Journal of Discourses Volume 25

BY:  PRESIDENT JOHN TAYLOR,

HIS COUNSELLORS,
THE TWELVE APOSTLES,
AND OTHERS

Reported By
GEO. F. GIBBS, JOHN IRVINE AND OTHERS.

Respectfully Dedicated to the Latter-Day Saints in All the World

VOL. XXV.

ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL.
LIVERPOOL:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY JOHN HENRY SMITH, 42, ISLINGTON.
LONDON:

LATTER-DAY SAINTS' BOOK DEPOT, 19, 
SUTHERLAND STREET PIMLIGO LONDON, S. W.

1884.

Preface

Vol. 25, p.iii
In presenting this TWENTY-FIFTH Volume of the Journal of Discourses to
our readers, we express the hope that they may be inspired by the same
spirit in perusing those discourses, that our brethren enjoyed in
delivering them, and that the fruits may be seen in increased
diligence and faith in the lives of the Latter-day Saints.

THE PUBLISHER.[p.1]

George Q. Cannon, September 2, 1883

(CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 376, JOURNAL DISCOURSES)

Traveling Through the Settlements—The Necessity of the Settlements
Being
Visited—Revelation—Bogus Authority of Sectarian Preachers—The Claim
that the
Canon of Scripture is Full—The Cause of There Being No Communication
With God
—Visitation of the Father and Son and Holy Angels to Joseph
Smith—Mahomed—
The World No Idea of the Character of God—Restoration of the Knowledge
of God—Angels not Feathered Beings—No Wonder the World Has Gone Astray
—Space Between Death and the Resurrection—the Reign of Satan—Joseph
Smith
Accomplished His Mission—Persecution—This Nation Making Joseph Smith
a Prophet—No Surrendering the Kingdom of God—God Will Deliver His
People—
Temples—Shall Those Who Have Obeyed the Law of God Be Looked Down Upon
 By Those Who Have not?—Conclusion

Delivered in the Meeting House, Provo, Sunday Morning, September 2nd,
1883.

Reported By John Irvine

Vol. 25, p.1
All that is necessary on our part is to fear God and keep his
commandments—to be brave and loyal and true to the cause that He has
established upon the earth—to live such lives of purity as shall
enlist heaven in our behalf. That is all that is necessary for us as
individuals, or as a people, to do. God is doing a great work among
us, much greater than many of us imagine. We do not see Him, but He is
nevertheless in our midst. We do not see Jesus, but He is nevertheless
in our midst. We do not see angels, but they are nevertheless in our
midst. God is working to get this people to the perfection that He
desires them to attain. We are building Temples. Who shall enter these
Temples when completed? Shall the adulterer? Shall the whoremonger?
Shall the thief? Shall the drunkard? Shall the blasphemer? Shall the
Sabbath breaker? Shall the men who defile themselves by the sins of
the world enter therein and receive all those precious blessings that
God has to bestow? Ask yourselves who shall enter therein. I tell you,
my brethren and sisters, that God demands of us a holiness of life
that we cannot conceive of at the present time; but there are duties
we can conceive of, that we should attend to. We should [p.2] put away
sin far from us. We should live so that our God will be very near to
us. And we should encourage faith in our hearts.

Vol. 25, p.2
There is a class of people who have been disfranchised because they
have chosen to obey the word of God; they have been excluded from the
polls, excluded from office, and another class of Latter-day Saints
are now in possession of the offices. Shall those who have not obeyed
the law of God as perfectly as their brethren and sisters—shall they
look down upon those who have obeyed that law and say: "You have been
put out of office; we have chosen the better part; we have done that
which has resulted in the most good; and if it had not been that we
were reluctant to obey that law, this Territory to-day would not be in
the hands of the Latter-day Saints?" Shall that be the expression of
feeling on the part of those who have been, for various reasons,
prevented from obeying the fullness of the law of God? Woe! to this
people if that were to be the feeling. I bear my testimony this day
that God has commanded us, His servants, to obey His law, and I would
not, for all this world, for all its honors, and for everything that
is within the power of man to bestow—I would not be in any other
condition than the one I am in, so far as that law is concerned. I
dare not risk my salvation outside of obedience to that law. There may
be men who will get into the celestial kingdom who have not obeyed
that law—God will be their judge—but I dare not put myself in that
position; I dare not risk my eternal salvation and exaltation on any
such contingency as that. The law has been revealed. The moment the
revelation was published and it came to my knowledge, it became a
command to me—though I was not mentioned personally—and I accepted it
as such. I have obeyed it as such, believing in my heart that God will
save and exalt all those who perfectly carry it out. It is the hatred
of that principle among others, that creates excitement. Yet, by that
principle, God has designed to accomplish His purposes on the earth,
and to redeem His people from the evils which afflict mankind at the
present day. The other agencies that are at work among men to-day, are
complete failures. What has all Christendom done towards stopping or
arresting the progress of prostitution? All the preachers combined
have no more effect upon it than the whistling of the wind. It
increases and spreads. And who shall deliver mankind from that sin and
dreadful train of evils? There is nothing can do so but the power of
God, the commandments of God, and the revelations of God. God has
revealed the law by which it shall be accomplished, and we have seen
the effects of it to a certain extent. We see a generation growing up
here, young men and young women, who are the admiration of all who
behold them—fine physical specimens of manhood and womanhood—pleasant
faces and lovely countenances and forms—showing that the blessings of
God have evidently rested upon the parents. I thought of Brother
Smoot's case. I remarked but for plurality, he would to-day have been
without a child of his own. But see what a number of children he has,
and what beautiful children they are. It is so everywhere throughout
these mountains. The blessing of God has rested down upon His
servants. Their houses are filled with beautiful children. The
blessing of God  has attended [p.3] the men who have obeyed His law,
and the women also. They have had their trials; but these have had the
effect of purifying them. They have gained strength and power with
God, and with man also, and the day will come when they will be
honored men and honored women on the face of the earth. That day will
come. It may be distant yet for a little while, but it will come most
assuredly.

