.

Vol. 1, p.74
The feelings and sentiments of this people, the Latter-day Saints, are
varied; they are far from being of one heart, and of one mind, of one
judgment, and of one desire; but I have no doubt they come nearer to
it, than any other community upon the face of the earth. This we know.

Vol. 1, p.74
In reality, the inhabitants of the earth do not vary so much in their
sentiments as they do in the explaining of them to each other. This I
have good reason to believe; when feelings and ideas are explained,
people vary more in language than in sentiment, yet they differ widely
in their sentiments, feelings, customs, habits, and manner of life.

Vol. 1, p.74
With regard to the kingdom of heaven now on the earth, of which we
form a part, we admit the kingdom of God has come; many of us believed
that years ago, who believed Joseph Smith was a Prophet, who believed
he had power and authority to establish it on the earth. What were the
feelings of the people, almost universally, in the infancy of this
Church? Men of science and talent in this Church believed—or they said
they believed—honestly, truly, and with all their hearts, that Joseph
Smith did not understand anything about temporal matters. They
believed he understood spiritual things—that he understood the Spirit
of the Lord, and how to build up the spiritual kingdom among men; but
when temporal matters were talked of, men were ready to decide at
once, that they knew more than the Prophet about such matters; and
they did so decide.

Vol. 1, p.74
Were you to ask how many times men did so, who did so, and on what
occasions they did so, I could answer you, for I am conversant with
every circumstance that transpired, pertaining to temporal matters,
from the first of my acquaintance with Joseph Smith, as a Prophet of
the Lord. The first Elders of this Church decided that Joseph did not
understand temporal matters. The first Bishops of this Church said
they believed with all [p.75] their hearts, that they understood
temporal matters far better than the Prophet Joseph. Are these the
feelings of the people at the present time? They are not, but right to
the reverse. I could have said then, the same that I could say now, if
Joseph was living—if he could have been believed, and confidence could
have been placed in him, with regard to temporal matters, wealth would
have been poured into the laps of this people, to overflowing.

Vol. 1, p.75
The remark that was made this morning is a true one, although the
matter referred to is small, apparently, but it is a fact, there was
not enough confidence in the people to satisfy them that the Prophet
knew how to handle money, or what to do with it; they did not believe
he knew how to manage temporal affairs. This lack of confidence
brought poverty and distress upon the whole people.

Vol. 1, p.75
When men came into our midst, who shut up the bowels of their
compassion, and held their money with an iron fist, they were held in
communion with us, our faith was exercised for them, we mingled with
them, and gave them fellowship for a time, yet one man, with his
covetousness, tied up the whole people. In many instances, men were
cut off for their covetousness, and because they had not confidence in
the Prophet, and held their substance when means were wanted to carry
on the work of God, to send the Gospel to distant lands, to sustain
the poor, build houses, and accomplish that which was necessary to be
done. While this means was withheld, it brought the whole Church under
condemnation, for this reason all had to suffer.

Vol. 1, p.75
This was in the days of the Prophet Joseph. Have the people reformed
since then? Perhaps a few of them hard; and again, perhaps a great
many of them have not. Many have not had an opportunity to reform, as
there is a considerable portion of this community who have not had an
acquaintance with the Prophet; they never associated with him, they
have not had an opportunity of sustaining his hands. Again, there is a
certain portion of the people who were associated with him. What would
the people do now, if they by their voice could call him hack to their
midst? Would they be willing to lay their substance at his feet? I
very much doubt it. He was poor, harassed, distressed, afflicted, and
tormented with law suits upon law suits, persecution upon persecution,
and thus it cost thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars to
keep him alive, which a few had to sustain. Is this affliction upon
them now? It is not. The scene is reversed. And as the people once
thought, that many by one man could be made poor, they now believe, by
one man many will be made rich. At the present day I do not know where
the opportunity is to prove the people.

Vol. 1, p.75
There are individuals here, and members of the Church, that when they
come up to this land, are very careful to leave their substance behind
them. And if they have money to lend, they are very careful to lend it
to persons who do not belong to the Church. There are such present
to-day. They are fearful and unbelieving. They did not believe in the
days of Joseph that he could tell them the truth. But if you asked
them if they believed Joseph was a Prophet, and if God sent him to
build up the kingdom, "O yes," would be their reply; and yet they had
not confidence to ask him what they should do with the thousands in
their possession. These are a few facts in the life and experience of
the Prophet Joseph.

Vol. 1, p.75
How is it now? Have the people confidence? They say they have. Are
they willing to take counsel? They say they are. As it was observed
here this morning, when we wish anything done, the [p.76] people are
ready and willing to raise their hands to accede to the propositions
made by their leaders. Do you remember what I told you a few sabbaths
ago—this whole people are willing to receive counsel, but who of them
are willing to carry it out to the very letter? The future will prove
that. It is not proven by sitting on your seats and simply raising
your hands, as a token, a covenant, a witness to God and angels that
you are ready to take counsel, and also carry it out.

Vol. 1, p.76
For men of principle, and seemingly of good sense, to believe the
Prophet Joseph, who was inspired to build up the kingdom of God
temporally as well as spiritually, did not know as much about a
picayune as about God's spiritual kingdom, about a farm as about the
New Jerusalem, is folly in the extreme, it is nonsense in the
superlative degree. Those who entertain such ideas ought to have their
heads well combed, and subjected to a lively course of friction, that
peradventure a little common sense might dawn upon their confused
ideas.

Vol. 1, p.76
Consult your own judgments in such matters. Do you think that God
would set a man to lead his people, who does not know as much about a
picayune or a farm, as about God's  spiritual kingdom, or the New
Jerusalem? Shame on those who would entertain such ideas, for they
debase and corrupt the hearts of the community who imbibe them.
According to the sentiments of some of the Latter-day Saints, the Lord
must have become wonderfully high minded in the last days; I should
think he has become too proud according to their belief, to notice
farms and merchandise, and other little affairs and transactions that
pass around us. He used to notice the very hairs of our heads that
fell and the sparrows; He took care or the ravens, and watched over
the children of Israel, and supplied all their temporal wants; but we
say now, He does not condescend to such small matters, having given us
an understanding, and we know what to do. Are not these the feelings
of the people? I could refer to some little things by way of example,
but it would hit somebody rather too publicly.

Vol. 1, p.76
Let me ask that brother, if you have not thought in your heart, you
would not go to brother Brigham for counsel, for fear he would counsel
you to go to some place you do not want to go? Still you say, "I
believe this is the kingdom of God, and I do not want to come in
contact with brother Brigham, I do not wish to meet him, for fear he
should come in contact with my calculations, and what I have decided
upon in my mind." I could put my hand upon some of you who entertain
such thoughts.

Vol. 1, p.76
I will refer you now to the counsel I wished to give the brethren who
have lately come into the city from the East. I have heretofore
counselled new comers, to go to the South, or to the North, for we
have settlements 800 miles, North and South.

Vol. 1, p.76
Many of the people here have their friends, who have come in this
season, and some are still on the plains, who will be in in a few
days. I have been in the habit of saying to the brethren—You take one
hundred families and settle in such a place; and you take fifty and
settle in yonder place; but I never have given such counsel for the
guidance of the brethren, that it has not raised one continual
whining, saying, "I want to go to another place, for there is
somewhere you want me to go that I do not like;" or, "I rather think
brother Brigham thinks I am not tried and proven sufficiently, and he
wants to put me in circumstances to finish trying me." That is the
reason I want you to go here or there, and the reason why you
complain; for when men are thoroughly tried, they are ready to go to
any place where they are told to go, and when they are told.

Vol. 1, p.77
[p.77] My counsel now to new comers is, to do just what you have a
mind to, and go where you please, IF YOU CAN. You may go and settle in
any part of the Territory that you please; and furthermore, you may go
to California if you wish.

Vol. 1, p.77
I have told you what you may do, I will now tell you what you may not
do. You may try to gather a little company, and go to settle a place
where there are no inhabitants. You cannot, with my consent, go to any
place, unless it is to a city, that is, or will be walled in. If you
go from this city, go to a neighbourhood where you can be defended
from the ravages of Indians or other evil designing persons.

Vol. 1, p.77
Brother David Fullmer, this morning, talked about working all our
lives upon a wall, if it were necessary; but the wall we contemplate
making here, is not a breakfast spell. I calculate to keep walling
until the mountains around us become an impregnable defence. What we
have now on hand is not a circumstance. I will venture to say, that
brother Parley P. Pratt has got a job on hand infinitely more
extensive than the walling in of the whole territory of Utah. His work
was given to him sixteen years ago, by the Prophet Joseph Smith, in
the Kirtland Temple. Parley P. Pratt has yet to build temples in old
Scotland. The Scotch brethren might say, "What is the use then of our
coming to these distant vallies, so far from our native country?" Had
you not better write to your brethren who are still in Scotland to
stay where they are, think you? He has to build temples there of
greater magnitude than we have yet contemplated. When he will do it I
do not know; it is certain he will do it if he is faithful; but
whether he will do it after the earth is glorified, or before that
time, I do not know.

Vol. 1, p.77
I have a word to say to the sisters who have lately come into our
city. Do not allow your fathers, your husbands, and your brothers, to
go to any place to settle, unless it is walled in, or in some other
way made perfectly capable of defending you and themselves from the
attack of Indians, or those who would seek to destroy you and your
property. If they want to drag you off to some place where you will be
exposed to the ravages of Indians, tell them you are going to stay
where you are, and then ask them what they are going to do about it.
It is not my general practice to counsel the sisters to disobey their
husbands, but my counsel is—obey your husbands; and I am sanguine and
most emphatic on that subject. But I never counselled a woman to
follow her husband to the devil. If a man is determined to expose the
lives of his friends, let that man go to the devil and to destruction
alone.

Vol. 1, p.77
You have got my counsel. You need not, any of you, ask my counsel to
run over to the west mountains to settle, for there are plenty alone
there already. If you have not elbow room enough, rub my elbows, I can
rub as hard as you can. I can tell you something you never have yet
thought of. You may number all the families in this city, and with
them their cattle and flocks, and there is more ground within its
precincts, if properly cultivated, than would support them all from
year to year. There are not inhabitants enough in the city to
cultivate the land in it, as it should be. Look around and see the
hundreds of acres that have not been cultivated at all; one bushel to
ten has not been raised, that might have been, on the lots that the
people have pretended to cultivate. Be not afraid of being too close
together. The men or women who enjoy the Spirit of the Lord, never
feel themselves crowded by that spirit, or by those who possess it;
and they never will. When disturbance and difficulty occur, it is
because of [p.78] the opposite spirit, which is a contentious spirit;
and those persons who possess it may expect to be crowded when they
get to hell, as much or more than they are here; they will not have as
much elbow room there as they have here, perhaps.

Vol. 1, p.78
The Latter-day Saints ought not to feel so. Our cities are open, our
streets are wide, and we have the sweet mountain air, and a healthy
country. Do not be afraid to live together. What kind of air did you
breathe, who lived in eleven, twelve, and fourteen story houses in
your native country? If you could live in such confined circumstances,
why cannot you live here, while breathing air as sweet, I may say, as
the New Jerusalem.

Vol. 1, p.78
I have told you my mind, you can now do as your own minds shall
dictate, if you think proper, and be responsible for the same. I have
frequently thought, what would be the consequence in this community,
were we to be as strict now, as the authorities of the Church once
were? for it used to be, if a man did not obey counsel after it was
given him, he was cut off from the Church. Do you not think we are
lenient, easy, and forgiving? Let us be kind to each other, and
cultivate the spirit of peace, and seek diligently to know the will of
God. How can you know it? In matters pertaining to yourselves as
individuals, you can obtain it directly from the Lord; but in matters
pertaining to public affairs, His will is ascertained through the
proper channel, and may be known by the general counsel that is given
you from the proper source.

Vol. 1, p.78
I have told you heretofore what I am afraid of, (and, in reality I am
not afraid of anything else,) which is incorporated in the idea—See
that ye forget not the Lord your God. If this people will serve Him
with all their heart, mind, and strength, they have nothing to fear
from this time henceforth and for ever. You are not to be overcome by
your enemies, or put down and trampled under foot, if you will do
this, and continue to be humble before the Lord your God. In doing
this, no power under the heavens can disturb this people.

Vol. 1, p.78
If I have any knowledge touching the condition of this people at the
present time, and the way they are taught, led, counselled, and
dictated by those who go before them to open up the way, it is
directly opposite of that we saw in the days of Joseph the Prophet. He
was full of sorrow, trouble, poverty, and distress; but now the people
are led into riches, by the example, counsel, advice, and dictations
of their leaders. They are on the high way to wealth; and there is
danger in it. Here are men that never knew enough of the principles of
economy to gather substance or save anything to themselves, until
within a few years back; but now they are becoming rich in a moderate
point of view. We do not expect to become wealthy like the
Rothschilds, or some other large capitalists of Europe. This people
are gathering much substance around them, which is a principle of
heaven—a principle of Zion, but there is a fear within us test it
cause us to forget our God and our religion. Whether we have much or
little, let it be on the altar, for it is all the Lord's, whether this
people know it or not. Joseph Smith said to this people, that all the
wisdom he had was received from the hand of the Lord. All the
knowledge, wisdom, economy, and every business transaction pertaining
to human life in connection with the spiritual kingdom of God on the
earth, is given unto us as individuals, or as a community, from the
liberal hand of God.

Vol. 1, p.78
Do you realize this? Or will some of you say, "It is my own wisdom and
economy that have accomplished this or i that?" If you do, beware,
lest the Lord [p.79] withdraw the light of His spirit from you, that
you be left in darkness, and your former judgment, wisdom, and
discretion be taken from you. If we receive good, it is of the Lord;
then let us serve him, and love him with a true heart. As to the
world, they may do as they please, for we care not for it anyhow. Let
this people cleave unto the Lord, and righteous principles, and all is
right and well.

Vol. 1, p.79
May the Lord bless you. Amen.

George A. Smith, July 4, 1852

The Nauvoo Legion—Civil and Religious Rights

A Speech Delivered By Mr. George A. Smith, 
in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, 
on the Anniversary of the Fourth of July, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.79
As a humble private from the ranks of the Deseret mountaineers of the
Nauvoo Legion, I have the honor, though unexpectedly, to rise and
offer a few of our feelings in view of the great matters which have
been presented before us this day, and of the great events of which
this is the anniversary. From the remarks of the gentlemen who have
occupied this stand previous to my rising, we might think, that a
people who have been driven, and who have suffered so many
difficulties, robbings; shaking of the ague, catching birds with
hands, and for a time living on crickets, &c., that we would be very
lean and poor; but my friends, I think I am a pretty fair specimen of
the privates who compose the Nauvoo Legion. The experiment has been
tried of living in the deserts, of wandering among mountains, and of
solving the philosophical problem of almost living upon the air; and
it has answered exceedingly well.

Vol. 1, p.79
It is with the greatest pleasure that I address you; for I can assure
you that the Nauvoo Legion view with the strictest jealousy, every
violation of the provisions of the federal constitution; every
infringement of the rights of the people is regarded by the Nauvoo
Legion with the most fiery indignation. Whenever the rights of a
religious body are invaded—whenever the privileges of a civil
community are trampled upon with impunity—whenever any man in power,
or any man out of power shall trample upon the provisions of that
legacy be queathed us by our ancestors, there rises in us an unbounded
indignation; for our fathers' legacy was sealed with their blood, and
we are determined to maintain it inviolable. When an executive of a
state rises up and assumes to himself a dignity and a power that no
autocrat of all the Russias dare presume to exercise, and issues a
bloody order as did L. W. Boggs, for the utter extermination of all
the "Mormons;" men, women, and children, that may belong to, or be in
any way connected with them, it raises the indignation of the Nauvoo
Legion to an unbounded pitch.

Vol. 1, p.80
[p.80] What is more curious than all the rest; it frequently occurs in
all governments that corruption arises among the people; the people
become corrupt, and to a great extent, it must affect the government
also; no matter how good its form may be, the corruptions that arise
among the body of the people, must in a great measure paralyze the
head of the government. The Roman Catholics in Philadelphia were
attacked by a lawless mob, and thousands turned out to demolish their
churches and dwellings, and murder their people, and the perpetrators
of such deeds are suffered to go unpunished—this fills the Nauvoo
Legion with burning indignation. The legacy bequeathed to us by our
forefathers was a constitution which will protect every man in his
civil and religious rights; and where this Legion is, woe to him that
infringes upon these constitutional liberties. Being called upon
without reflection, or time to prepare a speech; and not possessing
the requisite talents for preparing notes, I must give you what I have
to say in an offhand style.

Vol. 1, p.80
Men will rise up in distant countries; and say that the inhabitants of
these mountains are rebellious. Rebellious! against what? Against the
power of mobs, lawless robbery, and the infringement and violation of
the constitution of the United States—against the lawless destruction
of property and life—against the deprivation of human beings of
religious liberty—that is what we are rebellious against; and the
Nauvoo Legion are ready to rebel against every agression of this kind,
as long as there is one drop of blood left in their veins.

Vol. 1, p.80
These bayonets now before me have been carried upon the shoulders of
these men to extend "the area of the American Liberty," over 4000
miles, suffering almost every kind of distress and fatigue; sometimes
travelling on foot ever a hundred miles of desert from water to water.
Such a march has not been, equalled by any body of infantry in the
world; and General Kearney said, that there was no other set of troops
in his army that could endure such service.

Vol. 1, p.80
Talk of rebellion! or want of loyalty! men might as well say the sun
does not shine, as to argue that this people are enemies to their
country's freedom. There is a spirit of religious intolerance that has
arisen in the minds of a great many men against this people in the
present age; they say, "you shall think as I think, or damn you, we'll
destroy you." General Joseph Smith, the commander of our Legion, was
treacherously murdered, and his noble brother by his side also, while
under the pledge of safety of Governor Thomas Ford. The grandfather of
that murdered general, (murdered while under the sacred pledge of the
State of Illinois,) his paternal grandfather; I say, was at the elbow
of Colonel Ethan Allen, at Ticonderoga, and with Stark at Bennington;
and his maternal grandfather was in the first naval battle, and at the
elbow of the first Commodore of the American navy, when the first
naval battle was fought by Americans against Great Britain, and served
during the entire war. Why was he murdered? Because he thought
different from his neighbors. Religious toleration was not in
accordance with the feelings of narrow minded men; he must be
butchered—basely murdered—and to accomplish it the faith of a
sovereign state bad to be pledged. We love the constitution of the
United States in its organization; but we detest southern secession,
and northern disunion, or anything that would be calculated to destroy
our glorious Union, and the institutions which have been sealed by the
blood of our fathers.

Vol. 1, p.80
Gentlemen, appearing as I appear in your midst, lean though I may be.
(Mr. Smith now weighing 280 lbs,) I [p.81] will tell you that I have
the honor of having descended from an officer of the revolution, who
marched 150 miles under the command of General Morgan, from the battle
of the Cow Pens, with nothing to eat but the raw bide belt of his
cartridge box. That cannot be the cause of my fine appearance; but it
must be the noble living my ancestors have had, wheel fighting for the
liberties we enjoy this day, in these mountains. And although I have
passed through so many trials and afflictions to get here, having been
driven out of three dwelling houses in different states, by mob force;
as many times deprived of my property; and having buried most of my
family from suffering on the plains; been three days at a time,
without taking food, that there is now scarcely a hair left on my head
between me and heaven; yet I am on hand, and with the Nauvoo Legion,
rejoice that there is a place amid the mountains where men are free to
enjoy civil and religious liberty and truth. Truth and Liberty
forever! Amen.

Brigham Young, March 27, 1853

Joseph, a True Prophet—Apostates—Dream, Etc.

An Address Delivered By President Brigham Young
in the Tabernacle, Great, Salt Lake City, March 27th, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.81
I do not know that I can speak so that you can hear me, as you
perceive something affects my throat; I wish, however, to say a few
words to you this morning; I would like to say considerable—a good
many words, but perhaps a few will answer.

Vol. 1, p.81
There are a goodly number in the congregation, who have been
acquainted with this Church and kingdom from its rise, and that knew
Joseph in his first career in the Gospel. There are many here that
have been in the Church for fifteen, sixteen, and some more than
twenty, years. I have been in the Church, wanting a few days of
twenty-one years, and there are a considerable number that I know have
been in it longer than I have. They knew Joseph—they knew him from
week to week, and from year to year, they knew what he did, they knew
how he spake, they knew the spirit he possessed, they were acquainted
with it, it is the same spirit they possess to the present day—the
spirit of "Mormonism," the spirit of the Gospel. I will ask those
brethren, and those sisters, if they believe Joseph Smith was a
Prophet of God? if they believe that he magnified his calling? I will
ask them if Joseph lived and died a Prophet of God, and what would
they answer? All men and women know, by the power of the Holy Ghost,
by the spirit they know it, by the light that is in them, far light
cleaveth to light, and truth embraces truth. These pure attributes, as
I told you here a few Sabbaths ago, stand upon their own basis—the
fabric sustains itself, but falsehood, and that which is built upon
it, will, sooner or later, fall.

Vol. 1, p.81
How many witnesses could we bring, men that are upon the islands of
the sea, in foreign lands, and people scattered [p.82] through the
United States, hundreds and thousands in their poverty, who are not
able to gather with the Saints; I ask, what would they witness if they
were here to-day? They would tell you; and they would sound it so that
all the world might hear, if they could, that Joseph Smith was a man
called of God to build up His kingdom in the last days, preparatory to
the coming of the Son of Man.

Vol. 1, p.82
There are many witnesses here, not only witnesses of Joseph and his
career, but witnesses of the disaffected spirits that have come into
this Church, and gone out again. Are there witnesses of men trying to
rise up and usurp Joseph's place in his day? Yes, there are many
witnesses, that many men tried it. Are there witnesses here, of the
rise and fall of men in this kingdom? Yes, plenty of them. I have
witnessed more than has been pleasing to me. It delights me to see men
come into the Church, and magnify the Holy Priesthood, but it is a
grievous matter to see men turn away from the holy commandments
delivered unto them, gather to themselves false spirits, follow after
a phantom, and be duped by the devil—be ensnared by the power of the
enemy, and give way to it until they fall. It is a source of regret,
but we witness it, we could name many of this class.

Vol. 1, p.82
Let me ask this congregation, that portion of it that was in Jackson
county; and again that portion that was in Kirtland in the days of
Joseph, and in leaving Kirtland; then those that were in Caldwell and
Davis counties, Missouri; then ask these who were in Nauvoo in his
day, and after he was slain; these portions of my congregation which I
have mentioned I will ask, what has produced your persecutions and
sorrow? What has been the starting point of all your affictions? They
began with apostates in your midst; these disaffected Spirits caused
others to come in, worse than they, wire would run out and bring in
all the devils they possibly could. That has been the starting point
and grand cause of all our difficulties, every time we were driven.
Are there not witnesses of this, here? Yes, a good portion of this
congregation are witnesses of these things, although many of them
never saw Joseph, and were not personally acquainted with him.

Vol. 1, p.82
We have been persecuted—we have built houses, made farms, cultivated
the land, broken up the wild prairie, and made it like the Garden of
Eden; we have fenced, built, and gathered substance around us many
times, and as many times have been driven from our possessions, until
we came to this inheritance which we now enjoy in these valleys of the
mountains.

Vol. 1, p.82
Now think a moment, reflect, and ask yourselves what do we see here? I
am coming nearer home, I am coming to this place; what do we see here?
Do we see disaffected spirits here? We do. Do we see apostates? We do.
Do we see men that are following after false and delusive spirits?
Yes. When a man comes right out, as an independent devil, and says,
"Damn Mormonism, and all the Mormons," and is off with himself, not to
Texas, but to California, (you know it used to be to Texas), I say he
is a gentleman, by the side of a nasty sneaking apostate who is
opposed to nothing but Christianity. I say to the former, Go in peace,
sir, go and prosper if you can. But we have got a set of spirits here
worse than such a character. When I went from meeting, last Sabbath,
my ears were saluted with an apostate crying in the streets here.

Vol. 1, p.82
I want to know if any one of you who has got the spirit of "Mormonism"
in you, the spirit that Joseph and Hyrum had, or that we have here,
would say, Let us hear both sides of the  question, let us listen, and
provo all things? What do you want to [p.83] prove? Do you want to
prove that an old apostate, who has been cut off from the Church
thirteen times for lying, is anything worthy of notice?

Vol. 1, p.83
I heard that a certain gentleman, a picture maker in this city, when
the boys would have moved away the wagon in which this apostate was
standing, became violent with them, saying, Let this man alone, these
are Saints that are persecuting (sneeringly.) We want such men to go
to California, or anywhere they choose. I say to those persons, you
must not court persecution here, lest you get so much of it you will
not know what to do with it. DO NOT court persecution. We have knows
Gladden Bishop for more than twenty years, and know him to be a poor,
dirty curse. Here is sister Vilate Kimball, brother Heber's wife, has
borne more from that man than any other woman on earth could bear; but
she won't bear it again. I say again, you Gladdenites, do not court
persecution, or you will get more than you want, and it will come
quicker than you want it. I say to you Bishops, do not allow them to
preach in your wards. Who broke the roads to these valleys? Did this
little nasty Smith, and his wife? No, they staid in St. Louis while we
did it, peddling ribbons, and kissing the Gentiles. I know what they
have done here—they have asked exorbitant prices for their nasty
stinking ribbons. [Voices, "that's true."] We broke the roads to this
country. Now, you Gladdenites, keep your tongues still, test sudden
destruction come upon you.

Vol. 1, p.83
I will tell you a dream that I had last night. I dreamed that I was in
the midst of a people who were dressed in rags and tatters, they had
turbans upon their heads, and these were also hanging in tatters. The
rags were of many colors, and, when the people moved, they were all in
motion. Their object in this appeared to be, to attract attention.
Said they to me, "We are Mormons, brother Brigham." "No, you are not,"
I replied. "But we have been," said they, and they began to jump, and
caper about, and dance, and their rags of many colors were all in
motion, to attract the attention of the people. I said, "You are no
Saints, you are a disgrace to them." Said they, "We have been
Mormons." By and bye, along camo some mobocrats, and they greeted them
with, "How do you do, sir, I am happy to see you." They kept on that
way for an hour. I felt ashamed of them, for they were in my eyes a
disgrace to "Mormonism." Then I saw two ruffians, whom I knew to be
mobbers and murderers, and they crept into a bed, where one of my
wives and children woke. I said, "You that call yourselves brethren,
tell me, is this the fashion among you?" They said, "O, they are good
men, they are gentlemen." With that, I took my large bowie knife, that
I used to wear as a bosom pin in Nauvoo, and cut one of their throats
from ear to ear, saying, "Go to hell across lots." The other one said,
"You dare not serve me so." I instantly sprang at him, seized him by
the hair of the head, and, bringing him down, cut his throat, and sent
him after his comrade; then told them both, if they would behave
themselves they should yet live, but if they did not, I would unjoint
their necks. At this I awoke.

Vol. 1, p.83
I say, rather than that apostates should flourish here, I will
unsheath my bowie knife, and conquer or die. [Great commotion in the
congregation, and a simaltaneous burst of feeling, assenting to the
declaration.] Now, you nasty apostates, clear out, or judgment will be
put to the line, and righteousness to the plummet. [Voices, generally,
"go it, go it."] If you say it is right, raise your hands. [All hands
up.] Let us call upon the Lord to assist us in this, and every good
work.

Vol. 1, p.84
[p.84] After Alfred Smith was called upon to go on a mission, he would
not go, and I knew he would apostatize. Do you suppose that after a
man has refused to fulfil his calling, he can retain the spirit of
truth, and stand? He can not. They say they believe that Joseph Smith
was a Prophet raised up to establish the work of the last days, and
bring forth the Book of Mormon; and thus they deceive. But if you will
examine them you will not find anything but contradiction to every
principle of truth.

Vol. 1, p.84
I felt to say this that I have said, though my throat is very sore,
but I think this exercise has done it good. I feel to say to Jew and
to Gentile, Let this people alone in these valleys of the mountains,
or you will find that which you are not looking for. We are on the
Lord's side, and we have the tools to work with. But shall this people
sink? No. The time has come that Israel shall be redeemed, and they
never shall be trampled under foot again. Now is the time; Joseph told
us, before he was killed, the set time to favor Zion had come. I want
yea to hear, Bishops, what I am about to tell you. Kick these men out
of your wards. If you want to apostatize, apostatize, and behave
yourselves. You shall not disturb my peace, nor the peace of this
people. If you want to go to California, go, and serve Gladden Bishop
there, if you wish, but disturb not this community, or else you will
find judgment is laid to the line. Do not court persecution, for,
remember, you are not playing with shadows, but it is the voice and
the hand of the Almighty you are trying to play with, and you will
find yourselves mistaken if you think to the contrary.

Vol. 1, p.84
May the Lord bless you, my brethren; and I pray, all the time, that we
may be preserved in the truth, that when the Lord has anything for us,
we may be ready to receive it, and thus serve Him all the day long. If
we have not been driven far enough to enjoy peace, tell me where next
we can be driven to, to find it; and if apostates follow, let them
follow.

Parley P. Pratt, March 27, 1853

Persecutions of the Church—Apostates—
Freedom—Self-Defence

An Address Delivered By Elder P. P. Pratt  on the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, March 27th, 1855.

Vol. 1, p.84
Brethren and Sisters—My feelings are with those who have spoken,
decidedly and firmly so. You have heard with reference to the
experience of the past. I have had an opportunity to obtain experience
in the past, and to observe as much perhaps as any one individual now
living, as it regards the Church of the Saints in this age.

Vol. 1, p.84
And I bear testimony, not only by the Holy Spirit, but by personal
observation, memory, experience, and knowledge, that what has been
said is true, strictly speaking, in all [p.85] its bearings, in regard
to the result of apostacy, as it relates to persecutions, breaking up,
robbing, plundering, suffering, and martyrdom, in this world.

Vol. 1, p.85
The subject that has been presented here by President Young, I have
revolved over in my own mind, and reflected upon it in its order. I
remember well several scenes, and the places, he referred to; and I do
not know of one single persecution, of any magnitude, that brought
trouble and general distress upon the people of God in this age, that
was not brought about directly by means of those that went out from
ourselves, who professed to be of us, if I may except the first
trouble in Jackson County, Missouri. I lived there at that time, and I
do not personally know, that apostates, or unlawful conduct on the
part of those professing to be Saints, was the particular agent of
bringing about that persecution. I do not know, so far as my own
acquaintance with the circumstances is concerned, but that may be an
exception. I do not recollect but what the world there, without aid
from apostates, arose up and did what they did.

Vol. 1, p.85
[Mr. Pratt's mind was refreshed by a person in the stand, that there
was an apostate who wrote a book previous to that persecution.] I now
recollect there were some writers, among which was a Mr. Booth, that
had been ordained to the Priesthood in this Church. He published
things well calculated to bring on persecution. There might have been
others also.

Vol. 1, p.85
But I was speaking of personal actors, there, in the county. It was
not then, as generally is the case, or as it has been since, aided by
those from among ourselves. In all the general persecutions, from that
time to the present, I do not recollect of a single instance, that the
general storm was not brought about by men from among ourselves,
professing the name, membership, and Priesthood of the Latter-day
Saints, traitors to the cause that they professed to believe. This was
the direct means of the suffering, and the breaking up, of the
community in Kirtland; of the breaking up of the community in, and the
expulsion of them from, Missouri. It was the direct means of this last
persecution which led to the martyrdom of the Prophet, and the
destruction of many others; the plundering of millions, the burning of
our Temple, and our migration to this country. We came here for peace.
We are now in a place where the extended desert, and snow clad
mountains, widely intervene on every side between us and our
neighbors, that they may not tread on our toes, and that we may not
tread on theirs.

Vol. 1, p.85
We know who led us here. It was not only the Almighty God, by His
matchless providence, but by His servant—he that stands at the head of
this people, and those that were with him. These were they that led us
here—that so counselled and arranged and organized our local matters,
that we have been sustained here, and have been fed, clothed,
sheltered, and preserved. We have obtained our local, political rights
and privileges, and have been enabled to preserve them inviolate in
the face of all the opposition, lies, and slanders, which have been so
industriously circulated.

Vol. 1, p.85
Many of us here, as well as many who sleep in the dust, have been worn
out in industriously accumulating property, making homes, and being
deprived of them by violence and robbery. We have spent our lives in
making homesteads, fencing, improving, cultivating, &c., without
enjoying the fruits of our labors.

Vol. 1, p.85
Sooner than be subjected to a repetition of these wrongs, I, for one,
would rather march out to-day and be shot down. These are my feelings,
and have been for some time. Talk about liberty of conscience! Have
[p.86] not men liberty of conscience here? Yes. The Presbyterians,
Methodists, Quakers, &c., have here the liberty to worship God in
their own way, and so has every man in the world. People have the
privilege of apostatizlng from this Church, and of worshipping devils,
snakes, toads, or geese, if they please, and only let their neighbors
alone. But they have not the privilege to disturb the peace, nor to
endanger life or liberty; that is the idea. If they will take that
privilege, I need not repeat their doom, it has been told here today,
they have been faithfully warned.

Vol. 1, p.86
Why is it that these apostates wish to cram down people's stomachs
that which they loathe? That which they have no wish either to hear,
think about, or digest? If the people of a neighborhood, ward, or
city, wish to speak, hear, or worship, or to discuss any subject, they
have public and private buildings, school houses, churches, or
assembly rooms in abundance. Why, then, are our streets disturbed by
tumults, railings, slanderous, abusive, and treasonable language,
under the name of preaching? If the city, or a large portion of its
citizens, wish to discuss any general principle, here is the
Tabernacle, and yonder is the StateHouse, or the Theatre—all owned by
the people, and under their control. Where is the need, then, of
preaching in the streets. But where is the city or community to be
found, who wish to discuss that which they already know and
understand? As to this man, or rather "thing," called Gladden Bishop,
and his pretended visions and revelations, I know him of old. I knew
him in Ohio, some eighteen or twenty years ago. I remember his name.
My memory is poor in names, many of you know; but when there is
something associated with a name, that stamps it strongly on my mind,
I am not apt to forget it. I scarcely ever heard that name in my life,
that it was not associated with some imposition or falsehood in the
name of the Lord. If he was tried before the Councils of the Church,
he would confess that he had lied, in pretending to visions, angels,
and revelations, and ask forgiveness. If he was excommunicated, he
would join again, &c.

Vol. 1, p.86
I never heard of him in any other light, but as a man or a "thing"
that crept in from time to time among the Saints, with attempts to
deceive the people with one imposition or another.

Vol. 1, p.86
His difficulty all the time was, that the people would not be deceived
by him. I will not put him on a level with other apostates. Where can
we find one of them that has not had some influence? I know of no one
that had not some followers for awhile, although none could keep them;
but I never knew Gladden Bishop to gain a single follower among his
personal acquaintance. He was disfellowshipped, and received on his
professions of repentance, so often, that the Church at length refused
to admit him any more as a member. These apostates talk of proof! Have
we not proved Joseph Smith to be a Prophet—a restorer, standing at the
head of this dispensation? Have we not proved the Priesthood which he
placed upon others by the command of God?

Vol. 1, p.86
I see no ground, then, to prove or to investigate the calling of an
apostate, who has always been trying to impose upon this people. It is
too late in the day for us to stop to inquire whether such an outcast
has the truth.

Vol. 1, p.86
We have truths already developed, unfulfilled by us—unacted upon.
There are more truths poured out from the eternal fountain, already,
than our minds can contain, or than we have places and preparations to
carry out. And yet we are called upon to prove—what ? Whether an egg
that was known to be rotten fifteen years ago, has really improved by
reason of age!!

Vol. 1, p.87
[p.87] "You are going to be destroyed," say they, "destruction awaits
this City!" Well! What if we are? We are as able to be destroyed as
any people living. What care we whether we are destroyed or not? These
old tabernacles will die of themselves, if let alone.

Vol. 1, p.87
We have nothing to fear on that head, for we are as well prepared to
die as to live. One thing we have heard to-day, and I am glad to hear
it. We shall not be destroyed in the old way—as we have been
heretofore. We shall have a change in the manner, at least. We shall
probably be destroyed standing, this time, and not in a sitting or
lying position. We can die as well as others who are not as well
prepared! I am glad that while we do live we shall not submit to be
yoked or saddled like a dumb ass. We shall not stand still to see men,
women, and children murdered, robbed, plundered, and driven any more,
as in the States heretofore. Nor does God require it at our hands.
That is the best news we have heard to-day.

Vol. 1, p.87
You may say, Wait till an enemy forms a league with others for your
destruction. We would do this, if we did not know the spirit that
actuates our enemies. Ignorant of this, we might sit down and wait
till men did actually cut our throats, in order to prove them. But if
you will manifest to me a spirit in any person, I will tell you where
that spirit leads, and so can President Young and his Counsellors, and
every true-hearted Saint who has experience in the operations of
spiritual powers. We will try to act in time, and not suffer the
spirit of destruction to ripen in our midst.

Vol. 1, p.87
It is not enough for people to have liberty to worship according to
sectarianism, Judaism, heathenism, and everything else, but they wish
the liberty to stab you to the heart.

Vol. 1, p.87
It is policy not to wait till you are killed, bat act on the defensive
while you still live. I have said enough on this subject.

Vol. 1, p.87
I rejoice in living with this people As brother Kimball said, this was
his heaven. It is mine. There might be a better people, but we can't
find them—they are not known upon the earth, in mortal flesh. If we
find a better people we shall have to wait till people grow better.

Vol. 1, p.87
If we should find a better people before ourselves are grown better,
we could not live among them, and that would be the hell of it. We
have found a people as good as we are, and we are agreed to live
together. The light of truth has united us, and the spirit has
baptized us into a degree of oneness. The world thinks we are one in
the highest sense of the term; but God sees that there is much room
for us to improve in oneness. Where shall we begin to improve? I don't
know of anything better calculated to improve our union than to have
some wide meshes in the net, to let those slip through who don't wish
to be gathered, and to unite with the rest. There is an accumulation
here of the good and the bad, the chaff and the wheat, the tares and
the good grain, the good and bad fish which the Gospel net gathers.
The only safe way is for the good and bad to be separated. I like to
see the roads open, the snow disappear from the kanyons, that spirits
not congenial to the Gospel of peace may go as many roads as there are
points of the compass. Such movements give opportunity for the Saints
to draw the cords of union still closer. May God bless you all Amen.
[p.88]

Brigham Young, June 13, 1852

March of "Mormonism"—The Power of God 
and the Wisdom of Man—Good and 
Evil Influences—The Law of Increase

A Discourse Delivered By President Brigham Young,
in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, June 13th, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.88
As there is more time which remains to be improved this morning, I
will offer a few remarks to the congregation, feeling thankful for
this privilege, and for all others that I enjoy from day to day.

Vol. 1, p.88
We have had the pleasure this morning of hearing the truth of the work
of the last days declared, with the testimony of one of the servants
of the Lord, (Ira Ames), who has had an experience of twenty years in
this Church. There are many others who also have had a lengthy
experience, and some who have not had more than six months' trial, but
who have, in that short time, obtained an experience which has given
them sufficient information to satisfy them that there is a God in
this work, that a Supreme Power has attended the Gospel of salvation,
or what is called "Mormonism," from its rise to this day. I say to
all, both Saint and sinner, that there is not an individual who has
heard the sound of the Gospel of Salvation, the report of this work of
the last days, of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and of the
mission of Joseph Smith, but the Spirit of the Lord in a greater or
less degree accompanied that report with power, and with the testimony
of its truth, no matter as to the character of the individual, nor yet
whether he admits and embraces the truth. If he has heard it in its
simplicity and purity, the weight of testimony which it bears along
with it, carries conviction to his mind that it may be true, although,
through the influence of the world, of evil associations in life, or
the instigations of the enemy of all righteousness, those convictions
and impressions may be swept away, which, if exercised at the time, in
sincerity, with full purpose of heart to know the truth, would have
substantiated the matter to his entire satisfaction. A weight of
testimony always accompanies the promulgation of the Gospel of
Salvation.

Vol. 1, p.88
Brother Ames has said that "'Mormonism' will progress." If it does
not, God will be dethroned, for when He undertakes to do anything, it
will be done, notwithstanding every opposing influence. When the
wicked have power to blow out the sun, that it shines no more; when
they have power to bring to a conclusion the operations of the
elements, suspend the whole system of nature, and make a footstool of
the throne of the Almighty, they may then think to check "Mormonism"
in its course, and thwart the unalterable purposes of heaven. Men may
persecute the people who believe its doctrines, report and publish
lies to bring tribulation upon their heads, earth and hell may unite
in one grand league against it, and exert their malicious powers to
the utmost, but it will stand as firm and immovable in the midst of it
all as the pillars of eternity. Men may persecute the Prophet, and
those who  believe and uphold [p.89] him, they may drive the Saints
and kill them, but this does not affect the truths of "Mormonism" one
iota, for they will stand when the elements melt with fervent heat,
the heavens are wrapt up like a scroll, and the solid earth is
dissolved. "Mormonism" stands upon the eternal basis of omnipotence.
Jehovah is the "Mormonism" of this people, their Priesthood and their
power; and all who adhere to it, will, in the appointed day, come up
into the presence of the King Eternal, and receive a crown of life.

Vol. 1, p.89
While speaking the other day to the people, I observed that "the race
was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong," neither riches to
men of wisdom. I happened to cast my eyes upon Ira Ames, who was
sitting in the congregation, I knew he had been in the Church a
considerable length of time, I have been personally acquainted with
him for twenty years. My eye also caught many more of the first Saints
at the same time. These men know that "Mormonism" is true, they have
moved steadily forward, and have not sought to become noted
characters, as many have; but, unseen as it were, they have maintained
their footing steadily in the right path. I could place my hand upon
many in this congregation, who will win the race, though they are not
very swift, to outward appearance, and they make not great
pretensions; they are found continually attending to their own
business. They do not appear to be great warriors, or as if they were
likely to win the battle. But what is their true character? They have
faith today, they are filled with faith, their words are few, but they
are full of integrity. You will find them to-morrow as they were
yesterday, or are today. Visit them when you will, or under whatever
circumstances, and you find them unalterably the same; and finally
when you have spent your life with them, you will find that their
lives throughout have been well spent, full of faith, hope, charity,
and good works, as far as they have had the ability. These are the
ones who will win the race, conquer in the battle, and obtain the
peace and righteousness of eternity.

Vol. 1, p.89
I would inquire if the congregation recollect the text for the season.
Let every man who preaches it act according to it himself. If those
who speak, do so by the Spirit of the Lord, they will speak according
to the text, for it is impossible ever to depart from it if they
remain in the truth. If they live to it, their whole lives will aim
directly to the one grand object, namely, to be encircled, wrapt up,
and surrounded with the knowledge of God; that will make them one,
(according to the text), prepare them to do unto others as they would
that others should do unto them, to keep the whole law 'of the Father
and the Son, and all the laws of the Celestial Kingdom which have
been, or ever will be, revealed, and to meet the Saviour at his
coming.

Vol. 1, p.89
It yields solid satisfaction to hear men testify of the truth of the
Gospel. It is always peculiarly interesting to me to hear the Saints
tell their experience. It is to me one of the best of sermons to hear
men and women relate to each other how the Lord has wrought upon their
Understanding, and brought them into the path of truth, life, and
salvation. I would rather hear men tell their own experience, and
testify that Joseph was a Prophet of the Lord, and that the Book of
Mormon, the Bible, and other revelations of God, are true; that they
know it by the gift and power of God; that they have conversed with
angels, have had the power of the Holy Ghost upon them, giving them
visions and revelations, than hear any  other kind of preaching that
ever saluted my ears. If I could command the [p.90] language and
eloquence of the angels of God, I would tell you why, but the
eloquence of angels never can convince any person that God lives, and
makes truth the habitation of his throne, independent of that
eloquence being clothed with the power of the Holy Ghost; in the
absence of this, it would be a combination of useless sounds. What is
it that convinces man? It is the influence of the Almighty,
enlightening his mind, giving instruction to the understanding. When
that which inhabits this body, that which came from the regions of
glory, is enlightened by the influence, power, and Spirit of the
Father of light, it swallows up the organization which pertains to
this world. Those who are governed by this influence lose sight of all
things pertaining to mortality, they are wholly influenced by the
power of eternity, and lose sight of time. All the honor, wisdom,
strength, and whatsoever is considered desirable among men, yea, all
that pertains to this organization, which is in any way independent of
that which came from the Father of our spirits, is obliterated to
them, and they hear and understand by the same power and spirit that
clothe the Deity, and the holy beings in His presence. Anything
besides that influence, will fail to convince any person of the truth
of the Gospel of salvation. This is the reason why I love to hear men
testify to the various operations of the Holy Spirit upon them—it is
at once interesting and instructive. When a subject is treated upon
with all the calculation, method, tact, and cunning of men, with the
effusions of worldly eloquence, before a congregation endowed with the
power of the Holy Ghost, and filled with the light of eternity, they
can understand the subject, trace its bearings, place all its parts
where they belong, and dispose of it according to the unalterable laws
of truth. This makes all subjects interesting and instructive to them.
But the case is quite different with those whose minds are not opened
and instructed by the power of God. Sermonizing, dividing, and
subdividing subjects, and building up a fine superstructure, a
fanciful and serial building, calculated to fascinate the mind,
coupled with the choicest eloquence of the world, will produce no good
to them. The sentiments of my mind, and the manner of my life, are to
obtain knowledge by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Vol. 1, p.90
If all the talent, tact, wisdom, and refinement of the world had been
sent to me with the Book of Mormon, and had declared, in the most
exalted of earthly eloquence, the truth of it, undertaking to prove it
by learning and worldly wisdom, they would have been to me like the
smoke which arises only to vanish away. But when I saw a man without
eloquence, or talents for public speaking, who could only say, "I
know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the Book of Mormon is true,
that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord," the Holy Ghost proceeding
front that individual illuminated my understanding, and light, glory,
and immortality were before me. I was encircled by them, filled with
them, and I knew for myself that the testimony of the man was true.
But the wisdom of the world, I say again, is like smoke, like the fog
of the night, that disappears before the rays of the luminary of day,
or like the hoar-frost in the warmth of the sun's rays. My own
judgment, natural endowments, and education bowed to this simple, but
mighty testimony. There sits the man who baptized me, (brother Eleazer
Miller.) It filled my system with light, and my soul with joy. The
world, with all its wisdom and power, and with all the glory and
gilded show of  its kings or potentates, sinks into perfect
insignificance, compared with the simple, unadorned testimony of the
[p.91] servant of God. Jesus said, "Consider the lilies of the field,"
behold the splendid, yet simple beauty of their clothing; even
Solomon, the greatest, and wisest of earthly kings, who swayed his
sceptre so as to be admired and feared by all nations—he, in all his
glory could not compare with one of these lilies, which you can sever
from its native stem, with the least effort, admire for a moment, and
then toss it from you. All that is considered valuable, precious,
glorious, or magnificent among men, cannot even compare with that
lily, which you tread under your feet, for beauty and excellence.

Vol. 1, p.91
The glory of man is fleeting as the twilight, and like the "baseless
fabric" of a dream, it vanishes away. It is fitly compared in the
Scriptures to the flower of the grass when it is cut down, which
whithers and is gone forever, but when the Almighty sheds forth His
Spirit upon an individual, or upon a people, the vision of their mind
is opened, so as to discern between the things pertaining to this
organization, and those pertaining to organizations which are brought
forth in other spheres, all things are made new to them, for all
things in the heavens and on the earth are in the power of the
Almighty, and can only be revealed unto mortals, in their proper
light, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Vol. 1, p.91
While brother Ames was relating his experience previous to believing
and embracing the faith of the Gospel, and the few words of
conversation that passed between him and brother George Curtis, this
question occurred to my mind—"What causes men and women, whose minds
have been unaccustomed to reflect upon theological subjects, to speak
so intelligently as soon as the Spirit of the Lord touches their
understanding?" The experience of most of the congregation can answer
this question. You are the oracle of the Spirit, the repository of the
intelligence that comes from another state of existence invisible to
the natural eye; of the influence that produces an effect without
revealing the cause, and is therefore called a miracle. You are
already acquainted with my views upon the doctrine of miracles. In
reality there can be no miracle, only to the ignorant. There are
spiritual agents, invisible to the natural eye, not only in us, but in
the elements, in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, who are
continually producing effects, the cause of which we cannot
comprehend.

Vol. 1, p.91
Does the experience of this people teach them what that is, which
causes men and women to speak that which is wrong? Many of them, but
not all, understand it tolerably well. Paul could not explain it
though he was one of Gamaliel's household servants, and probably swept
his house, or cleaned his sandals. However, he had an opportunity of
learning much, but, with all his learning and talent, he could not
explain this matter any better than his uneducated brethren. When he
would seek the Lord with all his heart, he found something in the way,
which endeavoured to overcome him, and block up his path, when he
pursued the course of righteousness; and the only way he could explain
it was by saying "when I would do good, evil is present with me." This
evil is with us, it is that influence which tempts to sin, and which
has been permitted to come into the world for the express purpose of
giving us an opportunity of proving ourselves before God, before Jesus
Christ our elder brother, before the holy angels, and before all good
men, that we are determined to overcome the evil, and cleave to the
good, for the Lord has given us the ability to do so. Consequently,
when the evil is present with me, I have a little fighting to do, I
must turn and combat it until it is eradicated from my affections, as
well as from my actions, [p.92] that I may have power to do all the
good I wish to perform. Every person is capable of this, all can
bridle their tongues, and cease from every evil act kern this time
henceforth and forever, and do good instead.

Vol. 1, p.92
There is an old maxim, and in many cases an excellent one, it is,
"think twice before you speak, and three times before you act." If we
train ourselves to think what we are about to do, before we do it, and
have understanding to know, and power to perform the good, we can
thereby avoid the evil that is present with us. When the enemy makes
war with me, I am thrown on the defensive, and if I use my weapons
skilfully, and with firmness of purpose, my antagonist must yield to
me the victory, the Lord being my helper. The Scriptures say—"Rebuke
the devil, and he will flee from you." This is the duty of every
Saint. When evil is present with us, we must overcome it, or be
overcome by it. When the devil is in our hearts, tempting us to do
that which is wrong, we must resist him or be led captive by trim.
When brother Ames, without giving himself time to pause or think, said
to the person who presented the Gospel to him—"I do not want to hear
one word about 'Mormonism,'" it was the evil in him that caused him so
to speak. Man is endowed with power and wisdom sufficient, if he will
exercise them, to hush to silence his tongue, and cause his hands to
cease their operations. His feet may he swift to shed blood, but he
has power to pause, and combat and conquer the enemy; for good is
present with him also, and he is influenced in a greater or less
degree, by the Spirit of the Lord. You experience these two opposites
of good and evil in yourselves every day you live, you are tried,
tempted, and overtaken in sin, by saying and doing that which is
wrong. Now from this time, henceforth, pause, and, whatever you do,
let it be done in a spirit of reflection, ever again act in haste, but
let your action always be the result of mature consideration. "Do not
hurry me," is one of the prominent characteristics of my history. I
frequently exhort the brethren not to be in a hurry, for we shall not
stop here, we are only hunting for the grave, and there is no fear but
we shall find it.

Vol. 1, p.92
We have embraced the Gospel, and are professedly Latter-day Saints,
but evil will introduce itself in the midst of my brethren, then I
have frequently to chastise them. There are two thousand persons in
this assembly, and if only half a dozed of them have done wrong, I
could not chastise them without appearing to chastise the whole
congregation, whist in reality is not so. By chastising the guilty,
however, it is impossible to spot the conscience of good men and
women, whose hearts are clean and pure as a piece of white paper.

Vol. 1, p.92
The Lord will help those who help themselves to do right. Should the
people be determined from this time henceforth, never to do anything
but good, and should go forth to build up the Kingdom of God, doing
everything in their power to promote the cause of truth, and never do
another wrong, it would be but a short time before this people would
be a holy people, sanctified unto the Lord. We are already the best
people on earth, but we can still improve, we are made for that
purpose, our capacities are organized to expand until we can receive
into our comprehension celestial knowledge and wisdom, and to continue
worlds without end.

Vol. 1, p.92
There is another thought which strikes my mind at this moment, upon
which it will perhaps be well enough to throw out a few ideas. It has
been, and is now, believed by numerous  individuals, that the brute
creation, by increase in knowledge and wisdom, t change their physical
or bodily [p.93] organization, through numerous states of existence,
so that the minutest insect, in the lapse of time, can take to itself
the human form, and vice versa. This is one of the most inconsistent
ideas that could be possibly entertained in the mind of man; it is
called the transmigration of souls. It is enough for me to know that
mankind are made to improve themselves. All creation, visible and
invisible, is the workmanship of our God, the supreme Architect and
Ruler of the whole, who organized the world, and created every living
thing upon it, to act in its sphere and order. To this end has He
ordained all things to increase and multiply. The Lord God Almighty
has decreed this principle to be the great governing law of existence,
and for that purpose are we formed. Furthermore, if men can understand
and receive it, mankind are organized to receive intelligence until
they become perfect in the sphere they are appointed to fill, which is
far ahead of us at present. When we use the term perfection, it
applies to man in his present condition, as well as to heavenly
beings. We are now, or may be, as perfect in our sphere as God and
Angels are in theirs, but the greatest intelligence in existence can
continually ascend to greater heights of perfection.

Vol. 1, p.93
We are created for the express purpose of increase. There are none,
correctly organized, but cart increase from birth to old age. What is
there that is not ordained after an eternal law of existence? It is
the Deity within us that causes increase. Does this idea startle you?
Are you ready to exclaim, "What! the Supreme in us!" Yes. He is in
every person upon the face of the earth. The elements that every
individual is made of and lives in, possess the Godhead. This you
cannot now understand, but you will hereafter· The Deity within us is
the great principle that causes us to increase, and to grow in grace
and truth. The operation once begun, strict obedience to the
requirements of heaven is necessary to obtain the end for which we
were created, therefore let us commence to do the will of God in
earnest from this time henceforth. Let the child, when he comes to
understanding, and the father communicates his will to him, say,
"Father, from this time, henceforth and for ever, I will do thy will."
So it has been, beginning with Father Adam, and so it will continue to
be the duty of big posterity who will be sanctified, and enter into
the celestial kingdom. This will cause every person to do unto others
as they would that others should do unto them, and will make them as
pure and holy in their sphere as Gott is in His. Commence with it, go
through the vail into eternity with it, and still continue, and the
end thereof no man on earth knoweth, nor the angels in heaven.

Vol. 1, p.93
Nothing short of the Holy Ghost will do us any lasting good. I told
you, in the beginning of my remarks, the truth as it is in heaven, and
on earth; as it is with angels, with Prophets, with all good people,
and with every sinner that dwells upon the earth. There is not a man
or woman that loves the truth, who has heard the report of the Book of
Mormon, but the Spirit of the Almighty has testified to him or her of
its truth; neither has any man heard the name of Joseph Smith, but the
Spirit has whispered to him—"He is a true Prophet."

Vol. 1, p.93
God has raised up a Prophet, brought forth the Book of Mormon,
influenced the people to lay the foundation of his kingdom, taking two
of a nation, and one of a family. When a person is worked upon by the
Spirit to believe the truth of the Gospel, the Devil tells him it is a
falsehood. And again, "the loss of my good name" exercises a powerful
influence against a person's embracing the truth, for if [p.94] he
determines to adhere to "Mormonism," his unbelieving friends take it
for granted that he is deluded. Therefore but a few prove themselves
worthy of the truth by taking the right path. Nearly all the world
pursue their own path, they will not believe the truth when it is
declared to them, nor see the light when it is before their eyes, but
they close their eyes, harden their hearts, and would rather believe a
he that they may be damned.

Vol. 1, p.94
I am experimentally conversant with the history of this Church further
back than brother Ames is, and he commenced in 1880. At that time it
was said, "Mormonism must be put down," but IT IS NOW LARGER THAN
EVER! They can only kill the body, and "Mormonism" is not altered by
that in the least. The Prophet Joseph was the oracle through which God
spoke; they slew his body, but "Momonism" is still the same. Had
"Mormonism" been a falsehood, the Devil and the world, instead of
fighting against it, would have sustained and built it up.

Vol. 1, p.94
Perhaps I have said enough to the brethren at this time. It would give
inc much pleasure if we could prevail on all the inhabitants of these
valleys, on the inhabitants of the whole earth and on ourselves, to
cease to do evil and learn to do well; that is all I could wish or ask
for. All I desire to live for is to see the inhabitants of the earth
acknowledge God, bow down to Him, and confess His supremacy, and His
righteous covenant. To Him let every knee bow, and every tongue
confess, and let all creation say Amen to His · wise providences. Let
every person declare his allegiance to God, and then live to it,
swing—"As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. As for me, and
all I have, it is the Lord's, and shall be dedicated to Him all my
days." If this can be done, happiness is here, angels are here, God is
here, and we are wrapped in the visions of eternity. But I am not the
Lord, and can do nothing more than others of His servants. I can do
good myself, and my brethren and sisters can do the same; we can
unitedly keep His commandments, and do His will. This is all I desire,
to make me happy here, and feel as well as I can in my mortal body.
When I see an Elder in Israel who is looked up to, who stands high in
the Kingdom of God, doing something to tarnish his own character, and
that of others, it grieves my spirit; but when I can see all the
people filled with the knowledge of God, then all is peace, all is
happiness with me.

Vol. 1, p.94
May the Lord help us to live our religion, from this time henceforth
and for ever. Amen. [p.95]

George A. Smith, October 1851

Plea of George A. Smith, Esq.,
on the Trial of Howard Egan for the Murder of James Monroe,

Before the Hon. Z. Snow, Judge of the First Judicial District Court
of the United States for the Territory of Utah.

Great Salt Lake City, October Term, 1851.

Vol. 1, p.95
Please the court, and gentlemen of the jury—With the blessing of the
Almighty, although not in a proper state of health, I feel disposed to
offer a few reasons, and to present a few arguments, and perhaps a few
authorities, upon the point in question. In the first place, I will
say, gentlemen of the Jury, you will have to bear with me in my manner
of communication, being but a new member of the bar, and unaccustomed
to addressing a Jury. The case upon which I am called to address you
is one of no small moment. It is one which presents before you, and to
investigate which involves, the life of a fellow-citizen.

Vol. 1, p.95
I am not prepared to refer to authorities on legal points, as I would
have been had not the trim been so hasty; but as it is, I shall
present my arguments upon a plain, simple principle of reasoning. Not
being acquainted with the dead languages, I shall simply talk the
common mountain English, without reference to anything that may be
technical. All I want is simple truth and justice. This defendant asks
not his life, if he deserves to die; but if he has done nothing but an
act of justice, he wishes that justice awarded to him.

Vol. 1, p.95
It is highly probable that the manner in which I may present my
arguments, may be exceptionable to the learned, or to the technical
policy of modern times; be that as it may, the plain simple truth is
what I am aiming at.

Vol. 1, p.95
I am happy to behold an intelligent jury, who are looking for justice
instead of some dark, sly, or technical course by which to bias their
judgment. I shall refer in the first instance to an item of law, which
was quoted by the learned prosecutor yesterday, in which he stated to
this jury, that the person killed should be, or must be, a reasonable
creature. Now what dark meaning, what unknown interpretation the
learned and deep-read men of law may give by which to interpret this
language, it is impossible for me to say; as I said before, it is the
plain mountain English I profess to talk. It was admitted on the part
of the prosecution, that James Monroe, who is alleged in this
indictment to have been killed by Howard Egan, had seduced Egan's
wife; that he had come into this place in the absence of her husband,
and had seduced his family, in consequence of which, an illegitimate
child had been brought into the world; and the disgrace which must
arise from such a transaction in his family, had fallen on the head of
the defendant. This was admitted by the prosecution. Now, gentlemen of
the jury, according to plain mountain English, a reasontable creature
will not [p.96] commit such an outrage upon his fellow man; that is
the plain positive truth, as we understand things.

Vol. 1, p.96
But, perhaps, this defendant is to be tried by the laws of England,
and perhaps in England they have a different understanding of the
passage Suppose I admit it for argument's sake. It was a point
repeatedly argued and decided by Chancellor Kent, that every honest
man was a lawyer, and that the intent of the law was to do justice.
The Statute or Organic Law of Utah, which extends the laws of the
United States, and secondly, in a degree, the laws of England, over
this country, makes a reservation in the matter, which reservation I
wish you to consider favorably, for the benefit of my client—"The laws
of the United States are hereby extended, and decreed to be in force
for said territory, so far as the same or any provision thereof may be
applicable." Now we do not consider the wise legislators extended
these laws over this territory, only that they should be extended
where they should be applicable; they no doubt supposed they might not
be applicable in certain cases, and therefore wisely inserted that
clause. Then, if a law is to be in force upon us, it must be plain and
simple to the understanding, and be applicable to our situation.

Vol. 1, p.96
I will quote history instead of law. I will go back to the time when
Rome was a young and flourishing state; when in the midst of
prosperity they thought proper to procure a code of laws; and being
wilderness men, they sent to the wise and learned Greeks for a code of
laws. The wisest lawyers of Greece were selected, who formed first a
code written upon ten tables, and finally added two others, which were
received by the Roman Senate. Now I wish you to understand me as
bringing this up by way of illustration, knowing that these men before
me are sworn to execute justice, and if I can illustrate this to their
understanding, one point is gained, so far as it has a bearing upon
this case.

Vol. 1, p.96
The laws of the twelve tables were formed for a people possessing the
Greek refinements and Greek ideas, Greek notions of right and wrong;
these laws were made according to a genius of liberty known among that
ripened confederacy. They were brought to Rome, to a people entirely
different in their genius, who placed different values upon different
points, and had different views of right and wrong; they had to put
them in force: and, let me ask you, what was the result? Read the
pages of history, and hundreds of mourning families will tell the sad
tale! The truth is written with the blood of thousands, through taking
the rules, laws, and regulations of an old and rotten confederacy, and
applying them to a new and flourishing territory! I argue, then, that
these laws, which may have force in Old England, are totally
inapplicable to plain mountain men.

Vol. 1, p.96
I want to inquire whether the genius, and the spirit, and the actual
existing principle of justice and right, which abide in the
inhabitants of these mountains, are the same as those found among the
nations of the old world? And whether such an application of law and
justice as that I have just noticed is applicable to us?

Vol. 1, p.96
In England, when a man seduces the wife or relative of another, the
injured enters a civil suit for damages, which may perhaps cost him
five hundred pounds, to get his case through; and, as a matter of
course, if he unfortunately belongs to the toiling million, he may get
twenty pounds as damages. In this case, character is not estimated,
neither reputation, but the number of pounds, shillings, and pence
alone bear the sway, which is common in courts of all old and rotten
governments.

Vol. 1, p.97
In taking this point into [p.97] consideration, I argue that in this
territory it is a principle of mountain common law, that no man can
seduce the wife of another without endangering his own life. I may be
asked for books. Common law is, in reality, unwritten law; and all the
common law that has been written is the decision of courts; and every
time some new decision comes up, it is written, which you may find
stacked up in the Attorney General's office, in Great Britain. This is
continuing: fresh decisions are still being made, and new written
authorities added, and precedent upon precedent established in the
courts of the United States and Great Britain; and must we be judged
by these ten thousand books?

Vol. 1, p.97
What is natural justice with this people? Does a civil suit for
damages answer the purpose, not with an isolated individual, but with
this whole community? No! it does not! The principle, the only one
that beats and throbs through the heart of the entire inhabitants of
this Territory, is simply this: The man who seduces his neighbor's
wife must die, and her nearest relative must kill him!

Vol. 1, p.97
Call up the testimony of the witness, Mr. Horner, and what does he
say? After Mr. Egan had killed Monroe, he was the first one to meet
him. Egan said, "Do you know the cause?" Mr. Horner had been made
acquainted with it; he said he advised Monroe, and told him for God's
sake to leave the train, for he did not wish to see him killed in his
train. Mr. Horner knew the common law of this Territory: he was
acquainted with the genius and spirit of this people: he knew that
Monroe's life was forfeited, and the executor was after him, or he
(the executor) was damned in the eyes of this people for ever. "Do
leave the train," says Horner; "I would not have you travel in it for
a thousand dollars."—Was Monroe a reasonable creature? A dog that
steals a bone will hide away; but will a man be called a reasonable
creature, when he knows the executioner is on his track, and at the
same time walk right over the law, crawl between the sheets of a
fellow-citizen, and there lay his crocodile eggs, and then think to
stow away gunpowder in a glowing furnace? If we are called upon here
to say whether a reasonable creature has been killed, a negative reply
is certain.

Vol. 1, p.97
Not Mr. Horner only, who has testified that he knew the cause of the
deed, but a number of others. When the news reached Iron County, that
Egan's wife had been seduced by Monroe, the universal conclusion was,
"there has to be another execution;" and if Howard Egan had not killed
that man, he would have been damned by the community for ever, and
could not have lived peaceably, without the frown of every man. Now we
see that the laws of England only require a civil suit for damages, in
a case of seduction; but are these laws to be applied to us who
inhabit these mountain heights? The idea is preposterous. You might as
well think of applying to us the law of England which pertains to the
sovereign lady, the Queen, alone. I will apply it, and with much
better sense: "To seduce the sovereign lady, the Queen, is death by
the law." I will say, here, in our own Territory, we are the sovereign
people, and to seduce the wife of a citizen is death by the common
law,

Vol. 1, p.97
There is no doubt but this case may be questioned, but there is an
American common law, as well as an English common law. Had I the books
before me, which are at hand in the public library, I might show you
parallel instances in the United States, where persons standing in a
like position to this defendant have been cleared. I will refer to the
case of "New Jersey v. Mercer," for killing Hibberton, the seducer of
his sister, The circumstance took place upon a [p.98] public
ferry-boat, where Hibberton was shot in a close carriage in the most
public manner. After repeated jury sittings upon his case, the
decision was NOT GUILTY. We will allow this to be set down as a
precedent, and, if you please, call it American common law. I will
refer to another case: that of "Louisiana v. Horton," for the killing
of the seducer of his sister. The jury in this case also found the
prisoner NOT GUILTY. This is the common practice in the United States,
that a man who kills the seducer of his relative is set free.

Vol. 1, p.98
A case of this kind came under my own observation in Kentucky. A man,
for taking the life of the seducer of his sister, was tried and
acquitted, although he did the deed in the presence of hundreds of
persons: he shot him not more than ten feet from the Court House. I
saw the prosecutor, and conversed with him, and have a knowledge of
the leading facts. I bring these instances before the jury, to show
that there are parallel cases to the one before us in American
jurisprudence; and yet, in some of the States a civil suit for damages
will answer the purpose. 

Vol. 1, p.98
Walker, on this subject, for instance, in the State of Ohio; tells us
in cases of this kind a civil suit may be instituted, and a fine be
imposed; the civil suit may bring damages according to the character
of the person, and that is considered an equivalent for the crime.
What is the reason that these civil suits are tried in this way? It is
because the spirit which actually reigns in these rotten and overgrown
countries is to prostitute female virtue.

Vol. 1, p.98
Go to the cities of Great Britain where the census reports between two
and three hundred thousand prostitutes: if a man seduces a female, no
matter how it occurs, a few pence is all the scoundrel pays. He damns
the woman, who is consigned to infamy, and compelled to linger out a
short existence, and ultimately covers her shame, seeking repose in a
premature grave; and this is the spirit and genius, not only of the
people of Great Britain, but of some of the States also. How is it
here in these mountains, where the genius, spirit, and regulations of
society are different from those old nations? Why, men are under the
necessity of respecting female chastity, when a seducer is no more
secure abroad than the dog is that is found killing sheep. Female
virtue is not protected by those old governments; but they are corrupt
institutions, which prostitute and destroy the female character and
race.

Vol. 1, p.98
Just consider this matter. Are the law, the genius, the spirit, and
the institutions of a people who go in for preserving inviolate—in
perfect innocence, the chastity of the entire female sex—are they to
compare with the spirit and the genius of communities that only value
it by a few dimes? Is that law to be executed on us? I say that the
Congress of the United States have wisely provided that the laws of
the United States shall not extend over us any further than that they
are applicable.

Vol. 1, p.98
The Jury will please to excuse my manner of treating this matter: I am
but a young lawyers—this is my first case, and the first time I ever
undertook to talk to a Jury in a court of justice. I say, in my own
manner of talking upon the point before you, a fellow citizen, known
among us for years, is tried for his life; and for what? For the
justified killing of a hyena, that entered his sheets, seduced his
wife, and introduced a monster into his family! and to be tried, too,
by the laws of a government ten thousand miles from here!

Vol. 1, p.98
If Howard Egan did kill James Monroe, it was in accordance with the
established principles of justice known in these mountains. That the
people [p.99] of this Territory would have regarded him as accessory
to the crimes of that creature, had he not done it, is also a plain
case. Every man knew the style of old Israel, that the nearest
relation would be at his heels to fulfil the requirements of justice.

Vol. 1, p.99
Now I wish you, gentlemen of the jury, to consider that the United
States have not got the jurisdiction to hang that man for this
offence: the laws are not applicable to it; they have ceded away the
power to do that thing: it belongs to the people of this territory;
and, as a matter of course, we deny the right of this court to hang
this defendant, on principles that have been ceded away to somebody
else to act upon.

Vol. 1, p.99
For instance, the learned attorney for the prosecution read a certain
item in the law of the United States yesterday to the jury, that they
might know how to act. Now this is presented to us as a case of
exclusive jurisdiction, and, as a matter of course, no common law must
be brought in, but we are called upon to hang a man according to the
customs of a nation ten thousand miles from here, whose principles,
organization, spirit, ideas of right and wrong, of crime and justice,
are quite different from those which prevail in this young and
flourishing territory. To enforce these laws would be highly
pernicious to our prosperity as a people, and as a nation. Therefore,
Congress has wisely provided that the people of this territory should
not be thus imposed upon; for instance, as long ago as .Sept. 9, 1850,
they passed an act providing for the organization of a judiciary, that
an original jurisdiction should be acknowledged, as far as the same be
applicable to us, AND NO FURTHER. This act of killing has been
committed within the Territory of Utah, and is not therefore under the
exclusive jurisdiction of the United States.

Vol. 1, p.99
I have been admitted to speak before this intelligent court, for which
I feel grateful; and I come before you, not for the pence of that
gentleman, the defendant, but to plead for the honor and rights of
this whole people, and the defendant in particular; and, gentlemen of
the jury, with the limited knowledge I have of law, were I a juryman,
I would lie in the jury room until the worms should draw me through
the key-hole, before I would give in my verdict to hang a man for
doing an act of justice, for the neglect of which he would have been
damned in the eyes of this whole community.

Vol. 1, p.99
I make this appeal to you, that you may give unto us a righteous
verdict, which will acquit Mr. Egan, that it may be known that the man
who shall insinuate himself into the community, and seduce his
neighbor's wife, or seduce or prostitute any female, may expect to
find no more protection than the wolf would find, or the dog that the
shepherd finds killing the sheep: that he may be made aware that he
cannot escape for a moment.

Vol. 1, p.99
God said to Cain, I will put a mark upon you, that no man may kill
you. I want the crocodile, the hyena, that would destroy the
reputation of our females to feel that the mark is upon him; and the
avenger upon his path, ready to pounce upon him at any moment to take
vengeance; and this, that the chastity of our women, our wives and
daughters, may be preserved: that the community may rest in peace, and
no more be annoyed by such vile depredations.

Vol. 1, p.99
Should the jury feel it their duty to return a verdict in favor of the
defence, you are aware that you are borne out in this by the
precedents already set up by the Courts of the United States in the
few instances I have noticed; that the jurisdiction of the United
States extending to this case, does not exist; that the laws of the
[p.100] United States do not apply to it at all; and as men who look
for justice, as intelligent lawyers, knowing what is right and wrong,
must know, that a verdict, such as the defendant desires, will alone
bear justly on the case.

Vol. 1, p.100
I feel very thankful to the honorable court, and to the jury, as also
to the spectators, for the audience given me; and, as I said, in the
commencement, my health not being good, I was unable to take hold of
this business so as to treat it in a manner to satisfy myself, and do
justice to the case of my client; and I would say further, what I have
said has been in my own mountain English; what the learned prosecutor
may be able to show I cannot tell; enough has been said to show you
that this defendant has a right, upon just and pure principles, to be
acquitted.

Honorable Z. Snow, October 1851

Charge of Hon. Z. Snow, Judge of the First Judicial District Court
of the United States for the Territory of Utah, to the Jury,
on the Trial of Howard Egan for the Murder of James Monroe.

Great Salt Lake City, October Term, 1851.

Vol. 1, p.100
Gentlemen of the Jury—The grand jury, called and sworn on behalf of
the United States, having presented an indictment against Howard Egan,
for the murder of James Monroe—it becomes our duty to proceed with the
case, and if he should be convicted or found guilty of violating the
laws of the United States in this behalf, to pass sentence against
him. For the purpose of determining the facts, you have been
empannelled and sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence
which should be given you in court. You will readily see that your
duty is important. It is the right of the United States, the right of
the citizens of this territory, and the right of the defendant, to
insist that you shall now discharge that duty without fear, affection,
or partiality. It is the right of us all to insist that, when a crime
has been committed, the offender shall be punished by due course of
law, but not otherwise. We have no right to punish a person for a real
or imaginary wrong, except with the authority of law. The safety of
ourselves individually, and of society, depends on the correct and
faithful administration of good and wholesome laws. No one ought to be
punished unless he be guilty of an act worthy of punishment, nor even
then, unless that act has been declared to be penal by the law of the
land, and the punishment directed, nor until he has had an opportunity
of having a fair and impartial trial, for, peradventure, he may not be
guilty as alleged against him. If the law suffered a person to be
punished upon mere rumour, or upon strong circumstance, accompanied
with the communication of our best—our [p.101] bosom friends, without
the usual tests of truth which have been established, we might well
pause and wonder whereunto this would grow.

Vol. 1, p.101
Gentlemen, you are the exclusive judges of the facts, and the court is
to be the judge of the law when the facts are found by you. Murder may
be defined to be, the unlawful killing of a human being in the peace
of the Republic, with malice prepense, or of forethought, by another
human being who is of sound mind and discretion.

Vol. 1, p.101
In this case, there is no pretence but that the defendant, at the time
of the alleged killing of James Monroe, was of sound mind and
discretion; so you are relieved of that part of the case. When you
retire to your jury-room, you will first proceed to inquire from the
evidence, whether or not James Monroe be dead. If you do not find him
to be dead, that ends the case, and your verdict must be, not guilty.
If you find him to be dead, you will proceed to inquire by what means
he came to his death; if by violence, then inquire whether or not the
defendant gave him the mortal wound. If you find he did not, that ends
your inquiries, and he is entitled to a verdict of not guilty. If you
find the defendant gave him the mortal wound, you will then inquire
whether the killing was lawful or unlawful. In law every killing of
one human being by another of sound mind, is unlawful, except such as
the law excuses or justifies.

Vol. 1, p.101
If a person when doing a lawful act, by accident kills another, it is
excusable homicide. If a person kills another on a sudden attack in
defence of himself, wife, child, parent, or servant, it is excusable
homicide. If the proper officer executes the sentence of the law upon
another, by taking his life pursuant to the judgment of a court
legally rendered, it is justifiable homicide. If an officer of the law
in the exercise of a particular legal duty, is forcibly resisted or
prevented, and, without malice, kills the one who resists, it is
justifiable homicide. If a homicide be committed to prevent the
forcible commission of an atrocious crime, such as murder, robbery,
rape, &c., it is justifiable; but it is not so if done to punish the
offender after the crime has been committed. If you find any of these
in favor of the defendant, then your verdict must be, not guilty; but
if none of these things exist, then the killing, if it has taken
place, is unlawful: in that event, you will proceed to inquire, in
regard to the malice prepense, or malice aforethought. Malice
prepense, or malice aforethought, means premeditated malice, or malice
thought of, before the killing occurred. It may be a meditation for a
few moments only, or it may be of tong standing; it may be owing to
injury, real or imaginary, received from the deceased, by the accused.
The law does not permit a person to take the redress of grievances
into his own hands. Though the deceased may have seduced the
defendant's wife, as he now alleges, still he had no right to take the
remedy into his own bands. If, for seduction, the law inflicted the
punishment of death, it would not justify nor excuse the injured party
from guilt, if he inflicted death without a judgment of the law to
that effect, nor even with such a judgment, unless he be the officer
of the law appointed for that purpose. If, as it is contended by the
defendant's attorney, he killed Monroe in the name of the Lord, it
does not change the law of the case. A man may violate a law of the
land, and be guilty, and yet, so far as he is concerned, do it in the
name of the Lord. If, as it has been contended by the district
attorney, the defendant, before he left the city, formed the design of
killing Monroe; or if he so formed the design after he left, and
before he met him; or if he formed it while in conversation with him,
it was malice prepense or [p.102] aforethought. If the deceased did
seduce the defendant's wife, and begat a child with her; and if for
this the defendant killed him, in law, the killing was unlawful.

Vol. 1, p.102
Should you be of the opinion in all these things, that the defendant
is guilty, then the place in which the act was committed becomes
material. This would not in most cases affect the general result,
provided the crime be committed within the jurisdiction of the court
trying the accused.

Vol. 1, p.102
The materiality in this case, arises in consequence of the peculiar
relationship of the United States courts with the courts of the
several States and Territories. The jurisdiction of the United States
courts is separate and distinct from the jurisdiction of the State
courts. But in the Territories, the same judges sit in matters arising
out of the constitution and laws of the United States, as well as the
laws of their respective Territories. This, to me, has been the most
difficult part of the case. The Territorial courts being of a mixed
jurisdiction partly national and partly local in their organization,
it becomes important to keep in view these two jurisdictions. When
sitting as a court of the United States, we must try criminals by the
laws of the United States, and not by the Territorial laws; we must
look to them for our authority to punish violators of the law.

Vol. 1, p.102
When sitting as Territorial courts we must try criminals by the laws
of the Territory, and look to them for our authority to punish. If the
laws of the United States do not authorize us to punish in a case like
the present as we are now sitting as a United States court, the
defendant, for this reason, is entitled to a verdict of, not guilty.

Vol. 1, p.102
The United States have no right to pass a law to punish criminals,
except in those cases which are authorized by the constitution. These
may be said to be national in their character, and to extend to all
places under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States,
but they do not extend to those. places within the United States, when
there is an existing State or Territorial jurisdiction, unless they
are to protect its necessary internal authorities, such as protecting
its postal arrangements, its revenue laws, its courts-and officers,
and the like cases. There is a large extent of country between this
city and the Missouri river, over which the United States have the
sole and exclusive jurisdiction; and there is a part of this same
country within the jurisdiction of the State of Missouri, and another
part within the jurisdiction of this Territory.

Vol. 1, p.102
It is the right of every American citizen to have full and ample
protection in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and happiness; and the
duty of the United States, in those places where it has the sole and
exclusive jurisdiction, to extend that protecting hand over them; and
the duty of the States and Territories in their respective
jurisdictions, subject to the constitution and laws of the United
States, to extend a like protecting hand. By this you will see that
the United States, when it established the Territorial governments,
giving them the right of legislation, created a jurisdiction within
its own jurisdiction, but subject to its supervisory control:
therefore it has not the sole and exclusive jurisdiction within the
limits of the existing Territories.

Vol. 1, p.102
By the 3rd section of the act of Congress, approved April 30, 1790,
chapter 9, it is enacted, "that if any person or persons shall, within
any fort, arsenal, dock-yard, magazine, or any other place or district
of country, under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United
States, commit the crime of wilful murder, such person or persons on
being thereof convicted, shall suffer death."

Vol. 1, p.103
[p.103] You see by this law, the crime must be committed within the
places over which the United States have the sole and exclusive
jurisdiction. You will look to the evidence given you in court for the
facts of the case; if you find the crime, if any has been committed,
was committed Within that extent of country between this and the
Missouri river, over which the United States have the sole and
exclusive jurisdiction, your verdict must be guilty. If you do not
find the crime to have been committed there, but in the Territory of
Utah, the defendant, for that reason, is entitled to a verdict of, not
guilty. If, in any of these points, you entertain reasonable doubts,
you may give the defendant the benefit of these doubts. Reasonable
doubts are not merely capricious doubts, but such as reasonable men
may honestly entertain. We often have painful duties to discharge, but
ought not for this reason to shrink from duty. It is better to bear
with many wrong acts, than for the accomplishment of a given object,
to depart from the great and well-approved principles on. which mainly
depend our lives, liberty, and happiness. Gentlemen, the case for the
present, is committed to your, consideration.

Brigham Young, May 8, 1853

President B. Young's Journey South—Indian Difficulties—
Walker—Watching and Prayer—Thieves and Their Deserts
—Eastern Intelligence—Financial State of the Church—
Gaining Knowledge, Etc.

An Address Delivered By President Brigham Young,
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, May 8, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.103
I take the liberty to occupy a short time, this morning, in addressing
my brethren and sisters.

Vol. 1, p.103
I do not profess to be extensively. versed in historical lore, still I
expect to be able to relate a small portion of my own history to you
this morning, referring especially to the latter part of my life, say
for three weeks trust.

Vol. 1, p.103
It is known by you all, that I started from this place with the
intention of journeying south to the extent of our southern
settlements, but I have returned short of performing that journey. I
will state the reasons why, that the minds of the people may be at
rest, and freed from anxiety.

Vol. 1, p.103
We went to the city of Provo, in Utah Valley; where I bad some
business to attend to. We tarried there a short time before proceeding
on our journey, the principal items of which I wish to lay before the
brethren, in connexion with some circumstances that had transpired
previous to our leaving this place. These circumstances combined
together, caused a  suspicious. feeling in my own heart. I have
endeavored all my life to follow one portion of the instructions of
the [p.104] Saviour to his disciples, that is, to "WATCH." I am a very
watchful man.

Vol. 1, p.104
Previous to my starting from this city, there was an express sent from
Iron county, that Indian Walker manifested hostile feelings; for it
seems he had drawn out his men on a small portion of our brethren, and
commanded them to return home, when they were in pursuit of supposed
thieves; these Indians would not suffer them to proceed any further.

Vol. 1, p.104
This circumstance, small as it might appear to some, caused suspicion
in my mind that all was not right with the Indian chief, though I
expected to visit him on my journey.

Vol. 1, p.104
After tarrying at the city of Provo a day and a night, I was accosted
in a very abrupt manner by a stranger, a person that I knew nothing
of, and had never seen before. I have learned since that he is an
American from the State of New York, and has been living in New Mexico
some years. This person came to my carriage, while I was standing upon
the steps of it, arranging my luggage, preparatory to proceeding
onward, and said in a rough, authoritative tone, "Is Governor Young in
this carriage?" "No, sir," I said, "but he is on the steps of it. What
is wanting?" I turned round to see who addressed me, and saw this
stranger, dressed in buck-skin, pretty well smoked. He said, "I have a
little privacy with you." Stepping aside, far enough not to be heard
by any other person, I said, "Say on, sir." "But I want to see you in
private," he replied. I said, "I have no privacy with strangers; if
you have any communication to make to me, you can do it by letter." He
walked, and left me. That was all that passed between us. As soon as
he intimated that he wanted a private conference with me, I scanned
the man, and saw that his pockets were filled with deadly weapons, and
of his intentions I had my own thoughts.

Vol. 1, p.104
I went about my business, but in the meantime sent a man to
reconnoitre him, to whom he made some haughty expression about
Governor Young. Said he, "Governor Young need not feel so damned
important, I associate with Governors when I am at home, and have
money enough to buy Governor Young and all his wives." He further
said, "I have four hundred Mexicans waiting my orders, and can have as
many more if I wish, besides, the Indians here are all at my command."

Vol. 1, p.104
I soon learned to my satisfaction, that he had come into the Territory
to buy Indian children, and sell them again for slaves. Therefore I
issued the Proclamation which you have no doubt read in the pages of
the News, gave orders to the Lieutenant General, and he has done what
he has.

Vol. 1, p.104
We proceeded on our journey, and found that this man had been trading
with the Indians. He said, "He asked no odds of the authorities of
this Territory, but calculated to buy all the Indian children he
could." He was told it was against the law. He replied," Catching is
before hanging."

Vol. 1, p.104
When I arrived at San Pete, I learned that one hundred and fifty Yampa
Utes on the west fork of the Sevier river, had come over to Walker's
camp. I did not believe that this Mexican trader had four hundred
Mexicans lying on the head waters of the Sevier, for I did not think
that i men would patiently wait in the snow and frost for a man of his
appearance. Instead of Mexicans, they turned out to be those Yampa
Utes.

Vol. 1, p.104
I sent out a reconnoitering party consisting of thirty men, to learn
their intentions, if possible; also the whereabouts of D. B.
Huntington, who had gone previously, but I have not  heard from them,
nor him, since they left [p.105] us at Salt Creek, about a week ago
last Tuesday morning. Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich proceeded on
their journey, and omitted calling at San Pete. I went to San Pete to
learn the situation and proceedings of the Indians. Arapeen, it
appeared from some cause, had been dissatisfied, and had left. Before
he left, he gave them to understand that he desired peace, and wanted
to live in peace. However, I was prepared for whites, reds, or blacks,
by night and by day, and always intend to be.

Vol. 1, p.105
This is a short account of my journey. I wished to lay it before you
as it was, in consequence of the different statements which have been
made, that vary considerably from the truth, after passing through a
few hands. After relating the simple facts as they existed, you may
regard them as you please; but when you tell them over again to your
neighbors, tell them as they were, or not at all.

Vol. 1, p.105
I have heard a great many different stories since I came home, and
find the minds of the people very much agitated about the probable
result of the hostilities of the Indians, and the presence of the
Mexicans among them. I will tell you the reason why I returned home
before accomplishing the remainder of my contemplated journey—it was
because I wished to return. You may inquire why I wished to return. I
will tell you. I am a great coward myself, I do not wish to rush into
danger imprudently. If there should happen to be any trouble with
Indians, and I away from this place, there would be more trouble here
than with me. Of this I was fully aware, and it was proved to my
satisfaction when I returned home. Imagined danger always produces the
most trouble. The Indians are very much as they say the whites are,
that is, uncertain—not to be trusted. The whites may be uncertain, but
I know the Indians are. I dislike to trust them far. I never wish to
be injured, nor have this people injured by Indian depredations,
committed upon them; and if the Saints will do as they are told, they
will never suffer from that quarter in this Territory.

Vol. 1, p.105
Take up the history of the first settling of America, and you cannot
read of a colony ever being settled in the midst of savages, without
having trouble, and suffering more from them than this people have in
Utah. What iS the reason? It is because those people did not know how
to take care of themselves. We can scarcely read of one colony founded
among the aborigines in the first settling of this country, wherein
the tomahawk of wild Indians did not drink the blood of whole
families. Here there have been no such deeds committed; because when
we first entered Utah, we were prepared to meet all the Indians in
these mountains, and kill every soul of them if we had been obliged so
to do. This preparation secured to us peace.

Vol. 1, p.105
Every settlement that have been made in these valleys of the
mountains, have received strict charges from me, to build, in the
first place, a Fort, and live in it until they were sufficiently
strong to live in a town; to keep their guns and ammunition well
prepared for any emergency; and never cease to keep up a night watch,
if any apprehensions of the Indians being hostile were entertained. We
have suffered nothing from them, compared with what we have suffered
from white men who are disposed to steal; and I would rather take my
chance to-day for good treatment among Indians, than I would among
white men of this character.

Vol. 1, p.105
I have no recollection of the Indians killing any of this community,
except one man, which happened about three years ago this spring, who
[p.106] had started for California, on foot and alone, against
counsel. The red skins found him and slew him. I have never heard of
their even disturbing a family; and I do not intend that they ever
shall, if watching, and praying, and being ready for them will prevent
it.

Vol. 1, p.106
I have always acknowledged myself a coward, and hope I always may be,
to make me cautious enough to preserve myself and my brethren from
falling ignobly by a band of Indians. I am satisfied that the men who
follow Walker, who is the king of the Indians in these mountains, do
it out of fear, and not because they have real regard for their
leader. If he becomes hostile, and wishes to commit depredations upon
the persons or property of this people, he shall be wiped out of
existence, and every man that will follow him. This is my calculation,
and I wish you to be ready for it.

Vol. 1, p.106
Yesterday morning, we received a communication from father Morley, in
which we were informed that Walker and Arapeen came down to pay him a
visit. The morning that we left San Pete, we sent back by the hands of
Arapeen's two messengers, some little presents in the shape of shirts
and tobacco. Walker said to Father Morley, "Tell brother Brigham, we
have smoked the tobacco he sent us in the pipe of peace; I want to be
at peace, and be a brother to him." That is all right. But it is truly
characteristic of the cunning Indian, when he finds he cannot get
advantage over his enemy, to curl down at once, and say "I love you."
It is enough for me to know that Walker dare not attempt to hurt any
of our settlements. I care not whether they love me or not. I am
resolved, however, not to trust his love any more than I would a
stranger's. I do not repose confidence in persons, only as they prove
themselves confidential; and I shall live a long while before I can
believe that an Indian is my friend, when it would be to his advantage
to be my enemy.

Vol. 1, p.106
I wish now to put you in mind of a few things. Do you pray for Israel?
You will no doubt answer in the affirmative. These Indians are the
seed of Israel, through the loins of Joseph who was sold into Egypt;
they are the children of Abraham, and belong to the chosen seed; were
it not so, you would never have seen them with dark, red skins. This
is in consequence of the curse that has been placed upon them, which
never would have come upon them in the world, had their fathers not
violated the order of God, which was formerly among them; for in
proportion to the light they sinned against, so were they reduced by
the curse of God, which has been visited upon their children for many
generations. They are of the House of Israel, and the time has come
for the Lord to favor Zion, and redeem Israel. We are here in the
mountains, with these Lamanites for our neighbors, and I hesitate not
to say, if this people possessed the faith they ought to have, the
Lord Almighty would never suffer any of the sons of Jacob to injure
them in the least; no never.

Vol. 1, p.106
But I am suspicious that this poeple do not possess the faith they
should have, therefore I calculate to carry with me proper weapons of
defence, that if a man should aim a blow at my person to take away my
life, before he is aware, he himself is numbered with the dead. I have
always been thus prepared for years. It is a matter of serious doubt
in my mind, whether this people have faith enough to control the
Indians in these mountains, by that alone, without works. Again, you
may pray as fervently for them as for yourselves, which I  have always
done; it is my business to pray for them, and seek the [p.107]
redemption of Israel, but something more is wanted to hold them at
bay.

Vol. 1, p.107
Who are Israel? They are those who are of the seed of Abraham, that
have received the promise through their forefathers; and all the rest
of the children of men, who receive the truth, are also Israel. My
heart is always drawn out for them, whenever I go to the throne of
grace. I love Israel, I long for their salvation, and look forward
with a desire full of hope and peace to the day when they will be
gathered and saved; when their forefathers who enjoyed the Gospel, and
through their faithfulness received great promises and blessings for
their posterity, shall see them fulfilled upon their heads.

Vol. 1, p.107
I wish you to have faith to lay hold on the promises, and claim them
as your own. If you had faith like the ancients, you might escape the
edge of the sword, stop the mouths of the lions, quench the violence
of fire, open the prison doors, and burst asunder iron fetters—all
this could be accomplished by faith. But, lest you should not have
faith, we have caused to be done that which has been done, in having
this people prepared for any emergency that should arise. My advice is
be on the watch. all the time. Do not lie down, and go to sleep, and
say all is well, lest, in an hour when you think not, sudden
destruction overtake you.

Vol. 1, p.107
We will carry this out a little further. Never permit yourself to
sleep in your houses until your doors are made perfectly secure, that
the Indians cannot come in and kill you in your sleep. In this respect
the people generally are careless, and perfectly unconcerned. Some
want to be separated far from their neighbors, and own all the land
around them saying "all is right, all is peace, and the Indians are
perfectly good natured, and wish us no harm;" wrapping themselves up
in the mantle of security, with a few shattered boards roughly put
together for a door to their houses, and that without any fastening.
Were it not that the people of this city are kept stirred up
continually, and teased from time to time by some person on this
matter, it would not be one year before fifty men could conquer and
slay the whole of the inhabitants.

Vol. 1, p.107
Are you sure you have faith enough to bind Satan so that he can have
no influence in this city? If you are not, you had better watch as
well as pray. Are you sure you have faith enough to control the
ungovernable nature of the Lamanites, or subdue a Gentile mob? If you
have, I am glad of it, it is the first time this people ever enjoyed
it. Even suppose you have faith to accomplish all this, will you add
no works to your faith? And if you have the spirit of prayer to an
almost unlimited degree, will you cease to watch? I have prayed many
times. and had a man at the door to watch for the murderer who
thirsted for my blood. Then he would pray, and I would watch. What
for? To kill the blood-thirsty villain. I would not go and seek for
him, but when he came to kill me in my own house, I wished to be
prepared to disembody his. spirit, to save my own tabernacle, and send
his down to the dust, and let him go to the place prepared for
murderers, even to hell.

Vol. 1, p.107
Suppose we had faith enough to accomplish all we have been speaking
of, which would be the most proper, to use prayer alone without
watching, and have faith alone without works, or watch and add works
to faith? I will mix works with my faith, and watching with my prayer,
and reap the benefits of their united operation.

Vol. 1, p.107
A few words more concerning Walker the Indian. He sent word to us that
he was coming down to this city to trade. That is all right, it is
very good. I expect he will be peaceable, [p.108] and the rest of the
Indians also. I have no doubt of it. Why? Because they dare not be any
other way. If they dare be otherwise, I know not how quick they would
be at war with us. But they will be kind and peaceable, because they
are afraid to die, and that is enough for me.

Vol. 1, p.108
If they will in the least receive the spirit of the Gospel, I shall be
glad of it. There is no doubt in my mind but Walker has felt it from
time to time, and I am satisfied that our faith and prayers will do a
great deal of good to these wretched remnants of Abraham's seed. We
must continue our labors until we have faith to bind satan; and if you
and I do not live to do it, our posterity will step forward and
accomplish it after we are gone.

Vol. 1, p.108
When a person is placed in circumstances that he cannot possibly
obtain one particle of anything to sustain life, it would then be his
privilege to exercise faith in God to feed him, who might cause a
raven to pick up a piece of dried meat from some quarter where there
was plenty, and drop it over the famishing man. When I cannot feed
myself through the means God has placed in my power, it is then time
enough for Him to exercise His providence in an unusual manner to
administer to my wants. But while we can help ourselves, it is our
duty to do so. If a Saint of God be locked up in prison, by his
enemies, to starve to death, it is then time enough for God to
interpose, and feed him.

Vol. 1, p.108
While we have a rich soil in this valley, and seed to put in the
ground, we need not ask God to feed us, nor follow us round with a
loaf of bread begging of us to eat it. He will not do it, neither
would I, were I the Lord. We can feed ourselves here; and if we are
ever placed in circumstances where we cannot, it will then be time
enough for the Lord to work a miracle to sustain us.

Vol. 1, p.108
If you wish to know what you must do hereafter, I will tell you in a
few words—keep your powder, and lead, and your guns in good order. Go
about your work, plough your fields, work in your mechanic shops, and
be ready in the morning, at noon, or in the night, that whenever you
are called upon, you can put your hand upon our musket and ammunition
at the shortest notice. "Be ye also ready, for in an hour you think
not behold the thief comes," and takes away your horse from your
stable.

Vol. 1, p.108
How many complaints have been made to me by men who have had their
horses stolen out of their stables, or out of their carals, or of
clothes being taken from the line. The reason why people lose their
property is because they do not watch it. Have I ever complained of
any such thing? No! Why? Because I watch my caral. Do I lose anything
out of my barn. No. Because I lock it up, and keep somebody there to
watch it. Do I lose any clothing? Not that I know of. I tell my folks
not to leave out their clothing. "Why," they ask, "is there any danger
of their being stolen?" It is none of your business, they will not dry
after dark, therefore take them in, and hang them out again in the
mounting. That is the way to live, and this is what I wish to say to
you concerning these matters, that your minds may be at peace. All
will be peace this summer, if you will keep on watching.

Vol. 1, p.108
If you want to know what to do with a thief that you may find
stealing, I say kill him on the spot, and never suffer him to commit
another iniquity. That is what I expect I shall do, though never, in
the days of my life, have I hurt a man with the palm of my hand. I
never have hurt any person any other way except with this unruly
member, my tongue. Notwithstanding this, if I caught a man stealing on
my premises I should be very apt to send him straight home, [p.109]
and that is what I wish every man to do, to put a stop to that
abominable practice in the midst of this people.

Vol. 1, p.109
I know this appears hard, and throws a cold chill over our revered
traditions received by early education. I had a great many such
feelings to contend with myself, and was as much of a sectarian in my
notions as any other man, and as mild, perhaps, in my natural
disposition, but I have trained myself to measure things by the line
of justice, to estimate them by the rule of equity and truth, and not
by the false tradition of the fathers, or the sympathies of the
natural mind. If you will cause all those whom you know to be thieves,
to be placed in a line before the mouth of one of our largest cannon,
well loaded with chain shot, I will prove by my works whether I can
mete out justice to such persons, or not. I would consider it just as
much my duty to do that, as to baptize a man for the remission of his
sins. That is a short discourse on thieves, I acknowledge, but I tell
you the truth as it is in my heart.

Vol. 1, p.109
As you have heard the history of our journey south, I will now give
you a little of what is going on in the world beneath us, gleaned from
the eastern mail which came in last evening. I know there is a great
anxiety in the minds of the people to learn the news, as it is now
seven months since we had anything from that quarter.

Vol. 1, p.109
I understand that New York is vet standing in the same place, also the
cities of Philadelphia and Washington still flourish, also the old Bay
States, with the Northern, Southern, and Western States, are all there
yet, and Franklin Pierce is President of them. That we guessed would
be the case, last year. But if the Whigs had had half the cunning that
men have here, they would have beaten that party, and Franklin Pierce
would not have been President; but they do not knew enough.

Vol. 1, p.109
Brother Orson Pratt was in Washington, when he wrote last March; he is
probably now in England. He has published a paper called The Seer,
seven Numbers of which have appeared before the public. He also hired
a Hall in that city, when he first arrived there in December last.
Many came to hear him at first, but they kept dropping off, until
there were so few that he gave it up, but he continues publishing.

Vol. 1, p.109
There is influence enough there, among the priests, and the members of
Congress, to keep the people away from hearing Orson Pratt. They are
all well persuaded that if they contend with him, he will break up
their churches. Ignorant as they are in other matters, they know
enough to guard against that. The paper has a good effect. He says, "A
great many who have apostatized, say, had they seen the Revelation on
Celestial Marriage, years ago, they would never have left the Church.
They believed 'Mormonism;' but supposed there was no such Revelation
in existence."

Vol. 1, p.109
He says that hundreds of families from whom the light of truth had
well nigh departed, are again reviving, and inquiring how they may get
to the Valley. There is no opposition compared with what has been. The
public prints burlesque the doctrine published in The Seer, which is
about all the opposition there is. And what can they say? Nothing more
than what they always have said. I can sum up all the arguments used
against Joseph Smith and "Mormonism" in a very few words, the merits
of which will be found in "OLD JOE SMITH. IMPOSTOR, MONEY DIGGER. OLD
JOE SMITH SPIRITUAL WIFE DOCRINE. IMPOSTURE. THE DOCTRINE IS FALSE.
MONEY DIGGER. FALSE PROPHET. DELUSION. SPIRITUAL WIFE DOCTRlNE. Oh, my
dear brethren and sisters, keep [p.110] away from them, for the sake
of your never dying souls. FALSE PROPHETS THAT SHOULD COME IN THE LAST
DAYS. OLD JOE SMITH. ANTI-CHRIST. MONEY DIGGER, MONEY DIGGER, MONEY
DIGGER. And the whole is wound up with an appeal, not to the good
sense of the people, but to their unnatural feelings, in a canting,
hypocritical tone, and there it ends.

Vol. 1, p.110
I have not learned anything yet of any change being made touching the
Executive Officer of this Territory. Brigham Young is still the
Governor of Utah. Brother Bernhisel has succeeded in getting liberal
appropriations for the Territory, among which twenty thousand dollars
has been appropriated for a Penitentiary. I appointed Dr. Willard
Richards, Secretary protem., which appointment has been honored by the
General Government, and one thousand eight hundred dollars
appropriated for his services; notwithstanding I rebuked the runaway
Secretary in a public manner, when he and his companion publicly
insulted this great people; and notwithstanding the hue and cry which
they made about the "Mormons in Salt Lake Valley." I have courage
enough to tell a man of his meanness no matter whether he be a
Sheriff, a Judge, a Governor, a Priest, or a King. I have courage
enough to tell them of their wickedness, and expect I always shall
have.

Vol. 1, p.110
The general news you will get through the columns of our city paper. 

Vol. 1, p.110
We have a great many letters still back at Laramie; when our mail
carriers left there, there were seventeen mail bags, six of which they
brought away. As a general thing, the people will get their letters;
as the newspaper bags were chiefly left, and the letter bags brought
on.

Vol. 1, p.110
I will say a word concerning the brethren who left here last fall.
Daniel Cam had to leave Germany, and brother Orson Spencer could not
obtain permission to stay in Prussia. The Governor said to the
brethren who went to Jamaics, that they might minister among the
people; and the minister from the States did all he could to have them
stay there, but they had to leave on account of the prejudices of the
community, and they are now preaching in the United States. These are
some of the leading items we have received per this Mail.

Vol. 1, p.110
I now wish to say to the Latter-day Saints that which will be a great
comfort to them. We laid before you our Church indebtedness a year
ago, last April Conference; it now gives me great consolation to be
able to say that every dime of that debt is paid, and money left,
enough to answer our purpose at present. [A general expression of
satisfaction in the congregation.]

Vol. 1, p.110
The Lord has delivered us from this difficulty. I never liked to be in
bondage to my enemies, but I would be as willing to owe the brethren
money as not, for it is better doing good. in my hand, than to be
looked up in a chest, doing no good.

Vol. 1, p.110
When the brethren go to the world to administer salvation to them, we
wish them to go perfectly clean, and represent an honorable and
independent people. It is a great consolation to me that we do not owe
the Gentiles one red cent, or not more than one tenth part of the
money we have got on hand, at the furthest.

Vol. 1, p.110
We can now put forth our hand and help the poor Saints, that are
scattered abroad, to this place. We can now obtain articles to build
the Temple we have commenced. Joseph Smith laid the foundation of the
great fabric, and we have commenced to build upon it. If we do right,
there will be an eternal increase among this people in talent,
strength of intellect, and earthly wealth, from this time, henceforth,
and forever.

Vol. 1, p.111
I might tell you many great and good things, but I will tell you at
[p.111] once, if you will do your duty, and live as you ought to live
before God and your brethren, you will have good with you all the
time. it is our duty to apply our hearts to wisdom, and learn enough
of the things of God to enable us to see the world as it is, which is
one of the greatest privileges theft can be granted to man. It is not
only a privilege, but a duty for the Sabots to seek unto the Lord
their God for wisdom and understanding, to be in possession of the
spirit that fills the heavens, until their eyes are anointed and
opened to see the world as it really is, to know what it is made for,
and why all things are as they are. It is one of the most happifying
subjects that can be named, for a person, or people, to have the
privilege of gaining wisdom enough while in their mortal tabernacle,
to be able to look through the whys and wherefores of the existence of
man, like looking through a piece of glass that is perfectly
transparent; and understand the design of the Great Maker of this
beautiful creation. Let the people do this, and their hearts will he
weaned from the world.

Vol. 1, p.111
If this people will pursue the course they are bound by their
obligations and covenants to take, they will obtain spirit enough to
see and understand all things in heaven and on earth, that are
sufficient for their salvation. The cobwebs of early traditions and
antiquated superstitions will be brushed away, and they will plainly
see that the world is just the world, and nothing but the world, and
we are nothing but people on the world, designed to fill the measure
of our creation, to bring to pass certain results that pertain to our
exaltation.

Vol. 1, p.111
Let us seek the Lord with all our hearts, then shall we be weaned from
the world; no man will love this, that, or the other thing, except to
do good with it, to promote the eternal interests of mankind, and
prepare them to be exalted in immortality. No man can be exalted
unless he be independent. I will use a comparison to illustrate this
idea. If you put an animal or being not endowed with intelligence on a
throne, he would be nothing but an animal still; but put intelligence
into that creature, to give him knowledge how to prepare himself to
reign on that throne, and fortify it with strength, then he is
exalted. Mankind are naturally independent and intelligent beings,
they have been created for the express purpose of exalting themselves.
When they apply their hearts to wisdom, they will then get
understanding. There is the fountain, go and drink at it, ask and
receive all you wish, for there is an eternity of it, it will never
become any less. It is for you and me to receive wisdom so as to be
prepared for exaltation and eternal lives in kingdoms that now exist
in eternity.

Vol. 1, p.111
May God bless you. Peace be upon you. Be fervent in spirit, humble,
teachable, and prayerful, taking care of yourselves, endeavoring to
save yourselves and all you have any influence over, which is my
continual prayer for you, in the name of Jesus. Amen. [p.112]

Brigham Young, February 27, 1853

Duties and Privileges—Sacrifice—Confidence—
Language—Organization and Disorganization—Taking Wives.

A Discourse Delivered By President Brigham Young 
in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 27, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.112
I arise to make a few remarks, upon the subject on which brother Hyde
was speaking, concerning the privileges of the Saints. I think that he
has plainly shown us, that privileges are, in a measure, disconnected
with duties; and although we may not exercise ourselves in all of them
that we might, still, we shall not fall under condemnation for this
neglect.

Vol. 1, p.112
The privileges of the Saints of God, and that are granted unto the
inhabitants of the earth, are founded upon the principles of truth and
righteousness; but many people use them to their own condemnation;
yet, if they knew how to receive and act upon them, there would be no
condemnation, but to the contrary, a blessing. This remark applies not
only to the privilege of dancing, (for such it is,) that has been
spoken of this morning, but to all other acts and privileges that
exist, and still are not specifically pointed out by revelation as
duties or requirements. All blessings of this nature are to he used as
such, understandingly, by the Saints, and upon righteous principles.