Vol. 25, p.3
I pray God my Heavenly Father, to fill you with the Holy Ghost, that
you may be enlightened thereby, and that you may be led to see and
comprehend the greatness of the work in which we are engaged, and the
character of those influences we have to contend with. There are
unseen influences on both sides. There are unseen and invisible
agencies that God our Heavenly Father has brought to bear upon this
work to aid us, and there are on the other side those unseen agencies
of evil. We can tell them by their fruits and by the results of their
actions upon the children of men. Let us remember that it is not that
which is before us alone that we have to contend with, but that there
are powers behind those that we see in the flesh, and those powers are
determined to destroy this work. It is a contest between Satan and
God, and there can be no doubt as to the result; and if we cling to
the truth we shall take part in all the glorious triumphs of this
work, which I pray for in the name of Jesus. Amen. [p.4] 

Wilford Woodruff, January 6, 1884

"Truth is Mighty and Will Prevail"—Introduction of the Principles of
Eternal Truth—
Fulfilment of Prophecy in Our Own Time—Principles of the Gospel Worthy
of 
Consideration—Their Unpopularity—Peculiar Position of the Latter-Day
Saints
—The Kingdom of God Predicted By the Prophets—Joseph Smith—No Power
Can
 Stay the Hand of Almighty—The Gospel of Christ is the Law of
Salvation—Persecution—
Polygamy—Treat Our Fellow Men Aright—Commencement of the
Millennium—Warfare
 Between God and the Devil—Faith—the Secret of the Strength of the
Saints—Responsibility
 of Rulers, Etc.—Responsibility of the Saints

Delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon,
 January 6, 1884.

Reported By John Irvine.

Vol. 25, p.4
There is a proverb or saying which I have heard a good many times in
my life, and which I think bears a great deal of weight, and that is,
"truth is mighty and will prevail." I think this has been manifested
in every capacity in which truth has been used, whether applied
temporally or spiritually; whether applied in the capacity of nations,
or families, or individuals; whether applied to the world or to the
kingdom of God. I think that in every age of the world, truth, whether
it has been popular or unpopular, has proved itself, in the end of its
labor, to prevail in all eases. When Columbus was moved upon by the
Spirit of God, to cross the ocean to find a new continent, his object
and desires were unpopular with those by whom he was surrounded, and
it was only after a good deal of labor that he gained favor in the
eyes of any of the rulers of the nations whereby to receive assistance
sufficient to carry out his wishes. But in the end he prevailed. He
found a new world, as it were, which to-day contains a population of
the Anglo-Saxon race, numbering fifty millions of people. The
commencement of Columbus' project was certainly unpopular, but the
result has proved it true. And so in all cases, whenever men have been
inspired to receive truth, or to promulgate any principle, which would
be a benefit to the human family, they have generally been unpopular.
When Robert Fulton undertook to demonstrate the power of steam in a
steamboat, the crowd which gathered to behold the event, did not
gather to see success; they gathered there to ridicule, to see a man
fail in performing a work which they considered impossible. But when
the steam  was applied to the vessel it moved. The invention was
certainly [p.5] very crude, but there was truth in it, and it has
prevailed to a great extent; for steam is the great motive power of
all the machinery in the world, in a great measure. And so with a
Scottish Earl when he announced that there was a man going to try and
light the City of Edinburgh with smoke. The man was looked upon as
crazy. But there was truth in that smoke, and it lit the city, and it
has given light to a good many other cities since. The principle
prevailed, and is now adopted throughout the world. So with Mr. Morse,
the electrician. He unsuccessfully in the first instance, [in 1837-8]
sought aid both from the American Congress and the English government
to enable him to carry out his ideas; but, ultimately [in 1843] he
gained assistance from Congress, and his invention of telegraphy was
demonstrated a success, and is now made use of throughout the
civilized world. And so we might go on to show that in almost every
instance when men have undertaken to introduce new
principles—principles of truth—principles that would benefit the human
family—they have generally been very unpopular, until the truth was
made manifest to the world.

Vol. 25, p.5
The same thing may be applied to the introduction of the principles of
eternal truth pertaining to the salvation of the human family in a
spiritual point of view. When our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
stepped forth into the world to occupy the position to which He had
been ordained of God, there were but few individuals who had faith in
Him, or who were looking for the coming of the Son of Man in
fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus, all His life, it maybe said, from the
manger to the cross, was very unpopular with the mass of the human
family, more particularly the inhabitants of Jerusalem. His history is
before the world. He died an ignominious death upon the cross, and
those of His own Father's house, the High Priests, and the leading men
of Jerusalem, were all in favor of His death. Yet the Savior possessed
truth. He offered truth to the world; He offered life and salvation to
the world. But the principles He taught were unpopular in His day. He
gathered around Him a few followers; but the acceptance of His
principles cost them their lives, as it did the life of the Savior
Himself. I do not know of a man—except it was John the Revelator—who
escaped. They all died violent deaths. They had to seal their
testimony with their blood. Some were crucified; others were sawn
asunder, beheaded, or in some way put to death for the word of God,
and the testimony of Jesus Christ. They were put to death for their
religion. How is it to-day? What name has been more honored, or more
held up as an ensample to the world than the name of Jesus Christ? The
Catholic world, the Protestant world, in fact the whole Christian
world are professing to honor the name of Jesus Christ. The Savior had
truth, but it was not received in His day and time.