Vol. 1, p.112
What are the privileges of the Saints in these valleys? Are they
abridged in the least? Can they not accumulate wealth by trading with
each other with emigrants, by cultivating the soil, raising stock,
going to the mines and digging for gold—in short, pursuing any and
every avocation to increase in wealth, and accumulate unto themselves
the things of this world? Still further if they wish to act upon
unrighteous principles, they can take advantage of their neighbor's
necessity, ask extortionate prices for rendering any little-assistance
or service, and after thus dishonestly filling their purses, go to the
gambling table, or grog shop, and spend it by getting drunk, and
rolling in the streets. Almost numberless indeed are the privileges
and blessings of the human family, and their abuses co-extensive
therewith.

Vol. 1, p.112
But when blessings and privileges are to be used by the Saints, it
should be so as not to bring condemnation. Upon what principle, when,
and where may we use them? I have the privilege of associating myself
with my brethren and sisters in the dance. When can I do this without
abusing this privilege, and thereby bringing condemnation upon myself?
I answer, it is when I have performed every act, every duty that is
incumbent upon me, when every necessary labor and requirement is
accomplished, when I have served my God slid my brethren, when I have
performed every act required of me, until nothing remains to be done,
but to lie down and rest, to seek recreation, then it becomes my
lawful privilege, and not before. I fear this is quite different from
the practice of many. I also, as well as others, could act upon
unrighteous principles, if I would, and neglect my duties pertaining
to life and salvation.

Vol. 1, p.113
Suppose you go into some of the wards and say, "we have obtained
[p.113] some music, let us go into the school house and have a dance."
"O yes!" is the ready response, and they will immediately prepare, get
ready their sons and their daughters, and, leaving all important
duties pertaining to their welfare here and hereafter, unattended to,
fill the house to overflowing. Brethren, you will use these privileges
to your own destruction, if you are not careful. Yes, you could have a
full house, dancing attendance to the sounds of revelry and music;
but, on the other hand, suppose your invitation is to your neighbor,
"Come, brethren, sisters, we are going to have a prayer meeting over
at the school house. Will you go? Will you come? Not to dance, but to
pray!" "Well, really, I do not see how I can; my work is not done; I
have a few chores [trifling domestic affairs] to do yet; I have agreed
to go to a neighbor's on business; a neighbor promised to call on me
to night, and I cannot well leave. I should like very much to go, but
I really do not see that I can to-night." In short, excuses are not
wanting. I say to you, my brethren, and to myself, if we take this
course, condemnation is our doom, we will ruin, condemn ourselves, and
the Lord Almighty will judge us out of our own mouths. This is the
tale told as it is. It is not for any of us to enjoy the privilege of
the dance, or any other recreation, until every duty that is enjoined
upon us is performed.

Vol. 1, p.113
I cannot, legally, have the privilege of exercising myself perfectly
independent of my brethren, until I have performed every requirement
that they have placed upon me; the same applies to you and all Saints.

Vol. 1, p.113
I ask the brethren, do you pray before you go to these dances? When
you return, are you not tired, fatigued, and is not your mind filled
with nonsense, so that you do not want to pray; and finally, do you
not conclude to wait, to put it off until morning? This abuse of this
privilege, of this blessing, will bring condemnation to thousands; and
not this alone, but all the privileges of this life, if they are not
wisely used.

Vol. 1, p.113
When you go to amuse, or recreate yourselves in any manner whatever,
if you cannot enjoy the Spirit of the Lord then and there, as you
would at a prayer meeting, leave that place; and return not to such
amusements or recreation, until you have obtained the mastery over
yourself, until you cart command the influences around you, that you
may have the Spirit of the Lord in any situation in which yea may be
placed. Then, and not until then, does it become the privilege of you,
of me, or of any of the Saints, to join in the festivities designed by
our Creator for our recreation. I wish that you would remember it; and
that you may, I repeat that it is not your lawful privilege to yield
to anything in the shape of amusement, until you have performed every
duty, and obtained the power of God to enable you to withstand and
resist all foul spirits that might attack you, and lead you astray;
until you have command over them, and by your faith, obtained, through
prayer and supplication, the blessings of the Holy Spirit, and it
rests upon, and abides continually with you.

Vol. 1, p.113
You can never obtain my consent to engage in amusements and
recreations, until you are in this situation, until you are exercised
and influenced by the Spirit of the Lord our God. Hear it, all ye
Latter-day Saints! Will you spend the time of your probation for
naught, and feel away your existence and being? You were organized,
and brought into being, for the purpose of enduring forever, if you
fulfil the measure of your creation, pursue the right path, observe
the requirements of the Celestial law, and obey the commandments of
our God. It is then, and then only, you may [p.114] expect that the
blessing of eternal lives will be conferred upon you. It can be
obtained upon no other principle. Do you understand that you will
cease to be, that you come to a full end, by pursuing the opposite
course?

Vol. 1, p.114
The privileges and blessings of the Saints of the Most High God. are
many. Yes! All there is in heaven, and on the earth—kingdoms, thrones,
principalities, powers, heights, depths, things present, and things to
come; with all you can see, hear, or think of, realize or contemplate;
everything in heaven; earth, or hell, is for your glory, exaltation,
and excellence, if by your lives you honor the Priesthood Which has
been conferred upon you; and, in the proper time, all will become
subservient unto you, but not until then. But if you submit to serve
your own feelings, and if you desire not to build up the kingdom of
God, and sanctify your hearts, they will lead you down to be eternally
subject thereunto—subject to the power that will afflict and torment
you, and eventually bring you to destruction; whereas, if you pursue
the opposite course, those feelings and passions will become subject
unto you; you will be enabled to govern and control them, and cause
them to serve you, and subserve the object and design for which they
were planted in your bosoms.

Vol. 1, p.114
Often have I looked at individuals passing to and fro through our
Territory, and heard them say, "These are the jolly Mormons; these are
the merry Mormons, I never saw such a society!" Why is this? Simply
because they enjoy themselves, because they take so much comfort.

Vol. 1, p.114
Is a man a Saint, who comes into the Church of God under such
influences, merely because the Saints appear to be happy? No, he is
not. No person can be a Saint, unless he receives the Holy Gospel, for
the purity, justice, holiness, and eternal duration of it. Everything
else tends to decay, separation, annihilation; no, not annihilation,
as we use the English term, there is no such principle as this, but
dissolution or decomposition.

Vol. 1, p.114
Now, you Elders who understand the principles of the kingdom of God,
what would you not give, do, or sacrifice, to assist in building up
His kingdom upon the earth? Says one, "I would do anything in my
power, anything that the Lord would help me to do, to build up His
kingdom." Says another, "I would sacrifice all my property." Wonderful
indeed! Do you not know that the possession of your property is like a
shadow, or the dew of the morning before the noonday sun, that you
cannot have any assurance of its control for a single moment! It is
the unseen hand of Providence that controls it. In short, what would
you not sacrifice? The Saints sacrifice everything; but, strictly
speaking, there is no sacrifice about it. If you give a penny for a
million of gold! a handful of earth for a planet! a temporary worn out
tenement for one glorified, that will exist, abide, and continue to
increase throughout a never ending eternity, what a sacrifice to be
sure!

Vol. 1, p.114
Many, no doubt, would consider it a great sacrifice to be called to go
on a mission a few years; to leave wife, children, friends,
comfortable homes, travel perhaps on foot, encounter storms on the
sea, be in perils on land among mobs, and be hated of all men. It is
true we might consider this a great sacrifice, and yet men do all
this, and more—they risk their own lives upon their venture to get
gold, to follow the allurements of pleasure. And should not the Saints
of the Most High God be more willing, more anxious to promote the
cause of  their holy religion, devoting themselves, their influence,
property, and, if necessary, their existence, than the votaries of
fashion, the devotees of wealth and pleasure, [p.115] and to merely
sensual, temporary objects of worldly gain or aggrandisement? Verily I
say unto you, if you are not, and if you have a spirit to seek after
the giddy, vain, foolish vanities of the world, the things pertaining
only to the gratification of present feelings, passions, and selfish
desires, and have no spirit of prayer and supplication, cannot and do
not feel to, exercise an interest above all others, for the cause of
truth, my advice and counsel is for all such, to go straightway to the
gold mines of California, and seek for gold, for rest assured, as many
as have this spirit, will run as their unrighteous feelings prompt or
dictate. Yes! Go to the gold region, and do not come and seek my
counsel about it, whether I am willing that you should go or not, for
I am not only willing that you should leave, but anxious that you may
as soon as possible.

Vol. 1, p.115
If you do not love God, and His cause, better than everything else
besides, and cannot with a good heart and willing hand, build it up
upon the earth; if you will not repent of your follies, and get the
Spirit of truth in you, so as to love it, and feel willing to
sacrifice all for it, you cannot build up the kingdom of God.

Vol. 1, p.115
Confidence, brethren, CONFIDENCE in our God, and in each other, is the
text I gave the Twelve and all others who preached last sabbath, to
preach from. The Twelve received missions to preach to the people in
these valleys, in their various locations, last Conference; and I
believe they have been tolerably faithful, under the direction of the
President of their Quorum, brother Hyde. Let them now preach from this
text, CONFIDENCE; and let the entire people act upon its principles,
and notice when and where it will begin and end, and see if we do not
establish such confidence in this community, among this people, as
never did, nor ever will exist upon the earth, in any community of
people but Saints. I may say, that we have it already; but I think
that an increase of faith in our God, and confidence in each other, is
desirable. If we could obtain that faith and confidence in each other,
and in our God, that when we ask a favor, we could do so with a full
assurance and knowledge that we should receive, do you not perceive
that it would lead us directly to do as we would be done by, in every
transaction and circumstance of life. It would prompt us to do, not
only as much as requested, but more. If your brother should request
you to go with him a mile, you would go two; if he should sue you for
your coat, you would give him your cloak also. This principle prompts
us to do all we can to promote the interest of each other, the cause
of God on the earth, and whatever the Lord desires us to do; makes us
ready and willing to perform it at once. It needs the language of
angels to express our ideas, to converse with each other in a manner
to be perfectly understood. When we see and comprehend things in the
Spirit, we ofttimes realize an utter inability to simplify and tell
them in our language, to others; though we may receive principles, and
convey the same to others, to some extent. It would be a great
consolation to me, inasmuch as faith comes by hearing the word of God,
if I had language to express my feelings. No man can tell all that he
can see in the Spirit, when the vision of the Spirit is upon him. He
can see and understand in the Spirit only. He cannot tell it, yet many
things may be given, in part, to others.

Vol. 1, p.115
I thought, while brother Rich was speaking upon certain principles,
how beautiful, how satisfactory it would be to the Saints, could they
converse in a pure language; if they could  have the language of
angels with which to communicate with each other. I have contemplated
the principles that [p.116] pertain to salvation—the principles which
I have been trying to lay before you; the acts of men, and how they
should be ordered before their God. I would simply say, we must attend
to the duties which are laid upon us, before we enjoy our privileges.

Vol. 1, p.116
What principle does this convey to your minds? None, unless your minds
are open, and enlightened by the visions of the Holy Spirit. The
principles of truth are eternal. The mind would ask at once, what is
truth? It is any thing, principle, or fact that actually has an
existence. If a falsehood, yet it is true that falsehood exists. It is
as true that devils exist, as that Gods exist.

Vol. 1, p.116
Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The devil also
says, "I am, I exist;" and consequently, by the same rule, "I am,
Truth." How far short is this of what the Lord reveals by His Holy
Spirit! Jesus Christ, his Father before him, all the faithful, the
Gods of eternity, and all organized elements, have been organized for
the express purpose of being exalted to an eternal increase; or
suppose I say to eternal truth. Would this convey to your minds that
the devil, Because it is a truth that he exists, could attain to the
same power and exaltation? Suppose that we admit the idea that we
shall see the time when we can combine and organize elements, bring
worlds into existence, redeem, and bring them up to eternal glory, by
merely saying—"I am Truth." As before quoted, "Jesus is the way, the
truth, and the life." We can turn round and say—Satan is the way, the
truth, and the death; or the way, and the falsehood. Can you perceive
the difference? But to say that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth,
and the life, is equivalent to saying that he is the only continued or
eternal existence. The Lord Jesus Christ works upon a plan of eternal
increase of wisdom, intelligence, honor, excellence, power, glory,
might, and dominion, and the attributes that fill eternity. What
principle does the devil work upon? It is to destroy, dissolve,
decompose, and tear in pieces. The principle of separation, or
disorganization, is as much an eternal principle, as much a truth, as
that of organization. Both always did and will exist. Can I point out
to you the difference in these principles, and show clearly and
satisfactorily the benefit, the propriety, and necessity of acting
upon one, any more than the other? I will try in my own way, as
briefly as I can. It is plain to me, but can you understand it?

Vol. 1, p.116
In the first place, matter is eternal. The principle of annihilation,
of striking out of existence anything that has existed, or had a
being, so as to leave an empty space which that thing occupied, is
false, there is no such principle in all the eternities. What does
exist? Matter is eternal. We grow our wheat, our fruit, and our
animals, There they are organized, they increase and grow; but, after
a while, they decay, dissolve, become disorganized, and return to
their mother earth. No matter by what process, these are the
revolutions which they undergo; but the elements of the particles of
which they were composed, still do, always have, and always will
exist, and through this principle of change, we have an eternal
increase.

Vol. 1, p.116
But Satan works upon the opposite principle; he seeks to destroy,
would annihilate if he could, but only decomposes, disorganizes.
Permit me to inquire what was his curse? It was, that he should not
increase any more, but come to an end.

Vol. 1, p.116
When I came to the door of the tabernacle, this morning, I heard
brother Rich telling about one third part of the heavenly host
revolting from the government of Jehovah. This was  their curse—to
never have tabernacles to dwell in. They now exist [p.117] in Spirit,
but shall never have a body, nor be exalted; they shall have no
further addition to their existence; whilst those who did not rebel,
could have tabernacles, and, through the resurrection, become
personages of tabernacle in the eternal world. There it is, on the one
hand, and on the other. You can now see the benefit, the propriety of
obeying the principles which lead to eternal lives, exaltations, and
increase; and why it is that Jesus Christ has so much more power than
Satan. The power of the evil one is beyond the conception of man; his
cunning craft, and winning ways to insinuate and introduce himself
into a community, an individual This is to obtain, if possible, a
tabernacle, which, although a borrowed one, yet increases his power,
so long as he can wield it to suit his purposes; and if he fails in
this, and in enticing unto evil, then, his object is to decompose, to
destroy, that the good power, the good influence, may, like himself,
become bereft of the power pertaining to an embodied spirit.

Vol. 1, p.117
The Lord operates upon the principles of continuing to organize, of
adding to, gathering up, bringing forth, increasing and spreading
abroad; while the opposite power does not. It shows the nature of his
opposition to that peculiar trait of Christianity, based upon the
principles of eternal duration, increase, power, glory, and
exaltation; and points out the difference between the two adverse
powers.

Vol. 1, p.117
Again, what do you love truth for? Is it because you can discover a
beauty in it, because it is congenial to you or because you think it
will make you a ruler, or a Lord? If you conceive that you will attain
to power upon such a motive, you are much mistaken. It is a trick of
the unseen power, that is abroad amongst the inhabitants of the earth,
that leads them astray, binds their minds, and subverts their
understanding.

Vol. 1, p.117
Suppose that our Father in heaven, our elder brother, the risen
Redeemer, the Saviour of the world, or any of the Gods of eternity
should act upon this principle, to love truth, knowledge, and wisdom,
because they are all powerful, and by the aid of this power they could
send devils to hell, torment the people of the earth, exercise
sovereignty over them, and make them miserable at their pleasure; they
would. cease to be Gods; and as fast as they adopted and acted upon
such principles, they would become devils, and be thrust down in the
twinkling of an eye; the extension of their kingdom would cease, and
their God-head come to an end.

Vol. 1, p.117
Language, to convey all the truth, does not exist. Even in the Bible,
and all books that have been revealed from heaven unto man, the
language fails to convey all the truth as it is. Truth, wisdom, power,
glory, light, and intelligence exist upon their own qualities; they do
not, neither can they, exist upon any other principle. Truth is
congenial with itself, and light cleaves unto light, it seeks after
itself, and clings thereto. It is the same with knowledge, and virtue,
and all the eternal attributes; they follow after and attract each
other. Mercy cleaves to mercy, because it is mercy; light to light,
because it is light, and there is no darkness, no deception, no
falsehood in it. Truth cleaves unto truth, because it is truth; and it
is to be adored, because it is an attribute of God, for its
excellence, for itself. It is upon this principle, that these
principles should be held, esteemed, practised. Any persons, men or
women, who do not receive these principles for the love which they
bear towards them, because of their beauty, excellence, and glory; and
because they are congenial to their feelings upon this principle, are
not Saints! They exist upon their own basis, and rest upon their own
foundation. Eternal [p.118] justice, mercy, love, and truth, never can
be moved; they are attributes that correspond, and are congenial with
each other; they promote each other, fortify the heavens, the Gods,
and that which the Gods possess.

Vol. 1, p.118
Now look upon the opposite side of these principles. Suppose you say,
"We will give up the pursuits of our holy religion. We are not
Latter-day Saints. Let us go and seek after the things of the world,
speculate, get unto ourselves riches, turn away from our duties,
neglect the things pertaining to our salvation, go with the giddy, the
frivolous, the seeker after gold, to California, Australia, or
elsewhere, for the purpose of acquiring wealth." I tell you the result
of that course. You would cease to increase in all the attributes of
excellence glory, and eternal duration, from that very moment. So soon
as you conceive such ideas, they find a soil within you prepared to
nurture them, and it brings forth their direful effects; from that
very moment you cease to increase. The opposite principle seizes you,
fastens itself upon you, and you decrease, lessen, diminish, decay,
and waste away in quality, excellence, and strength, until your
organization becomes extinct, oblivion covers you, your name is
blotted out from the Book of Life, from the heavens, from the earth,
and from under the earth and you will return, and sink into your
natural element, which cannot be destroyed, though many read the Bible
as conveying such an idea, but it does not.

Vol. 1, p.118
The principle opposite to that of eternal increase from the beginning,
leads down to hell; the person decreases, loses his knowledge, tact,
talent, and ultimately, in a short period of time, is lost; he returns
to his mother earth, his name is forgotten. But where, Oh! where is
his spirit? I will not now take the time to follow his destiny; but
here, strong language could be used, for when, the Lord Jesus Christ
shall be revealed, after the termination of the thousand years' rest,
he will summon the armies of heaven for the conflict, he will come
forth in flaming fire, he will descend to execute the mandates of an
incensed God, and, amid the thunderings of the wrath of Omnipotence,
roll up the heavens as a scroll, and destroy death, and him that has
the power of it. The rebellious will be thrown back into their native
element, there to remain myriads of years before their dust will again
be revived, before they will be re-organized. Some might argue that
this principle would lead to the re-organization of Satan, and all the
devils. I say nothing about this, only what the Lord says—that when he
comes, "he will destroy death, and him that has the power of it." It
cannot be annihilated; you cannot annihilate matter. if you could, it
would prove there was empty space. If philosophers could annihilate
the least conceivable amount of matter, they could then prove there
was the minutest vacuum, or empty space; but there is not even that
much, and it is beyond the power of man to prove that there is any.

Vol. 1, p.118
Brethren, what is it that you love the truth for? Is it because it
gives you the power, the authority of the Priesthood? Is it because it
makes you rulers, kings, and priests unto our God, and gives you great
power? There are men professing to be Saints, even in this
congregation, within the sound of my voice, who feel how almighty they
have become. They will curse you, if you do not see proper to comply
with their wishes. Many men have feelings in their hearts towards
their wives, that if they will not do precisely as they wish to
perform this or that, they will curse them. What wonderful things they
are going to do! "If you do not obey my voice, my counsel, I will send
you to hell,  [p.119] and turn the keys upon you, that you may never!
no NEVER! be released." Sisters, you might as well heed the crackling
of thorns under the pot, the passing idle bird, or the croaking of a
crane, so far as their Priesthood is concerned. You are safe, if they
will only keep their hands off from you; let them curse. It reminds me
of a proverb which the Arabs have, that "cursings are like young
chickens, they will still come home to roost."

Vol. 1, p.119
Is it for this—is it because it gives you such great power and
authority, that you love the Truth? That it gives you power to curse
your neighbors, your neighbor's children, their cattle, and everything
around you? Let all such go away to their own place, to California, by
the northern route; not to San Bernardino, at brothers Lyman and
Rich's location, for they have devils enough there already; but go
into the world entirely away from the Saints, and the sooner the
better.

Vol. 1, p.119
Men should act upon the principle of righteousness, because it is
right, and is a principle which they love to cherish and see practised
by all men. They should love mercy, because of its benevolence,
charity, love, clemency, and of all of its lovely attributes, and be
inspired thereby to deal justly, fairly, honorably, meting out to
others their just deservings.

Vol. 1, p.119
If selfishness prompts you to embrace the truth, if it is merely to
exalt yourself and your friends that you covenant to serve your God,
and that is your only motive, you had better pass on the northern
route, for we can do you no good if you wait, or remain with us; not
but that God has regard for all His children; but He loves those who
love all the principles of righteousness, because they are righteous,
and have a delight in the exercise of pure principles, of virtue, of
excellence and truth, of meekness, long-suffering, and self denial,
mercy, and charity.

Vol. 1, p.119
I am aware that my language fails to convey my ideas to you as I could
wish. But I will proceed a little further. A great promise was made to
Abraham, which was—you shall have seed, and unto your increase there
shall be no end. The same promise was made unto the Saviour; and unto
every true and faithful man who serves God with all his heart, and
whose delight is in keeping the law of the Lord, obeying the behests
of Jehovah, and building up His kingdom upon the earth.

Vol. 1, p.119
The Elders of Israel frequently call upon me—"Brother Brigham, a word
in private, if you please." Bless me, this is no secret to me, I know
what you want, it is to get a wife! "Yes, brother Brigham, if you are
willing."

Vol. 1, p.119
I tell you here, now, in the presence of the Almighty God, it is not;
the privilege of day Elder to have even ONE wife, before he has
honored his Priesthood, before he has magnified his calling. If you
obtain one, it is by mere permission, to see what you will do, how you
will act, whether you will conduct yourself in righteousness in that
holy estate. TAKE CARE! Elders of Israel, be cautious! or you will
lose your wives and your children. If you abuse your wives, turn them
out of doors, and treat them in a harsh and cruel manner, you will be
left wifeless and childless; you will have no increase in eternity.
You will have bartered this blessing, this privilege, away; you will
have sold your birthright, as Esau did his blessing, and it can never
come to you again, never, NO NEVER!

Vol. 1, p.119
Look to it, ye Elders! You will awake from your dream, alas! but too
soon, and then you will realize the truth of the remarks I am making
to-day. Whose privilege is it to have women sealed to him? It is his
who has stood the test, whose integrity is unswerving, who loves
righteousness because it is right, and the truth [p.120] because there
is no error therein, and virtue because it is a principle that dwells
in the bosom of Him who sits enthroned in the highest heavens; for it
is a principle which existed with God in all eternities, and is a
co-operator, a co-worker betwixt man and his Maker, to exalt man, and
bring him into His presence, and make him like unto Himself! It is
such a man's privilege to have wives and children, and neighbors, and
friends, who wish to be sealed to him. Who else? No one. I tell you
nobody else. Do YOU HEAR IT?

Vol. 1, p.120
Many applications will unquestionably be made to me for wives, and,
perhaps, by men too who will steal, or trespass upon me, their
neighbors, kill their stock, do wickedly in various ways. Nothing
would damn such men sooner than to give them this privilege. I answer
the brethren, they have to go upon their own responsibility. I tell
you the truth. If you are a first-rate good man, and honor your
Priesthood, it is your privilege. The man who has proved himself
before God, has been faithful, has gone through and performed
everything the Lord has laid upon him to do, for the purpose of
building up and sustaining His kingdom, has proved himself before men,
angels, and his Father in heaven, he is the only character that will
increase, and obtain a celestial glory. Others may seem to prosper, to
increase for a season, but by and bye they are left in the shade,
their glory is clipped, and their house is left unto them desolate.

Vol. 1, p.120
Pray the Lord to inspire your hearts. Ask for wisdom and knowledge. It
is our duty to seek after it. Let us seek, and we shall find; knock,
and it will be opened unto us. But as for His coming down here to pour
His Spirit upon you, while you are aiming after the vain and frivolous
things of the world; indulging in all the vanity, nonsense, and
foolery which surrounds you; drinking in all the filthy abomination
which should be spurned from every community on the earth—so long as
you continue this course, rest assured He will not come near you.

Vol. 1, p.120
I will not enter into particulars. You already know enough about them.
I ask that you would leave it off; refrain, purify, and sanctify
yourselves before your God, and get so much of the spirit of truth
that you may become filled with it, so that you can shout aloud with
all your might to the praise of God, and feel your hearts clear as the
noon-day sun. Then you can dance, and glorify God; and as you shall
abide in the truth, God will raise you up, and add to your numbers, so
that your train will fill the Holy Temple, as it was said of the Lord
by one of old. May the Lord bless you. Amen. [p.121]

Orson Pratt, October 6, 1853

The Man to Lead God's People—Overcoming—
A Pillar  in the Temple of God—Angels' Visits—the Earth.

A Discourse Delivered By President Orson Hyde, at the General 
Conference Held in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Oct. 6, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.121
At the commencement of our Conference, it has fallen to my lot to make
a few remarks.

Vol. 1, p.121
If you will indulge me with your prayerful attention, I will try to
communicate to you a few words, which I hope and trust may prove, not
only edifying to you now, but a source of comfort and consolation in
time to come.

Vol. 1, p.121
Be it as the Lord will, I shall use my best endaavors for this; and if
I fail in it, it will be for want of ability, and not for want of a
disposition.

Vol. 1, p.121
I discover before me many strange faces; I presume they are our
friends from the different settlements, South, North, East, and West,
who have no doubt assembled here for the purpose of obtaining
instructions and information respecting the prosperity of the Church,
the duty of its officers, and what is to be done in the important
period in which we now live.

Vol. 1, p.121
It is a peculiar and interesting time with us. In the first place, our
brethren from abroad, who are unaccustomed to a mountain life, or a
life in this Valley, are emigrating to this place; and when they
arrive here, they do not find every thing, perhaps, as they
anticipated, or they find things different from what they have been
accustomed to in the places from which they came. Everything seems new
and strange, and it takes a little time, as we say in a familiar
phrase, "to get broken into the harness."

Vol. 1, p.121
Not only so, but we have had some little disturbance with the red men
this season, and this is a cause of some digression from the common
path of duty we are accustomed to move in.

Vol. 1, p.121
Under all these circumstances, as we have business of importance to
transact during this Conference, it becomes necessary that our minds
should become united in one, as far as possible, that we may act in
accordance with the mind and will of our Father which is in heaven.
Let me here observe, that the people of God can be united only upon
that principle that vibrates from the very bosom of heaven. If we are
united, if we can touch one point or principle upon which all can
strike hands, by that union we may know that our wilt is the mind and
will of God; and what we, in that state, bind on earth, is bound in
heaven, for the action is reciprocal, it is the same.

Vol. 1, p.121
Hence, after so long a separation, we have come together again, under
circumstances somewhat peculiar. It is necessary that we seek to be
united. How shall we be united? Around what standard shall we rally?
Where is the beacon light to which our eyes shall be directed, in
order that our actions may tend to the accomplishment of the same
purpose and design? [p.122] The beacon light is he whom our heavenly
Father has ordained and appointed to lead His people, and give them
counsel, and guide their destiny. That is the light to which the eye
should be directed. And when that voice is heard, let every bosom
respond, yea and amen.

Vol. 1, p.122
But, says one, "If this be correct, it is giving to one man almighty
power. It is giving to one man supreme power to rule." Admit it. What
are we all aiming for? Are we not aiming for supreme power? Are we not
aiming to obtain the promise that has been made to all believers? What
is it? "He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son." Are we not all seeking for this, that we
may overcome, that we may inherit all things? For says Paul,
"Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether
Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or
things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's,
and Christ is God's." Well, then, if all things are ours, we should be
very insensible to our best interests if we did not seek diligently
for that which Heaven promises as a legacy to the faithful. It is our
right, then. Do we not all expect to be armed with almighty power? Is
there a Latter-day Saint under the sound of my voice, whose heart is
fired with celestial light, but that seeks to be in possession of
supreme power (I had like to have said) both in heaven and on earth?
It is said, we are "heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ."
Does Jesus Christ possess all power in heaven and on earth? He said,
when he rose from the dead, "All power is given unto me in heaven and
in earth." Are we heirs of God, and joint heirs with that illustrious
character ? He has so declared! If we are, do we not, in common with
him, possess the power that is in heaven and on earth! If one
individual, then, is a little ahead of us in obtaining this power, let
us not be envious, for it will be our time by and bye. We ought to be
the more thankful, and glorify God that He has armed one individual
with this power, and opened a way that we may follow him, and obtain
the same power. Instead of it being a cause of envy, it ought to be,
on the contrary, a matter to call forth our warmest thanksgivings and
praise to God, that He has brought back that power again to the earth
in our day, by which we may be led step by step to the point we hope
to attain.

Vol. 1, p.122
After reflecting a little this morning, a passage of Scripture
occurred to my mind—the words of John the Revelator, or the promise
made to him. It says, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the
temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon
him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is
new Jerusalem; which cometh down out of heaven from my God; and I will
write upon him my new name."

Vol. 1, p.122
In the course of my travels in preaching the Gospel to different
nations, I have often heard it remarked by the people, in days gone
by, "We have heard your testimony; we have heard your preaching; but
really, why does not Joseph Smith, your Prophet, come to us and bear
testimony? Why does he not come to us and show us the plates from
which the Book of Mormon was translated? If we could see the Prophet
and the plates, then we should be satisfied that the work is genuine,
that it is of God; but if we cannot see him and the ancient records,
we are still in doubt with regard to the genuineness of the work."

Vol. 1, p.122
My reply to them was something like the followings—"Joseph Smith
cannot be everywhere, and the plates cannot be presented to every eye.
The voice of Joseph Smith cannot be heard by every ear." And I have
[p.123] said to them, "You that have seen me have seen Joseph Smith,
for the same spirit and the same sentiments that are in him are in me,
and I bear testimony to you that these things are verily true."

Vol. 1, p.123
It is generally the case, and I think I may say it is invariably the
case, that when an individual is ordained and appointed to lead the
people, he has passed through tribulations and trials, and has proven
himself before God, and before His people, that be is worthy of the
situation which he holds. And let this be the motto and safeguard in
all future time, that when a person that has not been tried, that has
not proved himself before God, and before His people, and before the
councils of the Most High, to be worthy, he is not going to step in to
lead the Church and people of God. It never has been so, but from the
beginning some one that understands the Spirit and counsel of the
Almighty, that knows the Church, and is known of her, is the character
that will lead the Church.

Vol. 1, p.123
How does he become thus acquainted? How does he gain this influence,
this confidence in the estimation of the people? He earns it by his
upright course and conduct, by the justness of his counsels, and the
correctness of his prophecies, and the straightforward spirit he
manifests to the people. And he has to do this step by step; he gains
influence, and his spirit, like an anchor, is fastened in the hearts
of the people; and he is sustained and supported by the love,
confidence, and good-will of the Saints, and of Him that dwelt in the
bush. This is the kind of character that ought to lead God's people,
after he has obtained this good will and this confidence.

Vol. 1, p.123
What then is he to do? Is he to go abroad to the nations of the earth
and preach the Gospel; to leave his home and the people of his charge?
May we not count him as first and foremost in the ranks of them that
overcome? I think so! Well then, "Him that overcometh will I make a
pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." All
those who approach the nearest to that standard, we expect will remain
in the temple of God at home, and not go abroad to the nations of the
earth.

Vol. 1, p.123
Says one, "If an angel from heaven would descend and bear testimony
that this work was of God, I would believe it. Why may I not receive
the testimony of angels, as well as Joseph Smith or any other person?
for God is no respecter of persons! If I could receive it, I would be
satisfied then that the work is true." But let me here remark
again—suppose the Omnipotent Jehovah, that sits upon His throne of
glory and power, was to descend and bear testimony, what further
credence would you then want? You would want some one to tell you that
it was really God Himself that had visited you, that you might be
satisfied it was not an angel of darkness in the similitude of a
heavenly personage.

Vol. 1, p.123
Remember that God, our heavenly Father, was perhaps once a child, and
mortal like we ourselves, and rose step by step in the scale of
progress, in the school of advancement; has moved forward and
overcome, until He has arrived at the point where He now is. "Is this
really possible?" Why, my dear friends, how would you like to be
governed by a ruler who had not been through all the vicissitudes of
life that are common to mortals? If he had not suffered, how could he
sympathise with the distress of others? If he himself had not endured
the same, how could he sympathise and be touched with the feelings of
our infirmities? He could not, unless he himself had passed through
the same ordeal, and overcome step by step. If this is the case, it
accounts for the [p.124] reason why we do not see Him—He is too pure a
being to show himself to the eyes of mortals; He has overcome, and
goes no more out, but He is the temple of my God, and is a pillar
there.

Vol. 1, p.124
What is a pillar? It is that power which supports the superstructure
which bears up the edifice; and if that should be removed from its
place, the edifice is in danger of falling. Hence, our heavenly Father
ascended to a throne of power; He has passed through scenes of
tribulation, as the Saints in all ages have, and are still passing
through; and having overcome, and ascended His throne, He can look
down upon those who are following in the same track, and can realize
the nature of their infirmities, troubles, and difficulties, like the
aged father who looks upon his race, upon the smallest child; and when
he sees them grappling with difficulties, his heart is touched with
compassion. Why? Because he has felt the same, been in the same
situation, and he knows how to administer just chastisement, mingled
with the kindest feelings of a father's heart. So with our heavenly
Father; when He sees we are going astray, He stretches forth His
chastening hand, at the same time He realizes the difficulties with
which we have to contend, because he has felt the same; but having
overcome, He goes no more out.

Vol. 1, p.124
When the world was lost in wretchedness and woe, what did He do? Did
He come here Himself? No. But, says he, I will send my son to be my
agent, the one who is the nearest to my person, that is bone of my
bone, and flesh of my flesh; I will send my son, and I will say, he
that heareth him, heareth me. Go then, my son. He came, and how did he
look? He looked just like his Father, and just as they treated him
they treated his Father in heaven. For inasmuch as they did it unto
him, they did it unto his Father; He was the agent, the
representative, chosen and sent of God for the purpose. When it was
necessary that the Saviour of the world should have help and strength,
should be sustained in the darkest hour, did God Himself in person
come to his aid? No, but He sent His angel to succor him. When the
Saviour was born, the spirits around the throne of God were ready to
fly to his protection, when the kings and rulers of this lower world
sought his destruction. What did they say to the wise men of Israel on
that eventful occasion? "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men."

Vol. 1, p.124
When he fasted forty days and forty nights, the angels appeared and
strengthened him. His heavenly Father did not come Himself, but, says
the Saviour, he that hath seen me hath seen the Father also; I am just
like him, the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person. The same spirit that is in the bosom of the Father is in me. I
came not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. Then the
character that looked upon the Saviour, looked upon the Father, for he
was a facsimile of Him; and if they would not; believe the Son, they
would not believe the Father.

Vol. 1, p.124
The Saviour, in the performance of his mission, laid down his life for
the world, rose from the dead, and ascended up up on high. And few and
blessed are the eyes that have seen him since! It is sometimes the
case that the veil of mortality has been rent, and the eye of the
spirit has gazed upon the Saviour, like as did Stephen of old, when he
was stoned to death. In his expiring moments, in the agonies of death,
what did he say? He said, "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of
man standing. on the right hand of God." Stephen saw him in that
trying hour.

Vol. 1, p.125
[p.125] True it is, that in the most trying hour, the servants of God
may then be permitted to see their Father, and elder brother. "But,"
says one, "I wish to see the Father, and the Saviour, and an angel
now." Before you can see the Father, the Saviour, or an angel, you
have to be brought into close places in order to enjoy this
manifestation. The fact is, your very life must be suspended on a
thread, as it were. If you want to see your Saviour, be willing to
come to that point where no mortal arm can rescue, no earthly power
save! When all other things fail, when everything else proves futile
and fruitless, then perhaps your Saviour and your Redeemer may appear;
his arm is not shortened that he cannot save, nor his ear heavy that
he cannot hear; and when help on all sides appears to fail, my arm
shall save, my power shall rescue, and you shall hear my voice, saith
the Lord.

Vol. 1, p.125
"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God,"
&c. The Father has overcome, the Saviour has overcome, and the angels
are overcoming like we are. But let me here observe, it is a good deal
with the angels, in my opinion, as it is with us.

Vol. 1, p.125
We who have been in the Valley some length of time, feel that we are
at home, and in a goodly place, chosen of God, a secret habitation
surrounded by mountains, walled in by natural barriers, where we are
secluded from the world, and inhabiting a little world by ourselves.
We know the world is opposed to our doctrine. Now if one of us were
required to go abroad among the nations, a spirit of patriotic
devotion to the interests of God's kingdom, would stimulate us to
forego all the pleasures of domestic life, to earn a crown of glory,
and shine as stars in the firmament for ever and ever; when, if we
consulted our own individual feelings and interest only, we would say,
"O that we might remain at home, and not go out and be buffeted by a
cold and heartless world!" We would rather remain with our friends,
and bask in the sunshine of their good will and favor, and enjoy life
as we pass along; but to go out into the world, and meet its scoffing
sneers, it is alone for the cause and kingdom of God's sake; and for
the sake of this, we not only long to go abroad to the nations of the
earth, but to do every thing that is laid upon us to do.

Vol. 1, p.125
Look at the angels of heaven. If there are so many millions of them,
and they manifest such an interest for the welfare of mortals, why do
they not come, and visit us more? They may have the same feeling in
relation to coming to this earth, that we would have in going to the
nations of the world. If they are sent, they will go; but if not sent,
it is very likely they will stay at home, as we will. If we are sent,
we will go; if we are not sent, we are glad to stay at home. This,
then, I presume, is their feeling; hence it has become proverbial in
the world, that angels' visits are few and far between. And let me
here observe, that when a servant of God, clothed with the spirit of
his calling, enters a house, a town, or a country, he feels the spirit
in a moment that prevails in that house, country, or people among whom
he comes. For instance, if he lands upon the shores of a foreign
country, the moment his feet press their soil, their spirit presses
his heart! he senses it; and if the spirit that reigns in the country
is diverse to the Spirit of God; he feels it painful to his heart; and
it is upon this principle that the Saviour said to the disciples, "And
into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And
if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not,
it shall turn to you again." Then when a servant of God enters a
strange place, and he feels the son of peace there, let his peace come
[p.126] upon that people, house, and city. If he feels there is an
adverse power that holds the sway there, his peace must return to him,
and he must go his way after he has faithfully discharged his duty.

Vol. 1, p.126
I recollect once in a certain place in England, when travelling along
with brother Kimball, it was in a country town called Chatburn, where
the people were humble, simple, and honest; they loved the truth, and
were seeking for it—when we went there, their hearts and doors were
opened to receive us, and our message. What were our feelings? We felt
that the ground upon which we stood was most sacred, and brother
Kimball took off his hat, and walked the streets, and blessed the
country and the people, and let his peace come upon it. These were our
feelings. Why? Because the people were ready to receive the word of
our testimony, and us for Christ's sake.

Vol. 1, p.126
We had been to other places, where the very moment our names were
sounded, and it was known we were in a house, there was a similar
spirit manifested as there was in the days of Lot, when the Angel came
to his house to warn him to flee from Sodom; for a mob was raised at
once, and demanded the strangers to be given up to them. We have been
in places where the mob demanded us to be given up to them; but we
were shielded by friends, and God always opened a way of escape for
us. Wherever there is a spirit congenial with the Spirit of God, and a
loyalty to the kingdom of the Most High, you will find a hearty
welcome, and you are glad to go there.

Vol. 1, p.126
If we, whose sensibilities are benumbed by this veil of flesh which is
around us, have discernment to discriminate Where the son of peace is,
the angels, who are not clogged as we are, whose sensibilities are
keener than ours, do you not think when they approach the world, they
know where the son of peace is? In the last days, I will take peace
from the earth, saith the Lord by one of the ancient writers, and they
shall kill one another; And there was given a great sword unto him
that sat on the red horse. And the nations will be armed against each
other. The angels are not fond to descend to this world, because of
the coldness of the spirit that reigns in it; they would rather remain
in heaven around the throne of God, among the higher order of
intelligences, where they can enjoy life, and peace, and the communion
of the Holy One. When they are sent, they will come; but they are
tolerably well advanced among them that overcome.

Vol. 1, p.126
These are some of the reasons why they do not mingle with us, why we
cannot see them. But, let me tell you, brethren and sisters, if we
will be united as the heart of one man, and that general union of
spirit, of mind, be fastened upon the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall draw
down celestial intelligence by the Spirit of God, or by angels who
surround the throne of the Most High. It is an electric wire through
which and by which intelligence comes from heaven to mortals; it is
only necessary for the word to be spoken, and the power of it is at
once felt in every heart.

Vol. 1, p.126
"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God,"
&c. Do we ever wish to see the time when we can retire from the scenes
of every day life, to the temple of God, and go no more out? Are we
looking for a period of this kind? Yes, when we shall be made pillars
in the temple of our God. We know when a pillar is placed in a
building, it is placed there to remain, pillars are not often removed.
All pillars are considered permanent; they are not to be taken away,
because the removing of them endangers the safety of the  building. In
order to be made pillars in the temple of our God, what [p.127] are we
to do? WE MUST OVERCOME.

Vol. 1, p.127
Let it be remarked, that the disposition so prevalent in the hearts of
many, not to abide the counsel of their superiors, has to be overcome;
it must be slain, and laid prostrate at our feet; and we must say we
came not to do our own will, but the will of him that sent us. We came
to do the will of him to whom we have plighted our faith, to uphold
him as our leader, lawgiver, and Seer. We have got to overcome the
inclination to revolt at the idea, and be brought into complete
submission, and union of spirit.

Vol. 1, p.127
"O," says one, "how does this look, to be slaves, to have no mind or
will of our own, but be swallowed up in the will of another, and thus
become tools, machines, slaves, and not free men, and independent like
other people!" Well, my dear friends, I will tell you how it was in
heaven. There was a disposition once in heaven that preferred to be
independent enough to chalk out its own course. The rebellious angels
undertook it, and what became of them? They fought against the throne
of God, and were cast down, to be reserved in chains of darkness, unto
the judgment of the great day. Yes, they are reserved there, and that
is their glory, and the honor that is attached to them for being
independent, and declaring in the presence of God their
independence—instead of deriving any advantage from this course, down
they went to their reward.

Vol. 1, p.127
I will advance a sentiment by Paul the Apostle, showing that we were
there at the time that notable controversy was going on, and no doubt
we took an active part with them who sustained the throne of God, and
we were therefore permitted to come to this world and take upon us
bodies. The devils that fell were not permitted to enjoy this
privilege; they cannot increase their generation; glory to God, they
cannot do it, but we have the power of multiplying lives; this is what
they are angry about. Says Paul, "Do ye not know that the Saints shall
judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye
unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" Is it possible that these
Elders and servants of the Most High, who are going abroad among the
nations, will have power to judge the nations of the earth? Says one,
"God will do it, and not man." Now, for instance, I am building a
house, and it is said Solomon built a temple, but do you suppose
Solomon quarried the rock, laid it up, &c.? No, but he gave directions
to others, and it is said Solomon built a temple; so God will judge
the world. The Almighty Ruler will instruct His servants to do it, and
the Saints will give the grand decision, and the nations that have
slain them will have to bow to their word.

Vol. 1, p.127
What says the good Book again? "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my
works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; And he
shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall
they be broken to shivers; even as I received of my Father." Do we not
expect to overcome and have power over the nations? Yes. Says Paul,
the Saints shall judge the world; not only this, but they shall judge
angels. "Why," says one, "I thought that angels were greater in might
and power than we, and is it possible that we, the servants of God,
are going to judge angels? You are surely exalting yourselves above
all that is called God; for God shall judge the world." How is it that
we do not recollect anything now that took place before we took upon
us these bodies? When we lay them off we shall remember every thing,
the scenes of those early times will be as fresh in our view as the
sun [p.128] was this morning when he rose over the mountains. The
Saints will say I to their fallen brethren, You were arrayed under the
command of Lucifer, and fought against us; we prevailed, and it now
becomes our duty to pass sentence against you, fallen spirits. You
have been reserved to this condemnation, and bound with a chain. With
what chain? That you could not multiply your race. There were limits
put to you that you could not increase. It was never said to you, Go
forth into hell and multiply; but it was said to man, Go forth and
increase on the earth. Here were stakes set they could not go beyond,
and this is what they are angry about, this makes a hell to them,
because they "can't do it." They see the superiority of the Saints who
have kept their first estate, and they are envious, and now it becomes
the Saints' duty to pass sentence upon them. The Saints shall judge
angels, even those spirits who kept not their first estate, and have
been a long time in chains like criminals who are kept in bondage to
await their sentence. It will be the prerogative of the servants of
God to pass a decision upon them, and not only upon them, but upon the
world among whom they have been associated, and having combined in
them the judicial power, and power of witness, they will have power to
judge and determine, for the Saints shall judge the world.

Vol. 1, p.128
How will the wicked feel when they come up at the last day, (or at
some day, be it last or middle,) how will they feel when they see,
perhaps one whom they have persecuted, one whom they have killed as an
imposter, or because they said he was an impostor, when they see that
person exalted upon the judgment seat, and they themselves arraigned
before him, and compelled to hear from his lips their sentence? Sadly
will they be mistaken. Says the Saviour, "If they have persecuted me
they will also persecute you. They knew him not, neither did they know
his disciples. Well did the Saviour say at one time, "Father forgive
them, for they know not what they do." They did not understand the
power that was lodged in the breast of their victim; but when the day
of his wrath will come, they will say to the mountains and rocks,
"Fall on us, and hide us from the face-of him that sitteth on the
throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath
is come, and who shall be able to stand?" It will not; only be the
Lamb that will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory, but his angels and Saints that have gone before him; these are
they that will come with him; myriads of spirits will come, wafted as
it were through the air to earth's cold regions to call the sons of
men to an account for their doings.

Vol. 1, p.128
Now, "him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my
God," and "he that overcometh to him will I give power over the
nations." Do you want to overcome this worldly ambitious spirit that
is ever burning to be independent, that is, self sufficient and proud?
Overcome this, and bring every power and faculty of the soul into
subjection to the power of the Most High, and you are safe. What have
you to overcome next? You have to overcome that untiring. disposition
to do wrong, to overreach your neighbor, that thereby you may acquire
for yourselves a paradise or heaven in this world, while in its fallen
state. Remember this one thing, if you want to be free from the curse,
You know it is said, "It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye
of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God,"
Who then can be saved? Again, says the Saviour, "With men this is
impossible,. but with God all things are possible." Let me show you
the philosophy of [p.129] this, why it is impossible for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God. God said in the beginning, "Cursed be
the ground for thy sake;" that is, earth and earthly things are
cursed. Now the man who has the most of it has the greatest amount of
the curse; therefore if a man acquire a great deal of earthly things,
he acquires a great deal of this curse. For they that will be rich are
made to pass through many sorrows, and they have to harden their
hearts and their faces, and oppress the poor to acquire it; and when
they have acquired it, what have they got? It is to them something
like a red hot ball in the hands of a child, it burns; they have
acquired it, and have got a great curse along with it. It is hard for
such to enter into the Kingdom of God. The gate is narrow, and the
curse is wide, so if they wish to go in at that gate, they must be
stripped, and become destitute of the love of this world's goods. I
recollect a beautiful illustration of this in the case of the rich
man, and Lazarus that was poor, and full of sores, and who lay at the
rich man's gate. There was the rich man clothed in fine linen, and
fared sumptuously every day. By and by he died, and went to hell, and
saw Abraham afar off with the same poor Lazarus in his bosom. Says the
rich man, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he
may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame." He was so humbled as to accept one drop of
water from Lazarus, who while he lay at the rich man's gate was ready
to eat the crumbs that fell from his table. How reverse the scene.
Abraham, with the kind feelings of a father, at the same time with
that justness and dignity which is ever the characteristic of the
upright, said, "Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst
try good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is
comforted, and thou art tormented." His arm was too short to reach
that one drop of water to him, for there was "a great gulf fixed; so
that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they
pass to us, that would come from thence." The scene was changed. This
is enough to admonish us, and to make us adopt the advice of the
Saviour, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and
all these things shall be added unto you."

Vol. 1, p.129
When should we want to be rich? When the curse is taken from the
earth. We do not want the earth while it is cursed, for "cursed be the
ground for try sake," &c. Let the world that love darkness rather than
light, be heirs of the curse if they will; but do not let us seek
after it with too greedy hearts, until the curse is taken away; and
when the curse is rebuked, and the earth undergoes such a change that
it will shine forever and ever, and there is no night there, then we
may have it, and it will do us good. It is like this—We say that wheat
and barley are excellent when we use them in their native state; but
when we extract the spirit from these grains, and drink it, it
intoxicates; when they are used in their native state, they make bread
which gives life to the body, while in the other state, they destroy.
So the earth, when the curse is taken away, will sustain an endless
life. Though the figure is not altogether correct, still it serves to
illustrate the principle. The Saviour did not say the Saints should
inherit the earth while the curse was upon it, but he said, "Blessed
are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." He will not give them
something to destroy them, but they have got to stay until the earth
has fulfilled the measure of its creation; and then the angel will
raise his hand to heaven, and swear that time shall be no longer. What
becomes of the earth then? Why, says the prophet, it shall "reel to
and fro like a [p.130] drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage;
and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall
fall, and not rise again." If the earth falls, which way will it go,
up or down? Tell me, ye wise men, ye philosophers. Will not the
greatest and most powerful planet attract it whether it goes up or
down? for the greater bodies attract the lesser. If the earth falls,
and is not to rise again, it will be removed out of its present orbit.
Where will it go to? God says He will gather all things into one; then
He will gather the earth likewise, and all that is in it, in one. The
gathering will be upon a larger scale in time to come; for by and by
the stars of Heaven will fall. Which way will they go? They will rally
to a grand centre, and there will be one grand constellation of
worlds. I pray that we may be time, and shine among those millions of
worlds that will be stars in the Almighty's crown.

Vol. 1, p.130
The earth will have to be removed from its place, and reel to and fro
like a drunkard. The fact is, it has got to leave the old track in
which it has roamed in time passed, and beat a new track; and saith
the Lord, "come up here." What is He going to do with it? Why, take it
where the sun will shine upon it continually, and there shall be no
more night there; and the hand of God will wipe away the tears from
all faces. "Come up here, O earth! for I want the Saints who have
passed through much tribulation to be glorified with you, and then I
will give the earth to the meek. For I will take the curse from it,
and rebuke the destroyer for your sakes, and bring all things in
subjection to you, and you shall dwell in everlasting light." Now it
is half day and half night, but I tell you it is not going to be half
and half, but there will be no night there. We have but one sun to
shine upon us, but when the earth is taken out of this orbit, it will
come in contact With the rays of other suns that illuminate other
spheres; their rays will dazzle our earth, and make the glory of God
rest upon it, so that there will be no mere night there.

Vol. 1, p.130
Is it possible, then, that there are worlds reserved in eternal night,
in an eternal eclipse, rolling in the shade? What is their use? They
are the homes of them that love darkness rather than light; and it
shall be said unto them, Depart, ye cursed, into outer darkness. There
are planets that revolve in eternal darkness, that you who love
darkness rather than light may go and find your own home. There is a
place prepared for every body, no matter what their character. Says
the Saviour, "I go to prepare a place for you." There is a place for
every person. There is a place for every body that comes into this
Valley, if they can only find it. So there is a place in yonder world
for every person; but to him that overcometh will I give power over
the nations, and he shall be a pillar in the Temple of my God, and go
no more out.

Vol. 1, p.130
If there is any thing in this world my soul desires the most, it is
that I may overcome, and be made a pillar in the Temple of my God, and
remain at home in the society that is continually warming my spirit,
encouraging my feeling, with that which is congenial with every
principle of my nature; let me bask in their goodly presence, live in
their affections, dwell forever in the midst of their society, and go
no more out. And may God in His mercy help us all to overcome every
obstacle, and endure hardships like good soldiers of the Lamb, and
dwell eternally in the mansions of light; which may God grant for
Christ's sake. AMEN. [p.131]

Brigham Young, April 6, 1853

The Temple Corner Stones—the Apostleship, &c.

A Sermon Delivered By President B. Young, in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1853, at the General Conference.

Vol. 1, p.131
We have assembled together this afternoon to continue the business of
the Conference, a portion of which I feel should be devoted to
instruction, teachings, traversing the experience of the Church, or in
any way the Spirit of the Lord shall manifest.

Vol. 1, p.131
The special business that has to be transacted in a Conference like
this, can be done very quickly—perhaps we might do all that is
necessary in half a day, or in a day at the furthest.

Vol. 1, p.131
We came together for the purpose of worshipping the Lord, and many
have come from a distance, who wished to come up here and join with
their brethren in contemplating the work of the last days, and in
speaking to each other comforting words, for it is a very agreeable
exercise, on occasions like this, as well as in other meetings, to
rehearse over to each other the scenes of life, the feelings of the
heart, the tragedies that have passed among us, the difficulties we
have surmounted, and the days, months, and years we have been brought
through.

Vol. 1, p.131
I will say, for one, so far as it concerns my own feelings, my
brethren are at liberty to talk about that that is in their hearts.
This is my privilege, and I wish it to be understood that it is the
privilege of those who shall address this Conference. If they want to
preach us a discourse on doctrine—on the gathering of Israel, for
instance, they are at liberty so to do. If any one wishes to preach
the first principles of the Gospel—repentance and baptism, with the
gifts, he is at liberty.

Vol. 1, p.131
Were it not that our bodies have to be fed and clothed, I would
propose that we tarry here a few months, to give all a chance to
speak, to exhort, to pray, to prophesy, to sing, to speak in tongues,
or to do whatsoever the Spirit should manifest unto them. But our work
is a work of the present. The salvation we are seeking is for the
present, and, sought correctly, it can be obtained, and be continually
enjoyed. If it continues to-day, it is upon the same principle that it
will continue to-morrow, the next day, the next week, or the next
year, and, we might say, the next eternity.

Vol. 1, p.131
If we are saved, we are happy, we are filled with light, glory,
intelligence, and we pursue a course to enjoy the blessings that the
Lord has in store for us. If we continue to pursue that course, it
produces just the thing we want, that is, to be saved at this present
moment. And this will lay the foundation to be saved for ever and for
ever, which will amount to an eternal salvation.

Vol. 1, p.131
Brethren, we have accomplished the design of our hearts, that we
listed to accomplish. And really, this thought inadvertently rushes
upon my mind—Wherein have we not accomplished all we have listed to
do? not only in excavating the earth, and laying down the Corner
Stones in the centre of the main body of the building we shall rear
for the Temple, but [p.132] wherein have we contemplated doing one
thing we have not done, to build up the Kingdom of God? If there has
been a failure, it does not occur to my mind at present. I cannot now
recall to my mind one circumstance of that kind, with all the mobbing,
driving, and afflictions that this people have passed through.

Vol. 1, p.132
Though the enemy had power to kill our Prophet, that is, kill his
body, did he not accomplish all that was in his heart to accomplish in
his day? He did, to my certain knowledge, and I have many witnesses
here that heard him declare that he had done everything he could do he
had revealed everything that could be revealed at present, he had
prepared the way for the people to walk in, and no man or woman should
be deprived of going into the presence of the Father and the Son, and
enjoying an eternal exaltation, if they would walk in the path he had
pointed out.

Vol. 1, p.132
From the day that he fell, until this day, if there is one item of
business, if there is one thing that should have been done by this
people, that has not been done, I cannot call it to mind, though it
looked gloomy for a month or six weeks past, the weather being so
unfavorable with regard to being ready to lay those Corner Stones,
to-day.

Vol. 1, p.132
I am happy to say that there has been a great deal of faith manifested
by the Saints, and, through that faith the Lord has granted unto us
the desire of our hearts, or else the devil has been sent on an errand
another way, and has forgotten himself. I do not think, however, he
need trouble himself much about the world, for he has them secure
enough. Perhaps he may have slept a little too long, as he has not
been here on this notable day. I attribute it to our Father in heaven,
for giving us this beautiful weather to-day.

Vol. 1, p.132
The congregation was not accommodated as we desired. We should have
been pleased if they could have been so situated that all could have
heard the orations, and prayers that were made upon those four stones;
but they will be in print, so you can read them at your leisure.

Vol. 1, p.132
I do not like to prophesy much, I never do, but I will venture to
guess, that this day, and the work we have performed on it, will long
be remembered by this people, and be sounded as with a trumpet's voice
throughout the world, as far, as loud, and as long as steam, wind, and
the electric current can carry it. It is a day in which all the
faithful will rejoice in all time to come.

Vol. 1, p.132
Some will inquire, "Do you suppose we shall finish this Temple,
brother Brigham?" I have had such questions put to me already. My
answer is, I do not know, and I do not care any more about it than I
should if my body was dead and in the grave, and my spirit in
Paradise. I never have cared but for one thing, and that is, simply to
know that I am now right before my Father in Heaven. If I am this
moment, this day, doing the things God requires of my hands, and
precisely where my Father in Heaven wants me to be, I care no more
about to-morrow than though it never would come. I do not know where I
shall be to-morrow, nor when this Temple will be done—I know no more
about it than you do. If God reveals anything for you, I will tell you
of it as freely as to say, go to City Creek, and drink until you are
satisfied.

Vol. 1, p.132
This I do know—there should be a Temple built here. I do know it is
the duty of this people to commence to build a Temple. Now, some will
want to know what kind of a building it will be. Wait patiently,
brethren, until it is done, and put forth your hands willingly to
finish it. I know what it will be. I am not a visionary man, neither
am I given much to  [p.133] prophesying. When I want any of that done
I call on brother Heber—he is my Prophet, he loves to prophesy, and I
love to hear him. I scarcely ever say much about revelations, or
visions, but suffice it to say, five years ago last July I was here,
and saw in the Spirit the Temple not ten feet from where we have laid
the Chief Corner Stone. I have not inquired what kind of a Temple we
should build. Why? Because it was represented before me. I have never
looked upon that ground, but the vision of it was there. I see it as
plainly as if it was in reality before me. Wait until it is done. I
will say, however, that it will have six towers, to begin with,
instead of one. Now do not any of you apostatize because it will have
six towers, and Joseph only built one. It is easier for us to build
sixteen, than it was for him to build one. The time will come when
there will be one in the centre of Temples we shall build, and, on the
top, groves and fish ponds. But we shall not see them here, at
present.

Vol. 1, p.133
The First Presidency proceeded to the south-east corner, to lay the
first stone, though it is customary to commence at the north-east
corner—that is the beginning point most generally, I believe, in the
world. At this side of the equator we commence at the south-east
corner. We sometimes look for light, you know, brethren. You old men
that have been through the mill pretty well, have been inquiring after
lights—which way do you go? You will tell me you go to the east for
light? So we commence by laying the stone on the south-east corner,
because there is the most light.

Vol. 1, p.133
Just as quick as the minutes of this day's proceedings are out, there
will be Elders, High Priests, and Seventies, inquiring whether the
same order has been carried out to-day, as was observed in laying the
Corner Stones of the other Temples. I want to give you a little
history of it, that you may knew.

Vol. 1, p.133
When the corner stones were laid in Kirtland, they had to pick up boys
of fifteen and sixteen years of age, and ordain them Elders, to get
officers enough to lay the Corner Stones. The Quorum of the Twelve,
and the High Council, and many other authorities that now exist, were
not then in existence. Joseph presided over the Church, by the voice
of the Church.

Vol. 1, p.133
Perhaps it may make some of you stumble, were I to ask you a
question—Does a man's being a Prophet in this Church prove that he
shall be the President of it? I answer, no! A man may be a Prophet,
Seer, and Revelater, and it may have nothing to do with his being the
President of the Church. Suffice it to say, that Joseph was the
President of the Church, as long as he lived: the people chose to have
it so. He always filled that responsible station, by the voice of the
people. Can you find any revelation appointing him the President of
the Church? The keys of the Priesthood were committed to Joseph, to
build up the Kingdom of God on the earth, and were not to be taken
from him in time or in eternity; but when he was called to preside
over the Church, it was by the voice of the people; though he held the
keys of the Priesthood, independent of their voice.

Vol. 1, p.133
I want the Elders of Israel to reflect upon this subject. I would be
glad to teach you something, that you may not get into such snarls as
heretofore. You make me think of a child that is trying to make rope
of a parcel of old thrums, until he gets the whole into snarls. It is
so with the Elders of Israel as touching their ideas of the
Priesthood.

Vol. 1, p.133
Now hear me, and I will try to talk so that you can understand. I will
presume to go a little further than I did, with regard to the
President of the Church, and say to this people, a man might have
visions, the angels of God might administer to him, he might have
[p.134] revelations, and see as many visions as you could count; he
might have the heavens opened to him, and see the finger of the Lord,
and all this would not make him the President of the Church, or an
Elder, a High Priest, an Apostle; neither would it prove that he was
even a Saint: something else is wanted to prove it. Why I mention
this, is because of the frailty, weakness, and short-sightedness of
the people. If a man should come and tell you he had had a vision, and
could appear to substantiate his testimony that he had had the heavens
opened to him, you would be ready to bow down and worship him; and he
might be, at the same time, perfectly calculated to destroy the
people—one of the biggest devils on earth. He would appear to be one
of the finest of men, to be honest and unassuming, and come with all
the grace and generalship of the devil, which is so well calculated to
deceive the people. Admit this to be the case.

Vol. 1, p.134
If you ask me what will prove a man or woman to be a Saint, I will
answer the question. "If you love me," says Jesus, "you will keep my
sayings." That is the touchstone. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the Father, you will keep the commandments of the Son—you will do
his will. If you neglect to do this, you may have all the visions and
revelations that could be bestowed upon a mortal being, and yet be
nothing but a devil. Why I use this expression is because when a man's
mind is enlightened, and he turns from that light to darkness, it
prepares him to be a devil. A man never knew how to be wicked, until
light and truth were first made manifest to him. Then is the time for
men to make their decision, and if they turn away from the Lord, it
prepares them to become devils.

Vol. 1, p.134
Now, I want to go back, for I have wandered on a little with regard to
dying the Corner Stones, and take up the Apostleship, in connexion
with this. Let me ask the High Priests' Quorum a question, in order to
bring out the thing I wish to lay before you. I ask the High Priests,
from whence toes the Apostleship grow? Does it grow out of the High
Priesthood? I will venture to say, if I was not here to-day, and this
question was proposed for debate, you would find the Elders in this
congregation, perhaps, nearly equally divided on the point. There
would be as many High Priests to say the Apostleship grows out of the
High Priesthood, as there would to say it does not. Let me answer the
question. Now recollect that the High Priesthood, and the Lesser
Priesthood, and all the Priesthood there is, are combined, centered
in, composed of, and circumscribed by, the Apostleship. Brethren, did
you ever know that before? If you had read that book attentively,
[pointing to the Book of Covenants,] it would have told you the story
as I am now telling it to you, yet the High Priests did nat know it.

Vol. 1, p.134
I speak thus to show you the order of the Priesthood. We will now
commence with the Apostleship, where Joseph commenced. Joseph was
ordained an Apostle—that you can read and understand. After he was
ordained to this office, then he had the right to organize and build
up the kingdom of God, for he had committed unto him the keys of the
Priesthood, which is after the order of Melchisedec—the High
Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God. And this,
remember, by being ordained an Apostle.

Vol. 1, p.134
Could he have built up the Kingdom of God, without first being an
Apostle? No, he never could. The keys of the eternal Priesthood, which
is after the order of the Son of God, are  comprehended by being an
Apostle. All the Priesthood, all the keys, all [p.135] the gifts, all
the endowments, and everything preparatory to entering into the
presence of the Father and of the Son, are in, composed of,
circumscribed by, or I might say incorporated within the circumference
of, the Apostleship.

Vol. 1, p.135
Now who do we set, in the first place, to lay the Chief, the South
East, Corner Stone—the corner from whence light emanates to illuminate
the whole fabric that is to be lighted? We begin with the First
Presidency, with the Apostleship, for Joseph commenced, always, with
the keys of the Apostleship, and he, by the voice of the people,
presiding over the whole community of Latter-day Saints, officiated in
the Apostleship, as the first President.

Vol. 1, p.135
What comes next in the Church? I will now refer you directly to the
building up of the Kingdom of God in the last days. What do we see
next? Joseph as an Apostle of the Lamb, with the keys of the eternal
Priesthood committed unto him by Peter, James, and John. What for? To
build up the Kingdom of God on the earth. Next grows out an office
pertaining to the temporal affairs of this Kingdom, the keys of which
are committed to man on the earth, preparatory to its establishment,
preparatory to its spreading, growing, increasing, and prospering
among the nations. The next step we see taken by the Lord, is to
provide for the body, therefore some person must be appointed to fill
this office, to stand side by side with this Apostle, this first
President. Who was it? It was not brother Hunter. Who was it? It was
brother Partridge. We see brother Partridge was called to fill that
place before there was an Elders' Quorum, or a High Priests' Quorum,
in existence, yea, before the thing was talked of, and also before the
Twelve Apostles were chosen, not, however, before the revelation was
given to signify there would be such a Quorum.

Vol. 1, p.135
We see this Apostle with the keys of the Priesthood to build up the
Kingdom, to give light to those who were in darkness, to succor those
who were feeble, to sustain the trembling, to administer salvation to
the penitent, and to be a stay and a staff to those who were ready to
fall. We see this gigantic Apostle thus standing forth, clothed with
the authority of heaven, to build up His cause on the earth. Him the
Lord told to call a Bishop. So the Bishop was the next standing
authority in the Kingdom of God; therefore we set the Bishop at the
second corner of the building. The Melchisedec Priesthood, with the
altar, fixtures, and furniture belonging thereunto, is situated on the
East, and the Aaronic Priesthood belongs in the West; consequently the
Presiding Bishop laid the second stone.

Vol. 1, p.135
Do you ask, was it so in the other buildings? I do not know, neither
do I care.

Vol. 1, p.135
The High Priests' Quorum—do they come next in order, do they next step
into the field? No, not particularly, any more than the Elders, nor
the Elders any more than the High Council, nor the High Council any
more than the Teachers, Deacons, or Priests. The High Priests' Quorum
is a standing Quorum, abiding at home. So is the Elders' Quorum; but
the place of the Bishop is in the temporal affairs in the Church; so
then what shall we say? Why, out of due respect to the High
Priesthood, which is nothing more than what is right and reasonable,
that we should honor the Priesthood that God has bequeathed to us, we
say to the High Priests; lay the third corner stone.

Vol. 1, p.135
We started at the South East Corner, with the Apostleship; then the
Lesser Priesthood laid the second stone; we bring them in our ranks to
[p.136] the third stone, which the High Priests and Elders laid; we
take them under our wing to the North East Corner Stone, which the
Twelve and Seventies laid, and there again join the Apostleship. It
circumscribes every other Priesthood, for it is the Priesthood of
Melchisedec, which is after the order of the Son of God.

Vol. 1, p.136
To say a man is an Apostle, is equal to saying that a man is ordained
to build up the Kingdom of God from first to last; but it is not so by
saying he is ordained a High Priest. The Bishoprick by right belongs
to the literal descendants of Aaron, but we shall have to ordain from
the other tribes, men who hold the High Priesthood, to act in the
Lesser, until we can find a literal descendant of Aaron, who is
prepared to receive it.

Vol. 1, p.136
The Lesser Priesthood then, you perceive, comes within the purview of
the Apostleship, because a man that holds it has a right to act or
officiate as a High Priest, as one of the High Council, as a
Patriarch, as a Bishop, Elder, Priest, Teacher, and Deacon, and in
every other office and calling that is in the Church, from first to
last, when duty demands it.

Vol. 1, p.136
This is the order of the Priesthood, brethren. I felt as though I
wished to make some remarks upon this subject on the Temple ground;
but dismissing the congregation hurt me much. I wanted to make some
remarks at the same time, but I despaired of making you hear, so I
thought I would omit speaking in the open air, and say what I had to
say in the Tabernacle.

Vol. 1, p.136
I know what was done at Nauvoo; it was all right. Everything is right
with me. There the Twelve were called to lay the North West Corner
Stone, if I mistake not. However, it is no matter, they were just as
well there, as anywhere else. But to take up the Priesthood in its
perfect order and form, you perceive that the Apostleship
circumscribes everything in the Church of God on earth. This is the
order, and I have endeavored to carry it out before you, that you all
might know hereafter, what is the true order, as far as it can be
exhibited in the laying of Corner Stones. So far as simply laying a
corner stone is concerned, one corner is just as good to me as
another.

Vol. 1, p.136
I will give you the explanation why we proceeded as we have. It was
suggested to me, that perhaps the Twelve would feel better to lay the
second stone. When I told them the fourth stone was the stone they
should lay, it struck my mind that I was ordained an Apostle; and I
still belong to the Apostleship; did you ever cut me off, brethren?
[Voices in the stand, No.] It struck ray mind if you wanted to lay the
second stone, you did not feel that you had the Apostleship in you, or
you did not feel like as I did; for it is the beginning and the end,
the height, depth, length, and breadth of all that is, that was, and
ever can be to all eternity. I have not heard thai; there were any
feelings about the matter, only somebody suggested the thing. It was
three of the Twelve, then, that laid the first stone, and then the
Quorum of the Twelve laid the fourth.

Vol. 1, p.136
Now will it cause some of you to marvel that I was not ordained a High
Priest before I was ordained an Apostle? Brother Kimball and myself
were never ordained High Priests. How wonderful! I was going to say
how little some of the brethren understood the Priesthood, after the
Twelve were called. In our early career in this Church, on one
occasion, in one of our Councils, we were telling about some of the
Twelve wanting to ordain us High Priests, and what I said to brother
Patten when he wanted to ordain me in York State: said I,  brother
Patten, wait until I can lift my hand [p.137] to heaven and say, I
have magnified the office of an Elder. After our conversation was over
in the Council, some of the brethren began to query, and said we ought
to be ordained High Priests; at the same time I did not consider that
an Apostle needed to be ordained a High Priest, an Elder, or a
Teacher. I did not express my views on the subject, at that time, but
thought I would hear what brother Joseph would say about it. It was
William E. McLellin who told Joseph, that I and Heber were not
ordained High Priests, and wanted to know if it should not be done.
Said Joseph, "Will you insult the Priesthood? Is that all the
knowledge you have of the office of an Apostle? Do you not know that
the man who receives the Apostleship, receives all the keys that ever
were, or that can be, conferred upon mortal man? What are you talking
about? I am astonished!" Nothing more was said about it.

Vol. 1, p.137
I know that Joseph received his Apostleship from Peter, James, and
John, before a revelation on the subject was printed, and he never had
a right to organize a Church before he was an Apostle.

Vol. 1, p.137
I have tried to shew you, brethren, as briefly as possible, the order
of the Priesthood. When a man is ordained to be an Apostle, his
Priesthood is without beginning of days, or end of life, like the
Priesthood of Melchisedec; for it was his Priesthood that was spoken
of in this language, and not the man.

Vol. 1, p.137
When I arose to address you, I wanted to talk to you a little of my
experience in practical "Mormonism." but I have not had time, and have
talked long enough already. I have been round about it, you know, for
it is all inside of what I have been telling you.

Vol. 1, p.137
May the Lord bless you forever, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Parley P. Pratt, July 4, 1853

Declaration of Independence—Constitution  of the United States
—Discovery, Colonization, and  Progress of America
—Despotic Nations—Influence  of America 
for the Universal Prevalence of Liberty.

An Oration Delivered By P. P. Pratt, at Great Salt Lake City,
 1858 on the Anniversary of the 4th of July, 1776.

Vol. 1, p.137
Friends and Fellow Citizens—We have been edified and instructed today,
our hearts have been warmed, and our minds entertained with a variety.
Shall I say interspersed with music? No, for it has all been music,
whether flowing from the hearts of our fellow citizens, or produced by
the skill of our bands in the use of musical instruments. All has been
music—music to the ear, and poetry to the heart. We have had a
variety, all [p.138] tending, however, to one point, all chiming in
one common harmony, without a jarring string. We have had the gushing
eloquence of youth, kindled as it were with liquid fire, portraying
the glories of our country, and touching upon some portion of its
history.

Vol. 1, p.138
Our sympathies, and feelings of patriotism, have been moved in
listening to the items relating to the "Mormon Battalion"—their
sufferings upon the plains of Sonora, and the variety of scenes of
joy, and sorrow, and patriotism; and the results in their march. We
have had portrayed before us at one moment the opening of the
treasures of the western mines, and the cause that led to it, pouring
into the treasuries of nations, as it were, a stream of gold. At
another moment we have been entertained with a view of the results of
the actions of our fathers, and the causes that led to the great
Declaration of Independence, and to the statement of the principles
contained in that instrument, which was read to day; contemplating,
not only the direct bearing of those actions of our fathers in setting
a nation free, but the indirect bearing and influences of such
movements upon the whole world of mankind—upon the destiny of the race
of which we form a part.

Vol. 1, p.138
At another moment we have listened to the grave eloquence of official
gentlemen, portraying the history of our fathers in the anxious
movements that finally resulted in the establishment and in the
maintainance of those great principles and truths put forth in the
Declaration. In short, we have had a variety, and we have had
entertainment that has been profitable to the mind, and that has
caused us to reflect. And as to the display of eloquence; poetry,
music, and above all of patriotic feeling, good sentiment, and
wholesome doctrine, what is there left?

Vol. 1, p.138
I, for one, feel, in rising under these circumstances, as though I
would rather sit and contemplate, and reflect upon the history of the
past, and the glorious prospect of the future. But on the other hand,
I feel willing as a fellow citizen to contribute my mite, realizing at
the same time my own weakness, and not having had time to prepare
anything in writing.

Vol. 1, p.138
I will express my ideas, or rather a few of them, in regard to the
Constitution of our own country, and its political principles, of
their effects, and of the results of the movements which gave rise to
that Constitution. The longer I live, and the more acquainted I am
with men and things, the more I realize that these movements, and
particularly that instrument called the Constitution of American
Liberty, was certainly dictated by the spirit of wisdom, by a spirit
of unparalleled liberality, and by a spirit of political utility. And
if that Constitution be carried out by a just and wise administration,
it is calculated to benefit not only all the people that are born
under its particular jurisdiction, but all the people of the earth, of
whatever nation, kindred, tongue, religion, or tradition, that may
seek to take a shelter under its banner. It seems broad enough, and
large enough, to receive and protect all that may be in any way
deprived of the common rights of man. It was doubtless dictated by the
spirit of eternal wisdom, and has thus far proved itself adequate to
the wants of the nation, and to the wants of all mankind that have
seen fit to attach themselves to it, to come under its protection, and
share in its blessings.

Vol. 1, p.138
The great question, as has been before observed to-day more than once,
is, not the operations of the instruments, the beauty of the writing,
the formation of the language, or the  principle of liberty guaranteed
therein, but the administration of those [p.139] principles. For
instance, paper itself cannot enforce its own precepts; and unhallowed
principles in the people, or in the rulers which they choose, may
pervert any form of government, however sacred, true, and liberal.
They may overthrow and destroy the practical working of those very
principles, which are so true, and so dear to us, and in which we so
rejoice. It is the living administration, after all, that is the
government, although a good form opens the way for good results, if
carried out; but if not carried out, the form becomes a dead letter.
Much depends on the feeling and action of the people in their choice
of men and measures, and much depends on the administration of those
they may choose.

Vol. 1, p.139
In the principles of the Constitution formed by our fathers, and
handed down to their children, and those who should see fit to adopt
this country as theirs, there is no difficulty, that is, in the laws
and instruments themselves. They embrace eternal truths, principles of
eternal liberty, not the principles of one peculiar country, or the
sectional interest of any particular people, but the great,
fundamental eternal principles of liberty to rational beings—liberty
of conscience, liberty to do business, liberty to increase in
intelligence and in improvement, in the comforts, conveniences, and
elegances of this life, and in the intellectual principles that tend
to progress in all lives.

Vol. 1, p.139
The more I contemplate our country, the providences which have
attended it, the principles upon which it is governed, the principles
upon which the Constitution is founded, and the practical working of
it when properly carried out; the more I look at the spirit it of our
institutions; and the more I contemplate the circumstances of mankind
in general; the more I realize that which before I had scarcely
thought of, that which even the largest capacity had failed to
grasp—the greatness of the destiny of those principles. One thing is
certain, in the minds of all Christians who admit the truth of the
Bible, and who have perused its, pages, and that is, there is a day
coming when all mankind upon this earth will be free. When they will
no longer be shackled, either by ignorance, by religious or political
bondage, by tyranny, by oppression, by priestcraft, kingcraft, or any
other kind of craft, but when all will positively have the knowledge
of the truth, and freely enjoy it with their neighbors. However they
may do in other points, these points are clearly developed in that
good Book which Christendom acknowledges. This is the destiny that the
Prophets of old have predicted in regard to the race of mortals upon
the earth. Whatever principles of darkness have united to obscure ages
and generations; whatever of wrong and blood-shed might prevail;
whatever of corruption, deception, or superstition might enslave the
mind of man, and chain down his body; however the earth might be
drenched in the blood of millions; however many might be the futile
struggles of nations or individuals for liberty; yet, in the final
result, the darkness which has covered the earth will be chased away,
light will. prevail, liberty triumph, mankind be free, the nations be
brethren, and none have need to say to his neighbor, "Know ye the
Lord," or the truth, which is just the same thing; for all will know
Him, from the least to the greatest. If such is to be the final
result, how natural it is for men to look at the workings of the
causes that will bring it about, and to contemplate the great things
that are growing out of so little, comparatively speaking. When a
single individual conceived a big thought, and formed a grand design
of taking an unbeaten track, and penetrating the unexplored [p.140]
seas of the West, who could have contemplated the result that has
grown out of it in about 300 and odd years?

Vol. 1, p.140
On the other band, when a few colonies, weak and feeble, settled on
these western shores, called New England, when all the grain they had
in their possession, in a little while after they landed, might have
been measured in a pint cup, who then could have contemplated the
result? Or when a few small colonies, weak and far separated from each
other by dreary miles, without the aid of steam cars, or steam boats,
or the convenience of the telegraph to convey news from place to place
with lightning speed, were united, and by their representatives made
this Declaration we have heard to-day, and pledged themselves, though
few in number—only between two and three millions, to defend and carry
it out, who could have contemplated the re-suit even of that? And when
these few colonies were once set free to manage their own affairs,
and, having achieved that which they so bravely undertook to
accomplish, and establish liberty, they came together to establish a
capital that should be central and convenient for the colonies that
were then strewed along the shores—at that time who could have
contemplated a nation that would stretch its dominions and settlements
from Maine to Florida, and from the north east, washed by the
Atlantic, to the very interior of the continent then unknown to
civilised man? and that the shores of the Pacific would have formed
our western limits, its seas been whitened with our sails, and the
unnumbered millions of Asia influenced by our institutions?

Vol. 1, p.140
Our hearts beat high for liberty. The valleys of the mountains, the
back bone of the American Continent, are peopled with 20 or 80
millions of free people scattered over the land, and dwelling securely
under the same banner, and now are we assembled to celebrate the day
on which freedom dawned.

Vol. 1, p.140
Who can realize the present and future bearing of this? Mine eyes have
beheld the down trodden people of our ancient mother country—England.
I have contemplated the working of European nations, not after the
hearing of the ear only, but mine eyes have beheld it. I have also
beheld a portion of the great Pacific, and seen our brethren of
mankind at war with each other in Spanish America, for I have crossed
the equator, and been far along the western shores of the Pacific. I
have also seen thousands of people of Asia, from the most despotic
government on the earth, swarming upon our western shores, dwelling
under the common banner of freedom—I mean the Chinese.

Vol. 1, p.140
We have heard something to day about the prospects of annexation, or
enlargement of the dominions of the Constitution of America. The
principle of annexation of large countries is not important, but the
influence of our institutions, the pattern we set, the working of
these institutions, and their influence abroad will bring about the
same results precisely, whether it is particularly by annexation or
not. The Spanish American, who is he? He possesses a country and
resources almost unbounded. Put that country and its resources with
the United States, with the Canaries, and I will guarantee that every
man that now stands upon the earth could be sustained by these
resources, if the rest of the world were to sink.

Vol. 1, p.140
The natural elements of the American continent, that are not
developed, would sustain the world. The Spanish American possesses a
country that is rich in every thing that is desirable, as a climate in
all its varieties. It is rich in mineral wealth and agricultural
resources, in timber, and in all the elements of wealth and greatness,
and is comparatively  undeveloped and [p.141] unoccupied. But who are
these Spanish Americans? They are in a great measure aboriginal
inhabitants of this country, mingled with European people, froth the
pure white of old Spain, and in all its shades until you come to the
full blooded Indian, or Redman.

Vol. 1, p.141
What institutions are they under? They are said to have liberty,
something after the pattern of the United States, but in many
instances, I am sorry to say, only in part, not in spirit, nor in
truth; for while they profess liberty, they themselves are in bondage
to a religion established by law. While their institutions may be
nominally free in many respects, they have this awful clause
specifying a certain religion, that shall be the religion of the
State, to the prohibition of all other religions, or public exercise
of other religions. Hence the people are trammelled by priestcraft, by
a yoke of bondage, first enforced upon them by the sword in the days
of Cortes and Pizarro, and afterwards rivetted by the traditions of
three centuries. They know not how to appreciate liberty, they know
not how to throw off the yoke that goads their neck.

Vol. 1, p.141
As it has been observed to-day by one of the orators, mankind are
progressive beings, and there are no obstacles that might be thrown in
the way of their progress, that could not be overcome. This will apply
to our brethren of every shade on this continent, and to mankind in
general. It is hardly possible for one dwelling at home to realize the
influence that American and English institutions, which are the best,
exert over the nations, and amoung them. They look to America for
instruction and example in the first place, and they next look to
England; they look to these countries for everything that is yet
undeveloped, of liberty, art, science, education, and improvement. You
may say they are Catholics, but who blames them for this? The law of
their country made them so, and tradition has fastened the bands, and
makes them so yet. But when they speak to Americans, they speak with
those whom they suppose can teach them. When they contemplate the
United States, they contemplate a country that they suppose is setting
them an example worthy to be patterned after. They delight to sit for
hours and learn of our institutions, of our railroads, of our
telegraph, of the speed by which we can convey ourselves and goods
from place to place, and of our wonderful quickness of conveying news.
They love to hear of our improvements in steam, of our navigation, of
our schools, of our newspaper liberty, or the liberty of the press, of
our liberty of conscience, of our universal adaptation of education,
and of our system of paying for education out of the public funds,
leaving the people to contribute freely according to their own
judgment and desires for the support of religion. These things have a
bearing upon their minds; they are ready to converse upon them, and
when they have heard the description, say they, "It is good, far
better than our own institutions," and they are ready to condemn the
priestcraft among them, but they have to follow it because they have
nothing else. Their organs of thought are not accustomed to lunch
exercise, they want the information to liberate themselves.

Vol. 1, p.141
When we contemplate the designs of the country, and its influence, we
contemplate not merely our own liberty, happiness, and progress,
nationally and individually, but we contemplate the emancipation of
the world, the flowing of the nations to this fountain, and to the
occupation of these elements, blending together in one common
brotherhood. They will thus seek deliverance from oppression, not in
the style of revolution, but by voluntarily emerging into freedom, and
the free occupation of the free [p.142] elements of life. In
contemplating rite fulfilment of things so clearly developed by the
Prophets, I do not view it as do many, who suppose a revolution should
take place in France, in Austria, in Germany, and the other nations,
and that one revolution following another, would gradually emancipate
mankind in every nation, and give progress to the principles of
freedom, to liberty of thought and action, and to the free circulation
of intelligence. We have seen it tried, and tried in vain. The people
are not able to throw off those fetters of bondage, and that heavy
yoke. Circumstances are against them. But Providence opens the way
whereby they may liberate themselves—I mean the first and best spirits
from all countries under the heavens. They may leave the old
constitutions to crumble down in their own rottenness, and emerge from
them, and come out where they may enjoy sufficient of the elements
upon free, good, and equitable principles; operate upon these
elements, and increase their numbers and powers by the union of the
best spirits of all nations of the earth.

Vol. 1, p.142
On the one hand the Chinese emerges from the institutions of ages
almost immemorial, from the antiquated creeds and regulations that he
thought every man in the world had been governed by for thousands of
years. He emerges from that superstitious government, and lands upon
these shores, and learns principles of freedom faster than he does the
English language—his old traditions are swept away, and he is a man.
But take that whole nation, and they could not be brought to think of
liberty as we do; take from ten to a thousand individuals and put them
where they may think, and they will think; and as they think, their
old traditions will vanish one by one. At the same time the Spanish
American follows, and all the other nations in the train; the barriers
will be broken, and they will begin to emerge into freedom. In short,
all the people of the earth, though they cannot master their tyrants
at home at one fell swoop, and burst asunder their chains and the
fetters of priestcraft that have bound them down, and trammelled the
free circulation of thought, yet one by one, family by family, can
flow out from those countries, to where they have a right to the
elements to sustain them. What is to be the result in the end? They
will step on the other side of the big ship called the world, or in
other words the Eastern Hemisphere, and take their stand together, at
least upon general principles, if not upon particular items, and begin
to think. It will be a long time, of course, before all things will
settle into a state of harmony; it will be a long time before many
will begin to think at all. They will ultimately begin to think, and
think until they form habits of thinking, and .perhaps after a while
they will learn to think truly. Men who are not in the habit of
thinking are as apt to think wrong as to think right, but when the
habit is once formed they will begin to discriminate, and use
faculties with which they are naturally endowed. When they emigrate to
this land, the first thing they think of is to improve the elements,
and provide for themselves the means of subsistence.

Vol. 1, p.142
But the stepping of the people on this side of the ship, or on the
land shadowing with wings, in such numbers, would, to use a figure,
almost turn the world over; they would, in other words, overbalance
it, the same as a ship would be overbalanced by the shifting of the
cargo from one side of the vessel to the other.

Vol. 1, p.142
You take the people from the Eastern Hemisphere, and put them on the
western, far away from tyranny and oppression, and let them use their
individual exertions to improve  themselves, mentally and nationally,
and [p.143] their influence will ultimately overbalance the world,
they will overturn those institutions which they could not conquer in
their own country.

Vol. 1, p.143
Hence we contemplate that small beginning made by the American
pioneers, by Columbus as the first pioneer, and by our fathers the
pioneers of religion and liberty; we contemplate how that influence
has spread and increased in the earth, influencing the feelings of
individuals as well as national institutions, until among all the
nations of the earth, a sufficient number are gathered together, and
the elements sufficiently developed that now lie unoccupied, and
sufficient light is infused for them to comprehend, to contemplate, to
investigate, and interchange with each other the blessings of
Providence, until by and by the rest of the world is overwhelmed, that
it is obliged to bow to their superior greatness. "Do you mean that we
shall return again to our fathers' land, and compel them to be
American citizens?" No. But to two hundred millions of people on the
American continent, dignified by the principles of American freedom,
Europe must bow, by the indirect influence which must necessarily be
exercised on those despotic nations.

Vol. 1, p.143
Suffice it to say the continent is discovered, the elements for life
and happiness are known to exist, and are partly developed, and
constitutions and governments formed, and principles beginning to be
instituted and developed, and influences are at work of such magnitude
and greatness, that language is inadequate to express the probable
result; we can only borrow the language of the Prophets, which is also
insufficient to convey the idea properly, that is, The earth shall be
full of knowledge, light, liberty, brotherly kindness and friendship;
none will have need to teach his neighbor to know the Lord, but all
will know Him from the least to the greatest; darkness will flee away,
oppression will be known no more, and men will employ blacksmiths to
beat up their old weapons of war into ploughshares and pruninghooks.
Their occupation will be to develop the inexhaustible resources of
nature, improve the intellect, and lay hold of the Spirit of the Lord,
and live by it. The world will be renovated both politically and
religiously.

Vol. 1, p.143
These are but partial ideas. To view the subject in its true light,
would lead the mind to contemplate all the practical truths in the
universe, that are within the grasp of mortal man; indeed it may reach
into immortality. We will acknowledge the hand of God in the movements
of men, and in the development of minds, the result of which will be
the fulfillment of what the Prophet has spoken—the renovation of our
race, and the establishment of a universal Kingdom of God, in which
His will will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. [p.144]

Brigham Young, July 24, 1852

The Pioneers—Capabilities and Settlement
 of the Great Basin—Exhortation to Faithfulness.

A Speech Delivered By President Brigham Young
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, 1852, 
at the Anniversary of the 24th of July, 1817.

Vol. 1, p.144
I wish to make a few remarks only, to this congregation, as the time
allotted to us this morning, is far spent. The remarks which have been
made previous to my rising are very good, as they are also true. They
are things not fresh to the majority of this assembly, though there
may be some present who are perhaps ignorant of them.

Vol. 1, p.144
Suffice it to say, that five years ago this day, the Pioneers
approached this valley, with their implements of husbandry, &c, which
were represented by them in the procession to-day. We came for the
purpose of finding a place to set our feet, where we could dwell in
peace. That place we have found. If the Saints cannot enjoy that peace
which is so dear to them here, I would say that I am ignorant of the
spot on the earth where they can. Where could a place have been found
where we might enjoy freedom of thought, freedom of speech, and
freedom of worship? If not in these mountains, I am ignorant of the
place.

Vol. 1, p.144
We have enjoyed perfect peace here for five years; and I trust we
shall for many fives to come. If the Saints are persecuted, it is for
their good; if they are driven, it is for their good; consequently,
when I reflect, I have nothing to fear in all the persecutions or
hardships I may pass through in connection with this people, but the
one thing, and that is, to stray from the religion I have embraced,
and be forsaken of my God. If you or I should see that day, we shall
see at once that the world will love its own; and affliction,
persecutions, death, fire, and the sword, will cease to follow us.

Vol. 1, p.144
If the Latter-day Saints magnify their calling, walk humbly before
their God, do the things that are pleasing to their Father in heaven,
and walk up to their duty in every respect, I am bold to say that not
five years only, but scores of years, will pass away without the
Saints ever being interrupted, or driven again from their possessions:
thus far it is for our good.

Vol. 1, p.144
I did not rise for the purpose of delivering an oration on this
occasion, but to remind you of the blessings we now are privileged to
enjoy. When we first approached this valley, there was not a man upon
the face of the earth who ever had beheld these valleys of the
mountains, or knew anything of the Great Basin, who knew that corn, or
any other kind of grain could be raised here. Can you find the man who
had any knowledge of the Great Basin, as it is called, that believed
there could be an ear of corn ripened in it? There is not that man on
the earth, when you have excepted the people called the Latter-day
Saints. We came here and planted our garden-seeds of various kinds,
five years ago this day; they grew, but  they did not [p.145] ripen,
though the buck-wheat would have ripened, perhaps, had it been
properly taken care of; some other grains also would have come to
maturity, so as to have assisted a small colony to live here; they,
however, lived; how? Shall I say by faith? Yes, partially so; for had
they not had faith, they certainly never would have come to this
place: it is the faith of the Latter-day Saints that brought them
here.

Vol. 1, p.145
There is a very mysterious principle that abides with this people; it
is a mystery, and one of the greatest mysteries to the inhabitants of
the earth that have been made acquainted by history, or by personal
knowledge, with this people. And what makes it more singular, say
they, by all our calculations we cannot conceive of it; it is so
mysterious that it absolutely amounts to a miracle. What is this great
mystery? It is that these Latter-day Saints are of one heart, and of
one mind.

Vol. 1, p.145
To Saint and sinner, believer and unbeliever, I wish here to offer one
word of advice and counsel, by revealing the mystery that abides with
this people called Latter-day Saints; it is the Spirit of the living
God that leads them; it is the Spirit of the Almighty that binds them
together; it is the influence of the Holy Ghost that makes them love
each other like little children; it is the spirit of Jesus Christ that
makes them willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Truth; and
it was that same Spirit that caused Joseph our martyred Prophet to lay
down his life for the testimony of what the Lord revealed to him. This
mystery, the great mystery of "Mormonism," is, that the Spirit of the
Lord binds the hearts of the people together. Let the world look at
it. This I say by way of exhortation, if you please. Let the
inhabitants of the earth gaze upon this people, this wondrous people,
for a magic power attends them; something mysterious hangs around
them. What is it? It is not magnetism; it is something more wonderful;
those that are present this day may truly say it is wonderful in the
extreme. Who gives me power, that "at the pointing of my finger," the
hosts of Israel move, and at my request the inhabitants of this great
Territory are displaced: at my command they are here? Who gives me
that power? Let the world inquire. It is the God of heaven: it is the
Spirit of the Holy Gospel; it is not of myself; it is the Lord Jesus
Christ, trying to save the inhabitants of the earth.

Vol. 1, p.145
The people are here; they endure. Did they bring their bread with
them? No. Did they bring their meat with them? No. Did they bring that
that sustained them until they raised it from the earth? They could
not do it, for they were obliged to bring tools, ploughs, drag-chains,
&c.; they were obliged to bring their wives and children in their
wagons; five, and six, and eight, and in some wagons ten, people would
get huddled together, to drive a thousand miles from all sustenance,
and there plant themselves in the wilderness, where nothing met the
eye but snowy peaks, and parched vales; and trust in the God of Israel
to sustain them. Let the world ask the question—would the Methodists
thus run the hazard of losing their lives for their religion? Would
the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, or their old mother, the
Roman Catholic church, run the same risk? Would she venture thus in
the wilderness? No. It is not very common to find a whole people on
the earth, as in the case of the Latter-day Saints, who would do it;
though single individuals might be found so  enthusiastic as to
sacrifice, their lives, and run into a lion's den, in proof of their
faith in their religion. But where are the tens of [p.146] thousands,
and the scores of thousands, and the hundreds of thousands, who would
lay down every principle of life and happiness, and everything that is
desirable, pertaining to this world, for the principles of eternal
life; and would go forth into the wilderness, having no other stay but
the hand of God to lead them? They are not to be found!

Vol. 1, p.146
We meet here and celebrate the day; five years we have been in this
valley; and I will say to the new comers, our brethren, or those who
are not our brethren, three years ago last October, the first house
was reared in this place. There was not a rod of fence, nor a house,
except the old fort, and a little log cabin. Here we are now, spread
out from the east to the west, measurably so, but more extensively to
the north and south. Travel through the valleys, and scan the houses,
and the farms, and see the improvements that have been made; take the
back track of the "Mormons;" follow them from here to Nauvoo: from
Nauvoo to Far West; then to Kirtland; and back to Missouri again to
Jackson county; and all people will acknowledge that the "Mormons"
have had enough to do to mind their own business, and make the
improvements that have been performed by them! they have done nothing
but mind their own business. Look at the improvements that have
followed this people, in all their travels up to this place, for a
testimony of their endurance, and unflinching industry.

Vol. 1, p.146
I say to this community, be humble, be faithful to your God, true to
His Church, benevolent to the strangers that may pass through our
territory, and kind to all people; serving the Lord with all your
might, trusting in him; but never fear the frowns of an enemy, nor be
moved by the flatteries of friends or of enemies from the path of
right. Serve your God; believe in Him, and never be ashamed of Him,
and sustain your character before Him, for very soon we will meet in a
larger congregation than this, and have a celebration far superior; we
will celebrate our perfect and absolute deliverance from the power of
the devil; we only celebrate now our deliverance from the good brick
houses we have left, from our farms and lands, and from the graves of
our fathers; we celebrate our perfect deliverance from these.

Vol. 1, p.146
Our lives have been spared, and we are yet upon this planet; and by
and by we will celebrate a perfect deliverance from all the powers of
earth; and we will keep our eyes set upon the mark, and go forward to
victory.

Vol. 1, p.146
I say to the aged, to the middle-aged, and to the young—all be true to
your God, true to your brethren, and kind to all, serving God with all
your heart. And may He bless you for Jesus' sake. Amen. [p.147]

John Taylor, June 12, 1853

Motives and Feelings of the Saints—Experience  Necessary
 the State of the World—Infidels—Religions and
 Works of Men, and the Religion and Works
 of God—Truth and Salvation.

A Discourse Delivered By Elder John Taylor, 
in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, June 12, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.147
In rising to address you this morning, I do it with feelings of
peculiar pleasure, for I always love to meet with the Saints of the
Most High; I always loved to speak or to hear of the things associated
with the kingdom of God; and consequently, as we are all engaged in
the worship of the Almighty, and meet together from time to time, to
sing, to pray, to speak, to edify, and be edified, it is of little
importance to me what part I take in the drama, I am pleased at all
times to hear my brethren speak, and it likewise gives me pleasure to
address the Saints for their edification.

Vol. 1, p.147
As men and women of intelligence, as those who profess to be the
servants of the Most High, we all have more or less reflection
pertaining to the kingdom of God. The ideas that we have entertained,
relative to this kingdom, have brought us here; these feelings and
principles have caused us to leave our native homes, our former
habitations and associations, and to mingle with the Saints of the
Most High in the valleys of these mountains. If we have suffered
afflictions and privations, if we have passed through troubles or
sorrows, if we have had to do with the chequered scenes of this life,
more particularly as it is associated with the kingdom of God, it is
because we have been stimulated by thoughts, feelings, hopes, and
desires, pertaining to the eternal world, and those things associated
with our everlasting welfare. 

Vol. 1, p.147
If these are not our feelings, what are we doing here? Why are we
found in this distant land? Why have we left the land of our birth,
and dwelling place? Why have we quitted our former associations and
friends, in different nations, countries, tongues, and peoples. and
thus become amalgamated? Why do we together worship the Most High in
the valleys of the mountains. if these have not been our feelings? We
have come here expressly for this purpose. This has been our only
object, our only hope, our chief desire, and may account for our
singular gathering, and our peculiar location here. And
notwithstanding we may have a few trials and difficulties, and various
things that frequently perplex and annoy our minds, and disturb our
feelings, yet the polar star of our minds, the strong and deep feeling
of affection, and the principle of truth within us, still point to the
same thing for which we started at the commencement of our career; and
when we bow down before our God, when we enter into our closet and
call upon the Lord, when associated with our families to supplicate
the Most High, when we mingle with the Saints in public worship, or
whenever we are led seriously to reflect upon the true position of
this kingdom, our rejoicing is, that our face is Zion [p.148] ward,
that our hopes are placed upon God, and we know that He is our Father
and Friend. We contemplate with joy that the heavens have been opened,
that truth has been revealed, and the power of God developed; that
angels have manifested themselves, that the glory of the eternal world
has been made known, and that we have been made participators in that
light, glory, and intelligence which God has been pleased to reveal
for the blessing, salvation, and exaltation of the human family in
this time and throughout all eternity. These are our feelings.

Vol. 1, p.148
We believe that God has set His hand in these last days to accomplish
His purposes, to gather together His elect from the four winds, even
to fulfill the words which He has spoken by all the holy Prophets, to
redeem the earth from the power of the curse to save the human family
from the ruins of the fall, and to place mankind in that position
which God designed them to occupy before this world came into
existence, or the morning stars sang together for joy. We believe in
and realise these things; we feel them we appreciate them, and
therefore are we thus assembled together.

Vol. 1, p.148
I know that, as other men, we have our trials, afflictions, sorrows,
and privations; we meet with difficulties we have to contend with the
world, with the powers of darkness, with the corruptions of men, and a
variety of evils; yet at the same time through these things we have to
be made perfect. It is necessary that we should have a knowledge of
ourselves, of our true position and standing before God, and
comprehend our strength, our weakness, our ignorance and intelligence,
our wisdom and our folly, that we may know how to appreciate true
principles, and comprehend, and put a proper value upon, all things as
they present themselves before our minds. It is necessary that we
should know our own weakness. and the weaknesses of our fellow-men;
our own strength, as well as the strength of others; and comprehend
our true position before God, angels, and men; that we may be inclined
to treat all with due respect, and not to over-value our own wisdom or
strength, nor depreciate it, nor that of others, but put our trust in
the living God, and follow after Him, and realise that we are His
children, and that He is our Father, and that our dependence is upon
Him, and that every blessing we receive flows from His beneficent
hand.

Vol. 1, p.148
It is necessary, then, that we pass through the school of suffering,
trial, affliction, and privation, to know ourselves, to know others,
and to know our God. Therefore it was necessary, when the Saviour was
upon the earth, that he should be tempted in all points, like unto us,
and "be touched with the feeling of our infirmities," to comprehend
the weaknesses and strength, the perfections and imperfections of poor
fallen human nature. And having accomplished the thing he came into
the world to do; having had to grapple with the hypocrisy, corruption,
weakness, and imbecility of man; having met with temptation and trial
in all its various forms, and overcome, he has become a "faithful High
Priest" to intercede for us in the everlasting kingdom of His Father.
He knows how to estimate and put a proper value upon human nature, for
he having been placed in the same position as we are, knows how to
bear with our weaknesses and infirmities, and can fully comprehend the
depth, power, and strength of the afflictions and trials that men have
to cope with in this world, and thus understandingly and by
experience, he can bear with them as a father and an elder brother.

Vol. 1, p.148
It is necessary, also, inasmuch as we profess that we are aiming at
the same glory, exaltation, power, and [p.149] blessings in the
eternal world, that we should pass through the same afflictions,
endure the same privations, conquer as he conquered, and overcome as
he did, and thus by integrity, truth, virtue, purity, and a
high-minded and honorable course before God, angels, and men, secure
for ourselves an eternal exaltation in the eternal world, as he did.

Vol. 1, p.149
The world, at the present time, is all confused, and it seems to me,
sometimes, that even we have made very little improvement indeed,
according to the light and intelligence God has communicated to us.
But what has the world done? Whether you look at it morally,
religiously, philosophically, or politically, or in what way you
please, you will find it is all a chaotic mass. Confusion, disorder,
weakness, corruption, and vice of every kind are abounding, and the
whole world seems to be confused and retrograding. The human family
have departed from the principles which God has laid down for their
guidance, direction, and support; they have forsaken Him the fountain
of living waters, and hewn out to themselves cisterns, broken
cisterns, that can hold no water.

Vol. 1, p.149
I shall not, at the present, examine particularly their philosophy or
politics; these things you are already acquainted with, for you have
had more or less to do with them; you have seen their weakness, and
incompetency to accomplish anything they desired in times past. There
is no project they have put on foot, to the present time, if carried
out to the furthest extent, according to the most sanguine desires of
its advocates, that would be capable of producing happiness to the
human family. I shall not enter into a detail of these things at the
present, but merely make this statement. Suffice it to say that we
have been satisfied of these things years ago, and therefore have come
here. Have we come here because we expect to become more rich? No.
Have we united with this Church because we expect to become more
honorable in the eyes of the world? No. I think this work would have
been the last ship we should have boarded, if that had been what we
sought. This reminds me of a minister that I once conversed with in
England. He wanted a little private conversation, after having had
some public debate With me. Said he, "Elder Taylor, is there any way
you know of that I can be saved without uniting with your Church?"
These were the feelings most of us had when we first heard the Gospel.
"Mormonism" is the first impression, and the "Mormons" are looked upon
as being deluded fanatics and fools, the offscouring of the earth.
This is the way we have been looked upon, and in this light we looked
upon "Mormonism," ourselves, at the first. When I first read about the
Gospel preached by the Latter-day Saints, I thought it was nothing
akin to religion; and I presume now that the people in England, and in
the United States, particularly since they have heard some of the late
doctrines which have been proclaimed, think it is nothing like
religion. I know what their feelings are, and I know that nothing but
a sterling desire to do the will of God will cause men to endure the
contumely and reproach of their fellow men, and associate themselves
with the people denominated Latter-day Saints or "Mormons." We had
similar feelings to these ourselves; and we united with this people
because we considered there was truth associated with their religion,
otherwise we never should have become converts to it, we should never
have been here, but we should have been with the world, and following
in their path. But we are here; the world have their ideas, and we
have ours. I was going to say, they think they are right; but on
reflecting a moment, [p.150] I am led to think they do not think so,
but they are at a loss to know how to mend themselves. The difference
between them and us is, they think they do not know a better way than
that they are pursuing; we think we do, and some of us know we do. I
confess, myself, that if I knew no other religion, than the religions
that are propagated abroad, I would not be a religious man at all, but
I would lay it all aside, as something beneath my notice, and worship
God as the great Supreme of the Universe, according to my own
judgment, independent of the opinions of man, and without having any
regard to the ridiculous dogmas taught in the world.

Vol. 1, p.150
Many find fault with and blame the infidel community, and say that
none but scoundrels would be associated with them, &c. The most
intelligent men in the world are found among the Infidel class of
society. They see a variety of sects and parties contending for all
kinds of conflicting dogmas. They know that persecution and wrong have
prevailed, under the cloak of religion, causing many to be imprisoned
and put to death. In fact there has been no inhumanity, barbarity, or
cruelty equal to that practised by the professors of religion.
Humanity shudders at the thought, and yet the hypocrites tell us, it
is all for the love of God. And they do it for the benefit of the
human family. The Catholics have killed Protestants by thousands, and
vice versa, and yet we must believe it is for the love of God, and for
the welfare of souls. Can I think that God has any thing to do with
influencing such a course of conduct? No. What can there be more
ridiculous, for instance, at the present day, than two Christian
nations fighting with each other, and both worshipping the same God,
and whose ministers call upon God, as they say, in sincerity. What
for? For God to destroy their enemies, their brother Christians, who
are going to the same heaven. The other party pray for the same thing,
and when both have been praying, then comes the clang of arms, the
deadly strife, the groans of the dying, blood, carnage, and
desolation. And after they have got through, the victorious party
thank God that He has given them the victory over their enemies.

Vol. 1, p.150
These kinds of christian feelings do exist. I speak of this as one
circumstance. What can I think of such priests, and of such prayers? I
think just as much of the one as I do of the other. But what would you
think of the gullibility of the people who would listen to such
things? Would I be gulled by such inconsistencies? Not if I had my
reason. At the present time, take Christians in general, which, you
know, we all suppose to be the best people in the world, and one half
of their time is spent in polemical essays and strife; and I think
sometimes our Elders engage too much in that matter. But I am not
surprised at it, because they have come from that school, and have
been trained in that element. They seem to have the bump of
combativeness well developed, for almost the very first thing that men
do when they go out to preach, is to run against these Christians, and
their principles. We are not among them here, but gathered out from
them, and if we refer to their inconsistencies, it is that we may
comprehend our own, and the position of others.