Vol. 25, p.5
With regard to our own time my mind is often led to reflect upon it.
Half a century has past and gone before the eyes of this generation,
since the God of heaven commenced, as in former ages of the world, the
fulfillment of prophecy and revelation contained in the Bible—this
good old book that the Christian world profess to believe in so much.
The Lord has set His hand to bring to pass some of these prophecies
and principles which He had foreordained before the world was, and
[p.6] which He has left on record through the medium of holy men who
wrote and spoke as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost from
generation to generation. Those prophecies are with us to-day. They
are contained in the Bible, a book that is published by millions
throughout the Christian world. The Christian world profess to honor
the Bible and to honor the prophecies and sayings of Christ and the
Apostles. But do they believe in the fulfillment of these things? Do
they believe in the fulfillment of these principles and truths which
are today being fulfilled in the eyes of heaven and earth? No. Those
prophecies and those principles—which the God of heaven has set His
hand to carry out—are as unpopular to-day throughout the Christian
world as they were when Jesus of Nazareth stood in the flesh and
proclaimed the same to the Jewish nation. We occupy the same position
that they did in that day and generation with regard to these truths.
Now, as I have said, truth is mighty. It always has prevailed in every
age of the world. It will prevail in this dispensation as it has done
in others. The God of Israel will no more fail to-day to carry out the
principles which He has stretched forth His hand to establish, than he
did in the days of either Adam, Enoch, Noah, or Jesus, or in the days
of any other dispensation.

Vol. 25, p.6
The principles to which I allude —the principles of the Gospel—are
worthy the attention and comprehension of at least the Latter-day
Saints, and it would he well for the Christian world to take them into
consideration also; for if truth is going to prevail in the earth it
certainly will involve the destiny of this whole generation, Jew and
Gentile, high and low, rich and poor, Zion and Babylon. It will
involve the destiny of the whole world —of the fourteen hundred
millions of people who breathe the breath of life in it. And I bear
record and testimony; as a servant of God, that the God of heaven has
set His hand to carry out those great and eternal principles which He
decreed before the world was made and which He has left on record
through the mouths of His prophets, to be fulfilled in the last
dispensation and fullness of times. Are these principles popular
to-day? They are not. Why not? Because the world is not governed by
the spirit of inspiration; because its people do not seek the Lord;
because they do not honor His name; but they are governed and
controlled by other principles. But the Lord will rule over His own
Kingdom, notwithstanding the Devil has great dominion to-day as he has
had in almost every age of the world. The inhabitants of the earth
have their agency. They must use that agency according to the desires
of their own hearts, whether they be for good, or whether they be for
evil. But the day is at hand when the Lord will show the children of
this generation that there is a God in Israel, as He has done in other
dispensations when He has reigned. In all the history of the dealings
of God with man this one principle, sooner or later, has manifested
itself: that virtue exalteth a nation, while sin is a reproach to any
people. You will see that this has been manifested in the history of
all nations under heaven—in their rise and progress and prosperity,
and in their fall and decline and in their final overthrow and
destruction. You will find in every instance that sin, error,
darkness, falsehood, wrong-doing, have laid the foundation of the
overthrow [p.7] of every nation and city under heaven from the
foundation of the world until the present time. What man sow they will
reap, and what measure they measure to others will be measured unto
them.

Vol. 25, p.7
To-day we occupy a peculiar position as a people—as Latter-day Saints
here in these mountains Here is a people growing up in the earth w he
are organized in to a Church, called the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. How did the organization of that Church come about?
Why, the God of heaven has proclaimed through His prophets Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others, whose writings are contained within the
lids of the Bible, that in the latter days He would set His hand to
call forth His Church out of the wilderness and out of darkness and
error, and establish it upon the foundation of truth, Christ Jesus
being the chief corner stone. The God of heaven also proclaimed
through Daniel, 4,000 years ago, that in the latter days he would set
up a kingdom which should never be destroyed; and the kingdom should
not be left to other people, but it should break in pieces and consume
all these kingdoms, and it should stand forever. That prophet also
declared that a little stone should be cut out of the mountain without
hands; that the stone should become a great mountain and fill the
whole earth; and that it should break in pieces all other kingdoms.
Was that Prophet inspired by the Spirit and power of God? I say in the
name of Israel's God he was, and so was Isaiah when he spoke of the
gathering of the people auto the mountains of Israel to establish the
Zion of God in its beauty, strength, power and glory. The God of
heaven also inspired a prophet as he stood upon the Isle of
Patmos—John the Revelator—and in connection with the great events of
the Fast dispensation and fullness of times he saw, in vision, an
"angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to
preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and
kindred, and tongue and people, saying with a loud voice, tear God and
give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come." Now I want
this congregation; I want the world; I want the Christian world; I
want the priests of the day who cry aloud for the blood of innocence
to be shed to carry out their desires—I want these priests and all who
are laboring to overthrow "Mormonism," to carefully inquire, whether
those prophets were inspired of God, And if they were inspired of God,
whether it is right for them to make war against the work of God in
the earth? Whether it would not be better to let these things alone—to
leave them in the hands of the Lord, and allow Him to govern and
control as He sees fit? And if these men were inspired of the Lord and
made those proclamations—with thousands of others in the Bible and in
the revelations of God—the question is, whether this warfare against
God and against His work is going to prevail? The wicked will have no
such power; for the Lord has set His hand to fulfill these things
which have been predicted by His Prophets—to establish His Church and
Kingdom upon the earth. He has called Prophets, and they were inspired
of God. Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. He was a man raised up by
the power of God. He received the testimony of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ by visions and revelation as did John the Revelator. Angels
appeared unto him and taught him the ways of life. [p.8] Those men who
held the Priesthood —who were put to death in the flesh for the word
of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ—visited Joseph Smith. John
the Baptist conferred upon him the Aaronic Priesthood; Peter, James
and John, the Apostleship and Melchisedek Priesthood; and all the
Prophets who held any keys and powers belonging to the Gospel these
also visited Joseph Smith, and conferred upon him those keys and
powers and authority to administer them on the earth. These are
eternal truths, as the God of heaven lives, and they will prevail
whether men believe them or not, or whether the wicked war against
them or not. These truths belong to God Himself. He is the author of
them. He has given forth certain decrees, and they will have their
fulfillment in the earth.

Vol. 25, p.8
Now, as far as the Latter-day Saints are concerned, I will say to my
brethren and sisters, we ought to contemplate these principles. There
is no power organized beneath the heavens that can stay the hand of
Almighty God. He has set His hand to carry out His purposes. The world
hate this people, because the Lord has called them forth out of the
world, the same as He called His disciples of old. This is the
position we occupy to-day, as His people. Though our numbers are
small, yet "a little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a
strong nation:" and the Lord will hasten it in His time. A little one
has already become more than a thousand, or a hundred thousand, and in
spite of all opposition this small one will become a great nation, and
God will hasten it in His time, because God is our friend. Now, these
are truths. They have emanated from God Himself.

Vol. 25, p.8
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the law of salvation. No man can be
saved without it. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth—to Jew or Greek, Catholic, Methodist,
Baptist, or any other sect or party on the face of the earth.

Vol. 25, p.8
We, as Latter-day Saints, are called upon to build up Zion. We have
been gathered to be instructed by inspiration and through the medium
of the Holy Priesthood, in the principles of eternal truth. This is
our condition to-day. Fifty-three years have passed since this work
commenced. Joseph Smith dwelt in the flesh some fourteen years after
he organized this Church. He holds the keys of this dispensation on
both sides of the veil, and will hold them forever. God ordained him
to perform a certain work. He performed it. He stayed on earth until
his work was finished. All the keys, powers and principles which God
gave unto him he left with his brethren; although whatsoever he left
with his brethren did not take from him; for as Jesus says in a
revelation given in regard to the Priesthood:

Vol. 25, p.8
"Whose is faithful unto the obtaining these two Priesthoods of which I
have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the
Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies;

Vol. 25, p.8
"And he that receiveth my Father, receiveth my Father's Kingdom;
therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him;

Vol. 25, p.8
"And this is according to the oath and the covenant which belongeth to
the Priesthood;

Vol. 25, p.8
"But whose breaketh this covenant, after he hath received it, and
altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness  of sins in
this world nor in the world [p.9] to come."—Doc. and Cov., Sec. 84.

Vol. 25, p.9
Thus, although the Lord bestows upon His servants the same powers and
blessings that He Himself holds, it does not take away these powers
and blessings from the Father. The Father possesses all He had before.
The Son possesses all that he hath given unto him. So do the sons of
the living God. When a man bestows those gifts and blessings and
powers upon others, he does not lose them himself. The Lord raised up
Joseph Smith. He organized this Church. It has been organized for 54
years next April. And what has been the consequence? Have we had
opposition? Yes. Have we had persecution? Yes. Is not the desire of a
great many millions of people for our overthrow? Yes; and a great many
wish us put to death. Some men go so far as to be willing to slay,
utterly, men, women and children, because they believe what is termed
"Mormonism," but which is really the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These
things are proclaimed to the world to-day. What is the matter?
Mormonism is unpopular. Why is it unpopular? "Because," say the
priests of the day, "it interferes with our rights. We preach for hire
and divine for money, and if the Mormons were to prevail in the earth,
we should lose our business, and we cannot endure it." "Why," says the
world, "you profess to believe in polygamy, and that is why you are
persecuted." No, you are mistaken about that. The worst persecution
this Church ever endured was before polygamy was revealed to the
Church. We have had more prosperity since we carried out that law, and
endeavored to fulfill it according to the command of God, than we ever
had as a people before. And here is the principle with me—I speak as
an individual; I speak for myself—if this work is of God; if the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, as revealed to Joseph Smith, is true, then God
will take care of it; if the patriarchal law of marriage comes from
the God of Israel, He will take care of it; He will protect and defend
it, and He will uphold the people that carry it out. I say this is in
the name of Israel's God, And if it is not of God, who wants it? I
don't, neither do this people. I speak of this principle because I
want my brethren and sisters to understand the views I have upon it.

Vol. 25, p.9
I know we are engaged in the work of the Lord. I know this is His
Church. He has organized it with Prophets and Apostles in fulfillment
of predictions made thousands of years ago. This is a work which was
ordained before the world was. The Lord Almighty never created a world
like this and peopled it for 6,000 years, as he has done, without
having some motive in view. That motive was, that we might come here
and exercise our agency. The probation we are called upon to pass
through, is intended to elevate us so that we can dwell in the
presence of God our Father. And that eternal variety of character
which existed in the heavens among the spirits—from God upon his
throne down to Lucifer the son of the morning—exists here upon the
earth. That variety will remain upon the earth in the creations of
God, and for what I know, throughout the endless ages of eternity. Men
will occupy different glories and positions according to their
lives—according to the law they keep in the flesh.

Vol. 25, p.9
But I want the Latter-day Saints to understand their position. Our
trust is in God. With regard to men, it is our duty to  treat our
[p.10] fellow-men aright, to leave them in the hands of God if they
persecute us. The Lord has a controversy with this generation. This
Bible, the Old and New Testament, contains a vast amount of, I will
say, tremendous revelations, tremendous events, which hang over the
heads of the people of this dispensation. Are these events going to
fall unfulfilled? No; no more than they did in the days of the fall of
Babylon, of Nineveh, of Jerusalem, and of other cities in the nations
of the earth. When the inhabitants of Jerusalem became ripe in
iniquity; though Jerusalem was the royal city, in which was the Urim
and Thummim, and in which sacrifices were made unto the Lord, yet the
city was laid low, and the Jews have been trampled under the feet of
the Gentiles for 1,800 years. We are living at the commencement of the
Millennium, and near the close of the 6,000th year of the world's
history. Tremendous events await this generation. You can read an
account of them in the revelations of St. John; the opening of the
seals; the blowing of the trumpets; the pouring out of the plagues;
the judgments of God which will overtake the wicked when Great Babylon
comes in remembrance before God, and when the sword that is bathed in
heaven shall fall on Idumea, or the world who shall be able to abide
these things? Here we are living in the midst of these tremendous
events.