Vol. 1, p.150
There are Catholicism, Presbyterianism, and all other isms, the
advocates of which worship the same God, though their doctrine,
precepts, and belief are not the same; they think differently, and
worship differently, and each party sends to hell, in a wholesale
manner, all who differ from them! and if God was no more merciful than
they are, we should find  ourselves all there together. This is the
way things exist down in the world. If it was not for the religion
[p.151] I profess, which gives me to know something about the matter,
by revelation for myself, I would not have anything to do with
religion at all. I would worship God the best way I knew how, and act
justly and honorably with my neighbor; which I believe thousands of
that class of men called Infidels do at the present day. But I never
would submit to be gulled with the nonsense that exists in the world,
under the name of religion.

Vol. 1, p.151
What is it, then, that we believe in? We believe in the restoration of
all things. We believe that God has spoken from the heavens. If I did
not believe He had, I would not be here. We believe that angels have
appeared, that the heavens have been opened. We believe in eternal
principles, in an eternal Gospel, an eternal Priesthood, in eternal
communications and associations. Every thing associated with the
Gospel that we believe in is eternal. If it were not so, I would want
nothing to do with it. I do not want to make a profession, and worship
a God because this one, that one, or the other one does it, and I not
know whether I am right, and those whom I imitate not know, any more
than myself, whether they are right or wrong.

Vol. 1, p.151
I profess to know for myself, and if I did not know for myself, I
would have nothing to do with it. Acting upon this principle, I
associated myself with the Latter-day Saints. I preach that doctrine
which I verily believe with my whole soul. I believe in its
principles, because there is something intelligent about it. For
instance—if I am an eternal being, I want something that is calculated
to satisfy the capacious desires of that eternal mind. If I am a being
that came into the world yesterday, and leaves it again to morrow, I
might as well have one religion as another, or none at all; "let us
eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." If I am an eternal being, I want
to know something about that eternity with which I am associated. I
want to know something about God, the devil, heaven, and hell. If hell
is a place of misery, and heaven a place of happiness, I want to know
how to escape the one, and obtain the other. If I cannot know
something about these things which are to come in the eternal world, I
have no religion, I would not have any, I would not give a straw for
it. It would be too low and grovelling a consideration for a man of
intelligence, in the absence of this knowledge. If there is a God, I
want a religion that supplies some means of certain and tangible
communication with Him. If there is a heaven, I want to know what sort
of a place it is. If there are angels, I want to know their nature,
and their occupation, and of what they are composed. If I am an
eternal being, I want to know what I am to do when I get through with
time; whether I shall plant corn and hoe it, or be engaged in some
other employment. I do not want any person to tell me about a heaven
that is "beyond the bounds of time and space," a place that no person
can possibly know any thing about, or ever reach, if they did. I do
not wish any person to frighten me nearly to death, by telling me
about a hell where sinners are roasted upon gridirons, and tossed up
by devils upon pitchforks, and other sharp pointed instruments. These
notions are traditionary, and have come from the old mother church.

Vol. 1, p.151
I have a Catholic book containing pictures of devils roasting sinners
on gridirons, tossing them about with pitchforks; of snakes and
dragons devouring them, &c.; which I have brought with me from the old
country. The Protestants are indebted to the Catholics for all this
blessed information, and all the glory associated with it, and I
suppose the Catholics are indebted to some of the ancient painters
[p.152] for it. I want nothing to do with such things, I care nothing
about them. But as an intelligent being, if I have a mind capable of
reflection, I wish to contemplate the works of nature, and to know
something of nature's God, and my destiny. I love to view the things
around me; to gaze upon the sun, moon, and stars; to study the
planetary system, and the world we inhabit; to behold their beauty,
order, harmony, and the operations of existence around me. I can see
something more than that mean jargon, those childish quibbles, this
heaven beyond the bounds of time and space, where they have nothing to
do but sit and sing! themselves away to everlasting bliss, or go and
roast on gridirons. There is nothing like that to be found in
nature—every thing is beautifully harmonious, and perfectly adapted to
the position it occupies in the world. Whether you look at birds,
beasts, or the human system, you see something exquisitely beautiful
and harmonious, and worthy of the contemplation of all intelligence.
What is man's wisdom in comparison to it? I could not help but believe
there was a God, if there was no such thing as religion in the world.

Vol. 1, p.152
If we look at men, with the best and most exalted talents you can find
what do they know or comprehend, or what can they do in comparison to
the works of God. What is there that is worthy of notice in all the
mechanism of men, with all their intelligence and science combined,
upon which they have been improving from year to year, and from
generation to generation? What do they know to the present time? If
you look at their governments you see none of them pursuing their
legitimate object of promoting the happiness of the world, but they
are engaged in watching each other for evil, and destroying
themselves. They have organized armies, navies, custom-house officers,
&c., in order to support their own peculiar locality and interests,
independent of any thing else, or any regard to the rest of mankind.
They look upon each other as upon as many thieves, and maintain their
armies and navies for self defence against the intrusions of their
neighboring brother robbers.

Vol. 1, p.152
Such is the nature of the main organization of the nations at the
present time. But if we look back for a few ages, we shall discover
that where the most mighty nations existed generations ago, is now a
desolate waste, and a howling wilderness. We are now occupying a place
that was a wilderness, before we commenced to people it, but which was
densely populated generations ago. Such is the case, in a great
measure, with Palestine, Babylon, and many parts of the Assyrian
empire. Changes have been going on continually, and the ambition of
man has desolated nations, overturned kingdoms, depopulated empires,
overthrown countries, and millions have had to welter in their gore.
This has been the wisdom of Gentile governments, with all their
intelligence and philosophy.

Vol. 1, p.152
We look again at the works of God, and see nothing exhibited there but
perfection, harmony, symmetry, and order. If we look at the planetary
system, we see this principle beautifully and most perfectly
maintained. Immense planets revolve round our sun, and this system;
and other suns, with their systems, round another; and that, and
innumerable other suns and systems, with our own, around another yet
greater and more magnificent; and so, millions of systems more in
their order, until it is past our comprehension, and yet every thing
is beautiful, perfect, and harmonious. If it was otherwise, if the
kingdoms of God were governed by the same confused order of things
that are characteristic of the  governments of this world, we would
have had planet dashing against planet in wild confusion, [p.153] and
millions of their inhabitants sent to desolation in a moment.

Vol. 1, p.153
God's works are perfect. If you examine vegetation, how beautiful that
is. Who is there that can imitate it? We can see some painters who
have managed to make rough daubs in imitation. One of the greatest
feats that a painter ever did, was to paint a curtain so perfectly as
to deceive another painter so, that he went forward to draw it aside
to exhibit a picture behind it. There are millions of curtains in the
works of nature, which spring forth from the works of God by that
light which is in them, which is imparted to them by the great
Eloheim.

Vol. 1, p.153
We see men who are considered very talented, whose names are handed
down to posterity as great sculptors or painters. Their works are
among the ancient ruins, and are exhibited as specimens of artistic
skill, that men may see how intelligent their forefathers were. And
what is it which they had wisdom to make? Something like a man, or a
beast. But break off an arm or a leg, and you discover that it is but
a lifeless piece of matter, though the outlines may be true to nature;
and in this alone consist the beauty and skill of the artist. But
there is no life in them, and they fall far short of perfection,
beauty, and symmetry, as it is seen in the human system, or that of
any other animal. Look upon a man, he is a perfect being, he is
perfect inside and outside. If you remove the skin, the perfect
covering of the human form, the nerves, muscles, arteries, veins, and
everything necessary for this peculiar system, are there found in
perfect harmony, and in every way adapted to make complete a living,
moving machine. Not only so, but he is an intelligent being, capable
of reflecting and acting. We profess to know a great deal, but what of
our philosophy? Who is there can tell me by what power I lift my right
arm? If that cannot be told, what do we know? How far short, then, are
we of that intelligence that governs the universe, and regulates all
the works of nature. I look at the bones of the mammoth, and they tell
me of something that was. I can gaze upon an elephant, as it now is, a
mighty, ponderous moving machine, with strength and energy. Who
planned and contrived these mighty beings? I look again at the
animalcula, a thousand of which can float in a drop of water, and I
see, by means of a powerful glass, the veins, muscles, and everything
that is perfect to constitute a living, moving creature, invisible to
the naked eye. He who organized the one, regulates the other. Man is
an intelligent being, but how far does his intelligence fall short of
that which regulates the world! He cannot even govern himself, he
never was able to do it, and never will be able until he receives that
wisdom and intelligence which comes from God. If every man can obtain
intelligence of that kind, and from that source, which governs the
world, and keeps in order all the planetary systems, and adapts every
fish, fowl, and insect to its own peculiar position in the world, and
supplies all its wants; if he can receive it from God, as his
instructor, he is then able to govern himself, possessing intelligence
which he now knows nothing about; and intelligence which indeed is
worthy of God and man. If I cannot have a portion of that intelligence
and that wisdom, if the great Eloheim cannot impart a portion of that
spirit to me, and teach me the same lessons that He understands, I
want nothing to do with a system of theology at all.

Vol. 1, p.153
I believe in obtaining from Him, intelligence to enable me to
comprehend all the works of God, to comprehend all the purposes of
God. And if I cannot know something of these, I am altogether in the
back-ground, and shall not be able to comprehend [p.154] my true
position in society, and for what I came into the world.

Vol. 1, p.154
What are we? We are noble, intelligent beings, bearing the impress of
a Jehovah. With all our imperfections, we can reflect upon things
back, and things to come. Our minds are capable of flying from one
part of the earth to the other, in less than a moment of time. We can
contemplate things we did in the years of our infancy, and thousands
of miles distant from our present position; and in another moment
contemplate things that are ahead of us. That is a degree of wisdom
and intelligence which God has imparted unto us, and which we may
improve as intelligent beings, and, having tasted of the fountain, go
and drink, and participate more fully in all those blessings which are
in store for us.

Vol. 1, p.154
I have often been amused at the narrow contracted ideas of men, when I
have looked abroad in the world, and seen their cogitations and
calculations in their writings. One man believes in justification by
faith, another in justification by works. Some believe in one thing,
and some in another; all have their own peculiar ideas, unguided and
ungoverned by the only legitimate rule and standard of truth the
living and eternal Priesthood of God. Few can extend their charity
sufficiently for to believe it is possible that some will be saved as
well as themselves; but that some few thousands of people are going to
heaven and all the rest, to hell, is the prevailing belief; and if a
few, besides these "elect," reach heaven, they think it will be a hard
chance. The Protestants believe the Catholics are all in error, and
pack the whole church off to hell as the mother of harlots, without
any trouble, or without even a sigh. And the old mother is just as
uncharitable towards her daughters, for they are her offspring, and
she sends the whole of them unceremoniously to the same place. The
Catholics and Protestants are generally united in sending all the
Mahometans and Heathens there. It would be something like it was with
me once, when I was discussing with a minister on the principles of
"Mormonism." Before I got through with him, he nearly destroyed and
east away the whole of the Bible, in his zeal to destroy our faith. He
threw away one book after another, until but a small portion remained.
So it is with the religious world generally; each one packs off his
neighbor to hell; and after such narrow minds have made their
selections of the worthy ones, and put them right, as they think, few
besides will get to heaven.

Vol. 1, p.154
Others will take every body to heaven, no matter who or what they are
I think the latter idea is as ridiculous as the former, although there
is something more pleasing in the last idea, I must confess, than in
the other. The only thing I would hate in it, is being associated with
a multitude of cutthroats and blacklegs there. For instance—the old
world was cut off through their wickedness and corruption. I could not
think it right of the Lord to take all those wicked fellows straight
to heaven, because they were wicked and unworthy, and leave Noah and
his family to combat with the troubles of earth because they were
righteous. But such are the ideas of men; while some are all charity,
others have none at all. I have sometimes thought that we "Mormons"
are almost as uncharitable as others.

Vol. 1, p.154
I believe God has a great design in view, in the creation of the human
family. I do not believe that an all-wise Being would ever make a
beautiful earth like this, and people it with  man, and a multiplicity
of other kinds of beings designed to exist upon it, and all for no
purpose. I do not believe that 350,000,000 of people that [p.155] live
in China in a state of heathen darkness are created to live in this
state, and be damned because they have not the right religion. I do
not believe that all the nations that worship various kinds of idols,
in different parts of the earth, and know nothing about the true God,
will be consigned to be burned in fire hereafter, because they know no
better than worship as they do. I cannot receive any such ideas into
my mind. Although I was going to say I am not a Universalist, but I
am, and I am also a Presbyterian, and a Roman Catholic, and a
Methodist, in short, I believe in every true principle that is imbibed
by any person or sect, and reject the false. If there is any truth in
heaven, earth, or hell, I want to embrace it, I care not what shape it
comes in to me, who brings it, or who believes in it, whether it is
popular or unpopular. Truth, eternal truth, I wish to float in and
enjoy.

Vol. 1, p.155
Now I come to us, "Mormons." We are the only true Church, so we say.
We have got the only true faith, so we say and believe. I believe we
have got many great and true principles revealed from the heavens. I
will tell you how I feel about it, and what I have said many times
when I have been abroad among the priests, people, and philosophers.
If any man under the heavens can show me one principle of error that i
have entertained, I will lay it aside forthwith, and be thankful for
the information. On the other hand if any man has got any principle of
truth, whether moral, religious, philosophical, or of any other kind,
that is calculated to benefit mankind, I promise him I will embrace
it, but I will not partake of his errors along with it. If a man
should say, I am in possession of erie piece of truth, and, because I
have got that, I must be right, am I to believe him? Certainly not. It
does not follow that he has not many errors.

Vol. 1, p.155
The Catholics have many pieces of truth; so have the Protestants, the
Mahometans, and Heathens; and am I to embrace one of these systems
because it has got certain things that are right? No. Suppose a person
should tell me that two multiplied by two makes four. Well, that is
right. I believe it with all my heart. But suppose he believes and
teaches also, that six and four make twenty, and exhorts me to believe
it, saying—I was right in the other calculation, did I not prove the
other to you? O yes, but you did not prove that six and four make
twenty. I will take out the truth and leave the error.

Vol. 1, p.155
Then you believe that we, as "Mormons," have got truth ? O yes, I do,
and for this reason, I have travelled extensively in most of the
States of the Union, and in Canada; also in England, Ireland, and
Scotland; in the Isle of Man, Jersey, and other islands of the sea; in
France, Germany, Belgium, and other parts of the earth; and I have not
yet seen a man that could find one error in doctrine or principle
connected with the religion of the Latter-day Saints. I do not talk of
practice. God knows there is too much delinquency among us. I speak of
principle. Then if you have got a thing that nobody can overturn, but
can be sustained everywhere; that bids defiance to the wisdom and
intelligence of the world to find one fault in it, you must say it is
right, until it is proven to be wrong.

Vol. 1, p.155
Can anybody prove to you that two multiplied by two makes six? There
are certain things which are matters of fact—two multiplied by two
makes four, and two parallel lines infinitely extended will never meet
at right angles, but run to eternity. These truths demonstrate
themselves, no man can alter these matters of fact. And if I have got
principles which are out of the power of man to prove false, [p.156] I
consider they are right, and I stand upon them as a sure foundation.

Vol. 1, p.156
On the other hand, am I to think it is right, because I am right, to
send eyerybody else to hell? No, I will leave them in the hands of
God. He has told me to preach the Gospel to every creature, swing, "he
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth
not shall be damned." He has told me to do this. And how many millions
of mankind are there who have never heard the Gospel? And are they
going to be damned for not believing in a thing they have not heard,
and that never came within their range, and that they have not the
slightest knowledge of? No. What is it we have to do? We must spread
forth the light of the Gospel. Why? Because God has communicated a
system of religion which is calculated to ennoble and exalt the human
family.

Vol. 1, p.156
The world is confused, it is in darkness and ignorance, and knows
nothing about God, His purposes, designs, or the object of His
creations. God knows how to touch my understanding, and how to touch
theirs; and if they live and die without a knowledge of God, and His
law, we are told that they will be judged according to the light they
have, and not according to that they have not. Those that have lived
without law, will be judged without law.

Vol. 1, p.156
Am I going to weep over the condition of the world? No. God made it,
and if He suffers millions to dwell upon it in ignorance of Him, I
have nothing to do with it. All I have to do is, when God sends me, to
go and teach the people the principles of light, intelligence, and
truth, so far as I know them, and no further; and if they reject them,
it is none of my business. In many instances, they do it for want of
information, and according to the government, priestcraft, prejudices,
&c., of which they are under the dominion. It is difficult for them to
comprehend correct principles when they hear them, or to know the
light when they see it shine. The light shineth in darkness, and the
darkness comprehendeth it not. They understand many things, perhaps
better than you do, but they do not understand the principles of the
Gospel as you do, for want of the light of the Spirit of God. No man
can understand that without the Spirit. A great many among the
prevailing sects of the day have to some considerable extent
encompassed sea and land to make proselytes, and in the majority of
instances where they have been successful, they have made them ten
fold more the children of hell than they were before." They have
taught them hypocrisy, and evils of many kinds, of which they were
ignorant before. They do not understand how to propagate true
principles, for they do not understand them themselves, and how can
they teach them to others? But I will love them, and let them go.

Vol. 1, p.156
We "Mormons" think that we have made a wonderful stretch, for we say
that all Israel is going to be saved, and we believe we are of Israel,
and that we shall be gathered into the fold with them. And when we are
gathered in with all the Israel of God, as we call them, that have
lived in the various ages of the world up to the present time, we with
them shall be redeemed and saved in the eternal kingdom of God. What
else? Then His work will be accomplished, you may say. But I do not
think it will, though it will certainly be a great work. This looks
like the time of the restoration of all things, but in reality it is
only a restoration of a few. Why, you may inquire, will you take in
somebody besides the Israelites?  Certainly. We are told they were
beloved for the fathers' sakes, and in consequence of the promises
made to the fathers. If they are brought in, it [p.157] will be in
consequence of these promises. I wonder if there were no other men of
faith besides Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that existed previous to
their days. And if there were, I want to know if they knew anything
about God, and obtained promises for their offspring. I will go a
little further than old Abraham, and say, I am glad to see your
posterity saved, Abraham, but I think some of your descendants
prophesied of the time when Ammon would stretch out his hands to God,
and Moab and Philistia be blessed with the same blessing. I think some
of your descendants, when their minds were enlightened and expanded,
looked forward into the womb of the future, to a time when there would
be a great gathering, when people from Hamath, Cush, and from the
islands of the sea, when different tribes and nations, should flow
together to the name of the Lord of Hosts. If Abraham knew how to
obtain promises, I wonder, for instance, if the old man that was
called Melchisedec, who lived before Abraham, and whom Paul in his
writings makes a greater man than Abraham, for, says he, "the lesser
was blessed of the greater"—I wonder if Melchisedec did not know also
how to obtain promises for his seed? There was an old man who lived in
the land of Uz, who is said to have been a very patient man;
notwithstanding he cursed the day he was born, and the womb that gave
him birth. He surely knew how to obtain blessings from God. God came
to him, and he obtained blessings from God, and could look forward
through the dark vista of ages and contemplate the purposes of God,
and he saw himself not only dead and buried, but, said he, "though
after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see
God." He had the kind of religion I believe in, exactly—a religion
that caused him to know and understand something of God and His
purposes; and he acted upon it, and profited by it. Very well, if he
knew about these things, I want to know whether he will not have
some-promises to claim for himself and descendants by and bye, when
they are hunted up.

Vol. 1, p.157
I will go further back yet; to old Noah, for instance. He was a good
man, and while the whole earth was destroyed, his life was preserved,
and his posterity with him. He was a man of God. I want to know if he
could also obtain blessings for his posterity, and whether he will
feel after them some time or other, and if the time will come round
that they may partake of the covenants and blessings of God, and stand
in their proper place, and not be consigned to all eternity in this
dreadful hell. I think he would not like to see his posterity there,
more than Abraham would like to see his. All these holy men have their
interest to feel after their posterity, and all desire to so, them
brought forth.

Vol. 1, p.157
"But," says one, "they are felled creatures." And so are the
Israelites. Where will you find a more corrupt set than the
descendants of Ephraim, so far fallen and so debased a set as the
Indians that dwell in these mountains, and that roam wildly over the
broad prairies of this country? Their fathers have got to do something
for them, to bring them forth to inherit the promises. It is for
Abraham to feel after his seed, and be interested in their welfare.

Vol. 1, p.157
We will go back to old Adam, and see him coming on the earth, as he is
the head and father of us all. Well, now I want to know if the old
gentleman would like to see his children packed off by nations into a
place of torment, millions and millions turned off into the Catholic
hell, to roast there to all eternity. I think be has fatherly feeling
to his numerous offspring, and would desire, and seek earnestly to
[p.158] have them saved, to have them redeemed from their fallen and
degraded condition. For they are no worse fallen, no more degraded and
corrupt, than the Israelites are, and have as much right to be brought
forth at the proper time, and be blessed, as they have. This is my
doctrine, and these are my feelings.

Vol. 1, p.158
You may go to the head fountain of all, to the God who made Adam, and
say, O Lord, why did you make the earth, and cause the sun, and moon,
and stars to be made to give light to it, and man to inhabit it,
telling him to multiply, and replenish the earth, and cause it to
bring forth in its strength for man and beast?

Vol. 1, p.158
I will go back further, and find the spirits that are existing with
him in the eternal world. They came here and obtained bodies, that
both bodies and spirits might receive an exaltation among the Gods,
and be capable of eternal increase worlds without end. I think this
agrees more with philosophy and truth, with an intelligent and
extensive mind, with true religion, with our fathers, and with God,
than any thing else we see abroad.

Vol. 1, p.158
I see the world of mankind in darkness, and try my best to enlighten
them as much as possible. If I can do them any good, I will do it. God
has revealed His truth to us, "Mormons." What to do? To make us glory
in it, and in nothing but what God gives to us; and to teach it to
others, that they may be put in possession of the same intelligence
that we enjoy. What have we to do? To spread this Gospel to every
nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that the Spirit of the Lord may
operate upon those who love the truth, that they may have an
opportunity of embracing it, and of participating in the same
blessings we enjoy, and forming a nucleus whereby a fulness of eternal
truth may be developed, and angels come again and communicate with the
human family, that the earth may answer the end of its creation, and
that all men who ever did or ever will live may answer the end of
their creation, that men who have fallen from righteousness may suffer
for their sins and transgressions, and by and bye come forth and enjoy
their proper lot in the eternal world.

Vol. 1, p.158
"O then," say you, "I will do as I please in this world." Very well,
go and do it. It will prove that you do not live by the truth because
you love it, but if you follow the truth, you are actuated to do so by
a dastardly fear of hell. If that is the case, I would not give the
ashes of a rye straw for ten thousand such "Mormons." If a man cannot
stand up in the defence of truth, to the death, it is not worth
having, and he is not a man who is acknowledged or considered worthy
among the Saints. But such will find it is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God.

Vol. 1, p.158
I will notice an instance for your information, to stir up your pure
minds, if you have got such minds. I read of many people who were
destroyed by the flood; and in Jesus Christ's day, we read that he was
put to death in the flesh, and quickened by the Spirit, by which he
went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had been disobedient in
the days of Noah, &c. He preached to them, and they came forth out of
their confinement. "Well, that would be all right," you say. O yes,
but I want to know how you would like to be shut up in prison, three
or four thousand years, or even one year. It is said in Scripture,
that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
It also says that "the wicked shall be turned into hell, with all the
nations that forget God." Do you believe that? "Certainly I do. I
remember a minister once asking me a question upon this subject. Says
he, "Do you believe in  eternal [p.159] punishment?" "O yes, I believe
the wicked will be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget
God." "Do you believe they will stay there?" "O no." "Why do you not
?" "Because it is not according to Scripture." "But if they all be
turned into hell, who forget God, and will go away into everlasting
punishment, will they not stay there forever?" "Yes," I said, "they
will go into everlasting punishment, but they will come out again."
"How is that?" "Why the Scriptures declare that death and hell will
deliver up their dead, and the sea deliver up the dead that is in it;
and all nations will stand before God, to be judged according to the
deeds done in the body." So you see they have got to come out to be
judged according to their works, whether they be good or evil. Suppose
we have a States prison, for instance, in this place, a transgressor
of the laws of the land is put in for a certain time, according to the
deeds which he has done, and the evidence and circumstances of the
case. After he has suffered according to law, he is set at liberty,
but, mark you, the prison still remains, which may be compared to
eternal punishment, or God's punishment. Who will go there? The
wicked, for the punishment of their sins, and to teach them a useful
lesson. The Scriptures say that some will not have forgiveness in this
world, nor in the world to come, but these we will leave in the hands
of God.

Vol. 1, p.159
Some people will ask if we think the devil will be saved. You must ask
him, for I have nothing to say about it. I have gone far enough in my
remarks. I believe God will accomplish all His purposes, and Satan
will not have power to frustrate His designs in any way whatever; for
if he did, he would be more powerful than God. Every man will be
rewarded according to the deeds done in the body. Those who have
received pure and heavenly principles, and lived up to them, and kept
the celestial law of God, will enjoy a celestial kingdom. Those who
have not attained to this perfection, but can obey a terrestrial law,
will receive a terrestrial glory, and enjoy a terrestrial kingdom, and
so on. But I believe, furthermore, that there are eternal grades of
progression, which will continue worlds without end, and to an
infinity of enjoyment, expansion, glow, progression, and of everything
calculated to ennoble and exalt mankind.

Vol. 1, p.159
This is one of our first estates, or it is our second estate, if you
please, and so we move on from state to state, with a knowledge of the
true principles of the eternal world revealed to us, which principles
are eternal—eternal truth, eternal life, eternal intelligence, leading
us on to the possession of celestial kingdoms of God. From
intelligence to intelligence, from glory to glory, from power to power
we proceed onward, until we possess thrones, and powers, and dominions
in the eternal worlds. And I pray God to give us power to obtain all
these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. [p.160]

Heber C. Kimball, October 9, 1852

Materials for the Temple—The Clay and the Potter.

An Address Delivered By President Heber C. Kimball,
in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, 
Oct. 9, 1852, at the General Conference.

Vol. 1, p.160
The subject President Young wished me to speak of is in regard to our
temple, which we shall soon commence to build—what course we shall
take, and what kind of materials it shall be built of; whether we
shall build it of the stone that is got in the Red Bute Kanyon, or of
adobies, or of the best stone we can find in these mountains. For
instance—at Sanpete there is some splendid stone; and inasmuch as we
intend to build a house unto the Lord for Him to accept, for His
angels to come to as ministers to give instructions, I can feel,
myself, as though we are perfectly able to build one, of the best kind
of materials, from the foundation to the tip top. We are able, and we
have strength and union, and we have bone, and marrow, and muscle, and
we are able to commence it next year.

Vol. 1, p.160
I merely present these things for the brethren to consider and reflect
upon. We can go to work and make an adobie house, and lay the
foundation of stone from Red Bute, and then we can plaster it outside,
and make it like the Tithing office. I would like to see stonething
pretty nice, something noble, and some of the most splendid fonts that
were ever erected. I know for a certainty that our President is
perfectly able to give us the design of this contemplated house, and
all other necessary instructions. What we need is to receive those
blessings that we all want, and this must be felt more, especially by
those who have come in this present season. These blessings are just
as necessary for those who go South, as for those who go North, it
makes no difference. They will all, however, get their blessings, and
enjoy their privileges in obtaining those things. We have plenty of
time, and there is no particular hurry, but it is for every man to
walk up to his duty in the time being, and then when to-morrow comes,
walk up to it to-morrow, and so let us do all we can, for we have got
considerable over one thousand years to work, and when we have worked
one thousand years, there will be another, and another, and we shall
be at work to all eternity. There is no end to our work for the living
and for the dead. Let us try and be active to do whatever we find to
do to-day.

Vol. 1, p.160
Let the brethren go and get farms, and locate themselves, and raise
good fields of grain, that they can bring in the first fruits of the
earth. This is what is required to be done at the present time. Take
this course, brethren, and then every thing you possess will prosper,
and you will be abundantly blessed. It is just as necessary to be
engaged in one thing, as it is in another. It takes many kinds of
materials to build a house, so it requires all kinds of materials to
build another earth like this, it requires the same kinds of materials
to make one man as it takes to make another. But let us try to temper
ourselves acccording to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the plan of
salvation.

Vol. 1, p.160
We will bring up a few comparisons. [p.161] Now supposing brother
Tanner goes into the shop, to make a scythe, and he takes the
materials necessary for the formation of that scythe, is he dictated
to by it, as to how he shall mould it and fashion it? Would you have
the scythe rise up and say—Brother Tanner, what do you do so for? Why
do you strike me on the back? Well, it is just as ridiculous for you
to undertake to dictate to President Young, or those whom he sets to
work. it is not for you to dictate to them. Upon the same principle,
supposing I have a lump of clay which I put upon my wheel, out of
which clay I want to make a jug; I have to turn it into as many as 50
or 100 shapes before I get it into a jug. How many shapes do you
suppose you are put into before you became Saints, or before you
become perfect and sanctified to enter into the celestial glory of
God? You have got to be like that clay in the hands of the poller. Do
you not know that the Lord directed the Prophet anciently, to go down
to the potter's house to see a miracle on the wheel? Suppose the
potter takes a lump of clay, and putting it on the wheel, goes to work
to form it into a vessel, and works it out this way, and that way, and
the other way, but the clay is refractory and snappish; he still trys
it, but it will break, and snap, and snarl, and thus the potter will
work it and work it until he is satisfied he cannot bring it into the
shape he wants, and it mars upon the wheel; he takes his tool, then,
and cuts it off the wheel, and throws it into the mill to be ground
over again, until it becomes passive, (don't you think you will go to
hell if you are not passive?) and after it is ground there so many
days, and it becomes passive, he takes the same lump, and makes of it
a vessel unto honor. Now do you see into that, brethren? I know the
potters can. I tell you, brethren, if you are not passive you will
have to go into that mill, and perhaps have to grind there one
thousand years, and then the Gospel will be off, red to you again, and
then if you will not accept of it, and become passive, you will have
to go into the mill again, and thus you will have offers of salvation
from time to time, until all the human family, except the sons of
perdition, are redeemed. The spirits of men will have the Gospel as we
do, and they are to be judged according to men in the flesh. Let us be
passive, and take a course that will be perfectly submissive.

Vol. 1, p.161
What need you care where you go if you go according to direction, and
when you get to Coal Creek, or Iron County, be subject to that man who
is placed there to rule you, just the same as you would lie subject to
President Young, if you were here, because that man is delegated by
this Conference, and sanctioned by this people, and that man's word is
law. And so it is with the Bishops; they are our fathers, our
governors, and we are their household. It is for them to provide for
their household, and watch over them, and govern and control them;
they are potters to mould you, and when you are sent forth to the
nations of the earth, you go to gather the clay, and bring it here to
the great potter, to be ground and moulded until it becomes passive,
and then be taken and formed into vessels, according to the dictation
of the presiding potter. I have to do the work he tells me to do, and
you have to do the same, and he has to do the work told him by the
great master potter in heaven and on earth. If brother Brigham tells
me to do a thing, it is the same as though the Lord told me to do it.
This is the course for you and every other Saint to take, and by your
taking this course, I will tell you, brethren, son are on the top of
the heap. We are in the tops of the mountains; and when the stone
shall roll down from. the mountains, it will smash the [p.162] earth,
and break in pieces every thing that opposes its course; but the stone
has to get up there before it can roll down.

Vol. 1, p.162
We are here in a happy place, in a goodly land, and among as good a
people as ever the Lord suffered to dwell upon the face of the earth.
Have I not a reason to be proud? Yes, I am proud of the religion of
Christ, I am proud of his Elders, his servants, and of his handmaids,
and when they do well I am prouder still. I do not know but I shall
get so proud, that I shall be four or five times prouder than I am
now.

Vol. 1, p.162
I want a vote from the congregation concerning the temple, whether we
shall have it built of the stone from Red Bute, or of adobies, or
timber, or of the best quality of stone that can be found in the
mountains. It is now open for discussion.

Vol. 1, p.162
Our temple block is 600 feet square, and according to the number of
people that compose the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
we are able to build a temple that size, and do it easier than we
built a temple at Kirtland. I put the motion which, is before you,
that we build a temple of the best materials that can be furnished in
the mountains of North America, and that the Presidency dictate where
the stone and other materials shall be obtained; and that the
Presidency shall be untrammelled from this time henceforth and
forever. I want every brother, sister, and child to vote one way or
the other. All in favour of this motion raise your right hand. [It was
unanimous.]

Brigham Young, July 31, 1853

Indian Hostilities and Treachery—Excitement—Covetousness —
Consequences of Obedience and of Disobedience—Policy 
Towards the Indians—Walker and His Band—Vigilance.

An Address Delivered By President Brigham Young, in
the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 31, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.162
I wish to say a few words to the Latter-day Saints this morning, as
there seems to be considerable excitement in the feelings of the
people, and many inquiring what will be the result of the present
Indian difficulties.

Vol. 1, p.162
I will give you my testimony, as far as I have one on the subject,
concerning these difficulties in this territory, north and south,
pertaining to our brethren, the Lamanites. My testimony to all is—IT
IS RIGHT, and perfectly calculated, like all other providences of the
Lord, of the like nature, to chasten this people until they are
willing to take counsel. They will purify and sanctify the Saints, and
prepare the wicked for their doom.

Vol. 1, p.162
There has nothing strange and uncommon to man, yet occurred; nothing
has yet happened out of the ordinary providences of the Lord. These
[p.163] common dealings of our great Head with His people have been
manifested from days of old, in blessings and chastisements. Wars,
commotions, tumults, strife, nation contending against nation, and
people against people, have all been governed and controlled by Him
whose right it is to control such matters.

Vol. 1, p.163
Among wicked nations, or among Saints, among the ancient Israelites,
Phillistines, and Romans, the hand of the Lord was felt; in short, all
the powers that have been upon the earth, have been dictated,
governed, controlled, and the final issue of their existence has been
brought to pass, according to the wisdom of the Almighty. Then my
testimony is, IT IS ALL RIGHT.

Vol. 1, p.163
There seems to be some excitement among the people, and fears are
arising in the breasts of many, as to the general safety. Some person
has been shot at by the Indians, or some Indians were seen in an
hostile condition. And away go messengers to report to head quarters,
saying, "What shall we do? for we cannot tell, but we shall all be
killed by them; they have stolen our horses, and driven off some
cattle, which has created a great excitement in our settlement," &c.;
when, perhaps, to-morrow, the very Indians who have committed these
depredations will come and say, "How do you do? We are friendly,
cannot you give us some Chitcup?" They will shake hands, and appear as
though it were impossible for them to be guilty of another hostility.
And what is the next move? Why, our wise men, the Elders of Israel,
are either so fluctuating in their feelings, so unstable in their
ways, or so ignorant of the Indian character, that the least mark of
friendship manifested by these treacherous red men, will lull all
their fears, throw them entirely off their guard, saying, "It is all
right; wife, take care of the stock, for I am going to the kanyon for
a road of wood."

Vol. 1, p.163
Away he goes without a gun or a pistol to defend himself, in case of
an attack from some Indian or Indians, to rob him of his cattle, and
perhaps his life. Herds of cattle are driven upon the range, the
feelings of the people are divested of all fear by this little show of
Indian friendship, and their hearts are at peace with all mankind.
They lie down to sleep at night with the doors of their houses open,
and in many instances with no way to close them if they were willing,
only by means of hanging up a blanket. Thus they go to sleep with
their guns unloaded, and entirely without any means of defence, in
case they should be attacked in the night. On the other hand, they no
sooner discover an Indian in an hostile attitude, than the hue and cry
is "We shall all be murdered immediately." That is the kind of
stability, the kind of unshaken self-command, the style of generalship
and wisdom manifested by Elders in Israel. To-day all are in arms, war
is on hand; "we are going to be destroyed, or to fight our way
through," is in every mouth. To-morrow all is peace, and every man
turns to his own way, wherever the common avocations of life call him.
No concern is felt as to protection in the future, but "all is right,
all is safety, there is no fear of any further trouble," is the
language of people's thoughts, and they lie down to sleep in a false
security, to be murdered in the night by their enemies, if they are
disposed to murder them.

Vol. 1, p.163
I can tell you one thing with regard to excitement and war. You may
take Israel here, as a community, with all their experience, and with
all they have passed through in the shape of war, and difficulties of
various kinds, and these wild Indians are actually wiser in their
generations in the art of wax than this people are. They lay better
plans, display greater skill,  and are steadier in their [p.164]
feelings. They are not so easily excited, and when excited are not so
easily allayed, as the men who have come, to inhabit these mountains,
from where they have been trained and educated in the civilization of
modern nations. You may not believe this assertion; it is, however, no
matter whether you do or do not, the fact remains unaltered, as well
as the conviction of my own mind regarding it.

Vol. 1, p.164
I have been frequently asked, what is going to be the result of these
troubles? I answer—the result will be good. What did you hear, you who
have come to these valleys within the last few years, previous to your
leaving your native country? You heard that all was peace and safety
among the Saints in these regions; that the earth yielded in her
strength, giving an abundance of food; and that this was a splendid
country to raise stock. Your determination was then formed to go up to
the Valleys of the mountains, where you could enjoy peace and quiet,
and follow the avocations of life, undisturbed. When the people arrive
here, many of them come to me and say, "Brother Brigham, can we go
here, or there, to get us farms? Shall we enter into this or that
speculation? We have been very poor, and we want to make some money,
or we want the privilege of taking with us a few families to make a
settlement in this or that distant valley." If I inquire, why they
cannot stay here, their answer is, "because there is no room, the land
is chiefly taken up, and we have a considerable stock of cattle, we
want to go where we can have plenty of range for our stock, where we
can mount our horses, and ride over the prairies, and say, I am Lord
of all I survey. We do not wish to be disturbed, in any way, nor to be
asked to pay tithing, to work upon the roads, nor pay territorial tax,
but we wish all the tune to ourselves, to appropriate to our own use.
I want you, brother Brigham, to give us counsel that we can get the
whole world in a string after us, and have it all in our own
possession, by and bye." If there is light enough in Israel, let it
shine in your consciences, and illuminate your understandings, and
give you to know that I tell you the truth. This is the object many
have, in wishing to settle and take in land that is far distant from
the main body of the people. I have not given you the language of
their lips to me, but the language of their hearts.

Vol. 1, p.164
Elders of Israel are greedy after the things of this world. If you ask
them if they are ready to build up the kingdom of God, their answer is
prompt—"Why, to be sure we are, with our whole souls; but we want
first to get so much gold, speculate and get rich, and then we can
help the Church considerably. We will go to California and get gold,
go and buy goods and get rich, trade with the emigrants, build a mill,
make a farm, get a largo herd of cattle, and then we can do a great
deal for Israel." When will you be ready to do it? "In a few years,
brother Brigham, if you do not disturb us. We do not believe in the
necessity of doing military duty, in giving over our surplus property
for tithing; we never could see into it; but we want to go and get
rich, to accumulate and amass wealth, by securing all the land
adjoining us, and all we have knowledge of." If that is not the spirit
of this people, then I do not know what the truth is concerning the
matter.

Vol. 1, p.164
Now I wish to say to you who are fearing and trembling, do not be
afraid at all, for it is certain if we should be killed off by the
Indians, we could not die any younger; this is about as good a time as
can be for us to die, and if we all go together, why you know, we
shall have a good company along with us; it will not be lonesome
passing through the valley,  which [p.165] is said to have a vail
drawn over it. If we all go together, the dark valley of the shadow of
death will be lighted up by us, so do not be scared. But there will
not be enough slain by the Indians at this time to make the company
very conspicuous in that dark valley. Do you begin to secretly wish
you had staid in the States or in England a little longer, until this
Indian war had come to an end? There is a mighty fearing and trembling
in the hearts of many. I know what men have done heretofore, when they
have seen the enemy advancing, they have skulked, they were sure to be
somewhere else than on hand when there was fighting to do, although,
upon the whole, I have no fault to find with the Latter-day Saints, or
with the Eiders of Israel upon that subject, for they love to fight a
little too well. If I were to have fears concerning them, it would not
be that they would make war, but in the case of war being made on
them, I should have more fear in consequence of the ignorant and
foolish audacity of the Elders, than of their being afraid. I should
fear they would rush into danger like an unthinking horse into battle.
So I will not find fault with regard to their courage. On that point I
am a coward myself, and if people would do as I tell them, I would not
only save my own life, but theirs likewise.

Vol. 1, p.165
Suppose, now, that we should say to this congregation, and to all the
wards in this city, the time has come for us to fort up; do you not
think a great many persons would come immediately to me, and inquire
if I did not think their houses quite safe enough, without being put
to that trouble and expense? Yes, my office would be crowded with such
persons, wanting to know if they might not live where they were now
living, "for" they would say, "we have got good houses, and well
finished off, besides, such a course will ruin them, and our gardens
will go to destruction; we really cannot fort up." Would there not be
a great amount of hard feelings upon the subject? I think so, whether
you do or not. I think I should want as many as a legion of angels to
assist me to convince every family it was necessary, if it actually
was so.

Vol. 1, p.165
I do not know but the time may come, and that speedily, when I shall
build a fort myself in this city, and those who are disposed can go
into it with me, while the rest can stay out. When I see it is
absolutely necessary to do this, I shall do it. If the people of Utah
Territory would do as they were told, they would always be safe. If
the people in San Pete County had done as they were told, from the
beginning of that settlement, they would have been safe at this time,
and would not have lost their cattle. The day before yesterday,
Friday, July 29th, the Indians came from the mountains, to Father
Allred's settlement, and drove off all the stock, amounting to two
hundred head. If the people had done as they were told, they would not
have suffered this. severe loss, which is a just chastisement.

Vol. 1, p.165
I recollect when we were down at Father Allred's settlement last
April, they had previously been to me not only to know if they might
settle in San Pete, but if they might separate widely from each other,
ever a piece of land about two miles square, each having a five acre
lot for their garden, near their farms. They were told to build a good
substantial fort, until the settlement became sufficiently strong, and
not live so far apart, and expose themselves and their property to
danger. Father Allred told me they were then so nigh together, they
did not know how to live! I told him they had better make up their
minds to be baptized into the Church again, and get the Spirit of God,
that each one might be able to live at peace with his [p.166] neighbor
in close quarters, and not think himself infringed upon. They wanted
to know if they were to build a fort. "Why, yes," I said, "build a
strong fort, and a corral, to put your cattle in, that the Indians
cannot get them away from you." "Do you think, brother Brigham, the
Indians will trouble us here?" they inquired. I said, "It is none of
your business whether they will or not, but you will see the time that
you will need such preparations." But I did not think it would come so
quickly. There will more come upon this people to destroy them than
they at present think of, unless they are prepared to defend
themselves, which I shall not take time, this morning, to dwell upon.
I said also to the brethren at Utah, "Do you make a fort, and let it
be strong enough, that Indians cannot break into it." They commenced,
and did not make even the shadow of a fort, for in some places there
was nothing more than a line to mark where the approaching shadow
would be. They began to settle round upon the various creeks and
streamlets, and the part of a fort that existed was finally pulled up,
and carried away somewhere else. I have told you, from the beginning,
you would need forts, where to build them, and how strong. I told you,
six years ago, to build a fort that the Devil could not get into,
unless you were disposed to let him in, and that would keep out the
Indians, Excuse me for saying devil; I do not often use the old
gentleman's name in vain, and if I do it, it is always in the pulpit,
where I do all my swearing. I make this apology because it is
considered a sin to say devil, and it grates on refined ears.

Vol. 1, p.166
I told the settlement in San Pete, at the first, to build a fort. They
did not do it, but huddled together beside a stone quarry, without a
place of common shelter where they could defend themselves, in case of
an Indian difficulty. They had faith they could keep the Indians off.
Well, now is the time to call it into exercise. They did, after a
while, build a temporary fort at San Pete, which now shields them in a
time of trouble.

Vol. 1, p.166
When the brethren went to Salt Creek, they wanted to make a settlement
there, and inquired of me if they might do so. I told them, no, unless
they first built an efficient fort. I forbade them thing their women
and children there, until that preparatory work was fully
accomplished. Has it ever been done? No, but families went there and
lived in wagons and brush houses, perfectly exposed to be killed. If
they have faith enough to keep the Indians off, it is all right.

Vol. 1, p.166
From the time these distant valleys began to be settled, until now,
there has scarcely been a day but what I have felt twenty-five ton
weight, as it were, upon me, in exercising faith to keep this people
from destroying themselves; but if any of them can exercise faith
enough for themselves, and wish to excuse me, I will take my faith
back.

Vol. 1, p.166
The word has gone out now, to the different settlements, in the time
of harvest, requiring them to build forts. Could it not have been done
last winter, better than now? Yes. Do you not suppose people will now
wish they had built forts when they were told? If they do not, it
proves what they have been all the time, shall I say fools? If that is
too harsh a term, I will say they have been foolish. It is better for
me to labor in building a house or a fort, to get out fencing timber,
and wood to consume through winter, when I have nothing else to do,
and not be under the necessity of leaving my grain on the ground to do
those things. Harvest is no time to build forts, neither is it the
time to do it when we should be plowing and sowing.

Vol. 1, p.167
[p.167] Now the harvest is upon us, I wish to say a few words
concerning it. I desire you to tell your neighbors, and wish them to
tell their neighbors, and thus let it go to the several counties
around—now is the time for women and children to assist in the harvest
fields, the same as they do in other countries. I never asked this of
them before; I do not now ask it as a general thing, but those
employed in the expedition south, in the work of defending their
brethren from Indian depredations, who have heavy harvests on hand,
rather than suffer the grain to waste, let the women get in the
harvest, and put it where the Indians cannot steal it. And when you go
into the harvest field, carry a good butcher knife in your belt, that
if an Indian should come upon you, supposing you to be unarmed, you
would be sure to kill him.

Vol. 1, p.167
Tell your neighbors of this, and go to work, men, women, and children,
and gather in your grain, and gather it clean, leave none to waste,
and put. it where the Indians cannot destroy it.

Vol. 1, p.167
Does this language intimate anything terrific to you? It need not. If
you will do as you are told, you will be safe continually. Secure your
bread stuff, your wheat, and your corn, when it is ripe, and let every
particle of grain raised in these valleys be put where it will be
safe, and as much as possible from vermin, and especially from the
Indians, and then build forts.

Vol. 1, p.167
Let every man and woman who has a house make that house a fort, from
which you can kill ten where you can now only kill one, if Indians
come upon you. "Brother Brigham, do you really expect Indians to come
upon us in this city?" This inquiry, I have no doubt, is at this
moment in the hearts of a few, almost breathless with fear. Were I to
answer such inquirers as I feel, I should say, it is none of your
business; but I will say, you are so instructed, to see if you will do
as you are told. Let your dwelling house be a perfect fort. From the
day I lived where brother. Joseph Smith lived, I have been fortified
all the time so as to resist twenty men, if they should come to my
house in the night, with an intent to molest my family, assault my
person, or destroy my property; and I have always been in the habit of
sleeping with one eye open, and if I cannot then sufficiently watch, I
will get my wife to help me. Let an hostile band of Indians come round
my house, and I am good for quite a number of them. If one hundred
should come, I calculate that only fifty would be able to go to the
next house, and if the Saints there used up the other fifty, the third
house would be safe.

Vol. 1, p.167
But instead of the people taking this course, almost every good rifle
in the territory has been traded away to the Indians, with quantities
of powder and lead, though they waste it in various ways when they
have got it. The whites would sell the title to their lives, for the
sake of trading with the Indians.

Vol. 1, p.167
They will learn better, I expect, by and by, for the people have never
received such strict orders as they have got now. I will give you the
pith of the last orders issued—"That man or family who will not do as
they are told in the orders, are to be treated as strangers, yea, even
as enemies, and not as friends." And if there should be a contest, if
we should be called upon to defend our lives, our liberty, and our
possessions, we would cut such off the first, and walk over their
bodies to conquer the foe outside.

Vol. 1, p.167
Martial law is not enforced yet, although the whole territory is in a
state of war, apparently, but it is only the Utah [Indians] who have
declared war on Utah [Territory.] Deseret has not yet declared war;
how soon it will be declared is not for me to say; but [p.168] we have
a right, and it is our duty, to put ourselves in a state of self
defence.

Vol. 1, p.168
The few families that settled in Cedar Valley, at the point of the
mountains, were instructed to leave there, last spring. They have gone
back again, upon their own responsibility, and now want to know what
they must do. They have been told to do just as they have a mind to.

Vol. 1, p.168
Those who have taken their wives and children in the kanyons to live,
have been told to remove them into the city; and if you want to make
shingles, or do any other work that requires you to remain there, have
your gun in a situation that an Indian cannot creep up and steal it
from you before you are aware, that you can be good for a few Indians
if they should chance to come upon you.

Vol. 1, p.168
If I wished to live away from the body of the people, my first effort
should be directed towards building a good and efficient fort. When
new settlements were made in the eastern countries, they built them of
timber, and they were called "block houses." I would advise that every
house in a new settlement should be made good for all the Indians that
could approach it, with an intention to tear it down. If I did not do
that, I would go to where I could be safe, I would take up my abode
with the body of the people. I would take my family there at least. By
taking this course, every person will be safe from the depredations of
the Indians, which are generally committed upon the defenceless and
unprotected portions of the community.

Vol. 1, p.168
I know what the feelings of the generality of the people are, at this
time—they think all the Indians in the mountains are coming to kill
off the Latter-day Saints: I have no more fear of that, than I have of
the sun ceasing to give light upon the earth. I have studied the
Indian character sufficiently to know what the Indiana are in war, I
have been with them more or less from my youth upward, where they have
often had wars among themselves: Let every man, woman, and child, that
can handle a butcher knife, be good for one Indian, and you are safe.

Vol. 1, p.168
I am aware that the people want to ask me a thousand and one
questions, whether they have done it or not, touching the present
Indian difficulties. I have tried to answer them all, in my own mind,
by saying, it will be just as the Lord will.

Vol. 1, p.168
How many times have I been asked in the past week, what I intend to do
with Walker. I say, LET HIM ALONE, SEVERELY. I have not made war on
the Indians, nor am I calculating to do it. My policy is to give them
presents, and be kind to them. Instead of being Walker's enemy, I have
sent him a great pile of tobacco to smoke when he is lonely in the
mountains. He is now at war with the only friends he has upon this
earth, and I want him to have some tobacco to smoke.

Vol. 1, p.168
I calculate to pursue just such a course with the Indians, and when I
am dictated to by existing circumstances, and the Spirit of the Lord,
to change my course, I will do it, and not until then.

Vol. 1, p.168
If you were to see Walker, do you think you would kill him? You that
want to kill him, I will give you a mission to that effect. A great
many appear very bold, and desire to go and bring me Walker's head,
but they want all the people in Utah to go with them. I could point
out thousands in this Territory who would follow these Indians, and
continue to follow them, and leave the cattle to be driven off by the
emigrants, and the grain to perish, and thus subject the whole
community to the ravages of famine, and its consequent evils. I have
been teased and teased by men who will come to me and say, "Just give
me twenty-five, fifty, or a hundred men, [p.169] and I will go and
fetch you Walker's head." I do not want his head, but I wish him to do
all the Devil wants him to do, so far as the Lord will suffer him and
the Devil to chastise this people for their good.

Vol. 1, p.169
I say to the Indians, as I have often said to the mob, go your length.
You say you are going to kill us all off, you say you are going to
obliterate the Latter-day Saints, and wipe them from the earth; why
don't you do it, you poor miserable curses? The mob only had power to
drive the Saints to their duty, and to remember the Lord their God,
and that is all the Indians can do. This people are worldly-minded,
they want to get rich in earthly substance, and are apt to forget
their God, the pit from which they were dug, and the rock from which
they were hewn, every man turning to his own way. Seemingly the Lord
is chastening us until we turn and do His will. What are you willing
to do? Would you be willing to build a fort, and all go in there to
live? I tell you, you would have a hell of your own, and devils enough
to carry it on. Do you suppose you will ever see the time you would do
that, and live at peace with each other, and have the Spirit of the
Lord enough to look each other in the face, and say, with a heart full
of kindness, "Good morning, Mary," or "How do you do, Maria"? YOU WILL
BE WHIPPED UNTIL you have the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ
sufficiently to love your brethren and sisters freely, men, women, and
CHILDREN; until you can live at peace with yourselves, and with every
family around you; until you can treat every child as though it were
the tender offspring of your own body, every man as your brother, and
every woman as your sister; and until the young persons treat the old
with that respect due to parents, and all learn to shake hands, with a
warm heart, and a friendly grip, and say, "God bless you," from
morning till evening; until each person can say, "I love you all, I
have no evil in my heart to any individual, I can send my children to
school with yours, and can correct your children, when they do wrong,
as though they were my own, and I am willing you should correct mine,
and let us live together until we are a holy and sanctified society."
There will always be Indians or somebody else to chastise you, until
you come to that spot; so amen to the present Indian trouble, for it
is all right. I am just as willing the rebellious of this people
should be kicked, and cuffed, and mobbed, and hunted by the Indians,
as not, for I have preached to them until I am tired. I will give no
more counsel to any person upon the duties of self preservation; you
can do as you please; if you will not preserve yourselves, I may
reason with you until my tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth, to no
avail. Let the Lord extend the hand of benevolence to brother Walker,
and he will make you do it by other means than exhortations given in
mildness.

Vol. 1, p.169
This very same Indian Walker has a mission upon him, and I do not
blame him for what he is now doing: he is helping me to do the will of
the Lord to this people, he is doing with a chastening rod what I have
failed to accomplish with soft words, while I have been handing out my
substance, feeding the hungry, comforting the sick. But this has no
effect upon this people at all, my counsel has not been needed, so the
Lord is making brother Walker an instrument to help me, and perhaps
the means that he will use will have their due effect.

Vol. 1, p.169
Do you suppose I want to kill him? No. I should be killing the very
means that will make this people do what we wanted them to do years
ago.

Vol. 1, p.169
There are hundreds of witnesses to bear testimony that I have
counselled this people, from the beginning, what [p.170] to do to save
themselves both temporally and spiritually.

Vol. 1, p.170
In one of our orders issued lately, the southern settlements were
advised to send their surplus cattle to this valley. No quicker had
the news reached them, than our ears were greeted with one continued
whine, which meant, "We are afraid you want them." So we did, to take
care of them for you.

Vol. 1, p.170
When Father Allied was advised to adopt measures to secure themselves
and their property, he replied, "O, I do not think there is the least
danger in the world; we are perfectly able to take care of our stock,
and protect ourselves against the Indians." All right, I thought, let
circumstances prove that.

Vol. 1, p.170
Now as difficulties surround them, they say to me, "Why, brother
Brigham, if you had only told us what to do, we would have done it.
Were we not always willing to take your counsel?" Yes, you are a great
deal more willing to take it, than to obey it. If people are willing
to carry out good counsel, they will secure themselves accordingly.

Vol. 1, p.170
I have thought of setting a pattern, by securing myself; but were I to
build a fort for myself and family, I should want about a legion of
angels from the throne of God, to stay nine months with me, to get my
folks willing to go into it. But I am so independent about it, I care
not the snap of my finger for one of them. If my wives will not go
into a place of security with me, it is all right, they can stay out,
and I will go in and take my children with me. I say, I do not know
but I may take a notion to set a pattern by building a fort; if I do,
some one in this city may follow my example, and then somebody else,
&c., until we have a perfect city of forts.

Vol. 1, p.170
"Brother Brigham, do you really think we shall ever need them?" YES, I
DO. All the difficulties there is in the community this year, is not a
drop in comparison to the heavy shower that will come. "Well, and
where is it coming from?" From hell, where every other trouble comes
from. "And who do you think will be the actors?" Why, the Devil and
his imps. [W. W. Phelps in the stand, We could not do very well
without a devil.] No, sir, you are quite aware of that; you know we
could not do without him. If there had been no devil to tempt Eve, she
never would have got her eyes opened. We need a devil to stir up the
wicked on the earth to purify the Saints. Therefore let devils howl,
let them rage, and thus exhibit themselves in the form of those poor
foolish Lamanites. Let them go on in their work, and do you not desire
to kill them, until they ought to be killed, and then we will
extinguish the Indian title, if it is required.

Vol. 1, p.170
Did you never feel to pity them on viewing their wretched condition?
Walker with a small band has succeeded in making all the Indian bands
in these mountains fear him. He has been in the habit of stealing from
the Californians, and of making every train of emigrants that passed
along the Spanish trail to California pay tithing to him. He finally
began to steal children from those bands to sell to the Spaniards; and
through fear of him, he has managed to bring in subjection almost all
the Utah tribes.

Vol. 1, p.170
I will relate one action of Walker's life, which will serve to
illustrate his character. He, with his band, about last Feb., fell in
with a small band of Piedes, and killed off the whole of the men, took
the squaws prisoners, and sold the children to the Mexicans, and some
few were disposed of in this territory. This transaction was told by
Arapeen, Walker's brother, though he was not at the affray himself.

Vol. 1, p.170
The Indians in these mountains are continually on the decrease; bands
that numbered 150 warriors when we [p.171] first came here, number not
more than 35 now; and some of the little tribes in the southern parts
of this territory, towards New Mexico, have not a single squaw amongst
them, for they have traded them off for horses, &c. This practice will
soon make the race extinct. Besides, Walker is continually, whenever
an opportunity presents itself, killing and stealing children from the
wandering bands that he has any power over, which also has its
tendency to extinguish the race.

Vol. 1, p.171
Walker is hemmed in, he dare not go into California again. Dare he go
east to the Snakes? No. Dare he go north? No, for they would rejoice
to kill him. Here he is, penned up in a small compass, surrounded by
his enemies; and now the Elders of Israel long to eat up, as it were,
him and his little band. What are they? They axe a set of cursed
fools. Do you not rather pity them? They dare not move over a certain
boundary, on any of the four points of the compass, for fear of being
killed; then they are killing one another, and making war upon this
people that could use them up, and they not be a breakfast spell for
them if they felt so disposed. See their condition, and I ask you, do
you not pity them? From all appearance, there will not be an Indian
left, in a short time, to steal a horse. Are they not fools, under
these circumstances, to make war with their best friends?

Vol. 1, p.171
Do you want to run after them to kill them? I say, let them alone, for
peradventure God may pour out His Spirit upon them, and show them the
error of their ways. We may yet have to fight them, though they are of
the house of Israel to whom the message of salvation is sent; for
their wickedness is so great, that the Lord Almighty cannot get at the
hearts of the older ones to teach them saving principles. Joseph Smith
said we should have to fight them. He said, "When this people mingle
among the Lamanites, if they do not bow down in obedience to the
Gospel, they will hunt them until there is but a small remnant of them
left upon this continent." They have either got to bow down to the
Gospel or be slain. Shall we slay them simply because they will not
obey the Gospel? No. But they will come to us and try to kill us, and
we shall be under the necessity of killing them to save our own byes.

Vol. 1, p.171
I wished to lay these things before the people this morning, to answer
a great many questions, and allay their fears. Yesterday, brother
Kimball heard at his mill, ten miles north, that I had sent word to
him, that the mountains were full of Indians, and he and the families
with him were to move into the city; so they immediately obeyed this
report. Brother Kimball came to me and inquired if I had sent such
orders. I said, no. But it is all right, for I wanted the women and
children from there. This shows the excited state of the people.

Vol. 1, p.171
One thing more. I ask you men who have been with Joseph in the wars he
passed through, and who were with him at the time of his death, what
was it that preserved us, to all outward appearances? It is true, in
reality, God did it. But by what means did He keep the mob from
destroying us? It was by means of being well armed with the weapons of
death to send them to hell cross lots. Just so you have got to do.

Vol. 1, p.171
As for this people fostering to themselves that the day has come for
them to sell their guns and ammunition to their enemies, and sit down
to sleep in peace, they will find themselves deceived, and before they
know, they will sleep until they are slain. They have got to carry
weapons with them, to be ready to send their enemies to hell cross
lots, whether they be Lamanites, or mobs who may come to take their
lives, or destroy their property. We must be so prepared that they
[p.172] dare not come to us in a hostile manner without being assured
they will meet a vigorous resistance, and ten to one they will meet
their grave.

Vol. 1, p.172
The Lord will suffer no more trouble to come upon us than is necessary
to bring this people to their senses. You need not go to sleep under
the impression that it is the north and south only that is in danger,
and we are all safe here. Now mind, let this people here lie down to
sleep, and be entirely off their watch, and the first thing they know,
they are in the greatest danger. You must not desert the watch tower,
but do as I do—keep some person awake in your house all night long,
and be ready, at the least tap of the foot, to offer a stout
resistance, if it is required. Be rely at any moment to kill twenty of
your enemies at least. Let every house be a fort.

Vol. 1, p.172
After the cattle were stolen at San Pete, a messenger arrived here in
about thirty hours to report the affair, and obtain advice. I told
brother Wells, "you can write to them, and say,  'Inasmuch as you have
no cows and oxen to trouble you, you can go to harvesting, and take
care of yourselves.'" If you do not take care of yourselves, brethren,
you will not be taken care of I take care of them that help
themselves. I will help you that try to help yourselves, and carry out
the maxim of Doctor Dick—"God helps them that help themselves."

Vol. 1, p.172
I am my own policeman, and have slept, scores of nights, with my gun
and sword by my side, that is, if I slept at all. I am still a
policeman. Now is the day to watch. It is as important for me to watch
now, as well as pray, as it ever has been since I came into this
kingdom. It requires watching, as well as praying men; take turns at
it, let some watch while others pray, and then change round, but never
let any time pass without a watcher, lest you be overtaken in an hour
when you think not; it will come as a thief in the night. Look out for
your enemies, for we know not how they will come, and what enemy it
will be. Take care of yourselves.

Vol. 1, p.172
Again, let me reiterate to the sisters, do not be afraid of going into
the harvest field. If you are found there helping your sons, your
husbands, and your brethren, to gather in the harvest, I say, God
bless you, and I will also.

Vol. 1, p.172
Take care of your grain, and take care of yourselves, that no enemy
come to slay you. Be always on hand to meet them with death, and send
them to hell, if they come to you. May God bless you all. Amen.

Parley P. Pratt, January 30, 1853

The Standard and Ensign for the People

Discourse Delivered By Elder Parley P. Pratt,
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 30, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.172
Brethren and Friends—I am glad to see you once more, and for the
privilege of meeting with you. I did not expect to address you this
morning, not being well in health; but at the request of my brother,
who [p.173] presides over me, and in the absence of many who might
edify you, I rise to speak a short time, and give place to others.

Vol. 1, p.173
I desire your prayers, that my body may be strengthened, and also for
the Gift of the Holy Spirit, without which no man can edify his fellow
man.

Vol. 1, p.173
We are told, by the Prophet of old, in the good old Bible, and by that
peculiar Prophet that the Christian world (that portion of them that
esteem the Bible) consider more clear, and more eloquent than any
other, whose prophecies are on record—the Prophet Isaiah; we are told
by him, that the Lord would, some time, "lift up a standard for the
people," "an ensign for the nations," and that He would not only do
this, but do it as a manifestation which should result in the great
restoration of all things spoken of by the Prophets, in the
restoration of the twelve tribes of Israel from the four quarters of
the earth, to their own country, nationality, institutions, and
religion; that they might again be nationalized, established, and
reinstated in their covenant renewed unto them, as in days of old, and
have their own Priesthood, rulers, governors, and consequently their
own blessings. I say, we are told, by one of the greatest Prophets,
whose prophecies are on record, that a standard would be lifted up or
manifested, in order to bring about that great restoration. What is
that standard? Let us reason a little upon that subject, this morning.
Some might say it is a book. It might be, in a certain sense. A
dictionary of a language is sometimes called a standard, that is,
something established, something that is a sufficient authority,
something to which all can refer, as to a sample or doctrine, to
decide a question or an uncertainty in the meaning of words.

Vol. 1, p.173
In point of principle or doctrine, a book that we might call a
"standard," might be considered to contain truths. But I do not
understand the prediction to which I refer as exclusively pertaining
to a book, but rather to a religion, to a set of principles developed,
to a covenant established, or, to carry it out more fully, to a people
organized, gathered together, and established in one, having one
faith, one spirit, one baptism, one God, one eternal and everlasting
covenant by which they are all united, and one set of principles by
which they are governed. For where such a government might be
subdivided by local circumstances, whether these principles were
written in one book or in a thousand books, or whether they were
taught and acted upon without any book, whether the people could read
a book or could not, nothing short of the development of certain
principles of religion, law, and government, embraced by a certain
portion of people, by which they could see eye to eye, in which they
were united, and by the spirit of which they were made one in light
and truth and fellowship, and gathered, organised, planted,
established—in short, a system containing a development of all the
principles that constitute a heavenly government, nothing short of
this, if I understand the prediction of Isaiah, would be considered by
the Jews, and by the other tribes of Israel, wherever they were found,
and finally by the whole of the Gentile world that might live to see
it, as a "standard." This would be something worthy to be called a
standard, something to which they could look, and come to, and be
organized, consolidated, nationalized, and governed by, politically
and religiously; or more truly and consistently speaking, religiously,
because that includes all the political governments that are worth
naming or striving for in heaven or on earth.

Vol. 1, p.173
A system of religion, or a people organized upon it, should include
every branch of government that they [p.174] could possibly need for
their dwelling with each other, for their organization, peace,
welfare, defence, order, happiness, and for their dwelling with
neighboring nations. A system of religion that is from heaven never
would stop short of including all these principles. Therefore it is
inconsistent, it is because of the ignorance that is in the world that
two terms—"political government" and "religious government," are used.

Vol. 1, p.174
Men have been in the habit of walking with, of being organised and
identified with, religions more or less false, and not sufficient in
themselves to carry out all the principles of government; they are a
kind of Sunday convenience, separate and distinct from the everyday
affairs of life; a kind of a big religious cloak, to be put on for
that day, but not to be considered to have anything to do with
every-day affairs. This kind of religion not being sufficient for the
happiness and government, enlightenment and improvement, education and
regulation of mankind, or of society in all its branches, of course
men would get up some thing else separate from it, and call that "the
policy of civil government." I do not blame them, for a false
religion, or one partly false and partly true, never was calculated to
answer the purpose. A religion not wholly true could not possibly
develop all the resources, principles, branches, departments,
officers, and powers adapted to the government, organization, peace,
order, happiness, and defence of society, and for its regulation while
dwelling with foreign departments and powers.

Vol. 1, p.174
Men require something more than these imperfect systems, which are a
mixture of truth and error, that exist in the world, (and they have no
better, of course;) they need something else besides their Sunday
arrangements, besides this machinery of theories; they need something
of every-day practical utility; and this they call civil government
and politics, distinct from religion, though in some countries they
blend one with the other, and both are in force. But I use the terms
politics and religion to adapt myself to those obsolete ideas, that
are about passing away with us, but under which a great majority of
mankind still labor. In addressing the Saints, I make no distinction;
when I say a religious system, I mean that which unites principles of
political government and religions, which is perfectly sufficient for,
and completely adapted to, all the wants of cities, boroughs,
counties, states, kingdoms, empires, or the world, or a million of
worlds; that system of religion or government, just which you please
to call it, that regulates things in heaven, and for which all
professing Christian men pray.

Vol. 1, p.174
Whether men realize it or not, when they say, "Thy kingdom come, thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven," it is as much as to say, "O
God, sweep away all the falsehood and abuses of power there are in the
world, whether religious or political; down with the tyrants, down
with the abuses, down with the false nobility, down with the pride,
extravagance, and idleness of the one class, and down with the hard
trials, want, oppression, and poverty that are heaped upon the other
class; do away with all the kingcraft, priestcraft, and republic craft
that are in the world. And in the place of all these false governments
and religions, in political and social life, introduce that eternal
government, that pure order of things, those eternal principles and
institutions, which govern society in those better worlds, the worlds
of immortality and eternal life." That is what a man prays for, as
well as I can  tell it, when he says, "Thy will be done on earth, as
it is in heaven." He says, "Sweep away all abuses, all corruption, all
falsehood, [p.175] all war, all ungodly and selfish ambition; and in
its place introduce a new government for universal man, a system that
will touch all his wants, religiously, politically, and every other
way; which will organise and govern society upon the principles that
society is governed upon in heaven."

Vol. 1, p.175
I pray for that day, understanding it in that light. And if anybody
uses that prayer, and does not mean it in that light, it is for want
of reflection. For instance—does any man in his senses, believe that
the government of the eternal heavens in the presence of God, consists
of a variety of kingdoms, empires, republics, and states, governed by
various principles, ruled by aspirants, and sometimes by tyrants, that
differ widely one from another in the principles by which they rule,
one jarring with, and encroaching upon, the other, and frequently
going to war with him, having a thousand different ways of worship,
and of religious and political administration? I ask, again, does any
sane person, who reflects, believe that heaven is governed in that
way? No. Every reflecting person believes as well as I, that if there
is a world of immortality at all, where righteousness rules, the same
principles, as far as they go, are developed unto all, and adapted to
all. Some may have more truth, ascend to greater degrees of
perfection, and be able to receive higher and more glorious principles
of government than others, even in heaven. Some may attain to a
celestial glory, of which the sun is typical; others be as telestial
beings, the glory of which is compared with the stars, as they appear
to our sight; and these two classes may differ as widely from each
other as the stars differ from the sun in glory, as seen by man. So
far as heavenly beings have become enlightened by revelation in the
laws of eternal government, a sameness exists in their possession of
principles of truth, as far as it goes. Some may be in possession of
the same portion of truth, but may not possess it in fulness, but it
is true so far as it goes, by which all are in union, peace, and love,
and by which they all do right, and all glorify God, and maintain an
eternal peace and bond of happiness.

Vol. 1, p.175
In viewing heaven thus, "I do not believe I differ, except in degree,
from the expectations and views of all Christendom that believe in a
hereafter. They would not contend for a moment for the jargon and
division that exist in this world, that produce—what? Envy, hatred,
darkness, and ignorance. They do not believe for a moment that
anything of this kind exists in heaven. They pray as well as we, "Thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven." They pray, whether they
think of it or not, that all the jargon, errors, abuses, darkness, and
ignorance that now exist in the world, under the name of religion,
government, or anything else, may come to an end; that, so far as
there is unrighteousness, or any error in principle, thrones may be
cast down; that all the powers of earth, whether republic or
monarchial, that are not in accordance with the law and government of
heaven, may pass away, and those principles be introduced that govern
the sanctified in heaven, so far as man in this life is capable of
receiving these good things, and enjoying them in truth, union, and
peace. Then with this view of the subject, such a system introduced,
even among a few men they being organised upon it, and acting it out
in a good measure, we should call this a "standard." The Jews could
look to it and call it a "standard." The ten tribes, and the scattered
remnants, and all that appertain to the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, scattered  through the world, waiting for the redemption, and
the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, could look to such a
"standard," to the people [p.176] organised upon these principles
developed from heaven, and carrying them out in all their points, for
they are capable of governing a world, or a million of worlds; to this
they could look and say, there is a "standard."

Vol. 1, p.176
If all the railroads, steam-boats, and other swift means of
conveyance, with all the gold and silver were in the hands and under
the control of the right lineage, and all the sea captains and
railroad proprietors stood ready to serve them, as the Jew turned his
attention to the brightening prospect, and to his own land the
question would naturally arise in his mind—under what STANDARD shall I
go? You may say under the colors of Great Britain, but that is not
sufficient. Upon what principles shall we be organized, religiously
and politically? Which of all the churches in Christendom will present
us with a just standard, constituted to our capacity? Which of all the
nations will present a government standard, constituted to our
position?

Vol. 1, p.176
"Well, but," you say, "let the Jews take their own standard." Then
they will neither have the Christian dispensation, nor that of Moses
and the Prophets, because both of these had power in them that the
Jews do not profess to have. The Christian religion had its inspired
men, Apostles and Prophets. Those the Jews have not got. Moses and the
Prophets had their miracles, gifts, powers, and oracles, men who were
raised up by heaven, to direct, make laws and governments, and
organise a kingdom among the Jews; they have not got these either. The
most they pretend to have is a Book that gives the history of their
lathers, and of Moses and the Prophets; showing that they lived under
a dispensation of Priesthood, revealed from heaven, and handed down
from the fathers, from generation to generation, which Priesthood held
the Urim and Thummim, and the charge of the holy place containing, the
holy things and power to inquire of God, and to instruct the people in
what was for their peace, defence, welfare, government, judgment, and
law. The Jews cannot say they have these things now. Moses and the
Prophets had the ministering of angels. The Jews at this day have not.
Moses and the Prophets had living oracles from heaven. The Jews have
not. Moses and the Prophets had power to control the elements, and
work mighty wonders in the name of the Lord, some of them even rolled
the earth back on its axis. Have the Jews this power? No. To restore
them to Palestine, and let their own institutions be a standard, would
be to put there what neither resemble Moses and the Prophets, nor
Jesus and the Prophets.

Vol. 1, p.176
"But suppose we try to convert them to the present Christian
institutions," says one. Well, where is the "standard?" Who has got
it? The Christian institution consisted of Apostles and Prophets,
ministers whose Priesthood was after the order of the Son of God, and
ordained by himself, for he says, "As my Father hath sent me, even so
send I you;" "ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you." Connected with the Apostleship are the keys and powers
of government, the administration of ordinances, and the gifts and
powers of the Holy Spirit. This is a "standard," which the Jews, and
the ten tribes would all acknowledge, and it is a Christian one, yet
such a one all Christendom cannot present. They can present a book,
like the Jews; the one is a book that testifies that Moses and the
Prophets had this power, the other that Jesus and his Apostles had it,
but neither of these  books can be the "standard," because the mere
history that somebody had this power would not be a living "standard."
If the Christians [p.177] present the Jews with the New Testament, the
Jews will present the Christians with the Old Testament, and the
writers of both of them had the power. The Jew would have to admit,
that the power and "standard" that his book was the key of, had passed
away; and the Christian, that the angels, gifts, and blessings that
his book gave an account of, had also passed away.

Vol. 1, p.177
If you take the despotic standard of Russia, Or the standard of any
other of the nations of Europe, some of them are unlimited in their
provisions—the sovereign is the law; others are limited—the sovereign
only being part of the law and power, frequent bloody wars arise
between the monarch and the people; and those who come direct to the
throne by hereditary right are beset by the same evils. Besides that,
in Russia there is one kind of religion; in Greece, another; in Rome,
a third; and in England, a fourth; all widely differing from each
other.

Vol. 1, p.177
To take the republican form of government, and set it up as a
standard, would be to set the Jews and the Ten Tribes, when they get
home, to creating their own government, religion, and officers. They
would say, "This is not a restoration of all things to the order of
the fathers. Who ever heard of a nation's rising up, and making its
own ministry of angels, its own Prophets, Apostles, and Priesthood to
speak the word of God, and to inquire of Him?" The Lord would turn
round and say, "I have not chosen this man, you have chosen him and
ordained him." Did the people elect and appoint Moses to receive all
his powers, to hold communion with the burning bush, and divide the
waters of the Red Sea? Did they elect Joshua to that faith by which he
lived to lead Israel into Canaan, and divide Jordan by the word of
God? Did they instruct him to lengthen out the day while Israel
conquered their enemies? No. God Almighty chose Moses and ordained
him; and Moses laid his hands upon Joshua and ordained him, and
therefore the two were full of the Spirit of God to fill a similar
calling.

Vol. 1, p.177
The Jews and the Ten Tribes know better than to bow to such an order
of things, for no rule, precedent, or example, can be found in the
history of the fathers to substantiate such a course; they would
either conclude that God had changed, or that such proceedings were an
imposition, and pertained to no real government from heaven at all.

Vol. 1, p.177
"Well, then," says the Lord, "I will set up a standard for my people,
and lift up my hand to the Gentiles. A system shall be developed from
heaven, by which the people are to be planted in one, that is, those
who embrace it; by which shall be developed among them all, one
spirit, one doctrine, one order of Priesthood, worship, power, and
government, to lead, direct, control, and say what religion they shall
adopt, including every department of government, sufficient for all
the affairs of state, both internal and external, and that would
contribute to their enlightenment, improvement, defence, exaltation,
and their relations with all the world." Such a thing would be a
"standard." It would answer the purpose to plant and govern them. It
would bring the Gentiles to it. In order for this, it would be a
principle of government developed in all its parts, not differing so
much from the old one either. "Do you mean the law of Moses?" Yes, but
only so far as the same eternal principles existed in that law. Them
were many principles given in that law which pertained not to the
eternal kingdom of God; they had to be fulfilled in Christ, and then
have an end.

Vol. 1, p.177
"Well, then, what do you mean? Do you mean to say that this modern
standard must not differ from the [p.178] institutions revealed and
carried out in the days of Christ and his Apostles?" No, this is not
what I mean, because it must differ in some of its bearings from those
institutions. "Wherein?" In this respect, if nothing more—Peter and
the rest of the Apostles having done what we are doing now, that is,
talked about that "standard," and the restoration of the kingdom and
government to Israel, said to Jesus, "Lord, wilt thou at this time
restore the kingdom to Israel?" That is, "Wilt thou at this time raise
a standard with all the powers of government, break down the Roman
Empire, and give the kingdom and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven to thy Saints, that so all Israel may be saved?" So
far from a satisfactory answer being given to Peter and the Apostles,
the Saviour said, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons"
when this shall be done, letting alone doing it, for the knowledge of
these times "the Father hath put in his own power." Jesus did not turn
round and answer them as the sectarians would—"You are entirely
mistaken, my kingdom will always be a spiritual kingdom; and you will
be very much disappointed if you look for anything else," He virtually
said—"Suffice it to say, it is not given to you Apostles to hold the
keys of my kingdom in that day and age of the world, or even to know
the time that I will do that work." "Well, Lord, what will you have us
to do? As the Scriptures are more full upon that subject than almost
any other, for kings and Prophets spoke of little else, and you will
not tell us of that, but reserve it for some other people, and to be
known at some other time, which we are not to know, what is it you
would have us to do?" "Simply be witnesses of me in Jerusalem,
Samaria, and in the uttermost parts of the earth. Baptize the people,
if they will repent, after you have taught them to believe in me,
their eternal King and great High Priest, who rose from the dead, and
ascended up on high in your presence, to reign in heaven, and
eventually upon the earth. Go and tell the people that, and let them
repent, and turn to me with full purpose of heart, and know that I am
the law, and the way, and the truth; and if they shall keep my words,
they shall have eternal life; and if they do not, they shall remain in
condemnation. If they hear you, they hear me; and if they receive you,
they receive me; and if they receive me, they receive him that sent
me; and if they reject you, they reject me. And whatsoever they do to
you, it is the same as though they did it to me. You are my
ambassadors, my representatives, my ministers, and if they do good to
you, it is the same as though they did it to me. If they discard you,
and believe not your words, and withhold their hands from helping you
to carry out the principles of truth, it is the same as though they
did it unto me." "But, master, how shall we establish a standard of
government, and peace, so as to maintain these principles?" "You
cannot do it." Did Jesus Christ and his Apostles say these things in
so many words? No. But in words that amounted to the same thing. Says
he—"The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he
doeth God service." And unto Peter, the head of the Apostles, Jesus
said, speaking of the death Peter should die—"When thou shall be old,
theft shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and
carry thee whither thou wouldest not." Jesus told his servants they
would be scourged from city to city, and from place to place, and from
synagogue to synagogue, and be overcome, for another power would rise
different from the kingdom of God, and it should make war with them,
and overcome them, and be  drunken with the blood of the [p.179]
Saints, and hold dominion over all the kings of the earth, over every
tribe and tongue and people, until the words of God Should be
fulfilled; therefore they were not to think to gather the people, to
establish a kingdom or government on the earth, for they could not do
it. There was another power to rise, that would put their power down,
and bear rule over all nations, and all nations would be deceived by
it.

Vol. 1, p.179
Now you take the instructions of the Apostles to the Saints in former
days, and the manifestations of the Lord to the last of the Twelve
while he was on the Isle of Patmos, and see if they do not amount to
the above.

Vol. 1, p.179
Well, then, give us a dispensation like the one they had, one fitted
to the New Testament; and it is simply to run through the world, and
witness of the manifestations of the Lord of life and glory in the
flesh, and his resurrection from the dead; to call upon the people to
repent and be baptized, and give them the first principles of the
Gospel, and prepare them to reign in yonder world of glory, so far as
they could by being faithful through the Gospel; and as fast as they
were baptized, say to them, "You may expect to be killed, and if you
are not willing to lay down your life, do not put your name among us,
nor be baptized at all, for the wicked will make war with the Saints
and overcome them." To repent, and be baptized, and receive the Gospel
for the remission of sins, be killed and go home to glory, was the
Gospel the ancient. Apostles preached. I say, if we had a dispensation
precisely like that which Peter and the rest of the former-day
Apostles had, that is just as far as we could carry it. Where is the
place where we could build up the kingdom of God? No where. If you
lived in Rome (and Rome was the world), and submitted to its
butcheries, until the words of God should be fulfilled, you would be
slain and go into yonder world.

Vol. 1, p.179
Hence the kingdom of God had to be set up twice, once in the days of
Peter, wherein those who obeyed the Gospel ordinances had to submit to
the Roman power and be killed. After they are killed, and the
Priesthood is taken from the earth, and the keys of it are gone from
the earth also, or hid up, so that no body holds them, and all nations
are deceived, as it was written by the Revelator John by this ruling
power, which is nothing more nor less than Rome, for that was the
world then known—after all this, when the time comes for the word of
God to be fulfilled, and for a standard to be set up, what does this
book, the Bible, say? What does Jesus Christ himself say? "There shall
be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the
earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves
roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear;" and he goes on to say
that when you shall see these things come to pass, then know that the
kingdom of God is at hand.

Vol. 1, p.179
The Millerites mistook it, and thought it meant, then know that the
kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ is just at the door. A great many
have been mistaken on this subject, among Christian communities, so
called. But if they had searched diligently to know, they would not
have taken the second advent of Messiah, and put it in the place of
his kingdom, to be at hand when you see the signs begin to take place;
then "know ye, that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand."

Vol. 1, p.179
Now it is evident that the kingdom of God was to be set up twice—at
two distinct times, or else the whole matter is a mistake from the
beginning to the end, because John the Baptist said it was at hand in
his day, Jesus Christ said the same, the Apostles and Seventies said,
in their days, that it [p.180] was right at the door. And then Jesus
Christ predicted a whole string of events, including the destruction
of Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jews. He then predicted signs
that were to be seen in the sun, moon, and stars, and said, lo! "the
kingdom of God is nigh at hand." Just as sure as the sun shines, the
kingdom had to be set up twice, or there is no meaning to the Book,
and the last, too, at the time the Millerites and others have set for
the personal appearance of the Saviour.

Vol. 1, p.180
The Lord, in speaking to his Apostles, said, "It is not given for you
to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own
power." What would he say to the Apostles in the last days? He would
say quite the reverse of this—"To you it is given to know the times
and the seasons, because you are the very men to do that work, but my
old Apostles were only to bear witness of me to the world. As the
received traditions and religion of the world were at war with the
principle of the resurrection presented in my body, I required my
ancient Apostles to bear witness of it in Jerusalem and Samaria, and
to the uttermost parts of the earth, where-ever they could find
followers. But I now will raise up you and other men, and ordain you,
and cause keys of power to be committed to you, as in days of old, in
the same Gospel ordinances and spirit; but when they come, you will
not be required to fulfil any such thing as my servants did anciently,
which was, to bear witness, preach repentance, baptize the people, and
be killed. You will know the times and the seasons, which the Father
put in His own power, and which my other Apostles could not know, and
then go to work with your mights and fulfil it."

Vol. 1, p.180
Hence the gathering of the Saints; the organization of the kingdom of
God, religiously and politically, if you will; the revelation of the
law of God, and the new and everlasting covenant made to Abraham of
old and his seed, which has never been altered by the Lord, only lost
to the people. Paul said that the law given upon Mount Sinai, four
hundred and thirty years after that covenant was made, might not
disannul it. Jesus Christ was that man spoken of when God said, "In
thee and in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed." Thus,
Paul and Jesus, in so many words, confirmed the covenant made with
Abraham, that neither the law of Moses nor Jesus Christ ever
disannulled. What was it? A great many things, but the principal thing
was, "I will greatly multiply thy seed;" in short, a law was given him
by which he and his posterity should be regulated and governed, with
regard to matrimony and posterity.

Vol. 1, p.180
Now, then, to restore the new and everlasting covenant made with
Abraham, and not disannulled by Moses, the Prophets, Jesus Christ, and
the Apostles; to restore an organization of principles, of law; a
development that would make a standard to regulate families,
households, and kingdoms in every respect; that would be to fulfil the
words of Isaiah, where he says, I will "set up my standard to the
people;" then I will gather you. Going to work to gather them to a
standard set up by modern professors would be nonsense, for it would
not chime in with the law that governed Abraham and his family
matters, when he and a great many others should come together and sit
down in the kingdom of God. Such a standard would be lame in some
points.

Vol. 1, p.180
If I were a Jew, you might cry to me and preach to me until doomsday,
and then take a sword, and hold it over me to sever my head from my
body, but I should say, "I will not move one step to the standard that
is not Abraham's, nor from the everlasting covenant in [p.181] which
my fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the holy Prophets will
come and sit down in the presence of God, upon the same principles
with their modern children. I am a Jew, and my hope is in the
covenants of the fathers. If you nations who are not numbered in that
covenant wish to be blessed, it must be in that coveant, and in no
other way; and you cannot bring me any other standard that is a lawful
one. You may teach me Christianity, as you call it; you may try to
govern me by a republican government, as you call it; and ten thousand
other things; but when you have taught them all to me, neither for
your fire, your sword, your government, your religion, your threats,
nor anything else will I ever embrace any other system but the
standard, the covenant, in which all my nation, all the Ten Tribes and
the scattered remnants can be blessed; a covenant that will look them
up, with all the Gentile world; and raise all the ancients from the
dead, and by which all can sit down together in the same kingdom, and
be governed by the same principles, covenants, laws, and ordinances
for ever." That is the stubbornness I should have in my nature, if I
were a Jew. And the blood that flows quick through my veins tells me I
am not one whit behind the Jew; it tells me I am of the seed of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; therefore I am just about as hard as they
are to believe in anything but a full and complete standard, a
development of that system which will organize me and my house, and
all the people, whether Jew or Gentile, that will embrace it, in all
the world, if they will repent. I read it, in so many words of the
good old Prophet, that "the nation and kingdom that will not serve
thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." I
would say to king Agrippa, if he were here to-day, "Believest thou the
Prophets?" If the world would believe then, the whole of their
kingcraft, and priestcraft, and confused systems would soon pass away,
and the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to which the
Prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles looked forward, would be
established.

Vol. 1, p.181
"When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of
God is nigh at hand." Is it a system of government, to organize and
gather the people? Yes, a people that will not have their heads cut
off any more by that government that has deceived the whole world, and
drunk the blood of the Saints of the Most High. It is a kingdom that
the wicked will not be permitted again to possess or destroy. How
shall we look for it? It will be one of the smallest of governments
upon this earth, to which a grain of mustard seed is brought as a
comparison. When we see the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and
among different nations, it proves that the kingdom of God is nigh at
hand; we may then begin to look around for it. We must not look to
Russia, or to England, to become this kingdom, but to the smallest of
the governments in this world, one so small that it is compared to a
grain of mustard seed. Where must we look for it? In the very spot
where it has room to grow, and in its smallness be overshadowed with
weeds and plants of other kinds; so we must look for its organization,
establishment, and development in some country where that little few
compose the majority, and should rule. Now with these great
characteristics, and plain directions, which any man can gather from
the Bible, we need not look to any other place where we may find this
kingdom. Then among the Saints right here, where they compose the
majority, where there is not another larger government, where they are
hemmed in with mountains, and can establish peace, and a kingdom,
[p.182] and a government, and a law. "Well," says one, "you area
republican government; how does that chime in with the word kingdom?"
It matters not as to the outward name, whether it takes the name of
republic or kingdom, or this, that, or the other; it is not the name
that does the business. We call England a monarchy, because its
Presidency perpetually comes from one line, it is hereditary. We call
the United States a republican government, because they put in a man
to rule, and put him out once in four years. I have been in both
countries and lived and acted more or less under the two governments.
I went to England with a good deal of prejudice; for I was brought up
to believe that a republican government was the only good government
in the world, and the British were made to be killed off. When my
brother Orson began to speak at all, the first word which I can
remember he ever said, was—"Why, dad's gone to shoot the British." So
I must have gone there more or less prejudiced against that
government. What is the fact, against all these prejudices of early
life? It is, that government is tolerably good in both countries. The
United States have the best institutions of the two, but I tell you,
if they had carried them out better for us, we might have been here,
not so poor as we are to-day. I like England the better of the two;
not because her institutions are better, but because they are carried
out better. A government well carried out is better than any other
form of government not carried out. You may spread your forms on
paper, but paper will lie a long time before it will take off a man's
head for breaking the law.

Vol. 1, p.182
Here we are, and, thank God for it, a small government, you may call
it a republican government, or what you please; but the spirit, and
Gospel, and law, and principles of union are here, and nobody can help
it. There is no law against unity, against being baptized, against
receiving the administration of angels, or the keys of the
Apostleship, against laying hands on others that men may be filled
with the Holy Ghost. There is no law against these things, thank God.
This makes us united, it makes us do our duty, and remain in the
spirit of oneness and in faith, operating diligently upon the
principles developed by revelation upon revelation, and precept upon
precept, and law upon law, and truth upon truth. We find ourselves a
government organized upon these great principles, and a government in
peace. This government has to maintain its character, and become a
standard, having developed in it every principle for the salvation of
the living and the dead; to hold the keys of the Priesthood that bear
rule in heaven, on earth, and in hell, and maintain a people built
upon it, which is all necessary in order to become a standard. To this
the Ten Tribes will look, to this will look the scattered remnants
that are aware of the promise to Abraham, that in his seed, and not in
some other Priesthood and lineage, shall all the nations and people of
the earth be blessed. Where should they look, if we were to be
scattered abroad, if we should come to a stand still, and stick our
stakes, and say to the Almighty and to His servants—"We will do this,
and that, and that is what we will not do, but we will go our own
way?" Suppose now the spirit of prophecy should descend upon the Ten
Tribes of Israel, and they smite the mountains of ice by the word of
God, and the mountains flow down, and their Prophets travel abroad to
search the world through, for they have seen the signs in the heavens,
and they feel like the wise men of the east as they inquired for the
Saviour; suppose  the Ten Tribes come and inquire—"Where is the Temple
of God, for we have [p.183] seen the signs in the heavens; where shall
we find it?"and we were to scatter and divide, and lose the Spirit of
God, and become sectarians, or something worse; the Ten Tribes Would
then have to search with a lighted candle, and could not find the
Temple here, and I defy them to find it anywhere else.

Vol. 1, p.183
"Now, then, brother Pratt, we have embraced all this good Gospel,
which you tell about. We have been baptized, we have come into the new
and everlasting covenant, we are one, our sins are forgiven us, and we
have received a portion of the Holy Ghost." Having availed ourselves
of all these things, what we axe, as individuals, we have gained
together as number one and two, and all are justified together, and
the common interests of the kingdom are carried out. Some may say,
"There are warmer climates than this, why not go to them, and
accommodate ourselves better than we can here? Besides that, there are
places where men get more gold and silver, and can buy sugar, fruit,
&c., where wood is plentiful, and where the country presents more
beautiful scenery, and is more like Paradise than this place is; the
whole earth is before us, why can we not go and possess it where we
please? Why can we not go and serve ourselves awhile, and let the
kingdom of God take care of itself, or let these good, pious Elders
and Apostles that are so attached to it, take care of it?" If it is
right for you to set your minds upon warmer climates, upon more
convenient timber, and upon making money, then it is right for every
one of us to do the same. If it is right for you, it is right for our
President, and his Council, and the Twelve, and everybody else. If
each person should get his own way, go to where the climate will suit
him best, where there are a market and all other conveniences, I want
to know, then, where the kingdom of God is? What worldly government
could you bye under, as the kingdom of God, when you had satisfied
these desires? Just point your finger to the place, on this wide
earth, where there is any better climate than this, any better market
than this, where the staple necessaries and conveniencies of life
exist in greater abundance than they do here. Point your finger to
such a place, and convince me by mathematical demonstration that this
people can live there, and be a majority there, and reign there, and
maintain the kingdom of God there, and I am not sure but I will go
with you, and, I believe, the President will, and I think the Lord
would be pleased with it. If we had such a place, and could go and
enjoy it, who cares? The less time it will take to get a living, the
more time we shall have to attend to the teaching of others, and the
more convenience to gather them to it. I do not know that the Lord
would have any objection to it, if you could name such a place.

Vol. 1, p.183
What kind of a government is there out yonder, west of us? The very
scum floods out of the United States into that goodly land, that.
golden country; there is a concentration of jargon, ignorance, folly,
corruption, and abomination, all gathered together in one focus, and
then corrupting itself after being made of corruption. A Saint of God
might put all the advantages of climate, timber, soil, trade, and
money together in the world, and he could not live under that
government. Why did you not stop in Rome, and serve God there? You
were in a fine country, a salubrious climate, the timber was handy,
and you possessed a delightful situation. Why? Because the Apostles
could not live under the Roman Government without being killed; and
how could you do it without sharing the same fate? If you did live in
Rome, you cannot say that the government [p.184] is according to the
covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Why not stay in England?
It is a fine climate, and, in many respects, it has a good soil, with
trade, and plenty of coal for fuel. Why not stay in the United States,
where you can get sugar for three cents per pound? Why did you ever
leave your countries, your native homes, to come here? Look at these
snow-clad mountains, and naked plains—look at the scarcity of timber,
and the difficulty of travelling such a distance to get here, and so
far from any market. Bless your soul, you will not find conveniencies
in the world, anywhere, handier than they are here! Why not stay where
you were? "Why," you say, "I thought I should get a little instruction
here, that I could not get anywhere else; but, having got that
instruction, I thought to enjoy it, and go where I pleased." My view
of the subject is this—to gather, and stay gathered, to be organized
into the government of God, and call it what you please as to name.
They used the word kingdom in ancient times, meaning nothing more nor
less than government. We should stay gathered, and count one in
schools, in meetings, in paying tithing, in paying taxes, in acting
our part as members of the conmunity; count one when men are needed,
if necessary, to go against the savages; count one in influence, in
beauty, in spirit, in faith, and in works; to build Temples, to attend
to the ordinances, and administer to the living and the dead, and set
an example worthy of imitation. What Would a million of people do if
they were all doing this, under one covenant, being actuated by the
same spirit, baptized by one baptism? They would be a million of that
faith, a million of that spirit, a million of that light and truth, a
million possessing the very powers of peace, and heaven, and Zion in
their bosoms. What would they do? Why, the world itself would see
their light. Like a lighted candle on a candlestick, it could not be
hid. Do you want riches? This is gold, it is silver, it is clothing,
it is bone, it is sinew, it is industry and power. It will come
flowing to you like a flowing stream. Your Apostles and your First
Presidency, instead of being perplexed with the cares of this world,
as to how to plow their fields, or build their cabins, would not have
time scarcely to go out of yonder temple to get their breakfast, if we
had the temple built. To a people thus consolidated, nations of the
earth would come. The kings and queens, and governors and rulers, and
a great many of the house of Israel, and people of influence and power
out of all nations, would come. They would say, "The Lord is there,
the power of God is there;" and if they had any money they would make
a deposit of it there, for the nations would be breaking up, and the
people would want to escape with their life from war, and distress of
nations. The people would say, "There is where we will go to find
safety, for there the inhabitants live in union, they have the light
of eternal truth, while other people are in darkness and ignorance
without measure. Those happy people know how to unite and defend
themselves: it is not their numbers that constitute their strength,
but it is their union, and, of course, their numbers have an
influence."

Vol. 1, p.184
If one man is mighty, there are more mighty. If a man wants the riches
of time and eternity, let him have a good government, education, and
the laws of heaven to bring up his children in the right way. He never
will get rich as fast as he would if he co-operated with the kingdom
of God. You know when anything is wanted of me, I am on hand all the
time,  though there would not be a man you could hire. Men will go to
[p.185] California, to the States, or anywhere else, but you could not
get them to do it ordinarily without hiring them. But if you appoint
them to take a mission without purse or scrip, the same as an angel,
they will go to hell, if the Lord will give them a mission. there, and
be mighty glad to get back as soon as they have done it.

Vol. 1, p.185
I hare detained you too long. May the Lord bless you. Amen.

Brigham Young, June 19, 1853

Where the Wicked Go—Continual Opposition to and 
Prejudice Against the Truth—The Judges and the 
Delegate of Utah—the Spirit of God and the 
Spirit of the World—Potency of the Gospel

An Address Delivered By President B. Young
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, June 19, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.185
I do not feel like making a military or a political speech on the
present occasion; but I wish to say a few words in reference to some
of the items that have occupied the tongue and the lips of so many of
this community.

Vol. 1, p.185
The expression, "Old Zechariah Taylor is dead and in hell, and I am
glad of it," which the returning officers, in their Report, alleged
was said by me, I do not know that I ever thought of, until I heard
Brocchus himself mention it on the stand in the Old Bowery. When he
made the statement there, I simply bore testimony to the truth of it.
But until then, I do not know that it ever came into my mind whether
Taylor was in hell or not, any more than it did that any other wicked
man was there. I suppose he is where all the ignorant wicked are gone,
and where they will continue to go. The Bible declares that the Lord
Almighty tums the wicked into hell, with all the nations that forget
God. But I did not suppose that Zechariah Taylor could be classed with
those that forget God, for he never knew anything about Him. I am
confident that such a thing was never mentioned by me.

Vol. 1, p.185
When wicked men die—Zechariah Taylor, or any other wicked man, they go
to hell. This has been explained to a congregation in this hall by
Elder Hyde, and also in the Frontier Guardian. If as good a man as
Jesus Christ went to hell, we may well expect that a wicked and
ungodly man will go there to atone for his sins. Enough upon that
matter: suffice it to say, that all, when they die, go somewhere; and
if the people want to know particularly where they are going when they
die, let them read the Bible and learn. As for this people, as for the
disturbances and Reports of the returned judges, as for the say so of
one nation, and all the [p.186] nations upon the earth, I am entirely
unconcerned; but I hope one thing concerning this people and kingdom
of God which are established upon the earth, that they will turn
neither to the right nor to the left, but maintain continually a
steady and unslackened pace to build up the cause of truth. Let small
men or large men, officers of state or citizens, kings or beggars, say
or do what they please, it is all the same to the Almighty. The king
upon his throne, the president in his chair, the judges upon the
bench, and the beggar in the street, are all overruled in their
actions by the Almighty God of heaven and earth. Who can successfully
fight against Him? All persons who are acquainted with this kingdom,
who knew Joseph Smith from his boyhood, from the time the Lord
revealed to him where the plates containing the matter in the Book of
Mormon were deposited, from the time the first revelation was given to
him, and as far back as he was known, in anywise whatever, as a person
professing to have received a visitation from heaven—all must know
that as much priestcraft as was then within the circle of the
knowledge of Joseph Smith, jun., he had to bear on his back, and to
lift from time to time. On the other hand, as his name spread abroad,
and the principles of the Gospel began to be more extensively taught,
in the same proportion he had more to bear. The Lord began to raise
him up, and endow him with wisdom and power that astonished both his
friends and his foes. Did Joseph rise? He did. Did his influence grow
and spread far and wide? It did. Under what circumstances? Why, with
all the influence and power that could possibly be arrayed against
him, by priests and people, by doctors and lawyers, judges and juries,
backed up by the whole mass of the wicked world. All this he had to
raise up, and carry with him.

Vol. 1, p.186
If anything oppose the progress of this great work, if any person,
whether great or small, should stand in the way of it, do you suppose
it will stop? Do you think the great car will stay in its onward
progress, because some infernal scoundrel stands on the track? No; but
the wheels will roll over him, and crush him, until, like the pig
brother Bernhisel spoke of, he will "die all over."

Vol. 1, p.186
I admit it is hard for our Elders, for our brethren that are abroad,
when anything of a transverse nature occurs in the midst of this
people, especially in our present organization. It is hard for our
Elders to meet with interruptions in their course, to meet with, and
have to combat, the prejudices of the people. But who causes prejudice
against this people? Do they cause it themselves? No. It is the
wicked. They court it, and nourish and cherish it; they suck it in
like the infant child the mother's milk, they love it, they languish
for it; it is their food, it is their life. Why do they love it?
Because it is falsehood.

Vol. 1, p.186
Do the righteous of this people cause persecution to come upon
themselves? No. Do the principles of the Gospel create prejudice and
persecution against them? No. But it is the disposition of the wicked
to oppose the principles of truth and righteousness, which cause it.

Vol. 1, p.186
When the officers returned from this territory to the States, did we
send them away? We did not. But I will tell you what I did, and what I
will do again—I did chastise the mean ruffian, the poor miserable
creature, who came here by the name of Brocchus, when he arose before
this people to preach to them, and tell them of meanness which he
supposed they were guilty of, and traduce their character. But they
bore the insult like Saints of God. It is true, as it is said in the
Report of these officers, if I had [p.187] crooked my little finger,
he would have been used up, but I did not bend it. If I had, the
sisters alone felt indignant enough to have chopped him in pieces. I
did not, however, do it, but suffered him to fill up the measure of
his shame and iniquity until his cup is running over. He was not hurt
in the least.

Vol. 1, p.187
With regard to the four different Reports of those judges, which were
in existence at the same time, brother Bernhisel seems to wonder how
they came. I know how they came. Some friends of those judges,
thinking they could better the matter for them, were the authors of
those extra Reports. But those friends found that the Reports did not
answer their expectations, and those officers themselves would not
acknowledge who wrote them. In this instance, they over-shot their
mark, and foiled, in a signal manner, their own purposes.

Vol. 1, p.187
There is one circumstance the doctor did not relate, which is worthy
of notice. Secretary Harris stated that he did sign Doctor Bernhisel's
certificate, but that he was intimidated by Governor Young, and dare
not but do it. How could this be, when no person knew about this
signing, but the doctor and Harris? Thus every man that operates
against the truth, will forestall himself, and be confounded by his
own arguments and operations in every movement and act that he shall
perform; it will all work to his own injury and disgrace. Every man
that comes to impose upon this people, no matter by whom they are
sent, or who they are that are sent, lay the axe at the root of the
tree to kill themselves. I will do as I said I would, last Conference.
Apostates, or men who never mane any profession of religion, had
better be careful how they come here, lest I should bend my little
finger.

Vol. 1, p.187
If the congregation wish to know if we are well situated for
territorial officers at the present time, I will say, for their
information, I believe we are. I will speak for this people, and say,
we cannot be situated better in that respect than we are at the
present time, so far as we know. One of our judges, Judge Shaver, has
been here through the winter, and, as far as he is known, he is a
straightforward, judicious, upright man, and a good adjudicator in the
law. This I believe, and so do others who are acquainted with his
acts. He cannot be beaten among Jews or Gentiles. He and Judge Reid,
who has lately arrived, I believe will do the best they can, and all
is right. They have not come here with the impression that we are
going to send them as our delegates to Washington, as others did, so
they are not disappointed. As far as I know, we are just as well
situated in this respect as we need ask to be.

Vol. 1, p.187
I have no fears whatever of Franklin Pierce excusing me from office,
and saying that another man shall be the Governor of this territory.
At the beginning of our settlements here, when we sent Almon W. Babbit
to Washington with our Constitution for a State Government, and to ask
leave to adopt it, he requested that I should not sign my name to it
as Governor; "for," said he, "if you do, it will thwart all your
plans." I said, "My name will go as it is in that document, and stay
there from this time henceforth and for ever. Now," I continued, "if
you do not believe it, you may go to Washington, and give those papers
to Doctor Bernhisel, and operate against him, and against our getting
a State Government, and you cannot hinder it, I will be Governor
still, after you have done every thing you possibly can to prevent
it."

Vol. 1, p.187
We have got a Territorial Government, and I am and will be Governor,
and no power can hinder it, until the Lord Almighty says, "Brigham,
you need not be Governor any longer;" [p.188] and then I am willing to
 yield to another Governor. I have told you the truth about that, I
entertain no concern about it, or about the changing of any of our
other officers; we are well enough off in this respect at present.

Vol. 1, p.188
It came into my mind when brother Bernhisel was speaking, and the same
thing strikes me now, that is, inasmuch as he has done first-rate, as
our delegate in Washington, to move that we send him again next
season, though it is the Sabbath Day. I understand these things, and
say as, other people say, "We are Mormons." We do things that are
necessary to be done; when the time comes for us to do them. If we
wish to make political Speeches, and it is necessary, for the best
interest of the cause and kingdom of God, to make them on the Sabbath,
we do it. Now, suffer not your prejudices to hurt you, do not suffer
this to try you, nor be tempted in consequence of it, nor think we are
wandering out of the way, for it is all embraced in our religion, from
first to last.

Vol. 1, p.188
Brother Kimball has seconded the motion, that Doctor Bernhisel be sent
back to Washington, as our delegate. All who are in favour of it,
raise your right hands. [More than two thousand hands were at once
seen above the heads of the congregation.]

Vol. 1, p.188
This has turned into a caucus meeting. It is all right. I would call
for an Opposite vote if I thought any person would vote. I will try
it, however. [Not a single hand was raised in opposition.]

Vol. 1, p.188
I will now say, not only to our delegate to Congress, but to the
Elders who leave the body of the Church, that he thought that all the
cats and kittens were let out of the bag when rother Pratt went back
last fall, and published the Revelation concerning the plurality of
wives: it was thought there was no other cat to let out. But allow me
to tell you, Elders of Israel, and delegates to Congress, you may
expect an eternity of cats, that have not yet escaped from the bag.
Bless your Souls, there is no end to them, for if there is not one
thing, there will always be another.