Vol. 25, p.10
We are in the hands of God; our nation is, and so are the nations of
the earth; and when they undertake to overthrow the Kingdom of God,
which is decreed shall be established, they have somebody to fight
against besides Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, or John Taylor, or any
other of the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. This warfare is between God and the devil, between light and
darkness, truth and error, between the heavens and the earth; and that
God who has supported His work from the creation of the world, is
bound to do it unto the end. Where have you ever read that the Kingdom
of God would be overthrown in the last days? You cannot find it
anywhere on the pages of the records of divine truth. No; the
revelations of God will be fulfilled. And we must exercise faith in
that direction. As the ancients had faith; as the world was created by
faith; as Noah built an ark and preached the Gospel of repentance for
120 years by faith; as Abraham went out not knowing where he was going
by faith; as the ancients performed many mighty works, such as the
subduing of cities and kingdoms by faith; therefore I say to the
Latter-day Saints, you are required by the God of Israel, your
Heavenly Father, by his Son Jesus Christ, by the holy angels, and by
every principle of eternal truth, to exercise faith in the revelations
of God, for they will be fulfilled as the Lord lives. God is with this
people. But we are required to hearken to his voice, obey his
commandments, and humble ourselves before him. And I thank the Lord
that I have lived to see the time when I believe there is a great
improvement among the Latter-day Saints. I believe they are exercising
greater faith in God. And there is a calmness prevailing among the
Mormons—so called—that is a marvel and a wonder to the world. The
world wonder why we are not excited over the opposition that is
brought to bear upon us by the millions of people who inhabit this
continent, as well as by the people of the nations of the earth. The
[p.11] reason of our calmness is—God is our friend, our lawgiver, our
deliverer. If the Lord cannot sustain His work, we certainly cannot.
But He can. He has always done it, and will do it to the end.
Therefore I say to the Saints, fear not. Trust in God. Let not your
hearts be faint. Let your prayers ascend to the ears of the Lord of
Sabbaoth, day and night. Ask what you want. When you do that, the Lord
will answer your prayers, if you ask what is right. There is where our
our strength lies. It is in God. I have no hope in anything else. But
I do look upon the Latter-day Saints as occupying a most glorious
position in this day and age of the world. This is the first time
since God created the world that he has ever established a
dispensation to remain on the earth until the coming of the Son of
Man—to remain in power and strength and glory, until the Millennium,
until He reigns whose right it is to reign. Behold what lies before
you! Behold the power of God! Behold the prosperity of Zion! Behold
the blessings which have rested upon your houses, your lands, your
flocks and herds, your children—the blessings of the earth as well as
of the heavens—in this mighty barren desert! Then should we have any
doubts or fears with regard to the Kingdom of God? No! As a people we
should rise up in faith and power before God, and make our wants
known, and leave our destiny in His hands. It is there anyhow, It will
remain there. And with regard to our nation, I leave them in the hands
of God; but I would to God their eyes were open to see and understand
the responsibilities that rest upon them. I would to God that the
rulers of our land—the President of the United States, the Congress of
the United States, the Supreme Court of the United States—would learn
the responsibility the God of heaven will hold them to in the
administration of those glorious principles laid down in the
Constitution of the government of this country. The God of heaven will
hold this nation, as well as all other nations, responsible for the
manner in which these principles are used. If they misuse them, it
will be their loss. If they trample the Constitution under foot; if
they undertake to deprive any portion of citizens of the rights the
Constitution guarantees unto them, they will be held responsible, and
will have to pay the bill. When innocent blood is shed, it costs
something; and I would to God that our nation could understand the
blessings they enjoy. There is no nation on the face of the earth that
has the same liberty that is guaranteed to us by the Constitution of
our country.

Vol. 25, p.11
Have we any warfare with our Government? Have we any reproach to offer
them? Not at all I feel sorry that this nation should sow seeds which
when ripe will bring destruction; for I know as God lives that if this
or any other government departs from the principles of truth, becomes
ripened in iniquity, forsakes the Lord, forsakes the principles of
life and liberty, the Goal of heaven will hold it responsible.
Judgments will come upon the wicked. When men depart from the
principles of truth and cleave unto darkness and wickedness, they reap
the whirlwind; they lay the foundation for desolation.

Vol. 25, p.11
I pray God my heavenly Father, that his blessing may rest upon us as
Latter-day Saints; that we may comprehend and understand our position,
our duties and our responsibilities to God. When I look, [p.12]
brethren and sisters, upon this handful of men and women here in these
mountains of Israel, say 150,000, out of the fourteen hundred million
people that dwell on the earth; when I realize the responsibility that
God has laid upon the Latter-day Saints, the responsibility of
building up this great kingdom of our God, of proclaiming the
principles of eternal life, light and truth to the world; when I
reflect upon these things I ask myself the question, What manner of
men ought we to be? Our numbers are small compared even with the
inhabitants of this nation, not to speak of the inhabitants of the
world; yet, as I said before I say again, the God of heaven looks to
the Latter-day Saints to carry on His work.

Vol. 25, p.12
Then let us be careful. Let us realize our condition. Let us realize
we are here upon a mission. Let us realize that we will be held
responsible for the manner in which we fill it. We should be willing
to sacrifice everything for the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God. Any
man who will seek to save his life and desert the principles of the
Gospel, is not worthy of eternal life. How many have laid down their
lives since the creation of the world for the sake of the truth? Jesus
Himself descended below all things. He descended, I believe, lower
than any other man will be called to descend. Are we greater than
Jesus? If we are called upon to-day to lay down our lives, what of it?
Is it not as well to die for the Gospel's sake as to die for anything
else? A million of men, a few years ago, sacrificed their lives for
the honor of this nation. No matter what we may be called to pass
through, let us maintain our integrity to God. Where is the man whose
mind has been lit up by the inspiration of God to comprehend the
celestial kingdom, or the celestial law, or the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, who can bear the idea of pursuing a course whereby he will be
cut off from inheriting the blessings for which he has hoped in the
future? No, I would rather die a thousand deaths than be deprived of
these blessings. We have a long time to live when we get through here.
There is all eternity before us. It will pay you, it will pay me—no
matter what comes, no matter what this nation may do to oppress us—to
be true and faithful to our covenants, to our wives and children, to
our God and to our country; it will pay us to be faithful to the end.

Vol. 25, p.12
I pray God that this may be our lot, that we may be true and faithful
unto death, and inherit eternal life, for Jesus' sake. Amen. [p.13]

George Teasdale, January 13, 1884

Joseph Smith's Testimony Never Proven False—Primitive Organization of
the
Church—Work of Christ not Completed When He Said, "It is Finished"—Why
 Should So Much Fault Be Found With the Latter-Day Saints?—The World's
Objection to
"Mormonism"—History of the Apostles—Authority to Preach the Gospel
Restored—
Temples—Baptism for the Dead—Book of Mormon—Restoration of the
Priesthood—
Cause of Persecution—No Surrender—Plural Marriage

Delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon,
 January 13th, 1884.

(Reported By John Irvine.)

Vol. 25, p.13
I likewise can bear my testimony to the truth of this work that the
world please to call Mormonism. The "Mormon" problem" is very easily
defined if we consider the pretensions of the people called "Mormons."
From the time that Joseph Smith first declared that he had had a
vision of the Father and the Son—from that time to the present, I know
that the world have never been able to prove that his testimony was
false. I know that they have never been able to prove that Moroni did
not give to him the plates of gold, or that the translation called the
Book of Mormon is false. I know that they have never been able to
prove that John the Baptist did not visit Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery, and confer upon them the Holy Priesthood, even the Aaronic
Priesthood; neither have I ever heard that it has been proved that the
Melchisedek Priesthood and Apostleship were not restored by Peter,
James and John. There has been a great deal said about Mormonism;
quite a number of books written upon the subject; a great deal of
derision has been made of it; but the testimony of the Latter-day
Saints has never been proven to be false.

Vol. 25, p.13
We have declared to the world that God has spoken from the heavens;
that angels have appeared to the children of men; and that the keys of
the Priesthood and intelligence have been restored to the earth—and we
know it. We have invited the people to search the Scriptures to see if
these things were not predicted—to find out if it had not been
declared therein that it should come to pass in the last days that the
God of heaven would establish His Kingdom upon the earth. There had to
be a commencement. We read in the Bible that God set in the Church
firstly Apostles, then Prophets, then Evangelists, and Teachers, for
the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ.
Paul declared that the Saints were the body of Christ, members in
particular, and he bore the same testimony to the Corinthians that he
bore to the Ephesians, concerning the fact that God had [p.14] set in
the Church firstly. Apostles, then Prophets, etc. Might I ask where
the revelation is that at any time set in the Church firstly Popes,
then Cardinals, Archbishops, and Right Reverend Fathers in God? Might
I ask where the revelation is authorizing the establishment of the
Episcopal Church? Might I ask where the revelation is authorizing the
alteration of the order of government which God had set in the Church?
We are calmly told that these things are done away with. Who says so?
Men whose business it is to try and prevent people from thinking for
themselves, and to do the thinking for them. But as a responsible
being I am bound to do my own thinking; and when it comes to a
question of my eternal welfare, I take the liberty to think for
myself. I am told that holy men of old wrote and spoke as they were
moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and that the Scriptures were not to be
understood by private interpretation. I believe as a child of God,
that I have a right to receive intelligence, for it was predicted ages
ago that God would give to those who loved Him line upon line, precept
upon precept, here a little and there a little, until they were
perfected. The object of the Apostleship was the edification of the
Saints. Now, I can understand the value of this Apostleship. Those who
hold it are to be taught by the revelations of God, and have authority
to call upon men everywhere to repent, to believe in the living and
true God, to cease from their heresies, to cease from their wickedness
and abominations, to lead perfect and pure lives, and to give them the
privilege of being baptized by immersion for the remission of sins,
and to have hands laid upon them, that they may receive the Holy
Ghost. This, we are given to understand by the historians, was the
manner in which the Kingdom of God was established in the days of the
Savior, and if it had remained upon the earth there would have been a
continuation of the Apostleship.

Vol. 25, p.14
When Jesus said, "It is finished," He did not give us to understand
that the whole work was finished so far as we were concerned as
individuals; because the last instructions that He gave to His
Apostles, as recorded by the historian Mark, and which were given
after His crucifixion and resurrection were: "Go ye 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: in my name they shall
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." And we are
told that the Apostles went and preached this doctrine; called upon
men everywhere to repent of their sins, called upon them to repent of
their false modes and manner of worship. They preached exclusive
salvation. They had the only way to be saved. This was what rendered
them so unpopular. This is what renders us so unpopular to day. But if
we preach the same doctrine, if we have similar power, if God has
spoken from the heavens and has declared to His children the necessity
of their repentance, and has chosen men to hold the Priesthood, and go
forth to the nations of the earth; if this is the case, where will the
wicked and ungodly be? I think, myself, it should be a matter of
interest to  all classes of people, especially rulers, to make
themselves [p.15] acquainted with the doctrines of the Latter-day
Saints, with the principles which they teach, so that they may act in
wisdom. They have to give all account of the deeds done in the body;
they will have to stand before the bar of God; their record will be
there; and I say it is to the individual interest of every man,
whether he is a king or a beggar, to make his record of such a
character that he will dare to meet it; because as sure as we live
to-day, we shall have to face the record we make upon earth.