Vol. 1, p.188
Do you suppose that this people will ever see the day that they will
rest in perfect security, in hopes of becoming like another people;
nation state, kingdom, or society? They never will. Christ and Satan
never can be friends. Light and darkness always remain opposites. The
kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan will always remain two
kingdoms; and so long as they are, you will find from time to time
that the citizens Satan's kingdom will be telling you of cats that are
ready to leap out of the bag, of something that is wonderful and
alarming in its nature, as much so as the circumstance which brother
Bernhisel touched at, which created a great excitement in
Washington—that we had revolted from the parent Government, and
hoisted the flag of our independence. I know how that report
originated. The letter containing this startling intelligence, and
purporting to have been received at California from this place, was
written in Washington. After the originators had failed in their
object, they supposed that nothing more would be said about it, but
the whole of the United States believed the report to be true, and
thought that all the citizens in Utah were rebels.

Vol. 1, p.188
Do you understand the reason why such feelings exist against this
people? Go to the United States, into Europe, or wherever you can come
across men who have been in the midst of this people, and one will
tell you that we are a poor, ignorant, deluded people; the next will
tell you that we are the most industrious and intelligent people on
the each, and are destined to rise to eminence as a [p.189] nation,
and spread, and continue to spread, until we revolutionize the whole
earth. If you pass on to the third man, and inquire what he thinks of
the "Mormons," he will say they are fools, duped and led astray by Joe
Smith, who was a knave, a false Prophet, and a money digger. Why is
all this? It is because there is a spirit in man. And when the Gospel
of Jesus Christ is preached on the earth and the kingdom of God is
established, there is also a spirit in these things, and an Almighty
spirit too. When these two spirits come in contact one with the other,
the spirit of the Gospel reflects light upon the spirit which God has
placed in man, and wakes him up to a consciousness of his true state,
which makes him afraid he will be condemned, for he perceives at once
that "Mormonism" is true. "Our craft is in danger," is the first
thought that strikes the wicked and dishonest of mankind, when the
light of truth shines upon them. Say they, "If these people called
Latter-day Saints are correct in their views, the whole world must be
wrong, and what will become of our time-honoured institutions, and of
our influence, which we have swayed successfully over the minds of the
people for ages. This Mormonism must be put down." So priestcraft
presented a bold and extended front against the truth, and with this
we have to contend, this is our deadliest foe.

Vol. 1, p.189
Why should there be any more excitement when a public officer is
chastised in Utah for publicly insulting a loyal people, than there
would be if a similar occurrence transpired in Oregon, Minnesota, or
any other territory? It is because we are Latter-day Saints. And let
merrell you the Devil has put the whole world on the watch against us.
It is impossible for us to make the least move without exciting, if
not all the world, at least a considerable portion of it. They are
excited at what we do, and, strange to relate, they are no less
excited at what we do not do.

Vol. 1, p.189
You will find that there will be cats and kittens leaping out of the
bag continually. "What can come next I wonder!" I do not know; but
this I know, the Lord Almighty will not suffer the Saints, neither the
world, to slumber upon their oars. The time is past for them to fold
their hands, and say, "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little
folding of the hands." This people will never see that day, for the
Lord will keep them on the alert all the time; they will continually
have something to contend with to keep them from dropping to sleep,
and it is no matter to me as to what means He may use to do it.

Vol. 1, p.189
Inasmuch as we send brother Bernhisel back to Washington, I say to
him, Fear not their faces, nor their power, for we are perfectly
prepared to take all the nations of the earth on our back; they are
there already, and we will round up our shoulders, and bear up the
ponderous weight, carry the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the
earth, gather Israel, redeem Zion, and continue our operations until
we bind Satan, and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of
our Lord and His Christ; and no power can hinder it.

Vol. 1, p.189
I care not what may come, I will do the work the Lord has appointed
unto me. You do the same, and fear not, for the Lord manages the helm
of the ship of Zion; and on any other ship I do not wish to be. As I
once said to Sydney Rigdon, our boat is an old snag boat, and has
never been out of snag harbor, but it will root up the snags, run them
down, split them up, and scatter them to the four winds. Our ship is
the old ship of Zion. Nothing that runs foul of it can resist the
shock and fire.

Vol. 1, p.189
The hue and cry in the world about this people is—"What an awful set
of people these Mormons are! Why, [p.190] they are a dreadful people!"
What makes them so? "They are Mormons." And that is all the people can
say about the matter.

Vol. 1, p.190
Do you know what it is that scares the world? As I have already said,
it is the Spirit of the Lord that is placed in man, and the reflection
of light from it upon his spirit wakes up the sensibilities in him,
and creates conviction. That Spirit, with the Gospel of Christ,
interrupts the whole world in their common career, in every capacity
of life. That Spirit does not chime in and harmonize with any earthly
kingdom or government, either in their political or religious
institutions; but it seems to put a check upon every thing, to throw
into disorder the best laid plans of the wise and far-seeing among
men; in short, it turns the whole current of earthly calculations back
upon the world, and deluges it in the dark waters of confusion.

Vol. 1, p.190
As this kingdom of God grows, spreads, increases, and prospers in its
course, it will cleanse, thoroughly purge, and purify the world from
wickedness. He who supposes his house to be built upon a rock, and
well calculated to withstand any test that may be applied to it,
finds, when it is tried by the Gospel of the kingdom, that its
foundation proves to be sand, and the whole fabric appears nothing in
which a man may securely trust for salvation. One of the weakest of
our Elders, I mean one of our boys, who is conversant with the Bible,
is well qualified to instruct the learned priest, confound in Bible
doctrine the greatest theologians upon the earth, and throw into
confusion, and interrupt, and fill with contradictions and
inconsistencies, their choicest theories.

Vol. 1, p.190
Imagine to yourselves a learned doctor of divinity, securely
surrounded with the bulwarks of his religious lore, pampered with the
applause of thousands who hang on his skirts for religious
instructions; he is satisfied that he knows and understands the Bible
from the beginning to the end of it, and is capable of withstanding
all creation upon Bible doctrine, and is as well skilled in
theological researches as a man can be—imagine this great man sailing
triumphantly over the sea of time, and the little unassuming bark, the
boy, darts along, and strikes this proud hulk, this great, tremendous
vessel, and pierces it through below the water mark; it begins to
sink, and turns to make battle, but the little craft hits it on the
keel and capsizes it, sinking it in shame and bitter disappointment.
Such will be the fate of all who will oppose the truth.

Vol. 1, p.190
The report of the Gospel of Jesus Christ terrifies the people, it goes
forth with such gigantic strides. When this Church first commenced, I
used to say to the people, "If you do not like my preaching, when I do
the best I can, I cannot help it, but if you will let us alone, and
suffer us peaceably to enjoy our religion, we shall enjoy ourselves
better together, as friends, neighbors, and citizens. If you will come
to my house, I will give you your dinner and your supper, I will treat
you hospitably, as one friend ought to treat another; and when I come
into your neighborhood, do the same to me, for, in pursuing this
course, we shall feel much better than if we suffered a difference of
opinion to make us enemies. I will tell you what we will do—we will
preach the Gospel, and revolutionize the whole earth, that is, if you
will let us alone, but if you persecute us, we will do it quicker.
This places the wicked in the same circumstances as the drunken man,
who would fall down if he tried to stand, and fall if he tried to
walk. So, if they will lot us alone, we will evangelize the whole
earth; and if they do not, we will do it the quicker.

Vol. 1, p.191
[p.191] How often, to all human appearance, has this kingdom been
blotted out from the earth, but the Lord has put His hand over the
people, and it has passed through, and come out two, three, and four
times larger than before. Our enemies have kicked us and cuffed us,
and driven us from pillar to post, and we have multiplied and
increased the more, until we have become what we are this day, in
possession of a territory with an appropriate government. Let them
still continue to persecute us, and who cares? If they will let us
alone, we will preach the Gospel to all nations, and gather Israel. If
they continue to abuse us, we will overrun them entirely, until all
shall be brought in subjection to the will of heaven.

Vol. 1, p.191
Do not be afraid, whether you are at Washington or anywhere else, for
we will progress. I say to brother Bernhisel and everybody else, Put
your shoulders to the wheel, and do not go from this place with your
hearts in your months, you that go to the nations, and be so faint
that you have need to carry a bottle of camphor with you, but go like
men of great hearts, and say, in the midst of your enemies—I stand
here in the name of Him who sent me, and who has called me to defend
the truth, which I am determined to do, whether I live or die.

Vol. 1, p.191
God bless you all, brethren, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

George A. Smith, October 7, 1853

Disobedience of Counsel—The Indian War
 The result of the Same.

An Address Delivered By Elder George A. Smith, 
in the Tabernacle Great Salt Lake City, 
at the General Conference, Oct. 7, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.191
It is with pleasure that I have listened to the remarks of President
Kimball. The sentiments he has advanced aretrue and just, and I am
certain noperson can have listened to them without having felt edified
and instructed.

Vol. 1, p.191
There is no doubt that a great proportion of the people who have been
here in these valleys for years past, can bear witness to the counsel
and instructions that have been given, for the preservation of the
settlements, and the establishment of the stakes of Zion within the
limits of these mountains. Perhaps those persons, when they see me
arise to occupy the stand, will at once say within themselves, "We are
going to hear something in relation to enlarging the new settlements,
making entirely new ones, establishing iron works, or some other thing
of that nature, to draw our feelings out of the channel they have run
in," for it is so really certain, that l have scarcely attended a
single Conference since I have been in the Valley, without having
something of this kind to present during the term of Conference. I
think, however, for the last year, it has not been my lot to address
an assenmbly in this place. [p.192] perhaps more than once or twice,
and I as I had been noted for short sermons and short prayers, my
addresses have also been few. But although my voice has not been heard
from this stand. I have not been silent, neither have I been idle.

Vol. 1, p.192
I was appointed to preside over the affairs of the Church in the
county of Utah. I have also made two trips annually through the
southern portions of the territory, visiting all the Branches, taking
considerable time and a great deal of interest in the affairs of Iron
County, besides making as many missions to this place as were
necessary, to obtain counsel, and acquire information to carry on the
work entrusted to my charge.

Vol. 1, p.192
Any man that knows the country, and is acquainted with the business
that has been placed before me, will be aware, that, lazy as I might
be, I have had plenty to occupy my thoughts, and to give me active
exertion, at least for the past year, in the exercise of my ministry
and calling.

Vol. 1, p.192
I present myself before you, then, to offer a few reflections upon
what I feel to be important for this Conference to consider for the
safety, welfare, and protection of the Saints in the valleys of these
mountains. I have been made familiar with the condition of our
settlements south, and am aware somewhat of the condition of our
settlements in other parts of the territory.

Vol. 1, p.192
In the commencement of my remarks, I will say, that the people almost
universally do not realize the importance of listening to the voice of
God through His servant Brigham. My heart has been pained by the
things that are past, when I have been travelling and laboring in
different parts of the territory; it has been pained to see the
carelessness and indifference with which the words of the Almighty,
through His servant, have been received.

Vol. 1, p.192
Numbers were counselled to go to Iron County, and make there a strong
settlement, sufficiently so to enable the people to protect
themselves, and establish iron works. Many started in that direction,
and succeeded in making the distance of from thirty to seventy miles,
and concluded they had travelled far enough on good land without
settling upon it.

Vol. 1, p.192
Last spring, when President Young made his visit through the
settlements, the county of Utah was very flourishing in appearance.
Many splendid farms had been opened, and men were living upon them
with the same security and carelessness as heretofore the people have
done in the State of New York, where they need not fear the attacks of
hostile Indians. The President had previously counselled them to
settle in forts, and not scatter asunder so as to render themselves in
a state of helplessness in the case of attack by the red men. Forts
had accordingly been surveyed, and cities had been surveyed, where the
people could gather together and fortify themselves; yet the great
mass, I may say, or, at any rate, all the wealthy portions of them,
had selected good farms, and were building good buildings, and making
improvements upon them, and were dwelling safely, scattered all over
the valley; a great many of them had lately come from England, and
different parts of the world, and were in a flourishing condition;
cattle were increasing around them, corn was growing in abundance, and
fruit and all things seemingly were beginning to flourish exceedingly.

Vol. 1, p.192
On viewing this state of things, I said to myself, "Is this to be the
order of things? Are the people. going to prosper in this way, while
in open violation of the counsels that have been  given, namely, to
gather into forts?" I knew that that state of affairs would not
continue a great length of time, and can call the men [p.193] and
women in every settlement to bear witness that I have publicly
testified that that order of things could not remain; for when God has
a Prophet on the earth, and that Prophet tells the people what to do,
and they neglect to do it, they must suffer for it. I bear witness
before you, this day, in the name of the Lord God of Israel, that no
people can treat lightly the sayings of a Prophet of God, whom He
places on the earth to direct His people, and prosper. I know it is
impossible. I have borne this testimony to the settlements, in my
preachings, when I have visited them. In reply, the folks would say,
"There is no danger, brother Smith, if we do live in the country, upon
our farms, for it is so unpleasant to live in town."

Vol. 1, p.193
When President Young was going south last season, in one of the large
meetings he addressed at Palmyra, in Utah County, he bore testimony,
in the name of the Lord God of Israel, that if the people did not
gather into cities and forts, and fortify themselves, they should be
driven out of these mountains. If God had come down upon one of these
mountains as I tie did upon Mount Sinai, and kicked up a tremendous
thunder storm, I could not have been impressed with the truth of those
remarks one particle more than I was on that occasion. I knew Brigham
to be a Prophet of the Lord, and esteemed his words as the voice of
God to the people.

Vol. 1, p.193
I straightway commenced to encourage the people, and preached to them,
and proposed laying out a fort for them, when they would perhaps turn
round and say, "Really, brother Smith, do you think there is any
danger?" I would say within myself, "Here are hundreds and thousands
of brethren that have never been proved; they have never borne the
heat and burden of the day, but they are picking up the fat valleys of
Ephraim, and selecting good farms and securing to themselves beautiful
situations, and making splendid improvements, and living in peace, and
eating of the fat of the land, and forgetting their God. Can this
state of things remain?"

Vol. 1, p.193
I went to every settlement, and attempted to encourage them to fort,
but failed to accomplish anything towards getting them to obey the
word of the Lord on this matter. Some of them said they would move
into forts in the fall of the year.

Vol. 1, p.193
Some time in the summer, however, a man, known in these mountains by
the name of Walker, found that the people cared nothing about God, or
the instructions of brother Brigham, and brother George A. so he said,
"I wonder if you will mind me;" and in less than one solitary week, he
had more than three hundred families on the move, houses were thrown
down in every direction, and I presume one hundred thousand dollars
worth of property was wasted.

Vol. 1, p.193
Had the people listened to the counsel of President Young, in the
first place, and put their property in a proper place, it would have
been protected. In the counties of Utah, Juab, and San Pete, the
houses were vacated, and the Indians got into them, and shot the
brethren, so they had to be entirely demolished, which rendered it
necessary for great numbers to move into forts. This has been affected
by brother Walker. That blood-thirsty Indian, in this matter, had more
influence to make the Saints obey counsel than the Presidency of this
Church had, and could actually kick up a bigger fuss in a few days
than they could by simply telling the people the will of the Lord.

Vol. 1, p.193
When God places a than on the earth to be His mouth, he says this or
that is the law, and this is the thing for the people to obey. "Well,
but," says one, "I cannot make as good a living in town as I can away
out on a [p.194] farm, where I can keep a great many cattle." It
appears probable to me, you might make more by going to parts of
California, or Australia, than you can make even out on a farm in this
country. If your object is to make as much earthly gain as possible,
why not go where you can get the most of it? This business of having
one hand in the golden honey-pots of heaven, and the other in the dark
regions of hell, undertaking to serve both God and Mammon at once,
will not answer.

Vol. 1, p.194
Aside from the settlements in San Pete, I believe I have, more or
less, been with nearly all the settlements south, and I have also
visited the San Pete settlements two or three times, and I do know,
that if the counsel and instructions of President Young could have
been observed, it would have saved the people at least one hundred
thousand dollars. And I do further know, to my satisfaction, that if
the counsel of President Young had been observed, not one of the
Saints would have lost his life by an Indian. I am certain of these
facts; and yet occasionally some man falls a prey to some cruel
savage, and whole villages have to be removed, and farms vacated, and
tens of thousands of dollars' worth of damage is done all the time,
because men will not live according to the instructions given to them
by the Prophet of God. If you ask men to build in a fort, they will
say, "It is a free country, and we can build where we please." I admit
that a man is free to serve the devil if he thinks proper; but let me
tell you, it is the cheapest in the end to do right.

Vol. 1, p.194
There was no more necessity of having this Indian war than there is of
our going out to kill the cattle on the plains of Jordan, and leave
them for the wolves to devour. If we had taken the course that was
marked out to us, and observed the advice given to us, all our past
troubles would not have occurred. I know this language will hurt the
feelings of a great many.

Vol. 1, p.194
But I will talk about Iron County, as I am the "Iron Major;" I am
advancing in the ranks. They used to say, in Utah, I was a pretty good
sort of a fellow until I got to be a Colonel, and then I became more
savage. Be this as it may, I do know, that if the people of Iron
County had listened to the counsel given to them, they would have
saved to themselves in that little settlement—not over eight hundred
strong, not less than twenty-five thousand dollars, which they have
actually lost, or I may more properly say, WASTED, in consequence of
the disposition to do as they pleased. When we first went to iron
County, we went with the same instructions the people had in all the
other settlements, and accordingly we laid out forts as well as we
were capable of. We will admit that those efforts were not planned as
well as they might have been, but they were planned as well as we knew
how to plan them at the time. A considerable number of men went to
work at building forts, and those who did so were subjected to very
little loss. But almost every time I have visited any settlement in
Iron County, from the time it first commenced, up to the present, and
I have been through a great proportion of them, I have had from one to
fifty applicants saying, "Brother Smith, may I not go further, this
way or that way, to make me a farm? or, to the other place, to make me
a ranch?" And so it would be almost continually—asking for privileges
to do things that they knew were contrary to counsel. My answer would
be, "Yes, of course, just as soon as the settlements are strong enough
to secure to you protection; but it will not do to venture out, and
separate far from each other, for two or three years. Until the
settlements get strong, we must stay together, lest some evil
influence should stir  up the [p.195] Indians, and destroy our
settlements entirely."

Vol. 1, p.195
With all the influence I could Use in those parts of the country, some
of the brethren broke through and established several posts for cattle
ranches, and commenced to open farms, but it was afterwards found
necessary to gather these distant posts in, and those who were living
on large farms, and erecting fine buildings, which either had to be
removed away or entirely abandoned. All this trouble and loss of
property could have been prevented, only for that reckless
disposition—"I want a little more liberty to go a little further off."

Vol. 1, p.195
As I had the honor to preside over Provo, I take the liberty to talk
about my own place, and tell its history, and I want all the new
comers to profit by it. In the first place, there was a number of men
wanted to go to Provo and make a settlement, and have a chance to fish
in the waters, and trade with the Indians. They accordingly begged of
the President to let them go in accordance with their wishes. He
finally gave them the privilege of going there, if they would build a
fort for their protection. They went, and made a beginning; they built
something, but I never knew what it was. I have passed there, but not
being very well acquainted with the science of fortification, nor with
the science of topography, I never could find or frame a name for the
thing which they built.

Vol. 1, p.195
They then petitioned for the privilege of laying out a city with small
lots, and living in the capacity of a town, as it is so much more
convenient to live in a town than in a fort. The President gave them
the privilege, because he was afraid, I presume, if he had not granted
it to them, some of their own careless boys, or the Indians, would set
their hay on fire and burn up the whole concern. They went to work and
laid out a city. The President of that company is one of the most
righteous men I ever was acquainted with; there is not a man living, I
presume, would say any evil of him, and I am the last man to do it on
any account; but he wanted to set an example, you know; for it is
generally expected that Presidents and Bishops love to set an example
to the flock of Christ; so he went off up the creek, and found a
splendid piece of farming land. He took his cabin from the miserable
huddle they meant for a fort, and put it on this piece of land, and
said, "Now, you poor brethren, (if he did not say it, I always thought
he did,) you stay in town, and I will remain here, and when I get rich
I will remove into town, and build me a fine house, for these log
cabins will not look well in town." Every man that wanted to get rich
went up the creek to what we technically call "the Bishop's," and
pretty much all the property went into the bushes, and there it
remained until Walker spoke, and it was not a week after before this
good President, and all who followed his brave example, came bundling
into town, after he had put up a thing up the creek among the bushes,
that I call one of the mysteries of the kingdom.

Vol. 1, p.195
Now if that man had taken the good and wholesome advice that was given
him, he would now have been well off, it would have been over two
thousand dollars in his pocket, and so it is with all the balance of
the people who have acted as he has. They have had to sacrifice all
this property by taking their own way.

Vol. 1, p.195
The Indian war is the result or our thinking we know better than our
President, the result of following our own counsel instead of the
counsel of Brigham Young. It has been the cause of almost all the loss
of life and property that has been sustained from the Indians; that
is, in [p.196] the southern departments. Understand me, I do not
pretend to say anything about matters this side the Utah mountains,
but I will tell you what I think: I think that all the forting I have
seen in Great Salt Lake County—it is true I have not seen much of it,
but the most of what I have seen amounts to nothing more than a
humbug; and if ever an Indian war comes upon you, you will be no
better off than the distant settlements, unless you make timely
calculations for it beforehand, and make them right. Such a war will
cost you nearly all you possess. I do not know that you will ever have
one, but I should think, allowing me to judge, that you have one on
your hands now. And if I had a family scattered out on any of these
creeks, or living in any of these unfortified settlements, I should
think it prudent for me to move them into the city, or into a fort,
and do it the first thing I did. After the Indians have come and
peeled your heads clean, murdered your wives, killed off your
children, burnt your houses, and plundered your property, then you can
move into forts, and it will be all right. That appears to me to be
the kind of forting I can observe in the thinly settled parts of this
county; in the cities the people are more wide awake.

Vol. 1, p.196
I expect, brethren, I shall preach here again, if I live, and I shall
probably preach about the Indian difficulties, about the Indian war,
if they did say I was the biggest coward south of the Utah mountains,
and that I dare not go out anywhere, not even for my cows, without my
gun, and generally with somebody with me; and consequently, being so
nervously afraid, I shall say to the new comers, especially if they
want to be preserved and to save their property, and labour to
preserve the lives of their families, they have got to take the
counsel of President Young, and that is, to SETTLE IN FORTS—and have
fortified cities; and not only to settle in forts and cities, but to
go armed, and not be overtaken and murdered by the way, in the manner
that some have been.

Vol. 1, p.196
You might suppose, because I am so cowardly, that I am very anxious to
kill the Indians; but no man ever heard me undertake to advocate the
business of killing Indians, unless it was in self defence; and in no
orders that I hard issued (and I have issued a great many under
different circumstances since the war commenced, being the "Iron
Colonel,") have I ever given licence of this kind, but to act in
defence of ourselves and property. For I do believe, if the people can
be made to listen to President Young's counsel, we can close the war
without bloodshed. I have believed it all the time, and I have acted
upon it. With the exception of a few blood-thirsty individuals that
may have to be punished for their crimes, the great body of the
Indians that have been affected, can be brought to peace and duty, if
the people themselves will observe their instructions.

Vol. 1, p.196
I know not what my friends may think of me for talking as I have
today; but I have expressed freely my candid sentiments, and I can
express nothing else; at the same time I do not consider that the
Indians have had any provocation in any shape or manner, to cause them
to commence this war upon their friends. I believe it was commenced
through the influence of some corrupt individuals who were fired with
a desire for plunder; and that it never would have been commenced at
all, if the people had all been in forts, as they ought to have been,
notwithstanding this influence. But when the Indians saw property
scattered all over the plains, thousands of cattle and horses, with
grain and everything spread before  them, in an unprotected condition,
those that were evil minded among them coveted our property, and
[p.197] thought we could not defend it. And sure enough we could not,
for we have more property than we can defend, we have more cattle than
we can take care of; Indians can steal from us all the time, and we
cannot take care of that which God has given us, because we have so
much of it; and for want of its being brought under a proper
organization, it is badly scattered and exposed; and until we make
proper provisions to take care of our stock, evil minded persons will
plunder us.

Vol. 1, p.197
If we had built our forts, established our corrals, and taken care of
every thing we had, according to the instructions that all the new
settlements received, this Indian war never would have commenced,
because the Indians would have discovered there was no chance for
plunder. They had no idea we would move into forts as we have done.

Vol. 1, p.197
I advised one individual, before he built a house out on a farm, to
build in the city. O no, he must have more room; and he built in one
of the most dangerous positions in the mountains. By and by the
Indians drove him in. I absolutely did know, if I let that man's house
stand, his family would sooner or later be murdered, which might have
occurred any day; so I issued an order for it to be removed. He durst
not trust me to remove it, for fear I should break something; and
don't you think the poor miserable fellow broke two joists in removing
it himself, which did not appear so small a matter to him as it does
to us. He lost considerable, because he would not build in a safe
place. His house was situated in a position to completely command the
mouth of a kanyon, and at the same time a more dangerous place did not
exist in the district; the safety of the settlement actually required
its removal.

Vol. 1, p.197
There were several men wounded through leaving their houses and not
throwing them down, for they became a barricade for the Indians; so I
took upon me the responsibility of removing such dangerous places as;
would give shelter to our enemies, while they pierced us with their
bullets.

Vol. 1, p.197
Some men would tell me such a course was not strictly according to
law. I told them I should save the lives of the people. And if they
had not been gathered up, scores of men, women, and children would
have been butchered before now.

Vol. 1, p.197
I presume I have talked to you long enough. It is a matter I feel
considerable about. I know men are careless, women are careless; and
if there is not greater care taken, women will be carried away
prisoners; and their children will be murdered, if they wander off
carelessly and unprotected. I tell you, in a country like this, where
women are scarce and hard to get, we have great need to take care of
them, and not let the Indians have them.

Vol. 1, p.197
Walker himself has teased me for a white wife; and if any of the
sisters will volunteer to marry him, I believe I can close the war
forthwith. I am certain, unless men take better care of their women,
Walker may supply himself on a liberal scale, and without closing the
war either.

Vol. 1, p.197
In conclusion I will say, if any lady wishes to be Mrs. Walker, if she
will report herself to me, I will agree to negociate the match.
[p.198]

Brigham Young, April 6, 1852

Weakness and Impotence of Men—Condition
 of the Saints—Dedication to the Lord—The Millennium

A Discourse Delivered By President Brigham Young 
at the Opening of the New Tabernacle, 
Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.198
I rise to occupy a few moments of time this morning, as we have opened
our Conference by the dedication prayer, for we will spend the
remainder of the forenoon in speaking. I desire to offer my own
reflections upon this interesting occasion, but whether they may be
strictly appropriate or not, will, of course, be left for you to
judge.

Vol. 1, p.198
We have assembled together in this comfortable and commodious building
in peace, and are we not led to exclaim who could have fathomed, who
could have understood the ways of the Lord, which are higher than
man's ways, as heaven is higher than the earth? We can now calmly
reflect upon the experience of our past lives, and those minds that
are opened to receive light and truth, that can behold the
manifestations of the Lord, can at once see that He has done that
which we could not have accomplished by our own power, and that
directly behind (to all human appearance) a frowning Providence
oftentimes are concealed the greatest blessings that mankind can
desire. It teaches us to trust in the Lord, to have confidence in our
God. It teaches us absolutely that we need never undertake to guide
the ship of Zion, or dictate, by our own wisdom, to the kingdom of God
on the earth. It teaches us definitely and emphatically that the Lord
Almighty can do His own work, and no power of man can stay the potency
of His wonder-working hand. Men may presume to dictate to the Lord;
they come to naught, but His work moves steadily forward. Many who
have left this Church have tried the experiment of building up the
kingdom of God by their learning, saying, "When we have established
our Church it will then be the kingdom of the Lord." They have laid
their subtle plans, have marked out their ground, pointed out their
own path, have firmly (as they supposed) set their stakes, commanding
their proselytes not to turn to the right hand nor to the left, from
the course marked out by them, but in every case has the Lord
overthrown their plans, and thwarted all their designs. When the Lord
works, no man can hinder, while those who feel willing to hearken to
His words work with Him; and when He says, "Be still," they are
subject; when He dictates, they cease to direct; when He directs, they
are willing to do His commandments, He bestows blessings on their
labors, His work prospers in their hands, His kingdom moves onward
with a steady and unwavering progress, the honest in heart are
blessed, and the whole is in a state of continual and rapid increase.
Then let the world and the enemies of Christ and His kingdom that are
upon earth and in hell, do their worst, it matters not, the work of
the Lord is still onward and prosperous in His hands.

Vol. 1, p.199
It is a great privilege which we enjoy this morning of assembling
[p.199] ourselves together in this comfortable edifice, which has been
erected in the short space of about four months, in the most inclement
season of the year. We have now a commodious place in which we can
worship the Lord, without the fear of being driven from our seats by
wet and cold, or of standing exposed to the weather. I now say to my
brethren, that I feel to dedicate myself and all I possess to the
Lord, and constantly feel, with all I have, on the altar of sacrifice
to the cause of my God.

Vol. 1, p.199
A year ago this day, when the brethren were assembled to offer up
their prayers, and to present business before the Conference, for the
conSideration of the people, and for the furtherance of the cause we
have espoused, I recollect I was not able to sit up, being sick, but
not discouraged. I had not fainted by the way, but my heart was as
brave as it ever was in any moment of my life, yet I was not able to
be in the assembly. I contemplated the situation of this people, and
looked over our past history, considered our then present prospects
and privileges in these peaceful valleys. My eyes were upon those who
were faltering by the way or wandering after the things of this world,
and I could not refrain from tracing their steps, as they were passing
to the right and to the left after the perishing things of this life.
I saw the afflictions of the people, and contemplated their past
sufferings and present situation. As I mused, I said in my heart, "As
soon as I am able to speak to the people, I will unfold to them my
thoughts and feelings, and tell them that in the midst of all the
afflictions and checquered scenes through which the Saints have
passed—their joys and their toils, their sufferings and theft
comforts, their fears and their faith, I have never seen them as
comfortable as they are now. I shall say to the brethren, Come, let us
build a house that we may enter within its walls, and there offer our
prayers and thanksgivings before the Lord, and worship Him as long as
we please, without the fear of being driven home with storms of wind,
rain, and snow." I said, "If the Lord blesses me with life and health,
I shall put forth my hand to rear an edifice, in which the people can
comfortably assemble, as large as we can build at present, and
dedicate it to the Lord, that the people may say in their heart, Let
us go up to the house of the Lord to worship." I saw that when we
should obtain this commodious building, some would wish to be excused
from engaging in the pleasing duty of worshipping here, and say, "My
cattle, my farm, or my business will be forsaken, I must take care of
my family, for the Lord gave them to me to take care of;" or, "I must
attend to my affairs here and there, and I cannot therefore stay to
worship the Lord." I say to such, Go! but as for me, though all the
world should sink into oblivion, I will go up to worship the Lord.

Vol. 1, p.199
These were my feelings a year ago, and they are the same to-day. I
dedicate myself, my family, and my substance anew unto the Lord, they
are not mine, I am not my own creator, nor the producer of anything I
possess; I did not originate one atom of it. Let the world and its
cares go! The Lord Almighty, who made it, is able to take care of it,
and He may do with it what He pleases; but He has commanded me to
worship Him, which is one of the greatest privileges that could be
conferred upon man.

Vol. 1, p.199
How long shall we stay here? I answer, as long as I please. Brethren
and sisters, cast from you the love of the world, and let it have no
dominion over you. There are a many who delight in the good things of
this earth—in gold and silver, in carriages and horses, in houses and
splendid furniture, in costly clothing, in orchards [p.200] and
gardens, in vineyards and fields, and extended possessions. These
things, compared with eternal riches, are nothing, though in their
place they are good. You may say, "If we live, we must eat, drink, and
wear clothing;" and, "He that provideth not for his own household, has
denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel;" numberless arguments
of this kind will present themselves to the minds of the people, to
call them away from the line of their duty, when they know it is their
privilege to dedicate themselves, their families, and all they possess
to the Lord. How quick is the enemy, how ready to present something of
an opposite nature to what is right before them! You know the mental
and physical weakness of man, so common to mortality, and which the
enemy is so ready to turn against you, to his own advantage. You think
that your business needs your continual and undivided attention, that
you must attend to this, or to that, before you can dedicate
yourselves and families to the Lord. There may perhaps be some few
here this morning who feel they ought to be plowing, fencing,
building, or attending to some minor affair, and cannot possibly spend
time to remain at the Conference. If you will hearken to the counsel
of your humble servant, you will say to the fields, the flocks, and
the herds, to the gold and the silver, to the goods and chattels, to
the tenements and the possessions, and to all the world—Stand aside,
get away from my thoughts, for I am going up to worship the Lord. Let
it all go by the board, brethren, and who cares? I do not. Your oxen
and horses will not live for ever, they will die occasionally; and
sometimes we are deprived by death of our children, and other members
of our families. I say, let the dead bury the dead, let the corn and
the wheat, and all other things, take care of themselves, but let us
dedicate ourselves, our families, our substance, our time, our
talents, and everything we have upon the face of this world, with all
that will hereafter be entrusted to us, to the Lord our God; let the
whole be devoted to the building up of His kingdom upon the earth, and
whether you are called hero or there, it makes no matter; but this
morning let every heart be humble, watchful, and prayerful, dedicating
themselves unto the Lord.

Vol. 1, p.200
This people have passed through scenes of deep sorrow and affliction,
but they are now in comfortable circumstances. They have been
miserably poor, but they are now. I may say, in comparative wealth. We
have been sick, now we are well. We have been tormented, now we are
comforted. We have been afflicted by our enemies, but we are now far
from them. You pause, and ask, how long will it he so? I answer, so
long as you and I serve the Lord with all our hearts, just so long
shall we be free from our enemies.

Vol. 1, p.200
We have now a comfortable habitation to meet in, and we enjoy the
privilege of assembling here in peace. How has it been in by-gone
years? Look back six, seven, eight, ten, or twelve years ago, or to
the year 1830, when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
was organized with sir members—which is twenty-two years ago this day,
and can you tell me of a year, of six months, or of three months that
Joseph was not hunted like the deer upon the mountains, by sheriffs
with writs in their hands to drag him from us to prison; when he and
his brethren were not menaced with bloodthirsty mobs, until this
people assembled in the peaceful valleys of the mountains? Who
troubles them now? No person who fears God, who serves the King, the
Lord of Hosts; and none who are willing to love our Father in heaven
supremely—above all things else upon the face of this earth, or in
eternity, will be found [p.201] persecuting even an idolater, to say
nothing of the Saints of the Most High.

Vol. 1, p.201
Let us now seek with greater diligence to build up the kingdom of
heaven, and establish righteousness; seek to magnify the Lord God, and
sanctify our own hearts; establish peace on earth, destroy every root
of bitterness from among the people, and cease from this moment to
find fault with any brother or sister, even though they do wrong, for
the Lord will apply the chastening rod to them if they need it. We
serve our children so; if we consider they need chastening, we
chastise them, but we do not thereby hate them. If it is necessary, we
will correct their faults. But should we contend with them? By no
means.

Vol. 1, p.201
Are those who have assembled here this morning prepared to make a
covenant with themselves that they will cease from all evil practices,
from all evil speaking, and from all evil thinking, and say from this
very morning, I will never do another evil as long as I live, the Lord
being my helper? I will do all the good I can, and prepare for the
coming of the son of man? To this end I wish we should dedicate our
hearts, our affections, and our whole life to the cause of God on the
earth.

Vol. 1, p.201
I do not feel like preaching a discourse upon any particular subject;
but of urging the necessity of the brethren and sisters absolutely
coming to this determination this morning, and dedicating themselves
and all they have to the Lord from this time henceforth. Can we come
to this conclusion, to firmly, faithfully, and unitedly enter into a
covenant with ourselves, saying, I am for the Lord and none else; from
this time henceforth, I will do the will of my Father who is in the
heavens, who has called me to minister the fulness of the Gospel, and
to share the glory that is prepared for the righteous: I will be like
clay in the hands of the potter, that He may mould and fashion me as
seemeth Him good; and if He will make known to me His will, mine shall
bow to it, my affections shall be placed upon eternal things, and
shall not rest upon the fading, transitory objects of time and sense?
Can we make this covenant with ourselves this morning. Not only to say
we dedicate this house and ourselves, our flocks, herds, families, and
possessions, to the Lord, but actually perform the work, dedicating
our affections to His service. If our affections are won and wholly
dedicated to His cause, we have then obtained the victory.

Vol. 1, p.201
Perhaps we may find one here and there who will say, "I cannot do
this, I may say it with my lips, but to feel it in my heart, the case
is hard; I am poor and needy, and desire to go to the gold mines to
obtain something to help myself, by speculating upon the Gentiles, and
thus get me a good farm and team, with which to get out of this
thraldom and difficulty; my mine is so perplexed, I cannot say my
affections are fully dedicated to the Lord my God." What is to be done
in such a case? I know what I would do, for I have experience in these
matters—I would call upon the Bishop, and make known to him my
distress. There are many who in these words complain, and say they are
so poor they cannot pay their tithing; say they, "I have only got
three horses and two yoke of cattle and about fifty sheep; I want one
horse to ride, and the others to haul wood, I therefore do not know
how I can possibly pay my tithing." While on the other hand, others
who have only got half a dozen chickens can willingly pay their
tithing. You may say, "It is easier for them to pay tithing than for
those who possess so much, for they are so very poor, it does not
infringe upon other matters." Now if I had but one cow, and felt thus,
I would give her away forthwith. If you have only six [p.202] horses
and ten yoke of cattle, or only one cow, and you are too poor to pay
your tithing, give the whole into the public works. I speak thus to
those who are inclined to love the substance of this world better than
the Lord. If you have gold and silver, let it not come between you and
your duty. I will tell you what to do in order to gain your
exaltation, the which you cannot obtain except you take this course.
If your affections are placed upon anything so as to hinder you in the
least from dedicating them to the Lord, make a dedication of that
thing in the first place, that the dedication of the whole may be
complete.

Vol. 1, p.202
What hinders this people from being as holy as the Church of Enoch? I
can tell you the reason in a few words. It is because you will not
cultivate the disposition to be so—this comprehends the whole. If my
heart is not fully given up to this work, I will give my time, my
talents, my hands, and my possessions to it, until my heart consents
to be subject; I will make my hands labour in the cause of God until
my heart bows in submission to it.

Vol. 1, p.202
I might here use a just and true comparison which will apply to the
Church. The rulers of Great Britain have tried to make every
capitalist identify his interest with the Government-that has
sustained the kingdom, and is like a powerful network around the
whole. Apply this comparison to the kingdom of God on earth.

Vol. 1, p.202
Brethren, do you wish this heavenly government to stand? There is no
government more beautiful, no confederacy more powerful! What shall we
do to accomplish this? Imitate the policy of that earthly kingdom,
identify our interest with the kingdom of God, so that if our hearts
should ever become weaned from loyalty to the sovereign, all our
earthly interest is bound up there, and cannot be taken away. We must
therefore sustain the kingdom in order to sustain our lives and
interests; by so doing we shall receive the Spirit of the Lord, and
ultimately work with all our hearts.

Vol. 1, p.202
This is a policy which I have not reflected upon until this morning,
but before we get through with the Conference, I shall, perhaps, see
it entered into, not as the result of any premeditation in the least,
but when the condition of our temporal affairs is read from the stand,
you will find the Church in considerable indebtedness. If any man is
in darkness through the deceitfulness of riches, it is good policy for
him to bind up his wealth in this Church, so that he cannot command it
again, and he will be apt to cleave to the kingdom. If a man has the
purse in his pocket, and he apostatizes, he takes it with him; but if
his worldly interest is firmly united to the Kingdom of God, when he
arises to go away, he finds the calf is bound, and, like the cow, he
is unwilling to forsake it. If his calf is bound up here, he will be
inclined to stay; all his interest is here, and very likely the Lord
will open his eyes, so that he will properly understand his true
situation, and his heart will chime in with the will of his God in a
very short time. Were we to dedicate our moral and intellectual
influence, and our earthly wealth to the Lord, our hearts would be
very likely to applaud our acts. This reasoning is for those who do
not feel exactly to subscribe to all that has been said this morning,
with regard to dedicating ourselves to the cause of truth. This is
what you must do to obtain an exaltation. The Lord must be first and
foremost in our affections, the building up of His kingdom demands our
first consideration.

Vol. 1, p.202
The Lord God Almighty has set up a kingdom that will sway the sceptre
of power and authority over all the kingdoms of the world, and will
never be destroyed, it is the kingdom  that [p.203] Daniel saw and
wrote of. It may be considered treason to say that the kingdom which
that Prophet foretold is actually set up; that we cannot help, but we
know it is so, and call upon the nations to believe our testimony. The
kingdom will continue to increase, to grow, to spread and prosper more
and more. Every time its enemies undertake to overthrow it, it will
become more extensive and powerful; instead of its decreasing, it will
continue to increase, it will spread the more, become more wonderful
and conspicuous to the nations, until it fills the whole earth. If
such is your wish, identify your own individual interest in it, and
tie yourselves thereto by every means in your power. Let every man and
every woman do this, and then be willing to make every sacrifice the
Lord may require; and when they have bound up their affections, time,
and talents, with all they have, to the interest of the kingdom, then
have they gained the victory, and their work is complete, so far as
they understand.

Vol. 1, p.203
If this people would take that course, what hinders their being in the
Millennium? If I were to ask what the Millennium—the Latter-day glory
so often spoken of, is, I should find numerous opinions among this
people, and many in and out of this congregation. I have learned long
ago that the thoughts and expressions of men are very diversified; if,
indeed, their thoughts or ideas are similar, I know their words differ
widely; so should I find a great many different opinions among this
people, with regard to the real essence and effect of the Millennium.
The Millennium consists in this—every heart in the Church and Kingdom
of God being united in one; the Kingdom increasing to the overcoming
of everything opposed to the economy of heaven, and Satan. being
bound, and having a seal set upon him. All things else will be as they
are now, we shall eat, drink, and wear clothing. Let the people be
holy, and the earth under their feet will be holy. Let the people be
holy, slid filled with the Spirit of God, and every animal and
creeping thing will be filled with peace; the soil of the earth will
bring forth in its strength, and the fruits thereof will be meat for
man. The more purity that exists, the less is the strife; the more
kind we are to our animals, the more will peace increase, and the
savage nature of the brute creation vanish away. If the people will
not serve the devil another moment whilst they live, if this
congregation is possessed of that spirit and resolution, here in this
house is the Millennium. Let the inhabitants of this city be possessed
of that spirit, let the people of the territory be possessed of that
spirit, and here is the Millennium. Let the whole people of the United
States be possessed of that spirit, and here is the Millennium, and so
will it spread over all the world.

Vol. 1, p.203
Let us cease from all evil, and do all the good we can to the nations
abroad, and by and by the vail of the covering will be taken from the
earth, and the inhabitants see as they are seen.

Vol. 1, p.203
May the Almighty Father of heaven and earth bless you, and I bless
you. in His name, and pray that we may be diligent in every good word
and work before the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. [p.204]

Heber C. Kimball, October 8, 1852

Blessings of Faithfulness—Education of Children—
President Brigham Young—the Clay and the Potter

An Address Delivered By President Heber C. Kimball,
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 8, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.204
Brother John Young said he felt as though he wanted to talk; I told
him to open his mouth wide, and he would be very apt to pour out
something. What he has said, and what President Young has said before
him, to-day, is verily true. I felt a flow of good feelings while he
was speaking, and this I feel. all the time while sitting under such
teachings. The ideas advanced are so plain and simple, it seems to me
as though every person possessing a sane mind, when they leave this
house, or when they go home from this Conference, will do right, will
determine in their hearts to do as they are instructed. If they will
do this, it is well with them.

Vol. 1, p.204
There are a great many who have the idea, that the time will come when
we shall be broken up as a people. Do I fear any such thing? No, I do
not fear any thing. I fear nothing that is in heaven, or that is upon
the earth. I do not fear hell nor its combinations; neither hell, nor
the devil, nor any of his angels, has power ever me, or over you, only
as we permit them to have. If we permit the devil to have power over
us, and we are seduced by him, and we crouch down under his power,
then he will have dominion over us. Upon the same principle, we let
sin have power over us, but it has no power over us unless we subject
ourselves to it.

Vol. 1, p.204
I think and reflect much upon these principles, and I wish to God,
that you, my brethren, the Elders of Israel, when you go home from
this place, would treasure up the counsel that you have received, that
you would nourish and cherish it in your hearts, then you never would
be unfruitful nor walk in darkness, nor be left to murmur, complain,
and find fault.

Vol. 1, p.204
When I proposed to the brethren of the complaining class, that they be
organized into a building committee, I wish you to understand, that I
had not heard any one murmur, but I heard there were some. I was
rather inclined, however, to believe that those who told it were the
ones that murmured, but they wanted to throw it off from their own
shoulders, and make it out that somebody else was complaining. I do
not believe you were, brethren. I do not believe we can raise material
enough to organize a company of such characters. I do not believe you
are going to murmur, but I believe you will go to and do as you have
been told. I want you to do so, I know the blessings you will obtain
in so doing.

Vol. 1, p.204
Go and take up some good farms, but do not take up too much, as a
great many in this place have done, they have taken up from one
hundred to one hundred and fifty acres, and  have then undertaken to
put in 50 acres of wheat, when they could net [p.205] attend to the
half of it. Be cautious in this matter, put in no more seed than you
can manage, and improve all the land you do take in, and be faithful
to God, and I know that He will bless the land for your sakes, and He
will bless you abundantly, and He will bless your increase, and He
will bless your wheat, and your corn, and every thing that pertains to
you.

Vol. 1, p.205
I have spoken about these things malay times. There is nothing
impossible with God, but Itc will not do any thing that is contrary to
His law, and that is not according to his designs. I have said, many
times, if you only have faith, and listen, and put works with your
faith, doing as you are told, it is not impossible for a hen to lay
two eggs per day. To prove this, I have sheep in this valley, and so
have other people, that have had four lambs this year, and we have
over thirty lambs now of the second crop. I have seldom heard of such
a thing in my life. This is quite a testimony to bear, but I can prove
it to be true, now, on the spot, if it is necessary. The sheep have
brought forth the second crop of lambs. That is a great curiosity, but
it is true, and has taken place here under our immediate notice, and
some of the sheep that have been so prolific belong to me.

Vol. 1, p.205
This is not contrary to my faith; we are the children of Israel, and
it is for us to be faithful, and listen to the will of heaven, and to
the man that presides over us, and to his associates, for they will
not teach you anything only what he sanctions; you need not be afraid,
for if I should teach wrong doctrine or principle, here is the
authority to correct me, that this people may have correct views.
Well, inasmuch as we are the children of Israel, we are bound to
prosper, if we continue in the goodness of God, and I walk in His
precepts; if we do not, it will be with us as it was with the children
of Israel of old, our burdens will become hard to bear; but I believe
ourselves, our flocks, our herds, our crops, and every thing that
pertains to the earth which we inhabit, will greatly multiply and
increase. These are my feelings, and this is my faith all the time—I
have no other.

Vol. 1, p.205
We should teach our children righteousness, if we would raise them up
in the way of the Lord, as it is spoken in the Book of Mormon. Let
mothers teach their children as they were taught then. Three thousand
of those men are worth more than one hundred thousand not raised as
they were. They had faith that they should never fall in battle,
because their mothers taught them so. Although there was much of their
blood shed, yet not one of them fell. That was the result of proper
instructions being given them by their mothers. Mothers, I wish you
would wake up and act in your office and calling, as well as the
brethren. It is their calling to go and preach the Gospel, build up
the kingdom of God, and establish righteousness, and it is for you to
be stewards at home, and attend to the things that they leave behind,
and to get windom and knowledge in all these things pertaining to your
duty.

Vol. 1, p.205
When I heard brother Brigham preaching hero to-day, and laying things
of worth before us, I felt greatly to rejoice, and I believe you felt
as I did, and as though they never would be eradicated from your
minds, but that you would treasure them up in your hearts. We have not
a great while to stay on the earth, if we live to the full age of man.
We must all die, sooner or later, as it regards our earthly
tabernacles, but our spirits will continue to live for ever. If they
go to a state of happiness, they will be happy; and if they go to a
state of misery, they will be miserable. You all know this as well as
I do, then why do you not live accordingly? I presume you will.

Vol. 1, p.206
[p.206] A great many things of this kind have been laid before the
brethren who have come from England, and from the States, and from
different nations of the earth. They will hear many more things taught
here in addition to what they have heard in Old England. They could
hear nothing there, except the first principles of the doctrine of
Christ; but since they have come here it is all let out, that is, a
great many things; the bird is let out of the cage, and they have it
before them to read and reflect upon; it is the truth, it is the word
of God, and the revelations of Jesus Christ, which were revealed to
brother Joseph and others.

Vol. 1, p.206
As to the power and authority invested in brother Brigham, do I doubt
it? Have I the least hesitation as to his calling as the President of
this Church? No, no more than I have that God sits upon His throne. He
has the same authority that brother Joseph had. That authority was in
the Twelve, and since brother Joseph stepped behind the vail, brother
Brigham is his lawful successor. I bear testimony of what brother
Joseph said on the stand at Nauvoo, and I presume hundreds here can
bear witness of the same. Said he, "These men that are set here behind
me on this stand, I have conferred upon them all the power,
Priesthood, and authority that God ever conferred upon me." There are
hundreds present this day who heard him utter words to that effect,
more than once.

Vol. 1, p.206
The Twelve had then received their endowments. Brother Joseph gave
them the endowments, and keys and power were placed upon them by him,
even as they were placed upon him by Peter, James, and John, who
ordained him. That is true, gentlemen, because they held the
Apostleship last, and had authority to confer it upon him, or any whom
the Father had chosen. Brother Joseph called and ordained the Twelve
Apostles of the last days, and placed that power upon them. Five of
those men who received that authority from under his hands are now
living. Have I any doubt? Why, no. I know all about it, I am a witness
of this Gospel, of the order and power of the Priesthood, and of the
organization of this Church from the beginning. I glory in it, I glory
in this Gospel, I know it is like a root out of the dry ground, it
neither has form nor comeliness to this world, it is against them
every way, and they will run against it and snag themselves. You know
a root out of dry ground has many snags or sharp points to it, and
they stick out many ways; so the people run against a snag when they
run against this work, or against the servants of the Most High. I
know, as well as I know that I live, that every man that fights
against it will be damned. I know it, and am bearing testimony to what
I know, gentlemen, and you may know it just as well as I do. This
Gospel, this kingdom, this Church, and this people, are the pride of
my heart, I have no pride in anything else. I have pride to see this
work roll forth, and turn over the kingdoms, and break in pieces the
nations of the earth. I know that every man and woman, every nation
and king that oppose it, will wither like a limb that is severed from
a tree.

Vol. 1, p.206
Now there are a great many people that have broken off from this
Church, we will not mention names, but have they not withered? Yes,
and so will you if you turn away from it, and if you refuse to obey
the counsel that is given to you, you will wither away like a limb
that is cut off from an apple tree, or the grass that is mown down
when the sun strikes it. We are the people of God, and we cannot
prosper upon any other principle than to cleave together, to cleave to
His [p.207] work, to amalgamate our feelings in one, and nourish the
all-powerful principle of union, all feeling a general interest for
the public welfare.

Vol. 1, p.207
As President Young has said, this is the household of faith, this is
his house, and this is his people, and he is our leader, our Governor,
he is our Prophet, and he is our Priest. As I have said in other
places and in other meetings, when speaking to the Elders, when they
are sent from this place, they are sent forth by the shepherd that God
has stationed here; he is the head shepherd that is visible on earth,
under the direction of Joseph, and he sends forth the Elders as
shepherds to gather up the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and
bring them home to put them into the fold. I have said that you have
no business to maize a selection of any of these sheep, or to make a
choice of them, or make any covenant with them, until they are brought
home and placed in the fold, and then if you want a sheep or two, ask
the shepherd for them, and if you choose a sheep without taking this
course you will get your fingers burnt. Why? Because they are his
sheep—mark it. How would you like it, were I to go and take one of
your sheep without permission, would you ever think of such a thing?
One is just as right as the other. You will learn these things by and
by. I would rather have my head laid upon a block, and severed from my
shoulders, than ever make a proposal to any woman living upon the
earth and marry her, unless I had permission from the chief shepherd.
That tells it. I do not know that you can all understand me, but those
who have their eyes open understand it. I only hint at these things,
that you may be careful of the course you take.

Vol. 1, p.207
Well, then, he that will not provide for his own household is worse
than an infidel, and hath denied the faith. If this is brother
Brigham's household, I belong to him, and it is my household. Well,
then, provide for it, provide for Israel first, and when they have got
enough, then let others have it. Do not let others have the bread
until Israel, the household of faith, are provided for. Do you
understand it, brethren? If you do, say aye. [Aye.] All say aye for
Israel.

Vol. 1, p.207
Now we are going to stick together. Those that have come in here are
like clay brought from different parts of the earth—it is taken out of
the bank and thrown into the mill, and the mill has been grinding it
until it has become pliable and passive; then we send out the Elders
to bring in a fresh supply of new clay, and it is thrown into the
mill, where it has to become passive, and thus the mill keeps grinding
and grinding, and mixing that which is thrown into it. As soon as you
are passive others come in.

Vol. 1, p.207
It keeps us thrashing all the time. The reapers go forth, and bind up
the wheat and draw it in, and thus we keep throwing in new wheat all
the time, and we shall never get the Hoer empty, but we must thrash
and thrash until we are worn out, and others will come up and continue
it. Did you ever see them thrash in country towns in England? It is
something like that. We are passing through the mill, and we have got
to be thrashed and cleaned up, and the chaff has to be separated from
the wheat in passing it through the farmers. There are three ends to
this mill in the mountains. where the chaff goes out. Brother Brigham
does not grind any in his mill, without first passing it through the
smut machine; so we have got to pass through the smut mill, before we
are fit to be thrown into the hopper to be ground.

Vol. 1, p.207
We must be passive as clay in the hands of the potter. The potter
takes the passive clay, and moulds it into [p.208] numerous shapes; he
can make it into a milk pan, or into a crock, or into a cup, or a jug,
and from that into ten thousand shapes; he does everything according
to his own pleasure, and as the Master Potter has told him to shape
it. If the Master gives him a pattern, he must mould according to that
pattern; it would make him busy indeed if he were to work according to
every pattern. We must work according to the Master's pattern. If we
take this course there will be no trouble. Go forth, then, upon your
farms, sow your grain, and when you get your sheep, they will have two
litters a year, but if you do not do right you shall have none. [Does
not God love to bless those who appreciate His blessings? Yes, just as
much as a kind father loves to bless his son. Our Father in heaven is
much more willing to bless us than we are to bless each other.

Vol. 1, p.208
Let us remember these things in which we have been instructed. And let
us take hold of that wall when the Conference is over, and put it
round this block this winter, so that next spring we may fill it up
with shrubbery of all kinds, and decorate it, and prepare it for
future purposes. And let us build up a temple with diligent hands. I
have helped to build up two temples, and have had my endowments in
them, and in other places; but to have an endowment that is proper and
consistent, is to have it in a temple that has been built and
consecrated to that purpose. Now go to, and get your farms, and bring
in the first fruits of the earth, the first things you raise; bring
them in here and commit them into the hands of the Bishops. Remember
that, and you shall have an endowment, and shall be greatly blessed
with that blessing you have not room to contain, if you only
appreciate it We want these things to roll on, God's work to prosper,
trod His kingdom to be built up, and the work of God to spread to all
the nations of the earth.

Vol. 1, p.208
Do I fear the world? I do not fear them, I never did fear them, and I
have seen enough of their stuff. I have been driven with the rest of
my brethren from the United States and from my native home, but what
do I care for it? My kindred are there, but they do not believe the
Gospel, nor the revelations of Jesus Christ; they believe in the
spiritual knocking, and nearly all the world are going into it, and
receiving revelations for themselves from the regions of despair. It
used to be with them, "Old Joe Smith, an old gold digger," but all are
digging gold now, and all are getting revelations, but they did not
believe a word from him. He was a Prophet of God, and they cannot help
themselves. They slew him, and that nation has got to smart for it,
and it will be as much as the Saints can do to gather out of it. If
they stay there, they will not gather from there; it is necessary to
gather the wheat, and put it into the barn; if it is left out, the
storms will come and actually waste or destroy it.

Vol. 1, p.208
Let us be stirring and moving the principles of life and salvation
forward in every rightful and possible way. I do not care what I am
told to do, if it were to take an adobie and turn it over 500 times a
day; if I am doing the will of God, if I am doing the will of him who
sent the to do it, it is none of my business nor yours. It is for us
to do that which we are told to do. You need not trouble yourselves
about brother Brigham, nor about brother Heber, nor about the Twelve;
brother Brigham will attend to them, and then, if they live faithful,
will judge you and your children, and the nations of the earth, and
those that are dead. Don't you judge those men—that is for brother
Brigham to do; if we need thrashing, he is capable of thrashing us, it
is none of [p.209] your business; and we will sit down and bear it
like good fellows, and not move our tongue; if it should move, we will
take it between our teeth, and give it a nip, and say, "Stay there,
you little fellow." As for the Twelve, and brother Brigham, and
brother Willard, they are all men of God; and there never were better
men than the Twelve that live in these last days—better men never
lived. [A voice in the stand, "True."] It is true, and I know it.
Every soul of them can be prepared in two days to go to the nations of
the earth, if we say so. You have got to be so too, brethren and
sisters; you have got to learn to be subject to the Priesthood, as
well as these brethren, and your children must learn the same lesson,
and then you will be moulded into vessels of honor, but you cannot be
moulded into vessels of honor except you be subject. You potters know
it, if you have worked at the potter's business as I have.

Vol. 1, p.209
I love to talk about these things. I love the Saints, they are the
pride of my heart. As for the world; its gold or silver, or any thing
that pertains to it, my heart is not upon it, but upon this Church and
kingdom, and it never will be overcome, worlds without end. [A voice
in the stand, "Amen."] Although we may be scattered to the four
quarters of the earth, we will gather again, never to be removed any
more, henceforth and for ever. Amen.

Brigham Young, October 9, 1852

Management of the Kanyons—Paying Debts—
Keeping Stores—Material for the Temple.

An Address Delivered By President Brigham Young 
at the General Conference in the Tabernacle,
Great Salt Lake City, Oct. 9, 1862.

Vol. 1, p.209
There is a matter of temporal business that I wish to lay before this
Conference, and I embrace the present opportunity to do so. I have not
very acute feelings upon the matter, but I have frequently known cases
of difficulty and dissatisfaction come before me, which were
calculated to annoy my feelings, and the feelings of this people. I
feel very acutely, very exquisitely, upon certain subjects pertaining
to their history, but on the present occasion I am quite careless and
indifferent as to the subject I now propose to lay before the
Conference. If we could obtain a hearing of all the male members of
this community, or in other words, get all the inhabitants of these
valleys together, that portion of them that can hear and understand,
it would be better; but seeing that this cannot be done, we shall have
to content ourselves by laying before this Conference the matter,
pertaining practically to the actions of men, that we now wish to
present. It is concerning the kanyons, the wood, the timber, or
whatever the kanyons situated near these valleys produce.

Vol. 1, p.209
Wood seems to be the first and most prominent product of the kanyons.
The situation of them is too [p.210] well known to make it necessary
for me to offer a description. I believe that there are some acts
performed in these kanyons, of which the actors are ashamed, and they
would rather I would pass over these points, and the hard words they
have made use of; they would much rather have them forgotten by all
who have a knowledge of what they have done and said in the kanyons.

Vol. 1, p.210
There are a great many whose experience exceeds the experience of
brother Hyde in this matter. His short experience, he says, teaches
him, that if he had the power in his hands, he would decree that all
men who go into the kanyons for wood and timber should be saved. This
may be the mind of others, and to them it may serve as an excuse for
outraging the principles of righteousness, but to another class of men
it would be no excuse at all. I believe it would be just as necessary
for the boys, when they have mounted their sleds on the top of the
hill, to curse, and swear, and fight, and quarrel, while they are
riding down with all ease, and without any trouble, as it would be to
curse, swear, and fight while drawing their sleds up the hill to enjoy
another ride. You know, boys enjoy themselves very well while their
sleds are travelling clown the hill at a great speed; it is hurrah
with them, and all is right; but in dragging their sleds up the hill,
they fall down sometimes, and bump their heads, and bruise their knees
against the hard snow, and they have no sooner recovered their
foot-hold than down they go again, and so they get into confusion. Now
it appears to me to be just as necessary for them to quarrel in riding
down the hill, as it is for them to quarrel in drawing their sleds up
the hill, as for any good it accomplishes in either case.

Vol. 1, p.210
It is an up hill business to go into these kanyons and get wood, to
say the least of it. If I am able to; present what I would like to
present, and what I have previously had in my mind, and exhibit it in
a few words, and in its true colors, I believe an expression upon it
kern this Conference will have a salutary influence upon the
community; that is my opinion, and the reason why I now present the
subject before you. I will call upon my brethren who sit here, to let
their past experience answer a question, or perhaps more than one. Are
you not dissatisfied, and is there not bitterness in your feelings,
the moment you find a kanyon put in the possession of an individual,
and power given unto him to control the timber, wood, rock, grass,
and, in short, all its facilities? Does there not something start up
in your breast, that causes you to feel very uncomfortable? You may be
ready on the right and on the left to say, "No, I am not aware that it
affects me any." This may be the case with a few, but while we find
one here and another there of that class, do we not find multitudes of
the other class that would be very irritable upon that subject—a
fac-simile of a roily fountain much disturbed, or like the troubled
sea that casts up mire and dirt? Why I judge the matter in this light
is because of what I have learned previously to this day, concerning
the real feelings of the majority of the people touching this matter.
There were a few instances, some two or three years ago, of the
legislative council assigning kanyons to individuals. Now it is in the
hands of county officers to dispose of such matters. Are the people
satisfied with these assignments? They are not. Could they be
satisfied were they placed under different circumstances in relation
to this matter? They could. Have we power as a people to introduce an
order of things that will give general satisfaction? I will say, that
it depends altogether upon circumstances. It can or it [p.211] cannot
be done, just as the people·please.

Vol. 1, p.211
I will relate a few circumstances or incidents that have taken place
here, but I will not name particular places, nor individuals. Mr. B.
goes into the kanyons, without any leave or licence, and without even
asking for a grant; he makes his way up a kanyon, and finds, on each
side of him, both fire-wood and fence poles. He climbs the mountain,
for two or three miles, works a road, and gets to the timber, poles,
and wood, at an expense of from one to five hundred dollars. He
commences to get out poles, and keeps his men and teams laboring there
from day to day. Now how long will he remain there before news will
come into the city, that Mr. B. is getting timber and poles at such a
point, and that it is a most excellent chance there? Well, some of the
citizens will say," Has brother B. worked a road up there?" "Yes."
"Can we get up with a team?" "Yes." "Then let us go and get some wood
and poles." How long would it be before the eyes of a portion of the
community would be turned directly to that spot? How long would it be
before they would go to the very place where brother B.'s road
branches off from the main road, and go up the mountain, (of course
they could see no other track than where Mr. B. was getting out his
wood,) and get poles, wood, and timber? They would not Stop to look on
the mountains around them, and make new roads for themselves. No, they
can only get wood, poles, and timber where brother B. is getting them,
after he has been at the trouble and expense of making a road. When
they find brother B. there, he says, "You cannot come into this
kanyon, for I have worked the road myself, to facilitate the getting
of my wood and poles here." Another person comes along with twenty or
thirty wagons. Mr. B. says to him, "Look yonder, there is plenty of
timber, and as easy to get at as this that I call my own." Friend H.
replies, "But I will be damned if I don't get wood where you get it."
Mr. B. says, "And I'll be damned if you do go there." This is the
language of men who sit here before me to-day, and so near me that I
could put my hand upon them. They go up in the kanyon, and there
quarrel with each other. Let friend S. once pass by the road that Mr.
B. has made, and he may go on up the kanyon ten miles, surrounded with
wood, and not get a stick of timber, for he and friend H., with his
train, and others, never can see and understand how they can get poles
in any other place than where friend B. has made a good road leading
to where he gets his. Is this so? You Elders of Israel will go into
the kanyons, and curse and swear—damn, and curse your oxen, and swear
by Him who created you! I am telling the truth. Yes, you will rip, and
curse, and swear, as bad as any pirates ever did.

Vol. 1, p.211
Suppose these characters do as the old quaker did when he whipped the
man: he took off his coat, and said, "Religion, do thou lie there,
until I whip this man." The boys, or many of them, who go into the
kanyons with wagons and teams, do the same: they lay down their
religion at the mouth of the kanyon, saying," Thou lie there, until I
go for my lead of wood." I expect, in all probability, it was the case
with Elder Hyde, for he never would have thought that he ought to be
saved for going into the kanyon once, if he had had his religion along
with him.

Vol. 1, p.211
I do not wish to say much upon this subject, I am not spirited in it,
nor do I care much about it. I want to show to this community a plan
by which these matters of business  transactions can be brought to
some kind of a system, to the better [p.212] accommodation of the
public. We will suppose, when strangers come to these valleys, that
they find land offices, kanyon offices, timber offices, &c. They
enter, and walk up before the clerk in the office, and inquire what
facilities there are to get a living here. Out steps the landlord .and
says, "This valley and all the kanyons belong to old General Harris,
and to his heirs after him. That valley over yonder—Utah Valley,
belongs to old General Wolf's heirs; and there's another valley, that
belongs to another man; and I am here as the guardian of these heirs
to all this property, I am here to dispose of it." "We want to settle
here," say the people, "can we get any land?" "O yes," the landlord
replies, "lift up your eyes to the right, and to the left—do you see
the grass?" "Yes." "Do you see the lovely streams that gush from the
mountains?" "Yes." "Do you see this vast prairie before you?" "Yes."
"Look at the soil, it is rich and productive. We do not have winters
here, as you do in the eastern countries, but your cattle can feed in
these mountain valleys both winter and summer." The landlord says
again, "Lift up your eyes and look: this wood, land, and the grass
that you see growing, and all these valleys, with all they contain,
you are freely welcome to; go now, lay out your city plots and your
farms, dig your ditches, and turn the streams whithersoever you will,
for to all this you are welcome." Would they not think he was one of
the finest men that ever was? Would they not love such a landlord? The
people inquire again, "What chance is there here for getting wood?"
"O," says he, "that is another thing, I will talk to you about that."
"We wish to know if we can get wood here to burn, to cook our food
with, and to keep our houses warm; and upon what terms?" Says the
landlord, "My hired servants are up in the Redbute Kanyon, or they may
be in Kanyon Creek Kanyon, or over in the west mountains; I have got
servants, and plenty of wood, this you can have on certain
conditions." "What are your conditions, good landlord?" "These are my
conditions—you must take your teams into Redbute, where you will find
a gate, and a man living there, to him you will have to pay 25 cents
for getting a lead of wood." "But how is the road after you get
through the gate?" "O, it is a good road, and the wood, timber, rock,
and every thing else are first rate; and now you go and get a cord of
good wood for 25 cents. Or you may go to the west mountains, there the
kanyons are all prepared for you, the roads are made, and I keep men
there to see that they are kept in good repair, and all you have got
to do is to pay 25 cents for the use of the road." What would be the
feelings of this people under such circumstances? Do you suppose they
would feel as those do that have kept up a continual quarrelling,
murmuring, and bickering, and have given way to wickedness? The
kanyons are precisely in the position I present them to you in this
similitude; and you murmur at the council, at the legislative
assembly, at the county court, and at every body that wants to make
these kanyons convenient and passable to the community.

Vol. 1, p.212
Again, I ask the question, what would be the feelings of this people,
supposing they had come to these valleys under such circumstances?
"The valleys, the grass, the soil, the water, and all the advantages
you are welcome to, but I shall charge you 25 cents per toad for your
wood." If you won't answer the question, I will for you: every time
you would meet  with that landlord, it would be, "God bless you, you
are the best man on earth;" and you would be ready to lick the dust
off his feet; you would not say "God [p.213] damn you, I will get wood
where I please." I am ashamed to repeat the language that is too often
made use of, but I do it that the community may see how disgraceful it
is, and frown upon every man that will allow himself to be degraded by
the use of such filthy language; it is a disgrace to the wicked, to
say nothing of Saints. Again upon this point, would you not take off
your hats, and say, "Thank you," every time you met that landlord?
Yes, you would, and I know it. Well, supposing the legislative body in
these valleys should say to some man, Take that kanyon, and put a gate
at the mouth of it, and make a good road to the wood and timber, and
to defray the expence of this, lay a tax of 25 cents on every man that
passes through with a team to get wood, timber, or anything else the
kanyon produces—could you bless that legislature, could you greet it
with smiles and thanks, for doing that for this people? Or would you
curse it?

Vol. 1, p.213
If I had time to do so, and if it would be wisdom, I could
demonstrate, by a mathematical calculation, definitely and truly, and
you might take into the calculation Redbute kanyon, and every other
kanyon that the people have been into—I could demonstrate that they
have destroyed more horses, mules, harness, oxen, wagons, chains, and
ox yokes, and other property, in getting out of these kanyons what
they have got, than what would lay a first rate turnpike road in every
direction, as far as they have penetrated these kanyons. Suppose we
have a kanyon here within one mile of us, open to all the people, I
ask where is there a man that would work the road to the wood? He is
not to be found in this community. If it were open and free to all, I
might spend a thousand dollars there, and never get one lead of wood.
I have done just such things myself. I have gone to work and made
roads to get wood, and have not been able to get it. I have cut it
down, and piled it up, and still have not got it. I wonder if anybody
else can say so. Have any of you piled up your wood, and when you have
gone back could not find it? Some stories could be told of this kind,
that would make professional thieves ashamed. It is not all of this
community that possesses such spirits. A flock of sheep consisting of
thousands must be clean indeed if some of them are not smutty. This is
a large flock of sheep that have come up to these mountain valleys,
and some of them have got taglocks hanging about them, or in other
words, there are those that will do what you have heard exhibited to
you to-day.

Vol. 1, p.213
What shall be done with sheep that stink the flock so? We will take
them, I was going to say, and cut off their tails two inches behind
their ears; however, I will use a milder term, and say, cut off their
ears. But instead of doing this, we will try to cleanse them; we will
wash them with soap, that will come well nigh taking off the skin; we
will then apply a little Scotch snuff, and a little tobacco, and wash
them again until we make them clean. That is what I am doing now.
Peradventure we shall find a few such sheep here in the flock, and a
few that have got the itch; these are apt to spread the disease among
those that are clean, for they will run along and rub themselves on
others, until all are smitten with the disorder, and it would be hard
to tell in which it originated.

Vol. 1, p.213
I do not want to destroy the people, I want to wash them, and, if
necessary, apply the Scotch snuff. If this community would let any man
of sense, of calculation, of a good mind and judgment, sit down and
make his calculations, with regard to their getting wood out of these
kanyons, they would see the advantage of taking the [p.214] course the
legislature has marked out, so clearly, that this whole people would
speak out boldly and say, "You men having authority, look up every
kanyon in these valleys, and put them in the possession of individuals
who will make good roads to the timber, that we may get there without
breaking our wagons, or without breaking our limbs, destroying our
property, and endangering our lives." I say, every man of good sense
would exclaim, "Put these kanyons into the hands of individuals, with
this proviso—make good roads, and keep them in good repair."

Vol. 1, p.214
To exhibit it to the people in another point of view. I will suppose a
Gentile owns all these kanyons, Uncle Sam, for instance. He determines
he will work these kanyons himself, work the roads, &c., and draw his
revenue from them by the people's getting their timber—should we not
esteem it a blessing? We should. If it would be a blessing to him, or
to any rich company of speculators, then why would it not be a
blessing to us, to act upon the same principles ourselves? Could you
tell any reason why not?

Vol. 1, p.214
A great many here do not understand certain things that exist; I can
tell you some of them. If any individual will come here and live, and
find out how we do business, learn and understand our business
transactions, he will see that exhibited that will prove to him a
great many things he is not acquainted with. I will take one of the
best individuals we have, and put him into the tithing office, put
another into the stone-cutter's shop, and another in the joiner's
shop, and let them work there one or two years, when the books are
examined they have taken up every farthing of their wages, and many
have contracted considerable debts in that office, some are owing 800,
1000, and some as high as 1500 dollars. Now comes the decision.
Suppose you owe that store across the road there 1500 dollars, would
you try to pay it? Yes, you would lie awake at nights to think how to
pay those merchants that do not belong to the kingdom of God, you
would offer them horses, and wagons, and oxen, to liquidate that debt.
But that man who owes on the tithing books will say, "Just straighten
that up for me, cancel that debt, for I want my name to look as good
on the tithing books as the rest." Would he say this to a Gentile? No,
he would not. We never see such goodness, such kindness, such
benevolence, such philanthropy in the persons who owe the tithing
office anything.

Vol. 1, p.214
Did you ever ask me to liquidate your debts? You may answer the
question for yourselves. I shall not name anybody. But let one of
these merchants ask for the payment of a debt, saying, "I am going
away in September," and you conclude that that debt must be paid—do
you pay it? Yes, you will sell every thing you have on earth, to pay
it. But do you owe the tithing office anything? "O yes, and I am going
to work it off; I know I owe about 1500 dollars. But you know it won't
do to owe the Gentiles anything. Brother Brigham, can't you lend me
some money. to pay a small debt on that store? Can you let me have a
yoke of cattle, my family is suffering for want of wood?" You trace
those cattle, and where are they gone to? Why, to pay the enemies of
this people. You would take out of this Church the last dime of money,
and every ox, and cow, and horse, and hand them all over to our
enemies, and let the Church sink to the nether-most hell, for aught
you care. That is the difficulty that exists here. If I have got your
spectacles, or your shoes, or any other thing of  yours, the common
saying made use of is, "O, never mind, it is all in the family, you
are a brother, it is all right." I am telling you as it is in that
tithing office. What [p.215] did you hear read, last April Conference?
That there were 48000. dollars owing to the tithing office; yet do you
try to pay that debt? No, but the word is, "Brother Brigham, trust me
another thousand;" and you never will pay it on the face of the earth,
and you think me rather hard because I scold you. These are the
difficulties that are here among us.

Vol. 1, p.215
There exists a double spirit, there is a false, hypocritical spirit in
many of the people; it is bred in the flesh, and in the bones, it is
received from their fathers and mothers, a hypocritical pretension to
friendship, when the real thing itself does not exist in them, and
never did; but they are destitute of the true knowledge of the
principles of righteousness. I have frequently thought it was not good
for a man to have around him too many friends. I have said to my
brethren, heretofore, "Don't love me quite so well as to tulle away
all I have got. I want you to love me pretty well, I have plenty of
flour now, and scores and scores of tons I can distribute, but do not
take my soul out of me, do not love me quite to death. I am willing to
be loved sincerely, but covet not that which I possess, under a false
pretension of love to me." There is that spirit among this people, but
it is for want of knowledge, and a proper understanding. Did they
possess these, there would be no difficulty in the case.

Vol. 1, p.215
Now, for instance, a great many inquire, saying, "Why does not our
Church keep a store here?" Many can answer that question, who have
lived here for some years past; and you who make such an inquiry,
would have known the reason, had you also lived here. You that have
lived in Nauvoo, in Missouri, in Kirtland, Ohio, can you assign a
reason why Joseph could not keep a store, and be a merchant? Let me
just give you a few reasons, and there are men here who know how
matters went in those days. Joseph goes to New York and buys 20,000
dollars' worth of goods, comes into Kirtland and commences to trade.
In comes one of the brethren, "Brother Joseph, let me have a frock
pattern for my wife." What if Joseph says, "No, I cannot without the
money." The consequence would be, "He is no Prophet," says James.
Pretty soon Thomas walks in. "Brother Joseph, will you trust me for a
pair of boots?" "No, I cannot let them go without the money." "Well,"
says Thomas, "Brother Joseph is no Prophet; I have found that out, and
I am glad of it." After a while, in comes Bill and sister Susan. Says
Bill, "Brother Joseph, I want a shawl, I have not got the money, but I
wish you to trust me a week or a fortnight." Well, brother Joseph
thinks the others have gone and apostatized, and he don't know but
these goods will make the whole Church do the same, so he lets Bill
have a shawl. Bill walks off with it and meets a brother. "Well," says
he, "what do you think of brother Joseph?" "O he is a first-rate man,
and I fully believe he is a Prophet. See here, he has trusted me this
shawl." Richard says, "I think I will go down and see if he won't
trust me some." In walks Richard, "Brother Joseph, I want to trade
about 20 dollars." "Well," says Joseph, "these goods will make the
people apostatize; so over they go, they are of less value than the
people." Richard gets his goods. Another comes in the same way to make
a trade of 25 dollars, and so it goes. Joseph was a first-rate fellow
with them all the time, provided he never would ask them to pay him.
In this way it is easy for us to trade away a first-rate store of
goods, and be in debit for them.

Vol. 1, p.215
And so you may trace it down through the history of this people. If
any brethren came into the midst of them as merchants, I never know
[p.216] one of them go into their stores and go out again satisfied,
neither did you. If I had 100,000 dollars worth of goods in that
store, owned by myself, or held by a "Mormon" company, in six months
the goods would be gone, and we should not have 100 dollars to pay the
debt. But let an infernal mobocrat come into our midst, though he
brands Joseph Smith with the epithet of "false Prophet," and calls the
"Mormons" a damned set of thieves, and would see all Israel scorching
in Tophet, you would give him the last pioayune you could raise.

Vol. 1, p.216
There is not a man who has been in this community a few years but
knows I am telling the living truth. Do any of you hate me for it? Do
any of you love me for it? It is all the same to me. Do you love the
cause? "Yes," every heart at once responds," "I love the cause, I love
the Lord and my religion." If I would only permit myself to swear, I
would say, What the devil is the reason, then, you don't live
according to it? What keeps you from that? What is the reason you
cannot pay me what you owe me, as well as your enemy. You continue to
trade with the Almighty that way, and it will sink this whole people
down to hell. You trade with the Almighty worse than you do with the
devil. These things exist, and you know it. A man comes into this
Church with a little property, and he must Suffer them to pick him
until he is as blind as brother Leonard is, that sits over there, or
else the people will turn round and curse him, and sink him to the
nethermost hell if possible. They have treated Edwin D. Woolley so,
and others. Can they keep a store among this people? No, they must let
them have the goods, and wait until they can pay them, if they ever do
it at all.

Vol. 1, p.216
They got up a quarrel, about a year ago, and every High Priest and
Elder were going to cut Thomas Williams off from the Church, because
he asked them to pay their just debts. I said to Thomas, "If they do
not pay you as they agreed, arraign them before the High Council; I
will be your lawyer, and they shall be cut off from the Church." They
had got it all cut and dried, that if he asked them to pay him, he
should be cut off from the Church, but I told them that if they did
not live up to their agreement, they should be cut off from the
Church, and then be tried by the law of the land.

Vol. 1, p.216
How has Thomas Williams behaved here? He has paid his tithing, and
done good to this people; he has handed over nails, cotton cloth, and
other necessary articles. When he brings in his goods, he pays his
tithing on them honorably, yet he can be abused; and it is so with
every man who comes into the midst of this people with goods, unless
he pays them out at random to Tom, Dick, and the devil. Latter-day
Saints cannot keep a store of goods, because they will not act as
Latter-day Saints, but they will sustain their enemies. How much do
you suppose you have paid into these Gentile stores within four
months? Can you give a rough guess? I can tell you, if you do not
know, for I know something about it. You have paid to them 300,000
dollars within the last six months. The brethern think that we are
very hard with them if we ask for a little tithing. I wonder if we
have received 30,000 dollars, which we should certainly have received
in silver and gold, if the people had been faithful in paying their
tithing on the money they have spent at these stores; the money has
gone, from time to time, in gold and silver, by box fulls, to the
east. There is not a span of mules that could be found in this valley,
able to draw the money, if it were all in silver, to the  States, that
this people have spent with these merchants within a few months past;
they must therefore do [p.217] business upon the principle of checks;
in any other way it is a burden to them to get it over the plains.
These are the difficulties that work against our living and doing as
we should do.

Vol. 1, p.217
I will now go back, and say to all the inhabitants of these valleys,
if I had the power, and the people were willing to subscribe to that
which would do them good, I would look up all the kanyons containing
wood and other facilities, put gates at the mouths of them, have good
roads worked in them, so as to make the wood and the timber easy of
access, and make the people pay for the roads and the keeping of them
in good repair. If I was a Gentile, and I owned these kanyons, and
should make such a proposition, it would be so that I could hardly get
down to this meeting house without some one crying out, "I move that
we give that gentleman a vote of thanks;" another would second it,
"For that is certainly a Gentile of the first class." [The speaker
made motions, such as bowing and scraping, as the poor serfs of
foreign nations do, who subsist on the patrimony of a titled fellow
mortal.] I make these motions to show this people how disgraceful it
is; it is a disgrace to any community to act as they have done towards
the measures of those who wish to do them good all the day long. If a
Latter-day Saint wants to do good, why not bless him for it. But no,
it is overlooked as a thing of naught. Now, if I do ape out a little
of these feelings here, it is to show you how they look inside. I can
see them in the people, I know what there is in the midst of them, I
know what they have to contend against, and the difficulties and
weaknesses they are subject to; it is the want of true knowledge and a
sound understanding which causes them to act as they do; if it were
not for that, if this people had the knowledge of angels, and then did
as they do, they would be sent to hell before the rising of another
sun; but as they are ignorant, and inasmuch as they desire to do good,
God winks at their foibles, and hopes by it to bless them.

Vol. 1, p.217
Now, I am going to have an expression from this Conference, with
regard to the plan that we, as a community, shall adopt; not as a
county, not as the Legislature of Utah, not as civil and military
officers, but as officers and members of the Church of Jesus Christ Of
Latter-day Saints; and before I take the expression, if there is one
man in this house who feels himself capable of showing a better
method, or of producing a better plan to keep the people from running
over each other, from breaking each other's necks, and the necks of
their horses, I will give him an opportunity of presenting that plan.
In the first place, the feelings of individuals are—what advantage can
I get by introducing this plan? I wish you to remember that all I can
get by it is, to protect you against running over and trying to kill
each other. We do not own the kanyons, but the plan is—let them go
into the hands of individuals who will make them easy of access, by
paying them for their labor. Before I take an expression, I want to
see if there is a man that can rise up and propose a better plan than
I propose, which of course would be to our advantage to adopt in
preference to mine. I have talked long enough upon this matter. The
motion is, that we, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, in the capacity of a General Conference assembled, and
embracing the whole community in the midst of the mountains,
recommend, and give it as our opinion, that the best method of
disposing of the kanyons is to put them in the hands of individuals to
make good roads in them, and obtain their pay by taking tell from
those who use the roads, at a gate erected for that purpose at the
[p.218] mouth of each kanyon. Now, sisters, I want you to vote also,
because women are the characters that rule the ballot box. If you are
in favor of this motion, as Latter-day Saints, signify it by the
uplifted hand. [Unanimous.]

Vol. 1, p.218
Let the judges in the county of Great Salt Lake take due notice, and
govern themselves accordingly. The same thing I say to the judges of
any of the other counties of the territory, Take notice, and govern
yourselves accordingly. Put these kanyons into the hands of
individuals who will make good roads into them, and let them take tell
from the inhabitants that go there for wood, timber, and poles. Now
this is my order for the judges to take due notice of; it does not
come from the Governor, but from the President of the Church; you will
not see any proclamation in the paper to this effect, but it is a mere
declaration of the President of the Conference. Let these things go
out to make the people satisfied, and feel contented to have the
privilege of getting wood without breaking their necks and destroying
their teams.

Vol. 1, p.218
I want to occupy a few moments more, and talk about our contemplated
temple. It has been moved, seconded, and carried by this Conference,
that we build a temple here of the best material that America affords.
If this is done, it will have to be built of platina; and I do not
know that there is any of it to be got in this territory. It is purer,
stronger, and is every way a better metal than pure gold. If we cannot
get the platina, we must build a temple of pure gold; that is here, I
know. But if the Conference want us to build a temple of pure gold,
they will have to put into the tithing stores something besides old
half-dead stinking cows, and old broken-kneed horses; or if they even
put in all the good cattle they possess, will it build a temple of
gold, of silver, or of brass? No, it will not.

Vol. 1, p.218
I am inclined to offer a chemical argument with regard to the material
for building a temple in our present circumstances. The best
materials, I have mentioned, probably. Iron might be better than
stone; the time will come when the Lord will bring for brass gold, for
iron silver, and for stones iron, and for wood brass, to beautify His
sanctuary, and make the place of His feet glorious. That will be, but
it is not now. I thought, when I was at Iron County, and saw the iron
mountains, that the iron was actually come instead of stone.

Vol. 1, p.218
But for the chemical argument touching the material for the building
of a temple in this city. It has been proposed, that we send to San
Pete to get the rock. Some say it will cost too much, others say we
cannot do it, and others say that we can. I, not being a practical
chemist, but only a chemist in theory, shall have to use my own
language, to express my ideas. You may bring the stone from San Pete,
which is a beautiful specimen of reek, and erect a temple here with
it; then you may take this sand stone that is found in abundance in
the Redbute Kanyon, and build a temple of that; then you step over to
the Emigration Kanyon, and get this bastard marble, and build another
of the same dimensions as that you have built of the red sand stone.
Now you have got the San Pete rock temple, the red sand stone temple,
and another built of lime stone, or bastard marble I call it; then,
right beside of that, another one of adobies, mixed with pebbles—take
that clay, and these pebble stones that are so abundant here, and mix
in with them straw, and build another temple of that composition,
besides the three which are built of different kinds of rock, and let
them stand together—which do you think will stand the longest? [p.219]
Being a chemist in theory, I should say, according to my mind, when
the San Pete rock is washed into the Jordan, the other buildings will
still be standing, and be in moderate condition. The red sand stone
will go the next, and the other two still remain, the bastard marble
or lime stone will be in pretty good preservation; and when that is
all decomposed and washed away into the Jordan, you will find that
temple which is built of mud or adobies, as some call them, still
remains, and in better condition than at the first day it was built.

Vol. 1, p.219
You may ask any practical chemist, any man who knows, understands, and
studies the elements, and he will corroborate these statements. This
is a matter I want you to look at, to think and meditate upon. I do
not talk about the expense of the building, and the time it would take
to erect it, but its durability, and which is the best material within
our reach to build it with. If you take this clay, which is to be
found in abundance on these bottom lands, and mix with it these pebble
rocks, and make adobies of the compound, it will petrify in the wall
and become a solid rock in five hundred years, so as to be fit to cut
into millstones to grind flour, while the other materials I have
mentioned will have decomposed, and gone back to their native
elements. I am chemist enough to know that much. My simple philosophy
is this. The elements of which this terra firma is composed, are every
moment either composing or decomposing. They commence to organize or
to compose, and continue to grow until they arrive at their zenith of
perfection, and then they begin to decompose. When you find a rock
that has arrived at its greatest perfection, you may know that the
work of decaying has begun. Let the practical chemist make his
observations upon a portion of the matter of which this earth is
composed; and he will find, that just as quick as it is at its
perfection, that very instant it begins to decompose. We have proof of
this. Go into Egypt, for instance, and you will find the monuments,
towers, and pyramids, that were erected in the days of Joseph, and
before he was sold into Egypt; they were built of what we call
adobies, clay mixed up with straw; these fabrics, which have excited
interest for so many ages, and are the wonder of modern nations, were
built of this raw material. They have bid defiance to the wear of
ages, and they still remain. But you cannot find a stone column that
was reared in those times, for they are all decayed. Hero we have
actual proof that the matter which is the furthest advanced to a state
of perfection, is the first to decompose, and go back into its native
element, at which point it begins to be organized again, it begins to
congeal, petrify, and harden into rock, which grows like a tree, but
not so perceptibly.

Vol. 1, p.219
Gold and silver grow, and so does every other kind of metal, the same
as the hair upon my head, or the wheat in the field; they do not grow
as fast, but they are all the time composing or decomposing. So much,
then, for my views touching the material to be used in building a
Temple upon this block. You may go to San Pete and get stone for it,
and when five hundred yearn have elapsed you will not find a building.
You may build of that red sand stone, and it will live out the San
Pete rock, and the lime stone will out-live that. But when you come to
the adobies, they will out-live either of them, and be five hundred
years better than the day they were first laid. This is a pretty
strong argument in favor of a mud building.

Vol. 1, p.219
How long has the city of Washington been built? What was there before
my father entered into the [p.220] revolutionary war? Where was the
Capitol then? It was in Philadelphia sixty years ago, there was no
such thing as a Capitol in Washington. Let me ask a question—is it
built of rook? I never was there. [Voice, "Yes."] It is built of rock.
The House of Representatives was rebuilt in 1812, not more than forty
years ago. Would any of you that have not been there, suppose that it
would need patching up already to make it comfortable for the
representatives of the nation? This, however, is the case, for within
ten years past eighty thousand tons Of putty have been used to putty
up the places where the stone has decayed by the operation of the
elements, and it has not yet been built forty years. I mention this,
because I wish the Conference to know what they are doing when they
commence to build a temple of stone. As for myself, I know enough
about rock. If a man should undertake to put me up a stone house, I
should wish him to build it of adobies instead, and then I should have
a good house. We are talking about building one for the community, and
I mention this about the Capitol to show you that the rock does not
endure; the moment it becomes as hard as it is ever going to be, that
moment it begins to decay. It may be a slow process in growing, or
decomposing, yet it is doing the one or the other continually.

Vol. 1, p.220
I have my own individual thoughts, of course, and these I express with
regard to the temple. According to my present views, there is not
marble in these mountains, or stone of any kind or quality, that I
would rather have a building made of than adobies. As for the
durability of such a building, the longer it stands the better it
becomes; if it stands ave thousand years, it increases in its strength
until it comes to its highest perfection, before it begins to decay.
What do our "Mormon" boys say about trying to dig into one of those
old Catholic cathedrals that are now standing in California? They say
they might as well have undertaken to dig through the most solid rock
you ever saw, as to dig through those adobie walls. Do you think they
are decaying and falling down? No, they are growing better all the
time, and so it is with the houses we live in. If they have good
foundations, these houses that we live in will be better when they
have stood fifty years than they are at this day. I will not say that
it is so with a stone house, or with a brick house; for when you burn
the clay to make brick, you destroy the life of it, it may last many
years, but if the life is permitted to remain in it, it will last
until it has become rock, and then begin to decay.

Vol. 1, p.220
As for the temple, I will give you the nature of your vote with regard
to it—the sum of it was, that those that dictate the building of it be
left to do with it as they please. They will, anyhow. But I give it as
my opinion that adobies are the best article to build it of. I do not
fear the expense, neither do I care what you build it of; only when it
is built, I want it to stand, and not fall down and decay in twenty or
thirty years, like brother Taylor's one would, that he was giving an
exposition of; "that when we go within the vail into the heavenly
world, we need not be ashamed of it, but when we look down upon it, it
will be of solid rock:" but if it is built of San Pete rock, when he
looks down to see it he will find it aint there, but it is gone,
washed into the Jordan. It cannot remain, it must decay.

Vol. 1, p.220
May the Lord bless you. Amen. [p.221]

John Taylor, April 8, 1853

Legitimacy and Illegitimacy

A Sermon Delivered By Elder John Taylor,
 at the General Conference, in the Tabernacle, 
Great Salt Lake City, April 8, 1858.

Vol. 1, p.221
It rejoices my heart to hear the principles that have been advanced
this day by our President, because they have their foundation in
truth, axe based upon the principles of equity, and are calculated to
promote the happiness, well-being, exaltation, and glory of man, in
time, and throughout all eternity. They lead us back into eternity;
they existed with us there, and in all the various stages of man's
existence they are calculated to elevate and ennoble him, and place
him in a proper position before God, angels, and men. They will put
him in possession of his legitimate right, save him from the grasp of
the adversary, from every subtle stratagem of the powers of darkness,
and place him in his proper station in time and in eternity.

Vol. 1, p.221
I have been much pleased with and edified by the remarks that have
been made upon this stand during the Conference. Wisdom has been
displayed in them; from them the intelligence of heaven has beamed
forth, the mysteries of eternity have been spread before our minds,
and we have had a view of heavenly things, that has filled our hearts
with joy and our mouths with praise. It has made us feel as though we
were upon the threshold of eternity; as though we were eternal beings,
and had to do with eternal things; as though the things of this world
were short, fleeting, and evanescent, not worthy of a thought when
compared with those things that are calculated to exalt and ennoble us
in time and in eternity.

Vol. 1, p.221
The principles of justice, righteousness, and truth, which have an
endless duration, can alone satisfy the capacious desires of the
immortal soul. We may amuse ourselves like children do at play, or
engage in the frivolities of the dance. We may take our little
enjoyments in our Social assemblies, but when the man comes to
reflect, when the Saint of God considers, and the visions of eternity
are open to his view, and the unalterable purposes of God are
developed to his mind—when he contemplates his true position before
God, angels, and men, then he soars above the things of time and
sense, and bursts the cords that bind him to earthly objects; he
contemplates God and his own destiny in the economy of heaven, and
rejoices in a blooming hope of an immortal glory.

Vol. 1, p.221
Such have been some of our feelings, while our minds have been carried
away from the things of earth to contemplate the things with which
eternal beings are associated, and the glories that await us in the
everlasting mansions of the Gods.

Vol. 1, p.221
The principles that we have to do with, then, are eternal, and not
simply to play a game upon the checker of mortality, on which people
can win and lose for the time being. We have to do with that which
shall continue

"While life, and thought, and being last,
Or immortality endures."

We seek not to build our hopes upon things that are evanescent,
fleeting, and transitory.

Vol. 1, p.222
[p.222] It is not he that can play the best game at checkers, that can
take the most advantage of his neighbor, that can grasp the most
earthly good, or that can put himself in possession of anything his
heart desires pertaining to time, that is the most happy; but it is he
who does that which will last, live, and continue to abide with him
while "immortality endures," and still be on the increase worlds
without end.

Vol. 1, p.222
If we can possess principles of this kind, then we are safe,
everything else amounts to an illusion or a delusion, which cannot
satisfy the desires of the mind, but as the Prophet says, it is like a
thirsty man who dreams he is drinking, but when he awakes, he is
faint, and his soul is thirsty; he dreams that he is eating, and when
he awakes his soul is empty. This is the true situation of all marl
who are without God in the world; and nothing but a knowledge of
eternal principles, of eternal laws, of eternal governments, of
eternal justice and equity, and of eternal truth, can put us right,
and satiate the appetite of the immortal soul.

Vol. 1, p.222
If we make not a just estimate of these things, it is in vain that we
attempt to say, "Lord, Lord," because we do not the things which He
says. Every thing associated with the Gospel of salvation is eternal,
for it existed before the "morning stars sang together for joy," or
this world rolled into existence. It existed then, just as it now
exists with us, and it will exist the same when time with us is no
more. It is an eternal principle, and every thing associated with it
is everlasting. It is like the Priesthood of the Son of God, "without
beginning of days or end of years." It lives and abides for ever. If
there is any principle that is not eternal, it is not a principle of
the Gospel of life and salvation.

Vol. 1, p.222
There are many changes and shifting scenes that may influence the
position of mankind, under different circumstances, in this state of
mortality; but they cannot influence or change the Gospel of the Son
of God, or the eternal truths of heaven; they remain unchangeable; as
it is said very properly by the Church of England, in one of their
homilies, "as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
worlds without end." If nothing else they say is true, that is, and I
can say amen to it, with all my heart. All true principles are right,
and if properly understood and appreciated by the human family, to
them they are a fountain of eternal good.

Vol. 1, p.222
The principle of "heirship," which President Young preached about
today, is a principle that is founded on eternal justice, equity, and
truth. It is a principle that emanated from God. As was said by some
of our brethren this morning, there may be circumstances arise in this
world to pervert for a season the order of God, to change the designs
of the Most High, apparently, for the time being, yet they will
ultimately roll back into their proper place—justice will have its
place, and so will mercy, and every man and woman will yet stand in
their true position before God. If we understand ourselves correctly,
we must look upon ourselves as eternal beings, and upon God as our
Father, for we have been taught when we prayed to say, "Our Father,
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." We have fathers in the
flesh, and we do them reverence, how much more shall we be in
subjection to the Father of Spirits and live. I need not enter into
any proof in relation to this; for i it is well understood by the
Saints that God is the Father of our spirits, and that when we go back
into His presence, we shall know Him, as we have known our earthly
parents. We are taught to approach Him as we would an earthly parent,
to ask of Him such blessings as we  need; and [p.223] He has said, If
a son ask bread of his father shall he give him a stone, or if he ask
for fish, a scorpion. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give
His holy Spirit to them that ask Him.

Vol. 1, p.223
We have a Father, then, who is in heaven. He has placed us on this
earth for some purpose. We found ourselves in possession of bodies,
mental faculties, and reasoning powers. In a word, we found ourselves
intelligent beings, with minds capable of recalling the past and
launching into the unborn future with lightning speed; and were it not
for this earthly tabernacle, this tenement of clay, they would soar
aloft and contemplate the unveiled purposes of Jehovah in the mansions
of the redeemed. We found ourselves here with minds capable of all
this and more. God, who has ordained all things from before the
foundation of the world, is our Father. He placed us here to fulfil
His wise and unerring counsels, that we might magnify our calling,
honor our God, obtain an exaltation, and be placed in a more glorious,
exalted, and dignified position than it would have been possible for
us to enjoy if we had never taken upon us these bodies. This is my
faith; it is the faith of this people.

Vol. 1, p.223
I have no complaints to make about our father Adam eating the
forbidden fruit, as some have, for I do not know but any of us would
have done the name. I find myself here in the midst of the creations
of God, and it is for me to make use of the intelligence God has given
me, and not condescend to anything that is low, mean, grovelling, and
degrading—to anything that is calculated to debase the immortal mind
of man, but to follow after things that are in their nature calculated
to exalt, ennoble, and dignify, that I may stand in my true position
before God, angels, and men, and rise to take my seat among the Gods
of eternity.

Vol. 1, p.223
We will now come to the principle of legitimacy, which was the text
given out this morning—to our rights, privileges, Priesthoods,
authorities, powers, dominions, &c. &c. And as some of us are
Scriptorians, and all profess to believe the Bible, I feel inclined to
quote a text from it. Paul, when speaking of Jesus Christ, gives us to
understand that he is the first-born of every creature, for by him
were all things made that were made, and to him pertains all things;
he is the head of all things, he created all things, whether visible
or invisible, whether they be principalities, powers, thrones, or
dominions; all things were created by him and for him, and without him
was not anything made that was made. If all things were created by him
and for him, this world on which. we stand must have been created by
him and for him; if so, he is its legitimate, its rightful owner and
proprietor; its lawful sovereign and ruler. We will begin with him,
then, in the first place, in treating on the subject of legitimacy.

Vol. 1, p.223
But has he had the dominion over all nations, kindreds, peoples, and
tongues? Have they bowed to his sceptre, and acknowledged his sway?
Have all people rendered obedience to his laws, and submitted to his
guidance? Echo answers "NO!" Has there ever been a kingdom, a
government, a nation, a power, or a dominion in this world that has
yielded obedience to him in all things? Can you point out one?

Vol. 1, p.223
We read of the Jews who were a nation that submitted only in part to
his authority, for they rebelled against his laws, and were placed
under a schoolmaster until the Messiah should come. We read also, in
the Book of Mormon, of some Nephites that dwelt upon this land, who
kept the commandments of God, and perhaps were [p.224] more pure than
any other nation that history gives any account of. But, with these
exceptions, the nations, kingdoms, powers, and dominions of the world
have not been subject to the law, dominion, rule, or authority of God;
but, as it is expressed by one of the ancients, the prince and power
of the air, the god of this world has ruled in the hearts of the
children of disobedience, and led them captive at his own will. Where
is the historian, the man acquainted with ancient lore, who can point
me out one government, nation, power, or dominion, that has been
subject to the rule of God, to the dominion of Jesus Christ, with the
exception of those Jews and Nephites which I have referred to? If
there has been any such nation, the history of it has escaped my
notice. I have never been able to obtain such information.

Vol. 1, p.224
What then has been the position of the world for generations past?
They have been governed by rulers not appointed of God; if they were
appointed by Him, it was merely as a scourge to the people for their
wickedness, or for temporary rulers in the absence of those whose
right it was to govern. They had not the legitimate rule, Priesthood,
and authority of God on the earth, to act as His representatives in
regulating and presiding ever the affairs of His kingdom.

Vol. 1, p.224
Perhaps it may be well, at this stage of my remarks, to give you a
short explanation of my ideas on government, legitimacy, or
Priesthood, if you lease. The question, "What is Priesthood?" has
often been asked me. I answer, it is the rule and government of God,
whether on earth or in the heavens; and it is the only legitimate
power, the only authority that is acknowledged by Him to rule and
regulate the affairs of His kingdom. When every wrong thing shall be
put right, and all usurpers shall be put down, when he whose right it
is to reign shall take the dominion, then nothing but the Priesthood
will bear rule; it alone will sway the sceptre of authority in heaven
and on earth, for this is the legitimacy of God.

Vol. 1, p.224
In the absence of this, what has been the position of the nations? You
who have made yourselves acquainted with the political structure and
the political intrigues of earthy kingdoms, I ask, from whence did
they obtain their power? Did they get it from God? Go to the history
of Europe, if you please, and examine how the rulers of those nations
obtained their authority. Depending upon history for our information,
we say those nations have been founded by the sword. If we trace the
pages of history still further back to the first nation that existed,
still we find that it was founded upon the same principle. Then follow
the various revolutions and changes that took place among subsequent
nations and powers, from the Babylonians through the Medo Persians,
Grecians, Romans, and from that power to all the other powers of
Europe, Asia, and Africa, of which we have any knowledge: and if we
look to America from the first discoveries by Columbus to the present
time, where are now the original proprietors of the soil? Go to any
power that has existed upon this earth, and you will find that earthly
government, earthly rule and dominion, have been obtained by the
sword. It was the, sword of men that first put them in possession of
this power. They have walked up to their thrones through rivers of
blood, through the clotted gore and the groans of the dying, and
through the tears and lamentations of bereaved widows and helpless
orphans; and hence the common saying is, "Thrones won by blood, by
blood must be maintained." By the same principle that they have been
put in  possession of territory, have they sought to sustain
themselves—the same [p.225] violence, the same fraud, and the same
oppression have been made use of to sustain their illegitimacy.

Vol. 1, p.225
Some of these powers, dominions, governments, and rulers, have had in
their possession the laws of God, and the admonitions of Jesus Christ;
and what have they done to his servants in different ages of the
world, when he has sent them unto them? This question I need not stop
to answer, for you are already made too familiar with it. This, then,
is the position of the world. Authority, dominion, rule, government
has been obtained by fraud, and consequently is not legitimate. They
say much about the ordination of kings, and their being anointed by
the grace of God, &c. What think you of a murderer slaying hundreds
and thousands of his fellow-creatures because he has the power, and
while his sword is yet reeking with human blood, having a priest in
sacerdotal robes to anoint him to the kingship? They have done it.
What think you of the cries of the widows, the tears of the orphans,
and the groans of the dying, mingling with the prayers and blessings
of the priest upon the head of the murderer of their husbands and
their fathers?

Vol. 1, p.225
It is impossible that there can be any legitimate rule, government,
power, or authority, under the face of the heavens, except that which
is connected with the kingdom of God, which is established by new
revelation from heaven.

Vol. 1, p.225
In a conversation with some of our modern reformers in France, one of
their leaders said, "I think you will not succeed very well in
disseminating the principles of your religion in France." I replied,
"You have been seeking to accomplish something, for generations, with
your philosophy, your philanthropic societies, and your ideas of moral
reform, but have failed; while we have not been seeking to accomplish
the thing that you have, particularly, and yet have accomplished it."
We began with the power of God, with the government of heaven, and
with acknowledging His hand in all things; and God has sustained us,
blessed and upheld us to the present time; and it is the only
government, rule, and dominion under the heavens that will acknowledge
His authority.

Vol. 1, p.225
Brethren, if any of you doubt it, go into some of those nations, and
get yourselves introduced into the presence of their kings and rulers,
and say, "Thus saith the Lord God." They would at once denounce you as
a madman, and straightway order you into prison. What is the matter?
They do not acknowledge the legitimacy, the rule and government of
God, nor will they inquire into them. They receive, not their
authority from Him. Nations honor their kings, but they do not honor
the authority of their God in any instance, neither have they from the
first man-made government to the present time. If there has been such
a nation, or if there is at this time such a government, it is a thing
of which I am ignorant.

Vol. 1, p.225
The kings and potentates of the world profess to be anointed by the
grace of God. But the priests who anoint them have no authority to do
it. No person has authority to anoint a king or administer in one Of
the least of God's ordinances, except he is legally called and
ordained of God to that power; and how can a man be called of God to
administer in His name, that does not acknowledge the gift of prophecy
to be the right of the children of God in all ages? It is impossible.
These men have been grasping after power, and for this they have laid
waste nations and destroyed countries. Some of them possessed it for a
while, and others were on the eve of getting it when they were cut
off, and down they went. What  became of them afterwards? Isaiah in
vision saw the kings of the earth [p.226] gathered together as
pisoners in a pit, and after many days they were to be visited.

Vol. 1, p.226
Having said so much in relation together governors and governments, we
will now notice the difference between them and Abraham of old.
Abraham was a man who contended for the true and legitimate authority.
God promised to him, and to his seed after him, the land of Canaan for
their possession, "The Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was
separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place
where thou art 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." What did Stephen say, generations afterwards? That God
"gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot
on; yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and
to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child." Ezekiel's vision
of the dry bones explains this seeming contradiction. The Lord said to
him, "Son of man, can these bones live?" &c. Who are they? We are
told, in the same chapter, they are the whola house of Israel, and
that they shall come out of their graves, bone come to its bone and
sinew to sinew, and flesh come upon them, and they shall become a
living army before God, and they shall inherit the land which was
given to them and their fathers before them. The measuring line shall
again go forth upon those lands, and mark out the possessions
belonging to the tribes of Israel.