Vol. 25, p.15
Now, why should so much fault be found with the Latter-day Saints?
Right here, I would ask, why should so much fault have been found with
the Lord Jesus Christ? Why should so much fault have been found with
the Apostles and their followers? Why did they not, when they found it
was distasteful to the majority of the people, give up their belief
and become one with them, as we are kindly invited to do? Why did they
not, in the midst of their persecutions—when they were being torn to
pieces by wild beasts, etc.,—rise up and say: "Will it not be better,
seeing our religion is so distasteful to mankind, to stop our mode of
worship, and worship with the majority?" Why, they never dreamed of
such a thing. I have never heard of a faithful man that ever lived who
dreamed of such a thing as giving up that which he believed to be true
for the sake of the approbation even of millions, Joseph Smith, the
Prophet, Seer and Revelator, stood alone and declared that God had
spoken from the heavens, and when people believed his testimony, when
they accepted the doctrines he taught, God bore witness to them that
he was a true Prophet. They discovered that the doctrine which he
taught was that which was taught anciently; they discovered by the
revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ, that in the last days the
Kingdom of God was to be established upon the earth; and in their
simplicity they believed that it had to be commenced with a few; and
that it had to commence wherever the Great Eternal determined that it
should commence. He revealed Himself that He might have a testator on
the earth who knew that He lived, who knew that Jesus was the Christ.
He revealed Himself to the boy Joseph Smith, who had sought Him in
perfect faith. And, then, in order that the world might be left
without excuse, when He sent the angel Moroni to reveal the history of
the house of Jacob on this continent, He did not have the fact of his
visit dependent upon the testimony of one man. Others were privileged
to receive the visits of heavenly messengers, that in the mouth of two
or three witnesses, every word should be established. When did the
three witnesses—Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris—ever
declare otherwise than that they saw an angel, and that they heard the
voice of God declare that the book called the Book of Mormon, had been
translated by the power of God? They were never known—though they left
the Church—to have flinched from that testimony, and their testimony
is as good as the testimony of any body else. It never has been
impeached. And then again: Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith both
declared that John the Baptist came and laid his hands upon their
heads and ordained them to the Aaronic Priesthood. Who had any idea
that there was any necessity for John the Baptist to come? Where were
there any records to that effect? And yet we are told [p.16]
emphatically that John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ. But
the world contend that he filled his mission as the forerunner of
Christ in His first coming. I will take the privilege of questioning
that, if you please, and will tell you why I do so. By referring to
the 40th chapter of Isaiah, we there find these words: "Comfort ye,
comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that
her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand
double for all her sins." It then goes on to say: "The voice of him
that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make
strait in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be
exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low." Now, when
John the Baptist came, did he speak comforting words to Jerusalem?
When the Priests and Pharisees—those professedly holy men—came to him
to be baptized in Jordan, what did he say to them? "O generation of
vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring
forth fruits meet for repentance, etc." He was the forerunner of
Christ. He declared so himself. The Lord Jesus bore testimony of him.
He said: "This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my
messenger before thy face, which shall prepare the way before time."
Now, it is true that John the Baptist came as the forerunner of Jesus;
it is true that he filled his mission so far; but we know very well
that the people generally did not receive him, and ultimately they
beheaded him. We know that they did not receive Jesus. They crucified
Him. Instead of speaking comforting words to Jerusalem, He exclaimed:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy
children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate." Were these comforting words to Jerusalem? I think not. It
is very evident that John the Baptist was not only the forerunner of
His first coming, but also of His second advent. The Scriptures are
plain on this matter.

Vol. 25, p.16
But let us follow the history of the Apostles, and what do we find
Martyrdom for every one of them, John the Revelator alone excepted.
What do we find concerning the Saints? Cruel persecution and death,
until, in consequence of the awful crime of the shedding of innocent
blood, God in His displeasure withdrew the Priesthood from the earth,
and left it as it was before. the coming of the Messiah, without.
divine authority. Was this statement of things predicted? Most
assuredly it was predicted by the Prophets of old. It was foretold by
Paul, who declared that after his departure grievous wolves would
enter in among the flocks and destroy them. He also beseeches the
Thessalonians not to be soon shaken, or troubled, in regard to the day
of Christ being at hand. He told them not to be deceived by any means:
"for that day shall not, come, except there come a falling away
first." Has there been a falling away? Why, the prediction is verified
by every sect in Christendom, when they calmly tell us that the
spiritual gifts of the Gospel have been done away with, and that they
are no longer needed. I argue that if is just as necessary to-day—if
God is an unchangeable God, if He is the  same yesterday, to-day and
[p.17] forever—that we should enjoy the spiritual gifts of the Gospel
as in former days, above all the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, the
spirit of truth by which I may comprehend the relationship that exists
between me as an individual here upon the earth and my Father who is
in heaven. By carefully reading the revelations of St. John, you will
find the apostasy foretold. You will find the Church represented as a
woman surrounded by twelve stars. You will also find the history of
the bringing forth of the Priesthood, and of the woman going into the
wilderness for a season. You will also find the history of the
establishment of the church of Satan—which is likewise represented by
a woman sitting upon a scarlet colored beast; she was proclaimed the
Mother of Harlots—a church that was to hold dominion over all the
nations of the earth. John also saw the restoration of the everlasting
Gospel, as proclaimed in Revelations, 14th chapter and 6th verse: "And
I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting
Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice,
Fear God and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come;
and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of water." Now, if the Gospel was upon the earth, there
certainly would be no necessity of an angel bringing the Gospel; there
would be no necessity for the restoration of any thing that had not
been lost. But seeing that this order of government had been lost—this
order of Priesthood—this authority which was given unto the ancient
Apostles—it was absolutely essential that it should be restored,
otherwise, how could the Gospel of the Kingdom be preached in all the
world for a witness before the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ?
For Christ Himself declared: "This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then
shall the end come."

Vol. 25, p.17
Now, is it not tidings of great joy to learn that God has spoken from
the heavens; to know that there are men upon the earth who have
authority to preach the Gospel; to know that we can receive a
remission of our sins, that we can be made clean, and that we can be
taught the ways of the Lord, that we may walk in His paths? Is not
this tidings of great joy when we think of the confusion and ignorance
that exists in the world to-day? To all reasoning men it must be a
source of great consolation. I know it is a cause of great joy to me
to know that the Apostleship has been restored, to know that these
principles are true and faithful; that God is the same yesterday,
today and forever, when faith is manifested; that the signs follow
thrift believer according to his faith; and that all who do the will
of the Father are most assuredly put in the possession of the
knowledge that the principles that were taught by the Messiah and by
His Apostles are true.