Vol. 1, p.226
Abraham was a man who dared fear God, and do honor to His authority,
which was legitimate. God tried and proved him, the same as He has
tried many of us, and felt after his heart-strings, and twisted them
round. When He had tried him to the utmost, He swore by Himelf,
because He could swear by no greater, saying, That in blessing I will
bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed." "And in thy
seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Abraham obtained
his dominion by legitimate authority; his Priesthood was obtained from
God; has authority was that which is associated with the everlasting
Gospel, which was, and is, and is to come, that liveth and abideth
forever. And the promises made to him will rest upon him and his
posterity, through every subsequent period of time, until the final
winding up scene of all things. Will he ever obtain them? Yes. For we
are eternal beings, and I am now talking as though we were in
eternity. We shall wake up in the morning of the resurrection, attain
to all the blessings which have been promised to us, and strike hands
with Abraham, and see him inherit the promises. Abraham and all his
children will then inherit the promises, through the principle of
legitimacy. And there are many of the sons and daughters of Abraham
among us at the present time; these will be baptized for their dead
brethren and sisters, and by this means bring them unto Christ,
beginning on the outside branches of the tree, and so progressing to
the main stock, and from that to the root. And it shall come to pass
that all Israel shall be saved. Why? Because it is their legitimate
right. And they are Israel who do the works of Abraham.

Vol. 1, p.226
Thus it is, then, with Abraham. The old man feels perfectly easy about
the matter; and if he does see many of his descendants existing as a
cursed race on account of their transgressions, many of them enjoying
no higher avocation than crying "Old clothes," still the time of their
redemption will come, and by means of the eternal Gospel and
Priesthood, they with us will be made perfect, and we with them. While
the faithful are [p.227] operating in heaven to bring this about, the
Saints are operating on earth; and by faith and works we will
accomplish all things, we will redeem the dead and the living, and all
shall come forth, and Abraham will stand at the head of his seed as
their ruler. This is his legitimate position.

Vol. 1, p.227
We will now notice those men who are contending for it without any
authority, and make a contrast between the two. We see them gathering
their forces, and using their influence to destroy the poor among men.
How long will the kings and rulers of the earth do this? Until they
are dead and damned. And what then? They will be cast down into a pit.
Isaiah saw them there, along with many other scoundrels, murderers,
and scamps. After many days they will be visited, but they have got to
lie in prison a long time for their transgressions. The one is
legitimacy, and the other is illegitimacy; the one is the order of
God, and the other is the order of the devil.

Vol. 1, p.227
Such is the position of things in relation to the world, to legitimacy
and illegitimacy, in regard to things that are right and things that
are wrong. Jesus Christ created all things, and for him were they
made, whether it be principalities, powers, thrones, or dominions. Now
the question is, is he going to be dispossessed of his right because
scoundrels exist in the world, and stand in power and dominion;
because his subjects have rebelled against him from time to time, and
usurpers have taken his place, and the dominion is given to another?
Verily, no. But the time will come when the kingdom and the greatness
of the kingdom under the whole heaven will be given to the Saints of
the Most High, and they will possess it for ever and ever.

Vol. 1, p.227
We will now notice some of the acts of God, and some of the acts of
those who have been under the dominion of Satan, those who have had
dominion over the world—the proud and haughty usurpers, and the
shedders of innocent blood. These are they that have lived in the
world, and possessed all the good things of it. And what has been the
situation of the Saints in every age? All those who dared acknowledge
that God lived, that this kingdom belonged to Him, that it was His
right, and that He would without doubt possess it, have been trodden
under foot, persecuted, east out, hated, killed; "they wandered about
in sheep-skins and goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, and
tormented." As one of old says, in speaking of the Jews—Which of the
prophets have not your fathers killed. who testified before of the
coming of the Just One.

Vol. 1, p.227
This was the case in ancient days. and has been carried on in modern
times. I have, with my own eyes, seen holy Prophets expire, who were
killed by the hands of a murderous gang of blood-thirsty assassins,
because they bore the same testimony that the holy Prophets did in
days of old. How many more of their brethren who dared acknowledge the
truth, have fallen beneath the same influences—have been shot,
whipped, imprisoned, and put to death in a variety of ways, while
hundreds of others, driven from their homes in the winter, have found
their last bed; they were worm out with suffering and fatigue, the
weary wheels of life stood still; they were obliged to forsake the
world, in which they could no longer remain, because of the
persecution heaped upon them by the enemies of the truth.

Vol. 1, p.227
The reason of all this vile outrage upon innocent men, women, and
children, is because there is no legitimate rule upon the earth. God's
laws and government are not known, and His servants are despised and
cast out.

Vol. 1, p.228
Legitimacy and right, whether in heaven or on earth cannot mix with
[p.228] anything that is not true, just, and equitable; and truth is
free from oppression and injustice, as is the bosom of Jehovah.
Nothing but that will ultimately stand. What has been the position of
the world generally, among themselves? Yea see men marshalling armies,
and making war with one another to destroy each other, and take
possession of their territory and wealth. One man who is in possession
of wealth, power, and authority, sees oppression exercised by kings;
so he follows the example, as do rulers who exercise authority under
their sovereign; then others in a still lower degree do the same; thus
oppression treads upon the heels of oppression, and distress follows
distress. You will find this to exist in a great measure through every
grade of society, from the king on his throne, down to the
match-maker, or the chimney-sweep.

Vol. 1, p.228
To ameliorate the condition of man, there are a great many
institutions introduced into the world in the shape of Tract
Societies, Bible Societies, and many more too numerous for me to name.
Many of them are founded by sincere men, but commencing on the wrong
foundation, they keep wrong all the time, and fail to accomplish the
object desired. If any one of these different institutions were to
carry out their own principles, they would not only fail in
accomplishing the object they have in view, but ultimately destroy
themselves.

Vol. 1, p.228
There are Peace Societies among the rest; their object is to bring
peace into the world, without the Spirit of God. They see plainly that
peace is desirable, but they wish to graft it on to a rotten stock. In
Europe they had a "Peace Congress," and sent their representatives to
all parts of the world; and of course this "Congress of Peace" wished
to regulate the world, make an end of war, and bring in universal
peace.

Vol. 1, p.228
Talk about peace, when rancorous discord makes its nest in the
councils and cabinets of all nations, and the hearts of their
statesmen are steeped in hatred one to another. Jealousy, animosity,
and strife, like the influence of a deadly contagion, may be found in
almost every family; brother rising up against sister, sister against
brother, the father against the mother, and the mother against the
father, etc. We can find discord reigning even in the "Peace Society"
itself.

Vol. 1, p.228
Jesus Christ says, "My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth,
give I unto you," &c. Wherever this peace exists, it leaves an
influence that is comforting and refreshing to the souls of those who
partake of it. It is like the morning dew to the thirsty plant. This
peace is alone the gift of God, and it can only be received from Him
through obedience to His laws. If any man wishes to introduce peace
into his family or among his friends, let him cultivate it in his own
bosom; for sterling peace can only be had according to the legitimate
rule and authority of heaven, and obedience to its laws.

Vol. 1, p.228
Everything is disordered, and in confusion in the world. The reason
is, because no legitimate authority has been known or acknowledged on
the earth. Others have been trying to build up and establish what they
supposed to be the kingdom of God. The socialists of France call
themselves religous people, and they also expect to bring about a
reign of glory through a species of Robespierreism. I was told by a
man well acquainted with matters of fact in relation to these things,
that if they gained the ascendancy in France, their first object would
be to erect a statue to Robespierre. They were going to cut off
thousands of people, to accomplish their designs: and had not Napoleon
taken active measures to head  them, bands of men were ready on a
moment's warning to [p.229] cut off the heads of thousands, and among
these, I was informed, fifty thousand priests were doomed.

Vol. 1, p.229
These are some of the principles and ideas that exist in the world,
among the various nations and institutions of men, which are framed
according to illegitimate principles. A change of government changes
not the condition of the people, for all are wrong, and acting without
God.

Vol. 1, p.229
Our ideas are, that the time has come to favor God's people; a time
about which Prophets spoke in pathetic strains, and poets sung. These
men of God looked through the dark vista of future ages, and being
wrapped in prophetic vision, beheld the latter day glory—the time of
the dispensation of the fulness of times, spoken of by all the holy
Prophets since the world began; for they all looked forward with
joyful anticipations to the things which have commenced with us; they
all had their eye upon the time when legitimacy would obtain its
proper place upon the earth, in the shape of the kingdom of God
established in the world, when all false rule and dominion would be
put down, and the kingdoms of this World would become subject to God
and His Christ. These are the ideas that they had, and these are the
things we are seeking to carry out.

Vol. 1, p.229
If we look at what illegitimacy has done in former times, we shall see
the absolute necessity of the restitution spoken of by the Prophets,
for it has filled the earth with evil, it has caused the world to
groan in bondage, laid millions in the cold embrace of death, and
caused disease to spread its pestiferous breath among the nations,
leaving ruin, misery, and desolation in its path, and made this fair
earth a howling wilderness. And nothing but the wisdom and
intelligence of God can change it. The kingdom of God will establish
truth and correct principles—the principles of truth, equity, and
justice; in short, the principles that emanate from God, principles
that are calculated to elevate man in time and through all eternity.
How shall this be? It will be by a legitimate rule, authority, and
dominion.

Vol. 1, p.229
Who have we for our ruling power? Where and how did he obtain his
authority? Or how did any in this Church and kingdom obtain it? It was
first obtained by a revelation from the Lord of the Universe, by the
opening of the heavens, by the voice of God, and by the ministering of
holy angels. It is by the voice of God and the voice of the people,
that our present President obtained his authority. Many people in the
world are talking about mis-rule and mis-government. If there is any
form of government under the heavens where we can have legitimate rule
and authority, it is among the Saints. In the first place, we have a
man appointed by God, and, in the second place, by the people. This
man is chosen by yourselves, and every person raises his hand to
sanction the choice. Here is our President, Brigham Young, whom we
made choice of yesterday, who is he? He is the legitimate ruler among
this people. Can anybody dispossess him? They cannot, because it is
his legitimate right, and he reigns in the hearts of the people. He
obtains his authority first from God, and secondly from the people;
and if a man possesses five grains of common sense, when he has a
privilege of voting for or against a man, he will not vote for a man
that oppresses the people; he will vote according to the dictates of
his conscience, for this is the right and duty of this people in the
choice of their President, and other leading officers of the kingdom
of God. While this is being done here, it is being done in every part
of the world, wherever the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
has a footing. Is there a monarch,  potentate, or power under the
heavens that [p.230] undergoes a scrutiny as fine as this? No there is
not; and yet this is done twice a year, before all the Saints in the
world. Here are legitimacy and rule. You place the power in their
hands to govern, dictate, regulate, and put in order the affairs of
the kingdom of God. This is, Vex Dei vox populi. God appoints, the
people sustain. You do this by your own act; very well, then, it is
legitimate, and must stand, and every man is bound to abide it if it
takes the hair off his head. I know there are things sometimes that
are hard, tough, and pinching; but if a man is a man of God, he has
his eyes upon eternal things, and is aiming to accomplish the purposes
of God, and all will be well with him in the end.

Vol. 1, p.230
What advantage is there, then, between this government and others?
Why, we have peace, and as eternal beings we have a knowledge of
eternal things. While listening to the remarks made on this stand,
what have we not heard—what have we not known? The curtains of heaven
have been withdrawn, and we have gazed as by vision upon eternal
realities. While, in the professing world, doubt and uncertainty throw
their dark mantle over every mind.

Vol. 1, p.230
Let us now notice our political position in the world. What are we
going to do? We are going to possess the earth. Why? Because it
belongs to Jesus Christ, and he belongs to us, and we to him; we are
all one, and will take the kingdom and possess it under the whole
heavens, and reign over it for ever and ever. Now, ye kings and
emperors, help yourselves, if you can. This is the truth, and it may
as well be told at this time as at any other.

"There's a good time coming, Saints,
A good time coming,
There's a good time coming, Saints,
Wait a little longer,"

Vol. 1, p.230
Having said so much on this point, we will return to the principle of
legitimacy. God is our legitimate Father, and we are His children, and
have a claim upon Him, and He has a claim upon us. We have come into
this world to accomplish a certain purpose, and we have come in the
dispensation of the fulness of times, when God decreed to gather all
things together into one, whether they be things in heaven or on
earth; and everything that has been in existence in any age of the
world, or that is, or will be, which is calculated to benefit and
exalt man, we shall have; consequently it is for us to look after
anything and everything that ever has been true, or that has ever been
developed in any period of the history of man, for it all belongs to
us, and has got to be restored, for restitution means bringing back
that which is lost. If the Antediluvians enjoyed anything that was
good, true, and eternal, which is not yet made known to us, it has to
be restored; or if anything existed among the ancient Patriarchs and
Prophets, that has been lost, it has to be restored. If there are any
people of God upon any detached part of this world, they with it have
got to be restored. God's word will also be gathered into one, and His
people and the Jews will hear the words of the Nephites, and the Ten
Tribes must hear the words of the Jews and Nephites, and God's people
be gathered and be one. All things will be gathered in one, and Zion
be redeemed, the glory of God be revealed, and all flesh see it
together. God's dominion will be established on the earth, the law go
forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, and the
kingdoms of this world will become subject to God and His Christ.

Vol. 1, p.230
As eternal beings, then, we existed with our Father in the eternal
worlds. We came on to this earth, and obtained tabernacles, that
through taking possession of them, and passing  through a scene of
trial, and [p.231] tribulation, and suffering, we might be exalted to
more glory, dignity, and power, than would have been possible for us
to obtain had we not been placed in our present position. If any of
you do not believe this, let me refer you to a passage of Scripture or
two. How was man created at first? We are told that God made man a
little lower than the angels; then says Paul, "Know ye not that we
shall judge angels." What through? It is through the atonement of
Jesus Christ, through the taking of our bodies, the powers of the holy
Priesthood, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we shall obtain
a higher exaltation than it would have been possible for us to enjoy,
if we had not fallen. To do right in our present state, then, we must
carry out the principle of legitimacy according to a correct rule,
and, if we profess to be subjects of the kingdom of God, we must be
subject to the dominion, rule, legitimacy, and authority of God. No
person can escape from this, unless he apostatizes, and goes to the
devil, like a feel. He must be a feel who would baxter away eternal
life, thrones, principalities, and powers in the eternal world, for
the paltry trash which exists in the shape of wealth and worldly
honor: to let go his chance of heaven and of God, of being a King and
Priest unto Him, of living and reigning for ever, and of standing
among the chiefs of Israel. I cannot help calling such men fools, for
they are damned now in making such a choice, and will be hereafter.

Vol. 1, p.231
I will say a little more on legitimacy and fight to rule. What would
be the position of a man who would take a course to rob his neighbor,
or take advantage of him in the case of his legitimacy, which you have
heard of this morning? Such a man must be a greater feel than the
other. For instance, a good man dies, who has served God in
righteousness all his days; the weary wheels of life stand still, and
he goes to the World of spirits. He believed in the principles of
justice, equity, righteousness, and truth, and that his fights would
be held sacred to him by his brethren after he was gone. But some
professed man of God comes to his widow, and wants to steal her away
from him; he would rob the dead with impunity, under the ostensible
garb of justice to her and her dead husband; he will tell her he is
doing it out of pure love to them both, and he is going to exalt them
in the kingdom of God. We read of the kingdom of God suffering
violence; if violence is ever attempted, it is in a case of this kind.
It is bad enough to steal from a man his earthly property, his oxen,
his cow, his horse, his harness, his Wagon wheels, and other
paraphernalia; but what think you of a man that would rob the dead of
a treasure which he holds the most dear, and prized as the most
precious thing he possessed on earth—his affectionate wife! Such a
person will assuredly miss his figure.

Vol. 1, p.231
You will find in the ancient laws of Israel, there were proper rules
in relation to these matters; one was, that if a man died without a
child, his brother or the nearest relation of the husband should take
the widow; and raise up seed to her husband, that his name might be
continued in Israel, and not be blotted out. Where did these laws come
from? We are told they came from God. But instead of doing this,
suppose he should try to steal this woman away, and rob his
brother—how would he get along, I wonder, with such a case against
him, at the bar of justice? The laws and ordinances that exist in the
eternal world have their pattern in the things which are revealed to
the children of men on earth. The Priesthood as it exists on the earth
is a pattern of things in heaven. As I said in a former part of this
discourse, Priesthood is [p.232] legitimate rule, whether on earth or
or in heaven. When we have the true Priesthood on earth, we take it
with us into the heavens; it changes not, but continues the same in
the eternal world.

Vol. 1, p.232
There is another feature of that ancient law which I will mention. It
was considered an act of injustice for the nearest relation not to
take the wife of the deceased; if he refused to do it; he was obliged
to go before the Elders of "Israel, and his brother's wife shall loose
his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and
say. So shall it be done unto the man that will not build up his
brother's house; and his name shall be caned in Israel, The house of
him who hath his shoe loosed." If the restitution of all things is to
be brought to pass, there must be a restitution of these things;
everything will be put right, and in its proper place.

Vol. 1, p.232
There is another thing which is most grievous, afflicting, and
distressing to contemplate. When a man takes to himself a woman that
properly belongs to another, and defiles her, it interferes with the
fountain of life, and corrupts the very source of existence. There is
an offspring comes forth as the fruit of that union, and that
offspring is an eternal being—how can it be looked upon? To reflect
upon it, wounds the finest feelings of human nature in time, and will
in eternity. For who can gaze upon the degradation of their wife, and
the corruption of their seed, without peculiar sensations? How pouch
more is this feeling enhanced when the wronged man considers that he
has been robbed by one who professed to be his friend? This thing is
not to be trifled with, but is of the greatest importance; hence the
necessity of the sealing powers, that all things may be pure, chastity
maintained, and lasciviousness be rooted out from among the Saints.
Why so? That we may have a holy offspring, that shall be great, and
clothed with the mighty power of God, to rule in His kingdom, and
accomplish the work we propose they shall fulfil; and that when we go
to sleep, we may sleep in peace, knowing that justice will be
administered in righteousness. We shall know that we have a claim upon
our own in the first resurrection; we shall know that our wives and
our children will be there to join us, justice will be administered,
and we shall have a claim upon them in the eternal world, and that no
unprincipled scoundrel will be permitted to set his foot on another,
or rob him of his just claims. Why is a woman sealed to a man for time
and all eternity? Because there is legitimate power on earth to do it.
This power will bind on earth and in heaven; it can loose on earth,
and it is loosed in heaven; it can seal on earth, and it is sealed in
heaven. There is a legitimate, authorized agent of God upon earth;
this sealing power is regulated by him; hence what is done by that, is
done right, and is recorded. When the books are opened, event one will
find his proper mate, and have those that belong to him, and every one
will be deprived of that which is surreptitiously obtained.

Vol. 1, p.232
Let us do righteously, and you who would seek to injure another and
take advantage of one who was just and faithful to his God in his day,
how would you like, when you get a few years older and drop into
eternity, for somebody to come and serve you the same? You could not
expect anything else, you could not die without being menaced by this
supposition, and your dying pillow would be made unhappy, you would
know you had done wrong, and would expect somebody to measure to you
the same measure pressed down, shook together, and running over.

Vol. 1, p.232
We have been told to preach confidence—correct principles and just
dealings alone will inspire it. If a [p.233] man speaks that which is
not true about another, can you have confidence in him? No. If a man
defrauds another, can you have confidence in him? No, But if you
would, through a principle of covetousness, seek to sap the foundation
of another's happiness, by trying to wrench from him those sacred
rights which pertain to his interest in the eternal world, how much
greater will be your condemnation? Nothing but truth, integrity,
virtue, honor, and every pure principle, will stand in the great day
of God Almighty. If such a person happens to get through this world,
he will find barriers in the next, and probably miss a chance of
obtaining a place in the first resurrection. Nothing contrary to the
authority, rule, and government of heaven. will stand in time or in
eternity; and if any man wants to be blessed and honored, and to
obtain a high place in the eternal world, let him pursue a course of
honor, righteousness, and virtue before his God; and if he wants to
find himself amongst usurpers, defrauders, oppressors, and those in
possession of illegitimate claims, let him take an opposite course. If
time would permit, much more might be said about social, family, and
individual legitimate rights; but as time hastens, I forbear for the
present.

Vol. 1, p.233
Well, brethren and sisters, may God bless you. Amen.

Brigham Young, July 24, 1853

Effects and Privileges of the Gospel
 the Latter-Day Saints and the Christian World

A Discourse Delivered By President B. Young, 
in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 24, 1858.

Vol. 1, p.233
I feel disposed to occupy a portion of time this morning.

Vol. 1, p.233
I have no doubt but the people, who are Saints, are much edified by
the preaching and exhortations given from this stand. Were I to speak
for myself, I could truly say, I am glad, I rejoice, and I feel
exceedingly happy, when preaching myself, and when listening to
preaching, exhortations, and prayer, and when associating with the
Saints in other occupations and pursuits of life. Also in a family
capacity, in our family prayer meetings, and in all the avocations of
life that concern myself as an individual, I am happy.

Vol. 1, p.233
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is given in the Old and New
Testaments, the Book of Mormon, the Book of Doctrine and Covenants,
and in the experience of every true Christian who has lived and still
lives upon the earth, teaches that it is the privilege of every Saint
so to live and walk before their God, as to enjoy the light of the
spirit of truth from day to day, from week to week, and from year to
year, through their whole lives. Without this privilege in the Gospel,
connected with [p.234] the gifts of the Holy Ghost, I should be
inclined to believe that the religion that is taught in the Bible and
in the Book of Mormon, would amount to nothing more than a mere
phantom—an imaginary thing. It would be inadequate to satisfy, in any
degree, the mind of man, as it is now organized.

Vol. 1, p.234
I can appeal to the experience of thousands, as well as to my own,
that the doctrine of the Saviour is true, that the history given in
the New Testament is a true history, as far as it goes, of the
feelings and the experience common to every variety of human life, and
chimes with the experience of every true believer in Jesus Christ in
all ages of the world, though the expression, "true believer," needs
qualifying, for many believe who do not obey—I will qualify it by
saying, a believer in Jesus Christ, who manifests his faith to God,
angels, and his brethren, by his obedience. Not but that there are
believers who do not obey, but the only true believers are they who
prove their belief by their obedience to the requirements of the
Gospel.

Vol. 1, p.234
It is a special privilege and blessing of the holy Gospel to every
true believer, to know the truth for himself. For orators to speak to
us, Prophets to expound the law, and teach us doctrine, for the
special purpose of giving us comfort, is not particularly required;
but in the reflections and meditations of the mind in contemplating
the things of God and the rich treasures of infinite wisdom, which are
opened to the children of men who obey the Gospel, they enjoy a
continual feast to the soul. This is the privilege of Latter-day
Saints, it is the privilege of the whole world, as quick as the
knowledge of God can be disseminated among the people. It is true, the
world groans in darkness. They are bound with the fetters of unbelief,
error, and ignorance, more than we are; yet we can say truly, that we
only begin to see the dawning of truth through the deep mantle of
ignorance in which we are enveloped. To those who live faithfully in
their duty as Saints of God, and continue to serve Him, time will
develop that the Latter-day Saints—the best of them—the most
intelligent among them, are still in ignorance, still wanting, still
looking for something more, still increasing, still growing; I say,
time will develop to their satisfaction that at this stage of their
existence they were in ignorance, but not to the same degree as those
who had not had the privileges they enjoyed.

Vol. 1, p.234
It is frequently observed—especially by the Latter-day Saints—what a
curiosity it is, how singular that the Gospel of Jesus Christ should
have the effect upon the minds of the people that it does have. It is
remarkable! It is strange! When people reflect upon it, they are
astonished that the Gospel of salvation should so, disturb the
feelings, the quiet, the peace of the community. Does it have this
effect upon the world? Your own observation enables you to answer in
the affirmative. It is a true saying of the Saviour's, that he came
not into the world to make peace, to unite the whole people, but to
make division. He came for the express purpose of dividing the
righteous from the wicked. This formed as much a part of his holy
ministry as any other part of the will of his Father.

Vol. 1, p.234
We see this principle verified from, days of old. It was demonstrated
in the very commencement of the peopling of the earth. How soon an
opposition was introduced in the morning of creation, when
righteousness was proclaimed, when truth was revealed, when the light
and knowledge of eternity shone with lustrous beauty upon Adam and his
children, Cain  must rise up and slay his brother, while they were
walking with the Lord, while He visited them from day [p.235] to-day,
administered to them, conversed with them, preached to them, and gave
them instruction, as I and my brethren instruct you from this stand.
He taught them how to live, how to order their course, and acted in
all points like a tender and affectionate parent, yet at the same time
there must be an opposition.

Vol. 1, p.235
It is very true had not sin entered into the world, and opposition
been introduced, death would not have entered. From that time to this,
death, opposition, selfishness, malice, anger, pride, darkness, and
wickedness of every description that could be invented by the children
of men, as they have multiplied and spread abroad on the earth, have
increased. Yes, verily, they have increased. And the days that we, as
Christians, call the days of darkness and ignorance, were days of
light, knowledge, and intelligence, to exceed that which we enjoy in
this age.

Vol. 1, p.235
We discover that the Gospel of life and salvation is perfectly
calculated to disturb the wicked. Shall we say they are at peace? Are
they in happiness? Are they enjoying that which their hearts desire?
We can truly say they are seeking for it as well as they know how, but
the result is, the increase of wickedness upon the earth, and the
increased unhappiness of the human family. Mankind, indeed, cannot be
happy unless they are first miserable; they cannot be easy, they
cannot be at rest and feel comfortable, unless they are first in pain;
they cannot be joyful, unless they are first in sorrow. Refer, for
instance, to your own dispositions, to the fallen nature that is in
you. When passion rises within you, can you satisfy your feelings
unless you give way to them, to the injury of yourselves and others?
You cannot sit down and feel at rest unless you can satiate the
burning vengeance of passion, by reeking your vengeance upon some
person; or upon some helpless animal.

Vol. 1, p.235
The Gospel of salvation is perfectly calculated to cause divison. It
strikes at the root of the very existence of mankind in their
wickedness, evil designs, passions, and wicked calculations. There is
no evil among the human family, but at the foundation of which it
strikes effectually, and comes in contact with every evil passion that
rises in the heart of man. It is opposed to every evil practice of
men, and consequently it disturbs them in the wicked courses they are
pursuing.

Vol. 1, p.235
When the Gospel which was preached by Jesus and His Apostles was
preached to the children of Israel by Moses, it created the same
effect among them. When he taught them to forsake their sins, to
forsake every evil principle and practice of their lives, and turn to
the Lord with all their hearts, it created such a division that Moses
could not establish the Gospel among them, after all the kindness the
Lord had shown towards them, though He brought them out of Egypt with
a high hand, dividing the sea, causing the water to gush out of the
dry rock to quench their thirst, manna to fall from heaven to satisfy
their hunger, and quails to satisfy their desire for flesh. He also
ordained that their clothing should not wax old, nor their shoes wear
out for the space of forty years. They did not have to plough, to
reap, or gather into barns, as we do. Notwithstanding this
manifestation of the goodness of their God, he could not establish the
Gospel among them, and was obliged to give them a law of carnal
commandments. Why did not the Lord destroy them, seeing they were so
very wicked? He did; and out of all who left Egypt, only two went into
the land of Canaan—Joshua and Caleb.

Vol. 1, p.235
Whenever the Gospel is preached in towns, cities, country places, or
in any comumnity who are in darkness, it never fails to bring light;
it [p.236] manifests their ignorance; it distracts them, and annoys
their peace. They say, "I supposed I was wise, happy, comfortable, and
well enough off; but here comes something that informs me I am
mistaken, that this and the other thing are wrong. It reflects light
upon my understanding, and teaches me that my acts, while I live upon
the earth, should tend to the glory of God and the peace of mankind.
This naturally seems contrary to my feelings, disposition, passions,
and traditions, and to every thing about me, except the reflection of
truth upon my mind, which enlightens my understanding, and teaches me
to glorify God, and do good to my fellow creatures."

Vol. 1, p.236
The Gospel is not only calculated to divide the people, but it will
divide sin from those who embrace it with a true heart. In the world
we find goodness, honesty, humility, and prudence, which are prompted
by the motives of a good heart. But virtue is trampled into the dust,
honesty and prudence are pointed at with the finger of scorn and
derision! We see almost every principle of righteousness discarded. If
the whole world are not in this condition already, it needs but a few
steps more to lead them into the depths of it, and complete them in
their rebellion against all good and its Author.

Vol. 1, p.236
It is the darkness upon the earth, the gross darkness that broods over
the minds of the people, that leads them into error, wickedness, and
distraction, yet in the midst of this ignorance and awful corruption
of the human mind, there are to be found humility, goodness, and
virtue. But what use is made of them? They are destroyed; they are
used according to the wishes of the wicked, and according to the
designs of the evil designer. This is almost universally the case.

Vol. 1, p.236
The Gospel is calculated to divide this wickedness from those who
embrace it, and then it will divide those who embrace it from those
who reject it. Christ and Belial cannot be made friends, neither can
the Church of Christ and the worshippers of Belial unite together.
They cannot amalgamate. Consequently, those who receive the Gospel
with all their hearts, after believing the testimony of God's
servants, will divide themselves from those who do not receive it. In
this Gospel, life and salvation are offered to every honest soul; in
the world they find tribulation, but in Jesus Christ peace. In obeying
the Gospel is comfort, but in the glory of the world sadness and
sorrow.

Vol. 1, p.236
If the inquiry should arise in our minds, why it is that we are in the
position we this morning occupy, it is very easily answered and
understood by every person who understands the nature of the Gospel of
Christ. It is because it is impossible to unite Christ and Belial—to
unite righteousness with unrighteousness, for they never can go hand
in hand. Righteousness cannot become unrighteousness, and wickedness
never can inherit a righteous kingdom.

Vol. 1, p.236
The ancient Saints were and the Saints of latter days have been driven
from pillar to post, their name a hiss and a bye-word, and their
character traduced to the lowest degree. I will appeal to men in this
congregation, who have lived for years in the society of the world,
who are judges, magistrates, sheriffs, merchants, mechanics, and
farmers, if anything was ever alleged against their character until
they joined the Latter-day Saints. But where are your characters now
in the world? Your former friends now have found out that you always
were miserable creatures, they now declare they never had any
confidence in you, for you always were enthusiastic beings, and knew
not what you were doing. They always believed you would prove
yourselves dishonest, &c. [p.237] This has been the character given to
the Saints by the world in all ages.

Vol. 1, p.237
Suppose we now notice that part of the world called Christians, that
profess to believe the Old and New Testament, King James's
translation. They say they believe this Bible, yet if you are in
France, Germany, England, in the United States, in the Canadas, in the
islands of the sea, or no matter where among the Christian nations,
the moment you make it known that you have embraced the Book of
Mormon, and that you believe Joseph Smith is a Prophet, they will at
once accuse you of throwing away the Bible, they will publish abroad
that you have become a "Latter-day Saint," "a Mormon," and
consequently have denied the Bible you formerly believed, and have
cast it entirely away. What is the reason of this, which I need not
undertake to substantiate, for it is a fact that almost every person
knows? Now, we ARE believers in the Bible, and in consequence of our
unshaken faith in its precepts, doctrine, and prophecy, may be,
attributed "the strangeness of our course," and the unwarrantable
conduct of many towards this people.

Vol. 1, p.237
Come, my brother Presbyterian; come, my brother professors of every
persuasion of long standing and popular distinction in the world, who
are dubbed with the word "ORTHODOX;" come, we are all good Christians;
I find no fault with you—why should you find fault with me? But you
reply, "I cannot be a Latter-day Saint, consequently we must be
separated, and we cannot be brethren any longer."

Vol. 1, p.237
Come, my good brother Methodist, and my good brother Baptist, you are
free and open in your views and feelings, for you hold forth a free
salvation. This is a favorite doctrine of the Methodists. They say
salvation is handed out to all the human family, without money and
without price, and invite them to come and partake of the waters of
life freely. I declare the same. I am a believer in Jesus Christ, in
God the Father, and in the doctrines of salvation as they are taught
in the Old and New Testaments, though not so pointedly in the Old as
in the New. Yet the same principles of life and salvation are set
forth in both of these books, and I believe them. Come, my brother B,
do you believe them? You reply, "Yes, and have for these thirty years,
twenty-seven of which I have been a preacher of the Gospel. I believe
in the Son of God, and in the Old and New Testaments." Well, then,
what in the world do you want to quarrel with me for? "Because you are
not a believer, you have thrown away the Bible." You are mistaken, Mr.
B.; for instead of that, I have learned wisdom, got light, knowledge,
and understanding, so that I know how to believe the Bible. I ask you,
brother B, how I must believe the Bible, and how shall you and every
other follower of the Lord Jesus Christ believe it? "Brother Mormon,
how do you believe it?" I believe it just as it is. I do not believe
in putting any man's interpretation upon it, whatever, unless it
should be directed by the Lord Himself in some way. I do not believe
we need interpreters and expounders of the Scriptures, to wrest them
from their literal, plain, simple meaning.

Vol. 1, p.237
Let us take up a point of Scripture, and we will try to agree with Mr.
B, and take him along with us a few moments, and find out where we
disagree. We read in the Bible many things pertaining to life and
salvation. We first begin to read that Jesus came in the flesh. Now to
touch that point, which I do not purpose to do but slightly this
morning, I am sure we shall disagree at the commencement. But suppose
I examine that, a moment. The New Testament tells [p.238] me that the
Father gave His only-begotten Son a ransom for the sins of the world.
Do you believe that, brothor B.? Do you blieve that Jesus Christ is
the only-begotten Son of the Father? "Yes." Do you believe the Son was
begotten by the Father, as the Apostles said he was? Here I shall have
to disagree with you, to begin with; for I believe the Father came
down from heaven, as the Apostles said He did, and begat the Saviour
of the world; for he is the ONLY-begotten of the Father, which could
not be if the Father did not actually beget him in person.

Vol. 1, p.238
"I cannot believe that, for he is a God without: body, parts, or
passions; He has no person, therefore, I must disagree with you,
brother Mormon." I believe the Father came down in His tabernacle and
begat Jesus Christ. Mr. B. believes He has no tabernacle. I believe He
has a tabernacle, and begat Jesus Christ in His express image and
likeness, because the Bible expressly declares it. You disbelieve it,
because your priest and your mother have taught you it is not so. When
your mothers first read this Scripture, it was so plain to their
understandings andre their children, that they understood it as an
angel would, but deacon Jones must be called in to explain, and he
explained it away. So I disagree with you, Mr. B., in the first point
we have noticed, for you believe that God is without body and parts,
while the Bible declares. He has a corporeal body; that in His
likeness, precisely, He created Adam. The priests of this age declare
it is not so. The God Mr. B. believes in. is without body, parts, and
passions. The God that his "brother Mormon" believes in, is described
in the Bible as being a personage of tabernacle, having eyes to see,
for he that made the eye shall he not see? Having ears to hear, for
his ear are open to hear the prayers of the righteous. He has limbs
that he can walk, for the Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of
the day. He conversed with His children, as in the case of Moses at
the fiery bush, and with Abraham on the plains of Mamre. He also ate
and drank with Abraham and others. That is the God the "Mormons"
believe in, but their very religious Christian brethren do not believe
in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which is the God the Bible
sets forth, as an organized corporeal being. In this one point, you
can now clearly see wherein we disagree.

Vol. 1, p.238
You say, I have thrown away the New Testament. I say, I have not. You
say, I have sacrificed it for the Book of Mormon. I say, I have not. I
have acknowledged the Bible from the time I could be taught by my
parents to revere it. They taught me that it was the sacred word of
God. And as far as it could be translated correctly from the Hebrew
and Greek languages, it is given to us as pure as it possibly could be
given. The Bible is mine, and I am not prepared to have you rob me of
it, without my consent. The doctrine in it is mine, which I firmly
believe. I believe the Father begat the Son, and gave him to be a
propitiation for the sins of the world. I believe he died for the
redemption of man, and rose again the third day.

Vol. 1, p.238
Do you believe in the death and resurrection of Christ for the
salvation of man, Mr. B.? "Yes."

Vol. 1, p.238
Again, I believe he endowed the Apostles to go and preach the Gospel
of life and salvation to the world. For, said Jesus Christ, "Ye are my
witnesses; go and preach my resurrection from the dead. Tell the
people, the Father gave me for their sins; but in Adam all die, but in
me all shall again be made alive. If they ask you what they shall do
to be saved, tell them  what I have told every other person who has
been [p.239] saved; that they can only be saved in acts of obedience
to prove they believe in me, in the Father, in heaven, in angels, and
in you, that you are my servants and true believers in me. Tell them
to go into the waters of baptism, and be baptized for the remission of
sins. That is the first ordinance to be attended to after believing.
After they have manifested their faith in God the Father, in me, and
in your words by their repentance, then immerse them in water in
imitation of my burial, and raise them up again out of the water, in
imitation of my resurrection."

Vol. 1, p.239
"Oh," says brother B., "I believe in baptism, but still I believe a
person on be saved purely by the blood of Jesus, without the first
drop of water." But Jesus told them to go into all the world, and
preach the Gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.

Vol. 1, p.239
"And do you believe it is absolutely necessary to be baptized in order
to be saved? I cannot believe that." This is another point wherein you
and I differ, Mr. B. You cannot say with a good grace, you believe the
Bible, while in your works you deny it. I not only say I believe, but
prove it by my works. I go and submit to be baptized for the remission
of sins, as I am commanded.

Vol. 1, p.239
"But, brother Mormon, do you really suppose that water will wash away
your sins?" I will tell you what I suppose. I suppose THE LORD SAID IT
WOULD, and further it is none of my business. Baptism has been
instituted for the remission of sins; I therefore do it to take away
my sins; if there is any guilt in this, it rests upon the Author of
it, and not upon me. Paul was told to be baptized TO WASH AWAY HIS
SINS.

Vol. 1, p.239
My Christian brethren in the world say it is a piece of folly—a
species of extreme nonsense, to behove that water will wash away sins.
It is no matter to me what they say; it is a commandment of the Lord;
there is no mistake in it, it tells for itself. He says, Do thus and
so, and your sins shall be washed away. I care not how they are taken
away; whether an angel takes them to the Lord to get forgiveness,
whether they sink to the bottom of the stream, or float on the top,
and be scattered to the four winds; He says, Go into the water and be
baptized, and they shall be washed away; which is enough for me. On
this point also the Christian world and the "Mormons" disagree. But I
want to know if we agree with the teachings of the Bible, in our
belief and practice. The Latter-day Saints believe in doing just what
the Lord has told them to do in this book. If they go forth and are
baptized for the remission of sins, their sins are remitted to them,
if they go with all good conscience, calculating to serve the Lord all
the rest of their days.

Vol. 1, p.239
What next? Jesus instructed his servants, after they had baptized
believers, to lay their hands upon them for the gift of the Holy
Ghost. We believe in that. What do you believe concerning it, Mr. B.?
"Why, I believe it is necessary to give up our hearts to God." We
believe that, as much as you do. "I believe in going to our great
meetings, to our prayer meetings, and protracted meetings, and camp
meetings, and reformation meetings; for they are got up for the
purpose of exciting the feelings of the people; I believe in going
there and struggling with the Lord for the forgiveness of sins. We do
not care how long or how loud you pray; you may pray loud enough to
break up the roof of the house, and send it to the four winds, but are
you going to get the forgiveness of sins in this way? "O yes, brother
Mormon, do you not see the world is almost evangelized [p.240] by our
meetings, our tract societies, and our missionary societies. We are
going to convert the world in that way. I was converted so, and I am
trying with all my might to Convert others in the same way. We tell
sinners to go to the anxious seat to get remission of their sins."
Here is where we differ again. You tell them to go to the anxious seat
to get forgiveness; Christ, his Apostles, and we, tell them to be
baptized for the remission of sins. You also tell them to go to the
anxious seat to get the Holy Ghost; we tell them to receive it by the
laying on of hands, as the Bible instructs us.

Vol. 1, p.240
"Well, Mr. Mormon, and do you actually receive the Holy Ghost in that
way?" Yes, we do. If you call for testimony to substantiate this, we
can give the highest, the testimony of Jesus Christ. He said to his
ancient servants, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to
every creature. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; and
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." We appeal to thousands in this Church,
who can testify to the fulfilment of this quotation. At any rate, for
one I am here to testify to hundreds of instances, of men, women, and
children being healed by the power of God, through the laying on of
hands: and many I have seen raised from the gates of death, and
brought back from the verge of eternity; and some whose spirits had
actually left their bodies, returned again. I testify that I have seen
the sick healed by the laying on of hands, according to the promise of
the Saviour.

Vol. 1, p.240
"Well," says Mr. B., "if you have got this great power, and can heal
the sick by the laying on of hands, come with me and heal the sick in
our neighborhood; or how is it that any of you Mormons die at all?"
Take your time, Mr. B. The Bible teaches me I am dust, and to dust I
must return. It is not for me to thwart the plans of Jehovah, or do
away with any item of doctrine the Lord has taught inc. From dust I
am, and to dust I must return. So it is with the rest of us, we shall
all die and be buried in the silent grave, unless we can obtain faith
sufficient to overcome death. We die because we have not conquered
death, hell, and the grave. But if we continue obeying the Gospel, you
will see the time when we will have that power.

Vol. 1, p.240
Here again we disagree, as to the reception of the gift of the Holy
Ghost. Mr. B. converts people with long prayers and loud shouting; we
convert people by preaching repentance, and baptizing them for the
remission of sins, and laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy
Ghost; which spirit broods over them continually for their good, heals
their bodies, enlightens their minds, and makes them humble, meek, and
harmless as little children. When a person receives the Holy Ghost by
legal authority, he is like a child in its mother's lap; all is
harmony, praise to God, and good will to the children of men on the
earth. He is full of peace, comfort, and salvation, and feels like
crying hallelujah all the time. He is perfectly humble and passive,
and the Lord can do with him as He pleases. Will this state of feeling
always remain? Will passion ever rise again? Yes; for you then
commence a warfare, though the Comforter fills your heart, making you
rejoice in God your Saviour, with the atmosphere of your existence
clear and unclouded; this is not to continue, but soon the day  of
trial and temptation darkens the [p.241] fair prospect, to teach you
to lean on the Lord, and to overcome the world. Under the influence of
the Holy Ghost I have felt as happy as I possibly could feel, my heart
has been full of joy; I cling to that, and hold fast to the promise of
the Lord in the hour of temptation, and call upon Him to give me
strength to overcome.

Vol. 1, p.241
I must break from the thread of my discourse here, and say—Husbands,
is that the way you do? Wives, do you adopt that plan when passion
arises in your hearts against each other? Do you call upon the name of
Jesus Christ, and say, "Father, I ask thee for the gift of thy Spirit
to conquer this rising passion;" or do you give way to it, and scold
at your wives, or at your children, in bitter and vindictive language?
I say, shame on that man who will give way to his passions, and use
the name of God or of Christ to curse his ox or his horse, or any
creature which God has made; it is a disgrace to him.

Vol. 1, p.241
After this short digression, I will again resume the thread of my
subject. You remember the points upon which we disagree with our
brother Christians; our disagreement is mutual; they disagree as much
with us as we with them. The Bible leads; us to disagree with all the
Christian nations, and then with all the world. It has drawn the line
of demarcation between those who serve God and those who serve Him
not.

Vol. 1, p.241
The Holy Ghost takes of the Father, and of the Son, and shows it to
the disciples. It shows them things past, present, and to come. It
opens the vision of the mind, unlocks the treasures of wisdom, and
they begin to understand the things of God; their minds are exalted on
high; their conceptions of God and His creations are dignified, and
"Hallelujah to God and the Lamb in the highest," is the constant
language of their hearts. They comprehend themselves and the great
object of their existence. They also comprehend the designs of the
wicked one, and the designs of those who serve him; they comprehend
the designs of the Almighty in forming the earth, and mankind upon it,
and the ultimate purpose of all His creations. It leads them to drink
at the fountain of eternal wisdom, justice, and truth; they grow in
grace, and in the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ,
until they see as they are seen, and know as they are known.

Vol. 1, p.241
"What!" says Mr. B., "a man or a woman have revelation in these
days—in this enlightened age!" Yes, my brethren and sisters here, both
men and women, have revelation, and I can say with Moses of old—"Would
God that all the Lord's people were prophets." But in this point we
disagree.

Vol. 1, p.241
Mr. B. is a stormer to preach, and to work upon the sympathies of the
people, and especially upon the tender feelings of the female portion
of his congregation. He will tell about their children dying, and
picture out the sufferings of the poor, little, tender creatures. He
will tell about their husbands dying, and about wives dying, and how
they are lying in the lowly and silent grave. Add to this subject,
which is so thrilling to the sensations of mortals, a peculiar
trembling, plaintive tone, and perhaps accompanied with a shower of
tears streaming down the preacher's face, and it is well calculated to
disturb the equilibrium of the naturally tender-hearted, throw them
into tears and sobs, and make them suppose it is the operations of the
Holy Spirit, when in reality there is not one word of common sense or
saving truth in all the preaching.

Vol. 1, p.241
Again, they will walk up into the pulpit and pray for God the Father
to descend into their midst, for Jesus Christ and angels to mingle in
their company, and be one with them. They will pray for a Pentecostal
shower of [p.242] the Holy Ghost, whereas, in very, deed, the persons
who want the Holy Ghost, angels, the Son, the Father, and all heaven
in their midst, when they have done praying, will straightway tell the
people that God does not give the Holy Ghost, and that there is no
such thing in these days as revelation; that Joseph Smith was an
impostor because he professed to have received new revelation; that
the Latter Day Saints are all impostors, and have thrown away the Old
and New Testaments; that they are dangerous persons; and advise their
hearers to keep away from them, or they are sure to be deluded, and
carried away with their false doctrines; that they are the most wicked
and dangerous people oh the earth, &c.

Vol. 1, p.242
Well, Mr. B., on this point you and I disagree. We believe the New
Testament, and consequently, to be consistent, we must believe in new
revelation, visions, angels, in all the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and
all the promises contained in these books, and believe it about as it
reads. We give great credit to the Apostles, translators, and the
fathers that have preserved and handed down the Bible to us, their
children, and defended it through blood and fire. In this they have
certainly bequeathed a great blessing to the world, if they will be
guided by the plain instructions contained in that book.

Vol. 1, p.242
The Latter-day Saints understand the Bible as it reads, but the
generality of modern Christians disagree with us, and say it needs
interpreting. They cannot believe our Lord means what he says in the
16th chapter of Mark, when he tells his Apostles to go "into all the
world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. 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," &c. "Now," say they,
"we cannot believe that as it is written, but we have a very pretty
interpretation which suits us much better than the plain text. And
furthermore we have a sweeping argument that will destroy all your
system from beginning to end, and prove there is to be no more
revelation." Let us look at the passage here referred to. John, while
upon the Isle of Patmos, had a revelation which he wrote, and he
concluded the same by saying, "For I testify unto every man that
heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add
unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written
in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the
book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of
life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written
in this book." When this book, the Bible, was compiled, it was
selected by the council of Carthage from a pile of books more than
this pulpit could hold, which has been printed, and bound in almost
all shapes and sizes, and called the Bible. John's revelation was one
of the many books destined by that council to form the Bible. And the
saying which we have quoted, and which constitutes the sweeping
argument of modern Christians against new revelation, only alludes to
this particular book, which was to be kept sacred, as the word of the
Lord to John, and not to the whole Bible; nor does it prohibit the
Saints in his day, or the Saints in any future time, from getting new
revelation for themselves. That is not all; if we turn to the writings
of Moses, we find the same sentiment, and almost the same language
used. Moses says, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you,
neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the
commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." So if such
quotations are given with the  intent to shut the heavens, [p.243] and
put an end to all new revelation, then the revelations given to
Prophets who arose after Moses, and the revelations given to Jesus
Christ and his Apostles, including John and his revelation on the Isle
of Patmos, all amount to nothing, and are not worthy of our notice.
This "sweeping argument," when it is examined, sweeps away rather too
much; besides, John's Gospel and his epistle to his brethren were
written after he wrote his revelation on the Isle of Patmos,
consequently he would destroy his own system; but it sets forth the
ignorance and short-sightedness of those who have not the testimony of
Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy.

Vol. 1, p.243
In this we disagree. They say that the Bible needs interpreting; that
it does not mean what it sets forth; that the Holy Ghost has not been
given since the days of the Apostles; that there is no need of any
more revelation, the canon of Scripture being full. My KNOWLEDGE is,
if you will follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, as
recorded in the New Testament, every man and woman will be put in
possession of the Holy Ghost every person will become a Prophet, Seer,
and Revelator, and an expounder of truth. They will know things that
are, that will be, and that have been. They will understand things in
heaven, things on the earth, and things under the earth, things of
time, and things of eternity, according to their several callings and
capacities.

Vol. 1, p.243
There is one idea entertained by the "Mormons" which is somewhat of a
stumbling-block to the people, and apostates handle it to suit their
purpose. It is, that we consider the Bible merely as a guide or
finger-board, pointing to a certain destination. This is a true
doctrine, which we boldly advance. If you will follow the doctrines,
and be guided by the precepts, of that book, it will direct you where
you may see as you are seen, where you may converse with Jesus Christ,
have the visitation of angels, have dreams, visions, and revelations,
and understand and know God for yourselves. Is it not a stay and a
staff to you? Yes: it will prove to you that you are following in the
footsteps of the ancients. You can see what they saw, understand what
they understood, and enjoy what they enjoyed.

Vol. 1, p.243
Is this throwing the Bible away? No, not at all; but it adds faith to
faith, virtue to virtue, knowledge to knowledge, light to light, truth
to truth; for truth embraces truth, light cleaves to light, and every
holy principle cleaveth to its own. We have always differed in these
items.

Vol. 1, p.243
I have always, from my first experience, been ready to talk, converse,
and exchange ideas with every man and woman in whose society I have
chanced to be thrown. I say to all parties, I have no quarrels with
you, no contentions, but I am willing to exhibit my belief before you,
for it is the doctrine of the New Testament, which is also the
doctrine of the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Doctrine and
Covenants, which books contain the revelations of Jesus Christ, and
lead to eternal life. I give them to you freely. If you have got
anything extra, and worth more than what I have, why not be willing to
give to me as I am to give to you? Have you got true principles of
Christianity? They are also mine. I never had any occasion to have a
quarrel or debate with any man.

Vol. 1, p.243
You say you belong to the Presbyterians; it is no matter if you have
got the truth. Are you a Calvinist, or a Wesleyan? It is no matter, if
you have got the truth; that truth is also mine. Do you belong to the
Methodist's society? And have you got the truth? It is right, that
truth is "Mormonism," it is my property. Are you a Quaker? It is no
matter, [p.244] if you have the truth, that same truth is mine. Are
you a Catholic, and have got the truth? That is my doctrine, and I
will not quarrel about it.

Vol. 1, p.244
"Well," says one, "I am a Jew; I guess I can get up a quarrel with
you." No, you cannot. I shall not contend with you, for the Jews have
got true principles, and they possess no truth but what belongs to
"Mormonism;" for there is not a truth on earth or in heaven, that is
not embraced in "Mormonism."

Vol. 1, p.244
Another steps forward and says, "I am a Pagan; I think you will not
agree with me." Yes I will, as far as you follow the path of truth;
and when you have got to the end of that, I will give you more truth;
but if you reject it, it is your own business, and not mine. I will
not ask any person to embrace anything that is not in the New
Testament, until they have asked God if it is true or untrue, who will
satisfy them if they ask in faith nothing doubting. I will not ask any
person to embrace the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants,
to believe that we talk with God and angels, until they find out the
truth of it for themselves. If you say you believe it, because I say
it is true, and never seek to know it for yourselves, my testimony
will do you very little good. For me to say, I believe in Christ, and
not obey the Gospel, will do me very little good; to say that Joseph
Smith was a Prophet, and not obey his Gospel, would not profit me.

Vol. 1, p.244
This may be considered strong language. But I will say further: if I
attain to the knowledge of all true principles that have ever existed,
and do not govern myself by them, they will damn me deeper in hell
than if I had never known anything about them.

Vol. 1, p.244
I have noticed a few principles upon which the Christian world so
called, and the Latter-day Saints, disagree. Now let me say to you, my
hearers, to Saints and sinners: there is the New Testament; you may
leave out the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants,
and follow the precepts of that book faithfully, and I will warrant
you to arrive at salvation.

Vol. 1, p.244
"That is what we have believed all the time," say some; "we never did
believe in gathering to the Salt Lake Valley; we have always believed
the Lord could save us in our own land as well as in America. Cannot
the Lord save us in England as well as in that far off distant valley?
And we never thought it was very necessary to embrace the Book of
Mormon." But if you will follow up the testimony of that book (the New
Testament), and square your lives strictly by its doctrines, precepts,
and commandments, you will come to me and say, "Brother Brigham,
baptize me, that I may receive the Holy Ghost, for the Lord has told
me that I must be baptized for the remission of my sins by one who has
authority; and the Latter-day Saints hold the keys of the kingdom;"
and by that means find out that the Book of Mormon is true, that
Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of the Lord, that an angel from heaven
administered to him, that the Latter-day Saints have got the true
Gospel, that John the Baptist came to Joseph Smith and committed to
him the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood; and that Peter, James, and
John also came to him, and gave him the keys of the Melchisedek
Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God. "And now,
brother Brigham, Joseph has sent an angel to me, who has told me all
about it, and I am going with you to the Salt Lake Valley in the
mountains." So by faithfully attending to the first  principles of the
Gospel laid down in the New Testament, you are introduced into the
knowledge of the works of God in the dispensation of [p.245] the
fulness of times. I say to the Christian world, all this is as true as
the Lord God liveth; but is this my testimony to convert anybody? No.
Nevertheless it is verily true.

Vol. 1, p.245
If the Christian world would follow the instructions of the New
Testament, they would believe the doctrines of the Latter-day Saints:
and our swords would be beaten into plough-shares, and our spears into
pruning-hooks, and we should hail each other as brethren. All
quarrelling upon these plains would come to an end, and all desire to
injure each other would cease. The word in each person's mouth would
be "Brother, what can I do for you? Have I anything you need, that I
can serve you with, which is necessary to administer to your sick wife
and children? Are your cattle lost, and shall I help you to find
them?" All the weapons of warfare would be buried in the dust, no more
to be resurrected, and each man would say, "Come, let us hail each
other as brethren, and do each other good instead of evil."

Vol. 1, p.245
How is it with the Latter-day Saints? I dare scarcely talk about them.
We that have been inside among the Saints, have known longer than you
who have been outside, that they are not over righteous, though we are
not guilty of what you think we are.

Vol. 1, p.245
Let me explain. A man or woman who has embraced, and who enjoys, the
principles of this Church, ought to live like an angel. They ought
never to be angry with each other, but live in the light of the truth
continually, and every man be kind to his neighbor. Instead of that,
there are bickering, quarrelling, and hard feelings, and men who are
seeking to build up themselves, and get glory at the expense of their
brethren. I would not give much for the exaltation of such men, unless
they seek to do good for this people, and the people immediately
around them. The Lord does not thank you for your alms, long prayers,
sanctimonious speeches, and long faces, if you refuse to extend the
hand of benevolence and charity to your fellow creatures, and lift
them up, and encourage and strengthen the feeble, while their are
contending against the current of mortal ills.

Vol. 1, p.245
Cease your anger, and sullenness of temper, and serve the Lord with
cheerfulness, and singleness of heart. You need not expect salvation,
except you can administer the same salvation to others, both in
precept and example. If you expect compassion from me, administer the
same to me. If you wish kind words and kind treatment from me, give me
the same blessing you desire yourself; and that is the way you will be
saved.

Vol. 1, p.245
I say, O! ye Latter-day Saints, cease your wickedness; serve the Lord
with all your hearts, and keep your covenants with God and your
brethren. Then we shall gain the victory, and our warfare very soon
will come to a close. We will gain the upper hand of the enemy and
subdue our foe, and find ourselves in heaven with our families and
friends.

Vol. 1, p.245
This is Zion; and if we do not get this union among ourselves, it is
not Zion that will make us happy. We must begin and make Zion in our
own hearts, and then extend it to our neighborhoods, and so continue
until the Lord shall reign upon the earth.

Vol. 1, p.245
These broken remarks I have dealt out to you freely. May God bless
you. Amen. [p.246]

Heber C. Kimball, September 22, 1852

Funeral Address

Delivered By President Heber C. Kimball, September 23, 1852,
 on the Death of Sister Mary Smith, Relict of the 
Martyred Patriarch Hyrum Smith, and Who
 Departed this Life at the Residence of 
President Kimball, September 22, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.246
I wish to make a few remarks, on this solemn occasion, in regard to
sister Mary, and in regard to what brother Brigham has said, which is
perfectly congenial to my feelings.

Vol. 1, p.246
As it regards sister Mary Smith's situation and circumstances, I have
no trouble at all, for if any person has lived the life of a Saint,
she has. If any person has acted the part of a mother, she has. I may
say she has acted the part of a mother, and a father, and a Bishop.
She has had a large family, and several old people to take care of,
and which she has maintained for years by her economy and industry.

Vol. 1, p.246
One thing I am glad of, and I feel to rejoice in the providence of God
that things have been as they have. She came here sick on the Sabbath,
eight weeks ago last Sunday, for me to lay hands upon her. She was
laid prostrate upon her bed, and was not able to recover afterwards. I
felt as though it was a providential circumstance that it so happened.
She always expressed that she knew the thing was dictated by the Lord
that she should be placed here in my house, though accidentally. She
probably would not have lived so long, had she been where she could
not have had the same care. On Tuesday evening, eight weeks and two
days since, she came here sick; from that time until her death she was
prayerful and humble. I have never seen a person in my life that had a
greater desire to live than she had, and there was only one thing she
desired to live for, and that was to see to her family; it distressed
her to think that she could not see to them; she wept about it. She
experienced this anxiety for a month previous to her death, and she
wept and prayed that the diseased place might be opened.

Vol. 1, p.246
She was never left alone, after she became sick. My family, and
brother Brigham's family, and others, waited upon her all the time.
She had every attention paid to her, that ever was paid to a sick
person. This she expressed, herself, times and times again. Sister
Thompson has been here ever since sister Mary was taken sick, and she
paid every attention to her. I say, with regard to my family, if ever
there were good feelings shown to any person, they have manifested
them to her, so also have brother Brigham's family, and others who
live around here. I will say so much in their behalf, and for the
consolation of the friends of the departed.

Vol. 1, p.246
I am thankful to the Lord God, that I have had the privilege, with my
family, to do Mary a kindness; it is a consolation to me. Do I regret
it? No. I never regret a good deed that I  have done in my life. If I
regret [p.247] anything, it is that I have not the ability to do more
good.

Vol. 1, p.247
Let us do all the good we can. Show all the kindness we can to the
world, to both Saint and sinner, to all upon the face of the earth,
and I know we shall receive our reward for every good and for every
evil work we do, but I do not want to be rewarded for anything but
that which is good. May God grant me life, that it may be spent for
the good of this people, and for the comfort and consolation of
brother Brigham. God forbid I should ever grieve his feelings, and the
Spirit of God, from this time forth, that when I die I may depart in
peace, to mingle with those who have gone before me.

Vol. 1, p.247
I know sister Mary has departed in peace; she has gone home. I never
heard her murmur against brother Brigham in my life, nor against me.
If I went to see her, it was well; if not, it was all the same. She
has come to see me, sometimes once, and sometimes twice a week. When I
have seen her, I have said to her, I have no time to come and see you,
Mary, therefore you must come and see me. She never considered it too
much trouble to come and see me and her brethren. I am satisfied she
desired to live for the benefit of her children. I know she has given
them good counsel, and if they will follow it they will never be in
trouble. I feel well towards them, and towards all present, and, in
fact, I have nothing against any being upon the face of the earth. I
feel to rejoice, I am comforted, and I feel to praise the Lord God;
and when I have done my work, I will go to my brethren, and be with
those I have associated with from the beginning. Why I believe it, is,
because I have an assurance for myself, which is like an anchor, and
taketh hold of that which is within the vail. I shall land safe; this
is my feeling, and I have no other desire in my heart, nor ever had
from the first day I enlisted into this Church. I never had any wish,
but to do that which is right all the time. Considering the character
of my calling, connected as I am and have been with the Prophet,
Apostles, and Patriarchs of Jesus Christ, and with holy men of God, I
do not consider that anything else but doing right is the character of
such a man, it is the nature of his calling and office to be an
Apostle, and issue forth the light and truth of God, from this time
henceforth and forever. These are my feelings, brother Brigham, all
the time. [President Brigham Young, "I know it."] When I eat and when
I drink, when I go out and when I come in, my prayer is, and feelings
are, to do right; and I am glad I did right to sister Mary, and took
care of her, and that my family had the pleasure of nourishing her;
the satisfaction this gives me, is worth more to me than a hundred
thousand dollars. Do I believe they know it in heaven? Yes, as much as
you do. I want to live all the time in righteousness, as I know that
God sees me and all the works of His hands. When we see as He sees,
and comprehend as He comprehends, it will be by the same powers and
keys that we are known to Him. I rejoice exceedingly before God, that
I am a Latter-day Saint, that I am a "Mormon" Elder in Israel, for
what I know, and for what I have seen and passed through; it is worth
more to me than gold and silver, or precious stones; what I have
passed through has given me an experience, and I praise the Lord God
that I am a member of the house of Israel, and one of the elect of
God; and I shall dwell with you in eternity, and I know it.

Vol. 1, p.247
May God bless you forever, Amen. [p.248]

Brigham Young, June 5, 1853

Use and Abuse of Blessings

An Address Delivered By President B. Young,
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, June 5, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.248
I feel disposed to say a few words on the present occasion. It is
said, that "at the sight of the eyes the heart is made to rejoice."
This is truly the case with me this afternoon, when I look upon the
congregation, to see this spacious hall filled with the Saints of the
Most High, for the purpose of partaking of the Sacrament of the Lord's
Supper. It is a sight which I have not had the privilege of seeing
before, only on Conference days. This morning I looked around to see
how the house was crowded, which was packed to that extent that scores
could not be seated. I looked if peradventure I could designate any
person that did not belong to the Church, that did not profess to be a
Saint; but I could not see a single person of that description, that I
knew of. I thought, why not be as diligent to attend the afternoon
meetings, to partake of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, as to
attend the morning meetings? Hitherto it has not been the case, but my
heart rejoices to see the house so well filled this afternoon. I feel
in my heart to bless you; it is full of blessings and not cursings. It
is something that does not occupy my feelings, to curse any
individual, but I will modify this by saying those who ought not to be
cursed. Who ought to be? Those who know their master's will, and do it
not; they are worthy of many stripes; it is not those who do not know,
and do not do, but those who know it, and do not do it—they are the
ones to be chastised.

Vol. 1, p.248
While the brethren have been speaking upon the blessings the Lord
bestows upon this people, my mind has reflected upon many of the
circumstances of life, and upon certain principles. I will ask you a
question—Do you think persons can be blessed too much? I will answer
it myself. Yes, they can, they can be blessed to their injury. For
instance, suppose a person should be blessed with the knowledge of the
holy Gospel, whose heart is set in him to do evil. We esteem this as a
blessing, and would not the Lord consider it a blessing to bestow His
favors and mercies upon any individual, by giving him a knowledge of
life and salvation? But suppose He bestowed it upon persons whose
hearts were set in them to do evil, who would by their wickedness turn
these blessings into curses, they would be blessed too much. It is
possible to bless people to death, you can bless them to everlasting
misery by heaping too many blessings upon them. Perhaps this is what
was meant by the saying—It is like heaping coals of fire upon their
heads; it will injure them, consume them, burn them, destroy them.
Suffice it to say, that people can be blessed too much. Can you bless
a wise man too much? a man who knows what to do with his blessings
when they are bestowed upon him? No, you cannot. Can you bless a wise
people too much? No, it is impossible, when they know how to improve
upon all blessings that are bestowed upon them.  But [p.249] the Lord
does and will bless the inhabitants of the earth with such great and
inestimable blessings, in the proclamation of the Gospel, that they
will be damned who reject them, for light brings condemnation to men
who love darkness rather than light.

Vol. 1, p.249
Have this people been blessed too much? I wilt not positively say, but
I think they have, inasmuch as their blessings in some instances have
been to their injury. Why? Because they have not known what to do with
their blessings.

Vol. 1, p.249
While the brethren were speaking of the liberal hand of Providence in
bestowing abundantly the products of the earth, it occurred to me,
that this people, to my certain knowledge, had felt that they had too
much, and they esteemed it as good for nothing. It is true what
brother Jedediah Grant said with regard to wheat, and other grains,
for I have seen it myself. I have seen hundreds, and thousands, and
scores of thousands of bushels of grain lying to waste and rot, when
it has not brought a great price. Many of this people have thought,
and expressed themselves in language like this—"I can go to
California, and get so much gold, or I can trade and make so much
gold, I cannot therefore spend time to take care of wheat, nor to
raise it; let it lie there and rot while I go and accumulate riches."
They were then wealthy, for their granaries and barns were full of the
blessings of the Lord, but now they are empty, because they did not
know what to do with their blessings.

Vol. 1, p.249
I can tell this people how to dispose of all their blessings, if they
will only allow me time enough; and if I cannot tell them how, I can
show them. For instance, you who have fields of wheat, beyond the
limits of grasshoppers, will have considerable crops when it is
harvested, and perhaps so much that you will not know what to do with
it. I know what you ought to do with it; you ought to say to your poor
brethren—"Come and help take care of my grain, and share with me, and
feed yourselves and your families." If you have so much that you
cannot take care of it, and have no where to put it, and your
neighbour is not without bread, tell Bishop Hunter that you have got
so many hundred bushels to lay over in the store, and you will have
the benefit of it on your tithing. That is what I recommend you to do
with your blessings, when you have more than you can take care of
yourselves. I say, hand it over and let your neighbors take care of it
for you.

Vol. 1, p.249
This makes me think of what I saw the first year I came into this
valley, the same year I moved my family, which was the next season
after the pioneers arrived here. It was late in the season when I
arrived, but from the ground where this house now stands, there had
been cut two crops of wheat. They had harvested the first crop very
early, and the water being flooded over, it again started from the
roots, and produced a fair crop, say from ten to twelve bushels to the
acre. That was harvested, and it was coming up again. I said to the
brethren, "Let these my brethren who have come with me gather up this
wheat," but they would not suffer them to do it. Some of the brethren
had gathered their crops of grain, and left a great deal wasting on
the fields. I said, "Let the poor brethren, who have come in from
abroad, glean in your fields." You can bear me witness that a great
many widows and poor men came here, and brought but very little with
them, and there never was a man, to my knowledge, ever expressed a
desire to let them glean in his field. "All right," I said, "we can
live on greens," while at the same time there was more wasted that
season than to make up the deficiency, that all might have been
comfortable, [p.250] Late in the fall I saw one man working among his
corn; he had a large crop, more than a single man could take care of.
I saw he was going to let it go to waste; I said to him, "Brother, let
the brethren and sisters help you to husk your corn, to gather it and
put it safely away, for so much it will benefit them and help you."
"O," he replied," I have nothing to spare, I can take care of it
myself." I saw it wasting, and said to him, "Brother, get your corn
husked immediately, and let the brethren do it, and pay them with a
portion of it." He replied, "I cannot spare a bit of it." I have no
question of it at all in my mind, but three-fourths of his corn went
into the mud, and was trampled down by the cattle; and women and
children went without bread in consequence of it. That man had no
judgment, he knew not what to do with the blessings the Lord had
bestowed upon him.

Vol. 1, p.250
Were I to ask the question, how much wheat or anything else a man must
have to justify him in letting it go to waste, it would be hard to
answer; figures are inadequate to give the amount. Never let anything
go to waste. Be prudent, save everything, and what you get more than
you can take care of yourselves, ask your neighbors to help you. There
are scores and hundreds of men in this house, if the question were
asked them if they considered their grain a burden and a drudge to
them, when they had plenty last year and the year before, that would
answer in the affirmative, and were ready to part with it for next to
nothing. How do they feel now, when their granaries are empty? If they
had a few thousand bushels to spare now, would they not consider it a
blessing? They would. Why? Because it would bring the gold and silver.
But pause for a moment, and suppose you had millions of bushels to
sell, and could sell it for twenty dollars per bushel, or for a
million dollars per bushel, no matter what amount, so that you sell
all your wheat, and transport it out of the country, and you are left
with nothing more than a pile of gold, what good would it do you? You
could not eat it, drink it, wear it, or carry it off where you could
have something to eat. The time will come that gold will hold no
comparison in value to a bushel of wheat. Gold is not to be compared
with it in value. Why would it be precious to you now? Simply because
you could get gold for it? Gold is good for nothing, only as men value
it. It is no better than a piece of iron, a piece of limestone. or a
piece of sandstone, and it is not half so good as the soil from which
we raise our wheat, and other necessaries of life. The children of men
love it, they lust after it, are seedy for it, and are ready to
destroy themselves, and those around them, over whom they have any
influence, to gain it.

Vol. 1, p.250
When this people are blessed so much that they consider their
blessings; a burden and a drudge to them, you may always calculate on
a cricket war, a grasshopper war, a drought, too much rain, or
something else to make the scales preponderate the other way. This
people have been blessed too much, so that they have not known what to
do with their blessings.

Vol. 1, p.250
What do we hear from the inhabitants of the different settlements? The
cry is—"I do not wish to live out yonder, for there is no chance to
speculate and trade with the emigrants." Have you plenty to eat? Have
you plenty of wheat, fowls, butter, cheese, and calves? Are you not
raising stock in abundance for flesh meat of different kinds? What use
is gold when you get enough to eat, drink, and wear without it? What
is the matter? "Why, we are away off, and cannot get rich all at
once." You are lusting after that which you do not know  what to do
with, for few men, [p.251] know what to do with riches when they
possess them. The inhabitants of this valley have proved it. They have
proved it by their reckless waste of the products of the earth, by
their undervaluing the blessings conferred upon them by the
emigration, which has administered clothing and other necessaries to
them. We can see men who can clothe themselves and their families
easily, go into the kanyons in their broad-cloth pantaloons to get
wood, or you may see them take a horse, and ride bare-backed until
they tear them to pieces, that they are not fit to come to meeting in.
They do not know how to take care of good clothing. Again, if we were
digging in a water-ditch to-morrow, that required all hands, in
consequence of the rising of the water, I have no doubt but you would
see what I saw the other day—one of our young dandies, who was perhaps
not worth the shirt on his back, came to work in a water-ditch,
dressed in his fine broadcloth pantaloons, and a fine bosomed shirt,
and I have no doubt he would have worn gloves too if he had been worth
a pair. You would see men of this description, who are without
understanding, whole hearted, good fellows, and ready to do anything
for the advancement of the public good, commence to dig in the mud and
wet, in their fine clothes, and go into the water, up to their knees,
with their fine calf-skin boots. This is a wanton waste of the
blessings of God, that cannot be justifiable in His eyes, and in the
eyes of prudent, thinking men, under ordinary circumstances. If
prudence and economy are necessary at one time more than at another,
it is when a family or a nation are thrown upon their own resources,
as we are. But you may trace the whole lives of some men, and it will
be impossible for you to point out a single portion of time when they
knew how to appreciate and how to use even the common comforts of
life, when they had them, to say nothing of an abundance of wealth.

Vol. 1, p.251
Again, there have been more contention and trouble between neighbors,
in these valleys, with regard to surplus property, which was not
needed by this people, than any other thing. For instance, a widow
woman comes in here from the United States, and turns out on the range
beyond Jordan three yoke of oxen and a few cows, for she considers she
is too poor to have them herded. Again, a man comes in with ten yoke
of oxen; he also turns them out to wander where they please. If he is
asked why he does not put them in a herd, he will tell you, "I do not
want to pay the herding fee." Another comes on with three or four span
of horses, and twenty or thirty yoke of cattle. Has he any for sale?
No, but he turns them all out upon the range and they are gone. By and
by he sends a boy on horseback to hunt them, who is unsuccessful in
finding them after a week's toil. The owner turns out himself, and all
hands, to hunt up his stock, but they also fail in finding them, they
are all lost except a very few. He was not able to have them herded,
he thought, though he possessed so much property, and knew nothing
more than to turn them out to run at large. Thus he consumes his time,
running after his lost property. He frets his feelings, for his mind
is continually upon it; he is in such a hurry in the morning to go out
to hunt his stock, that he has no time to pray; when he returns home
late at night, worn out with toil and anxiety of mind, he is unfit to
pray; his cattle are lost, his mind is unhinged and darkened through
the neglect of his duty, and apostacy stares him in the face, for he
is not satisfied with himself, and murmurs against his brethren, and
against his God. By and by some of his cattle turn up with a strange
brand upon them; they [p.252] have been taken up and sold to this
person or that one. This brings contention and dissatisfaction between
neighbor and neighbor. Such a person has too much property, more than
he knows what to do with. It would be much better for a man who is a
mechanic, and intends to follow his business, to give one out of two
cattle which he may possess, to some person, for taking care of the
other. It would be better for those who possess a great quantity of
stock, to sell half of them to fence in a piece of land, to secure the
other half, than to drive them all out to run at large, and lose
three-fourths of them. If there are half-a-dozen men round me, and I
can put a cow in their way or anything else that will do them good,
for fencing up a lot for me, the property I thus pay is not out of the
world, but is turned over to those men who had not a mouthful of meat,
butter, or milk; it is doing them good, and I am reaping the profit
and benefit of their labors in exchange. If I did not do this, I must
either see them suffer, or make a free distribution of a part of what
I have among them.

Vol. 1, p.252
It is impossible for me to tell you how much a man must possess to
entitle him to the liberty of wasting anything, or of letting it be
stolen and run away with by the Indians. The surplus property of this
community, as poor as we are, has done more real mischief than
everything else besides.

Vol. 1, p.252
I will propose a plan to stop the stealing of cattle in coming time,
and it is this—let those who have cattle on hand join in a company,
and fence in about fifty thousand acres of land, make a dividend of
their cattle, and appropriate what they can spare, to fence in a large
field, and this will give employment to immigrants who are coming in.
When you have done this, then get up another company, and so keep on
fencing until all the vacant land is substantially enclosed.

Vol. 1, p.252
Some persons will perhaps say—"I do not know how good and how high a
fence it will be necessary to build to keep thieves out. I do not know
either, except you build one that will keep out the devil. Build a
fence which the boys and the cattle cannot pull down, and I will
ensure you will keep your stock. Let every man lay his plans so as to
secure enough for his present necessities, and hand over the rest to
the laboring man; keep making improvements, building, and making
farms, and that will not only advance his own wealth, but the wealth
of the community.

Vol. 1, p.252
A man has no right with property, which, according to the laws of the
land, legally belongs to him, if he does not want to use it; he ought
to possess no more than he can put to usury, and cause to do good to
himself and his fellow-man. When will a man accumulate money enough to
justify him in salting it down, or, in other words, laying it away in
the chest, to lock it up, there to lie, doing no manner of good either
to himself or his neighbor. It is impossible for a man ever to do it.
No man should keep money or property by him that he cannot put to
usury for the advancement of that property in value or amount, and for
the good of the community in which he lives; if he does, it becomes a
dead weight upon him, it will rust, canker, and gnaw his soul, and
finally work his destruction, for his heart is set upon it. Every man
who has got cattle, money, or wealth of any description, bone and
sinew, should put it out to usury. It a man has the arm, body, head,
the component parts of a system to constitute him a laboring man, and
has nothing in the world to depend upon but his hands, let him put
them to usury. Never hide up anything in a napkin, but put it forth to
bring an increase. If you have got property of any kind, that you do
not know what to do with, [p.253] lay it out in making a farm, or
building a saw mill or a woollen factory, and go to with your mights
to put all your property to usury.

Vol. 1, p.253
If you have more oxen and other cattle than you need, put them in the
hands of other men, and receive their labor in return, and put that
labor where it will increase your property in value.

Vol. 1, p.253
I hope you will now lay your plans to set men to work who will be in
here by and by, for there will be a host of them, and they will all
want employment, who trust to their labor for a subsistence; they will
all want something to eat, and calculate to work for it. In the first
place, keep the ground in good order to produce you plentiful crops of
grain and vegetables, and then take care of them.

Vol. 1, p.253
Let me say to the sisters, those who have children, never consider
that you have bread enough around you to suffer your children to waste
a crust or a crumb of it. If a man is worth millions of bushels of
wheat and corn, he is not wealthy enough to suffer his servant girl to
sweep a single kernel of it into the fire; let it be eaten by
something, and pass again into the earth, and thus fulfil the purpose
for which it grew. Some mothers would fill a basket full of bread to
make a plaything for their children, but I have not had flour enough
in the time of my greatest abundance, to let my children waste one
morsel of bread with my consent. No, I would rather feed the greatest
enemy I have on the earth with it, than have it go into the fire.
Remember it, do not waste anything, but take care of everything, save
your grain, and make your calculations, so that when the brethren come
in from the United States, from England, and other places, you can
give them some potatoes, onions, beets, carrots, parsnips,
watermelons, or anything else which you have, to comfort them, and
cheer up their hearts, and if you have wheat, dispose of it to them,
and receive their labor in return. Raise enough and to spare of all
the staple necessaries of life, and lay your plans to hire your
brethren who will come in this fall to fence your farms, improve your
gardens, and make your city lots beautiful. Lay your plans to secure
enough to feed yourselves, and one or two of the brethren that are
coming to dwell with us.

Vol. 1, p.253
When we first came into the Valley, the question was asked me, if men
would ever be allowed to come into this Church, and remain in it, and
hoard up their property. I say, NO. That is a short answer, and it is
a pointed one. The man who lays up his gold and silver, who caches it
away in a bank, or in his iron safe, or buries it up in the earth, and
comes here, and professes to be a Saint, would tie up the hands of
every individual in this kingdom, and make them his servants if he
could. It is an unrighteous, unhallowed, unholy, covetous principle;
it is of the devil, and is from beneath. Let every person who has
capital, put it to usury. Is he required to bring his purse to me, to
any of the Twelve, or to any person whatever, and lay it at their
feet? No, not by me. But I will tell you what to do with your means.
If a man comes in the midst of this people with money, let him use it
in making improvements, in building, in beautifying his inheritance in
Zion, and in increasing his capital by thus putting out his money to
usury. Let him go and make a great farm, and stock it well, and
fortify all around with a good and efficient fence. What for? Why for
the purpose of spending his money. Then let him cut it up into fields,
and adorn it with trees, and build a fine house upon it. What for? Why
for the purpose of spending his money. What will he do when. his money
is gone? The money thus spent, with a wise and prudent hand, [p.254]
is in a situation to accumulate and increase a hundredfold. When he
has done making his farm, and his means still increase by his diligent
use of it, he can then commence and build a woollen factory for
instance, he can send and buy the sheep and have them brought here,
have them herded here, and shear them here, and take care of them,
then set the boys and girls to cleaning, carding, spinning, and
weaving the wool into cloth, and thus employ hundreds and thousands of
the brethren and sisters who have come from the manufacturing
districts of the old country, and have not been accustomed to dig in
the earth for their livelihood, who have not learned anything else but
to work in the factory. This would feed them and clothe them, and put
within their reach the comforts of life; it would also create at home
a steady market for the produce of the agriculturist, and the labor of
the mechanic. When he has spent his hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, which he began business with, and fed five hundred persons,
from five to ten years, besides realizing a handsome profit from the
labor of the hands employed, by the increased population, and
consequent increased demand for manufactured goods, at the end of ten
years, his factory would be worth five hundred thousand dollars.
Suppose he had wrapped up his hundred and fifty thousand in a napkin,
for fear of losing it, it would have sent him down to perdition, for
the principle is from beneath. But when he puts forth his money to
usury, not to me or any other person, but where it will redouble
itself, by making farms, building factories for the manufacture of
every kind of material necessary for home consumption, establishing
blacksmith's shops and other mechanical establishments, making
extensive improvements to beautify the whole face of the earth, until
it shall become like the garden of Eden, it becomes a saving blessing
to him and those around him. And when the kings, princes, and rulers
of the earth shall come to Zion, bringing their gold, and silver, and
precious stones with them, they will admire and desire your
possessions, your fine farms, beautiful vineyards, and splendid
mansions. They will say—"We have got plenty of money, but we are
destitute of such possessions as these." Their money loses its value
in their eyes when compared with the comfortable possessions of the
Saints, and they will want to purchase your property. The industrious
capitalist inquires of one of them—"Do you want to purchase this
property? I have obtained it by my economy and judgment, and by the
labour of my brethren, and in exchange for their labour I have been
feeding and clothing them, until they also have comfortable
situations, and means to live. I have this farm, which I am willing to
sell to enable me to advance my other improvements." "Well," says the
rich man, "how much must I give you for it?" "Five hundred thousand
dollars," and perhaps it has not cost him more than one hundred
thousand. He takes the money and builds up three or four such farms,
and employs hundreds of his brethren who are poor.

Vol. 1, p.254
Money is not real capital, it bears the title only. True capital is
labor, and is confined to the laboring classes. They only possess it.
It is the bone, sinew, nerve, and muscle of man that subdue the earth,
make it yield its strength, and administer to his varied wants. This
power tears down mountains and fills up valleys, builds cities and
temples, and paves the streets. In short, what is there that yields
shelter and comfort to civilized man, that is not produced by the
strength of his arm making the elements bend to his will.

Vol. 1, p.255
I will now ask the question again—[p.255] How much must a man possess
to authorize him to waste anything? Three or four years ago money was
of little value in this country; you might go round exhibiting a back
lead of gold, and hold out a large piece to a man, I was going to say,
almost as big as this bible, and ask him to work for you, but he would
laugh at your offer, and tell you he was looking for some one to work
for him. He would then: hail another man who had been in Navoo, and
passed through the pinches there, and had scarcely a shirt to his
back, but he would reply—"I was looking for some man to work for me."
Gold could not purchase labor, it was no temptation whatever, but
those times are passed. It is not now as it was then. I consequently
alter ray counsel to the brethren. I used to counsel you to hand over
your surplus property, or that which you could not take care of, to
me, and I would apply it to a good purpose, but now I counsel you to
put it into the hands of men who have nothing at all, and let them pay
you for it in labor.

Vol. 1, p.255
I have never been troubled with thieves stealing my property. If I am
not smart enough to take care of what the Lord lends me, I am smart
enough to hold my tongue about it, until I come across the thief
myself, and then I am ready to tie a string round his neck.

Vol. 1, p.255
I have not the least hesitation in saying that the loose conduct, and
calculations, and manner of doing business, which have characterized
men who have had property in their hands, have laid the foundation to
bring our boys into the spirit of stealing. You have caused them to do
it, you have laid before them every inducement possible, to learn
their hands and train their minds to take that which is not their own.
Those young men who have been taken up the past season and condemned
to ignominious punishment, may trace the cause of their shame to that
foundation. Distribute your property. The man that thinks he requires
ten yoke of cattle, and can only use one yoke, is laboring under a
mistake, he ought to let nine yoke go to the laboring community. If
every man would do this with the property which he is not using, all
would be employed and have sufficient. This would be the most
effectual means of bringing the vile practice of stealing cattle and
other property to a termination, which, as I have already said, has
been encouraged by covetous, selfish men, who have refused to use
their property for their own good, or the community's.

Vol. 1, p.255
Let us hold before our mind the miser. If the people of this community
feel as though they wanted the whole world to themselves, hate any
other person to possess anything, and would hoard up their property,
and place it in a situation where it would not benefit either
themselves or the community, they are just as guilty as the man who
steals my property. You may inquire—"What should be done with such a
character?" Why, CUT HIM OFF FROM THE CHURCH. I would disfellowship a
man who had received liberally from the Lord, and refused to put it
out to usury. We know this is right.

Vol. 1, p.255
I recollect well the days brother Grant was telling of, when it was so
hard to raise fifty dollars for brother Joseph. I also remember we had
a man for trial before the High Council, a man who had plenty of
money, and refused to loan it, or use it for the advancement of the
cause of truth. He would not put his money out to usury. I was going
into the Council when he was making his plea, and he wept and sobbed.
His name was Isaac McWithy, a man of about fifty-three years of age. I
knew him when he lived on his farm in York state.  He told them, in
his plea, what he had done for the cause, that he had [p.256] always
been a Christian, and had done so much for the Churches, and for the
Priests, and been so liberal since he had been in this Church, which
was between three and four years. Some of the brethren said—"Brother
McWithy, how much do you suppose you have ever given for the support
of the Gospel?" The tears rolled down his checks, and he said,
"Brethren, I believe I have given away in my life time two hundred and
fifty dollars." I spake out and said, "If I could not preach as many
months each year in this kingdom as you have been yearn in this
Church, and give no more than two hundred and fifty dollars, I should
be ashamed of myself."

Vol. 1, p.256
On one occasion, brother Joseph Young and myself had travelled more
than two hours among snow, and in a piercing cold, to preach in his
neighborhood one evening. Having had no dinner or supper, we went home
with him, and he never asked us to eat a mouthful of supper, though he
did muster courage enough to go into the cellar with a little basket,
he came up with the tears almost running down his cheeks, and said
with some difficulty—"Brethren, have some apples." He held out the
basket to us, and when we were about to help ourselves, his niggardly
soul made him draw it back again, for fear we should take any. I saw
he did not intend us to have any apples, so I put my hand on the
basket, and drew it out of his hand, saying—"Come here." I took it on
my knees, and invited brother Joseph to eat some apples. He did make
out to give us some breakfast in the morning, and even then he got up
from the table before we had time to half finish our breakfast, to see
if we would not give over eating. Said I—"Never mind, I shall eat what
I want before I stop."

Vol. 1, p.256
I am happy to say, through your Trustee in trust, that the Latter-day
Saints, in the capacity of a Church and kingdom, do not owe near as
much money as they have on hand. A. year ago last April Conference, we
owed over sixty thousand dollars, but we do not now owe a single red
cent.

Vol. 1, p.256
May God bless us, that we may always have enough, and know what to do
with what we have, and how to use it for the good of all, for I would
not give much for property unless I did know what to do with it.

Parley P. Pratt, April 10, 1853

Heirship and Priesthood

A Discourse Delivered By Elder P. P. Pratt, 
at the General Conference, in the Tabernacle, 
Great Salt Lake City, April 10, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.256
At the request of my brethren, I rise to occupy a portion of the time.
I realize that there are many present who are equally prepared to
administer in the things of the Spirit of God. The time is precious,
and I desire that I may have the Spirit of God, with the prayers and
confidence of the people, to speak in wisdom that which is necessary,
and then give opportunity to my brethren; for I love to hear them, and
so do this people.

Vol. 1, p.257
[p.257] I have reflected a little upon the text that was presented to
us by our President a few days since, and upon the excellent remarks
made by himself and others upon the subject of heirship, or the
inherent rights of the first-born, and of election. I consider,
indeed, that it opens a broad field, and that there is no danger of
exhausting the subject, whatever may be said of it.

Vol. 1, p.257
The covenants made with the fathers, and the rights of the children by
reason of them, are an interesting subject to me.

Vol. 1, p.257
In the first place, if all men were created alike, if all had the same
degree of intelligence and purity of disposition, all would be equal.
But, notwithstanding the declaration of American sages, and of the
fathers of our country, to the contrary, it is a fact that all beings
are not equal in their intellectual capacity, in their dispositions,
and in the gifts and callings of God. It is a fact that some beings
are more intelligent than others, and some are endowed with abilities
or gifts which others do not possess.

Vol. 1, p.257
In organizing and peopling the worlds, it was found necessary to place
among the inhabitants some superior intelligences, who were
capacitated to teach, to rule, and preside among other intelligences.
In short, a variety of gifts, and adaptations to the different arts,
sciences, and occupations, was as necessary as the uses and benefits
arising therefrom have proved to be. Hence one intelligence is
peculiarly adapted to one department of usefulness, and another to
another. We read much in the Bible in relation to a choice or
election, on the part of Deity, towards intelligences in His
government on earth, whereby some were chosen to fill stations very
different from others. And this election not only affected the
individuals thus chosen, but their posterity for long generations, or
even for ever.

Vol. 1, p.257
It may be inquired where this election first originated, and upon what
principle a just and impartial God exercises the elective franchise.
We will go back to the earliest knowledge we have of the existence of
intelligences. We learn from the writings of Abraham and others, and
from modern revelation, that the intelligences that now inhabit these
tabernacles of earth were living, active intelligences in yonder
world, while the particles of matter which now compose our outward
bodies were yet mingled with their native element; that then our
embodied spirits lived, moved, conversed, and exercised an agency. All
intelligences which exist possess a degree of independence in their
own sphere. For instance, the bee can go at will in search of honey,
or remain in the hive. It can visit one flower or another, as
independent in its own sphere as God is in His. We find a degree of
independence in everything which possesses any degree of intelligence;
that thinks, moves, or acts: because the very principle of voluntary
action implies an independent will to direct such action.

Vol. 1, p.257
Among the intelligences which existed in the beginning, some were more
intelligent than others, or, in other words, more noble; and God said
to Abraham, "These I will make my rulers!" God said unto Abraham,
"Thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born."

Vol. 1, p.257
NOBLE! Does He use the word noble? Yes; the word noble, or that which
signified it, was used in conversation between God and Abraham, and
applied to superior intelligences on earth, and which had pre-existed
in the heavens.

Vol. 1, p.257
I am aware that the term is greatly abused, in Europe and elsewhere,
being applied to those titled, and to those who inherit certain titles
and estates, whether they are wise men or fools, virtuous or vicious.
A man may [p.258] even be an idiot, a drunkard, an adulterer, or a
murderer, and still be called a nobleman by the world. And all this
because his ancestor, for some worthy action, or perhaps for being
skilled in murder and robbery, under the false glare of "military
glow," obtained a title, and the possession of a large estate, from
which he had helped to drive the rightful occupant.

Vol. 1, p.258
Now the Lord did not predicate His principle of election or nobility
upon such an unequal, unjust, and useless order of things. When He
speaks of nobility, He simply means an election made, and an office or
a rifle conferred, on the principle of superiority of intellect, or
nobleness of action, or of capacity to act. And when this election,
with its titles, dignities, and estates, includes the unborn posterity
of a chosen man, as in the case of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it is
with a view of the noble spirits of the eternal world coming through
their lineage, and being taught in the commandments of God. Hence the
Prophets, Kings, Priests, Patriarchs, Apostles, and even Jesus Christ,
were included in the election of Abraham, and of his seed, as
manifested to him in an eternal covenant.

Vol. 1, p.258
Although some eternal intelligences may be superior to others, and
although some are more noble, and consequently are elected to fill
certain useful and necessary offices for the good of others, yet the
greater and the less may both be innocent, and both be justified, and
be useful, each in their own capacity; if each magnify their own
calling, and act in their own capacity, it is all right.

Vol. 1, p.258
It may be inquired, why God made one unequal to another, or inferior
in intellect or capacity. To which I reply, that He did not create
their intelligence at all. It never was created, being an inherent
attribute of the eternal element called spirit, which element composes
each individual spirit, and which element exists in an infinitude of
degrees in the scale of intellect, in all the varieties manifested in
the eternal God, and thence to the lowest agent, which acts by its own
will.

Vol. 1, p.258
It is a fixed law of nature that the higher intelligence presides
over, or has more or less influence over, or control of, that which is
less.

Vol. 1, p.258
The Lord, in surveying the eternal intelligences which stood before
Him, found some more noble or intellectual than others, who were
equally innocent. This being so, He exercised the elective franchise
upon wise principles, and, like a good and kind father among his
children, He chose those for rulers who were most capable of
benefiting the residue. Among these was our noble ancestor, Abraham.

Vol. 1, p.258
I do not take up the subject in the middle of it, like the natural man
who knows little of the past or future, and who judges by the things
present before his eyes. Such a one might suppose that it so happened
that Abraham came along, and was picked up without any particular
reference to the past, or to eternal principles, and was elected to
office; that it might just as well have been somebody else instead of
him. But instead of this, he was chosen before the world was, and came
into the world for the very purpose which he fulfilled. But,
notwithstanding this pre-election in passing the veil, and entering a
tabernacle of flesh, he became a little child, forgot all he had once
known in the heavens, and commenced anew to receive intelligence in
this world, as is the case with all. He therefore was necessitated to
come up by degrees, receive an experience, be tried and proved. And
when he had been  sufficiently proved according to the flesh, the Lord
manifested to him the [p.259] election before exercised towards him in
the eternal world. He then renewed that election and covenant, and
blessed him, and his seed after him. And He said—In multiplying, I
will multiply thee; and in blessing I will bless thee.

Vol. 1, p.259
The Sodomites, Canaanites, &c., received the reverse of this blessing.
Instead of giving them a multiplicity of wives and children, He cut
them off, root and branch, and blotted their name from under heaven,
that there might be an end of a race so  degenerate. Now this severity
was a mercy. If we were like the people before the flood, full of
violence and oppression; or if we, like the Sodomites or Canaanites,
were full of all manner of lawless abominations, holding promiscuous
intercourse with the other sex, and stooping to a level with the brute
creation, and predisposing our children, by every means in our power,
to be fully given to strange and unnatural lusts, appetites, and
passions, would it not be a mercy to cut us off, root and branch, and
thus put an end to our increase upon the earth? You will all say it
would. The spirits in heaven would thank God for preventing them from
being born into the world under such circumstances. Would not the
spirits in heaven rejoice in the covenant and blessings of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, in relation to the multiplying of their seed, and in
every additional wife which God gave to them as a means of
multiplying? Yes, they would; for they could say—"Now there is an
opportunity for us. to take bodies in the lineage of a noble race, and
to be educated in the true science of life, and in the commandments of
God." O what an unspeakable contrast, between being a child of Sodom,
and a child of Abraham!

Vol. 1, p.259
Now, Abraham, by his former superiority of intelligence and nobility,
by his former election before the world was, and by conducting himself
in this world so as to obtain the renewal of the same according to the
flesh, brought upon his posterity, as well as upon himself, that which
will influence them more or less to the remotest generations of time,
and in eternity.

Vol. 1, p.259
Paul, the great Apostle of the Gentiles, when speaking upon this
subject, testifies that the children of Israel differ much every way
from the Gentiles, for to them, says he, pertains the election, the
covenants, the promises, the service of God, the adoption, the glory,
the giving of the law, and the coming of Christ in the flesh. He then
goes on to trace the peculiar branches in which the heirship is
perpetuated. Abraham had a son Ishmael, and several children by his
other wives and concubines which the Lord gave unto him. They might
all be blessed, but the peculiar blessings of heirship and Priesthood
remained and were perpetuated in Isaac.

Vol. 1, p.259
Again, when Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, had conceived twins, the
election to these peculiar blessings ran in the lineage of Jacob, and
not of Esau. True, Esau was the first-born, and was heir to the
inheritance, which always pertains to the birth-right, but the
election to hold and perpetuate the keys of eternal Priesthood was
peculiar to Jacob, and even that which Esau did inherit was forfeited
by transgression, and therefore transferred to Jacob.

Vol. 1, p.259
The Lord blessed Ishmael in many things, because he was Abraham's
seed. The Lord blessed Esau in many things, because he was a son of
Abraham and Isaac, but the peculiar things of the Priesthood, through
which all nations should be blessed, pertained exclusively to that
peculiar branch of the Hebrews which sprang from Jacob.

Vol. 1, p.259
Now before these two children were born, or had done any good or evil
in this life, God, who was acquainted with [p.260] them in the former
life, and who knew the grades of intelligence or of nobility possessed
by each, revealed to Rebecca, their mother, that two nations or manner
of people would spring from these twins, and that one people should be
stronger than the other, and that the elder should serve the younger.
When these two children had been born, and had died, and when their
posterity had become two nations, then the Lord spoke by the Prophet
Malachi, that He loved Jacob, because of some good he had done, and
that He hated Esau, and laid his mountains waste, because of certain
evils specified in the same declaration.

Vol. 1, p.260
The Apostle Paul, in speaking of Jacob and Esau, quotes the revelation
of Rebecca, before they were born and the revelation to Malachi after
they had become two nations; and the two quotations, both following in
immediate connexion in Paul's writings, have been mistaken by many, as
if God had revealed both sayings before the two children were born;
and thus the Scriptures are wrested and made to say that God hated a
child before he was born, or had done any good or evil. A more false
and erroneous doctrine could hardly be conceived, or a worse charge
sustained against Juggernaut, than the imputation of hating children
before they axe born.

Vol. 1, p.260
Here I would inquire, if it is anything inconsistent, or derogatory to
the character of a good or impartial father, who loves all his
children, for him to elect or appoint one of them to fulfil a certain
purpose or calling, and another to fulfil another useful calling? Is
it anything strange for one person to be stronger than another, for
one person to serve another, or for one person to have a more numerous
posterity than another? Is it anything strange or unrighteous for one
person to be a farmer, a wine-dresser, or a builder, and another a
teacher, a governor, or a minister of justice and equity? What is more
natural, more useful, or just, than for a father who discovers the
several abilities or adaptations of his children, to appoint them
their several callings or occupations?

Vol. 1, p.260
God did not say that Jacob should be saved in the kingdom of God, and
Esau be doomed to eternal hell, without any regard to their deeds; but
He simply said that two distinct nations, widely differing, should
spring from them, and one should be stronger than the other, and the
elder should serve the younger. If one nation is stronger than the
other, it can assist to defend the other. If the one nation serves the
other, it will have a claim on a just remuneration for services
rendered. If one inherits a blessing or Priesthood, through which all
nations shall be blessed, surely the nation which is composed of his
brother's children will have an early claim on salvation through this
ministry. I should esteem it a great privilege if, while I was serving
my brother, and we were both partaking of the fruits of my labors, he
should be elected to a Priesthood, through the ministry of which
myself and all my posterity, as well as his own, might be taught,
exalted, and eternally saved. By our mutual labors, then, we could be
mutually benefited in time and in eternity. I am administering to him,
and I am happy. He is administering to me, and he is happy. It is a
kind of mutual service, a classification of labor, wherein each
attends to the business most natural to him, and wherein there is
mutual benefit. Why, then, should I find fault, or entertain envy or
hatred towards my brother? Dressing a vine, ploughing a field,
harvesting, or building, is just  as necessary as teaching, or
administering the ordinances of salvation; one acts in one [p.261]
capacity, and the other in another, but they are mutually blessed and
benefited by their separate callings and endowments.

Vol. 1, p.261
On the subject of hatred, I feel much as the Lord did when He hated
Esau, and laid his mountains waste. When the children of Jacob were in
trouble with their enemies, Esau's descendants joined with the enemy,
and did not stand by their brethren. When Jacob was unpopular, and the
nations hated him because of the peculiarities of his religion, Esau
forsook his brother and disowned relationship, fellowshipping with his
brother's persecutors. I also hate a traitor, who turns against me in
a day of adversity, when I have claim on him as a brother.

Vol. 1, p.261
But to return to the subject of election, and of heirship. In the
lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, according to the flesh, was held
the right of heirship to the keys of Priesthood for the blessings and
for the salvation of all nations. From this lineage sprang the
Prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostles; and from this
lineage sprang the great Prophet and restorer in modern times, and the
Apostles who hold the keys under his hand. It is true, that
Melchizedeck and the fathers before him held the same Priesthood, and
that Abraham was ordained and blessed under his hand, but this was an
older branch of the chosen seed. I am speaking more fully of those who
have lived since the older branches passed away, and since the
transfer of the keys to Abraham and his seed. No Ishmaelite, no
Edomite, no Gentile has since then been privileged to hold the
presiding keys of Priesthood, or of the ministry of salvation. In this
peculiar lineage, and in no other should all the nations be blessed.
From the days of Abraham until now, if the people of any country, age,
or nation, have been blessed with the blessings peculiar to the
everlasting covenant of the Gospel, its sealing powers, Priesthood,
and ordinances, it has been through the ministry of that lineage, and
the keys of Priesthood held by the lawful heirs according to the
flesh. Were the twelve Apostles which Christ ordained, Gentiles? Were
any of them Ishmaelites, Edomites, Canaanites, Greeks, Egyptians, or
Romans by descent? No, verily. One of the Twelve was called a
"Canaanite," but this could not have alluded to his lineage, but
rather to the locality of his nativity, for Christ was not
commissioned to minister in person to the Gentiles, much less to
ordain any of them to the Priesthood, which pertained to the children
of Abraham. I would risk my soul upon the fact that Simon the Apostle
was not a Canaanite by blood, He was perhaps a Canaanite upon the same
principle that Jesus was a Nazarite, which is expressive of the
locality of his birth or sojourn. But no man can hold the keys of
Priesthood or of Apostleship, to bless or administer salvation to the
nations, unless he is a literal descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. Jesus Christ and his ancient Apostles of both hemispheres were
of that lineage. When they passed away, and the Saints, their
followers, were destroyed from the earth, then the light of truth no
longer shone in its fulness.

Vol. 1, p.261
The world have from that day to this been manufacturing priests,
without any particular regard to lineage. But what have they
accomplished? They have done what man could do; but man could not
bestow that which he did not possess, consequently he could not bestow
the eternal keys of power which would constitute the Priesthood. They
have manufactured something, and called it Priesthood, and the world
has been cursed with it up to this time.

Vol. 1, p.262
But God Almighty, in fulfilment of [p.262] the covenants made with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with the Prophets, Apostles, and Saints
of old, raised up a Joseph, and conferred upon him the ancient
records, oracles, and keys of the eternal Priesthood. If he was the
impostor the world took him to be, why did he not happen to state in
his book that he was a descendant of the Romans, or that he had come
through the loins of Socrates, or sprung from some of the Greek
philosophers, or Roman generals? Why not a descendant of some noble
house of the Gentile kings or nobles? As we were ignorant of the
peculiarities of election and heirship to the royal Priesthood, why
did not the Book of Mormon predict that a noble Gentile should be the
instrument to receive and translate it in modern times, that through
the Gentiles the Jews might obtain mercy? It is true the book was
brought forth and published among the Gentiles: it is also true that
it comes from the Gentiles to Israel, speaking rationally; but when it
predicts the name and lineage of its modern translator, "Behold, he is
a descendant of Joseph of Egypt," why should an imputed imposter be
consistent in this as well as in all other items? The reason is
obvious. It is because the record is true, and its translator no
impostor.

Vol. 1, p.262
Knowing of the covenants and promises made to the fathers, as I now
know them, and the rights of heirship to the Priesthood, as manifested
in the election of God, I would never receive any man as an Apostle or
a Priest, holding the keys of restoration, to bless the nations, while
he claimed to be of any other lineage than Israel.

Vol. 1, p.262
The word of the Lord, through our Prophet and founder, to the chosen
instruments of the modern Priesthood, was this—"Ye are lawful heirs
according to the flesh, and your lives have been hid with Christ in
God." That is to say, they have been held in reserve during the reign
of Mystic; Babel, to be born in due time, as successors to the
Apostles and Prophets of old, being their children, of the same royal
line. They have come forth, at length, as heirs to the keys of power,
knowledge, glow, and blessing, to minister to all the nations of the
Gentiles, and afterwards to restore the tribes of Israel. They are of
the royal blood of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and have a right to
claim the ordination and endowments of the Priesthood, inasmuch as
they repent, and obey the Lord God of their fathers.

Vol. 1, p.262
Those who are not of this lineage, whether they are Gentiles,
Edomites, or Ishmaelites, or of whatever nation, have a right to
remission of sins and the Gift of the Holy Spirit, through their
ministry, on conditions of faith, repentance, and baptism, in the name
of Jesus Christ. Through this Gospel they are adopted into the same
family, and are counted for the seed of Abraham; they can then receive
a portion of this ministry under those (literal descendants) who hold
the presiding keys of the same.

Vol. 1, p.262
By obeying the Gospel, or by adoption through the Gospel, we are all
made joint heirs with Abraham, and with his seed, and we shall, by
continuanes in well doing, all be blessed in Abraham and his seed, no
matter whether we are descended from Melchizedeck, from Edom, from
Ishmael, or whether we be Jews or Gentries. On the principles of
Gospel adoption, the blessing is broad enough to gather all good,
penitent, obedient people under its wings, and to extend to all
nations the principles of salvation. We would therefore more cordially
invite all nations to join themselves to this favored lineage, and
come with all humility and penitence to its royal Priesthood, if they
wish to be instructed and blessed, for to  be blessed in this peculiar
sense in any other [p.263] way, or by any other institutions or
government, they cannot, while the promises and covenants of God hold
good to the elect seed.

Vol. 1, p.263
Turn from all your sins, ye Gentiles; turn from all your sins, ye
people of the house of Israel, ye Edomites, Jews, and Ishmaelites; all
ye nations of the earth, and come, to the legal Priesthood, and be ye
blessed. The promise is to each and all of you; do not reject it. The
keys of the kingdom, of government, of Priesthood, of Apostleship; the
keys of salvation to build up, govern, organize, and administer in
temporal and spiritual salvation to the ends of the earth, are now
restored, and held by the chosen instruments of this lineage.

Vol. 1, p.263
I have spoken in a national capacity and in general principles. In
regard to individual heirship and the rights of fathers, mothers,
husbands, wives, sons, daughters, &c., I have not the power, if I had
the time; to make the subject any plainer than our President made it
the other day. It is for us to learn more and more from day to day,
and continue to learn and practise those principles and laws that will
secure to each individual and family its rights, according to the
ancient order of the government of God, which is now being restored.

Vol. 1, p.263
The living oracles or Priesthood in our midst can develop these
principles from time to time as we need them, for they minister in
holy things, and soon they will enter with us into the holy temple,
where we may learn more fully; and if we are still lacking, they will
with us enjoy the great thousand years in which to teach, qualify, and
prepare us for eternity.

Vol. 1, p.263
We have need to learn more fully the relationship we sustain to our
families, to the community, to the nations of the earth, to the house
of Israel, to heaven, to earth, to time, and to eternity. We have need
to learn more fully to fulfil the duties of those relationships. We
must learn by degrees. Truth is not all told at once, nor learned in a
few days. A little was developed by our President the other day, for
which we are very glad; we will treasure it up, and as circumstances
call for it, we shall receive a little more, until by degrees the law
of God is learned from those who hold the keys, even every item which
pertains to our own rights, and the rights of our children, so that we
shall not trespass on another's. In this manner all the good people on
earth, in the spirit world, or in the world of the resurrections, may
become one in love, peace, good-will, purity, and confidence, and in
keeping the laws of Jesus Christ and of the holy Priesthood. If each
person has the knowledge and the disposition to do right, and then
does it continually, even as he would wish others to do to him, this
will not only give to each his right, but create the utmost
confidence, love, and good-will, by which a perfect union may be
formed between each other, and with all good spirits and angels, and,
finally, with Jesus Christ and his Father in worlds without end. Amen.
[p.264]

Brigham Young, August 14, 1853

True and False Riches

A Discourse Delivered By President Brigham Young,
 at the Special Conference, in the Tabernacle, 
Great Salt Lake City, August 14, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.264
I am disposed this morning to give my testimony to this congregation
upon the subject of true riches. Wealth duel poverty are much talked
of by all people. The subject was tolerably well discussed yesterday,
and according to my understanding, the most that I have heard said
upon that point has been on the negative of the question.

Vol. 1, p.264
If you wish me to take a text, I will take the Scriptures of the Old
and New Testaments, referring, if you please, to both text and
context, and let the people distribute, or apply them according to
their own pleasure. I will, however, use one passage of Scripture as a
text, that was used yesterday. Jesus said to his disciples, to them it
was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them
that were without, it was not given. If we were to examine the subject
closely, we should learn that a very scanty portion of the things of
the kingdom were ever revealed, even to the disciples. If we were
prepared to gaze upon the mysteries of the kingdom, as they are with
God, we should then know that only a very small portion of them has
been handed out here and there. God, by His Spirit, has revealed many
things to His people, but, in almost all cases, He has straightway
shut up the vision of the mind. He will let His servants gaze upon
eternal things for a moment, but straightway the vision is closed, and
they are left as they were, that they may learn to act by faith, or as
the Apostle has it, not walking by sight, but by faith.

Vol. 1, p.264
In viewing this subject, permit me to preach what I have to preach,
without framing or systematising my address, When I have endeavored to
address a congregation, I have almost always felt a repugnance in my
heart to the practice of premeditation, or of pre-construction a
discourse to deliver to the people, but let me ask God my heavenly
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, to give me His Spirit, and put
into my heart the things He wishes me to speak whether they be for
better or worse. These have been my private feelings, as a general
thing. I would ask our Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ,
to pour His Spirit upon each one of us this morning, that we might
speak and hear with an understanding heart, that a hint, a key word,
or a short sentence pertaining to the things of God, might open the
vision of our minds, so that we might comprehend the things of
eternity, and rejoice exceedingly therein.

Vol. 1, p.264
In the first place, suppose we commence by examining the principles
that have been laid before us this Conference, taking up the negative
of the question; suppose, in our social  capacity here, we have a
system that feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, administers to the
widow and the [p.265] fatherless, so that we can say of a truth, as
they did in the days of the Apostles, we have no poor among us. Would
it establish the principle that we are rich? To me it would establish
no more than a good wholesome principle upon which the wicked may act,
as well as the righteous—a principle upon which the world ought to
act, by the moral obligations they are under to stretch out the arm of
charity to every person, to fill up their days with industry,
prudence, and faithfulness, procuring means to sustain themselves, and
to administer to the wants of those who are unable to administer to
themselves. To me, I say, this principle manifests no more than a
moral obligation under which all are placed. Though some may think it
a decided mark of Christianity, that it is a proof of deep piety, and
bespeaks the character of Saints, and all this, if we scan the subject
closely, it amounts to nothing more than a moral obligation all are
under to each other.

Vol. 1, p.265
Again, we call up the question of riches, wealth. We may behold one
upon the right, that commands his thousands of gold and silver, which
he has treasured up; he has houses and lands to occupy, goods and
chattels to fill his store-houses, cattle to cover his fields, and
servants to obey his commands; we call such an individual rich,
wealthy, but when we take into consideration the "true riches" spoken
of in this book [the Bible], they are not riches. We may behold
another upon the left, reigning as a monarch; the gold, and the
silver, yea all the treasures of the kingdom over which he reigns are
at his command; and all his subjects are fully disposed to do the will
of their sovereign. He reigns, he rules, he governs, and controls, and
there are none to gainsay, none to offer a single word of opposition,
his ward is the law, his commands are supreme, he rides in his
richly-adorned chariots, and wears his crown of gold, set with the
most precious stones. He sets up one, and drags down another. Those
who have in the least incurred his displeasure, he condemns to the
block, and he exalts others to sudden wealth and power. This monarch
reigns for a day, a month, a year, or for half a century, according to
the will of Him by whom kings sway the sceptre of power; and the world
say he is a rich man, a powerful and wealthy man. But this is not
riches according to the saying of the Saviour in the New Testament.

Vol. 1, p.265
Suppose we could heap to ourselves the treasures of the earth, as was
mentioned yesterday; suppose we could lead our wagons with the purest
of gold; with it we could open our commercial business on an extensive
scale, we could build our temples and mansions, macadamise our
streets, beautify our gardens, and make these valleys as it were like
the Garden of Eden, but would it prove we were actually rich? It would
not. As it was said yesterday, and justly, too, we might be brought
into circumstances, in the midst of this supposed wealth, to be glad
to give a barrel of gold for as much flour. In such a circumstance, of
what benefit to us would be this wealth, so called? Would not the idea
which the wicked, and, I may say, with some propriety, the Saints,
have of wealth vanish like smoke, and should we not find ourselves
poor indeed? if we possessed mountains of gold, should we not perish
without bread, without something to feed the body? Most assuredly.
Though an individual, or a nation of people, could command their
millions of millions of gold and silver, houses, lands, goods, and
chattels, horses and chariots, crowns, and thrones, or even the
products of the soil—the wheat, the fine flour, the oil, and the wine,
and all the precious metals of the earth in abundance—though they were
flooded [p.266] with all these good things, yet if the Almighty should
withdraw His hand, they would be smitten with the mildew, and
disappear; their wealth would become the most abject poverty. The
possession of these things is not wealth to me. Not that I would cast
them away as a thing of naught, or look upon the good things of this
earth, and the riches of the world, as things of naught, but they are
not the true riches, the pearl of great price spoken of in the
Scriptures, when a man found which, he sold all he had to purchase;
they do not belong to those principles couched in the saying of our
Lord, touching the mysteries of the kingdom. The riches of this world
are nothing more than a stepping stone, or necessary means whereby
people may obtain the true riches—by which they can sustain themselves
until they can procure the true riches of the kingdom of God. As such
they ought to be looked upon and handled. "Seek first the kingdom of
God." "Seek FIRST" that durable object. "Seek FIRST" the righteousness
that will never betray you. Obtain "FIRST" the prize that will not
forsake you. Procure to yourselves "FIRST" of all, that which will
endure through time, and through all the eternities that will be.
"Seek FIRST the kingdom of God, and its righteousness," and let the
gold and silver, the houses, the lands, the horses, the chariots, the
crowns, the thrones, and the dominions of this world be dead to you,
as it is necessary you should secure for yourselves eternal riches
that will never forsake you in time nor in all eternity.

Vol. 1, p.266
The negative of the question is present with the people. If they begin
to seek the kingdom of heaven, if they set out to glorify God in their
souls and bodies, which are His, how quick their feelings and desires,
how soon their natural propensities cling with greater pertinacity to
the things that are perishable. On the right hand and on the left we
see persons whose trust is wholly in the riches of this world; they
say, "I have gathered to myself substance, if you rob me of it you rob
me of my all. I have my flocks and herds around me, if you take these
from me all is gone." These men or women to whom this will apply have
not eternal riches abiding in them. Their minds are set upon the
things of this world, upon a shadow, upon the substance that passes
away, like the shadow of morn, or like the morning dew upon the
flowers. They are like a thing of naught to those who understand the
things of the kingdom of God. They are to be used, but not abused.
They are to be handled with discretion, and looked upon in their true
light, without any lustful desires, as the means to feed, clothe, and
make us comfortable, that we may be prepared to secure to ourselves
eternal riches.

Vol. 1, p.266
Suppose we should remain here to discuss the subject, for days,
months, and years, and scan it with a scrutinizing examination, in the
end of all our labor we should find that the things of this world
called riches, are in reality not riches. We should find they are like
miracles to the ignorant, mere phenomena to the inhabitants of the
earth; to-day they are, to-morrow they are not; they were, but now
they are gone, it is not known where. The earthly king upon his
throne, who reigns triumphantly over his subjects, is blasted, with
all his kingdom, and brought to naught at one breath of Him who
possesses true riches. Let Him who possesses the true riches say to
the elements around that kingdom, "produce no wheat, nor oil, nor
wine, but let there be a famire upon that people," in such a
circumstance where is the wealth of that king, his power, his
grandeur, and his crown? There is no  bread, no oil, there are no
flocks, no herds, for they have perished upon the [p.267] plains, his
wheat is blasted, and all his crops are mildewed. What good does his
wealth do him? His subjects are lying all around him lifeless for want
of bread; he may cry to them, but in vain; his wealth, power, and
influence have vanished, they are swept away like the flimsy fabric of
a cobweb.

Vol. 1, p.267
Again, the rich merchant, or private individuals, may have millions of
gold and silver deposited, hid in the ground, or elsewhere, perhaps,
and this is their god. Should the Lord Almighty say, as he did in the
days of the Nephites, Let their substance become slippery, let it
disappear that i they cannot find it again; it is gone, and they may
hunt for it in vain. Or let it be deposited in a bank, the first they
know, the bank is broken, their substance is gone, and they are left
in perfect beggary. To possess gold and silver, or earthly power and
wealth, is not riches to me, but it is the negative of the question.

Vol. 1, p.267
There are hundreds of people in these valleys, who never owned a cow
in the world, until they came here, but now they have got a few cows
and sheep around them, a yoke of oxen, and a horse to ride upon, they
feel to be personages of far greater importance than Jesus Christ was,
when he rode into Jerusalem upon an ass's colt. They become puffed up
in pride, and selfishness, and their minds become attached to the
things of this world. They become covetous, which makes them
idolators. Their substance engrosses so much of their attention, they
forget their prayers, and forget to attend the assemblies of the
Saints, for they must see to their land, or to their crops that are
suffering, until by and bye the grasshoppers come like a cloud, and
cut away the bread from their mouth introducing famine and distress,
to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God. Or the Indians
will come and drive off their cattle; where then is their wealth in
their grain, and in their cattle? Are these things riches? No. They
are the things of this world, made to decay, to perish, or to be
decomposed, and thus pass away.

Vol. 1, p.267
Were we to spend the period of our lives and try to trace the history
of mankind upon this world, from the beginning to the present time, by
referring to the lives of kings, rulers, governors, and potentates; to
the wealth, magnificence, and power of nations; also to the poverty,
wretchedness, war, bloodshed, and distress there have been among the
inhabitants of the earth, it could not all be told, but I have noticed
some few of the items which I call the negative of the question. To
possess this world's goods is not in reality wealth, it is not riches,
it is nothing more nor less than that which is common to all men, to
the just and the unjust, to the Saint and to the sinner. The sun rises
upon the evil and the good; the Lord sends His rain upon the just and
upon the unjust; this is manifest before our eyes, and in our daily
experience. Old King Solomon, the wise man, says, the race is not to
the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither riches to men of
wisdom. The truth of this saying comes within our daily observation.
Those whom we consider swift are not always the ones that gain the
mastery in the race, but those who are considered not so fleet, or not
fleet at all, often gain the prize. It is, I may say, the unseen hand
of Providence, that overruling power that controls the destinies of
men and nations, that so ordains these things. The weak, trembling,
and feeble, are the ones frequently who gain the battle; and the
ignorant, foolish, and unwise will blunder into wealth. This is all
before us, it is the common lot of man, in short, I may say, it is the
philosophical providence of a philosophical world.

Vol. 1, p.268
Suppose we look for a short time [p.268] after the true riches—after
the pearl of great price. In doing this were I to systematize, I would
say, let us leave this subject, which is the negative of the question,
and take up another, entirely different. We would have to take up the
subject of salvation to the human family, calling up the characters
who have officiated in this great work, and have brought forth
redemption, and placed it before the world, putting it within the
reach of every individual of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.
Yet it is all the same subject.

Vol. 1, p.268
Where shall we direct our course to find true riches? Who is there
that possesses them? Were we to admit scriptural testimony, I could
refer you to the Bible, where we read of people exhibiting a power
that gave their beholders satisfactory proof of their possessing the
true riches. The riches of the world are natural, and common to the
human family, but who governs and controls them? Who holds the destiny
of the wealth of the nations in his hand? Do the kings, rulers,
governors, or the inhabitants of the earth generally? No, not one of
them, by any means. Have there ever been persons upon the earth who
have exhibited the principles of true riches? Yes. The Bible tells us
who they are, and delineates the principles of true riches.

Vol. 1, p.268
Again, here is the philosophical world, the terra firma on which we
tread. Here is the atmosphere which the wise men of the world tell us
it is surrounded with, which is congenial to the constitution of the
vegetable and animal world, it is the air we breathe. Philosophers
tell us that the terra firma on which we walk is surrounded with it 40
miles high from the surface of the earth. It revolves in this subtle
element, which is a combination of other elements. This is a
philosophical world. What then are the results of the philosophical
world? Why, if you were to put wheat in the ground that has been well
tilled, it would grow, and bring an increase to repay the husbandman
for his labor. If you plant potatoes in the ground the philosophy of
the earth is, it will bring forth potatoes. If you plant corn, corn
will be produced in abundance, and this will apply to all the grain,
and vegetables, and products of this earth.

Vol. 1, p.268
What is there here, in the valleys of these mountains? Why, the same
that was centuries ago. As I told my brethren six years ago, I said,
there are here wheat, corn, potatoes, buckwheat, beets, parsnips,
carrots, cabbage, onions, apples, peaches, plums, pears, and fruits of
every description and kind. They are all in the philosophical world—in
the air we breathe, and in the water we drink; it needs nothing more
than philosophical applications to bring them forth. The most delicate
silks, the finest linen, and fine cloth of every description, that
were ever produced upon the earth, are right here in this valley, and
it requires nothing more than a philosophical application to bring
them forth to administer to our wants. What more is there here! When
we first came into this valley we had no knowledge that our brethren
could find gold in California, or perhaps we might have been digging
gold over there at this time; but our thoughts were occupied with how
we should get our wives and children here; we were thinking about
wheat, potatoes, water melons, peaches, apples, plums, &c. But allow
me to tell you, that gold and silver, platina, zinc, copper, lead, and
every element that there is in any part of the earth, can be found
here; and all that is required, when we need them, is a philosophical
application to make them subservient to our wants.

Vol. 1, p.268
Here we pause, and think—"What! is there gold here, silver here? Are
the finest and most beautiful silks that [p.269] were ever made, to be
found here? Yes. Is there fine linen here? Yes, and the finest
broad-cloths, and shawls and dresses of every description. We are
walking over them, drinking them, and breathing them every day we
live. They are here with us, and we can make ourselves rich, for all
these things are within our reach. What hinders us from being truly
rich? This is the point. I will tell you when you and I may consider
ourselves truly rich—When we can speak to the earth—to the native
elements in boundless space, and say to them—"Be ye organized, and
planted here, or there, and stay until I command you hence;" when at
our command the gold is hid so that no man can find it, any more than
they could in California until within a few years back.

Vol. 1, p.269
Again, we have a little absolute truth still nearer, and which comes
under our own knowledge. There is the Sweet Water that runs into the
Platte river, that this people have passed by for years. There have
been no pains spared to find gold on that stream and its tributaries,
but it could not be seen, and yet of late an abundance of it has been
discovered, ranging over a district of country from the South Platte
to the South Pass. There are men present here to-day, I have no doubt,
who have it in their pockets, or in their wagons. There are as good
prospects for gold there, as there ever were in California. How is
this? Why He that hath all power and all true riches in His
possession, has said, "Let that sleep, let it be out of sight to this
people, until I say the word; I organized the elements, and control
them, and place them where I please." When He says, "Let it be found;"
it is right there on the top of the earth. Where was it before? I do
not know; it was out of sight. In the very place where men have gone
from this valley, to my knowledge, and hunted weeks and weeks for
gold, and could not find it, there is plenty of it now. When you and I
can say, "Let there be gold in this valley," and turn round again, and
command it to disappear, that it is not to be found; when we can call
gold and silver together from the eternity of matter in the immensity
of space, and all the other precious metals, and command them to
remain or to move at our pleasure; when we can say to the native
element," Be thou combined, and produce those commodities necessary
for the use and sustenance of man, and to make this earth beautiful
and glorious, and prepare it for the habitation of the sanctified;"
then we shall be in possession of true riches. This is true riches to
me, and nothing short of it constitutes them. When I have gold and
silver in my possession, which a thief may steal, or friends borrow,
and never pay me back again, or which may take the wings of the
morning, and I behold it no more, I only possess the negative of the
true riches. When the riches of this world leave me, I cannot
say—"Gold, return thou to my chest." I cannot say to the gold I pick
up out of the earth, "Be thou separated from every particle of dross,
and let me see the pure virgin gold." I cannot do that without
submitting to a tedious process of chemical action.

Vol. 1, p.269
All those who wish to possess true riches, desire the riches that will
endure. Then look at the subject of salvation, where you will find
true riches. They are to be found in the principles of the Gospel of
salvation, and are not to be found anywhere else. With whom abide
eternally the true riches? With that God whom we serve, who holds all
things in His hands, that we know anything of; He is the first and the
last, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, who at one
survey looks upon all the workmanship of His hands;  who has the words
of eternal life, and holds the hearts of the [p.270] children of men
in His hand, and turns them whithersoever He will, even as the rivers
of waters are turned; who Commands the earth to perform its
revolutions, or stand still, at His pleasure; who has given the sun,
the planets, the earths, and far distant systems their orbits, their
times, and their seasons; whose commands they all obey. With Him abide
the true riches.

Vol. 1, p.270
I will now notice the character who exhibited the power of true riches
on the earth, though he himself was in a state of abject poverty, to
all human appearance, for he was made poor that we might be made rich,
and he descended below all things that he might ascend above all
things. When the only begotten Son of God was upon the earth, he
understood the nature of these elements, how they were brought
together to make this world and all things that are thereon, for he
helped to make them. He had the power of organizing, what we would
call, in a miraculous manner. That which to him was no miracle, is
called miraculous by the inhabitants of the earth. On one occasion he
commanded a sufficient amount of bread to be formed to feed his
disciples and the multitude. It was in the air, in the water, and in
the earth they walked upon. He, unperceived by his disciples and the
multitude, spoke to the native elements, and brought forth bread. He
had the power. We have not that power, but are under the necessity of
producing bread according to a systematic plan. We are obliged to till
the ground, and sow wheat, in order to obtain wheat. But when we
possess the true riches, we shall be able to call forth the bread from
the native element, like as Jesus Christ did. Everything that is good
for man, is there. Jesus said to his disciples, Make the multitude sit
down, and divide them into companies, and take this bread and break
it, and distribute it among them. They did not know but that it was
the few loaves and fishes that fed the whole of them as they ate. The
truth is, he called forth bread kern the native elements. Is that
mystery to you? Did you never think of it before? How do you suppose
he fed them, he did not feed them upon nothing at all, but they ate
bread and fish, substuntial bread and fish! until they were satisfied.
This the Saviour called from the surrounding elements; he was quite
capable of doing it, because he had the keys and power of true riches,
if any man possess which, he is rich in time, and in eternity both.

Vol. 1, p.270
Again, the Saviour changed water into wine, in the same manner, by
commanding the elements. Can that be done by a chemical process. I
admit it can by the persons who understand the process; and that men
can make bread also. As quick as I admit that the history Moses gives
of himself is true, I cannot have any question in the world but what
in ancient days they understood in a measure how to command the
elements. The magicians of Egypt were instructed in things pertaining
to true riches, and had obtained keys and powers enough to produce a
bogus in opposition to the true coin, as it were, and thus they
deceived the king and the people. They could cause frogs to come upon
the land, as well as Moses could. They could turn the waters of Egypt
into blood, and in many more things compete with Moses. There was one
thing, however, they could not do, though they produced a very good
bogus, but it was not quite the true coin. When they threw their
staffs on the floor before the king, they could not swallow the staff
of Moses, but the staff of Moses swallowed the staffs of the
magicians. I have no doubt that men can perform many such wonders by
the principles of natural philosophy.

Vol. 1, p.271
[p.271] Again, they can deceive the inhabitants of the earth, and make
them believe that things were done, which in reality were not. If
there were not a true coin in existence, how could there be a bogus
produced? The true coin is what we are after, the true riches. We are
seeking to be made rich in the power of God, so as to be able to
control the elements, and say—"Let there be light," and there is
light; "Let there be water," and there is water; "Let this or that
come," and it cometh; by the power that is within us to command the
elements; and they obey, just as they did the Saviour when he changed
the water into wine, or made bread to feed the multitudes.

Vol. 1, p.271
What shall we say? Do the things of this world, in their present
state, offer unto us true riches? I say they are not riches, in the
true sense of the word; there is no such thing as a man being truly
rich until he has power over death, hell, the grave, and him that hath
the power of death, which is the devil. For what are the riches, the
wealth possessed by the inhabitants of the earth? Why, they are a
phantom, a mere shadow, a bubble on the wave, that bursts with the
least breath of air. Suppose I possessed millions on millions of
wealth of every description I could think of or ask for, and I took a
sudden pain in my head, which threw me entirely out of my mind, and
baffled the skill of the most eminent physicians, what good would that
money do me, in the absence of the power to say to that pain,
"Depart?" But suppose I possessed power to say to the pain, "Go thou
to the land from whence thou camest;" and say, "Come, health, and give
strength to my body;" and when I want death, to say, "Come you, for I
have claim upon you, a right, a guarantee deed, for this body must be
dissolved;" says death, "I want it, to prey upon;" but again I can say
to death, "Depart from me, thou canst not touch me;" would I not be
rich indeed. How is it now? Let the slightest accident come upon one
of the human family, and they are no more. Do we then possess true
riches in this state? We do not.

Vol. 1, p.271
What shall we do to secure the true riches? "Seek first the kingdom of
God, and its righteousness." Lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven,
where moth cannot eat, rust corrode, nor thieves break through and
steal them. If we find the pearl of great price, go and sell all we
have to purchase it, and secure to ourselves the friendship of God,
and our Elder Brother Jesus Christ, and walk humbly before God, and
obey those whom He has told us to obey, all the days of our lives, and
He will say, "These are my friends, and I will withhold nothing from
them."

Vol. 1, p.271
And is it indeed possible that we can come into that power, while we
are in this mortality, to say to death, "Touch me not?" Were it
possible, I for one do not want it, I would not accept it were it
offered to me. If the Lord Almighty proffered to revoke the decree,
"Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return," and say to me, "You
can live for ever as you are; "I should say," Father, I want to ask
you a few questions upon this point. Shall I still be subject to the
toothache, to the headache, to the chills and fever, and to all the
diseases incident to the mortal body?" "O yes, but you can live, and
never die." "Then I would have you, Father, to let the old decree
stand good; I find no fault with your offer, it may be a good one; but
I have the promise of receiving my body again—of this body coming up
in the morning of the resurrection, and being reunited with the
spirit, and being filled with the principles of immortality and
eternal life. Thank you, Father, I would rather take a new body, and
then I shall get a good set of new teeth. My sight, too, is failing;
if I want to read, [p.272] I cannot do it without using glasses; and
if I wish to walk a few miles, I cannot do it without making myself
sick; if I wish to go out on a journey, I am under the necessity of
taking the utmost care of myself for fear of injuring my health; but
when I get a new body, this will not be so; I shall be out of the
reach of him that hath the power of death in his hands, for Jesus
Christ will conquer that foe, and I shall receive a new body, which
will be filled with eternal life, health, and beauty."

Vol. 1, p.272
What more? Why, to him that overcometh shall be glory, immortality,
and eternal life. What more? Jesus says, as it was said yesterday,
Except ye are one, ye are not mine. Again, he says, I pray thee,
Father, to make these, my disciples, one, as thou, Father, art in me,
and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, I in them, and thou in
me, that they may be made perfect in one. This is a curiosity that
ranks among the mysteries that the people do not understand. The
Father and I are one, you disciples and I are one; it is quite a
curiosity, but it is as true as it is curious. It is nothing more than
a key-word to exaltation, glory, power, and excellency, by which
principalities, kingdoms, dominions, and eternal lives will surround
us.

Vol. 1, p.272
That will give you true riches, and nothing else will. The only true
riches in existence are for you and I to secure for ourselves a holy
resurrection; then we have command of the gold and the silver, and can
place it whore we please, and in whose hands we please. We can place
it here and there, where it can be found, and in abundance, when we
say the word. We can say then to the flies, and to the grasshoppers,
"Be ye extinct," and it will be so; and again say, "Go ye, and make a
work of devastation," and at our word clouds of them darken the sun,
and cover the ground, the crops are destroyed in a day. We can then
say to the hailstorm, "Stay thou thy rage, and hurt not the fields and
fruit trees of the servants of God;" and we are obeyed. On the other
hand, when they need a little chastisement, we can say to the rain, to
the lightnings, and to the thunders, "Chasten ye the people; "and the
elements are at once in a state of agitation, and they are chastened
by the destruction of their crops, and cities are swallowed up in the
yawning earthquake, when God can bear their wickedness no longer. He
does not want to slay His children who love and serve him, He is not a
hard master, nor a severe Father, but when He chastens, it is because
He wishes to bring His children to understanding, that they may know
where the true riches are, and what are the true riches of eternity,
and rejoice with Him in His presence, being made equal with Him.

Vol. 1, p.272
These are some of my reflections upon true riches. Why will the
Latter-day Saints wander off after the things of this world? But are
they not good? We cannot do very well without them, for we are of the
world, we are in the world, we partake of the elements of which it is
composed; it is our mother earth, we are composed of the same native
material. It is all good, the air, the water, the gold and silver; the
wheat, the fine flour, and the cattle upon a thousand hills are all
good; but, why do men set their hearts upon them in their present
organized state? Why not lay a sure, foundation to control them
hereafter? Why do we not keep it continually before us that all flesh
is grass; it is today, and to-morrow it is not; it is like the flower
of the grass when it is cut down, it withers, and is no more? Why do
the children of men set their hearts upon earthly things? They are to
be used, but not to the  abusing of yourselves. They are to be used to
make us comfortable. Suppose all [p.273] the good things of this world
should be given to us, the gold and the silver, the cattle and the
horses, and all the flocks of a thousand hills; it would be for the
express purpose of building mansions and temples, of feeding the poor
that cannot feed themselves, of succouring the tried and the tempted,
of sending Eiders to preach the Gospel from nation to nation, from
island to island, and of gathering Israel from the four quarters of
the globe. But that moment that men seek to build up themselves, in
preference to the kingdom of God and seek to board up riches, while
the widow and the fatherless, the sick and afflicted, around them, are
in poverty and want, it proves that their hearts are weaned from their
God; and their riches will perish in their fingers, and they with
them.

Vol. 1, p.273
Where are the true riches—the pearl of great price? They are here. How
can we secure them? By being obedient, for the willing and obedient
will eat the good of the land by and bye; but those who heap to
themselves riches, and set their hearts upon them, where will they be
by and bye? There are men in our midst who will quarrel for five
dollars, and have their trials before Bishops and other tribunals if
it costs all they possess. They say, "I will have my rights. They tell
about their rights, when they know nothing about rights; in this they
are governed solely by the influence of former traditions. Why do they
not say, "I will satisfy my hellish will, if it destroys me for time
and all eternity." If they would say that, they would say the truth.
If a man says "It is my right to have this or that," he knows nothing
about rights, so never say anything more about rights. But if you can
find one individual who knows what right is, ask him, and then say,
"That is right, and I will do it." Take that course, and rejoice that
you have found somebody to tell you what right is. When my heart
trembles with rage, and my nervous system becomes irritated to knock
down and kill, it is for me to say, Brigham, hold on, you should not
do this. Do you wish me to tell you what right is? I will point out
the way if you will walk in it. If your neighbor or your brother
should sue you at the law for your coat, give it to him, and your
cloak also, and not turn round and say, "It is my right; are you going
to rob me?" The instructions of the Saviour of the world, which I have
quoted, are right; and I could prove it so by philosophical reasoning,
and make you believe it, and you would be satisfied it is the best
course you could pursue. I will give you the key to it, which is
this—it gives you an influence you never can obtain by contending for
your rights. You say, "Take it, it is no matter whether it is my right
or not." If a man asks you to go with him one mile, go two, and then
you can say, "You only asked me to go one mile, but I have gone two."
That is the counsel Jesus Christ gave. If you sit down and calmly
reason the case, you cannot but discover that it gives you an
influence over that man, which you could not gain by contending with
him in anger. All the power which is gained by contending with people
is usurped power.

Vol. 1, p.273
The power which belongs to the true riches is gained by pursuing a
righteous course, by maintaining an upright deportment towards all
men, and especially towards the household of faith, yielding to each
other, giving freely of that which the Lord has given to you, thus you
can secure to yourselves eternal riches; and gain influence and power
over all your friends, as well as your enemies. "If you want anything
I have, here, take it, and I will have influence and power over you;"
this is a key word to gain the true riches; that is the amount of it.

Vol. 1, p.274
I want to hint at the negative of [p.274] the question again. I have,
from time to time, said many things to you in this tabernacle, and so
have my brethren, and the people are much inclined for the mysteries
of the kingdom. I can tell you what they are, in some degree. The idea
appears very foolish to me when we are talking about it, but we are
obliged to use the English language as it is, which is scarcely a
similitude of what we want. Again it is first rate to communicate our
ideas, and good to enable us to talk one way, and mean another, when
we have a disposition to do so. Brother Hyde preached us a good
discourse on mystery yesterday.

Vol. 1, p.274
What is a mystery? We do not know, it is beyond our comprehension.
When we talk about mystery, we talk about eternal obscurity; for that
which is known, ceases to be a mystery; and all that is known, we may
know as we progress in the scale of intelligence. That which is
eternally beyond the comprehension of all our intelligence is mystery,
yet this word is used by the translators of the Bible. They write
about mystery, and talk about mystery; what are they talking about? I
do not know what they mean, nor what they wish to convey by that word,
and they do not know themselves. This language is made use of in the
Bible, because they have nothing better. Things transpire almost every
day in our lives which we class under the term mystery, for want of a
better term. What does it mean, in reality? Why, nothing at all. But
for the accommodation of those who speak the English language, we will
continue to use the term, and proceed to examine the negative of true
riches.

Vol. 1, p.274
Here are the earth and the inhabitants upon its face, organized for
the express purpose of a glorious resurrection. The terra firma on
which we walk, and from which we gain our bread, is looking forth for
the morning of the resurrection, and will get a resurrection, and be
cleansed from the filthiness that has gone forth out of her. This is
Bible doctrine. What filthiness has gone forth out of her? You and I,
and all the inhabitants of the earth; the human body, and all earthly
bodies, both animal and vegetable; are composed of the native element
that we breathe, that we drink, and that we walk upon; we till the
earth for our bread, which is one of the materials of which your body
is composed, it comes forth from the native elements into an organized
state; what for? To be exalted, to get a glorious resurrection. We are
of the earth, earthy, and not only will the portion of mother earth
which composes these bodies get a resurrection, but the earth itself.
It has already had a baptism. You who have read the Bible must know
that that is Bible doctrine. What does it matter if it is not stated
in the same words that I use, it is none the less true that it was
baptized for the remission of sins. The Lord said, "I will deluge (or
immerse) the earth in water for the remission of the sins of the
people;" or if you will allow me to express myself in a familiar
style, to kill all the vermin that were nitting, and breeding, and
polluting its body; it was cleansed of its filthiness; and soaked in
the water, as long as some of our people ought to soak. The Lord
baptized the earth for the remission of sins, and it has been once
cleansed from the filthiness that has gone out of it, which was in the
inhabitants who dwelt upon its face.

Vol. 1, p.274
The earth is organized for a glorious resurrection, and life and death
are set before the people, true riches and false riches; and the whole
world are gone after the false riches; after that which is not life,
after decomposition, after that which perishes, and passes away like
the twilight of evening. The Lord has set before the inhabitants of
the earth, true riches,  from the days of [p.275] Adam until now. In
olden times, in the ages we call "the dark ages of the world," men
could talk to the Lord face to face, and He looked like another man.
When He had a mind to do so, He could walk into the assemblies of the
people, and none of them would know him, only they knew He was a
stranger that had visited their meeting. He understands the difference
between true riches and the bogus which passed current in the days of
Pharaoh in Egypt. We see the bogus power again exhibited in the days
of Saul the king of Israel, by the witch of Endor, who, at the request
of Saul, brought forth the spirit of Samuel, or some other spirit.
They understood the principles of life, for the Lord had set life and
death before them, true riches and false riches, or in other words,
composition and decomposition, and the laws, principles, and powers of
the eternal world; and the people of the early ages of this world
understood them.

Vol. 1, p.275
The people in this age, are like the old miser, whose latter end was
drawing nigh; he had saved a good purse of gold, but he was blind and
could not see it, so he requested the attendants to bring him the gold
that he might put his hand on it; when he laid his hand upon it, he
could go to sleep. He possessed the negative of true riches. Again,
they are like the man who found a lump of gold which weighed 100
pounds, the last that was heard of him was, he was sitting upon it,
offering a great price to the passers by for something to eat, and
swearing that if he had to starve to death, he would stick by the
gold, and die a rich man. If he had understood the principles of
life—the principles of true riches, he could have commanded that gold
in California, in England, or anywhere else; but he had no power over
it, and died like a feel, no doubt. What good was his gold to him? He
had not the power of endless life in him, and he will be decomposed,
and the particles which compose his body and spirit will return to
their native element. I told you some time ago what would become of
such men. But I will quote the Scriptures on this point, and, you can
make what you please of it. Jesus says, he will DESTROY death and him
that hath the power of it. What can you make of this but
decomposition, the returning of the organized particles to their
native element, after suffering the wrath of God until the time
appointed. That appears a mystery, but the principle has been in
existence from all eternity, only it is something you have not known
or thought of. When the elements in an organized form do not fill the
end of their creation, they are thrown back again, like brother
Kimball's old pottery ware, to be ground up, and made over again. All
I have to say about it is what Jesus says—I will destroy Death, and
him that hath the power of it, which is the devil. And if he ever
makes "a full end of the wicked," what else can he do than entirely
disorganize them, and reduce them to their native element? Here are
some of the mysteries of the kingdom.

Vol. 1, p.275
On the other hand, let us take the affirmative of the question; and
inquire what is life and salvation? It is to take that course wherein
we can abide for ever and ever, and be exalted to thrones, kingdoms,
governments, dominions, and have full power to control the elements,
according to our pleasure to all eternity; the one is life, and the
other is death, which is nothing more or less than the decomposition
of organized native element. There can be no such thing as power to
annihilate element. There is one eternity of element, which can be
organized or disorganized, composed or decomposed; it may be put into
this shape or into that, according to the will of the intelligence
that [p.276] commands it, but there is no such thing as putting it
entirely out of existence.

Vol. 1, p.276
I never studied philosophy to any great extent, but on one occasion I
had a kind of a confab with Professor Orson Pratt, who endeavoured to
prove that there was empty space, I supposed there was no such thing.
He thought he had proved it; but I thought he had not proved a word of
it, and told him the idea was folly. After hearing a good many
arguments from him, and other men, his colleagues in learning, I
wished them to tell me where empty space was situated, that I might
tell the wicked, who wish to hide themselves from the face of him that
sitteth upon the throne, where to go, for they will then be where God
is not, if they can find empty space. To argue such a question as
that, would be, to confute my own arguments in favor of other truths I
have advocated, and oppose my own system of faith. We believe that God
is round about all things, above all things, in all things, and
through all things. To tell about empty space is to tell of a space
where God is not, and where the wicked might safely hide from His
presence. There is no such thing as empty space.

Vol. 1, p.276
Remember, that true riches—life, happiness, and salvation, is to
secure for ourselves a part in the first resurrection, where we are
out of the reach of death, and him that hath the power of it; then we
are exalted to thrones, and have power to organize element. Yes, they
that are faithful, and that overcome, shall be crowned with crowns of
eternal glory. They shall see the time when their cities shall be
paved with gold; for there is no end to the precious metals, they are
in the native element, and there is an eternity of it. If you want a
world of the most precious substance, you will have nothing to do but
say the word, and it is done. You can macadamize streets with it, and
beautify and make glorious the temples. We can then say to the
elements, "Produce ye the best oranges, lemons, apples, figs, grapes,
and every other good fruit." I presume we do not draw a single breath
that there are not particles of these things mingled in it. But we
have not the knowledge now to organize them at our pleasure. Until we
have that power we are not fully in possession of the true riches,
which is the affirmative of the question, and the negative of the
question is no riches at all in reality.

Vol. 1, p.276
Well, brethren, I think I have stood out first rate. When I rose I did
not think I could speak over ten minutes. May the Lord God bless you,
and have mercy upon the world, and upon this people, that we may be
saved in His kingdom. Amen. [p.277]

Brigham Young, February 14, 1853

Building Temples

An Address Delivered By President Brigham Young,
 on the Temple Block, Great Salt Lake City, Feb. 14, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.277
If the congregation will give me their attention, I will detain them
but a short time. Our history is too well known to render it necessary
for me to enter into particulars on the subject this morning. Suffice
it to say, to this congregation, that we shall attempt to build a
temple to the name of our God. This has been attempted several times,
but we have never yet had the privilege of completing and enjoying
one. Perhaps we may in this place, but if, in the providence of God,
we should not, it is all the same. It is for us to do those things
which the Lord requires at our hands, and leave the result with Him.
It is for us to labor with a cheerful good will; and if we build a
temple that is worth a million of money, and it requires all our time
and means, we should leave it with cheerful hearts, if the Lord in His
providence tells us so to do. If the Lord permits our enemies to drive
us from it, why we should abandon it with as much cheerfulness of
heart as we ever enjoy a blessing. It is no matter to us what the Lord
does, or how He disposes of the labor of His servants. But when He
commands, it is for His people to obey. We should be as cheerful in
building this temple, if we knew beforehand that we should never enter
into it when it was finished, as we would though we knew we were to
live here a thousand years to enjoy it.

Vol. 1, p.277
If the inquiry is in the hearts of the people—"Does the Lord require
the building of a temple at our hands?" I can say that He requires it
just as much as ever He required one to be built elsewhere. If you
should ask, "Brother Brigham, have you any knowledge concerning this?
have you ever had a revelation from heaven upon it?" I can answer
truly, it is. before me all the time, not only to-day, but it was
almost five years ago, when we were on this ground, looking for
locations, sending our scouting parties through the country, to the
right and to the left, to the north and the south; to the east and the
west; before we had any returns from any of them, I knew, just as well
as I now know, that this was the ground on which to erect a temple—it
was before me.

Vol. 1, p.277
The Lord wished us to gather to this place, He wished us to cultivate
the earth, and make these valleys like the Garden of Eden, and make
all the improvements in our power, and build a temple as soon as
circumstances would permit. And further, if the people and the Lord
required it, I would give a written revelation, but let the people do
the things they know to be right. Permit me to ask the question—do you
not know that it is your duty to accumulate your daily bread, to cease
your wickedness? Are not these duties required at your hands? Do you
not know this of yourselves? There is not an individual in this
assembly that does not understand this, that is not as well convinced
of it as I am.

Vol. 1, p.278
Concerning revelations pertaining to building temples, I will give you
[p.278] the words of our beloved Prophet while he was yet living upon
the earth. Many of us that are here to-day, were with him from the
commencement of the church. He was frequently speaking upon the
building of temples in Kirtland, Missouri, and Illinois. When the
people refused in Kirtland to build a temple, unless by a special
revelation, it grieved his heart that they should be so penurious in
their feelings as to require the Lord to command them to build a house
to His name. It was not only grievous to him, but to the Holy Spirit
also. He frequently said, that if it were not for the covetousness of
the people, the Lord would not give revelations concerning the
building of temples, for we already knew all about them; the
revelations giving us the order of the Priesthood make known to us
what is wanting in that respect at our hands. If you should go to work
to build a dwelling house, you know you would want a kitchen, a
buttery, sitting rooms, bedrooms, halls, passages, and alleys. He
said, you might as well ask the Lord to give revelation upon the
dimensions and construction of the various apartments of your dwelling
houses, as upon the erection of temples, for we know before hand what
is necessary.

Vol. 1, p.278
Concerning this house, I wish to say, if we are prospered we will soon
show you the likeness of it, at least upon paper, and then if any man
can make any improvement in it, or if he has faith enough to bring one
of the old Nephites along, or an angel from heaven, and he can
introduce improvements, he is at liberty so to do. But wait until I
dictate, and construct it to the best of my ability, and according to
the knowledge I possess, with the wisdom God shall give me, and with
the assistance of my brethren; when these are exhausted, if any
improvement can be made, all good men upon the earth are at liberty to
introduce their improvements. But I trust this people do not require
commanding, every day of their lives, to pray, to do unto others as
they world that others should do unto them: I trust they do not want a
special command for this; if not, upon the same principle, they will
not want any commandment upon the subject of building a temple, more
than what is before them.

Vol. 1, p.278
A few words to this people, upon the principles which were laid before
them yesterday, in the tabernacle. One thing is required at the hands
of this people, and to understand which there is no necessity for
receiving a commandment every year, viz.—to pay their tithing. I do
not suppose for a moment, that there is a person in this Church, who
is unacquainted with the duty of paying tithing, neither is it
necessary to have a revelation every year upon the subject. There is
the law—pay one tenth. I wish to say to you, and I wish you to tell
your neighbors, if there is any man or woman who do not want to pay
their tithing, we do not want they should. It is for your particular
benefit, and that of every individual upon the face. of the earth. To
me, as an, individual, it is no matter whether you build a temple or
not; I and my brethren have received our endowments, keys,
blessings—all the tokens, signs, and every preparatory ordinance, that
can be given to man, for his entrance into the celestial gate.

Vol. 1, p.278
The Prophet's feelings were often wounded because he was under the
necessity of giving commandments concerning duties that were already
before the people, until the temple was completed; but had he not; I
and my so, the temple would not have been built; had he waited until
the minds of the people were opened, and they were led to see and do
their duty,  without commandment, he would have been slain before the
keys of the [p.279] Priesthood could have been committed to others,
but the Lord put it into his heart to give this power to his brethren
before his martyrdom.

Vol. 1, p.279
If the people will pay their tithing, we have all the means we can ask
or wish for. If the tithing is paid, we do not want the brethren and
sisters to give up their surplus property, for there will be a great
surplus in the storehouse of the Lord. This is what is required of
this people, not to give all they have, though it should be constantly
upon the altar, but to be ready, if required; but if the people will
pay their tithing punctually, there will be an abundance, yes, and a
surplus. For me to ask the people if they will give their surplus
property, would be useless. I shall not ask any such question, but I
shall now ask the people to pay their labor tithing, that we may
excavate this foundation, and prepare for the stone work by the 1st of
April. I expect to see a great turn out, no doubt we shall have all
the help we can require.

Vol. 1, p.279
While the brethren are before me, let me say, that we cannot commence
to lay rock here without time, and we cannot get the stone for the
foundation without the railroad from this place to the quarry is
completed; these two items must be attended to. This is sufficient to
say upon that matter. Let us revert for a moment to the past, to the
years we have spent in toil and labor, though very agreeably. Seven
years ago to-morrow, about eleven o'clock, I crossed the Mississippi
river, with my brethren, for this place, not knowing, at that time,
whither we were going, but firmly believing that the Lord had in
reserve for us a good place in the mountains, and that He would lead
us directly to it. It is but seven years since we left Nauvoo, and we
are now ready to build another temple. I look back upon our labors
with pleasure. Here are hundreds and thousands of people that have not
had the privileges that some of us have had. Do you ask, what
privileges? Why, of running the gauntlet, of passing through the
narrows. They have not had the privilege of being robbed and plundered
of their property, of being in the midst of mobs and death, as many of
us have.

Vol. 1, p.279
Only be faithful, brethren and sisters, and I promise that you shall
have all such privileges as shall be for your good. You need not be
discouraged, or mourn, because you were not in Jackson County
persecutions, or were not driven from Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois,
and stripped, robbed, and plundered of all your property. Do not mourn
and feel bad, because you were not in Nauvoo; have no fears, for if
the word of the Lord is true, you shall yet be tried in all things, so
rejoice, and pray without ceasing, and in every thing give thanks,
even if it is in the spoiling of your goods, for it is the hand of God
that leads us, and will continue so to do. Let every man and woman
sanctify themselves before the Lord, and every providence of the
Almighty shall be sanctified for good to them. I will now close my
remarks. [p.280]

Orson Pratt, July 25, 1852

A General Funeral Sermon of All Saints and Sinners;
 Also, of the Heavens and the Earth

Delivered By Elder Orson Pratt, 
at the Tabernacle Great Salt Lake City, July 25, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.280
I have been requested to preach the funeral sermon of the wife of
brother Levi Savage, who died last December; and since coming to this
place this morning, I have been requested to preach the funeral
sermons of several of the Saints who have died in England; and I have
concluded, instead of limiting my address to any one individual case,
to preach what may be considered a general funeral sermon of all the
Saints that have died in all past ages and generations, with all that
shall die hereafter, and the funeral sermon of all those who are not
Saints, and also the funeral sermon of the heavens and the earth; and
for this purpose I will take a text, which you will find recorded in
the 51st chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah, and the sixth verse—

Vol. 1, p.280
"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath,
for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax
old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like
manner; but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall
not be abolished."

Vol. 1, p.280
All things with which we are acquainted, pertaining to this earth of
ours, are subject to change; not only man, so far as his temporal body
is Concerned, but the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the
fishes of the sea, and every living thing with which we are
acquainted—all are subject to pain and distress, and finally die and
pass away; death seems to have universal dominion in our creation. It
certainly is a curious world; it certainly does not look like a world
constructed in such a manner as to produce eternal happiness; and it
would Be very far from the truth, I think, for any being at the
present time to pronounce it very good: everything seems to show us
that goodness, in a great degree, has fled from this creation. If we
partake of the elements, death is there in all its forms and
varieties; and when we desire to rejoice, sorrow is there, mingling
itself in every cup; and woe, and wretchedness, and misery, seem to be
our present doom.

Vol. 1, p.280
There is something, however, in man, that is constantly reaching
forward after happiness, after life, after pleasure, after something
to satisfy the longing desire that dwells within his bosom. Why is it
that we have such a desire? And why is it that it is not satisfied?
Why is it that this creation is so constructed? And why is it that
death reigns universally over all living earthly beings? Did the great
Author of creation construct this little globe of ours subject to all
these changes, which are calculated to produce sorrow and death among
the beings that inhabit it? Was this the original condition of our
creation? I answer, no; it was not so constructed. But how was it made
in the beginning? All things that were made  [p.281] pertaining to
this earth were pronounced "very good." Where there is pain, where
there is sickness, where there is sorrow, and where there is death,
this saying can not be understood in its literal sense; things cannot
be very good where something very evil reigns and has universal
dominion.

Vol. 1, p.281
We are, therefore, constrained to believe, that in the first formation
of our globe, as far as the Mosaic history gives us information,
everything was perfect in its formation; that there was nothing in the
air, or in the waters, or in the solid elements, that was calculated
to produce misery, wretchedness, unhappiness, or death, in the way
that it was then organized; not but what the same elements, organized
a little differently, would produce all these effects; but as it was
then constructed, we must admit that every particle of air, of water,
and of earth, was so organized as to be capable of diffusing life and
immortality through all the varied species of animated
existence—immortality reigned in every department of creation; hence
it was pronounced very "good."

Vol. 1, p.281
When the Lord made the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea, to
people the atmospheric heavens, or the watery elements, these fowls
and fishes were so constructed in their nature as to be capable of
eternal existence. To imagine anything different from this, would be
to suppose the Almighty to form that which was calculated to produce
wretchedness and misery. What says the Psalmist David upon this
subject? He says that all the works of the Lord shall endure for ever.
Did not the Lord make the fish? Yes. Did He not make the fowls of the
heavens? Yes. Did He not make the beasts of the field, and the
creeping things, and the insects? Yes, Do they endure for ever? They
apparently do not; and yet David says all His works are constructed
upon that principle. Is this a contradiction? No. God has given some
other particulars in relation to these works. He has permitted the
destroyer to visit them, who has usurped a certain dominion and
authority, carrying desolation and ruin on every hand; the perfections
of the original organizations have ceased. But will the Lord for ever
permit these destructions to reign? No. His power exists, and the
power of the destroyer exists. His power exists, and the power of
death exists; but His power exceeds all other powers; and
consequently, wherever a usurper comes in and lays waste any of His
works, He will repair those wastes, build up the old ruins, and make
all things new: even the fish of the sea, and the fowls of the
heavens, and the beasts of the earth, must yet, in order to carry out
the designs of the Almighty, be so constructed as to be capable of
eternal existence.

Vol. 1, p.281
It would be interesting to know something about the situation of
things when they were first formed, and how this destroyer happened to
make inroads upon this fair creation; what the causes were, and why it
was permitted.

Vol. 1, p.281
Man, when he was first placed upon this earth, was an immortal being,
capable of eternal endurance; his flesh and bones, as well as his
spirit, were immortal and eternal in their nature; and it was just so
with all the inferior creation—the lion, the leopard, the kid, and the
cow; it was so with the feathered tribes of creation, as well as those
that swim in the vast ocean of waters; all were immortal and eternal
in their nature; and the earth itself, as a living being, was immortal
and eternal in its nature. "What! is the earth alive too?" If it were
not, how could the words of our text be fulfilled, where it speaks of
the earth's dying? How can that die that has no life? "Lift up your
eyes to the [p.282] heavens above," says the Lord, "and look upon the
earth beneath; the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth
shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in
like manner," In like manner! What! the earth and the heavens to die?
Yes, the material heavens and earth must all undergo this change which
we call death; and if so, the earth must be alive as well as we. The
earth was so constructed that it was capable of existing as a living
being to all eternity, with all the swarms of animals, fowls, and
fishes that were first placed upon the face thereof. But how can it be
proved that man was an immortal being? We will refer you to what the
Apostle Paul has written upon this subject; he says that by one man
came death; and he tells us how it came: it was by the transgression
of one individual that death was introduced here. But did
transgression bring in all these diseases and this sorrow, this misery
and wretchedness, over the whole face of this creation? Is it by the
transgression of one person that the very heavens are to vanish away
as smoke, and the earth is to wax old like a garment? Yes, it is by
the transgression of one; and if it had not been for his
transgression, the earth never would have been subject to death. Why?
Because the works of the Lord are so constructed as to exist for ever;
and if death had come in without a cause, and destroyed the earth, and
laid waste the material heavens, and produced a general and utter
overthrow and ruin in this fair creation, then the works of the Lord
would have ceased to endure according to the promise, being imperfect
in their construction, and consequently not very good.

Vol. 1, p.282
But what was this sin, and what was the nature of it? I will tell you
what it was; it was merely the partaking of a certain kind of fruit.
But, says one, I should think there is no harm in eating fruit. There
would not be unless God gave a command upon the subject. There are
things in nature that would be evil without a commandment: if there
were no commandment, it would be evil for you to murder an innocent
being, and your own conscience would tell you it was an evil thing, It
is an evil for any individual to injure another, or to infringe upon
the rights of another, independent of any revealed law; for the
savage, or that being who has never heard of the written laws of
heaven—who has never heard of the revealed laws of God with regard to
these principles—as well, as the Saint, knows that it is an evil to
infringe upon the rights of another; the very nature of the thing
shows that it is an evil; but not so in regard to many other things
that are evil; which are only made evil by commandment.

Vol. 1, p.282
For instance, hero is the Sabbath day: a person that never heard the
revealed law of God upon the subject, never could conceive that it was
an evil to work on the Sabbath day; he would consider it just as right
to work on the first day of the week, as on the seventh; he would
perceive nothing in the nature of the thing by which he could
distinguish it to be an evil. So with regard to eating certain fruits;
there is no evil in it of itself, it was the commandment of the Great
God that made it an evil. He said to Adam and Eve, "Here are all the
fruits of the garden; you may eat of them freely except this one tree
that stands in the midst of the garden; now beware, for in the day you
eat thereof you shall surely die." Don't we perceive that the
commandment made this an evil? Had it not been for this commandment,
Adam would have walked forth and freely partaken of every tree,
without any remorse of  conscience; just as the savage, that never has
heard the revealed will of God, [p.283] would work on the Sabbath, the
same as on any other day, and have no conscience about the matter. But
when a man murders, he knows it to be an injury, and he has a
conscience about it, though he never heard of God; and so with
thousands of other evils. But why did the Lord place man under these
peculiar circumstances? Why did He not withhold the commandment, if
the partaking of the fruit, after the commandment was given, was sin?
Why should there have been a commandment upon the subject at all,
inasmuch as there was no evil in the nature of the thing to be
perceived or understood? The Lord had a purpose in view; though He
constructed this fair creation, as we have told you, subject to
immortality, and capable of eternal endurance, and though He had
constructed man capable of living for ever, yet He had an object in
view in regard to that man, and the creation he inhabited. What was
the object? And how shall this object be accomplished?

Vol. 1, p.283
Why, the Lord wanted this intelligent being called man, to prove
himself; inasmuch as he was an agent, He desired that he should show
himself approved before his Creator.

Vol. 1, p.283
How could this be done without a commandment? Can you devise any
possible means? Is there any person in this congregation having wisdom
sufficient to devise any means by which an intelligent being can show
himself approved before a superior intelligence, unless it be by
administering to that man certain laws to be kept? No. Without law,
without commandment or rule, there would be no possible way of showing
his integrity: it could not be said that he would keep all the laws
that govern superior orders of beings, unless he had been placed in a
position to be tried, and thus proven whether he would keep them or
not. Then it was wisdom to try the man and the woman, so the Lord gave
them this commandment; if He had not intended the man should be tried
by this commandment, He never would have planted that tree, He never
would have placed it in the midst of the garden. But the very fact
that He planted it where the man could have easy access to it, shows
that He intended man should be tried by it, and thus prove whether he
would keep His commandments or not. The penalty of disobedience to
this law was death.

Vol. 1, p.283
But could He not give a commandment, without affixing a penalty? He
could not: it would be folly, even worse than folly, for God to give a
law to an intelligent being, without affixing a penalty to it if it
were broken. Why? Because all intelligent beings would discard the
very idea of a law being given, which might be broken at pleasure,
without the individuals breaking it being punished for their
transgression. They would say—"Where is the principle of justice in
the giver of the law? It is not there: we do not reverence Him nor His
law; justice does not have an existence in His bosom; He does not
regard His own laws, for He suffers them to be broken with impunity,
and trampled under foot, by those whom He has made; therefore we care
not for Him or His laws, nor His pretended justice; we will rebel
against it." Where would have been the use of it if there had been no
penalty affixed?

Vol. 1, p.283
But what was the nature of this penalty? It was wisely ordained to be
of such a nature as to instruct man. Penalties inflicted upon human
beings here, by governors, kings, or rulers, are generally of such a
nature as to benefit them.

Vol. 1, p.283
Adam was appointed lord of this creation; a great governor, swaying
the sceptre of power over the whole earth. When the governor, the
person who was placed to reign over this fair creation, had
transgressed, all in [p.284] his dominions had to feel the effects of
it, the same as a father or a mother, who transgresses certain laws,
frequently transmits the effects thereof to the latest generations.

Vol. 1, p.284
How often do we see certain diseases becoming hereditary, being handed
down from father to son for generations. Why? Because in the first
instance there was a transgression, and the children partook of the
effects of it.

Vol. 1, p.284
And what was the fullest extent of the penalty of Adam's
transgression? I will tell you—it was death. The death of what? The
death of the immortal tabernacle—of that tabernacle where the seeds of
death had not been, that was wisely framed, and pronounced very good:
the seeds of death were introduced into it. How, and in what manner?
Some say there was something in the nature of the fruit that
introduced mortality. Be this as it may, one thing is certain, death
entered into the system; it came there by some means, and sin was the
main spring by which this monster was introduced. If there had been no
sin, old father Adam would at this day have been in the garden of
Eden, as bright and as blooming, as fresh and as fair, as ever,
together with his lovely consort Eve, dwelling in all the beauty of
youth.

Vol. 1, p.284
By one man came death—the death of the body. What becomes of the
spirit when the body dies? Will it be perfectly happy? Would old
farther Adam's spirit have gone back into the presence of God, and
dwelt there eternally, enjoying all the felicities and glories of
heaven, after his body had died? No; for the penalty of that
transgression was not limited to the body alone. When he sinned, it
was with both the body and the spirit that he sinned: it was not only
the body that eat of the fruit, but the spirit gave the will to eat;
the spirit sinned therefore as well as the body; they were agreed in
partaking of that fruit. Was not the spirit to suffer then as well as
the body? Yes. How long? To all ages of eternity, without any end;
while the body was to return back to its mother earth, and there
slumber to all eternity. That was the effect of the fall, leaving out
the plan of redemption; so that, if there had been no plan of
redemption prepared from before the foundation of the world, man would
have been subjected to an eternal dissolution of the body and
spirit—the one to lie mingling with its mother earth, to all ages of
eternity, and the other to be subject, throughout all future duration,
to the power that deceived him, and led them astray; to be completely
miserable, or, as the Book of Mormon says, "dead as to things
pertaining to righteousness;" and I defy any such beings to have any
happiness when they are dead as to things pertaining to righteousness.
To them, happiness is out of the question; they are completely and
eternally miserable, and there is no help for them, laying aside the
atonement. That was the penalty pronounced upon father Adam, and upon
all the creation of which he was made lord and governor. This is what
is termed original sin, and the effect of it.

Vol. 1, p.284
But there is a very curious saying in the Book of Mormon, to which I
now wish to refer your minds; it reads thus: "Adam fell that man might
be, and men are that they might have joy." Says one, "If Adam had not
fallen, then there could not have been any posterity." That is just
what we believe; but how do you get along with that saying which was
given previous to the fall, where he was commanded to multiply and
replenish the earth? How could he have multipled and fullfiled this
commandment, if "Adam fell that man might be?"  Let me appeal to
another saying in the New Testament: "Adam was [p.285] not deceived;
but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression," says the
Apostle Paul. Well, after the woman was deceived, she became subject
to the penalty; yes, after she had partaken of the forbidden fruit,
the penalty was upon her, and not upon Adam; he had not partaken of
the fruit, but his wife had. Now, what is to be done? Here are two
beings in the garden of Eden, the woman and the man; she has
transgressed, has broken the law, and incurred the penalty. And now,
suppose the man had said, "I will not partake of this forbidden
fruit;" the next word would have been, "Cast her out of the garden;
but let Adam stay there, for he has not sinned; he has not broken the
commandment, but his wife has; she was deceived, let her be banished
from the garden, and from my presence, and from Adam's presence; let
them be eternally separated." I ask, on these conditions could they
fulfil the first great commandment? They could not. Adam saw this,
that the woman was overcome by the devil speaking through the serpent;
and when he saw it, he was satisfied that the woman would have to be
banished from his presence: he saw, also, that unless he partook of
the forbidden fruit, he could never raise up posterity; therefore the
truth of that saying in the Book of Mormon is apparent, that "Adam
fell that man might be." He saw that it was necessary that he should
with her partake of sorrow and death, and the varied effects of the
fall, that he and she might be redeemed from these effects, and be
restored back again to the presence of God.

Vol. 1, p.285
This tree, of which they both ate, was called the tree of knowledge of
good and evil. Why was it thus termed? I will explain a mystery to
you, brethren, why this was called so. Adam and Eve, while in the
garden of Eden, had not the knowledge you and I have; it is true, they
had a degree of intelligence, but they had not the experience, they
had not the  knowledge by experience, which you and I have: all they
knew was barely what they knew when they came there; they knew a
commandment had been given to them, and they had sufficient knowledge
to name the beasts of the field as they came up before them; but as
for the knowledge of good, they had not got it, because they never had
anything contrary to good placed before them.

Vol. 1, p.285
We will bring up an example. For instance, suppose you had never
tasted anything that was sweet—never had the sensation of
sweetness—could you have any correct idea of the term sweetness? No.
On the other hand, how could you understand bitter if you never had
tasted bitterness? Could you define the term to them who had
experienced this sensation, or knew it? No. I will bring another
example. Take a man who had been perfectly blind from his infancy, and
never saw the least gleam of light—could you describe colors to him?
No. Would he know anything about red, blue, violet, or yellow? No; you
could not describe it to him by any way you might undertake. But by
some process let his eyes be opened, and let him gaze upon the sun
beams that reflect; upon a watery cloud, producing the rainbow, where
he would see a variety of colors, he could then appreciate them for
himself; but tell him about colors when he is blind, he would not know
them from a piece of earthenware. So with Adam previous to partaking
of this fruit; good could not be described to him, because he never
had experienced the opposite. As to undertaking to explain to him what
evil was, you might as well have undertaken to explain, to a being
that never had, for one moment, had his eyes closed to the light, what
darkness is. The tree of knowledge of good [p.286] and evil was placed
there that man might gain certain information he never could have
gained otherwise; by partaking of the forbidden fruit he experienced
misery, then he knew that he was once happy, previously he could not
comprehend what happiness meant, what good was; but now he knows it by
contrast, now he is filled with sorrow and wretchedness, now he sees
the difference between his former and present condition, and if by any
means he could be restored to his first position, he would be prepared
to realize it, like the man that never had seen the light. Let the man
to whom all the beauties of light have been displayed, and who has
never been in darkness, be in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
deprived of his natural sight; what a change this would be to him; he
never knew anything about darkness before, he never understood the
principle at all; it never entered the catalogue of his ideas, until
darkness came upon him, and his eye-sight was destroyed: now he can
comprehend that the medium he once existed in was light. Now, says he,
if I could only regain my sight, I could appreciate it, for I
understand the contrast; restore me back again to my sight, and let me
enjoy the light I once had; let me gaze upon the works of creation,
let me look on the beauties thereof again, and I will be satisfied,
and my joy will be full. It was so with Adam; let the way be prepared
for his redemption, and the redemption of his posterity, and all
creation that groans in pain to be delivered—let them be restored back
again to what they lost through the fall, and they will be prepared to
appreciate it.

Vol. 1, p.286
In order to show you the dire effects of the fall, it is not only
necessary to say that old father Adam has experienced that penalty,
and laid down his body in the dust; but all generations since that
time have experienced the same; and you, and I, and every man, and
woman, and child, have got to, undergo that penalty; it will be
inflicted upon us, and thus will the law, of God be magnified, His
words fulfilled, and justice have its demands. It is not because of
our sins, that we die; it is not because we have transgressed, that we
die; it is not because we may commit murder, or steal, or plunder, or
rob, or take the name of the Lord in vain; it is not these things that
bring the death of the body; but it is Adam's sin that makes the
little child die, that makes kings, princes, and potentates die, and
that has made all generations die from his day down to the present
time. Don't you think there ought to be some way to redeem us from
this dreadful calamity? We had no hand in the transgression of Adam;
you and I were not there to participate in it; but it was our great
father who did it, and we are suffering the effects of it.

Vol. 1, p.286
Cannot some of the wise medical men of the age—some of the great
physicians and doctors of the day, who have studied medicine all their
life—can they not imagine up something new, that will relieve the
posterity of Adam from this awful calamity? They have not done it yet.
Dr. Brandreth recommended his medicine for all kinds of diseases, and
even it was said that steam-boats were propelled by its power; but it
made no man immortal; it did not save one man; and it is doubtful in
the extreme—it is certain, that no man in this mortality has ever
discovered that medicine which will relieve us from these awful
effects transmitted from father Adam to this present time, There is a
remedy, but it is not to be found in the catalogue of the inventions
of man; it is not to be found in the bowels of the earth, or dug out
of any mines; it is not to be purchased by the gold of California, or
the treasures of  India. What is it, [p.287] and how was it
discovered? It was the Being who made man, that made him immortal and
eternal, that Being whose bosom is filled with mercy, as well as
justice, that exercises both attributes, and shows to all creation
that He is a merciful God, as well as a God of justice; it was He that
discovered this wonderful remedy to preserve mankind from the effects
of this eternal death. But when is it to be applied? Not immediately,
for that would frustrate His designs: when the body has got back into
the dust, and after man has suffered sufficiently long for the
original sin, He then brings him forth to enjoy all the bloom of
immortality; He tells Death to trouble him no more; He wipes away all
tears from his eyes, for he is prepared to live for ever, and gaze
upon His glory, and dwell in His presence.

Vol. 1, p.287
This great Redeemer is stronger than Death, more powerful than that
direful monster who has come into the world, and laid siege to all the
inhabitants thereof; He will banish it out of this creation. How will
He do it? If the penalty of the original sin be the eternal separation
of body and spirit, how can justice have all its demands, and mercy be
shown to the transgressor? There is a way, and how? It is by the
introduction of His Only Begotten Son, the Son of His own bosom, the
first-born of every creature, holding the birthright over every
creation He has made, and holding the keys of salvation over millions
of worlds like this; he has a right to come forth and suffer the
penalty of death for the fallen sons and daughters of man. He offered
his own life says he, "Father, I will suffer death though I have not
merited it; let me suffer the demands of the law. Here I am innocent
in thy presence; I have always kept thy laws from the day of my birth
among thy creations, throughout ages past down to the present time; I
have never been rebellious to thy commandments; and now I will suffer
for my brethren and sisters: let thy justice be magnified and made
honourable; here am I; let me suffer the ends of the law, and let
death and the grave deliver up their victims, and let the posterity of
Adam all be set free, every soul of them without an exception." This
is the way that justice is magnified and made honourable, and none of
the creations of the Almighty Can complain of Him, that He has not
answered the ends of justice; no intelligent being can say," You have
deviated from your words." Justice has had its demands in the
penalties that were inflicted upon the Son of God, so far as Adam's
transgression is concerned.

Vol. 1, p.287
I will explain a little further. So far as that transgression is
concerned, all the inhabitants of the earth will be saved. Now
understand me correctly. If there are any strangers present, that have
not understood the views of the Latter-day Saints, I wish you to
understand that we have no reference in any way to our own personal
sins; but so far as the original sin of father Adam is concerned, you
and I will have to suffer death; and every man and woman that ever
lived on this globe will be redeemed from that sin. On what condition?
I answer, on no condition whatever on our part. "But," says one,
"where I came from they tell me I ought to repent for the original
sin." I care not what they tell you, you will be redeemed from the
original sin, with no works on your part whatever. Jesus has died to
redeem you from it, and you are as sure to be redeemed, as you live
upon the face of this earth. This is the kind of universal redemption
the "Mormons" believe in, though in one sense of the word, it is a
different kind of universal redemption from that which the nations
have been in the habit of hearing. We believe in the universal [p.288]
redemption of all the children of Adam into the presence of God, so
far as the sins of Adam are concerned. They will obtain a universal
redemption from the grove. It matters not how wicked you are; if you
have murdered all the days of your life, and committed all the sins
the devil would prompt you to commit, you will get a resurrection;
your spirit will be restored to your body. If Jesus had not come, all
of us would have slumbered in the grave; but now, wicked as we may be,
if we go down to the grove blaspheming the name of the Lord, we shall
as sure come up again as we go down there. This is free grace without
works; all this comes to pass without works on the part of the
creature.

Vol. 1, p.288
Now let us pause upon another subject, as we pass along. Don't you
know, my hearers, that there has been another law given since man has
become a mortal being? Is it the Book of Mormon? No. After man became
a mortal being, the Lord gave him another law, What was it? "You have
now got into a condition that you know good and evils by experience,
and I will give you a law adapted to your capacity, says the Lord,
"and I now command you, that you shall not do evil."

Vol. 1, p.288
What is the penalty? Second death, What is that? After you have been
redeemed from the grave, and come into the presence of God, you will
have to stand there to be judged; and if you have done evil, you will
be banished everlastingly from His presence—body and spirit united
together; this is what is called the second death. Why is it called
the second death? Because the first is the dissolution of body and
spirit, and the second is merely a banishment—a becoming dead to the
things of righteousness; and as I have already remarked, wherever a
being is placed in such a condition, there perfect misery reigns; I
care not where you place them; you may take any of the celestial
worlds, and place millions of beings there that are dead to
righteousness, and how long will it be before they make a perfect hell
of it? They would make a hell of any heaven the Lord ever made. It is
the second death—the penalty attached to the commandment given to the
posterity of Adam, viz., "You shall cease to do evil; for if you cease
to do evil, you shall be redeemed from Adam's transgression, and
brought back into my presence; and if you cease not to do evil, you
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from my presence, and
from the glory of my power," saith the Lord.

Vol. 1, p.288
"But," says one, "He is so merciful that He would not inflict such a
penalty upon us." Have you ever seen a man that has escaped from the
first death? or who had any prospect of it? No; you cannot find a
remedy to hinder him from going down to his grave. Has there been any
escape for any individual for 6000 years past? Now, if the Lord has
been punctual to make every man, woman, and child, suffer the penalty
of the first transgression, why should you suppose that you can stand
in His presence, and behold the glory of His power, and have
everlasting life and happiness, when He has told you that you should
be banished therefrom, that the second death should be inflicted upon
you? For the first provocation, He has fulfilled to the very letter
the penalty of the law; so will He in the second, and there is no
escape. Says one, "Is there no escape?" No; not so far as you are able
to provide. But I will tell you that there is a redemption for man
from this second death or penalty, and the Lord remains a perfect,
just Being, His justice being magnified.

Vol. 1, p.288
There is a way of escape from the effects of your own individual
transgressions, but it is different from the [p.289] redemption from
the original sin of Adam. The redemption from that sin was universal
without works, but the redemption from your own personal sins is
universal with works on the part of the creature—universal in its
nature, because it is free to all, but not received by all. The
salvation, or redemption from your own sins, is not by free grace
alone, it requires a little work. But what are the works? Jesus
Christ, through his death and sufferings has answered the penalty, on
condition that you believe in him, and repent of your sins, and be
baptized for the remission of them, and receive the Gift of the Holy
Ghost, by the laying on of hands, and continue humble, and meek, and
prayerful, until you go down to your graves; and on these conditions,
Jesus will plead for you before the Father, and say, "Father, I not
only died for Adam's sin, but for the sins of all the world, inasmuch
as they believe in my Gospel; and now these individuals have repented,
they have reformed their lives, and have become like little children
in my sight, and have performed the works I have given them to do—and
now, Father, may they be saved with an everlasting salvation in thy
presence, and sit down with me on my throne, as I have overcome, and
sit down with thee on thy throne; and may they be crowned, with all
the sanctified, with immortality and eternal life, no more to be cast
away."

Vol. 1, p.289
Don't you think the Father would accept an appeal of this kind from
His Only Begotten Son? Yes. He is our Mediator, to plead before the
Father for those who will comply with his commands, and the laws of
his Gospel. The way is simple, so simple and easy that many step over
it and say, "O, that is of no consequence, it is of no avail, it will
do no good to be baptized in water." But if the Lord bad not
constructed it upon a simple plan, adapted to the capacities of all
men, they might have had some excuse; but as it is, they have none:
all you have got to do is to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God, turn away from your sins, cease to do evil, saying, "Farher, I
will cease from this time henceforth to sin,. and will work the works
of righteousness; I will try to do good all the days of my life; and I
witness this before thee by this day going down into the waters of
baptism; and thus cast off the old man, with his deeds," and
henceforth live in newness of life. If you will do this, you will just
as sure be redeemed from your own sins, and the penalty thereof, and
be lifted up to dwell in the presence of God, as you have been
redeemed or lifted up from the waters of baptism. This is the Gospel,
the first principles thereof, by which you can be redeemed from your
own sins; and by and bye death will come, and it will be sweet to you,
for Jesus has suffered the penalty of sin; the pangs of sin are gone,
and you fall asleep in peace, having made sure your salvation, and
having done your duty well, like those we are preaching the funeral
sermon of this morning; and thus you will fall asleep, with a full
assurance that you will come up, in the morning of the first
resurrection, with an immortal body, like that which Adam had before
he partook of the forbidden fruit. This is the promise to them that
fall asleep in Jesus.

Vol. 1, p.289
When our spirits leave these bodies, will they be happy? Not perfectly
so. Why? Because the spirit is absent from the body; it cannot be
perfectly happy while a part of the man is lying in the earth. How can
the happiness be complete when only a part of the redemption is
accomplished? You cannot be perfectly happy until you get a new house.
You will be happy, you will be at ease in paradise; but still you will
be looking for a house where your spirit can enter, and act as you did
in former times, only more [p.290] perfectly, having superior powers.
Consequently, all the holy men that have lived in days of old, have
looked forward to the resurrection of their bodies; for then their
glory will be complete.

Vol. 1, p.290
What did Paul say upon this subject? He said, "I have fought a good
fight," "I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall
give me at that day." Do you understand this passage? Remember that
this crown that Paul speaks of, was not to be given in the day we die;
but it is to be given in "that day"—the day of the Lord's appearing;
it is to be given to all those that love his appearing; then is the
time that Paul will get his crown; then is the time that the Saints
who fall asleep in our day, will receive their crowns—crowns of
rejoicing—kingly crowns. What good would a crown do a man who is
miserable and wretched? Many persons have worn crowns in this life;
tyrants have had crowns of diamonds and gold; but what benefit are
they? None at all, except to a being who has made himself perfectly
happy by his obedience. But what are we to understand by this crown of
righteousness, which is to be given to the Saints? We understand that
it is actually to be a crown of glory; that they are to be kings in
reality. John speaks in the first chapter of his Revelations to the
Churches in his day, and represents the Saints to be Kings and
Priests; he says, Christ "hath made us kings and priests unto God and
His Father;" and this too, while in this life.

Vol. 1, p.290
In another place he speaks of those who are dead—about their singing a
new song: "And they sung a new song, saying," Thou "hast redeemed us
Oh God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and
nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests." Here then we
find, from the first chapter, that they were made Kings and Priests
before they were dead; and in the next quotations; we find that they
still retained their kingly office after death, and actually had made
songs to express their happy condition—Thou "hast made us kings and
priests." Now we see the reason why they are to wear crowns, for they
will be made King s and Priests on the earth: the Lord then, must have
some way to give this kingly power.

Vol. 1, p.290
Do you understand this, brethren and sisters? If you were to speak, I
should hear innumerable voices respond, "Yes, we understand it; the
Lord has revealed the ordinances; we know how the sons and daughters
of God obtain this kingly office, while living here in this mortal
tabernacle."

Vol. 1, p.290
We will pass over that; suffice it to say, that death does not wrench
it from them; for they are to be kings, not for a day, or for this
short life, but they are to remain to all eternity kings; having their
thrones, and acting in the duties belonging to their kingly office.
Compared with this, what are all the little, petty kingdoms of this
earth worth? They are not worth one snap of the finger. The kings of
the world exercise a certain authority over the nations—over theft
subjects, issuing laws, and framing governments, and controlling them;
and do you suppose that the Saints will be kings in the eternal world,
and sit down upon thrones, in silence, not exercising the functions of
their office? No. That is not the way the Lord has organized His
creations; if there are kings, you may depend upon it they will have
kingdoms under their control; they will have authority and dominion;
they will give laws  to those subjects over whom they bear rule; they
will control them by the priestly office, for it is combined with the
kingly office, and neither can be separated [p.291] and contraced in
His feelings, in His views and disposition, that He would limit the
authority of the priestly office to this little globe we inhabit? No.
God has more expansive views; His works are without beginning, and
without end; they are one eternal round. What kind of works are they?
They are to make creations, and people them with living beings, and
place them in a condition to prove themselves; and to exercise the
kingly and priestly office to redeem them after they have suffered
pain, and sorrow, and distress; and to bring them up into the presence
of God; that they, in their turn, may become kings and priests for
other creations that shall be made, and that shall be governed and
ruled over by those possessing the proper authority.

Vol. 1, p.291
We do not believe that everything has got robe limited to this little
space of time in this world; but the Saints will be doing a work that
will be adapted to beings that are the sons of God in the fullest
sense of the word, that are precisely like their Father; and if so,
they will be like Gods, and will hold dominion under that Being who is
the Lord of lords; and they will hold it to all eternity.

Vol. 1, p.291
We will come back to our text. We have been talking about the funeral
sermon of the earth; the earth is to wax old like a garment and pass
away. I have already proved to you the redemption of man, and how he
will become immortal and eternal; now let us look after his
inheritance; we will see if he is to be lifted up in space, without
any inheritance to stand upon, without any land upon which to raise
manna for eating, or flax for the spinning and making of fine robes
and other wearing apparel. Let us see if it is to be a shadowy
existence, like the God that is served by Christendom, "without body,
parts, and passions," and located "beyond the bounds of time and
space."

Vol. 1, p.291
The earth is to die; it has already received certain ordinances, and
will have to receive other ordinances for its recovery from the fall.

Vol. 1, p.291
We will go back to the creation. The first account we have of the
earth, it was enveloped in a mass of waters; it was called forth from
the womb of liquid elements. Here was the first; birth of our
creation—the waters rolled back, and the dry land appeared, and was
soon clothed upon with vegetable and animal existence. This was
similar to all other births; being first encompassed in a flood of
mighty waters, it burst forth from them, and was soon clothed with all
the beauties of the vegetable kingdom. By and bye it became polluted
by Adam's transgression, and was thus brought; under the sentence of
death, with all things connected with it; and as our text says, it
must wax old and die, in like manner as the inhabitants upon the face
thereof.

Vol. 1, p.291
The heavens and the earth were thus polluted, that is, the material
heavens, and everything connected with our globe; all fell when man
fell, and became subject to death when man became subject to it. Both
man and the earth are redeemed from the original sin without
ordinances; but soon we find new sins committed by the fallen sons of
Adam, and the earth became corrupterd before the Lord by their
transgressions. It needs redeeming ordinances for these second
transgressions. The Lord ordained baptism, or immersion of the earth
in water, as a justifying ordinance. Said he to Noah, "Build an ark
for the saving of thyself and house, for I will immerse the earth in
water, that the sins which have corrupted it may be washed away from
its face." The fountains of the great deep, and the windows on high,
were opened, and the rains came and overwhelmed the earth; and the dry
land disappeared in  the womb of the mighty waters, even as in the
[p.292] beginning to all eternity. Is our God so narrow The waters
were assuaged; the earth came forth clothed with innocence, like the
new-born child, having been baptized or born again from the ocean
flood; and thus the old earth was buried with all its deeds, and arose
to newness of life, its sins being washed away, even as man has to be
immersed in water to wash away his own personal sins.

Vol. 1, p.292
By and bye the earth becomes corrupted again, and the nations make
themselves drunken with the wine of the wrath of great Babylon; but
the Lord has reserved the same earth for fire; hence He says by the
prophet Malachi, "Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven,
&c." A complete purification is again to come upon the earth, and that
too, by the more powerful element of fire; and the wicked will be
burned as stubble. When is this to be? Is it to be before the earth
dies? This is a representation of the baptism that is received by man
after he has been baptized in water; for he is then to be baptized
with fire and the Holy Ghost, and all his sins entirely done away: so
the earth will be baptized with fire, and wickedness swept away from
its face, so that the glory of God Shall cover it. As the waters cover
the great deep, so will the earth be overwhelmed and immersed in the
glory of God, and His Spirit be poured out upon all flesh, before the
earth dies.    After this purifying ordinance, there will be a
thousand years of rest, during which righteousness shall abound upon
the face of the earth; and soon after the thousand years have ended,
the words of the text shall be fulfilled—"The heavens shall vanish
away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment," &c. When
the earth waxes old, and has filled the measure of its creation, and
all things have been done according to the mind and will of God, He
will say to the earth, "Die." What will be its death? Will it be
drowned? No: it is to die through the agency of fire; it is to suffer
a death similar to many of the martyrs; the very elements themselves
are to melt with fervent heat, and the hills are to be made like wax
before the Lord. Will the earth be annihilated? No, there is no such a
word in all His revelations; such a thing was never known in the bosom
of the Almighty, or any other being, except in the imaginations of
some of the moderns, who have declared that the globe was to become
like the "baseless fabric of a vision." It is one of the sectarian
folios, that the elements and every thing else are to be completely
struck out of existence. The Lord never revealed, or thought of, or
even hinted at such a thing.

Vol. 1, p.292
The earth will not be annihilated, any more than our bodies are after
being burned. Every chemist knows that the weight of a thing is not
diminished by burning it. The present order of things must be done
away, and, as the apostle John says, all things must become new; and
he tells us the time when: it is to be after the millennium. The
passing away is equivalent to death, and all things being made new is
equivalent to the resurrection.    Is the new earth to be. made
precisely like this earth? No; but as this earth was, before sin
entered into it; and we shall inherit it. This is our heaven, and we
have the title to it by promise, and it will be redeemed through the
faith and prayers of the Saints, and we shall get a title from God to
a portion of it as our inheritance.

Vol. 1, p.292
O ye farmers, when you sleep in the grave, don't be afraid that your
agricultural pursuits are forever at an end; don't be fearful that you
will never get any more landed property; but  if you be Saints, be of
good cheer, for when you come up in the morning of the resurrection,
behold! there is [p.293] a new earth made, wherein dwells
righteousness, and blessed are ye, for ye shall inhabit it. "Blessed
are the meek," Says our Saviour, "for they shall inherit the earth,"
though they have died without a foot of land. The Latter-day Saints
were driven from one possession to another, until they were driven
beyond the pale of civilization into the deserts, where it was
supposed they would die, and that would be the last of them; but
behold, they have a firm hold upon the promise that the meek shall
inherit the earth, when they come here with immortal bodies capable of
enjoying the earth. True, we can have plenty of the things of this
life in their cursed condition; but what are all these things? They
are nothing. We are looking for things in their immortal state, and
farmers will have great farms upon the earth when it is so changed.
"But don't be so fast," says one," don't you know that there are only
about 197,000,000 of square miles, or about 126,000,000,000 of acres,
upon the surface of the globe? Will this accommodate all the
inhabitants after the resurrection?" Yes; for if the earth should
stand 8,000 years, or eighty centuries, and the population should be a
thousand millions in every century, that would be eighty thousand
millions of inhabitants; and we know that many centuries have passed
that would not give the tenth part of this; but supposing this to be
the number, there would then be over an acre and a half for each
person upon the face of the globe.

Vol. 1, p.293
But there is another thing to be considered. Are the wicked to receive
the earth as an inheritance? No; for Jesus did not say, Blessed axe
the wicked, for they shall inherit the earth; this promise was made
only to the meek. Who are the meek? None but those who receive the
ordinances of the Gospel, and live according to them; they must
receive the same ordinances the earth has received, and be baptized
with fire and with the Holy Ghost, as this earth will be when Jesus
comes to reign upon it a thousand years; and be clothed upon with the
glory of God, as this earth will be; and after they have died as the
earth will die, they will have to be resurrected, as this earth will
be resurrected, and then receive their inheritance upon it.

Vol. 1, p.293
Look at the seventeen centuries that have passed away on the eastern
hemisphere, during which time the sound of the Gospel has never been
heard from the mouth of an authorized servant of God. Suppose now that
out of the vast amount of the population of this earth, one in a
hundred should receive the law of meekness, and be entitled to receive
an inheritance upon the new earth; how much land would they receive?
We answer, they would receive over 150 acres, which would be quite
enough to raise manna, and to build some habitations upon, and some
splendid mansions; it would be large enough to raise flax to make
robes of, and to have beautiful orchards of fruit trees; it would be
large enough to have our flower gardens, and everything the
agriculturalist and the botanist want, and some to spare.

Vol. 1, p.293
What would be done with the spare portions? Let me tell you of one
thing which perhaps some of you have never thought of. Do you suppose
that we shall get up out of the grave, male and female, and that we
shall not have the same kind of affections, and endearments, and
enjoyments that we have here? The same pure feelings of love that
exist in the bosoms of the male and female in this world, will exist
with seven-fold intensity in the next world, governed by the law of
God; there will be no corruptions nor infringements upon one another's
rights. Will not a man have his own family? Yes; he will also have his
[p.294] own mansion and farm, his own sons and daughters. And what
else? Why, the fact is, man will continue to multiply and fill up this
creation, inasmuch as it is not filled up by the resurrected Saints
after it is made new,

Vol. 1, p.294
And what will he do when this is filled up? Why, he will make more
worlds, and swarm out like bees from the old hive, and prepare new
locations. And when a farmer has cultivated his farm, and raised
numerous children, so that the space is beginning to be too strait for
them, he will say, "My sons, yonder is plenty of matter, go and
organize a world, and people it; and you shall have laws to govern
you, and you shall understand and comprehend through your experience
the same things that we know." And thus it will be one eternal round,
and one continual increase; and the government will be placed under
those that are crowned as kings and Priests in the presence of God.

Vol. 1, p.294
Much more might be said, for we have only just touched upon these
things, only turned the key that you may look through the door and
discern a little of the glories that await the Saints. Let me tell
you, it has not entered into the heart of man to conceive the things
which God has laid up for them that love Him, unless he is filled with
the Holy Ghost, and by vision gazes upon the thrones and the
dominions, the principalities and powers, that are placed under His
control and dominion; and He shall sway a righteous sceptre over the
whole.

Vol. 1, p.294
This we will consider a kind of resurrection sermon for this creation,
and all the righteous that shall inhabit it. We have not time in this
discourse to preach the resurrection of the wicked, nor point out the
place of their location.

Heber C. Kimball, October 7, 1852

Going South—Building the Temple—Murmurers

A Discourse Delivered By President Heber C. Kimball,
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, 
October 7th, 1852, at the General Conference.

Vol. 1, p.294
The brethren have heard considerable about going south; and I know
there is considerable feeling manifested upon this matter. There are a
great many persons in this valley, who are working against this
operation; I mean fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and other
relations. Nearly all of these persons have city lots, and they
propose to divide them with the emigrants, rather than that they
should leave the city; and at the same time take one hundred and fifty
or two hundred dollars out of their brethren's pockets for that which
cost them little or nothing; so they have a certain object in view in
persuading people to stay in the, city. These things have a strong
tendency to bind the brethren here. [p.295] There are also many other
things that have the same tendency. They reason among themselves,
saying, "If we go to Iron County, or to Millard County, we shall
perhaps lose our blessings, our sealings, and our endowments, and many
other privileges;" and conclude to stay here for the purpose of
obtaining these things. I will tell you, that stay here for this
purpose, you will not get your blessings as soon as those will who go
and settle where they are counselled. For none of you can have these
blessings until you prove yourselves worthy, by cultivating the earth,
and then rendering to the Lord the first fruits thereof, the first
fruits of your cattle, of your sheep, and of all your increase. This
is how I understand it. Now go and get farms for yourselves while you
can.

Vol. 1, p.295
Those brethren in Iron County, and those that are still at Coal Creek,
pretty much all of them, are ironmongers; they were the first to go
into the iron and coal business and leave their farms. There are
somewhere in the neighbourhood of two hundred acres of land under
cultivation in those valleys, that you can have the privilege of
purchasing, or of cultivating for the time being, until you can make
farms for yourselves. In the city of Manti, halter the houses are
vacant; there are houses enough empty there to accommodate fifty or a
hundred families. In Iron County also there are similar advantages.

Vol. 1, p.295
Fillmore City, in Millard County, is situated in a very extensive
valley. I think we travel, as we are going to Iron County, somewhere
in the neighbourhood of fifty or sixty miles, and then it extends west
far beyond the power of the eyes to see; the fact is, we can see no
distant mountains at all in some directions; and there are numerous
rich valleys that are connected or which communicate with this, on to
Iron County. Millard County we wish to make strong and powerful, for
there is .the centre of the government of the State of Deseret, and
where the governor and his associates, some time in the future, will
dwell part of the year. There will be a building erected there for the
use of the general government of this State and for the general
government of the Church and kingdom of God. Then why need you be
afraid of the result of anything that is best for you to do? Let
grandfather, grandmother, brother or sister, have no influence over
you to turn you aside from your duty.

Vol. 1, p.295
If brother Brigham is not of more consequence to you than your brother
or sister, or father or mother, or anything else that pertains to this
life, I would not give much for your religion. If you will reflect for
a moment, and let the Spirit of the Lord—the spirit of revelation,
have place in your bosoms, so that you can foresee the future events
which we are approaching, and let your minds expand by the power of
the Holy Ghost, you will not hesitate one moment to go to these
valleys.

Vol. 1, p.295
We have no wish to get rid of the Saints, but the counsel that is
given them to go and settle those places, is for their best interest,
and for the up-building of the kingdom of God.

Vol. 1, p.295
You have arrived safely in this valley, by the providence of God, from
Old England, where it rains almost every day, and where they have to
keep the lamps lit, sometimes, in order to pass through the streets
safely in the day time. Often, when I was there, I had to sit and read
in the day time by candle light; and we very seldom durst go out
without an umbrella, for if we did, we were sure to get soaked to the
skin before we returned. It is not so in this country; and the further
you go south, the higher the valleys are, until you go over the rim of
the Great Basin, about sixty miles, down to the Rio Virgin. As soon as
you get there, you are [p.296] where it is summer all the year round;
but we do not wish you to go there until you are appointed to go. We
want you to go where you are sent, for you cannot get your endowments
until you have proved yourselves—that is what we intend; it is the
mind of brother Brigham, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints,. and the Prophet of God, who holds the keys of
life and salvation pertaining to you, and me, and all the world—not a
soul is excepted, neither man, woman, nor child; they all belong to
him; for he is the Prophet, he is our Priest, our Governor, even the
Governor of the State of Deseret.

Vol. 1, p.296
I think more of the things that pertain to the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, or the kingdom of God, than I do of these little
petty territorial matters. I presume if the brethren in this
Conference will go into these valleys, and grow wheat, raise cattle,
and other products of the earth, and then give one-tenth of all their
increase into the Lord's storehouse; and one-tenth of all they have
got now, we shall be able to set to immediately, and build a temple,
and finish it forthwith, and abandon the idea of the Church building
houses for individuals, to get a few dollars here and there to carry
on the public works. Let us attend to the Church matters, and rear
that wall round the Temple block as soon as possible, and apply the
Church funds to this purpose, instead of putting them into the hands
of a few individuals, that would perhaps pay one hundred dollars, or
turn in a yoke of cattle, and say, "Build me a house, and then let the
Church pay the difference." They will pay so much, and perhaps the
rest of it is sucked out of the vitals of the Church. This is
afflicting the Church; it cannot carry this burthen, but must and will
throw it off, and use the tithing in building a temple, a baptismal
font, store houses, and such things the Church has need of. I do not
know whether you have any desire to have a temple built or not. Hare
you reflected upon it, that we may go to with our might, our means,
our substance, and with all we have to build a house to the Lord, to
build fonts, that we can attend to the ordinances of salvation for
ourselves, our children, our fathers, and mothers, both living and
dead? What do you say? if you say we shall do so, raise your right
hands. (All hands were up.) It is clear that, they will have a temple,
brother Brigham.

Vol. 1, p.296
Now if you will take hold together, and do as you have been told, and
go and people those rich valleys, except those who have been
counselled to stay here, for if they are wanted here, it is necessary
they should stay here; you shall be blessed. Gather up your,
substance, and go and make farms for yourselves, that you can raise
from two hundred to three thousand bushels of wheat next summer. We
have been in those valleys two or three times on exploring
expeditions, and we are going again next fall, over the mountains,
down into the lower world, if the Lord will. We shall thus travel back
and forth, and live about as much in one place as in another; for the
future we shall keep on the move, going to and fro, and shall never be
easy; we never want to be, nor that you should, until the kingdom of
God prevails over this earth. We will fill up these mountains, take up
the land, and, as they used to say in the States, "become squatters,"
and we will become thicker on the mountains than the crickets ever
were.

Vol. 1, p.296
If you can once break up the ranks of the crickets, it breaks up their
calculations, and under such circumstances they never will undertake a
war upon your crops. In like manner we have to become one, and build a
[p.297] Temple, that we may learn the principles of oneness more
fully, to prepare for all things to come, that when we become fixed
for war, we may whip out all the enemies of truth, and never yield the
point, neither man, woman, nor child that is in Israel.

Vol. 1, p.297
As for murmurers and complainers and fault-finders, we want to give
them some employment, and we shall attend to that part of the business
before long. After meeting we will lay the thing before them, and all
the murmurers, and complainers, and fault-finders, &c., we want they
should raise their right hand to do some good. If they want to vote,
we will appoint a meeting at the Council House directly after
Conference, and organize them into companies, and appoint a building
committee to build brother Brigham a house, and the person who murmurs
the worst shall be the President. We will give him the same right
which we gave to Father Sherwood; but it was a tie between him and
Zebedee Coltrin which should preside; but Father Sherwood's tongue
being more limber, he whipped out Coltrin, and got the Presidency. We
will organize a company of males and females, for we calculate to give
females an office in that company, and they shall be upon an equal
footing with the men. Now there's a chance for you women who seek to
be equal with your husbands. This is sticking to the text brother
Brigham gave yesterday. But I believe I will stop speaking for the
present.

Parley P. Pratt, July 10, 1853

"Mormonism"

A Discourse Delivered By Parley P. Pratt,
 in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 10, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.297
I hope the congregation will lend us their undivided attention, and
exercise their faith and prayers for those that speak, that the truth
may be drawn out to the edification of all.

Vol. 1, p.297
I always feel diffident to address the assemblies of the people of
God, at the seat of the government of the Church, knowing that there
are many that can edify and enlighten our minds better than I can. I
always feel that I would sooner hear than speak. But nevertheless, I
feel it my duty to impart my testimony, and exercise my gift among my
brethren, according to my calling; I therefore shall address you for a
while this morning.

Vol. 1, p.297
There may be many strangers assembled with us as at this season of the
year; many are passing through this city from different parts of the
world. The members of the Church need not complain, if I should
address myself to the people as if they were all strangers, on the
principles that are sometimes designated "MORMONISM;" and confine
myself to some of the plain, simple, introductory principles of that
system. It will refresh the minds of those acquainted with them, and
perhaps edify them, and at the same time edify others.

Vol. 1, p.298
Suppose I were to ask a question this morning, as a stranger, "What
[p.298] is Mormonism?" I suppose it is known to most men at all
conversant with principles classed under that name, that it is a
nickname, or a name applied by the public, and not used officially by
the Church so called. Mormon was a man, a Prophet, an author, a
compiler, and a writer of a book. Mormon was a teacher of
righteousness, holding certain doctrines. The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints are agreed with Mormon, as well as with many
other ancient writers, and hold to the same principles; therefore
their neighbours have seen fit to call those principles they hold,
"MORMONISM." They might as well have called them, Abrahamism,
Enochism, or Isaiahism; because the ancient Prophets, Patriarchs, and
Apostles, held to the same truths in general terms, only differing in
circumstances, in distant countries and ages of the world, and acted
upon the same general principles, according to the particular
circumstances that surrounded them. But the world, out of all the
ancients, have selected one called Mormon, and all the principles held
by all good, inspired men of all ages and countries they have seen fit
to sum up, and call "Mormonism." Well, it is as well as anything else,
for aught I know; the name does not affect the principles.

Vol. 1, p.298
The word of God, as written in the good old Book, designates the
people of God by the name of Saints; which name is almost or quite as
ancient, as any writings extant. Saint was spoken of by Enoch long
before the flood. The same term was applied to the people of God by
the Prophets, the Psalmist, and by the writers of the New Testament.

Vol. 1, p.298
Not only was this term applied to Saints in ancient days, but the
Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles applied it prophetically, speaking
of the people of God in the latter days, when the kingdom should be
given to the people of God, and the principles of God should bear rule
over all the earth. Daniel and the other Prophets, in speaking of this
subject, always call them the Saints of the Most High. They do not
call them "Mormonites," Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists,
Jews, Pagans, or Mohammedans, nor yet Catholics; but the language of
the Apostles and Prophets is, that the SAINTS of the Most High shall
prevail—prevail over the world, establish a true order of government,
and, in short, rule the lower world, and that all the nations shall
bow to him who is at their head, and to the principles held by them.

Vol. 1, p.298
Why not this be continued and sustained, O ye people of Christendom,
and, letting these party names go by the board, and be classed among
the things that were in the darker ages, come to the proper and
correct Scripture language, and when we speak of the people of God,
call them SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH?

Vol. 1, p.298
Well, then, such is the name that the Church which I represent, do
their business in. As such, they are known on their own records, and
on the records of heaven, inasmuch as they are recognized there. But
we know what the world mean when they say "Mormonism," and "Mormon."
What are the principles called "Mormonism?" You may ask those who
profess to be instructors of the people abroad in the States, and
elsewhere—and very few of them will give you one correct idea in
regard to the doctrines of the Latter-day Saints. Indeed they have not
informed themselves, but remain in ignorance on the subject; and when
they would show others, of course they cannot inform them correctly on
that subject. But you will generally be informed, that "Mormonism" is
a new religion, that it is something new under the sun, and of course
is an innovation—a kind of trespass on Christianity, on  the Bible, or
on the [p.299] good old way. "O," say some of the editors that ought
to be the most enlightened, and that profess to be, "if Mormonism
prevails, Christianity will come down."

Vol. 1, p.299
Now suppose that we examine, principle by principle, some of the
fundamental principles of "Mormonism," and see whether there is one
item that is new, or that is in any way an innovation on Christianity.

Vol. 1, p.299
What is the first start towards an introduction of these principles in
this age, and the organization of a people? What is it that first
disturbed the world, or any part of it, or called the attention of the
people towards it, giving rise to the system now called "Mormonism?"
It was the ministration of angels to certain individuals; or in other
words, certain individuals in this age enjoyed open visions.

Vol. 1, p.299
Now we will stop, right at, this point; it is called "Mormonism." Let
us dwell on it. Is that a new principle? Is it adding something to
Christianity, or taking something from it? Do not let our modern
notions weigh anything, but come right to the fact of the matter. If
Peter the Apostle were here to-day, and a person were to relate to him
a vision wherein an angel appeared to him and said something to him,
would Peter call together the rest of the Apostles, and sit in council
on that MAN'S head for error? Would they say to that man, "Sir, you
have introduced something here in your experience that is derogatory
to Christianity, and contrary to the system of religion we have
taught, and introduced into the world?" I need not answer this
question, neither need I bring Scripture to show what were the
teachings and experience of Peter and the rest of the Apostles on this
subject. The Bible is too common a book, too widely circulated in the
world, and the people of the United States, especially, are too well
read in its contents to suppose, for a moment, that Peter or the rest
of the Apostles would condemn a man because he believed in the
ministration of angels, because he related an experience wherein he
had had a vision of an angel.

Vol. 1, p.299
Now that was the principle that disturbed this generation, in the
commencement of the introduction of that which is now called
"Mormonism"—a principle as common in the ancient Church as the
doctrine of repentance. I will say more—it is a principle that has
been common in all dispensations; it is a principle which was had
before the flood, and fully enjoyed by the ancient Saints, or at least
held to by them; a principle that was common, among them; not that
every man attained to it.

Vol. 1, p.299
But where can we read, under the government of the Patriarchs, before
the flood or after it; before Moses or after him; before Christ or
after Christ—where can we read in sacred history of a people of God by
whom the doctrine of visions and ministerting of angels would be
discarded, or be considered erroneous? It was common to all
dispensations, it was enjoyed by the Patriarchs and Prophets under the
law of Moses, before it and after it, and by the people of God among
the Ten Tribes, and among the Jews. We will carry it still further. It
was enjoyed among the Gentiles, before there was a people of God fully
organized among them in the days of Christ. Cornelius had the
ministering of angels before he became a member of the Christian
Church, or understood there was a crucified and risen Redeemer. He
prayed to the living God, and gave alms of such things as he had. He
was a good man, and an angel came to him and told him his prayers were
heard, and his alms had come up as a memorial before God.

Vol. 1, p.299
It is astonishing then, to me, that the modern Christian world
consider this a new doctrine, an innovation—a [p.300] trespass on
Christianity. No! it is as old as the world, and as common among the
true people of God, as His every day dealings with man. We will leave
that point, and say, it is the Christian world, and not the Latter-day
Saints, that have a new doctrine, provided they discard that
principle.

Vol. 1, p.300
What next? Why, that man, by vision, the ministering of angels, and by
revelation, should be called with a high and holy calling—commissioned
with a holy mission to preach, and teach, and warn, and prophesy, and
call men to repentance. That was one of the first principles
introductory to what is now called "Mormonism" in this age.

Vol. 1, p.300
Is there anything new about that, anything strange, anything that
differs from the Patriarchal ages, from the Jewish economy, the Mosaic
dispensation, or from the dispensation called Christian? Similar
things happened before Moses, in his day, and after his day; and among
the Prophets, and in different ages. Were not such things common in
the days of Jesus Christ, and after that in the days of the Apostles?
Was not John the Baptist thus commissioned? Was not Jesus thus
commissioned. And were not His Apostles, Elders, and Seventies? After
his resurrection, and ascension into heaven, were not others called,
and ordained under the hands of those who were thus commissioned, and
called sometimes by visions and revelations directing them to those
who were thus commissioned in order to be ordained? That was no new
doctrine, no innovation on Christianity, no perversion of the
Scriptural system, nor was it anything new, unless you call the old
principle new.

Vol. 1, p.300
Well, then, that the man thus commissioned should call upon others to
turn from their sins; and that an individual, a government, a house, a
city, a nation, or a world of people should perish unless they did
turn from their sins—is that anything new? No. Every one conversant
with the Bible will say, that such things took place frequently under
all the different dispensations. The heathen were warned in this way.
Individuals, households, cities, nations, and the world have to be
warned in this way, and especially under the Christian dispensation.
So there was a special commission given to the servants of God, to go
to all the world, and call upon everybody to repent, or whole nations
should become disfranchised, scattered, and millions be destroyed, as
for instance the Jews at Jerusalem, because they would not hearken to
it. It is nothing new, to cry to all men to repent, and warn different
cities and nations of wars coming upon them, or that they will be
damned if they do not repent. This is one of the early principles
called "Mormonism." Is there anything new in this? Is there anything
strange or unscriptural? No; no sensible professing Christian will
maintain such a point for a moment.

Vol. 1, p.300
Suppose that some people should hearken, when the ministering of
angels takes place. Among many men one certain man is commissioned by
revelation to preach the Gospel, and cry repentance. Suppose that some
persons hearken and repent, and he should take them and walk down to
the water, and bury them in the water in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and raise them again out of the
water, to represent the death and burial of Jesus Christ, and his
resurrection from the dead; and to represent the faith, of the
individual thus ministered to, that he does believe in Jesus Christ,
that he died, and that he did rise from, the dead, and that he, the
individual, does put his trust and confidence  in him for the
remission of sins and eternal life—is that anything new? Would that be
new to Peter? Suppose some person was to relate before [p.301] Peter
and Paul to-day, and the Christians with them, that lived when they
lived—suppose they were all present, and this person told them that a
man came along preaching repentance, and he called upon us to believe
in Jesus Christ, and we did so, believing their testimony, and they
took us and buried us in water, and raised us again but of the water
unto newness of life—would Peter or John blame him? Would Paul say,
"It is something new?" Or would he say, "Brother, thousands of us
received the very same thing in ancient days?"

Vol. 1, p.301
The Catholic Church profess to be the true Church—the ground and
pillar of the truth, handed down by regular succession from the
ancient Church, of which they are still members; and their priesthood
and apostles are now of the very same Church which the New Testament
calls the true Church at Rome. These Roman Catholics of modern times
profess to be members of the very same Church that Paul wrote that
epistle to. If they are, I will show you to demonstration, if the
Scriptures be true, that this doctrine called "Mormonism" is not a new
doctrine. Paul, writing to that Church, of which they profess to be
members, says, Know ye not, brethren, ye Romans, that as many of you
as have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into his death,
being buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ rose
from the dead, even so ye may walk in newness of life? Now this
epistle containing this doctrine was written by Paul to the Church at
Rome, and which these modern people called Roman Catholics profess to
be members of. If they are what they profess to be, every one of them
have been buried with Christ in baptism, and have risen again to
newness of life. We will, however, leave them to describe whether that
is really the case, or whether they are contented to sprinkle a few
drops of water on an infant's face and call that a burial! Paul said.
that was a principle of the true Church of Rome that had been buired
with Christ by baptism into death, and had risen to newness of life.
Have these modern Roman Catholics gone forward repenting of their
sins, and been buried in water, in the likeness of the death of Jesus
Christ according to this pattern? If they have not, they are a
spurious Church of Rome, and not real. Therefore, if they be the real
Church of Rome, it will be no new thing to them when the Latter-day
Saints inform them upon being buried with Christ in the likeness of
his death, &c. If this is a new doctrine to them, they had better be
looking about them to see if they have not got up a counterfeit Church
of Rome, for Paul knew of only one, and the members of it were. all
buried with Christ in baptism.

Vol. 1, p.301
If 500 persons here were to say they came repenting of their sins, and
went down and were buried in the waters of baptism, and had risen
again to walk in newness of life, Paul would say, if he were here, "It
is just what we used to do in ancient times; and I wrote to the Church
of Rome, telling them that as many of them as were baptized into
Christ were baptized into his death, buried with him by baptism into
death," &c.

Vol. 1, p.301
Now if this doctrine is new to the church of Rome, then that is that
Church, that priesthood, and those members that have introduced
something new, who are departing from the old Christian religion, and
not the "Mormons."

Vol. 1, p.301
This reasoning applies just the same to the Church of England. They
have just as good a right to have a Church in England as anywhere else
to have a national Church of England by law established, but if they
are a true Church of God, all of them have been buried with Christ in
baptism, &c, or the Apostle must have been [p.302] mistaken, or there
are two different kinds of Gospel.

Vol. 1, p.302
Now if I were speaking to the state church of England, or the state
churches of the Catholic world, I would tell them in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ to repent of their new doctrine, and come back to
the old standard spoken of by the Apostle, when he says, "though we or
an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which
we have preached unto you, let him be accursed," &c.

Vol. 1, p.302
I need not go through with this same application upon the Lutherans,
upon the Presbyterians, upon the Methodists, and others, for all these
people sprinkle infants; for the principle once carried out will apply
to the whole. If they are Christians according to the doctrine of the
ancient Church, they hold the doctrine of the Apostles, they have
repented of their sins, after believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
have been BURIED with Christ by baptism into death, &c. If not, they
may judge themselves, for I will not judge them. If they have got a
new doctrine, different from that believed by the Apostles, and the
Latter-day Saints have got the old one, why not say, then, "If
sectarianism prevails, Christianity, as held by the Mormons will be in
danger," instead of saying the opposite? Why not turn the thing right
about? If we have no one new principle in our religion, why are we
considered innovators, and opposed to Christianity? And why is
Christianity in the world in danger if "Mormonism" prevails? It is
because that floating Christianity, called so by the world, is a
spurious one; they have departed from the doctrine of the Apostles.
Then, I ask again, why say, "If Mormonism prevails Christianity is in
danger?" for if it is a false Christianity, the quicker it falls the
better.

Vol. 1, p.302
We have examined three general principles, to see if there is anything
new in "Mormonism." First, the ministering of angels. Second, the
commission of ministers, Apostles, Prophets, and Elders to administer
in holy things, by revelation and the authority of heaven. Third, that
all those that hear them, believe their words, and repent of their
sins, shall go down into the waters of baptism, and be immersed or
buried in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, and thus show that they do believe in a crucified and risen
Redeemer, and in the remission of sins through his name. So far, I
think, we have fairly stated some of the first principles of what the
world calls "Mormonism;" and every one who has heard us, must decide
that there is nothing new in these principles, but rather, that those
who have departed from them, are justly chargeable with introducing
new things, and innovations on Christianity.

Vol. 1, p.302
Now suppose that one, two, or a dozen, or a hundred thousand, or even
millions of individuals thus baptized, should all come together, in
theft several congregations, and should unite in earnest prayer, and a
man commissioned in the ministry of Jesus Christ should rise and lay
his hands on them, praying the Almighty God to give the Holy Spirit,
and it be given as in days of old, and he confirms that promise upon
them according to the pattern in the New Testament—would that be
something new? Would it be an innovation upon Christianity? Would it
be right to say "this is Mormonism, come to do away with
Christianity?" Why, no! Every sensible man at all acquainted with the
Holy Scriptures, would laugh at the idea. If the ancient Saints were
here, they would tell you that it was their ancient manner; they would
ask you if you had not read over their history, which describes how
the Holy Spirit was administered in days of old. Every man who has
read the Bible, knows it.

Vol. 1, p.303
[p.303] Well, then, the different sections of what is called
Christianity, never do this, and call it something new. When the
"Mormons" do it, they are at once charged with innovation; and yet we
have not got anything new in that respect, but simply a restoration of
that which was. They are the persons chargeable with new doctrine, and
not the Latter-day Saints.

Vol. 1, p.303
Well, then, suppose that after this ordinance, the Holy Spirit falls
upon these congregations, or upon these individuals thus baptized and
confirmed, and fills them, and enlightens their minds, and bears
testimony to them of the truth which they have received, and confirms
them in the faith of it, and fills them with the spirit of utterance
and prayer, and with gifts whereby they prophesy, or speak in tongues,
lay hands on the sick and they recover, in the name of Jesus, or
whereby they are filled with the spirit of any gift, renewed in their
utterance, strengthened in their powers of intellect, so as to be able
to speak with eloquence to the edification of others by the word of
wisdom, knowledge, and prophecy; or peradventure some one, two, or
three of them have a heavenly vision, and happen to relate it—is this
something new? Are these things an innovation on Christianity?

Vol. 1, p.303
Let the Apostles of the ancient Church come up now, and be judges, not
these innovators. O yes, Saints of ancient days, are these things new
to you? "NO," they reply, "but just exactly what we used to have among
us; and you who have read the New Testament know it is so." If this,
then, is "Mormonism," it is nothing new, but simply that which should
have been in the world in order to constitute true Christianity.

Vol. 1, p.303
Now suppose, after all these have been established, the people
organize on them; and that in the enjoyment and cultivation of them,
this people unite in their efforts, both temporally and spiritually,
to build up themselves as a people, and each other as individuals, in
righteousness upon the earth; and the Spirit of the Lord God into
which they were all baptized, should make them very great in union—in
union of effort, in counsel, in operation, in fellowship, in temporal
things in a great measure, and in spiritual things, by which they are
all of one heart and mind to a great degree, and growing in it every
day—is this something new, because it is "Mormonism?" Or is this the
very doctrine which was inculcated in days of old by the Apostles of
Jesus Christ?

Vol. 1, p.303
It was the main object for which the Holy Spirit was given, that they
might all grow up in union, in fellowship, in co-operation, in
holiness in the Lord. No man who has read the New Testament, will say
this is NEW, when we say that the great object of the Gospel is, that
we may all become one in Christ Jesus—one in knowledge, and in the
love and practice of the peaceable things of God. Is it anything new?
No. Well, it is a part of what the world calls "MORMONISM;" and I
would to God it was more perfected among this people than it is.

Vol. 1, p.303
If any one of these principles in practice, should prevail over the
whole world, it would be nothing new; but the world only hold this
last as a theory; as to the practice of it, they are strangers.

Vol. 1, p.303
We have examined five or six general principles, called "Mormonism,"
and found nothing new in them. "But," says one, "I heard you had got a
new Bible; that is certainly an innovation." But stop; suppose, on
inquiry, you become as much surprised and disappointed as many have
who have asked for a "Mormon Bible," and when we have presented them
with one, behold, it is King James' translation of the Scriptures, the
standard we read, containing the covenants, predictions, and hopes of
the ancients, and the doctrines [p.304] of Jesus Christ, just as we
believe them, and hope for their fulfilment. Is that anything new?

Vol. 1, p.304
"Well, if you have not a new Bible, you have certainly got a new
book." Is that anything strange? Have not other societies got new
books? The Church of England have not only the Scriptures, but the
Book of Common Prayer, and the time was when they did not have such a
book, therefore when they made that, it was something new. They are
not alone in that however, for the Methodists have a new book called
the "Methodist's Discipline." One hundred and twenty years ago there
was no such thing in existence. If having a new book be an innovation,
then all are guilty of it as well as the "Mormons."

Vol. 1, p.304
"But those other people do not profess that their books are inspired,
and we have learned that you have a book that you believe is inspired.
What is it, anyhow?" This is all a fact, and if it is wrong we will
cheerfully plead guilty. We have got another book besides the Bible,
that was an ancient book, and profess that it is inspired, and was
written by Prophets, and men that enjoyed the ministering of angels,
more or less of them, and had communion with the heavens, and the
spirit of prophecy. And moreover, we profess that this ancient book
was restored to the knowledge of the modern world by inspiration, and
the ministering of angels. Is that something new? It may be new to the
world in its history, and in its bearings; in that respect it may be
new to them; but suppose, after all, it should contain no new
doctrine, no new principle, no new prophecy, that is, differing from
or doing away that which is already extant in the Bible? Well, then, I
do not say that it would be a new doctrine. Men had books revealed in
the days of old.

Vol. 1, p.304
"If it is no new doctrine, and if its predictions do not differ from
those contained in the old and new Testaments, what is the use of it?"
The same question was investigated in ancient times. A great conqueror
had taken possession of an ancient library, when there were no
printing presses, containing one hundred thousand volumes, all in
manuscript comprising more history than was in any library extant in
the ancient world. The conqueror was a Mahommedan. He wrote to the
head of the department to know what to do with this library. It was
invaluable in its cost and intrinsic worth. "What shall I do with it?"
The reply was, "If it agrees with the Koran, we have no use for it;
and if it does not agree with the Koran, it is false anyhow; so in
either case burn it."

Vol. 1, p.304
"Now if these Latter-day Saints have a book extant among them, and it
agrees with the Bible, there is no kind of use for it, "says the
opposer, "for the Bible contains all that is necessary; if it does not
agree with the Bible, it is false anyhow; so in either case burn it."
This was a principle of Mahommedanism, and may be a principle of what
is called modern Christianity. I hope not, however.

Vol. 1, p.304
"What is the use of the book in question, anyhow?" Why, in the first
place, it differs in its history from the Bible. The Bible is a
history of things that took place in Asia, principally, and a little
of what took place in Europe and Africa. The Book of Mormon is a
history of things in another hemisphere: The one book is the ancient
history of the Eastern Hemisphere, in part; and the other is a history
of the Western Hemisphere, in part. Shall we say, because we have the
history of one part of the world, that the history of the other  part
of the world is good for nothing? Could the rulers of nations realize
that fact, and could they only have a copy in their libraries at the
cost of [p.305] $100,000, they would appropriate it for this history
of the Western Hemisphere.

Vol. 1, p.305
Discredit it as you will, we have it in genuineness and in truth,
written by the ancient Prophets that lived upon this land, and
revealed in modern times by the ministering of angels, and inspiration
from the Almighty. It is in the world, and the world cannot get it out
of the world It is in the world in six or seven languages of Europe.
It is as important in its history as the Bible, and it is just as
interesting and as necessary for men to get an understanding of the
ancient history of America, as it is for them to get an understanding
of the history of Asia.

Vol. 1, p.305
"But are the merits of history all that it is good for?" It is good in
doctrine also. If two or more writers, one living in Asia, and the
other in America, and cotemporary, have the same doctrine revealed to
them, and both bear record of the same plan of salvation, who is he
that shall say that the record of one is of no worth?

Vol. 1, p.305
Is it not a satisfaction to sit down and read, that a country far
removed from Bible scenes, from that part of the stage on which
figured the Patriarchs of old, with Moses and the Jewish Prophets,
John the Baptist, Jesus Christ and the Apostles, was also the theatre
of revelation, prophecy, visions, angels, of the ministration of the
doctrine of Christ, of the organization and government of his true
Church; that there too were angels, that there too were Apostles,
that: there too was the word of God, that there too faith came by
hearing, and salvation by faith! Shall we say that such things and
such good news are worth nothing, when that very news corroborates the
song of the heavenly hosts, when they declared to the shepherds of
Judea, in joyful songs, that they brought glad tiding of great joy,
that should be to all people! And here comes a book informing us that
these glad tidings were also to another hemisphere at the same time.

Vol. 1, p.305
Now, stop a moment, and let us reason. Suppose yourself an angel of
God at that time, full of benevolence, full of joy, full of a
soul-inspiring hope, full of charity for poor, ignorant, perishing
mortals, and you felt so full of poetry, and song, and gladness, that
you could scarcely hold your peace. Suppose you had a bird's eye view
of our little, dark, benighted world, by soaring above it, and in a
moment you could light down upon any part of it. You come to
Palestine, in Asia; that part of the globe is rolling under your feet;
you visit it, and sing to the shepherds the glorious tidings of great
joy, which shall be to all people: "for unto you is born this day in
the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord." The earth
rolls on about half way round, you look down again with a bird's eye
view, and you discover the Western Hemisphere, and it is full of
people: I wonder whether your soul would still swell with the same
glad tidings—or would your charity trove become exhausted? Would you
not fly and declare these glad tidings to them also, and sing them a
song of joy, and tell them what day the Saviour was born, that would
reach their case as well as the ease of those who dwelt upon the
continent of Asia? "Yes," you reply, "if I were an angel, and had
liberty to tell these glad tidings, I would never tell them to one
part of the earth and go to sleep there, while the other part rolled
under my feet unnoticed."

Vol. 1, p.305
Were those angels commissioned and endowed to bear glad tidings to ALL
PEOPLE, that the Saviour was born? I say that the choir of angels
which sang that song, had full liberty, not only to tell the plan of
salvation to chosen vessels of the Lord, in one country, but also to
another country—not only that the Saviour [p.306] was born, in general
terms, but the place where, and the time when, he was born. These were
the tidings, "Go to all people." An angel must be a limited being, or
be very ignorant in geographical knowledge, or partake largely of
sectarian feelings of heart, to bear such tidings to one half of the
globe, and not to the other.

Vol. 1, p.306
I knew an infidel once, who did not believe in the Christian religion,
nor in the New Testament, nor in the Saviour of the world. I asked him
why he did not believe this. "Because, says he, according to the New
Testament the manifestation of such an important affair was so
limited. Here was half of the world, according to the New Testament,
that never heard of it. A message so important should have been made
more public." "Well," said I, "if I will produce you a record, and a
history, as well authenticated as the New Testament, showing that
angels, the risen Saviour, holy inspired Prophets and Apostles,
ministered in the western hemisphere, and preached the Gospel to every
creature, and handed it down to ages, will you then believe?" "Yes,"
he answered, "I will." I presented him the Book of Mormon, which he
perused. I inquired if he now believed. "Yes," he said, "I do." And he
has lived a Christian until now, for aught I know. I have seen him in
this congregation, and he may be here to-day. His name is Alger.

Vol. 1, p.306
What objection have you to the hope of eternal life being as widely
developed as the ravages of death, sorrow, and mourning? What
objection have you to the angels of God, Apostles of God, the Son of
God, or to the Holy Spirit of prophecy being poured out in more
countries than one? You may say the keys of the Gospel were given to
the Jewish Apostles, but they were so far off as not to be able to
reach the western hemisphere, even if they had had a knowledge of it.
Were there ships and steam vessels to bear them to this country? No.
Was there any communication kept up, or was this country known to
them? No. But the waves, and winds, and elements, and the great depths
that intervened, even the unexplored ocean, said to the ancient
Apostles, "Thus far shall ye go, and no further." This ocean however
was no barrier to the fleet-fooled angel of God, to the risen Jesus,
and to immortal man. They could come to this hemisphere, and reveal
the things of heaven to the people, and could rejoice in the same glad
tidings, whether it was here or in Jerusalem, or if it were in the
uttermost parts of the earth.

Vol. 1, p.306
Though Peter was crucified at Rome, and Paul suffered in the same
manner; though Saints of the Most High were slaughtered by thousands
and tens of thousands, and bled at the feet of Roman altars; yet a
crucified and risen Redeemer, angels of God, and the Holy Spirit of
truth that fills all things, were not thus curtailed and limited, but
could minister truth to the uttermost bounds of the universe of God,
where intelligences were mourning in darkness; wherever the ravages of
death had spread sorrow, wherever there was a broken heart to be bound
up, or wherever there was a despairing mortal to be inspired with
hope, they could go and tell the glad tidings of life and salvation.
The Book of Mormon says they did come to this continent. It is a
history of their coming, and contains the doctrine taught to the
people here by the risen Jesus, and by his predecessors. In short, the
doctrine taught and practised in ancient America is there portrayed,
together with the history of the people.

Vol. 1, p.306
Again, is this book of no interest with regard to the prophetic value?
It reveals many things not noticed by the Jewish Prophets. Did the old
Prophets touch upon every item that  [p.307] pertains to man in other
countries? No, they did not, only in general terms together with the
rest of the world. These other Prophets portrayed many things not in
their book, though agreeing with it as far as it goes, but touching
events on which their book is silent.

Vol. 1, p.307
Has any person any cause to say that there has not been a multiplicity
of revelations, testimony, prophecy, history, and doctrine developed
in various countries by the same Spirit of God, and by angels? And is
not all this of great worth, to compare, in order to blend it
together, that we may see more dearly the principles of the doctrine
of salvation, and understand prophecy more extensively, especially in
an age when the mind has been obscured by priestcraft?

Vol. 1, p.307
If these are the principles of "Mormonism," where can you point out an
innovation on Christianity? "But is this all? No, this is not all, and
I shall not tell it all today. I do not know it all yet. I have been
twenty three years learning "Mormonism," and I know but little of it.
If any one expects to learn all the doctrines of "Mormonism," he must
learn more than twenty-three years. For be it known unto you all, that
"Mormonism," instead of being confined to a few dogmas or general
truths, opens the flood gates of all truth and knowledge, and teaches
mankind to retain all the truth they can already comprehend, and
comprehend as much more as they can all the time.

Vol. 1, p.307
"Have you not other books?" Yes, we have histories and compilations of
the dealings of God with us as a people. We keep a record, if you must
know not only individually some of us, but as a Church, as a body, or
community. We have revelation penned, revelations and visions penned,
we have revelation and prophecy penned, we have knowledge penned, we
have knowledge and principle penned, we have principle and history
penned; the history comprising but a small portion, such as can be
written, revealed to us Latter-day Saints, and practised upon; so that
our modern books are like the ancient books—a mixture of revelation,
prophecy, history, and doctrine. Has any person any objections to
this? I ask, should an angel administer to this or that man, or
suppose an open vision was manifested to him, revealing many precious
truths, would he not be a simpleton not to write it? If the power of
God, and the ministering of God, and the visions of the Almighty are
extant in the world, these will be written. The practical part of
history will be written, for if all were written, the world would not
contain the books. The ancient Apostles and Prophets wrote a few of
the items revealed to them, and a history of the practical workings of
the system over which they presided. Do we differ from them? No.

Vol. 1, p.307
"Well," says one, "to be plain with you, Mr. Speaker, we have been
taught; to believe that the one book, called the Bible, contains all
the revelations that God ever revealed to man, therefore it is an
innovation to offer anything else to the world as a revelation." This
is a tradition of your own, so I have nothing to do with it. The Bible
never taught that to you, nor angels, neither did any minister of God
ever teach it to you; and if it is a modern sectarian tradition, it is
calculated to bind men into a cast iron creed, and the sooner you
break the fetters the better; burst them asunder, and come out into
liberty and freedom, and know and understand that there is no such
doctrine in the broad principles of eternal truth, that heaven is full
of knowledge, and the earth ought to be full of Prophets, heaven and
earth full of angels, and both full of inspiration; and if the
inhabitants of all the worlds of the universe were scribes, every
blade of grasps a pen, [p.308] and every ocean ink, they could not
write all the doings of the Almighty, of His servants, and of His
angels. If I were to live for millions of years to come, and then
millions of millions more, I expect there would always be some being
ready to reveal something new, and somebody would write it. The art of
writing will never cease. We may not have pens and ink, but we may
have something better. Suffice it to say, that the arts and sciences
will not come to an end, yet man may have been traditionated to
believe that one small book contains all that God ever said or did.
Such persons are to be pitied, and not to be reasoned with.

Vol. 1, p.308
What is "Mormonism?" It is a restoration by new revelation, by the
authorities of heaven, by the ministration of angels, by the
ordination of Prophets and Apostles, and ministers or Elders, by their
testimony and ministry on the earth, by the organization of Saints, by
the administratior of ordinances, by the operations of the Holy
Spirit; it is a restoration of these ancient principles revealed from
heaven, for the government of man.

Vol. 1, p.308
Says one, "You have said you are not going to tell the whole system
to-day." I do not know it all, and I shall not state the half I do
know. What I have said are a few every day items, a few of the first
principles of the Gospel of Christ, as believed and practised by the
"Mormons."

Vol. 1, p.308
I will tell one more before I close. "Your marriages," says the
objector, "are founded upon principles entirely new, and different
from the Christian world." I say, without any hesitancy, I defy the
world to establish that assertion. I say our marriage relations axe
nothing new at all. There is no man, or set of men, or nation of men,
where the Bible is extant, and they are readers, but what know that
the institutions of marriage contained in the Bible, and the
organization of families, differ widely from modern Christianity. We
differ from modern Christianity, but not from the Bible. Patriarchs of
the remotest ages, that obeyed the Lord God in regard to. their
marriages and family organizations, have not disagreed with us, nor we
with them, so far as we and they have obeyed the law of God. If there
is any difference at all, it was more developed among them than it is
among us, we being in our infancy. If it should happen to be, that the
whole modern world differ from the Bible—have done away with the law
of God, and we have come in contact with them, instead of with the
word of God, then the boot is on the other foot, and in reality what
is said to us applies to them. It is like the farmer and the lawyer. A
certain farmer came to a neighbouring lawyer, and frankly confessed
that his bull had had the misfortune to kill one of his (the lawyer's)
oxen. The lawyer replied, "Thou art a very honest fellow, and will not
think it wrong that I have one of try oxen in return." "But said the
farmer, "I am mistaken, it was try bull that killed my ox." "O,"
replied the lawyer, "that alters the case, and if, if, i-f—."

Vol. 1, p.308
Now, then, if it is the whole Christian world, from Catholicism down
to the latest of her daughters, that have made void the law of God,
and trampled under foot the institutions of heaven, the holy
principles of matrimony and family government, and have made them void
also, by their traditions, and introduced that which God never did,
and "Mormonism" has restored the law of God, in theory and practice,
then it is the so called Christian world, and not us, that are wrong.
Whether it regards family organization, the law of God, Patriarchal
government, ordinances, principles, and prophecy, I know of nothing
new, or of nothing wherein we are innovators.

Vol. 1, p.309
As I said before, and I am able to [p.309] maintain it when called
upon, "Mormonism" is a system which was understood and enjoyed by the
ancients, and restored unto us by revelation. And if carried out, what
will it do? It will simply fulfill the sayings of the Prophets, both
ancient and modern, put down all wickedness, abuse, proscription,
misrule, oppression, ignorance, darkness, and tyranny, and restore
mankind to righteousness, truth, liberty, law, and government, in
which the Lord's will will be done on the earth as it is in heaven.
That is what "Mormonism" will do, when carried out.

Vol. 1, p.309
May God bless you all. Amen.

Brigham Young, February 20, 1853

The Privileges and Blessings of the Gospel

A Discourse Delivered By President Brigham Young
 at the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Feb. 20, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.309
Truly happy is that man, or woman, or that people, who enjoys the
privileges of the Gospel of the Son of God, and who know how to
appreciate his blessings. Who is that person, or that people? We are
ready to reply, "The Latter-day Saints are the only people on earth,
that we have any knowledge of, to whom the everlasting Gospel has been
given in these days; they are the only people who am the heirs to it,
with all its blessings and privileges. Not to our knowledge is there
any other people on the face of this globe, that enjoy this
inestimable blessing." True, all it mankind enjoy to a certain degree
its influence, the manifestations of the Author, Proprietor, and Giver
of the Gospel of life and salvation to fallen man. All the offspring
of Adam from his day to this, have enjoyed, to a greater or less
degree, the light, the glory, and the manifestations of the
countenance. of their Lord, But they have not enjoyed in all ages the
Gospel, with its ordinances, blessings, and privileges. This is the
only people that now enjoys such signal favours. The Priesthood has
been upon the earth from time to time, and the kingdom of God has been
organized to certain degrees, but we can truly say, this is the time
of times, we live in the day of days, we enjoy the blessings of the
blessed, and have bestowed upon us, in the fulness of times,
privileges that surpass all privileges hitherto bestowed upon mankind.
In this dispensation all things will be gathered together in one, and,
strange and marvellous as it may appear to the world, these are the
people who are the instruments in the hand of God to bring it to pass.
This is a truth that no arguments can successfully bear down. No
matter how it; is despised, persecuted, or neglected, as a frivolous,
trifling, and childish work, it is true, and it will remain; it is the
kingdom of heaven upon the earth. Here is the plan of salvation, here
are the words of life,  here is the light of eternity, here is the
intelligence that will instruct kings, and impart judgment to rulers.
It is [p.310] embodied here in the midst of this people, and from them
the rays of heavenly light, wisdom, and intelligence have spread upon
the wide earth; and the Spirit of the Lord, that fills immensity, has
been poured out upon its face, giving light to every man and woman
that cometh into this world.

Vol. 1, p.310
Brethren and sisters, can we realize its greatness? Arouse the
reflecting and reasoning faculties with which you are endowed, reason
upon your past experience in this Church, and then inquire if you are
as happy as you anticipated you would be, if you have received that
which you desired, if you enjoy that which was once in the future to
you—and what will be your reasonable conclusions? What would an
enlightened judgment tell you? What would the spirit of truth decide?
That here are the pure rays of light, here is heaven on earth; and no
argument, no intelligence, no influence of earth and hell combined
could disprove it, or produce one good reason to the contrary. You may
then ascend to the powers supreme, and consult the intelligence that
fills the bosom of eternity; you may inquire of the Creator,
Organizer, and Preserver of the Universe, our Father who is in heaven;
you may associate with the glorious retinue of Saints, angels,
martyrs, and the spirits of just men made perfect; and they will all,
with one voice as it were, testify to the truth of this work in which
we are engaged. On the other hand, nothing short of the power of the
Almighty, nothing short of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, can prove
to you that this is the work of God. Men uninspired of God cannot by
their worldly wisdom disprove it, or prevail against it; neither can
they by wisdom alone prove it to be true, either to themselves or to
others. Their not being able to prevail against it does not prove it
to be the kingdom of God, for there are many theories and systems on
the earth, incontrovertable by the wisdom of the world, which are
nevertheless false. Nothing less than the power of the Almighty,
enlightening the understandings of men, can demonstrate this glorious
truth to the human mind.

Vol. 1, p.310
When you were in your native homes in the old countries and in the
United States, before you gathered with the people of God, what were
your thoughts and expectations, when you looked forward to the period
of your being embodied with the Saints? What were the vision of your
mind, and the operations of the Spirit upon your understanding? When
you were gathered with the Saints of the Most High, and became
associated as a brother, a sister, and a neighbour with that blessed
society, you expected to enjoy the manifestations of the Lord Jesus
Christ, to walk in the light of his countenance, and by the power of
the Holy Ghost have the oracles of truth revealed to you continually,
and that you would be in heaven, and in the Zion of the Lord. These
were your expectations. You did not expect to hear the name of the God
we serve blasphemed from morning until evening; you expected to be
delivered from hearing the blasphemies of your wicked shopmates, from
the tyranny of your ungodly employers, and from the persecutions of
the bigoted religionists, who were all united to pick you to pieces,
and destroy you both temporally and spiritually, if it were possible;
on one side you were sheared, and on the other shaved. You were
annoyed with the ungodly conversation and filthy deeds of your
neighbours, your peace was destroyed, and you could not enjoy that
happiness held out to you in the Gospel; yet you felt the  influence
of the spirit of truth burning in your heart, which kindled in you a
longing desire to mingle with the Saints; you would [p.311] exclaim,
"Oh! that I could enjoy the society of the Saints, and make my escape
from this ungodly place. Oh! that I had means to gather up my little
family, and journey to the place of the gathering of the Saints of the
Most High." This was your feeling, and this your prayer. You
anticipated deliverance from hell, to find a heaven with the Saints;
you expected to exchange confusion for a Zion of order and beauty,
misery for peace and happiness, blasphemy and tumult for quietness and
reverence to the name of God, starvation for plenty; in short, you
expected to find a place where all evil had ceased, and iniquity and
sorrow were brought to an end, and where you would bask undisturbed in
the smiles of the countenance of your Lord from day to day. I think I
have drawn a faithful picture of what were the thoughts of the
majority of this people, before they were gathered to the body of the
Church.

Vol. 1, p.311
Now, brethren and sisters, what hinders you from enjoying all you
anticipated? The calm reflections of your own minds, and the
conclusions of a well balanced judgment, enlightened by the Spirit of
the Lord, will give you a correct answer to this question. I can
answer it for myself, and perhaps for many of you. If I do not enjoy
all I anticipated, if my happiness is not as complete as I
anticipated, if the light of the Holy Spirit is not in my heart to
that degree which I expected it would be, if I have not obtained all I
anticipated when I was down in yonder world, mingled with the wicked,
the cause is in myself, in my own heart, in my own disposition, in the
weakness of human nature; it is my own will that prevents me from
enjoying all I anticipated, and more. It is a mistaken idea to suppose
that others can prevent me from enjoying the light of God in my soul;
all hell cannot hinder me from enjoying Zion in my own heart, if my
individual will yields obedience to the requirements and mandates of
my heavenly Master. He has set me a pattern to copy, which, if I
imitate faithfully, will yield to me all and more of heaven in my own
heart than I can anticipate. This is my answer.

Vol. 1, p.311
Brother Erastus Snow asked a question—"If my neighbour shall do wrong
to me, am I thereby compelled to do wrong to my next neighbour?" I
say, no. If a brother shall tread down my grain, that is ripening in
the field, am I thereby compelled to run through and tread down yours?
No. When a person steals my poles from the fence, am I compelled to
steal yours? If my neighbour, or my brother in the Church, shall
swear, and take the name of God in vain, does it necessarily follow
that I must use the same language? If my brother shall do wrong in any
way, it does not follow that I shall be justified in committing one
single evil in all the acts of my life. Let each Latter-day Saint
examine himself, and inquire, "Am I one of those persons who will do
right in all things, though others may do wrong? Am I that person that
will serve the Lord with my house, that will cease from every evil
act, and from every evil word, though my neighbours, or my brethren
and sisters, may do the opposite?" Let the spirit within you reply to
these questions, and in every breast the response is, "Let me be that
person, let me do right from this time henceforth and for ever,
without committing another evil." Then what, have you got? You have
got heaven in your own bosoms, you have got Zion in your hearts, you
have obtained all the glow, all the peace, all the joy, all the
comfort, and all the light you anticipated when you were mingling with
the wicked world. If you are deceived, who will deceive you? If you
are wronged, who wrongs you? [p.312] If you are cheated out of your
crown at last, who has cheated you? These questions may apply in
different ways. They may apply to the business operations of the
world, as well as to the grace of God in the heart, and the salvation
of the soul. It is to the latter I wish them more particularly to
apply. Who has influence over any one of you, to cause you to miss
salvation in the celestial kingdom of God? I will answer these
questions for myself. If brother Brigham and I shall take a wrong
track, and be shut out of the kingdom of heaven, no person. will be to
blame but brother Brigham and I. I am the only being in heaven, earth,
or hell, that can be blamed.

Vol. 1, p.312
This will equally apply to every Latter-day Saint. Salvation is an
individual operation. I am the only person that can possibly save
myself. When salvation is sent to me, I can reject or receive it. In
receiving it, I yield implicit obedience and submission to its great
Author throughout my life, and to those whom He shall appoint to
instruct me; in rejecting it, I follow the dictates of my own will in
preference to the will of my Creator. There are those among this
people who are influenced, controlled, and biased in their thoughts,
actions, and feelings by some other individual or family, on whom they
place their dependence for spiritual and temporal instruction, and for
salvation in the end. These persons do not depend upon themselves for
salvation, but upon another of their poor, weak, fellow mortals. "I do
not depend upon any inherent goodness of my own," say they, "to
introduce me into the kingdom of glory, but I depend upon you, brother
Joseph, upon you, brother Brigham, upon you, brother Heber, or upon
you, brother James; I believe your judgment is superior to mine, and
consequently I let you judge for me; your spirit is better than mine,
therefore you can do good for me; I will submit myself wholly to you,
and place in you all my confidence for life and salvation; where you
go I will go, and where you tarry there I will stay; expecting that
you will introduce me through the gates into the heavenly Jerusalem."

Vol. 1, p.312
I wish to notice this. We read in the Bible, that there is one glory
of the sun, another glory of the moons and another glory of the stars.
In the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, these glories are called
telestial, terrestrial, and celestial, which is the highest. These are
worlds, different departments, or mansions, in our Father's house. Now
those men, or those women, who know no more about the power of God,
and the influences of the Holy Spirit, than to be led entirely by
another person, suspending their own understanding, and pinning their
faith upon another's sleeve, will never be capable of entering into
the, celestial glory, to be crowned as they anticipate; they will
never be capable of becoming Gods. They cannot rule themselves, to say
nothing of ruling others, but they must be dictated to in every
trifle, like a child. They cannot control themselves in the least, but
James, Peter, or somebody else must control them, They never can
become Gods, nor be crowned as rulers with glory, immortality, and
eternal lives. They never can hold sceptres of glory, majesty, and
power in the celestial kingdom. Who will? Those who are valiant and
inspired with the true independence of heaven, who will go forth
boldly in the service of their God, leaving others to do as they
please, determined to do right, though all mankind besides should take
the opposite course. Will this apply to any of you? Your own hearts
can answer. Do you  know what is right and just, as well as I do? In
some things you do, and in some things you [p.313] may not. know as
well; but I will explain what I mean, in the following words—I will do
all the good I can, and all I know how to do, and I will shun every
evil that I know to be an evil. You can all do that much. I will.
apply my heart to wisdom, and ask the Lord to impart it to me; and if
I know but little, I will improve upon it, that to-morrow. I may have
more, and thus grow from day to day, in the knowledge of the truth, as
Jesus Christ grew in stature and knowledge from a babe to manhood; and
if I am not now capable of judging for myself, perhaps I shall be in
another year. We are organized to progress in the scale of
intelligence, and the least Saint by adhering strictly to the order of
God, may attain to a full and complete salvation through the grace of
God, by his own faithfulness.

Vol. 1, p.313
I know how it was in Jackson County. There are families in this city
that went to that county twenty-one or twenty-two years ago last fall,
if I mistake not. I know what their feelings were. All their desire
was to got into the town of Independence, Jackson County, where they
expected to find all sin and iniquity dried up, heaven begun on earth,
and an end to all their mortal griefs. That was the motive that
prompted them to go there. Poor, souls, how little they knew about
salvation and its mode. I might have gone there too, but I wanted to
thunder and roar out the Gospel to the nations. It burned in my bones
like fire pent up, so I turned my back upon Jackson County to preach
the Gospel of life to the people. Such were the feelings of those who
went up to Jackson County, but I did not want to go there, nothing
would satisfy me but to cry abroad in the world, what the Lord was
doing in the latter-days. After a while this under current began to
work two ways; and they had more trouble in Independence than we had
in York State; it camo foaming, and bellowing, and pressing upon them
until they had to fly.

Vol. 1, p.313
I wish to ask those persons who were driven from Jackson County, if
they suffered as much in the actual driving as they would have done in
the anticipation of it a year before it took place? You will all reply
that, if you had known it a year beforehand, you would not have
endured the thought. I wish to apply this bath ways. You that have not
passed through the trials, and persecutions, and drivings, with this
people from the beginning, but have only read of them, or heard some
of them related may think how awful they were to endure, and wonder
that the Saints survived them at all. The thought of it makes your
hearts sink within you, your brains reel, and your bodies, tremble,
and you are ready to exclaims, "I could not have endured it." I have
been in the heat of it, and I never felt better in all my life; I
never felt; the peace and power of the Almighty more copiously poured
upon me than in the keenest part of our trials. They appeared nothing
to me. I hear people talk about their troubles, their sore privations,
and the great sacrifices they have made for the Gospel's sake. It
never was a sacrifice to me. Anything I can do or suffer in the cause
of the Gospel, is only like dropping a pin into the sea; the
blessings, gifts, powers, honour, joy, truth, salvation, glory,
immortality, and eternal lives, as far outswell anything. I can do in
return for such preoious gifts, as the great ocean exceeds in
expansion, bulk, and weight, the pin that I drop into it. Had I had
millions of wealth, and had I devoted it all to the building up of
this people, and said, "Take it, and build temples, cities, and
fortifications with it," and left myself pennyless, would it have been
a sacrifice? No, not to my feelings. Suppose I should be called to
preach the Gospel until my head is [p.314] white, and my limbs become
weak with age, until I go down into my grave, and never see my family
and friends again in the flesh, would it be a sacrifice? No, but one
of the greatest blessings that could be conferred upon mortal man, to
have the privilege, of calling thousands, and perhaps millions, from
darkness to light, from the power of Satan and unrighteousness to the
principles of truth and righteousness in the living God.

Vol. 1, p.314
I was as ready to pass through the scenes of mobbing and driving in
Jackson County, as I was to pass through the troubles in Kirtland,
Ohio; in Davis and Caldwell Counties, Missouri; in Illinois; and up to
this place. And what of it? I have not known or seen a single
sacrifice that this people have made. There has not been one such
providence of the Almighty to this people, that was not calculated to
sanctify the pure in heart, and enrich them with blessings instead of
curses—enrich them not only with earthly blessings, but with crowns of
glory, immortality, and eternal lives in the presence of God. Where,
then, is the sacrifice this people have ever made? There is no such
thing—they have only exchanged a worse condition for a better one,
every time they have been moved—they have exchanged ignorance for
knowledge, and inexperience for its opposite.

Vol. 1, p.314
I want you to look at the Saints before they first gathered to be
mobbed; they expected all sin to be at an end at the place of
gathering. These were my own feelings, though I did not gather with
them at that time. I had to go out and preach, lest my bones should
consume within me. But t will tell you what I did do, I commenced to
contract my business operations and dealings, and laid away my ledger,
and note books, saying, "I shall never want you any more." I behove
that those who wanted to be Saints indeed, should do every thing to
promote righteous principles and peace among men, and be perfectly of
one heart and of one mind. I laid aside my old account books, because
I expected we should be one family, each seeking to do his neighbour
good, and all be engaged to do all the good possible. To carry out
this principle faithfully, would crown the people of God with good to
overflowing. It is easy for us to think how things should be,. but the
difficulty is, things are not always as we would like to have them.
Though if the Saints at that time could have rightly judged of
appearances, could have understood the aspect around them, it was
clear that, sorrow and trouble were impending. It was right they did
not see the dark cloud that was ready to burst with violence upon
their heads.

Vol. 1, p.314
In the short speech of not more than five minutes, which I delivered
in the old Bowery, when that judge publicly insulted this people,
there were men and women in the congregation who suffered more in the
anticipation of what might be the result of it in future, than the
generality of this people have suffered in being actually mobbed. They
could see, in imagination, all hell let loose upon us, themselves
strung up, their cars cut off, their bowels torn out, and this whole
people cut to pieces. After they had had time to think, they found
themselves still alive and unhurt, to their great astonishment. They
suffered as much as though they had been sent to the bottom of the
bottomless pit. They suffered all this, because I told that corrupt
man, that he ought to be kicked out of the territory for his insolence
and barefaced presumption. I know this people have suffered more by
the contemplation of trouble, than they have when actually passing
through it.

Vol. 1, p.315
As they have magnified future [p.315] trouble almost infinitely beyond
its real dimensions, so they have imagined to themselves a greater
heaven than they can find in Zion, at its present stage of
progression. You do not enjoy the Zion you anticipated. That mankind
make mistakes in these two ways must be apparent to those who have
felt the workings of hope and fear in their nature. People suffer more
in the anticipation of death, than in death itself. There is more
suffering in what I call borrowed trouble, than in the trouble itself.
On the other hand, you have anticipated more Zion, more happiness, and
more glory in the flesh than you will ever realise in this mortality.
Those who are apt to go to one extreme, are almost sure to go to the
other, which always causes disappointment, either agreeably, or
disagreeably. These two extremes have caused the Saints much trouble;
and some, for want of patience, and a little reasonable thought, have
laid the blame of their disappointments in the wrong quarter, and have
apostatised from the Church, never thinking the blame was in
themselves. Upon these weaknesses of human nature the devil works
sometimes very succesfully. But brethren, we cannot escape from
ourselves; and while we remain in this tabernacle, our onward course
will be obstructed, more or less, by the weakness to which the mortal
flesh is subject. By and bye our bodies will go to their mother earth,
and receive a resurrection, and become glorious; then we shall enjoy
all, and more than the heart of man can conceive, unless it is
inspired by the Holy Ghost. This will be the inheritance of the
faithful.

Vol. 1, p.315
There is much room for improvement in all. If we commence from this
day, and do all the good we can, and never do another evil, we shall
come to that which I want the brethren to preach about, and endeavour
to establish. I wish it preached by the Bishops, by the Deacons, and
by every officer in the Church; I wish fathers to teach it to their
children; and I desire the subject to be taken up by all bodies of the
Saints throughout the world, viz., establish CONFIDENCE IN EACH OTHER.
Take this for a text if you like, and preach upon it, both verbally
and practically, until confidence in each other reigns universally
among the Saints, and then wilt be accomplished what I wish to see. If
we wish to establish a confidence such as the Gods enjoy, let us cease
from every evil act, and from the contemplation of every evil design;
never infringe upon another's right, but let each one sustain his
brother in the enjoyment of his privileges and rights, holding them as
sacred as our own salvation. If confidence has been lost, this is the
surest and only successful way to restore it. Hear it, ye preachers,
ye Apostles, and Prophets; ye Elders, High Priests, and Seventies; ye
Priests, Teachers, Deacons, and Bishops; every man and woman in the
Church of God throughout the world; commence to preach this discourse
at home, beginning with your own heart; then teach your wives and your
children; then let it spread its warming and cheering influence, like
the genial sun beam, from family to family, until the whole Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is united as the heart of one man.

Vol. 1, p.315
I will illustrate the method of establishing confidence in each other
by taking, for example, the child of four or five years of age. The
mother allows that child to own a small chest in which to keep his
little trinkets, such as little bosom pins, ribbons, doll clothes, &c.
This is considered by all the family the child's chest. Now let, none
go into that chest and take anything from it, without the consent of
the child. This is a very small matter, some may think; but begin at
as small a point as this to create confidence, and let it grow up from
little [p.316] to much. Wives, let your husbands stores alone, if they
have not committed them to your charge. Husbands, commit that to your
wives that belongs to them and never search their boxes without  their
consent. I can boast of this. I have lived in the marriage relation
nearly thirty years, and I never was man; to open my wife's chest,
without her consent, except once and that was to get out a likeness
that I wanted on the instant; and she was not at home; to get it for
me. That was the first time ever, opened a trunk in my life, that
belonged to my wife, or to my child. The child's little chest, with
its contents, is as sacred to him, as mine is to me. If this principle
were strictly carried out by every man, woman, and child among the
Saints, it would make them a blessed people indeed. We should seek to
preserve our neighbour's horse or ox from starving in the cold of
winter, and if we see any of his. property in jeopardy, we should be
as careful of it as if it were our own; our. object should be to save
every thing we can, both of our neighbour's and our own.

Vol. 1, p.316
Let every man pay his just debts. The editor of the News has published
a piece in the paper about owing no man anything; read it, reflect
upon and practise it. I can owe everybody everything; that is one side
of the matter, and to pay everybody is the other. I mean to owe every
man a debt of gratitude.

Vol. 1, p.316
I have perhaps spoken too long I have given you all a text to preach
upon, and to act upon in your lives; do it faithfully, and it will do
you good.

Vol. 1, p.316
May the Lord God of Israel bless you, and save you in His kingdom, is
my prayer, Amen.

Franklin D. Richards, October 6, 1853

Advice to Immigrants

An Address Delivered By Elder Franklin D. Richards,
 at the General Conference, Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.316
Brethren and Sisters—It seems to have fallen to my lot this afternoon
to speak to you. Whether I may speak leagthily, or occupy but a short
time, will be as I am led and dictated by the Holy Spirit.

Vol. 1, p.316
I rejoice in the opportunity, for many reasons. The first and greatest
is it is a blessing for a man who is called of God to teach the
people, to exercise himself in his office and calling, and try to
magnify it, for he is thereby made a blessing to the people, and is
himself edified, often, yea, I may say generally, quite as much as
they are.

Vol. 1, p.316
I rejoice this afternoon in the privilege of meeting so many of my
brethren who have just arrived from the old country. I behold faces in
the congregation with whom I have within a few years past been wont to
assemble in England, in Scotland, in Wales, and in other places. There
we used to rejoice together. The Spirit and power of God rested upon
us while  we contemplated the things of God, that are calculated to
[p.317] prepare us for the life which is to come.

Vol. 1, p.317
I feel to congratulate you, my brethren, who have newly come in, and
who constitute so goodly a number of my hearers this afternoon, upon
your safe arrival in these beautiful valleys; for you have now
accomplished one of the greatest undertakings of your lives. Once, had
you been told that you would forsake father, mother, brethren,
sisters, kindred, and friends, and that you would do it under the
stigmatized appellation of "Mormon"—to come so great a distance, to
traverse one-third of the circumference of the globe, it would have
been as incredible to you as to any of us. While you were near the
close of this great task, doubtless some felt that had it been one
hundred miles further, they scarcely could have endured to the end of
the journey; yet, to some of us, this wonderful, great undertaking is
but a small thing; we have done it several times, and expect to do it
many times more. I congratulate you, however, on your having
accomplished the task, and feel, as your brother in the Lord, to
welcome you here in the midst of God's people, and to pray with
sincerity that the spirit of Zion may rest upon you.

Vol. 1, p.317
You have come to this place with feelings and views as varied as the
degree of faith in, and knowledge you have of, the Gospel, and the
measure of spirit in which you walk. There are some who, in their own
estimation, are well qualified and fully prepared to judge of the
propriety and impropriety of everything that exists here; and such,
while they may find some few things answer pretty well, will find many
things which, in their opinion, are not right, and really need
reformation.

Vol. 1, p.317
Brethren, you who have just arrived in the Valley, I wish to direct my
words to you this afternoon, to sound a word in your ears that may not
be lost upon you, and it is worth your while to hearken to it. You may
dwell in this society, and never know what manner of spirit you are
of, nor the power of God that dwells in the Priesthood in your midst;
and, on the other hand, you may come here in a right frame of mind,
and hearken to the Spirit of God through the man whom He has appointed
to watch over us, and know that the words of all God's servants are
the words of life to you; and their faces will shine with wisdom in
your eyes. If you possess this. frame of mind, you will be prepared to
drink in intelligence from day to day, from their counsel and
examples, that will lead you on in the bright and shining way that was
discoursed upon this morning.

Vol. 1, p.317
In the first place, I will offer a word to all, whether they are
mechanics or common labourers. No matter what calling you may follow
in life, you have need, at this juncture of your existence, to observe
and treasure up one thing carefully and faithfully in your minds,
namely, if you live a proper life before the Lord. you know that you
have the fellowship of His Spirit, so that you know your prayers are
heard and answered, because you receive the things you ask for. If you
live so as to always have the witness of the good Spirit, you will be
saved to-day and every day, and thus it will constantly be well with
you. But if you are heedless of this day, and calculate on to-morrow,
you have no assurance that you will realize your hopes to-morrow. The
only certain stepping stone to the great good you may have to morrow
in the midst of this people is, that you be faithful to your covenants
with God, and secure thereby the fellowship of the Spirit, and walk in
the counsels of it to-day; if you, do this, you will have the good
that is for you to morrow.

Vol. 1, p.318
If you have come into this place [p.318] nearly penniless, and, in
many respects, comparatively destitute, and with no one to take you by
the hand, or your friends are not here, or, if they are, and do not
hail you as you think they ought, be of good cheer, and let not your
hearts be sad, knowing you are doing right, and have gathered
according to the word of the Lord.

Vol. 1, p.318
If you look about you and see the Saints who have been here some
years, and the choice locations taken up by them, and you are still at
the foot of the hill apparently, do not fret your souls; remember that
those brethren made the roads to this place, killed the snakes, or
gently turned them out of their path, made the bridges, opened the
kanyons, made the fences, ploughed the ground, and worked in the wet
and cold, in the midst of hunger and privation, to the best of their
ability, more than any portion of this people have. Have they not
worked to obtain what they have now got? If you look at it with a
single eye, it is marvellous to see the kingdom of God at this day.
After being here only six years; after being driven from Nauvoo, and
suffering the toils of a wilderness life among savages and wolves, to
see it at the present time is indeed comforting and cheering; the
aspect is promising beyond all we could have anticipated, or almost
what could have been wished: Does it not make your souls rejoice in
the Lord, that He has established His people, and to realize that you
are blessed above measure in having a name and a place in this city or
territory? You are better off this afternoon in this place, in rags,
and begging your bread, than in England, Scotland, or Wales, earning
one hundred pounds per annum. You would there be dwelling; among the
cloudy mists of Babylon; where you dare not say your souls were your
own. You could make but little advancement in your holy religion
there; but here you can receive words of life from those whom God has
appointed to lead His people into the way of salvation. Be careful
now, that the good Spirit which has accompanied you in the old world,
and dwelt with you in the ship across the sea, and has sustained you
and your teams while crossing the plains—be careful that you retain
it, and make it your counsellor here.

Vol. 1, p.318
I know how natural it is for the Saints who come from abroad to be
very diligent in inspecting God's people, to see if they are as
righteous as they ought to be; but they forget they have a duty to
perform to themselves. As one of old said, "the eye is not satisfied
with seeing, nor the car with hearing," but they forget to look at
themselves; the spirit of murmuring and complaining takes possession
of them, and you may see them wandering about in sorrow, affliction,
and grief; and what is worse than all, they have brought it upon
themselves, because they have not retained the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit through faithfulness of conduct, and away they go to
California. I felt to speak these things to you, that you might be
admonished at the present time to faithfulness, and that you might
rejoice in the assembly of God's people, that you had been brought
over the mountains to this place in safety. I feel to magnify the name
of the Lord to see so many of you, and pray that those who are still
journeying on the plains may be safely brought in.

Vol. 1, p.318
In coming here, you cannot, as individuals, know all things that are
before you. You are now dwelling in a society that differs from any
you ever dwelt in. The circumstances of life are all different, and
the business arrangements different, to those you have been used to in
the old country. It is necessary that you look about you for a season,
find out whom you  are among, and know the condition and nature of the
elements and state [p.319] of the society, that you may drop into
business through the fellowship of your brethren and sisters, and take
hold with them in the different branches of business that are carried
on here for the comforts of life. You Elders, who have been in that
country, preaching and building up Branches of the Church there; you
that have taken up your cross, and gone from your homes, and warned
the inhabitants of the earth where you have laboured, the Lord went
with you, when you went in the name of Jesus; His Spirit was upon you,
and you were the means of building up Churches, and of doing much good
in various ways; that same Spirit will be with you when you go to
labour in the kanyons, or do anything else, if you will nourish it,
and not cast it from you. Peradventure in the kanyons you may need its
premonitions most when your life or limb may be in jeopardy. This, my
brethren, is the rock upon which many Saints split—they leave the way
of truth, they step aside from the rugged path of duty which they have
been wont to walk in, and, feeling a degree of ease and safety, as
they suppose, on arriving here, they forget their prayers, and that
they have need to continue to increase their fellowship with the Holy
Spirit; they leave off their duties, and, are they are aware of it,
they are left to themselves.

Vol. 1, p.319
It is said that the females are the ones by whom the nations are
ruled. It is certain that the females have necessarily great influence
upon the whole community, and especially upon the rising generation.
Allow me a word with the sisters. In your associations and visiting
with those about you, when you find a sister or brother that can speak
evil of dignities with impunity, and can find fault with what is being
done by the Church, and cannot do any good themselves, (for such folks
cannot do anything themselves but bark and snarl like the dog in the
manger,) when you get into the society of such people, you will take
notes, if you do as I do, and seek the company of those who will speak
well of the brethren and sisters, and then you may expect they will
speak well of you. When you associate with those who speak well of the
truth, their counsels will edify you, and their words will be seasoned
with grace to your edification and instruction, and the clouds of
adversity that rest down upon you will vanish away.

Vol. 1, p.319
You will find Saints living about you, that have the good Spirit, and
can give you the word of comfort, and take you by the hand and pour
the oil of consolation into your heart, and do you good in the name of
the Lord. If you seek that kind of society, you will tend upwards
towards the realms of light, in duty and intelligence. By taking this
course, you will be cultivating the same good Spirit in your own
hearts, that you see in the hearts, examples, and general conduct of
your brethren and sisters around you, and which is most conspicuous in
those who are called to lead and direct in the Priesthood. On the
other hand, if you come in here, with the intention to be right down
sharp, careful to watch and to criticise your brethren very closely,
you will find all the evil you look for, and see imperfections which
the cloak of charity and good will would have covered, had you
possessed it yourself. You never were among a people where men talked
as they meant, and meant what they said, so near as in this place. If
you feel to take advantage of your brother or your sister, you may,
but it will not be good for your soul; it will be money badly earned.
But if you come here with a frank and honest heart, and prepared to
speak and act without hypocrisy, and just as you feel, you will find
yourselves among a community of brethren and sisters that are [p.320]
ready to aid, comfort, and bless you. If you look with your eyes, as I
did with mine when I came home from England, you will find your
brethren and sisters to be such kind of beings, whose good works you
will wish to emulate.

Vol. 1, p.320
Take the wisest course to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the
truth; and the only way is by attending diligently to your prayers,
and walking in the light of God's Spirit. You will find that
condescension in the hearts of your brethren, that love and charity
abounding in their bosoms that if you are in adversity and need they
will extend a helping hand, and comfort you, and do you good, and will
not charge you one hundred per bent interest either. I have to say
that if you have come to these valleys determined, as for you and
yours, to serve the Lord, you will find it the easiest thing in the
world to fellowship with those whose hearts run together like two
drops of water, and you will be blessed, as also will those with whom
you associate. You have arrived at a juncture of your life where two
ways branch out; if you wish to travel downward, the great depot of
that route is California; if upward, the great depot on that road is
this city, these men that surround me in this stand. You do not know
what you may be called upon to do. I do not know what I may be called
upon to do before this Conference comes to a close, in addition to
what is already laid upon me here at home. It is necessary to be
always ready; and if you live as you ought, you will always be ready,
and nothing will come wrong to you; and if you always bye that way,
you may always be as happy as you wish to be.

Vol. 1, p.320
The work we are called unto in these last days, calls upon us not to
narrow our minds down to the building of a piece of fence, to the
enclosing of a piece of land, or to the putting up of a house, alone;
but it is our duty while seeking to make an inheritance here, to reach
out our prayers in faith and supplication for the general good, and
with becoming liberality feel after those who are to enjoy the same
blessings we enjoy. We have our duties to ourselves and families to
perform, and our daily and hourly duties to our God; but there is a
duty we owe, in common with all God's people, to those who are not yet
gathered from the house of bondage. How many of the Israel of God are
there sitting in darkness, in distant nations, that have not the light
proclaimed to them? Have we come home here to sit down in ease, and
let them go down to the grave in ignorance? If we have, we mistake the
matter, and in the and will find we shall come short of that glory and
reward we anticipate. You have come here to obtain inheritances for
yourselves and families, and for your generations for ever, in
righteousness, as God shall give you power to do. You have, in
connexion with this, to build up the kingdom of God, to pay tithing,
and be ready to fill every office and duty that is put upon you,
making the kingdom of God the first and foremost in your affections
and attention, and yourselves and families a secondary consideration;
and this Gospel has to be borne off among the nations of the earth.

Vol. 1, p.320
How good it is for us to hear, by the monthly mails, how many there
are continually witnessing afar off to the forgiveness of sins through
the Gospel. We ought to remember them, and be prepared for whatever
may be expected at our hands in those far. Off regions. Let us not
settle down, and become sordid in our affections to anything earthly.
It is our duty to seek first the kingdom of God, and the promise is
that other things shall be added unto us.

Vol. 1, p.321
The Lord has manifested His readiness, and determination of purpose to
[p.321] pour out knowledge and intelligence upon His people, as fast
as they are prepared to receive it. Since I left you the last time in
the old country, the revelations of the Lord have been sent forth,
which had never before been made public, and we have all, been led
along by degrees in the knowledge of life and salvation. Yet a great
amount of advancement has yet to be made while we are in the flesh,
greater duties are rolling upon us as fast as we can perform those we
are already engaged in. We look around us here upon the house of
Israel, the Lamanites, and while our hearts are opened towards them
for good, they are not backward to administer death to our brethren.
Is this always going to be so? No. The Lord God will work upon them in
His own way, until they become one with us in building up the kingdom
of God.

Vol. 1, p.321
The Priesthood in the last days has to be manifested in sufficient
power to bear off the kingdom of God triumphant, that all Israel may
be gathered and saved. If all Israel will not be sanctified by the law
which their Moses first offers them, they will peradventure receive a
law of ordinances administered to them, not according to the power of
an endless life. Men will be saved in the last days as in former days,
according to their faith and willingness to receive the word of God,
and walk in it.

Vol. 1, p.321
We may speak in terms of wonder and admiration of what has been done,
and yet where shall these things grow to? They must grow until they
spread over all the face of the earth, and control the powers that
exist upon it. There must be other revelations fulfilled in our return
to Jackson County, and building up the New Jerusalem there; the Lord
prepare us for that day, that we may be able to stand the exhibition
of glory that will there be made manifest. Before that comes to pass,
something must be done here, there is a temple to be built in this
city. You, brethren, who received your blessings and endowments in the
temple that was built in Nauvoo, have been made witnesses of the
wisdom and power that have gone forth to the nations of the earth from
that place, and of the power that was realized in the quorums of the
Priesthood; no tide of oppression could be raised powerful enough to
bear down the authorities of God's kingdom; we see the wicked who came
to rule us turned back to their own place, and the Priesthood appears
greater than the powers of earth. The powers of the Priestood must be
made manifest before the eyes of all the world, and become
transcendently above every other influence. You have sure grounds for
confidence, for every step and every turn this Church makes, is
calculated to increase confidence; and if we live so as to have our
eyes washed with the eye water of the Gospel, we can ourselves realize
the rapid growth of Christ's kingdom, and the growth of grace in
ourselves and in others necessary to lead us on to perfection. You
have come here to cultivate perfection in yourselves in the name of
the Lord; and if you do that, and try to be useful, and willing to do
anything here or anywhere else you are instructed to do, you will be
made fit for the performance of any essential good in the kingdom of
God.

Vol. 1, p.321
Well then, brethren and sisters, while all is auspicious around us,
and everything calculated to encourage us to do good, let us be up and
doing, and try to keep the commandments of God with all our hearts,
and we shall find it easier and easier to do it. Let us be prepared
always for every duty that is laid upon us, and the grace of God will
be sufficient for us under every circumstance.

Vol. 1, p.322
When I was called to preside in England, I felt as though I never
[p.322] could magnify that calling, it appeared too great for me. But
if we feel right, we shall feel like the Prophet of old, the Spirit of
the Lord will be sufficient for us in the performance of every duty. I
pray that the spirit of Zion may be given to you who have. newly come
in, that you may go on your way rejoicing, and be able to do the will
of God here and abroad. May the blessings of God be and abide upon you
by day and by night, and increase you on the earth, in blessings and
riches for ever, is the prayer of your brother Franklin.

Brigham Young, October 6, 1853

Gathering the Poor—The Perpetual
 Emigrating Fund—Ingratitude

A Discourse Delivered By President Brigham Young,
 in the Tabernacle, at the General Conference, October 6, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.322
I wish to call the attention of this Conference to an invitation I
shall give them, and wish to extend it to the Saints in this valley
and elsewhere. I allude to the gathering of the poor Saints.

Vol. 1, p.322
Many of us are acquainted with the circumstances of the Saints when
they came to this valley six years ago, also five and four years ago.
Were we to go through this community and search out the men, women,
and children who have come here on their own resources, and those who
have been helped here by the Perpetual Emigrating Fund, and by private
individuals, it would be seen that a large proportion of the community
have been brought here through the assistance of others. I will not
say a majority have come here under those circumstances, but there are
thousands who have. Thousands of men, women, and children have been
helped here by the Perpetual Emigrating Fund alone.

Vol. 1, p.322
This is the subject to which I wish to call the attention of the
Conference, and the community at large. I wish all to hearken to it,
to reflect upon it, and contemplate it seriously.

Vol. 1, p.322
I call upon those who have not yet put forth theft hands to assist in
gathering the poor, to give us their names and their means, during
this Conference, that we may raise a few thousand dollars to be
applied to this purpose. Suppose we should try to raise as much as we
did four years ago, when we were in the midst of our greatest poverty
and distress—we had just arrived here, and had scarcely sufficient to
sustain life; notwithstanding these straightened circumstances, at the
first Conference we held in the old Tabernacle, this subject was
agitated, and $5,700 in gold was raised, and sent to gather in the
poor. Dare I venture to flatter myself that we can raise $5,000 or
$6,000 this Conference, to be applied to the  same good purpose? The
people are better able to [p.323] raise $50,000 now, than they were to
raise $5,000 then. Suppose we raise $15,000 or $30,000 to send for our
poor brethren and sisters, who long to be here as much as any of you
did, before your way was opened. This amount can be raised now, and
not call forth an unusual effort.

Vol. 1, p.323
We might ask you to reflect upon the days that you have spent in
yonder distant land, where you could seldom walk the streets or enter
a shop, like another citizen, without the finger of scorn being
pointed at you, without suffering the malignant taunts and sneers of
the ungodly, for the sake of your religion. Let me refer your minds to
the time that the Gospel was first introduced to you, and the light
and glory of it opened up to your understandings; when eternity and
eternal things reflected upon your benighted minds, and your
conceptions were aroused to see things as they were, as they are, and
as they will be. What were your feelings and meditations, when Zion
and its glory burst upon your vision? when the people of God appeared
to you, assembled together, preparatory to the coming of the Son of
Man? Again, what were your feelings, when in every direction that you
turned your eyes, they were met with scenes of wickedness, and your
ears saluted with deep dyed blasphemies of every description? Were
there any that feared the Lord? No. The most pious could do nothing
more than some did in the days of the Apostles; they could erect an
image to the unknown God, and worship somebody, or something, but they
knew not what. What were your feelings and reflections, under such
circumstances, when you first heard of the latter-day work? of the
Gospel in its fulness? when you first learned that the Lord had a
Prophet, and Apostles, who held the words of life for the people? What
was there you would not have sacrificed in a moment for the privilege
of assembling with the Saints? of mingling your voices and
conversation with theirs, day by day? of visiting, journeying, doing
business, labouring, and spending your lives with those who know and
love the Lord, and will serve Him? · Is there anything you would not
have sacrificed? Verily, no!

Vol. 1, p.323
If you can remember your own feeling then, you can know how others
feel, you can realize how thousands and scores of thousands feel at
this present moment. There is no hardship they would refuse to
undergo, no danger they would not endeavour to surmount, if they could
assemble with us here this day. No trial would be too keen for them;
there is no sacrifice that they would not readily and willingly make
for the privilege you enjoy this day. Brethren and sisters, can you
realize this?

Vol. 1, p.323
Let us now read a chapter on the other side of the page, and we find
the' hearts of men and women, by crossing the ocean, by travelling a
few weeks or months by water and land, appear to become partially
closed up, and they lose sight of the object of their pursuit. It
seems as though the hardships they pass through, in coming to this
land, banish nearly every particle of the light of Christ out of trait
minds.

Vol. 1, p.323
If you started on your journey with the influence of the Holy Spirit
warming your hearts, who prevented you from retaining it every day of
year life? You may say it was the devil that robbed you of it. But
what business had you with the devil? Was there any necessity that you
should enter into fellowship with him, or into partnership with the
works of darkness? "No," you reply, "I had forsaken him and all my old
associates and feelings, and had given myself to the Lord, had
embraced His Gospel, and set out to build up His kingdom, and wished
to gather with the Saints at the gathering place."

Vol. 1, p.324
Suppose the devil does tempt you, must you of necessity enter into
[p.324] partnership again with him, open your doors, and bid him
welcome to your house, and tell him to reign there? Why do you not
reflect, and tell master devil, with all his associates and imps, to
begone, feeling you have served him long enough.

Vol. 1, p.324
Says one, "I did not know that I could possibly come here with unruly
cattle, without getting wrong in my feelings;" or, "this brother did
wrong and marred my feelings; I was irritated, and the cares of the
journey bewildered my mind, and hurt me so that I do not really know
whether I have got to where I stared for, or not; things are different
here to what I expected to find them, &c."

Vol. 1, p.324
This is a representation of the feelings of some who have crossed the
plains this season. My advice to you is, go and be baptized for the
remission of sins, and start afresh, that temptation may not overcome
you again; pause and reflect, that you be not overcome by the evil one
unawares.

Vol. 1, p.324
In the first place, if you are re-baptized for the remission of sins,
peradventure you may receive again the spirit of the Gospel in its
glory, light and beauty; but if your hearts are so engrossed in the
things of this world, that you do not know whether you want to be
re-baptized or not, you had better shut yourselves up in some kanyon
or closet, to repent of your sins, and call upon the name of the Lord,
until you get His Spirit, and the light thereof, to reflect upon you,
that you may know the nature of your offences, and your true
condition; that you may realize and appreciate the blessing you enjoy
in being here with the Saints of the Most High.

Vol. 1, p.324
Let me lead your minds a little further. I wish to tell you something
which you may perhaps know as well as I do, but you may not have
realized it. When the Lord Almighty opens the vision of person's mind,
He shows him the things of the Spirit—things that will be. If any of
you had a vision of Zion, it was shown to you in its beauty and glory,
after Satan was bound. If you reflected upon the gathering Of the
Saints; it was the spirit of gathering that enlightened you; and when
your minds were opened in vision to behold the glory and excellency of
the Gospel, you did not see a vision of driving cattle across the
plains, and where you would be mired in this or that mud hole; you did
not see the stampedes among the cattle, and those of a worse character
among the people; but you saw the beauty and glory of Zion, that you
might be encouraged, and prepared to meet the afflictions, sorrows and
disappointments of this mortal life, and overcome them, and be made
ready to enjoy the glory of the Lord as it was revealed to you. It was
given to you for your encouragement. RECOLLECT THAT.

Vol. 1, p.324
You will recollect my exhortation to those who have means; we want
them to give the Perpetual Emigrating Fund a lift. Bring in your
tithes and offerings, and we will help a great many more to this place
in the future than we have this year. We wish to double our diligence,
and treble the crowd of immigrants by that Fund.

Vol. 1, p.324
I wish to show you a little of the philosophy of human nature in its
fallen and degraded state; you may consider it in the Gospel or out of
it; in the light of the Holy Spirit, or without it; as you please. The
philosophy of mankind, in their daily avocations, you may all know for
yourselves, by your own observation and experience. I wish to mention
a portion of it that has come under my notice. I could mention names,
but I will content myself with naming circumstances.

Vol. 1, p.324
We pick up, say 200 persons, in, England and convey them across the
water, and across the plains; and set them down in this valley. They
commence to labour, and in a short time  [p.325] they make themselves
comfortable. They can soon obtain plenty of the best kind of pay for
their labour, such as bread—the staff of life, butter, cheese and
vegetables. When a man gets these things, without the fancy nicknacks,
he does well.

Vol. 1, p.325
Suppose we pick up a company of these poor Saints in England, whose
faces are pale, and who can scarcely tread their way through the
streets for want of the staff of life; you may see them bowed down
from very weakness, with their arms across their stomachs, going to
and from their work; the greater part of them not enabled to get a bit
of meat more than once a month; and upon an average only about one
table spoonful of meal per day, for each person in a family, without
butter or cheese, by working 16 hours out of the 24; and when they go
to their work and return from it, they need a staff in their hands to
lean upon. We bring 200 of them here; instead of their being obliged
to work for two or three pence per day, they can get a dollar and a
dollar and a half per day. With one day's wages they can purchase
flour and meat and vegetables enough to last a moderately sized family
one week.

Vol. 1, p.325
They have not been here long when they may be seen swelling in the
streets with an air of perfect independence. Ask one of these men if
he will pay you for bringing him here; and he will reply, "I don't
know you, six." You ask another if he will work for you, for bringing
him out to this place; and he will appear quite astonished, saying,
"What have I had from you?" Another will say, "If I work for you, what
will you give me? Can you give me some adobies? for I am going to
build a fine house, or if you have any money to pay me, it will answer
as well."

Vol. 1, p.325
How does such language and ingratitude make the benefactor of that
person feel? Why, his heart sinks within him. I can find thousands of
just such men and women in this territory. When they are brought to
this place, they do not know their benefactors, who saved them from
death, but they are a head and shoulders above them, when they meet
them in the streets.

Vol. 1, p.325
Do you know the conclusion that is natural to man, when he is treated
in such a manner by his fellow man? It is, "I wish I had left you in
your own country." I wish so too. I say, let such persons starve to
death, and die Christians, instead of being brought here to live and
commit the sin of ingratitude, and die and go to hell; for while they
remained in their poverty, they were used to the daily practice of
praying for deliverance; and I say it is better for them to die
praying, and go into eternity praying, and the Almighty to have bowels
of compassion and mercy towards them, than for them to come here, and
lose the Spirit of God through ingratitude, and go into eternity
swearing.

Vol. 1, p.325
I can pick up hundreds of men who have passed by their benefactors,
and if they should speak to them, would turn round and say, "I really
don't know you." Or if they do, they will speak every thing against
them their tongues can utter, or can be allowed to; and they will
swear falsely about them—about the very men who have saved them from
starvation and death.

Vol. 1, p.325
I frequently refer to facts that come under my own observation. When I
came into this Valley; we had notes amounting to $30,000 against
brethren we had assisted, which no person will pay one cent for. We
have helped men, women, and children from England, to over the amount
of $30,000. Except one individual, and that is a man by the name of
Thomas  Green, who lives in Utah, and one young woman, who camo from
[p.326] England, there has never been a single person who has paid one
dime towards cancelling a debt amounting to over $30,000, besides
other notes, accounts, and obligations which we hold.

Vol. 1, p.326
Do I mean to be understood that no person pays their passage? By no
means. My remarks will not hit those, neither are they directed to
them who are thankful to their benefactors, and who do, and are
willing to pay. But as far as I am concerned, before we came into this
Valley, with the exception of one man and woman, no person has offered
to pay us one dime, and eight-tenths of them have turned away from the
Church, and a number of them joined the mob, and sought to dye their
hands in our blood.

Vol. 1, p.326
Now do you see the philosophy of human nature, and I will say of
divine nature? Let me help a man who makes an evil use of the
assistance I render him, and endeavours to injure himself and me, and
his neighbour with it, what does the Spirit of the Lord teach me in
such a circumstance? What would the Lord do, provided He was here
himself? Do you not think He would withhold the thing from him? Do you
think an angel. would help a man who would turn round and destroy that
angel and himself? I do not, neither do I think the Lord would, and no
good man would if he knew it, unless it were done with a view to prove
a person. I do not think a bad man would distribute his means to
another individual, or to individuals, who would use them to his
injury.

Vol. 1, p.326
It is the evil actions and covetousness in the hearts of the poor that
shut up the bowels of compassion in the rich, and they say they will
not help the poor. We could have gathered hundreds of thousands more
of the poor, were it not that the rich have been so biased, and still
continue to be. Say they "We do not wish our means to be applied to an
evil use."

Vol. 1, p.326
If you wise to know what I mean by all this, it is that if any men or
women refuse to pay their passage to this place when they are in
circumstances to do it, let them be cut off from the Church, and then
sue them at the law, and collect the debt. Sever those limbs from the
tree, and then make them pay their honest debts. That is to the poor.

Vol. 1, p.326
We now want the rich to turn in their means, that the poor, the honest
poor, may be delivered. Some of you may inquire if we wish to send the
means now to England? Yes; we. want the means now, which you can pay
into the Tithing Office, and have it recorded on the books, to answer
the means we have there, which can be used for next season. We want to
give a heavy lift to the emigration of the poor, next season. We have
brought out a considerable number this season, but it is hardly a
beginning to what we wish to be brought out next season.

Vol. 1, p.326
The first duty of those who have been brought out by the Perpetual
Emigrating Fund is to pay back what they have received from it, the
first opportunity, that ethers may receive the same benefit they have
received. We wish you in the first place to get something to eat,
drink, and wear; but when you are in any way comfortable, we wish you
to pay that debt the next thing you do, and replenish the Fund. It is
built upon a principle, if carried out properly, and the debts
punctually refunded, to increase in wealth. The $5,000 that was sent
for the poor four years ago this fall, if every man had been prompt to
pay in that which he received, would have increased to $20,000.

Vol. 1, p.326
We are the greatest speculators in the world. We have the greatest
speculation on hand that can be found in all the earth. I never denied
[p.327] being a speculator. I never denied being a miser, or of
feeling eager for riches; but some men will chase a picayune five
thousand miles when I would not turn round for it, and yet we are
preachers of the same Gospel, and brethren in the same kingdom of God.
You may consider this is a little strong; but the speculation I am
after, is to exchange this world, which, in its present state, passes
away, for a world that is eternal and unchangeable, for a glorified
world filled with eternal riches, for the world that is made an
inheritance for the Gods of eternity.

Vol. 1, p.327
The plan is to make every thing bend to the revelations of God; this
is the object of our Priesthood—to bring into requisition every good
thing, and make it hear for the accomplishment of the main point we
have in view; and when we get through we shall reap the reward of the
just, and get all our hearts can anticipate or desire. To lay plans
for the attainment of this, is just as necessary as for a merchant to
lay plans to get earthly rich? by buying and selling merchandise. It
is for us to lay plans to secure to ourselves eternal byes, which is
just as necessary as it is for the miser to lay plans to amass a great
amount of gold upon the earth; and it is for us to engage in it
systematically.

Vol. 1, p.327
I say to the poor, PAY YOUR DEBTS TO THE PERPETUAL EMIGRATING FUND;
and to the rich, HELP THE POOR; and this will bring wealth and
Strength, by each one, according to his ability, calling, and means,
assisting in every point and place in this great speculation for
kingdoms, thrones, principalities and powers. It is said union is
strength; and that is enough; if we get that, we shall have power.
This is the plan for us to work upon, and I wish the brethren to
whisper this around among their neighbours, when they go out of this
tabernacle, and say, "What can we give to the Perpetual Emigrating
Fund? Can we give anything this see on?" We will not refuse help from
the sisters. Do you ask how small an amount we will take? We will take
from a pin to a bed quilt; but be sure, when you bring a pin, that you
have not many other things in your trunk that would be useful, more
than you at present need; for if you bring a pin under such
circumstances, you cannot receive a blessing, and the reward it is
entitled to. If the clothing you wear each day is all you have, and
you have need to borrow a shawl to go out in, and you have only a pin
to bestow, bring that, and you shall receive a blessing.

Vol. 1, p.327
We think it is not necessary to give you the report of the Perpetual
Emigrating Fund this Conference. It is doing well, but we want it to
do a great deal better. We want to swell the operation, and bring the
poor from the nations by scores of thousands instead of by hundreds.
This embraces what I wished to lay before the Conference upon this
point.

Vol. 1, p.327
Before the Conference is concluded we shall call for quite a number of
Elders. It was anticipated that our missionaries would have been
called at the August Conference of this year, but we will call a
considerable number this Conference. You need not inquire where we
want you to go, for it will be told you when you are ready. Prepare
your mind and circumstances against that time, for we wish to send the
Gospel to Israel.

Vol. 1, p.327
May the Lord bless you. Amen. [p.328]

Orson Pratt

The Earth—Its Fall, Redemption, and Final
 Destiny—The Eternal Abode of the Righteous

A Discourse By Professor Orson Pratt

Vol. 1, p.328
The earth was formed to be inhabited—it was designed to be the abode
of animated existence—the dwelling place of beings capable of enjoying
life and happiness.

Vol. 1, p.328
At the time of its creation, it was pronounced by its Author to be
"very good." The term "very good" Could have no meaning, unless spoken
with reference to beings who should be capable of experiencing some
benefit from its construction. However beautifully formed—however
grand and magnificent its motions—however skilfully its elements are
combined, or its parts proportioned to each other, yet, if not
designed to be connected with perceptive beings, the earth could not
be pronounced good.

Vol. 1, p.328
A mass of inanimate elements cannot be organized in any possible form
or proportion so as to benefit or injure itself, and therefore cannot
be good nor bad with reference to itself. Goodness and its opposite
quality, when applied to unconscious matter, always have reference to
conscious beings capable of deriving happiness or misery from these
qualities. This was the meaning of the Creator when he ascribed the
quality of goodness to the earth; it contained every necessary
ingredient to render happiness to the beings who were designed to
occupy it.

Vol. 1, p.328
After having made every, necessary preparation, countless species of
living, moving beings came from the spirit world to inhabit earthly
bodies, and take up their abode upon this magnificent creation. Among
the rest, man—the offspring of deity—left his ancient home—his brother
and sister spirits, and came to a world most beautifully adapted to
his future wants. Here he entered a tabernacle of flesh and bones, and
received dominion and authority over all the lower orders of
existence.

Vol. 1, p.328
Here immortality reigned, and death had no dominion. The elements were
so wisely arranged and proportioned, that life was derived from all
things ordained for the use of man or beast, fowl or fish. The
nourishing element of life was diffused through the earth, the ocean
and the air. Life pervaded every vegetable and fruit not forbidden to
man. Life reigned triumphantly throughout this vast creation. Death
was unknown; it had not been seen, heard of, nor experienced in all
the varied ranks of earthly beings.

Vol. 1, p.328
Here, then, was a creation "very good," inhabited by beings capable of
eternal existence, both body and spirit. Here was a creation adapted
to the wants of all its inhabitants, calculated to preserve unchanged
that immortality with which they were endowed. Here, then, was a
creation worth possessing as an eternal abode.

Vol. 1, p.328
Such was the inheritance given to man, with its vast treasures and
sumptuous luxuries—such was the gift of heaven under certain
restrictions. These restrictions were not complied  with—man fell—a
great change came [p.329] over the fair face of creation—the earth was
cursed—sickness, pain, and misery ensued—immortality yielded to
mortality—death reigned triumphantly throughout the animal kingdom—the
everlasting inheritance on the newly-formed earth was forfeited—all
seemed to be lost forever lost! While all creation groaned in utter
despair and death, a voice was heard; not a voice of wrath and
indignation, but the voice of mercy and compassion—the voice of the
Creator, proclaiming himself the Redeemer; love flowed through every
sentence—man listened with eagerness—the door of hope was
opened—despair fled away—all things again assumed a new aspect. The
earth, though cursed, was to be redeemed—the body, though corruptible,
was again to put on incorruption—all things lost by the first
transgression were to be restored again in their primitive excellence
and beauty. Though this great redemption was to be universal, yet the
change was to be gradual or progressive, not immediate; the effects of
the fall were to continue for a season, until all the inhabitants of
the spirit world, designed for this creation, should learn by bitter
experience, the unhappy consequences of sin. Hence, the whole world
still groans under the sad effects of the original transgression.
Sorrow, mourning, and death, still prevail—the aged, middle-aged, and
infant still feet the force of these evils—all are made partakers in a
greater or less degree of the wretchedness and miseries of the
fall—none escape—none can proclaim themselves immortal, or free from
these direful effects.

Vol. 1, p.329
The universal redemption of the posterity of Adam from the fall will
be fully accomplished after the earth has been filled with its measure
of inhabitants, and all men have been redeemed from the grave to
immortality, and the earth itself has been changed and made entirely
new.

Vol. 1, p.329
But a universal redemption from the effects of original sin, has
nothing to do with redemption from our personal sins; for the original
sin of Adam, and the personal sins of his children, are two different
things. The first was committed by man in his immortal state; the
second was committed. by man in a mortal state; the former was
committed in a state of ignorance of good or evil; the latter was
committed by man, having a knowledge of both good and evil. As the
sins are different, and committed entirely under different
circumstances; so the penalties are different also. The penalty of the
first transgression was an eternal separation of body and spirit; and
eternal banishment from the presence of Jehovah; while the penalty of
our own transgressions does not involve a disunion of body and spirit,
but only eternal banishment. The first penalty not only shut man out
from the presence of God, but deprived him eternally of a body; the
second penalty permits him to retain his body, though in a banished
condition. As the penalties are different, so also is the redemption.
Redemption from the first penalty is unconditional on the part of man;
redemption from the second penalty is conditional. Unconditional
redemption is universal; it takes within its scope all mankind; it is
as unlimited as the fall; it redeems men from all its effects; it
restores to them their bodies; it restores them to the presence of
God.

Vol. 1, p.329
The children of Adam had no agency in the transgression of their first
parents, and therefore they are not required to exercise any agency in
their redemption from its penalty. They are redeemed from it without
faith, repentance, baptism, or any other act, either of the mind or
body.

Vol. 1, p.329
Conditional redemption is also universal in its nature; it is offered
to all, but not received by all; it is a [p.330] universal gift,
though not universally accepted; its benefits can be obtained only
through faith, repentance, baptism, the laying on of the hands, and
obedience to all other requirements of the Gospel.

Vol. 1, p.330
Unconditional redemption is a gift forced upon mankind, which they
cannot reject, though they were disposed. Not so with conditional
redemption; it can be received or rejected according to the will of
the creature.

Vol. 1, p.330
Redemption from the original sin is without faith or works; redemption
from our own sins is given through faith and works. Both are the gifts
of free grace; but while one is a gift forced upon us unconditionally,
the other is a gift merely offered to us conditionally. The reception
of the one is compulsory; the reception of the other is voluntary. Man
cannot by any possible act, prevent his redemption from the fall; but
he can utterly refuse and prevent his redemption from the penalty of
his own sins.

Vol. 1, p.330
The earth, like the posterity of Adam; was cursed because of the
original sin, and like them, it will be redeemed unconditionally, and
restored again into the presence of God. So far as the original sin is
concerned, mankind and the earth keep pace with each other. When one
falls the other falls also. When one is redeemed, the other is
redeemed also.

Vol. 1, p.330
Had there been no other sin but that of Adam's, the redeemed earth
Would have become the eternal abode of all the posterity of Adam,
without one exception. But both man and the earth have been still
further corrupted by other sins. The posterity of Adam have
transgressed the code of laws given since the fall, and subjected
themselves to its penalty. This penalty does not interfere with the
first penalty. Man will be redeemed from the first before the second
will be fully inflicted. When his redemption from the first death is
completed, then comes the judgment, when his own sins will be inquired
into, and not Adam's. As he stands before the judgment-seat, he will
find himself entirely innocent of Adam's transgression, and entirely
redeemed from the effects of it, but he still finds himself guilty of
his own individual sins, the penalty of which is a second death, not a
dissolution of body and spirit like that of the first death, but a
banishment from the presence of God, and from the glory of his power.

Vol. 1, p.330
Redemption from the second death, as we have already observed, is
conditional. Man having voluntarily committed sin, must voluntarily
comply with the conditions of redemption; otherwise, he must suffer
the penalty. If any should feel disposed to doubt whether the second
penalty will be inflicted, let them look at the infliction of the
first, during the last 6,000 years. The first death, with all its;
attendant evils, has extended its ravages among all nations and
generations since the first law was broken. If God, then, has
fulfilled His word in the first provocation, to the very letter, why
should any one suppose that He will not inflict the second death as a
penalty of the second provocation?

Vol. 1, p.330
All generations bear witness to the, faithfulness of His word spoken
in the garden of Eden. Why, then, should we suppose that justice shall
be frustrated, and His word become null and void in regard to any
future penalty with which the sinner is threatened? If the sin of one
man brought the first death upon unnumbered millions, why not the sin
of each man bring the second death upon himself? There is no escape
for the sinner from the second death, only through the conditions of
the Gospel. All who will believe in Christ, and repent of their sins,
and be baptized by immersion for the remission of them [p.331] and
receive the Holy Ghost through the ordinance of the laying on of
hands, and continue faithful unto the end, shall escape the penalty of
the second death. All who reject these conditions must suffer it, for
the word of God cannot become void, and justice be thwarted from his
stem decrees.

Vol. 1, p.331
Though all mankind are to be fully redeemed from the effects of the
original sin, yet we have great reason to fear that but few will be
redeemed from their own sins. Those few who are redeemed will receive
the earth for an eternal inheritance; for the earth, as we have
already observed, will be unconditionally redeemed from the curse of
the original sin, and so far as that sin is concerned, it will be no
obstacle to the earth's entering into the presence of God. But as the
earth has been corrupted by other sins than the original, it must
partake of the curses of the second death, after it is redeemed from
the curses of the first, unless God has provided a way for its
sanctification and redemption therefrom. It has seemed good unto the
great Redeemer to institute ordinances for the cleansing,
sanctification, and eternal redemption of the earth, not from the
original sin, but from the sins of the posterity of Adam.

Vol. 1, p.331
The first ordinance instituted for the cleansing of the earth, was
that of immersion in water; it was buried in the liquid element, and
all things sinful upon the face of it were washed away. As it came
forth from the ocean flood, like the new-born child, it was innocent,
it arose to newness of life; it was its second birth from the womb of
mighty waters—a new world issuing from the ruins of the old, clothed
with all the innocency of its first creation. As man cannot be born
again of water, without an administrator, so the earth required an
agency independent of itself, to administer this grand cleansing
ordinance, and restore it to its infant purity. That administrator was
the Redeemer himself.

Vol. 1, p.331
The second ordinance instituted for the sanctification of the earth,
is that of fire and the Holy Ghost. The day will come when it shall
burn as an oven, and all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be
as stubble; after which, the glory of God shall cover the earth, as
the waters cover the deep. Here then is a baptism of fire first, then
of the Holy Spirit. As man receives the baptism of fire and the Holy
Spirit through the laying on of the hands of a legal administrator, so
the earth receives the same, not through its own agency, but through
the agencies ordained of God. As man becomes a new creature by being
born again, first of water, then of the spirit, in the same manner the
earth becomes a new earth by being born again of these cleansing and
purifying elements. As man becomes a righteous man by the new birth,
so the earth becomes a righteous earth through the same process.

Vol. 1, p.331
Righteousness will abide upon its face, during a thousand years, and
the Saviour will bless it with his personal presence: after which the
end soon comes, and the earth itself will die, and its elements be
dissolved through the agency of a fire. This death, or dissolution of
the earth is a penalty of the original sin. Infants and righteous men
die, not as a penalty of their own sins, but because Adam sinned; so
the earth dies, or undergoes a similar change, not because of the
transgressions of the children of Adam, but because of the original
transgression. But all mankind are made alive from the first death
through the resurrection, so the earth will again be renewed, its
elements will again be collected, they will be recombined and
reorganized as when it first issued from the womb of chaos. [p.332] As
the bodies of the righteous are made immortal, eternal, unchangeable,
and glorious, so the earth itself will be so constructed as to be
capable of everlasting endurance. Immortality will be indelibly
stamped upon every department of this creation. It will be crowned
with the presence of God the Father, and shine forth in all the
splendours of celestial glory. But who will be its inhabitants? Those
who have passed through the same process of purification, and none
else. As all who partake of the second death must be banished from the
presence of God, it necessarily follows, that they must be banished
from the glorified earth; for that is redeemed into the presence of
God, and enjoys the glory of His power; and no beings can inhabit it
but those who are sanctified by the same ordinances and law.

Vol. 1, p.332
As the earth passes through its great last change, two of its
principal cities—the Old Jerusalem of the eastern continent, and the
new Jerusalem of the western continent, will be preserved from the
general conflagration, being caught up into heaven. These two cities,
with all their glorified throng, will descend upon the redeemed earth,
being the grand capitals of the new creation. "Without" (or exterior
to these holy cities, and upon other creations of an inferior order,
far separated from the glorified earth) "will be dogs, and sorcerers,
and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth
and maketh a lie. (Rev. xxii. 15.) These are they who are banished
from the presence of God, and from the glory of a celestial earth.

Vol. 1, p.332
It is the meek only who shall receive the promised inheritance—they
are the lawful heirs. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
the earth," was the promise of the great Redeemer.

Vol. 1, p.332
But who are the meek? By what peculiarities are they distinguished
from other men? There must be some qualities about them far superior
to the generality of mankind, or they would not become the exclusive
heirs of the new earth. The law of meekness includes all the laws of
the Gospel, with its ordinances and blessings, Priesthood and powers,
through obedience to which mankind become justified, sanctified,
purified, and glorified. Such are the meek of the earth, and none
others. And as the Gospel has not been preached nor administered by
authority on the eastern hemisphere for the last seventeen centuries,
consequently, during that time, there have been none possessed of the
requisite qualities of meekness sufficient to entitle them to the
promised inheritance upon the new earth. A few only will be saved—a
few only will receive the law of meekness and continue therein.

Vol. 1, p.332
Different portions of the earth have been pointed out by the Almighty,
from time to time, to His children, as their everlasting inheritance.
As instances—Abraham and his posterity, that were worthy, were
promised Palestine. Moab and Ammon—the children of righteous Lot—were
promised a portion not far from the boundaries of the twelve tribes.
The meek among the Jaredites, together with a remnant of the tribe of
Joseph, were promised the great western continent. The righteous of
all nations who shall in this dispensation be gathered to that land,
will receive their inheritance in common with the meek who formerly
sojourned upon the land. In the resurrection, the meek of all ages and
nations will be restored to that portion of the earth previously
promised to them. And thus, all the different portions of the earth
have been and will be disposed of to the lawful heirs; while those
who cannot prove their heirship to be legal, or who cannot prove that
they have received any portion of the earth by promise, will be
[p.333] cast out into some other kingdom or world, where, if they ever
get an inheritance, they will have to earn it by keeping the law of
meekness during another probation.

Vol. 1, p.333
How great will be the disappointment to the rich, the high and the
noble, who have rejected the messages of eternal truth, sent forth in
different ages for the redemption of men, when they find that there is
not a foot of the new earth that they can call their own; the whole of
it having been lawfully disposed of to the poor and the meek.

Vol. 1, p.333
Howl, then, ye rich men, who reject the message of the servants of
God; for your portion is in this life, and you have no claim upon the
everlasting inheritance. God will rescue the earth from under your
dominion, and give it to those unto whom it is promised. Howl, for the
miseries that shall come upon you!

Vol. 1, p.333
It has been conjectured by some, that the earth will not be
sufficiently capacious to accommodate the nations of the righteous.
But such a conjecture will appear erroneous to any one who will
exercise his reasoning powers sufficient to calculate the superficial
contents of our globe, and compare the same with the probable number
of inhabitants who are destined for this creation.

Vol. 1, p.333
In round numbers, the surface of our terrestrial shperoid contains
197,000,000 of square miles, or over one hundred and twenty-six
thousand millions of acres. Now, if from the creation of the earth to
its final glorification, there should elapse a period of eight
thousand years, or eighty centuries, and if we should suppose the
population to average one thousand millions per century, (which is
probably an average far too great,) yet there would be an abundance of
room upon the new earth for all this vast multitude. There would be
over one acre and a half for every-soul.

Vol. 1, p.333
But when we reflect how few will be saved—how few have received the
plan of redemption, even when it has been proclaimed by authority in
their ears, and how many generations have passed away unto whom the
Almighty has sent no message, we are compelled to believe that not one
out of a hundred will receive an inheritance upon the new earth. But
even though we suppose one per cent. of all this immensity of
population shall, through obedience to the Gospel, become lawful heirs
to the new earth, then there will be over one hundred and fifty acres
for every soul. If the new earth contains only the same proportion of
land as the old, there would still be about forty acres for every
redeemed soul But the new earth is represented by the Apostle John, as
being without any sea, which increases its capacity for inhabitants
above the old four fold. The farmer who is looking forward to to the
new earth for his everlasting inheritance, need have no fears of of
being too much limited in his possessions. There will be ample room
for the delightful pursuits of the agriculturist. He can have his
pleasure-grounds; his orchards of the most delicious fruits; his
gardens decorated with the loveliest flowers; and still have land
enough for the raising of the more staple articles, such as manna to
eat, and flax for the making of fine robes, &c.

Vol. 1, p.333
Who, in looking upon the earth as it ascends in the scale of the
universe, does not desire to keep pace with it, that when it shall be
classed in its turn, among the dazzling orbs of the blue vault of
heaven, shining forth in all the splendours of celestial glory, he may
find himself proportionably advanced in the scale of intellectual and
moral excellence? Who, but the  most abandoned, does not desire to be
counted worthy to associate with those higher orders of beings who
have been redeemed, exalted, and glorified, [p.334] together with the
worlds they inhabit, ages before the foundations of our earth were
laid? O man, remember the future destiny and glory of the earth, and
secure thine everlasting inheritance upon the same, that when it shall
be glorious, thou shalt be glorious also.

Brigham Young, December 5, 1853

Comprehensiveness of True Religion—
The Saints But Stewards

A Discourse Delivered By President Brigham Young,
 at Great Salt Lake City, December 5, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.334
Myself and my brethren frequently rise to address the congregation in
this place, not knowing precisely what may prove the most beneficial
and instructing. The same weakness is in me, that is common to the
most of my brethren who address you from this stand, that is, a degree
of timidity, which arises from a sense of the importance of the work
in which we are engaged; but my resolution overbalances this.

Vol. 1, p.334
Can anything be taught that will edify this congregation like the
principles of the Gospel? It may be said the life and existence of
man, with the varied avocations of his life, from birth to death, are
an interesting subject, as much so as the Gospel. But this is
connected with the Gospel of salvation, as well as everything else
that is associated with his being. The whole mortal existence of man
is neither more nor less than a preparatory state given to finite
beings, a space wherein they may improve themselves for a higher state
of being. The labour of man in this existence seems to be almost
wholly directed to procure a mortal subsistence; this is more
particularly the case with those who have not learned the order of
heaven, and that it is necessary to direct our energies, during our
time here, in a channel to secure salvation in the kingdom of God.

Vol. 1, p.334
Mankind, in general, do not stop to reflect, they are pressing
headlong to grasp the whole world if possible; each individual is for
himself, and he is ignorant of the design the Almighty had in his
creation and. existence in this life. To obtain a knowledge of this
design is a duty obligatory upon all the sons and daughters of Adam.

Vol. 1, p.334
The Latter, day Saints realise that there is no period of man s
existence not incorporated with the plan of salvation, and directly
pointing tea future existence. Consequently, when we stand here to
speak to the people, let every man speak what is in his heart. If one
of our Elders is capable of giving us a lecture upon any of the
sciences, let it be delivered in the spirit of meekness—in the spirit
Of the holy Gospel. If, on the Sabbath day, when we are assembled here
to worship the Lord, one of the Elders should be prompted to give us a
lecture on any branch of education with which he is acquainted, is it
outside the pale of our religion? I think not. If any of the Elders
are disposal to give a lecture to parents and  children on letters, on
the rudiments of the [p.335] English language, it is in my religion,
it is a part of my faith. Or if an Elder shall give us a lecture upon
astronomy, chemistry, or geology, our religion embraces it all. It
matters not what the subject be, if it tends to improve the mind,
exalt the feelings, and enlarge the capacity. The truth that is in all
the arts and sciences forms a part of our religion. Faith is no more a
part of it than any other true principle of philosophy. Were I to give
you a lecture to-day upon farming, would I be speaking upon a matter
that transcends the bounds of our religion? Agriculture is a part of
it as well as any other truth. Were I to lecture on business
principles of any kind, our religion embraces it; and what it does not
circumscribe, it would be well for us to dispense with at once and for
ever.

Vol. 1, p.335
This language may come in contact with the prejudices of many people,
and I will add, of all people, unless they have been schooled in
"Mormonism." It comes in contact with the traditions, prejudices, and
feelings of former years, when the alpha and omega of our religion
consisted in singing, preaching, exhorting, and shouting "Glory,
hallelujah, praise the Lord!" And when Monday morning came, we would
go to our farms, to our merchandize, to our mechanism, and to what we
called our dull business of life, which we considered did not belong
to our religion. These are the traditions of the world, but it is not
so with us; we have learned the Gospel better.

Vol. 1, p.335
I am aware how easy it is for the mind of man to become entangled with
the deceitfulness of riches, for I am somewhat experienced in the
spirit of the world. How easy it is for the love of the world to take
possession of the hearts of the human family! How easy it is for their
minds to become darkened by the god of this world, and, become like
the eyes of the fool, which are in the ends of the earth, seeking for
gold and silver, and for the riches, grandeur, popularity, and titles
of this world. If the religion we possess does not Control and reign
predominant over every other principle and feeling, we have not been
schooled in it so as to learn our lessons correctly—we are not masters
of this heavenly science. If the Latter-day Saints have not been
schooled enough to realise that all things which pertain to this
world—riches; honours, worldly grandeur, and worldly titles, are not
wholly subservient to their religion, they are not fully skilled in
their profession. Are you aware of this? Do the Latter-day Saints
individually realise the circumstances in which they are placed, the
position they occupy in human society, in the midst of the Church of
Jesus Christ? How many are there here to-day who realise as they ought
their standing with God and man, and who understand precisely their
position in life, their relationship with angels, and the destinies of
Providence? Here are many who have been in the Church for years—are
they masters, or are they yet only scholars? Are they fathers, or yet
only babes? Have they need to be taught what are the rudiments of the
doctrine of Christ, or are they capable of teaching them to the human
family, pointing out the way of hie and salvation? Many are capable.
If we have learned our lessons well, while we teach the way of life
and salvation to others, we shall exemplify it in our own lives. How
many of my hearers possess the mastery over themselves, can keep the
angry spirit of wrath under the empire of reason, and cannot be
prejudiced against their brethren? Select the men or women who are
capable of jading a righteous judgment, who can weigh exactly the life
and conduct of their neighbours in the balance of justice, mercy, and
truth? Are there any? I hope there are many.

Vol. 1, p.336
[p.336] How many of the Latter-day Saints, who have been in the Church
from fifteen to twenty years, have learned the Gospel sufficiently to
be masters of their passions? How many have learned the nature of
things, as well as of men, the use of gold and silver, and the
elements that. are around us, so as to enjoy the life of the world,
and understand the nature of it well enough to devote all the
treasures of the east, did they possess them, to the building up of
the kingdom of God, and to have no will but the will of the Lord? Who
is proof against the influence of a good name, and wordly renown? How
many have learned the lesson so perfectly as to defy the depths of
poverty, distress, and misery to move them, or in the least shatter
their integrity? The congregation can answer these questions at their
leisure, each one for himself. I can assure you we have to learn such
lessons, if we have not learned them already.

Vol. 1, p.336
The mysterious and invisible hand (so called) of Providence is
manifested in all the works of God. Who of this congregation can
realise for one moment, that the Lord would notice so trifling an
affair as the hairs you have combed from your heads this morning? Yet
it is so, not one hair has fallen to the ground without the notice of
our Father in heaven. To convince the ancient Apostles of His care
over them, Jesus selected the most trifling things, in their
estimation, to illustrate to their minds that the least thing escaped
not His notice. Said he—"Fear not them which kill the body, but are
not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to
destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a
farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without the
knowledge of your Father. But the very hairs of your head are
numbered."

Vol. 1, p.336
Can we realize how this Providence governs and controls the nations of
the earth, and marks out the destinies of individual man? If we have
not learned these lessons they are before us, and we have them yet to
learn. If we have not yet learned that poverty, sickness, pain, want,
disappointment, losses, crosses, or even death, should not move us one
hair's breadth from the service of God, or separate us from the
principles of eternal life, it is a lesson we have to learn. If we
have not learned how to handle the things of this world in the light
of salvation, we have it yet to learn. Though we have mountains of
gold and silver, and stores of precious things heaped up, and could
control the elements, and command the cattle on a thousand hills, if
we have not learned that every iota of it should be devoted to the
building up of the kingdom of God on earth, it is a lesson yet to
learn.

Vol. 1, p.336
Our religion embraces every truth pertaining to mortal life—there is
nothing outside the pale of it. It is no matter what persons do, if
they keep within the bounds of truth and righteousness, of the Gospel
of the Son of God. Can they step beyond these bounds? They can. I will
tell you how easily. When Saints start to cross the plains to this
place, no matter where they start from, they are full of faith and
religion, they are full of prayer and humility, and O how they desire
to get to Zion! They cross the Atlantic, travel on the waters of the
Mississippi and Missouri, and commence their journey over the plains,
but before they have travelled over half the distance, they enter into
temptation, some of them so far as to say, "When I get to the Valley I
shall go on to California." Some will step out of the way far enough
to curse and swear at their cattle, and others will, cruelly treat
them, in  a rage of madness. Those who do these things know they are
beyond the bounds of [p.337] what they have been taught is right, even
by the traditions of the fathers. We have been taught from our
childhood, that passion, anger, strife, and malice are wrong. Our
former traditions, in a great many instances, have been as true, and
as much in accordance with the Gospel, as they could be given. We have
been traditionated not to swear, and the spirit within us forbids it.
If we maltreat our animals, or each other, the spirit within us, our
traditions, and the Bible, all agree in declaring it is wrong. When
the Saints arrive in Salt Lake Valley, how easy it is for them to
wander from the right way! I could point out scores of cases, had I
time. On the other hand, I can point out men who have been with us for
years in the depths of poverty, and some from the beginning, and they
never saw the time they could feed their families with sufficient
food, nor clothe them, and yet they are full of faith and humility.
Should this people partake of the blessings of the Lord as freely as
He is willing to bestow them, it would destroy them. They do not
realize they are to be tried in all things. They would say, "I
acknowledge I am blessed, but I have blessed myself;" and forget it is
the Lord who has blessed them, and given them their gold and silver,
their houses and lands, their horses and carriages, and all things
they possess.

Vol. 1, p.337
If the Latter-day Saints have not learned to handle the good things of
this world, acknowledging the hand of God in putting them into their
possession, they have this lesson yet to learn. When those who can
bear poverty are blessed with prosperity, they are apt to rise up in
their own strength and wisdom, and forget the God who has blessed
them, and make shipwreck of faith. Again, there are those who have
been prospered in their life, when they are brought to poverty and
want, turn away from the truth, like the young man in Nauvoo, who sat
down to breakfast from a Johnny cake alone; says he, "I do not ask a
blessing upon this; if God does not give me better food than this, I
shall never ask him to bless it." I said. "You will make shipwreck of
faith." The spirit he manifested was an apostate spirit; he had
forgotten there was a providence in the very circumstance he spurned,
and he went to, destruction. Mysterious as it may appear to the
children of men, God is in and round about all things.

Vol. 1, p.337
To do right, can be reduced to perfect simplicity in a few words,
viz., from this time henceforth, let no person work, or transact any
kind of business whatever, that he cannot do in the name of the Lord,
and let him sink wholly into His will, whether it oppose his
prejudices, or not, or is decidedly objectionable to his feelings. The
Lord will ultimately lead such persons into the fulness of His joy by
a way that may sometimes appear dark to them. But there are thousands
who will say, "Lord, we believe in your name, in your name we have
been baptized, and we have prophesied, and have cast out devils in
your name; do you not remember we laid hands on a person in yonder
city, or in that house, and cast a devil out of him?" Such persons,
that have healed the sick, or cast out a devil, sooner or later, take
strength to themselves, if they are not careful, and believe they have
power of themselves to do what they please. Boast not of these
matters. You hear many say, "I am a Latter-day Saint, and I never will
apostatize;" "I am a Latter-day Saint, and shall be to the day of my
death." I never make such declarations, and never shall. I think I
have learned that of myself I have no power, but my system is
organized to increase in wisdom, knowledge, and power, getting a
little here and a little there. But when I am left to myself, I have
[p.338] no power, and my wisdom is foolishness then I cling close to
the Lord, and I have power in His name. I think I have learned the
Gospel so as to know, that in and of myself I am nothing. In the
organization of my system, however, is a foundation laid, if I rightly
improve upon it, that will secure to me the independence of the Gods
in eternity. This is obtained by strictly adhering to the principles
of the Gospel in this life, which will lead us on from faith to faith,
and from grace to grace. This is the way, I think, I have learned the
Lord.

Vol. 1, p.338
Shall we ever see the time we shall be perfectly independent of every
other being in all the eternities? No; we Shall never see that time.
Many have fallen on as simple ground as this, and were I to use a
Western term, I would, say, "they were troubled with a big head." Such
persons think they have power to do this, that, and the other, but
they are left to themselves, and the Lord loves to show them they have
no power.

Vol. 1, p.338
We hear some saying—"I will get out of this community as soon as I
can." Why? "Because I bought a wagon of one of my brethren, and he
wants me to pay for it." Or, "I rode a brother's horse to death, and
he thinks I should make it good." "It is a damnable community, and I
will not stay in it." I do not hear these things myself, but I can
hear of them. I know it is so. What ails such people? They have taken
strength to themselves, and forgotten the Lord their God. They do not
call upon His name, and trust in Him to direct them in all their ways.
They forget they are doing as they used to do, viz., serve the Lord on
the seventh clay, and take six to themselves. They will traffic,
trade, labour and heap up riches six days, and go to rejecting on
Sunday to serve the Lord one day. About such a religion I am ignorant,
only I know it is good for nothing. My religion must be with me from
one Monday morning to the next, the year round, or it will not answer
me. You can see how easy it is for Latter-day Saints to step out of
the path of duty.

Vol. 1, p.338
Those who step out of the way do not know themselves, they are
unacquainted with the nature of the human family, and with the
principles of the kingdom we are engaged in building up. When the
Latter-day Saints make up their minds to endure, for the kingdom of
God's sake, whatsoever shall come, whether poverty or riches, whether
sickness or to be driven by mobs, they will say it is all right, and
will honor the hand of the Lord in it, and in all things, and serve
Him to the end of their lives, according to the best of their ability,
God being their helper. If you have not made up your minds for this,
the quicker you do so the better.

Vol. 1, p.338
Persons who cannot control themselves, and hold in subjection their
feelings, and lustful desires, and appetites, know no better than to
run distracted after the perishable things of this world. They say
they "are going to California;" and I thank the Lord they are. Why?
Because I would rather be in this community with one hundred families
of poor, honest-hearted Saints, than one hundred millions who mix up
with devils, and go to California. And how long will they be there
before they are begging of some Gentile merchant to bring them back
again? But I say, "let them lie there in hell, until they are well
burnt out, like an old pipe." I would not move my finger to help them
back now, for they would only corrupt the community. After a while,
when they are purified, then we will bring them to Zion, if they wish
to come and serve the Lord; but if they wish to serve themselves, let
them serve themselves, and if the devil, let them serve him.

Vol. 1, p.338
My prayer for you, this morning, is, [p.339] that you may be servants
of the Most High God; but if any of you find men or women who will not
serve the Lord, do not lay a straw in their way to hinder them from
serving the devil, but give them a dollar, or help them to a wagon, to
speed their way out of this community. It would be better to do so
than to keep them here, when they have no disposition to love and
serve the Lord. We are better without them.

Vol. 1, p.339
Judge not, that ye be not judged. Let no man judge his fellow being,
unless he knows he has the mind of Christ within him. We ought to
reflect seriously upon this point; how often it is said—"Such a person
has done wrong, and he cannot be a Saint, or he would not do so." How
do you know? We hear some swear and lie; they trample upon the rights
of their neighbor, break the Sabbath by staying away from meeting,
riding about the city, hunting horses and cattle, or working in the
kanyons. Do not judge such persons, for you do not know the design of
the Lord concerning them; therefore, do not say they are not Saints.
What shall we do with them? Bear with them. The brethren and sisters
from the old countries frequently place great confidence in the
American Elders who have been their pastors, but some trifling thing
occurs that does not appear right to them, and they say in a moment,
That Elder is not a Latter-day Saint." Judge no man. A person who
would say another is not a Latter-day Saint, for some trifling affair
in human life, proves that he does not possess the Spirit of God.
Think of this, brethren and sisters; write it down, that you may
refresh your memories with it; carry it with you, and look at it
often. If I judge my brethren and sisters, unless I judge them by the
revelations of Jesus Christ, I have not the spirit of Christ; if I
had, I should judge no man. This is true doctrine, Now let the
newcomers especially remember not to judge their brethren and sisters.
A great many sit in judgment upon me, and upon this people, and I have
a right to judge as well as they. Were I to pass my judgment upon
those who judge me and this people, I would do it in the language of
Joseph, in the Dialogue we have in print. In it a question is put to
Joseph as follows—"Joseph, are you Jesus Christ?"—"No; but I am his
brother."

Vol. 1, p.339
Will all the people be damned who are not Latter-day Saints? Yes, and
a great many of them, except they repent speedily. I will say further,
that many of the Latter-day Saints, except they learn their lessons
better, will be judged in the same way. That is my candid opinion.
There are families with us here with whom I have, been acquainted from
the beginning, who have ideas of the things of this world that appear
strange to me. They have a strange conception of the good things of
the earth. Upon this item especially, I wish the Saints of God to
concentrate their minds, and learn this important lesson right, that
they enter not into temptation· We will suppose, for instance, a small
Branch of the Church raised up in a district where they are generally
well off as to earthly substance. They sell their property, and gather
,with the Saints. Say there are ten families in the Branch, and allow
them to be worth ten thousand dollars each. Nine of the ten lose their
property by lawyers, by their brothers, by their fathers, or by some
person who robs them on the way, and they have only enough left to get
here. One of the ten is fortunate enough to save his property, and has
it in gold. He, however, lends one man a hundred dollars, buys a team
for another, and pays the passage of this or that poor family until he
expends all his money, and he also arrives here naked. Now, take these
[p.340] ten families and put them together; from the lips of the nine,
whose property has gone into the hands of the wicked, you will not
hear one murmur or complaint, where you will hear a hundred from him
who has disposed of his money to help the poor Saints to gather to
Zion. I am now telling you what I know to be true, for I have watched
this item of human life from the beginning.

Vol. 1, p.340
Allow me here to say to the Saints, that I have accumulated a great
amount of wealth in my time; and I call upon all who are acquainted
with me, to bear witness, if they can, that I have ever distressed a
man for what he owes me, or crowded any person in the least. Have I
ever turned the widow and the orphan empty away, or the poor man
hungry from my door or purse, if I had a dime in it? Have I ever taken
a brother by the throat and said—"Pay me that thou owest me?" No. But
I have stacks of notes against them, amounting to over thirty thousand
dollars. I boast not of this, but present the picture as an example
for you to follow.

Vol. 1, p.340
When poor, miserable curses, who would cut our throats, get means from
a member of this Church, it hurts my feelings. How much better would
it be to hand it over to the proper person, saying—"Take this, feed
the poor Saints, and do good with it?" Who can realize that the Lord
can put a great amount of property in his hands in a short time, or
take it from him again? I can realize this to a considerable degree. I
may have thousands of wealth locked up to-day, and hold checks for
immense sums on the best banking institutions in the world, but have I
any surety that I shall be worth a cent to-morrow morning? Not the
least. The Lord Almighty can send fire and destruction when He
pleases, destroying towns and swallowing up cities in the bellowing
earthquake. He can set up kingdoms, and make communties wealthy, and
bring them to poverty, at His pleasure. When He pleases, He can give
them wealth, comfort, and ease, and, on the other hand, torment them
with poverty, distress, and sore afflictions. Who can realize this?
All the world ought, and especially the Saints.

Vol. 1, p.340
I wish to impress another thing upon your minds. An Elder, who is
willing to preach the Gospel, borrows a hundred or a thousand dollars
from you, and you never breathe the first complaint against him, until
you came home to this valley, but after you have been here for a few
days, you follow me round and fill my ears with complaints against
this brother, and ask me what he has done with your money? I say, "I
do not know." Thus you are distressed and in misery, all the day long,
to get it back again. If an Elder has borrowed from you, and you find
he is going to apostatize, then you may tighten the screws upon him;
but if he is willing to preach the Gospel, without purse or scrip, it
is none of your business what he does with the money he has borrowed
from you. The doctrine of brother Joseph is; that not one dollar you
possess is your own; and if the Lord wants it to use, let it go, and
it is none of your business what He does with it. Should it he laid
out to pamper the lazy? No; but you can see those who have been out on
missions, working in the kanyons, and traversing the country right and
left, trying to get a living by the work of their hands.

Vol. 1, p.340
But you say, "What has he done with my money?" He has, perhaps, helped
that poor family to gather with it, or they would not have been here.
If you murmur against that Elder, it will prove your damnation. The
money was not yours, but the Lord Almighty put it into your hands to
see what you would do with it. The gold, the silver, the wheat, the
fine flour,  the buffalo, the deer, and the cattle on [p.341] a
thousand hills, are all His and He turns them whithersoever He will;
and He turns the nations whithersoever He will, casting down one
nation and setting up another, according to His own pleasure. All
there is of any worth or value in the world is incorporated in our
glorious religion, and designed to exalt the minds of the children of
men to a permanent, celestial, and eternal station.

Vol. 1, p.341
No man need judge me. You know nothing about it, whether I am sent or
not; furthermore, it is none of your business, only to listen with
open ears to what is taught you, and serve God with an undivided
heart.

Vol. 1, p.341
Perhaps I have detained you long enough. In my remarks I have not
transcended the bounds of my religion. If I had told you about the
Latter-day Saints' new spelling book, my religion embraces it, and all
the good we see from one year's end to another.

Vol. 1, p.341
Will you try to be Saints in very deed? I do not pray the Lord that
you may, but my prayer is offered to you, and I pray you, in Christ's
stead, be ye reconciled to God, and serve Him with an undivided heart,
to the end of your lives. And I pray my Heavenly Father to enable you
so to do. And may God bless you. Amen.

Jedediah M. Grant, August 7, 1953

Uniformity

A Discourse By Elder Jedediah M. Grant,
 Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Aug. 7, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.341
The weather being warm, and the people generally of the laboring
class, I presume are the cause of a rather late attendance at meeting
this morning.

Vol. 1, p.341
There are peculiarities connected with our duties, that make them
differ from the duties of almost every other community. Other
communities have gold and silver to aid them, in building, in
planting, in gathering, and in all the different avocations of life:
but this people have to accomplish all they do accomplish, by the bone
and sinew alone, which the Almighty has given them; and where it is
constantly employed, it has an effect upon the bank more or less; not,
however, that the specie is exhausted, or the bills depreciated in
value, but it exhibits a feature in our history which has been
frequently exhibited, and is, as it has been, peculiar to this
society.

Vol. 1, p.341
The world, and the inhabitants thereof, are fluctuating; not only the
inhabitants, but the elements that surround the earth are frequently
in a fluctuating condition. I have often listened, with a great deal
of attention and interest, to the explanations given of the beauties
and of the uniformity of nature, contrasted with the fluctuations and
changes of men, of nations, of kingdoms, and of countries.

Vol. 1, p.341
Man is sometimes represented as if he were the only fluctuating and
changeable being in existence; but when I contrast in my thoughts the
revolutions of nations, with the revolutions and changes that have
taken [p.342] place upon the face of our globe, I am sometimes led to
the conclusion that the elements change as often as the inhabitants
that dwell upon the earth.

Vol. 1, p.342
We see at one time, the earth shaken, as it were, from centre to
circumference; we hear the sound of bellowing earthquakes; we see the
smoke of the towering mountains, and the yawning crater belching forth
its boiling lava; indeed every mountain, valley and dell, the rivers,
and the ocean into which they empty their waters, and all the elements
with which we are surrounded, exhibit one constant scene of change,
one constant scene of variety, and one constant scene of commotion.

Vol. 1, p.342
We cannot say, "Man, thou art the only changeable creature, the only
changeable substance we gaze upon." But the ocean, and all the waters
communicating therewith; the earth, with its ten thousand lofty
mountains, verdant valleys, and extended plains; exhibit to our view a
variety of changes that have been, and that we may expect will
continue to be, from this time forth.

Vol. 1, p.342
Consequently, when we see man excited to follow any avocation in life,
whether it be for gold, silver, or other precious ores, for which he
leaves his all, acts unwisely and inconsistently, sacrificing his
home, his family, and everything dear and near to him, we can exclaim,
"This wild career of man is not the only wildness exhibited in
nature."

Vol. 1, p.342
If you refer back to the earliest ages, and trace the history of the
world, where can you find uniformity in nature's works? If you can
find a uniformity at any time in the earth, the sea, the air, or in
the elements, pray tell me when it was.

Vol. 1, p.342
Was it when our first parents were east out of the Garden of Eden,
when it became desecrated by sin; or when old father Noah rode safely
over the mighty deep, protected by the arm of Jehovah, while every
other living thing sank in the depths of a watery grave? Was it when
Abel rose up to offer in sacrifice the first fruits of his flock to
the Most High God, and Cain his brother rose up and murdered, or
sacrificed him for doing so? Was that a day of uniformity? Were the
elements calm and composed? Did nature exhibit a serene and smooth
surface?

Vol. 1, p.342
You pass further down the lapse of time, from the days of our earliest
progenitors, until the earth was deluged in water, and the lofty
summits were submerged in the raging element. After the waters
subside, and the inhabitants of the earth begin to increase and go
forth upon its face, you soon discover a change in them and in the
earth itself.

Vol. 1, p.342
If you look for uniformity in man, was it when the descendants of Noah
sought to build a great tower, that they might, as they thought, climb
up to where their Father in Heaven lived, and thus try to defy His
power, should He again bring a flood of water to deluge the earth? Was
that the age, when people studied to know the purposes of a righteous
God?

Vol. 1, p.342
Pass on from that day, until you come to the illustrious Abraham, the
father of the faithful, and ask yourselves if his course was very
uniform, and if the course of the inhabitants of the earth around him
was very uniform, and something to be admired. You see him rushing
forth to war. Not only did he sally out to the field. to fight with
the weapons of death in his hands, but we might take a glance at his
course in the domestic circle. Was it uniform in Sarah and Hagar to
quarrel with each other, and when Hagar had to be banished with her
son Ishmael? Even in the domestic circle of the great Patriarch, we
discover nature was not uniform. Was it uniform when the cry of the
[p.343] banished Hagar ascended to heaven, and brought an angel to
give drink to the young urchin who was dying of thirst under one of
the shrubs?

Vol. 1, p.343
If you pass on through the line of his descendants you find the same
lack of uniformity. How sublime the quarrel that took place between
Joseph and his brethren! What remarkable contentions existed among
them. Look at the old Patriarch Jacob in his family circle, and you
see him goaded with thorns of grief because of his family. broils. Do
we find the elements around that family very calm, pacific, uniform,
serene, angelic, and God-like? How calm they were when one of his
wives, in order to get her rights, had to purchase her husband with
mandrakes?

Vol. 1, p.343
You discover a scene of vexatious broils in the domestic circle;
though they were not at war with surrounding nations, yet the elements
were at war in the very centre of that venerable house.

Vol. 1, p.343
Such, then, were the scenes in early ages among those righteous, pure,
holy, just, and noble Patriarchs, who conversed with God, wrestled
with angels, obtained promises, and coped with high heaven.

Vol. 1, p.343
If you pass on and seek to find uniformity, beauty, and sublimity,
will you find it when the Israelites were bondmen in Egypt, when they
were compelled by hard task masters to gather straw and make bricks
for a living?

Vol. 1, p.343
If you should pass on to the time the illustrious meek man of God,
Moses, was sent to them, how much uniformity do you discover when he
led them to the Red Sea, and a mighty host from Egypt around them
threatening their destruction, but the sea opened and let them through
dry shod, and the mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills
like lambs? Was this a scene where we may look for uniformity? Or,
after he led them forth to Sinai, where the voice of God, the roaring
thunder, and vivid lightning were exhibited. While Moses was upon the
mount conversing with the Most High God, Aaron took the gold offered
to him by the people, and made a calf for Israel to worship, and they
said, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up but of the
land of Egypt." Was there any sublimity, glory, and loyalty to God in
this? When Moses descended from the mountain, was everything calm and
peaceable, and uniform? No! The Israelites had made a golden calf, and
were dancing round the god they had made out of their ear rings and
jewelry they had pilfered from the Egyptians—they bad stolen by
revelation, by divine direction; they were having a grand dance around
this molten calf, when Moses in his anger broke the tables. Can you
find any uniformity, any beauty, any order reigning in the house of
Israel?

Vol. 1, p.343
Pass on, and look at affairs in the days of Solomon—how uniform that
mighty king was in his course, with his seven hundred wives, and a
lemon of concubines. How uniform he was in his passions and feelings.
He was not contented with the fair daughters of Israel, but the queen
of Sheba, and the women of nations afar off, captivated this wise
king—by whom he was led astray, and desecrated the altars of God, the
sanctuaries of Israel, and the Urim and Thummim, by introducing the
idolatrous worship of the strange gods of his wives and concubines.

Vol. 1, p.343
There was also David, the father of Solomon, and the man after God's
own heart. Though his wives were many, and his family numerous, yet he
could not cast his eyes out of a window, and see a beautiful woman in
a bath, without lusting after her. His heart was so susceptible of
love, that he conceived the murder of her husband to possess her, and
caused his [p.344] victim to be stationed in the front of the battle
where he would be sure to be slain. This was the kind of sublimity the
men of God exhibited anciently.

Vol. 1, p.344
Look at the difficulties that existed between Israel and the Prophets;
look at the murders, devastation, destruction, altars smoking with
blood, cities wrapped in flame, and thousands and tens of thousands
mantled in death upon the blood-stained earth by contending armies;
arid ask yourselves if that is the time to look for uniformity.

Vol. 1, p.344
Was it to be found in the days of Alexander the Great, when he
conquered the world, and spilled rivers of blood to attain his
purpose? Was it to be found among the Romans, or athena the Medes and
Persians? Shall we look to any of the ancient nations for uniformity.

Vol. 1, p.344
But we will pass by these dark ages, and come down to the interesting
time when the Son of God unfolded the glorious theme of the Gospel of
peace, of matchless glory, of matchless love; when the babe of
Bethlehem was born; when the sun of righteousness appeared with
healing in his wings; and when beauty, and glory, and sublimity were
displayed in their grandeur, full bloom and glory.

Vol. 1, p.344
You do not wish us to understand, that that was the time when Herod
tout forth his hand to put to death the young children under a certain
age, in hopes to kilt the young child Jesus. Is this the beauty of
that age—the sublimity to which you call our attention—when the
reigning king lout to death thousands of helpless children, drenching
the earth with their innocent blood?

Vol. 1, p.344
When the babe Jesus returns from Egypt, he exclaims of himself, "The
foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of
man hath not where to lay his head." Even in that age, look at the
commotion, the turmoil, the strife, and the difficulties that existed.

Vol. 1, p.344
Were sublimity, uniformity, and beauty seen at the time when the King
of righteousness, the anointed of God, was carried up unto an
exceeding high mountain by Lucifer, who showed. him the kingdoms of
the world, and the glory of them, saying, "All these things will I
give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Was that
uniformity?

Vol. 1, p.344
Suppose a Prophet should arise now, and proclaim to the world he is a
Prophet of God, and Lucifer should take him by the coat collar, or by
the hair of the head, and escort him to the top of a high pinnacle,
and hold him there, would they believe he was a Prophet? The
uniformity of that age is thus exhibited, however, by the writers of
the New Testament.

Vol. 1, p.344
Again we find it exhibited when a legion of devils was cast out of a
man, and entered into a herd of swine, causing them to run down a
steep place into the sea, where they were drowned. These are some of
the characteristic features of the age in which Christ and his
apostles lived.

Vol. 1, p.344
If you pass on to the time when Jesus Christ the Son of God was put to
death, when they mocked him, spit upon him, placed a crown of thorns
upon his head, and smote him upon the cheek, saying, "Prophesy." Is
that the time for us to look for uniformity? If you wait until they
arraign him before an earthly tribunal, condemn, and put him to death,
and place him in the tomb, do you there look for beauty and
uniformity? What do you see? A host of soldiers guarding the mouth of
the tomb to keep his disciples from stealing his dead body; they did
not only think they would steal his dead body, but that they would lie
about it afterwards, and say he had risen from the dead, and palm an
imposition upon that age of the  world. These are [p.345] some of the
sublimities of the Christian religion in the days of its Founder; and
the confidence the multitude had in the advocates of that religion.

Vol. 1, p.345
But if you still wait until he who was once the babe in Bethlehem,
bursts the barriers of the tomb, and approaches and speaks to his
disciples, and commissions them to preach his Gospel, beginning at
Jerusalem, what do you see? Watch the movements of the disciples. The
Son of God told them to wait the appointed time at Jerusalem. And when
the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they began to speak. by the
inspiration and power thereof, the multitude cried out, "These men are
full of new wine." This was the uniform testimony of the multitude.
But if you will notice the assembly preached to on that occasion,
there were some. few who gave a contrary testimony. But what were a
few thousands, compared to the vast number then assembled? In some
small hamlet a few thousands of people might be a decided majority,
and perhaps take in all to baptize so many. But a few thousands in
comparison with the great multitude that dwelt in Jerusalem, was only
like one grain of sand in comparison to a handful. The grand majority
of the mass governs; the uniform testimony of the million was, that
they were drunk, and of course you are to believe according to the
greatest amount of testimony, are you not? Then if you arraign those
disciples before the grand tribunals of the nations, the great
majority of the multitude would say they were drunk; but if only a
flew thousands say they were not, which are you to believe? Where then
is the uniformity in this testimony? Look at the discrepancy, and the
array of testimony against the disciples. It is certainly overwhelming
in its nature.

Vol. 1, p.345
But if you look still further, and seek to find uniformity in that age
of the world, follow the disciples; when they left Jerusalem to go
forth with the proclamation of the Gospel, and we find wherever they
went, they were considered insane, mad, and possessed of devils. It
was said of Jesus their master, he was leagued with Beelzebub, the
prince of the devils. And, said the Saviour, "If they have called the
master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of
his household?" Wherever they. went, then, they were called Nazarites,
and Christians was an odious name in that age. They were hooted at by
the Jews, pointed at by the Gentiles, and scoffed at by the world; if
you seek for testimony in that age of the world, was it for or against
them?

Vol. 1, p.345
Pass on still farther in their history, and look at their course and
conduct, if you will believe the writers that lived in that age. What
does old Celsus say, who was, a physician in the first century, whose
medical works are esteemed very highly at the present time. His works
on theology were burned with fire by the Catholics, they were so
shocked at what they called their impiety Celsus was a heathen
philosopher; and what does he say upon the subject of Christ and his
Apostles, and their belief? He says, "The grand reason why the
Gentiles and philosophers of his school persecuted Jesus Christ, was,
because he had so many wives; there were Elizabeth, and Mary, and a
host of others that followed him." After Jesus went kern the stage of
action, the Apostles followed the example of their master. For
instance, John the beloved disciple, writes in his stand Epistle,
"Unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth,"
Again, he says, "Having many things to write unto you (or
communicate), I would not, write with paper and ink: but I trust to
come unto you; and speak face to face, that our joy may be [p.346]
full." Again—"The children of try elect sister greet thee." This
ancient philosopher says they were both John's wives. Paul says, "Mine
answer to them that do examine me is this:—.

Vol. 1, p.346
Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other
apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas." He, according
to Celsus, had a numerous train of wives.

Vol. 1, p.346
The grand reason of the burst of public sentiment in anathemas upon
Christ and his disciples, causing his crucifixion, was evidently based
upon polygamy, according to the testimony of the philosophers who rose
in that age. A belief in the doctrine of a plurality of wives caused
the persecution of Jesus and his followers. We might almost think they
were "Mormons."

Vol. 1, p.346
But if you pass on in their history to seek for uniformity and beauty,
you will find some grand flare-ups among them. Look, for instance, at
Paul and Peter, disputing and quarrelling with each other; and Paul
and Barnabas contending, and parting asunder with angry feelings.
"When Peter came to Antioch," says Paul, "I withstood him to the face,
because he was to be blamed," &c. Paul does not gain much credit with
the Mormons for taking this course. We know he had no right to rebuke
Peter; but some man said he was like Almon Babbit, he wanted to boast
of rebuking Peter. He thought it was a feather in his cap because he
coped with Peter and rebuked him. Had that affair come before a
"Mormon" tribunal, they would have decided in favour of Peter and
against Paul. We believe when Paul rebuked Peter, he had in him a
spirit of rebellion, and was decidedly wrong in rebelling against the
man who held the keys of the kingdom of God on the earth.

Vol. 1, p.346
But I will proceed, and I wish you to understand that I am only just
giving you a rap here and them; you know spiritual rappings are quite
common in this day.

Vol. 1, p.346
If you will pass along in the days of the Apostles, after a while you
see them thrust into cauldrons of oil, crucified with their heads
downwards, and persecuted in various ways until they became extinct.
After a while, yea have the beauty, the sublimity of Catholicism. Look
at the old mother, seated upon a scarlet-coloured beast, boxing the
ears of her daughters; and the Church of England in turn boxing the
ears of the old mother, assisted by her other numerous offspring, and
then mark the bitter contentions and bloody feuds among the children!
O, have they not had a sublime time—a beautiful dish of suckertash.
What a uniform course they have taken!

Vol. 1, p.346
But are the inhabitants of the earth the only portion of nature that
is not uniform? No.

Vol. 1, p.346
Look at the bellowing earthquake, uprooting the mountains and
precipitating them from their beds, and rending the rocks with
violence, leaving the trembling earth in a state of horrible
devastation; and then for men to teach me about the uniformity of
nature's course, and that man is the only being in nature that is
uniform, is folly. Talk not to me about the uniformity of nature;
where is it to be found upon this earth, among men, in the mountains,
among the valleys, in the ocean, or among the streams that water the
land.

Vol. 1, p.346
Before you censure my views upon this subject, look at mother earth,
at the ocean, at the reeks, at the planets that bespangle the blue
vault of heaven; in short, at nature in all her works, which you will
find stamped with the insignia of continual change. But pass on.

Vol. 1, p.346
You look and you see the Church, as it were, driven from the earth;
you see it left without a Prophet, without a Seer, without Apostles,
and without the voice of [p.347] inspiration. Ten hear the professed
ministers of Christ teaching the benighted multitude, that the day
when angels administer to men has ceased; that the sacred Urim and
Thummim is lost; that the holy Priesthood is no longer needed, and the
sacred place where they offered sacrifices for Israel is gone, all are
gone.

Vol. 1, p.347
In this way, century after century passed away; nation rose against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom; nations and kingdoms rose, and in
their turn fell in succession, to give place to others, while nature,
in her convulsive throes, shook the earth from centre to
circumference. Pass on still, and do you look for uniformity?

Vol. 1, p.347
But says one, "You Mormons tell us, that in the age in which we live
there is a work commenced on the earth that will entirely eclipse
every other dispensation, and usher in a day of righteousness,
overcome Lucifer the arch deceiver; a day wherein he is to be bound,
and thrust into the pit, and lose his power; when the earth will be
redeemed, and appear in her primeval bloom and beauty, and man shall
cease to war against his fellow man; when the convulsions of the earth
shall cease—the earthquake cease to bellow, the thunder cease to roar,
and the lightning cease to become destructive, and to mar the face of
nature, spreading terror and dismay among animated beings; when the
earth and all nature shall become calm and tranquil, and the glory of
God shall be among men."

Vol. 1, p.347
"Why bless me, with the exception era few points," say statesmen,
"your society has decidedly changed from what it was in the days of
Mr. Smith. Because of the peculiar traits of his character, it could
not have possibly existed under his government; we are glad to see the
decided improvement that has been made since his death; and under the
administration of Mr. Young." This is their language. They suppose
that the "Mormons" have turned a somerset, have apostatized, and
altered their character and creed as a people. I always take great
pleasure in telling such honorable men, such wise men, that that which
they call "Mormonism" changeth not. It is the same now as in the days
of Joseph.

Vol. 1, p.347
"And do you Mormons in the Valley believe and advocate the same
doctrines that Joseph Smith did?"

Vol. 1, p.347
Yes, sir, precisely, not one practical point of the religion has
changed; but we as a people may be fluctuating, but our religion
changeth not. Yea, see some of our men want to go to California for
gold—they want to do this, and to do that; but the people generally
are right at home.

Vol. 1, p.347
But you must look in the last days for a kingdom that in its
commencement will be the least of all, and is compared to the mustard
seed. If then it is the smallest of all kingdoms, we need not look for
a large church like the church of Rome, or the English church, but
like a mastard seed; look for that, and it will grow and become the
largest of all herbs, so that the birds of the air will shelter in it.

Vol. 1, p.347
Says one, "I like it very well, if you did not gather together, and
suffer Brigham Young to lead you like one man."

Vol. 1, p.347
In that consists the beauty of our religion; and he can wield us as a
people, like God does the armies of heaven. He can wield us to preach,
to pray, or to fight. We have everything spiritual, temporal, and
natural, as it should be. We believe it is just as much our religion
to talk about wheat, plowing, sowing, and gathering in at harvest
time, it is just as much our religion as anything connected with it.

Vol. 1, p.347
"Pertaining to the Mormons away off in the Valley, they never will be
much anyhow," says one. They used [p.348] to tell Joseph Smith he
could never accomplish anything, for he had neither money nor,
friends. They tell us we cannot accomplish much, "for everybody says
you are crazy followers of Joe Smith, and believers in the Book of
Mormon; therefore what can you do?" We will do just as Jesus Christ
said the mustard seed would do. If you will read and learn what it
did, you will then know something about the future history of
"Mormonism." You will ascertain just what we will do.

Vol. 1, p.348
"But do you really believe your Church is the kingdom Daniel spoke
of—the stone that should be hewn out of the mountain without hands?" I
suppose he might have said with hands just as well, for it is no
matter whether it was hewn out with or without; suffice it to say, the
result of it is what we see; no matter how it came out of the
mountain. What does the historian represent by that stone? Something
that would begin to roll, and smite the great image on its feet, and
roll forth until it should fill the whole earth. If you want to know
what "Mormonism" is, it is that which will roll forth until it fills
the whole earth.

Vol. 1, p.348
Do we expect to find uniformity at this time? No sir; but we look for
mobs, and the very scum of hell to boil over. Do we look for a
privilege to fold our hands and sing lullaby baby, etc.? No; we expect
the rage of all hell to be aimed at us to overthrow us; we expect
mobs, and troubles with the Indians. The earth will be rent with
earthquakes, and a thousand thunders will utter their voices, and make
the ears of mortals tingle, and their hearts to fail within them; and
the voice of God will be heard, that will pierce the wicked to the
very core.

Vol. 1, p.348
Do the Latter Day Saints expect to settle in peace?    MARK you, your
peace has not come yet, for Lucifer is not yet bound; and while the
earth is fearfully convulsed because of the wickedness on its face;
the nations will gather themselves and make an effort to wrest the
kingdom from the Saints, and destroy them root and branch.

Vol. 1, p.348
We are not coping with a few people here and there, but with the
world, with all the enemies of God, with all hell, and with the devil
and his host. That is "Mormonism."

Vol. 1, p.348
You need not wonder that we raise stout boys in the mountains, for we
want children of the right blood; we do not wants scrubby breed here.
Men of "Mormon" blood are not afraid to die. The men that tremble, and
whose hearts go pit-a-pat because they have got to die, are not worth
a picayune. A man that refuses to walk up in the track, no matter what
comes, and steadily press forward, though there should be a lion in
the way, is not of "Mormon" grit. That was the grit Joseph Smith had;
and when he spoke, he spoke by the power of an endless Priesthood,
which was upon him; and that is the power by which Brigham speaks.
When he stood up in the majesty of his Priesthood, and rebuked the
judges here, I know some of our milk-and-water-folks thought all the
fat was in the fire. "Brother Brigham has gone rather too far; he
might have spoken a little milder than he did; I think it would have
been much better," &c. This was the language of some hearts; and I
feel to say, damn all such poor pussyism. When a man of God speaks,
let him speak what he pleases, and let all Israel say, Amen.

Vol. 1, p.348
We expect to see and hear tell of earthquakes, and other mighty
convulsions in the earth, as it has been in former times; and if the
devil exerted his power in ancient days to destroy the work of God, so
he will in the latter days.

Vol. 1, p.349
My exhortation to the Latter-day [p.349] Saints is to keep the
commandments until truth shall prevail, the devil is bound, and
righteousness prevails then watch for the Lord's coming. for you know
not the day nor the hour the Son of man cometh. Amen.

Brigham Young, July 10, 1853

Life and Death, or Organization and Disorganization

A Discourse By President Brigham Young,
Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 10, 1853.

Vol. 1, p.349
Life and death are set before us, and we are at liberty to choose
which we will.

Vol. 1, p.349
I have frequently reflected upon these two principles, but were I to
explain in full my own views upon them, they might perhaps come too
much in contact with the feelings and views of many people.

Vol. 1, p.349
To me, these principles are like the vision of open day upon this
beautiful earth. Life and death are easily understood in the light of
the Holy Ghost, but, like every thing else, they are hard to be
understood in its absence.

Vol. 1, p.349
To choose life is to choose an eternal existence in an organized
capacity: to refuse life and choose death is to refuse an eternal
existence in an organized Capacity, and be contented to become
decomposed, and return again to native element.

Vol. 1, p.349
Life is an accumulation of every property and principle that is
calculated to enrich, to ennoble, to enlarge, and to increase, in
every particular, the dominion of individual man. To me, life would
signify an extension. I have the privilege of spreading abroad, of
enlarging my borders, of increasing in endless knowledge, wisdom, and
power, and in every gift of God.

Vol. 1, p.349
To live as I am, without progress, is not life, in fact we may say
that is impossible. There is no such principle in existence, neither
can there be. All organized existence is in progress, either to an
endless advancement in, eternal perfections, or back to dissolution.
You may explore all the eternities that have been, were it possible,
then come to that which we now understand according to the principles
of natural philosophy, and where is there an element, an individual
living thing, an organized body, of whatever nature, that continues as
it is? IT CAN NOT BE FOUND. All things that have come within the
bounds of man's limited knowledge—the things he naturally understands,
teach him, that there is no period, in all the eternities, wherein
organized existence will become stationary, that it cannot advance. in
knowledge, wisdom, power, and glory.

Vol. 1, p.349
If a man could ever arrive at the point that would put an end to the
accumulation of life—the point at which he could increase no more, and
advance no further, we should naturally  say he commenced to decrease
at the same point. Again, when he has gained the zenith of knowledge,
wisdom, and power, it is the point at which he [p.350] begins to
retrograde; his natural abilities will begin to contract, and so he
will continue to decrease, until all he knew is lost in the chaos of
forgetfulness. As we understand naturally, this is the conclusion we
must come to, if a termination to the increase of life and the
acquisition of knowledge is true.

Vol. 1, p.350
Because of the weakness of human nature, it must crumble to the dust.
But in all the revolutions and changes in the existence of men, in the
eternal world which they inhabit, and in the knowledge they have
obtained as people on the earth, there is no such thing as principle,
power, wisdom, knowledge, life, position, or anything that can be
imagined, that remains stationary—they must increase or decrease.

Vol. 1, p.350
To me, life is increase; death is the opposite. When our
fellow-creatures die, is it the death we talk about? The ideas we have
of it are conceived in the mind, according to a false tradition. Death
does not mean what we naturally think it means. Apparently it
destroys, puts out of existence, and leaves empty space, but there is
no such death as this. Death, in reality, is to decompose or decrease,
and life is to increase.

Vol. 1, p.350
Much is written in the Bible, and in the other revelations of God, and
ranch is said by the people, publicly and privately, upon this
subject. Life and death are in the world, and all are acquainted with
them more or less. We live, we die, we are, we are not, are mixed up
in the conversation of every person. to a lesser or a greater degree.
Why is it so? Because all I creation is in progress; coming into
existence, and going out of existence, as we use the terms; but
another form of language fits this phenomenon of nature much better,
(viz.) forming, growing, increasing, then begins the opposite
operation—decreasing, decomposition, returning back to native element,
&c. These revolutions we measurably understand.

Vol. 1, p.350
But to simply take the path pointed out in the Gospel, by those who
have given us the plan of salvation, is to take the path that leads to
life, to eternal increase; it is to pursue that course wherein we
shall NEVER, NEVER lose what we obtain, but continue to collect, to
gather together, to increase, to spread abroad, and extend to an
endless duration. Those persons who strive to gain ETERNAL LIFE, gain
that which will produce the increase their hearts will be satisfied
with. Nothing less than the privilege of increasing eternally, in
every sense of the word, can satisfy the immortal spirit. If the
endless stream of knowledge from the eternal fountain could all be
drunk in by organized intelligences, so sure immortality would come to
an end, and all eternity be thrown upon the retrograde path.

Vol. 1, p.350
If mankind will choose the opposite to life held out in the Gospel, it
will lead them to dissolution, to decomposition, to death; they will
be destroyed, but not as it is commonly understood; For instance, we
would have destroyed more of the material called flour, had we
possessed it this spring in greater abundance. We should have
destroyed more of the wood that grows on the mountains, could we have
got it with more ease, which seems to us to be utterly destroyed when
it is consumed with fire. But such is not the case, it will exist in
native element. That which is consumed by eating, or by burning. is
nothing more than simply reduced to another shape, in which it is
ready for another process of action. We grow, and we behold all the
visible creation growing and increasing, and continuing to increase,
until it has arrived at its zenith, at which point it begins to
decompose. This is the  nature of all things which constitute this
organized world. Even the solid rocks in the mountains continue to
[p.351] grow until they have come to their perfection, at which point
they begin to decompose. The forests grow, increase, extend, and
spread abroad their branches until they attain a certain age. What
then? Do they die? Are they annihilated? No! They begin to decompose,
and pass into native element. Men, and all things upon the earth, are
subject to the same process.

Vol. 1, p.351
We say this is natural, and easy to comprehend, being plainly
manifested before our eyes. It is easy to see anything in sight; but
hard, very hard, to see anything out of sight.

Vol. 1, p.351
If I look through my telescope, and my friends inquire how far I can
see, I tell them I can see anything in sight, no matter how far from
me the object may be; but I cannot see anything out of sight, or that
which is beyond the power of the instrument. So it is in the
intellectual faculties of mankind; it is easy for them to see that
which is before their eyes, but when the object is out of sight, it is
a difficult matter for them to see it; and they are at a loss how to
form an estimate of it, or what position to put themselves in, so as
to see the object they desire to see.

Vol. 1, p.351
In regard to eternal things, they are all out of sight to them, and
will so remain, unless the Lord lifts the curtain. The only reason why
I cannot see the heavy range of mountains situated in the Middle
States of the American Confederacy, is because of the natural
elevations that raise themselves betwixt me and them, above the level
of my eye, making them out of sight to me. Why cannot we behold all
things in space? Because there is a curtain dropped, which makes them
out of sight to us. Why cannot we behold the inhabitants in Kolob, or
the inhabitants in any of those distant planets? For the same reason;
because there is a curtain dropped that interrupts our vision. So it
is, something intervenes between us and them, which we cannot
penetrate. We are short sighted, and deprived of the knowledge which
we might have. I might say this is right without offering any
explanation.

Vol. 1, p.351
But there are many reasons, and much good sound logic that could be
produced, showing why we are thus in the dark touching eternal things.
If our agency was not given to us, we might, perhaps, now have been
enjoying that we do not enjoy. On the other hand, if our agency had
not been given to us, we could never have enjoyed that we now enjoy.
Which would produce the greatest good to man, to give him his agency,
and draw a vail over him, or, to give him certain blessings and
privileges, let him live in a certain degree of light, and enjoy a
certain glory, and take his agency from him, compelling him to remain
in that position, without any possible chance of progress? I say, the
greatest good that could be produced by the all wise Conductor of the
universe to His creature, man, was to do just as He has done—bring him
forth on the face of the earth, drawing a vail before his eyes. He has
caused us to forget every thing we once knew before our spirits
entered within this vail of flesh. For instance, it is like this: when
we lie down to sleep, our minds are often as bright and active as the
mind of an angel, at least they are as active as when our bodies are
awake. They will range over the earth, visit distant friends, and, for
aught we know, the planets, and accomplish great feats; do that which
will enhance our happiness, increase to us every enjoyment of life,
and prepare us for celestial glory; but when we wake in the morning,
it is all gone from us; we have forgotten it. This illustration will
explain in part the nature of the vail which is over the inhabitants
of the earth; they have forgotten that they once knew. This is right;
were it [p.352] different, where would be the trial of our faith? In a
word, be it so; it is as it should be.

Vol. 1, p.352
Now understand, to choose life is to choose principles that will lead
you to an eternal increase, and nothing short of them will produce
life in the resurrection for the faithful. Those that choose death,
make choice of the path which leads to the end of their organization.
The one leads to endless increase and progression, the other to the
destruction of the organized being, ending in its entire decomposition
into the particles that compose the native elements. Is this so in all
cases? you inquire. Yes, for aught I know. I shall not pretend to deny
but what it is so in all cases. This much I wanted to say to the
brethren, with regard to life and death.

Vol. 1, p.352
As to the word annihilate, as we understand it, there is no such
principle as to put a thing which exists, entirely out of existence,
so that it does not exist in any term, shape, or place whatever. It
would be as reasonable to say that ENDLESS, which is synonymous to the
word eternity, has both a beginning and an end. For instance,
supposing we get one of the best mathematicians that can be found, and
let him commence at one point of time, the operation of multiplication
when he has exhausted all his knowledge of counting in millions, &c.,
until he can proceed no further, he is no nigher tire outside of
eternity than when he commenced. This has been understood from the
beginning. The ancients understood it, it was taught by Jesus and his
Apostles, who understood the true principles of eternity. In
consequence of some expressions of the ancient servants of God, has
come the tradition of the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. You hear some of them preach and teach that which I
never taught; you hear them preach people late hell, Such a doctrine
never entered into my heart; , but you hear others preach, that people
will go there to dwell throughout the endless ages of eternity: Such
persons know no more about eternity, and are no more capable of
instructing others upon the subject, than a little child. They tell
about going to hell, where the worm dieth not, and the firs is not
quenched, where you must dwell. How long? Why, I should say, just as
long as you please.

Vol. 1, p.352
One thing more. The beauty of our religion, that very erroneous
doctrine, which the world call "Mormonism," we had set before us this
morning by Elder Parley P. Pratt: The whole object of my existence is,
to continue to live, to increase, to spread abroad, and gather around
me to an endless duration. What shall I say? You may unite the efforts
of the best mathematicians the world can produce, and when they have
counted as many millions of ages, worlds, and eternities, as the power
of numbers within their knowledge will embrace, they are still as
ignorant of eternity as when they began. Then ask people of general
intelligence; people who understand in a great degree, the
philosophical principles of creation, which, they have studied and
learned by a practical course of education, and what do they know
about it? It is true they know a little, and that little every other
sane person knows, whether he is educated or uneducated; they know
about that portion of eternity called TIME. Suppose I ask the learned
when was the beginning of eternity? Can they think of it? No! And I
should very much doubt some of the sayings of one of the best
philosophers and writers of the age, that we call brother, with regard
to the character of the Lord God  whom we serve. I very much doubt
whether it has ever entered into his heart to comprehend eternity.
These are principles and ideas I scarcely ever meddle with. The
[p.353] practical part of our religion is that which more particularly
interests me. Still my mind reflects upon life, death, eternity,
knowledge, wisdom, the expansion of the soul, and the knowledge of the
Gods that are, that have been, and that are to be. What shall we say?
We are lost in the depth of our own thoughts. Suppose we say there was
once a beginning to all things, then we must conclude there will
undoubtedly be an end. Can eternity be circumscribed? If it can, there
is an end of all wisdom, knowledge, power, and glory—all will sink
into eternal annihilation.

Vol. 1, p.353
What is life to you and me? It is the utmost extent of our desires. Do
you wish to increase, to continue? Do you wish to possess kingdoms
and, thrones, principalities and powers; to exist, and continue to
exist; to grow in understanding, in wisdom, in knowledge, in power,
and in glory throughout an endless duration? Why, yes, is the reply
natural to every heart that has been warmed with the life-giving
influences of the Holy Ghost. And when we have lived, and gathered
around us more kingdoms and creations than it is possible for the mind
of mortals to comprehend, (just think of it, and how it commenced like
a grain of mustard seed, cast into the ground!) then, I may say we
could comprehend the very dawning of eternity, which term I use to
accommodate the idea in my mind, not that it will at all apply to
eternity. When you have reached this stage in the onward course of
your progression, you will be perfectly satisfied not to be in a
hurry.

Vol. 1, p.353
The inquiry should not be, if the principles of the Gospel will put us
in possession of the earth, of this farm, that piece of property, of a
few thousand pounds, or as many thousand dollars, but, if they will
put us in possession of principles that are endless, and calculated in
their nature for an eternal increase; that is, to add life to life,
being to being, kingdom to kingdom, principle to principle, power to
power, thrones to thrones, dominions to dominions, and crowns to
crowns.

Vol. 1, p.353
When we have lived long enough by following out the principles that
are durable, that are tangible, that are calculated in their nature to
produce endless life—I say, when we have lived long enough in them to
see the least Saint, that can be possibly called a Saint, in
possession of more solar systems like this, than it is possible for
mortals to number, or than there are stars in the firmament of heaven
visible, or sands on the sea shore, we shall then have a faint idea of
eternity, and begin to realize that we are in the midst of it.

Vol. 1, p.353
Brethren, you that have the principles of life in you, be sure you are
gathering around you kindred principles, that will endure to all
eternity.

Vol. 1, p.353
I do not desire to talk any more at this time. [p.354]

Heber C. Kimball, November 14, 1852

Condition of the People—Control of the Body—Individual
 Responsibility—Heaven and Hell—Building a Temple

A Discourse By President Heber C. Kimball,
 Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Nov. 14, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.354
The hymn which has been sung, I think, is a very appropriate one, and
if we can all put it in practice, if we all say we will commence to do
it from this day, I imagine that we have created a heaven already in
our own minds. If we would forsake everything that is unrighteous,
that creates sorrow and misery in this world, you will all admit that
I and you would be at once in possession of a heaven of happiness.

Vol. 1, p.354
The discourse we have heard from brother Taylor was a rehearsal of a
great many things we have passed through, that is, many of us. Those
who have passed through these things have appreciated them, and they
are actually in possession of more knowledge and experience than those
who have not passed through them. Still, we find, in the course of our
experience, that many think they have more experience, and know more
and comprehend more, than their neighbors. However, I will let time
suffice to give them an experience in that matter—time is necessary to
bring it about. I have said it many times, that I had no doubt that
every man and every woman would, perhaps, get all the experience they
wanted. And as for this people, I do not say to what they can be
brought; but sometimes I have thought, or had my doubts, whether or no
the majority of them will take a course to keep peace in our midst,
and secure to us continually the comfort and consolation we now enjoy.

Vol. 1, p.354
The majority of you enjoy greater blessings this day than you ever did
in your lives. I have travelled over a great portion of the earth in
days that are past. I have seen the sorrows of the world. I have seen
this people, or many of them, very poor, and penniless. I have dwelt
in England, and a part of the time in London, and established the
Gospel there, when I have lived upon my two penny loaves. per day,
with a glass of water. You that have come from there, know what kind
of a thing a penny loaf is; there certainly is not that substance
existing in it that there is in a piece of good solid bread the
breadth of my three fingers; it is not all bread, but it is a mixture,
a combination of other fixings, something like their milk in London,
which they make from chalk; so if any of you are destitute of milch
cows, I am telling you how you can make milk. I speak of these things
because I have experienced them. I want to know if there are any
people brought to that, in this community? Do you live as poor and as
penniless as you did there? No, you do not. There are many here that
did live there and they have now their abundance, and they eat so much
here that they are almost disabled, their minds are not so active, and
this is the cause many times they are not to  be found in this
hall—they eat so much, they are under the necessity of going to bed,
not to rest themselves, but to rest the food they have taken. This is
[p.355] too much the case. If I take food in the afterpart of the day,
it is disagreeable for me to speak in the afternoon; it is hard and
laborious. When you go from this place and return to your homes, you
eat so much, that when you return here again, those that do, you are
as void of receiving intelligence and the Spirit of the Lord God as a
stone. This I know to be true; that is, with many of that portion that
do return. There is nearly one-half of this congregation who disable
themselves, and are obliged to go to bed to rest their food, on the
Sabbath afternoon. I am not speaking of this thing as though it is
practised here any more than it is in the whole world. You do not
train your bodies, and cultivate your minds, in eating and drinking,
in partaking of the fruits of the earth; your lives are wasted away,
not in a useful manner, but in a very useless manner. You throw away
your lives. I could prove it to you very easily if i had you in a
place where I knew who you were. I know I cannot teach here, and come
upon little matters, that, nevertheless, are important to be known.
Why? Because it would be considered ridiculous. What did brother
Brigham say here one day, when he was speaking upon the works of the
human family, and that they would have to give an account of their
works? Said he, "It is ridiculous for me to recount their works, or
speak them before any public assembly." So you would consider, many of
you, that the holy order of God, or what I would say to you, is
ridiculous; on the other hand, many of you would consider it the most
consistent. But allow me to say, that your salvation and exaltation
depend upon what you consider indelicate for a man to speak in a
public congregation.

Vol. 1, p.355
Brethren, there is not anything I fear, sisters, there is not anything
I fear, in this world, but that we shall prosper, and dwell upon the
earth, and continue in the Valleys of the mountains, and never be
removed, that is, if we will be faithful, and do as well as we know
how, and follow the dictates of the Holy Spirit of God, and of him and
his brethren Who preside over us. If we do this, we never shall be
overcome. These things have been talked about many times, and I might
split my lungs, and my brethren might do the same, unto some people in
the world; for the more you talk to them, the more light that is
revealed to them, the less they seem to appreciate it. If they do seem
to appreciate it, they do not obey it, they do not walk in the path
marked out; but they will receive instructions from day to day, and
enter into the most solemn obligations, before God and angels, that
they will observe them, but before they get home they forget them. Is
not this true, gentlemen? Is it not true, ladies? I will tell you my
feelings plainly about these matters. I wish to God that this people
would do as they are told, as brother Taylor has said to-day. You know
what my belief is, and I am satisfied it is the belief of every person
here. Many are willing to eat and drink, wear clothing, and lie down
to sleep, and they think they are going to be ushered into the Kingdom
of God by that portion of men and women that are faithful. This is a
mistake, gentlemen and ladies. If you do not cultivate yourselves, and
cultivate your spirits in this state of existence, it is just as true
as there is a God that liveth, you will have to go into another state
of existence, and bring your spirits into subjection there. Now you
may reflect upon it, you never will obtain your resurrected bodies,
until you bring your spirits into subjection. I am not talking to this
earthly house of mine, neither am I talking to your bodies, but I am,
speaking to your spirits. I am not [p.356] talking as to people who
are not in the house. Are not your spirits in the house? Are not your
bodies your houses, your tabernacles or temples, and places for your
spirits? Look at it; reflect upon it. If you keep your Spirits trained
according to the wisdom and fear of God, you will attain to the
salvation of both body and spirit. I ask, then, if it is your spirits
that must be brought into subjection? It is; and if you do not do that
in these bodies, you will have to go into another estate to do it. You
have got to train yourselves according to the law of God, or you will
never obtain your resurrected bodies. Mark it! You do not think of
these things, you only think of to-day. If you can pass along today,
it is all right, thinking that brother Brigham, brother Heber, brother
Willard, and the Twelve, with brother Joseph at our head, will lead
you all into the celestial world. We cannot do it. Why? Because
Justice sits at the door, and will not admit a single soul until he
has paid the uttermost farthing. Do you think we can pass you in there
clandestinely? If you do, you will find justice sitting at the door,
and she will require justice at your hand, and mercy will claim all
that is due to her, but mercy will not rob justice, not one writ,
neither will justice rob mercy; they are united together, just as much
as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ever were. As brother Brigham said
here, if you sin against God, you have got to satisfy Him; and if you
sin against Jesus Christ, you have got to make confession to Jesus,
and He and the Father can forgive you; and if you sin against the Holy
Ghost, you have got to satisfy the Holy Ghost, for neither the Father
nor the Son can forgive that sin. Is not that good law? That is the
law of Deseret, gentlemen. And when you sin against brother Brigham,
will the Father forgive you? No: you have got to ask forgiveness of
brother Brigham. And when you sin against me, you have got to seek
forgiveness of me, before you get it from the Father. You have got to
repent of your sins, and turn unto the Lord your God, with full
purpose of heart, and cease your murmuring and complaining, that you
may be forgiven.

Vol. 1, p.356
I could not get a company here last Conference, I could not get one
solitary vote for a man to preside over a company, of murmurers. You
cannot organize ten murmurers in this whole city; for if you can get
them together, they cannot agree, and that is the difficulty.

Vol. 1, p.356
I will tell you what will be good for us, and it will bestow upon us
all the luxuries of this life, of heaven and earth. You are talking
about heaven and about earth, and about hell, &c.; but let me tell
you, you are in hell now, and you have got to qualify yourselves here
in hell to become subjects for heaven; and even when you have got into
heaven, yea will find it right here where you are on this earth. When
we escape from this earth, we suppose we are going to heaven? Do you
suppose you are going to the earth that Adam came from? that Eloheim
came from? where Jehovah the Lord came from? No. When you have learned
to become obedient to the Father that dwells upon this earth, to the
Father and God of this earth, and obedient to the messengers He
sends—when you have done all that, remember you are not going to leave
this earth. You will never leave it until you become qualified, and
capable, and capacitated to become a father of an earth yourselves.
Not one soul of you ever will leave this earth, for if you go to hell,
it is on this earth; and if you go to heaven, it is on this earth; and
you will not find it anywhere else. Is it not hard to bring these
truths home to you. I tell you I am at home now, and I am in heaven;
but [p.357] the heaven I have to enjoy is the heaven I make myself. Do
you know it? Well, if this be the case, which you will probably all
admit, for it will be the case with me, it will be the same with you,
and you cannot help yourselves—I want to know if you have any peace at
home, in your families, only what your wife and children make? You
have not. If you make peace and a heaven in your habitations, then you
are in heaven, both you and your families. Now suppose we apply this
principle to the house of every man in Israel, who is a father of a
family, and they all agree they will make heaven at home, and after
that they all conclude to come together and make a general heaven. But
the first place to begin to make a heaven, is to make it at home, and
then we will club together, and conclude to have it all over. Do you
understand my logic? Do you, brother Hyde? [Elder Hyde, "Yes, sir."]
These are my feelings.

Vol. 1, p.357
Now let us go to work, every one of us, and pull together, and put
means into the hands of the Trustee-in-trust, pay up our tithing, and
then if we have a surplus which we do not want to put out to usury
now, put it in the hands of the Trustee-in-trust. Go to work, not only
next spring, but now make preparations, and let us build a temple.
What say you? I do not want you to say yes, unless you calculate to do
it, but, as brother Joseph used to say, "Yankee doodle do it." Now go
to work, and do the thing right up, and when next fall comes to pass,
let us see the walls of the temple erected, and the roof on it. What
say you? It is just as you say. No one man has the capacity and power
to do it himself, but if you say it, and you will do it, there will be
a temple next fall, with a roof upon it. Do you believe it? You do.
You nod your heads; come, nod them a little lower still; none of your
half winks here, but whole winks or nothing. We can do it just as
easily as I have built a little house on the corner there. How do you
feel, brethren? Do you feel, do it? Don't you say yes, or give me a
half wink, without meaning it; but, as the girls say, give me a whole
heart or nothing. I do not want you should have my heart, and I do not
want you should have the hearts of my brethren, because if you have
their hearts, they will do nothing for God or His cause. You know I
talk just as I have a mind to, when I get up to talk here. Do you
consider it sensible, that we go to work, and rear a temple to the
name of the Lord, and have the roof on it next fall? Say? None of your
half winks to me again; is it not reasonable to say, it cannot be done
unless you do it?

Vol. 1, p.357
It is necessary to unite and cultivate the hearts of this people
together, more than any thing else. The subject of building a temple
alone. will not do it, or your means; but to bring this to a focus,
your hearts must be where your treasure is. If you place your treasure
in the temple, your hearts must be there, they are wherever you place
your treasure. The Scripture says so, and so say I. I am a servant of
God, a man of truth, and President Young is my brother, my leader, and
governor, and shall be for ever and ever, and you cannot unhorse me if
you try, and we will unhorse the whole of you if you do not do right.
Shall we go to work, and build a temple, and a wall around it? Now,
gentlemen, if we do it at all, we have got to commence the work. and
continue to progress in it until we have completed it. You must put
your means and labor in it. How many hands do we see here on the
public works weekly? Why there is scarcely a man to be seen, except
regularly employed hands. Do not talk to me about doing a thing, when
[p.358] you do not do it. As brother Hyde said, it is punctuality that
will save you. The Lord said, through Joseph, in the Book of Doctrine
and Covenants, that a covenant breaker never could be saved. You never
can be saved, only in truth and faithfulness to God, and those whom He
has appointed and selected to govern the affairs of His Church on the
earth. Now, you say, "Brother Kimball, you talk rather barefaced, the
Gentiles will hear you." That is what they dread. Bless your souls, we
want they should hear it more and more and more, until the kingdom of
our God brings under subjection every kingdom in the world. Can we do
it; gentlemen and ladies, upon any other principle than by being one?
Tell me if any of you have got an argument to prove to the contrary? I
know you have not got it; if you have, I am ready for it to-day.

Vol. 1, p.358
I am perhaps trespassing upon your time and patience; well, I do not
care whether I am or not, you seem to sit very easy notwithstanding.
It is not very cold; through your faces appear rather blooming; your
eyes are bright and your spirits look cheerful. I do not think you are
cold; you never saw a man or a woman have the blues yet, but they
looked black, and their flesh looked blue, like the green-fly. I have
got the start of you, for I have on a great dent. I have not spoken in
public for some time, and I did not know if ever I should again, my
lungs are so injured, by speaking in private meeting.

Vol. 1, p.358
What do you say now, casting away the blues and everything of this
kind. what do you say about going to, ye Bishops, with your several
wards, after this day—to-morrow morning, with light hearts, and
cheerful spirits, and glad countenances, to prepare for the erection
of a temple to the name of the Almighty. We want to get stone on the
ground, and other preparations are necessary to be made, to lay the
foundation for this work. What do you say? I will have no half winks,
neither will I call a vote without you go it as the heart of one man.
What do you say, brethren and sisters? Will you say, "Yankee doodle do
it? If you do, say aye. [All said, "Aye."]

Vol. 1, p.358
There, Bishops, I will deliver up the meeting into your hands.

Brigham Young, August 1, 1852

Weaknesses of Man—Loyalty of the Saints—Corruption
of the World—True Liberty—Conduct of the American People

A Discourse By President Brigham Young, 
Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, August 1, 1852.

Vol. 1, p.358
As there is still a little time which may be occupied to our benefit
this morning, I arise to improve it.

Vol. 1, p.358
These are happy days to the Saints, and we should rejoice in them;
they are the best days we ever saw; and in the midst of the sorrows
and afflictions of this life, its trials and [p.359] temptations, the
buffetings of Satan, the weakness of the flesh, and the power of death
Which is sown in it, there is no necessity for any mortal man to live
a single day without rejoicing, and being filled with gladness. I
allude to the Saints, who have the privilege of receiving the Spirit
of truth, and have been acquainted with the laws of the new covenant.
There is no necessity of one of these passing a day without enjoying
all the blessings his capacities are capable of receiving. Yet it is
necessary that we should be tried, tempted, and buffeted, to make us
feel the weaknesses of this mortal flesh. We all feel them; our
systems are full of them, from the crown of the head to the soles of
the feet; still, in the midst of all these weaknesses and frailties of
human nature, it is the privilege of every person who has come to the
knowledge of the truth, to rejoice in God, the rock of his salvation,
all the day long. We rejoice because the Lord is ours, because we are
sown in weakness for the express purpose of attaining to greater power
and perfection. In every thing the Saints may rejoice—in persecution,
because it is necessary to purge them, and prepare the wicked for
their doom; in sickness and in pain, though they are hard to bear,
because we are thereby made acquainted with pain, with sorrow, and
with every affliction that mortals can endure, for by contrast all
things are demonstrated to our senses. We have reason to rejoice
exceedingly that faith is in the world, that the Lord reigns, and does
His pleasure among the inhabitants of the earth. Do you ask if I
rejoice because the Devil has the advantage over the inhabitants of
the earth, and has afflicted mankind? I most assuredly answer in the
affirmative; I rejoice in this as much as in anything else. I rejoice
because I am afflicted. I rejoice because I am poor. I rejoice because
I am east down. Why? Because I shall be lifted up again. I rejoice
that I am poor, because I shall be made rich; that I am afflicted,
because I shall be comforted, and prepared to enjoy the felicity of
perfect happiness, for it is impossible to properly appreciate
happiness, except by enduring the opposite.

Vol. 1, p.359
I was glad to hear brother Babbit speak this morning. He wondered why
he had been called to the stand to speak, and could not conceive of
any other reason, except it was that the people might know whether he
was in the faith or not. He guessed pretty nigh right. He has been
gone some time, and travels to and fro in the earth, playing into law
up to the eyes, mingling with the bustle of the wicked world. Has he
got any faith? We think he has. I wanted to hear him speak, and to
know what his feelings were, and if the root of the matter was in him;
so we had him come before the public congregation, to exhibit it
there. My reasons for pursuing such a course are known to myself; but
one thing is certain, if we magnify our calling as Elders in Israel,
we are the saviors of the children of men, instead of being their
destroyers. We were ordained to save the people, and to save them in
the manner the Lord has pointed out. The Savior camo not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance; and we preach to the people, and
call upon them to be saved—not the righteous, but we call upon
sinners; for those that are well, need no physician, but they that are
sick. With those who are saved already, we have nothing to do. But it
is those who are in sin and transgression, who are in darkness and in
weakness, those who are wrapt up in the superstitions and false
traditions of the nations that have lived and passed away, whom we
must plead with and try to save; and if they begin to see, continue to
anoint their eyes with truth, that they may see clearly; and put
[p.360] them in every possible condition we can place them in, to
encourage them to call upon the Lord, and trust in Him alone; for
those who will trust in the Lord will be made strong.

Vol. 1, p.360
As for the weaknesses of human nature, we have plenty of them;
weakness and sin are with us constantly; they are sown in the mortal
body, and extend from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet.
We need not go to our neighbors for sin, to palliate all our crimes,
for we ourselves have plenty of it; we need riot crave weakness from
our fellow man, we have our own share of it; it is for us to trust in
the Lord, and endeavor to deliver ourselves from the effects of sin,
plead with every person to take the same course, and propose and plan
every possible means to become friends of God, that we may thereby
become friends of sinners, and receive a great reward in a day to
come.

Vol. 1, p.360
I am satisfied with the remarks of brother Babbitt and if we sum them
all up, and make a close calculation upon the whole, looking over the
lives of Prophets, Patriarchs, and Apostles; not overlooking the
circumstance of Peter denying his Lord, or any of the old ancients
faltering in their steps, transgressing, falling into weaknesses,
turning away from the commandments of the Lord, or being overtaken in
any fault whatever—sum up the whole, and add the weaknesses and sins
of modern Prophets, Apostles, and Saints; then sum up all the
weaknesses and sins of mankind, and bring them together, and you will
find that it will never justify you nor me one moment in doing a wrong
thing, in forsaking the Lord, and serving the devil, or any of his
emissaries. Consequently, I feel to urge upon every person who has
named the name of Christ, the necessity of his being faithful to the
requirements of his religion, and of shunning all evil, as quick as he
becomes acquainted with the principle by, which he can discriminate
between good and evil; and cleave unto the good, follow after it, pray
for it, and cling to it by day and by night, if he wants to enjoy the
blessings of a celestial kingdom. I wish this for myself. and for my
brethren. Never think that the Lord will permit you to commit a little
sin here, and a little sin there; that He will permit you to lie a
little, serve yourselves or somebody else a little, besides Him,
because you, have faith, and are a professed friend of God, and have a
desire to see His kingdom prevail, thinking you will be saved at last.
This throws a person, at least, upon the ground where he is liable to
be overthrown by the enemy. It is a risky position to stand in, to say
the least of it, for a Saint of God to say he can serve himself, or
the enemy, or anything else in this world, for gold; those who do it,
stand upon slippery ground, and if they are saved at all, it will be
by the skin of their teeth; so I will not justify any person in
pursuing such a course. Brother Babbit has to law it here, and law it
there; though he may not feel justified in doing so, I rejoice to hear
him declare that the root of the matter is in him. Would I not rather
see him an almighty man before God, thundering out the truths of
eternity, and living in the flame of revelation, than see him engaged
in the paltry business of pettifogging? I thank the Lord for all the
good and for all the faith there is in him. Brother Babbit is near to
my heart, for notwithstanding all the faults of the brethren, I love
them—the old, middle aged, and young; if they have a particle of love
in them for the truth, they are near to my heart. I wish to bind them
to the Lord, and to His cause upon the earth, that they may secure to
themselves salvation.

Vol. 1, p.360
I am happy, and am made glad this day. If you wish to know what, I
think of brother Babbit, I will tell you. [p.361] If we could keep him
here a few months, and in our councils a few years, I think that he
would despise litigation as he would the gates of hell. If we had him
here, we would wrap him up in the Spirit and power of God, and send
him to preach glad tidings to the nations of the earth, instead of his
being engaged in the low and beggarly business of pettifogging. If he
would dwell among us, doubtless he would despise it, for it is from
hell, and it will go there.

Vol. 1, p.361
We have heard good remarks, but let me forewarn you again, that the
Elders in Israel need never flatter themselves that they can serve the
devil, because they think the root of the matter is in them, for
before they are aware, they will be led captive by him, and he will
lead them down to hell. That is my exhortation, not only to the Elders
in Israel, but to all Saints.

Vol. 1, p.361
There is one thing in the sayings of brother Babbit, which I will
refer to, in relation to the loyalty of this people. I am at the
defiance of the rulers of the greatest nation on the earth, with the
United States all put together, to produce a more loyal people than
the Latter-day Saints. Have they, as a people, broken any law? No,
they have not. Have the United States? Yes! they have trampled the
Constitution under their feet with impunity, and ridden recklessly
over all law, to persecute and drive this people. Admit, for
argument's sake, that the "Mormon" Elders have more wives than one,
yet our enemies never have proved it. If I had forty wives in the
United States, they did not know it, and could not substantiate it,
neither did I ask any lawyer, judge, or magistrate for them. I live
above the law, and so do this people. Do the laws of the United States
require us to crouch and bow down to the miserable wretches who
violate them? No. The broad law of the whole earth is that every
person has the right to enjoy every mortal blessing, so far as. he
does not infringe upon the rights and privileges of others. It is also
according to the acts of every legislative body throughout the Union,
to enjoy all that you are capable of enjoying; but you are forbidden
to infringe upon the rights, property, wife, or anything in the
possession of your neighbor. I defy all the world to prove that we
have infringed upon that law. You may circumscribe the whole earth,
and pass through every Christian nation, so called, and what do you
find? If you tell them a "Mormon" has two wives, they are shocked, and
call it dreadful blasphemy; if you whisper such a thing into the ears
of a Gentile who takes a fresh woman every night, he is thunderstruck
with the enormity of the crime. The vile practice of violating female
virtue with impunity is customary among the professed Christian
nations of the world; this is therefore no marvel to them, but they
are struck with amazement when they are told a man may have more
lawful wives than one! What do you think of a woan having more
husbands than one? This is not; known to the law, yet it is done in
the night, and considered by the majority of mankind to be all right.
There are certain governments in the world, that give women license to
open their doors and windows to carry on this abominable practice,
under the cover of night. Five years ago the census of New York gave
15,000 prostitutes in that city. Is that law? Is that good order? Look
at your Constitution, look at the Federal law, look at every wholesome
principle, and they tell you that death is at your doors, corruption
in your streets, and hell is all open, and gaping wide to inclose you
in its fiery vortex. To talk about law and good order while such
things exist, makes me righteously angry, Talk not to me about law.

Vol. 1, p.362
[p.362] Suppose that the things they are pleased to say about this
people are true, do you suppose I care about it? I do not, for I ask
no odds of them. This people have treated them kindly. Did we not pay
for our land honorably when we settled in Missouri and other places?
We hate paid them millions of dollars for land, of which we have been
basely robbed; and shall I crouch down, and say I dare not speak of
it? I would rather have my head severed from my body in this room,
than be compelled to be silent on this matter. I am a green mountain
boy, I was born in the State of Vermont, and plead for my rights, and
the rights of this people, upon the broad Constitution of the United
States, which we shall certainly maintain, in spite of the poor,
rotten, political curses that pretend to enforce the Constitution. I
ask no odds of them. I will feed them, if they come hungry to my door,
for they are flesh of my flesh. The King upon the throne, and the
President in his chair, are the same to me as these poor emigrants,
who are lying around my doors—when they are hungry, I feed them; when
they are sick, I nurse them; the same as I would the President of the
United States, or any of the kings of Europe, unless they were better
men.

Vol. 1, p.362
As for the pride that is in the world, I walk over it, it is beneath
me. To see men who are called gentlemen of character, sense, taste,
and ability, who pass through this city, and come bending with their
recommendation, saying, "Governor Young this," and "Governor Young
that"—it makes me feel to loathe such hypocritical show, in my heart.
I shall not say all I think about it. If they would come to me, and
say, "Brigham, how are you?" or, "I want to speak to you, &c.," with a
good honest heart in them, instead of, "Governor Young," "Governor
Young, in a canting tone, with hearts as black and deceitful as hell,
they would command that esteem from the which is due to an honest mad.

Vol. 1, p.362
A blackleg is a polished rascal. If you go to the polished circles of
society, you will find the greatest scape-graces and pickpockets
concealed under the most polished gentlemen in appearance. A man never
can be a polished scoundrel, until he can figure in polished society.
It proves the truth of the saying, that it takes all the revelations
of God, and every good principle in the world, to make a man perfectly
ripe for hell.

Vol. 1, p.362
You will not see in the nature of a man who has a soul in him, and who
is filled with the Holy Ghost, a disposition to bow and scrape to
every blackguard that may come in the shape and address of a
gentleman. But if you are thirsty, hungry, or destitute, I will assist
you. How many have I helped away to California, and given them bread
and meat, notwithstanding they wanted to go to the devil; this made no
difference to me; I have helped them, and told them to go, if they
wished to. There is no tyranny here, but perfect liberty, which is a
boon held sacred to all men. They have a right to come and go as they
please. I do not ask you to be a "Mormon." Can you point out one
person who has entreated any of the emigrants to become "Mormons,"
since they came into our midst? Since their arrival here, we have been
kind and hospitable to them, and have not cared whether they have been
"Mormons" or Methodists. They can come and hear preaching, if they
think proper; but we shall never put; them to any trouble because they
are not "Mormons."

Vol. 1, p.362
You may say you do not believe in God. Well, it is your privilege to
believe as you like; you can believe in the Methodists' God, that has
neither body, parts, nor passions (which  amounts to nothing at all),
if you please.

Vol. 1, p.363
But one may say, "I belong to the [p.363] holy Catholic Church." You
have a right to belong to what Church you please. Another may say he
believes in and worships a white dog, for he has lived with the
nations who have a tradition teaching them to do so. It is all right;
you are as welcome to Worship a white dog as the God I do, if it is
your wish. I am perfectly willing you should serve the kind of a god
you choose, or no god at all; and that you should enjoy all that is
for you to enjoy.

Vol. 1, p.363
There are some things, however, I am not willing you should do. For
instance, I am not willing you should steal the money out of my
pocket, and then cry, "Bad dog;" and get somebody to kill me. I am not
willing you should enter my house to defile my bed, or endeavor to
bring death upon an innocent people. I am not willing you should drive
me and my brethren from our houses and farms, as has been the case in
former times. There are scores of thousands, I may say hundreds of
thousands, of acres of land in the United States, for which we have
paid money, but which we cannot possess. I am not willing you should
drive your cattle into my corn field, which has been done before my
eyes, by men who have thought, "You are only poor damned Mormons
anyhow, and we'll tread you down." I am willing every man should
worship God as he pleases, and be happy. But the measure that has been
meted to this people, will be measured to that people; and it will be
heaped up, pressed down, and running over; and then as much again
thrown in; all this good measure I am willing they should have when
the Lord will. I shall not exult in the miseries that will come upon
them, But weep over them; whereas I have seen a mob with their rifles
pointed at me by hundreds, and could not be moved to tears, but I felt
like Daniel of old," I will worship my God, and pray with ray windows
open, if my life should be the penalty." I would not be afraid if the
whole artillery of the United States, with the best engineers that
could be raised to manage it, were arrayed against me for
righteousness' sake, knowing that the God of heaven, in whom I trust,
would not suffer a ball to touch me, if it was His will that I should
yet live. This I have felt time and time again.

Vol. 1, p.363
I do not desire to harass the feelings of the people by reiterating
the past, but if you want these things buried up, treat us like men
and human beings, and they will be forgotten, but if you still want to
probe us with the hot iron of persecution, probe on.

Vol. 1, p.363
We came here ourselves, unassisted by any power, but that of God, and
walked through the Indian tribes as independent as I am this day. We
dug our way through the kanyons, and made the roads to this place;
while at the same time five hundred of our most energetic men were
fighting the battles of the United States in Mexico.

Vol. 1, p.363
When our women and children were left on the banks of the Missouri, in
a helpless condition, I said to one of the United States officers, who
had been threatening those who were left behind—"While I am gone to
find a home for my family, if you meddle with them, or insult them in
the least, by the Gods of Eternity I will be on your track." And had
their threats been executed, I would have slain them, even though I
should have had to go into the heart of Washington city to do it. Says
he, "Mr. Young, you talk strangely." "Well," I said, "let my family
alone;" for they wanted to persuade them back to the other side of the
river, to afflict them still more.

Vol. 1, p.363
Five hundred of our best men were then in the United States' army,
traversing the sandy deserts and scorching plains of the South,
without shoes to their feet, or clothes to cover them.

Vol. 1, p.364
[p.364] There are scores in this congregation who can prove this
declaration. On one occasion they travelled day and night for ninety
miles, through the scorching sands, without one drop of water. And
now, as payment for this arduous service, they try to taunt us by
saying—"We don't want to give you Mormons anything." I care not if you
should never give us one dime.

Vol. 1, p.364
Now let me tell you the great killing story—"Governor Young has
sixteen wives, and fourteen babies." Now they did not see that sight;
but the circumstance was as follows. I took some of my neighbors into
the large carriage, and rode down to father Chase's, to eat
watermelons. When driving out of the gate in the evening, brother
Babbit walks up, and I invited him into the carriage, and he rode up
into the city with me, and I suppose he told the United States'
officers. That I believe is the way the story of sixteen wives and
fourteen children first came into circulation. But this does not begin
to be the extent of my possessions, for I am enlarging on the right
hand and on the left, and shall soon be able, Abraham like, to muster
the strength of my house, and take my rights, asking no favors of
Judges or Secretaries.

Vol. 1, p.364
Do you think we shall all die in Utah? If so, why have we not died ere
this, when we dwelt in the midst of a people that cherished hostile
feelings against the Latter-day Saints? Who delivered Joseph Smith
from the hands of his enemies to the day of his death? It was God;
though he was brought to the brink of death time and time again, and,
to all human appearance, could not be delivered, and there was no
probability of his being saved. When he was in jail in Missouri, and
no person expected that he would ever escape from their hands, I had
the faith of Abraham, and told the brethren, "As the Lord God liveth,
he shall come out of their hands." Though he had prophesied that he
would not live to be forty years of age, yet we all cherished hopes
that that would be a false prophecy, and we should keep him for ever
with us; we thought our faith would outreach it, but we were
mistaken—he at last fell a martyr to his religion. I said, "It is all
right; now the testimony is in full force; he has sealed it with his
blood, and that makes it valid."

Vol. 1, p.364
I would be happy, exceedingly happy, to let our past experience and
afflictions sleep for ever; but the Lord will not suffer me to let
them sleep I would be willing to forget them, but I cannot. The Lord
will never suffer this people to dwindle down, and be hid up in a
corner; it cannot be; neither does He want any person to help them but
Himself. Satan and the Lord never can shake hands, and He will let the
nation know it; for He has got servants who will do His righteous
will, and that faithfully. I would rather be chopped to pieces at
night, and resurrected in the morning; each day throughout a period of
threescore years and ten, than be deprived of speaking freely, or be
afraid of doing so. I will speak for my rights. I would just as soon
tell a government officer of his meanness and filthy conduct, as I
would any other person; they are all alike to God, and to those who
know His will.

Vol. 1, p.364
I have studied the law, and say again, I defy the united authorities
of the earth to show where this people have not been loyal, wherein
they have not proved loyal, in Germany, in France, in England, or in
the United States; for they are the best people upon the face of the
earth to observe the law and keep order. I want to live perfectly
above the law, and make it my servant, instead of its being my master.
That is the way to live; to be humble before God, and observe the
laws; for there is no necessity of breaking the laws in America,  in
[p.365] keeping the commandments of God. When the law is our master,
the yoke is hard to bear; but when it is our servant, it Works easy;
whereas, if it be our master, we are continually compelled and driven
by it.

Vol. 1, p.365
There is not a single constitution of any single state, much less the
constitution of the Federal Government, that hinders a man from having
two wives; and I defy all the lawyers of the United States to prove
the contrary.

Vol. 1, p.365
Let the past experience be buried in the land of forgetfulness, if the
Lord will; but if this is done at all, it will be by showing kindness
towards us in the future. If they wish us to forget the past, let them
cease to make and circulate falsehoods about us, and let all the good
people of the Government say—"Let us do this people good for the
future, and not try to crush them down all the day long by continuing
to persecute them."

Vol. 1, p.365
If we are a company of poor, ignorant, deluded creatures, why do not
they show us a better example? Why not send the money to pay the
expenses of our legislature, and the expenses of the expeditions
against the Indians, as they do to other territories? Their present
course towards us, put in language, is, "We will squeeze them still,
and dig out their eyes if it be possible." While they continue to
pursue that course towards us, we shall continue to tell them of it.
It makes me think of what an. old farmer said in Boston, who had been
in the habit of paying his merchant's bills very punctually, but, from
some cause, he did not continue to meet his payments as usual. The
merchant sent for him, and said—"I have always found you to be a very
honest man, why do you now lie to me?" The farmer replied,—"Because I
am pinched." The merchant asked—"How hard should an honest man be
pinched to make him lie?" The farmer replied—"Just pinch him till he
lies." They want to pinch us till we are led to do something to bring
the whole nation down upon us, according to the plan of old Tom
Benton, but, gentlemen, this cannot be done, for there is a God in
Heaven, and He rules, thank His Holy Name; and we will be wise enough
to keep His commandments, that we may be saved. Amen.

John Taylor, April 19, 1854

Men Eternal Beings—Darkness, Ignorance, and
 Weakness of the World—Privileges of the Saints

A Discourse By Elder John Taylor,
Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 19, 1854.

Vol. 1, p.365
Having been called upon by President Grant to address you this
morning, I do so with pleasure. How long I shall speak, I do not know,
for I have been quite unwell for some time past, and whether my
strength will hold out or not, I am unprepared to say; I can tell you
better when I have tried.

Vol. 1, p.365
I have been much interested during the Conference that is past; and
although I was not able to take an active part in the business that
was going on, [p.366] yet my spirit rejoiced to hear the principles of
truth that were advanced, and in the things that were developed and
fully made manifest by the Spirit of the Most High God.

Vol. 1, p.366
Associated as we are with the kingdom of God, we may reasonably
expect, so long as we do our duty before the Lord, to have continual
developments of light, truth, and intelligence, that emanate from the
great God, for the guidance, direction, salvation, and exaltation of
this people, whether it relates to time, or to eternity; for
everything we have to do with is eternal; and when we speak of time
and eternity, they are only relative terms which we attach to things
that are present; and things that are to come, and things that are
past. But in relation to ourselves as individuals, we are eternal
beings, although we occupy a certain space of eternity called time; in
relation to the Gospel we preach, it is eternal; in relation to the
Priesthood, it is eternal; in relation to our covenants and
obligations, they are eternal; in relation to our promises, prospects,
and hopes, they are eternal. And while we are acting upon this stage
of being, we are merely commencing a state of things that will exist
while countless ages shall roll along; and if we have right views and
right feelings, and entertain correct principles as eternal beings,
all our thoughts, our actions, our prospects—all our energies and our
lives, will be engaged in laying a foundation upon which to build a
superstructure that will be permanent, lasting, and enduring as the
throne of the great Jehovah; and if anything is short of this, it is
short of the mark of the high calling whereunto we may or ought to
arrive; and many of the little incidents and occurrence of life that
we have to pass through, are transient in comparison to the things
that are to come; and yet all these little things are so many links in
the great chain of our existence, of our hopes and prospects.

Vol. 1, p.366
There are many things that seem to us trials and difficulties, that
perplex, annoy, and harass our spirits; yet these very things, as one
justly observed, are blessings in disguise, so many helps to us to
develop our weaknesses and infirmities, and lead us to put our trust
in God, and rely upon Him to give us a knowledge of ourselves, of our
neighbors, and of the work of God; they have a tendency to develop
principles of worth to our minds, and thus they serve as
schoolmasters, helps, and instructors, and are to us as many blessings
in disguise. In fact all things that we have to do with in the world,
whether they are adversity or prosperity, whether they relate to
ourselves or to others, if rightly appreciated and understood, may
teach us a lesson that will be to our joy, probably not only in time,
but in all eternity. We must know ourselves, learn what is in our
nature—our weakness, our strength, our wisdom, our folly; and the like
things that dwell in others, that we may learn to appreciate true and
correct principles, and be governed by them whenever they are
developed; that we may learn to set a just value upon all sublunary
things, that we may not value them above their real value, and that we
may neither value ourselves nor others above our or their worth; that
we may learn to look upon ourselves as eternal beings, acting in
everything with a reference to eternity; that we may by and by secure
to ourselves eternal exaltations, thrones, principalities, and powers
in the eternal worlds.

Vol. 1, p.366
These are some of my feelings in relation to every-day affairs and
occurrences in life, and the things with which I am surrounded, and I
feel anxious every day, when I feel right, to  make an improvement
to-day, in something that will benefit me or others in relation to
eternity, as well [p.367] as to time; for while we are eternal beings
we are also temporal beings, and have to do with temporal things, as
well as with spiritual or eternal things. Taking this view of the
subject, it is of very little importance whether we are rich or
whether we are poor, whether we are placed in adverse or in prosperous
circumstances. It may, however, be of more importance than we think
of. I think adversity is a blessing in many instances; and in some,
prosperity; but nothing is a blessing to us that is not calculated to
enlighten our minds, and lead us to God, and put as in possession of
true principles, and prepare us for an exaltation in the eternal
world.

Vol. 1, p.367
In regard to God and the things of God, could the world of mankind see
aright, and understand aright; could they know what was for their true
interests; or could they have known it for generations, there are none
of them but what would have feared God with all their hearts, minds,
soul, and strength, that is, if they had had power to do so; that
would have been their feeling, and more especially so among the
Saints. If the Saints could understand things correctly; if they could
see themselves as God sees them; if they could know and understand and
appreciate the principles of eternal truth as they emanate from God,
and as they dwell in His bosom; if they could know their high
calling's glorious hope, and the future destiny that awaits them,
inasmuch as they axe faithful; there is not a Saint of God, there is
not one in these valleys of the mountains, but would prostrate himself
before Him; he would dedicate his heart, and his mind, and his soul,
and his strength to God, and his body, and spirits, and property, and
everything he possesses of earth, and esteem it one of the greatest
privileges that could be Conferred upon mortal man. If there are those
who do not see these things aright, it is because they see in part,
and know in part; it is because their hearts are not devoted to God,
as they ought to be; it is because their spirits are not entirely
under the influence of the Spirit of the Most High; it is because they
have not so lived up to their privileges, as to put themselves in
possession of that light and truth that emanate from God to His
people; it is because the god of this world has blinded their minds
that they cannot fully understand, that they cannot be made fully
acquainted with the great and glorious principles of eternal truth.
When we look at ourselves aright, when we understand the principles of
truth aright, what is there we would not give for salvation? When the
Spirit has beamed forth powerfully upon the hearts of the Saints, when
the light and intelligence of heaven have manifested themselves, when
the Lord has shone upon the souls of the Saints when assembled
together, what have they felt like? That they are the blessed of the
Lord. How oft, when they have met together on special occasions to
receive certain blessings from the hands of God, has the spirit of
revelation rested upon them, and the future been opened to their view
in all its beauty, glory, richness, and excellency; and when their
hearts have been warmed up by that spirit, how have they felt to
rejoice? How have they looked upon the things of this world, and the
prospect that awaited them—upon their privileges as Saints of the Most
High God, and upon the glory they will inherit if they are faithful to
the end! You may have experienced the feeling that such thoughts and
prospects would naturally create in the human heart. Why is it we feel
otherwise at any time? It is because we forget to pray, and call Upon
God, and dedicate ourselves to Him, or because we fall into
transgression, commit iniquity, and lose the Spirit of God; and forget
our calling's [p.368] glorious hope. But if we could all the time see,
and realize, and understand our true position before God, our minds
would be continually on the stretch after the things of God, and we
should be seeking to know all the day long What we could do to promote
the happiness and salvation of the world; what we could do to honor
our calling—to honor the Priesthood of the Son of God, and what to do
to honor our God, and to improve the remaining time we have upon the
earth, and the energies of our bodies, for the accomplishment of His
purposes, for the rolling forth of His kingdom, for the advancement of
His designs, that when we stand before Him He may say to us—"Well
done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord;
thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things."

Vol. 1, p.368
These would be our feelings, and no doubt this is what we came into
the world for. I know of no other object, no other design, that God
had in view in sending us here. We came forth from our Father in
heaven, having the privilege of taking bodies in this world. What for?
That our bodies and spirits together might accomplish the will of our
heavenly Father, and find their way back again into His presence; that
while we are upon the earth, we might be governed by His wisdom, by
the intelligence and revelations that flow from Him; that He might be
a guide and dictator of our steps while we sojourn here; and that we
might fill up the measure of our creation in honor to ourselves, in
honor to our progenitors, and in honor to our posterity; and finally,
find our way back into the presence of God, having accomplished the
object for which we came into the world, having filled up the measure
of our creation, having obtained honor to ourselves, honor for our
posterity and for our progenitors, and become an honor to God our
heavenly Father, by walking humbly before Him, fufilling His laws, and
accomplishing this the object of our creation.

Vol. 1, p.368
I say, as I said before, if we understood ourselves aright, this would
be our main object; but we know in part, and see in part, and
comprehend in part; and many of the things of God are hid from our
view, both things that are past, things that are present, and things
that are to come. Hence the world in general sit in judgment upon the
actions of God that are passing among them, they make use of the weak
judgment that God has given them to scan the designs of God, to
unravel the mysteries that are past, and things that are still hid,
forgetting that no man knows the things of God but by the Spirit of
God; forgetting that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God;
forgetting that no man in and of himself is competent to unravel the
designs and know the purposes of Jehovah, whether in relation to the
past, present, or future; and hence, forgetting this, they fall into
all kinds of blunders; they blunder over things that are contained in
the Scriptures, some of which are a representation of the follies and
weaknesses of men, and some of them perhaps may be the wisdom and
intelligence of God, that are as far above their wisdom and
intelligence as the heavens are above the earth. How often have I
heard individuals, for instance, exclaiming against the harshness, the
cruelty, and tyranny of God in destroying the antediluvians, the
people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and other cities and places, and against
other judgments and cruelties that befell the people. How little do
such persons understand about it. According to their own systems of
philosophy, they would act precisely upon the same principles if  they
only understood the principles He acted upon; whereas in ignorance of
them they think it cruet indeed for God to [p.369] destroy the
inhabitants of the old world, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, or
other places. Why? Because it was the destruction of so much human
life. But do they know the whys and the wherefores of that? No. In the
same way they look upon Moses, Joshua, and some other eminent men of
God, who were called forth to execute His judgments, and accomplish
His designs—root out the wicked, destroy the ungodly, and establish
the principles of righteousness. They would look upon their acts as
acts of cruelty, tyranny and oppression. Why so? Because they can
conceive of no other idea than that which dwells in their own bosoms;
there dwells the principle of revenge, or ambition, and they know of
no other motive that could prompt God to do as He has in the
destruction of the wicked at sundry times. In the same way men judge
us in relation to our matrimonial relations; if a man is associated
with more females than one in the world, they cannot look upon it in
any other way than lasciviousness and adultery, the very principles
that predominate in themselves; they have no other idea. Our
situation, our conduct, and our proceedings, to their feelings and
views, are outrageous and abominable and this they believe in all
sincerity. Why? Because they know of no other principle than that,
they have not been enlightened, they do not understand the end from
the beginning, the whys and the wherefores; if they did, they would
know that virtue, purity, and strict integrity dwell in the bosoms of
the Saints, and that they are governed by correct, virtuous, and holy
principles, and a thousand times more so than ever they dreamed of in
their lives. This is so with regard to their views of the transactions
of God with the wicked in former ages.

Vol. 1, p.369
The whole antediluvian world was enveloped in corruption; they had
forsaken God, the Father and fountain of their existence, and the
giver of every good and perfect gift, yielding submission to the
powers of the adversary in a state of darkness and ignorance, living
and propagating their species innumerable in that state of corruption,
depraving themselves morally and intellectually, forsaking God, and
teaching nothing but principles that were corrupt and abominable. Look
at the world in that state, and consider God as their Father, and
themselves as eternal beings, and propagating eternal beings in a
state of the deepest depravity; look at things that awaited them in
the future, the position they stood in, the misery they must endure in
the future after they had lived here, the trouble and position they
had got to be placed in before ever they could get back to the
presence of their Father; think of millions and millions of people
living and dying in this, and bringing millions of individuals into
the world, that had got to bear their fathers' sins, cursed with their
curse, and living and dying in, their corruption still more increased,
to be damned and go to hell, to be redeemed before they could be
brought back again into the presence of their Creator—taking this view
of the matter, can you say that God was unjust, cruel, and tyrannical
for destroying such a people as that? No; for there were millions of
unborn spirits to come into this world and inhabit these depraved
bodies, and become subject to the corruptions of a depraved parentage;
for there was not a righteous generation, for the whole earth had
corrupted themselves. He had power to put a stop to the propagation of
such corruption, but, had He not done it, would He have acted
righteously to those yet unborn? Would He be doing justice to His
creation upon the earth to let the devil bear rule and universal sway,
and never put forth His hand to stop mankind in their react [p.370]
career? Every man of reflection would look upon the destruction of
such depraved beings as an act of mercy, thus stopping those growing
evils by cutting, off the life of man from the earth, and stopping the
onward course of that vile seed.

Vol. 1, p.370
What is the reason men form wrong judgments about such things? It is
because they do not understand and comprehend correct principles,
because they do not possess the visions of the Almighty; they
understand not the end from the beginning, neither do they comprehend
the designs of the Great Jehovah; if they did, they would have very
different feelings and ideas in relation to the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah and the old world, with all their abominations and
corruptions, and in relation to the doings of Moses and Joshua, and
other men of God, who were set apart to keep in order affairs
pertaining to the kingdom of God, and establish righteousness, and do
the will of heaven. If they had not done these things, they themselves
would have been corrupted, and their children after them, they would
have suffered the evil to overcome the good, and suffered Satan to
triumph over God, and to bear rule, and have dominion, and corrupt the
whole of the human family. There are thousands of such things as these
that men form wrong ideas about, and wrong judgments; whereas, if they
only understood the mind of God, and correct principles, they would
come to other conclusions, and say—"God acts with wisdom and prudence,
and righteously, in all His dealings with the human family."

Vol. 1, p.370
It is necessary that men should possess the Spirit of God before they
can know the things of God: hence t e great diffilculty that the
servants of God have had to labor under, in different ages of the
world, in the propagation of the truth, is, what would be right in the
eyes of God would seem wrong to the understanding of mankind; hence
His servants have been persecuted, afflicted, tried, driven, hunted,
put to death, and endured every kind of torment and affliction that
the ingenuity of wicked men, and the hellish malice of demons could
contrive, and all this for the lack of understanding and of love for
the principles of truth. It has been difficult in every age of the
world for the servants of God to accomplish His purposes upon the
earth. It has been difficult for those who have professed to be Saints
of God, in every age, to do His will faithfully without being
molested, such has been the influence of the powers of darkness, the
weakness of man's intellect, and the lack of knowledge in the things
of God. Because of this, it has been a difficult matter for those who
have professed godliness, to discriminate between right and wrong;
they would feel inclined to do right, but as it was with Paul on
certain occasions, when he would do good, evil was present with him. I
expect he ought to have overcome it, and I expect we ought likewise;
but such is the case, we cannot look anywhere but we can see the
weakness and infirmity of human nature.

Vol. 1, p.370
We can sit down and reason calmly and dispassionately upon this
matter, guided by the Spirit of God, and reflect back to the time of
Enoch, and read some of the revelations given to that people, and look
at the struggles and trials they had to pass through; then look also
at the length of time that elapsed, after he had gathered His people
from the corrupt world, before they were prepared to be caught up into
the heavens; for Enoch was translated, and the city with him, and the
Saints, its inhabitants, those who believed in him as a Prophet of
God, and worked righteousness.

Vol. 1, p.370
Look again at the time that Noah came from the ark, after he and his
household were saved from the flood that drowned the world; they were
[p.371] the only ones that were righteous. When Noah and his family
had seen the dreadful wreck, the awful calamity, the heart-rending
scenes of distress and anguish, trouble and death, that overwhelmed
the world—with all this staring them in the face, how soon his
posterity departed from correct principles, and bowed their necks to
the power of the adversary; how soon was the weakness of human nature
made manifest! Consider the trouble, afflictions, war, and bloodshed
that have come in consequence of all this, the fostering of evil
passions in the human heart, and giving way to every kind of iniquity,
being led captive by the devil at his will, until nation has been
arrayed against nation, kingdom against kingdom, power against power,
and authority against authority. Witness the human beings that have
been slain, and the human carcases that have been left to rot upon the
battlefields; all this has been in consequence of not adhering to what
is righteous, true, and holy.

Vol. 1, p.371
Again, see the old Israelites. Abraham had been set apart, and
selected by the Almighty, as a man who had proved faithful in all
things, after being tried to the uttermost extremity. God positively
said, "I know Abraham will fear me and command his children after
him." Yet look at his children, and look at their seed in the
wilderness, and when the arm of God had been stretched out in their
behalf, see their rebellion, idolatry, and lasciviousness, and you
will see fair specimens of poor, fallen, depraved human nature. Such
was the ease with them, and such has been the ease in every age of the
world. We cannot account for it upon any other principle, than that
the God of this world has blinded, and does continue to blind, the
hearts of the children of men, lest the light of the glorious Gospel
of peace should shine in upon them, and they should be saved.

Vol. 1, p.371
Wherein are we better than many of those of which we have spoken? God
has revealed His truth to us; He has opened the heavens and sent forth
His holy angels, has restored the holy Priesthood in as great power as
ever it was in any age, and in fact greater; for we are now living in
the dispensation of the fulness of times, when God has determined to
gather all things in one, whether they be things in heaven or things
in the earth; notwithstanding all this, are we much better than the
ancient people we have just noticed?    We can read the history of the
people of this continent, in the Book of Mormon, of their faithfulness
to God, and the principles of truth and righteousness, and the hand of
God was stretched out in mighty power to save them from their enemies;
and we read again of their destruction and overthrow in consequence of
their departure from God. And among this people, who have been blessed
with the light and revelations of God, who have been gathered from
different nations, who have travelled thousands of miles for the
privilege of listening to the oracles of eternal truth, of securing to
themselves salvation, who have hailed with joy the message of mercy
that has been extended to them, whose hearts in former times beat high
with prospects of mingling with the Saints of God in Zion, and
listening to the words of eternal life, what do we see even among
them? The same specimen of fallen human nature; the same weakness,
infirmities, and follies that have characterized men who have lived in
former ages.

Vol. 1, p.371
How many of us have fallen on the right hand and on the left; those we
have judged to be men of intelligence, some of them have stepped aside
in one shape and some in another. Some have given way to their corrupt
appetites and passions, and have fallen in an evil hour, have lost the
Spirit of [p.372] God, have destroyed themselves, and have destroyed
others; corrupted, weak, fallen, degenerate, and abominable, they have
sunk to their own place. How much of this has there been both among
men and women, to the violation of the most sacred covenants they have
made before God, angels, and men. They have broken their covenants,
corrupted themselves, departed from the right way, lost the Spirit of
God, and they are anxious to go here and there, and everything is
wrong with them, and every place fails to yield them comfort, because
a consciousness of their guilt is continually with them; everything is
out of place to them, and their understandings are darkened. At one
time they were quick to comprehend truth by the light of the Spirit,
but now they walk in darkness.

Vol. 1, p.372
This reminds me of a remark made once in Far West by a man; says he,
"I know Joseph Smith is a false Prophet, and that the Book of Mormon
and Covenants are false." How do you know it. "Why, says he, if a man
commit adultery, he shall apostatize; and I have done it, and have not
apostatized." That is a good sample of the intelligence that is
manifested by many. Do people think they can commit acts of iniquity,
transgress the laws of God, and break their covenants, after being
admitted to great privileges in the kingdom of God, and retain His.
Spirit, and a knowledge of His purposes? I tell you, no; but their
very conduct and spirit give the lie to their profession all the day
long, just as much as this Missouri man's did which I have mentioned.

Vol. 1, p.372
Well, what is it we are engaged in? Is the object of our being, in
this life, attained by thinking of nothing else but horses, to look to
nothing else but our little interests, our little farm or house, a few
cattle, and the like? Is this all we are concerned in, ye Latter-day
Saints? And if some of these things do not come smooth and square
according to your notions; and if you have made your golden or some
other darling idol, and a Moses should come along and break it to
pieces and stamp it under his feet, and scatter it abroad, and say,
"Arise, Israel, and wake from your slumbers;" do you feel very much
grieved? Do you feel as though some dreadful calamity had happened to
you? Have you forgot who you are, and what your object is? Have you
forgot that you profess to be Saints of the Most High God, clothed
upon with the Holy Priesthood? Have you forgot that you are aiming to
become Kings and Priests to the Lord, and Queens and Priestesses to
Him? Have you forgot that you are associated with the Saints of God in
Zion, where the oracles of truth are revealed, and the truths of God
are made manifest, and clearly developed; where you and your posterity
after you can learn the ways of life and salvation; where you are
placed in a position that you can obtain blessings from the great
Eloheim, that will rest upon you and your posterity worlds without
end? Have you forgot these things, and begun to turn again to the
beggarly elements of the world, and become blind, like others we have
spoken of, turning like the sow that was washed to her wallowing in
the mire? We ought to reflect sometimes upon these things, and
understand our true position. Have you forgot that you came from God,
that He is your Father? Have you forgot that you are aiming to get
back to His presence? If you have forgot all this, your conduct and
actions now are fraught with eternal consequences to yourselves, to
your progenitors, and to your posterity after you. Have you forgot
that thousands who have possessed the Holy Priesthood here, still
exist in the eternal world, and look with interest upon your conduct
and proceedings? Have you forgot [p.373] that God has set His hand
again the second time to gather the remnants of His people? Have you
forgot that He is preparing a people that shall be pure in heart; be
blessed with light, life, and intelligence; with knowledge of things
past, present, and to come? Have you forgot that you are standing in
the midst of brethren who have gone behind the vail, who are Watching
your actions, and are anxious for your welfare, prosperity, and
exaltation? Have you forgot that we are living in the last time,
wherein a mighty struggle will have to take place between the powers
of darkness that are in the world, and the children of light; that it
is necessary for us as indivduals to gird ourselves with the
principles of truth, and be girt about with righteousness on the right
hand and on the left, to enable us to stand in the midst of
desolation, ruin, and misery, that are overhanging a devoted earth;
and that as eternal beings we ought to have our eyes open to eternal
things, and not be dreaming away our existence, forgetful of what we
came into the world to accomplish?

Vol. 1, p.373
Well, here we are, and who are we? We are Saints of the Most High God,
are we not? And after all our weakness and infirmities, we are the
best people there is under the face of the heavens, by a thousand
fold. Poor as we are, weak as we are, changeable, afflicted as we are,
still we are the best people God has upon the earth. If truth is
revealed anywhere, it is here; if God communicates His will to the
human family anywhere, it is here. If anybody can enlighten mankind,
this people can; and if the nations of the earth, with their kings,
potentates, and powers, are ever exalted in the kingdom of God, ever
receive the light, truth, and intelligence of heaven, it will be
through the means of this people. We are His servants; we are enlisted
for life in the kingdom of God, to do His bidding, and to walk in
obedience to His laws, to sustain His kingdom, to roll forth His
purposes, and do whatsoever He shall think fit to require of us.

Vol. 1, p.373
We have had some things presented to us during the Conference, about
which I am ignorant of the feelings of this people, neither do I care
what are their feelings; it is a matter of no moment to me, neither is
it to my brethren, nor to any who do the will of God. But one thing I
know, and one thing you know, you are not competent, in and of
yourselves, to regulate anything pertaining to your eternal welfare; I
do not care how wise and intelligent you may be, there is not one
among you independent of God, or of the teachings of His servants.
That I know, and that you know.

Vol. 1, p.373
We have noticed some things this morning, wherein the world are at
fault, because of their lack of experience. Take, for instance, one
hair of the world, I mean China, and the great majority in Europe.
Notice their position at the present time, and can any of you point
out a remedy that will restore amity and peace among them? Is there a
master mind, or spirit—a man possessed of sufficient intelligence, to
walk forth among the nations of Europe, and say to the hydra headed
monster, "War, lie still and be thou quiet?" Is there a man who can go
into China and do the same thing, and straighten out the snarled
condition of the world?

Vol. 1, p.373
Let us come nearer home; can any of you regulate the affairs of this
nation and put them right? I do not believe you can; and if you cannot
do such small things, that are associated with time, things that we
can see, know, and understand, how are you going to put in order the
things of God? How are you going to order ends that are to come? to
know what will be the best course to pursue, when the nations shall be
convulsed, [p.374] thrones cast down, and empires destroyed; when
nation shall rush madly upon nation, and human blood shall flow as
rivers of water? What would we do ill such circumstances? Some people
have thought we were in a dreadful condition, when the Indian
difficulties were among us in these mountains; and our distant
neighbors have been surprised how we have existed; but what would you
think if you were in some of the European nations at the present time?
Suppose you were one of the kings of those nations, or one of the
counsellors, and some of the largest nations should undertake to
command you to supply a number of men to help fight their battles, and
you would say, "We wish to remain neutral;" the reply would be, "But
we will make you fight, and if you do not do it we will exterminate
you, to begin with." Suppose you were in a position like that. I think
we are no worse off in these mountains, than the world are. We may be
in some circumstances, but in many other respects we are much better
off than they. I think our young men, for instance, would think it
very hard if they were obliged to spend from three to five years in
soldiering in times of peace, which they have to do in many of the
nations of Europe, or bring a substitute to go in their place. I think
sometimes we might be a great deal worse off than we are; and I think
it is necessary men should be tried in order that they may be proved,
and that they may know themselves; and that some should be destroyed,
as they have been on this continent, or on the other; it is all in the
wise providence of God; life and death are of little moment to Him. It
is a matter of great importance to know the truth, and obey it, to
have the privilege of learning, at the mouths of the servants of God,
His will, and then to have the privilege of doing it unmolested, no
matter what it is, whether to live or die, or whatever course we may
have to pursue. I think it is a great privilege for us to be
associated with the kingdom of God. I esteem it so myself, and I feel
to bless God my heavenly Father, all the day long, that He has counted
me worthy to obtain the Priesthood, and to be associated with His
servants, who are the most honorable, pure, and philanthropic men upon
the earth; and I feel to bless and praise my heavenly Father all the
day long; my heart is full of praise, and I rejoice exceedingly that I
have been confuted worthy to be associated with His people and
kingdom.

Vol. 1, p.374
Should we not all feel alike in this? We all profess to be full of
love for, and manifest a great amount of confidence in, the Holy
Priesthood. It reminds me of some of the missionaries among the
churches of the day; they always have a great deal of faith about the
spiritual welfare of the people, but they never had faith enough to
trust their time and their friends in the hands of God, while they
were engaged in His work; but there must be missionary boxes to
swallow up the money put into them, and if they go abroad, they must
be well supplied with money, but they call upon the people to trust
them for their spiritual welfare, while they cannot trust God for a
piece of Johnny cake. I think we are very like them sometimes; we have
a good supply of faith, we can speak and sing in tongues, and some of
us have the gift of prophecy, and are full of religion and zeal. We
pray fervently for the President, and for the Twelve, and for the
rolling forth of God's kingdom, and we seem all alive in it in this
way; but what about our temporal interests? "O, I do not know so much
about them, I think we are the best judges in these matters, but in
spiritual matters I do not meddle as a judge, they are in the hands of
the Lord's servants, and I [p.375] can attend to my temporal affairs
myself."

Vol. 1, p.375
"Yes, we have a great deal of faith, we can speak in tongues, and cast
out devils in thy name." But take care he does not say at last, "I do
not know you." "Why, Lord? Did we not cast out devils, and were we not
full of thy religion, and did we not pray unto thee often?" Yet He
will say," I never knew you."

Vol. 1, p.375
I will tell you how I feel about the principle of consecration, that
has been presented by the President before the Conference; but there
is one thing that will perhaps make a difference with me, I have not
much to consecrate or sacrifice, consequently I cannot boast much in
these matters. No matter about that, let it come; for I feel I am
enlisted for the war, and it is going to last for time, and throughout
all eternity; and if I am a servant of God, I am under the direction
of those servants of God, whom He has appointed to guide and counsel
me by revelation from Him; it is their right to dictate and control me
amid all the affairs of those associated with the kingdom of God; and
I feel moreover that everything, whether spiritual or temporal,
relating to time or to eternity, is associated with the kingdom of
God. Feeling in that way, it makes very little difference to me which
way things go; it is not a matter of great moment whether they take
that side, this side, or the other side; whether the path is rough or
smooth; it will only last a certain time, and I can only last a
certain time; but the chief thing with me is, how to hold on to my
faith, and maintain my integrity, and honor my calling, and see to it
that I am found faithful at the latter end, not only of this life, but
in worlds without end; and continue to grow in all intelligence,
knowledge, faith, perseverance, power, and exaltation; that is a
matter of some importance to me, but the other is scarcely worth a
thought.

Vol. 1, p.375
The principle that was laid before us has been published years ago in
the revelations of God, and the Saints have anxiously looked forward
to the time when it would be fully entered into by them. But there is
one thing you may set down for a certainty—if a man has not confidence
in one revelation of God, he has not in another; and if a man feels
right in one, he will in all the revelations from that source. I would
hate, after struggling, and trying to master the evil around me, and
to conquer the evil disposition that besets me, to let some little
thing upset me, and root me up, and cause me to lose my high calling's
glorious hope, and make a shipwreck of my faith, and send me down to
perdition; and I know you would hate it also. We have got to follow
the oracles of heaven in all things; there is no other way but to
follow him God has appointed to lead us and guide us into eternal
salvation. He is either delegated from heaven to do this, or he is
not; if he is, we will follow his counsel; if he is not, then we may
kick up our heels, and every man help himself the best way he can. If
I came from my Father in heaven, and am seeking to find my way back to
His presence again, and I do not know the way myself, I feel, for one,
by the grace of God, to yield to the intelligence He gives, and go
forward in the name of the great Eloheim, that I may obtain the object
of my creation, and not make a fool of myself, and destroy myself, but
be a blessing to myself, to my progenitors, and my posterity, and
obtain a seat in the kingdom of God.

Vol. 1, p.375
These ought to be our feelings. I know the majority of this people
feel right, and I pray God to increase this good feeling in every
bosom, that our hearts may expand, and that the blessings of the great
God may rest upon us, and that we may all ultimately be saved in His
kingdom. AMEN. [p.376]

Brigham Young, December 16, 1851

Blessings of the Saints—A House for the Lord

An Address By President Brigham Young,
Delivered at the Christmas Festival of the Public Hands, 
in the Carpenters' Hall, Great Salt Lake City, Dec. 16, 1851.

Vol. 1, p.376
Five years ago we were menaced on every side by the cruel persecutions
of our inveterate enemies; hundreds of families, who had been forced
from their homes, and compelled to leave behind them their all, were
wandering as exiles in a state of abject destitution: but, by the
favor of heaven we have been enabled to surmount all these
difficulties, and can assemble here to-day in the chamber of these
mountains, where there are none to make us afraid, far from our
persecutors, far from the turmoil and confusion of the old world.

Vol. 1, p.376
Brethren and sisters, has not the Lord poured out His blessings upon
you to surpass all former times? Your barns and presses are filled
with fine wheat, and other productions of these valleys; your tables
groan under the abundance of the blessings of the Almighty. Is there
room for one complaint or murmur by this people? No! You are full with
the blessings of God; you can sit down and eat and drink until you are
satisfied. There are hundreds of thousands in the old world who can
say they never did have enough to satisfy the cravings of nature.
There are thousands at this time, who would crawl upon their hands and
knees, or travel on foot over the mighty ocean, were there an highway
east up, carrying their little children upon their backs, to obtain
the blessings that we this day enjoy. That day of peace and plenty
which the Saints have looked for from the commencement of this Church,
has in a great measure come to pass.

Vol. 1, p.376
This is a party for the public hands, those who are laboring for the
public good. I am a public hand, and myself and all I possess belong
to the Lord; all I possess is tithing, from the cap upon my head to
the soles of the pumps upon my feet. When my Bishop came to value my
property, he wanted to know what he should take my tithing in. I told
him to take anything I had got, for I did not set my heart upon any
one thing; my horses, cows, hogs, or any other thing he might take; my
mind was not set upon any of them. My heart is set upon the work of my
God, upon the public good of His great kingdom. If there be any public
hands who feet contrary to this, they had better leave, and seek to
build up themselves; let them try if they can accomplish any more in
that way, than by dedicating themselves to the Lord, in the building
up of His works. Those who wish to try this, will meet with a signal
disappointment.

Vol. 1, p.376
Brethren, we are the Lord's, and all we possess; and I have
determined, by the help of the Lord and this people, to build Him a
house. You may ask, "Will He dwell in it?" He may do just as He
pleases; it is not my prerogative to dictate to the Lord. But we will
build Him a house, that if He pleases to pay us a visit, He may have a
place to dwell in, or if He should send any of His servants, We may
have suitable accommodations for them. I have built myself a house,
and the most of you have done the same, and now shall we not build the
Lord a house? (The deep-toned voices of the public hands answered,
"Aye.") I will not interrupt your enjoyments by saying more, though,
on such an interesting occasion as this, much more might be said:

Vol. 1, p.376
Brethren and sisters, I feel to bless you in the name of the Lord.
Amen.