Vol. 25, p.17
Since I last had the privilege of bearing my testimony from this
stand, I have visited the temple of God at St. George, and spent a
season there, and I want to bear my testimony to the truth of the
doctrine of baptism for the dead. When Paul was arguing with the
Corinthians, some of them were foolish enough to contend that there
was no resurrection; they had believed, had been baptized, and they
had been a certain portaion of time [p.18] in the Church; but their
traditions and their lack of understanding caused them to believe that
there was no such thing as the resurrection. Paul, in his argument,
made use of the following language: "Else what shall they do which are
baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then
baptized for the dead?" Do you know why the ancient Saints were
baptized for the dead, and do you know why Paul used this argument
when they were disputing this principle of the resurrection? We do,
for God has revealed it. He says: "Why stand we in jeopardy every
hour? If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus,
what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink;
for to-morrow we die." Now, don't you think it would have been wise in
Paul to have taken the advice that some of our friends pretend to give
us? Don't you think it would have been wise in Paul, when he stood in
jeopardy every day, to give up those principles which rendered him so
unpopular among the people The same question is propounded to us
to-day. People say, "Give up your religion; it is unpopular; we don't
like it, and we are fifty millions strong. We want you to please do as
we do, say as we say, and be as we are." But in order to make the
thing not quite so glaring—not quite so gross an injustice—they say,
"Will you please give up your plural marriage and do as we do? If you
must have a plurality of women, marry one and keep the others and
raise illegitheate children as we do." That is the English of it. It
may be distasteful to tell so much truth in one afternoon; but that is
the English of it. I have traveled in a few of the nations of the
earth; I have seen some of their finest cities; and I have seen the
effects of the workings of what is termed high Christian civilization.

Vol. 25, p.18
But before referring to this allow me to go back a little with regard
to the pretensions of Joseph Smith because this is the "Mormon"
problem; "it lies in a nutshell." Joseph Smith was a true Prophet sent
of God, or he was not. He held the keys and powers of the Priesthood,
or he did not. These he conferred upon other men in the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before his death. Now, those upon
whom he conferred these keys have the Apostleship, or they have not;
they have the authority of God, or they have not; they hold the keys
of the Priesthood, or they do not; God our Eternal Father, reveals His
mind and will from the heavens to His children in these valleys of the
Rocky Mountains, or He does not. We testify He does.

Vol. 25, p.18
Without quoting any more Scripture, let us reason together a little
while. Who knew of the necessity of the Aaronic and Melchisedek
Priesthood? Joseph Smith had a vision of the Father and the Son. Who
ever conceived of the necessity of such a vision? There was an absence
of the knowledge of God. The world by wisdom know not God. The being
that is worshipped by so-called Christianity, is a being without a
body, parts or passions. In order that He might have a testator upon
the earth, God revealed Himself, so that we might understand a little
concerning the personality of God; as it is written, we are created in
His image. Then the Book of Mormon was brought forth. Jesus Christ
declared, "other sheep I have, which are not of this fold." Those
"other sheep" had to be visited; and the Book of Mormon gives us a
history of  Christ's visit [p.19] to them—the aborigines of this
continent, called the American Indians, but really the descendants of
Jacob. We have given unto us within the lids of this book (Book of
Mormon) the fullness of the everlasting Gospel. We have the principles
of the Gospel laid down in their simplicity—plainer by far than in the
Bible, though agreeing with that sacred record. It is in reality the
stick of Judah that is contained in the Bible; the stick of Ephraim is
contained in the Book of Mormon. Isaiah prophesied concerning the
coming forth of this book. In fact the writings of the Prophets are
pregnant with predictions concerning the establishment of the Kingdom
of God in the latter days.

Vol. 25, p.19
Joseph Smith declared that John the Baptist came and restored the
Aaronic Priesthood, and also that Peter, James and John restored the
Apostleship, and the keys and powers thereof. Please tell me who it
was that put it into the heart of this so called impostor (Joseph
Smith) regarding the coming forth of this book? Will you please tell
me where he acquired the wisdom to concoct such a record? Who taught
Joseph Smith the necessity of the Aaronic and Melchisedek Priesthoods?
Who taught Joseph Smith the perfect system of the organization of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Who taught him the
necessity of three High Priests presiding Over the Church of Christ
like unto Peter, James and John? Who taught him the necessity of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and of their powers and duties and the
presidency thereof? Who taught him the necessity of the High
Priesthood in their presidings? Who taught him the necessity of the
Seventies and their organization? Who taught him the necessity of the
Elders' Quorum, the Priests' Quorum, the Teachers' Quorum, and the
Deacons' Quorum? Who taught him the organization of the Stakes of Zion
with their presidency, their High Council, their Bishops, Teachers,
etc? Who taught him the necessity of baptism by immersion for the
remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the reception of the
Holy Ghost? Who taught him the necessity of holding keys of
Priesthood, and that God would reveal principles through this channel
that had been hidden from before the foundation of the world? Who
taught him of the pre-existence of the spirit of man? Who taught him
the philosophy of our probation upon the earth, and the results that
would flow from a faithful observance of the principles of
righteousness? He declared that Jesus Christ taught him; he declared
that all these things were received through the revelations of the
Lord Jesus Christ to him. When people say that Joseph Smith was an
impostor, they make him one of the greatest men that ever lived in
view of the religion he founded. Again, who taught him the necessity
of marriage for eternity? Who taught him the doctrine of baptism for
the dead? Who taught him the principles of the resurrection and
eternal judgment, as described in this Book of Doctrine and Covenants?
I answer, God the Eternal Father.

Vol. 25, p.19
Now, will you please tell me why the world are so embittered against
us as a people? I will tell you. It is upon the same principle that
they were embittered against the Messiah. The Messiah came with His
bowels filled with compassion and love for the human family. He taught
them how to be saved to the uttermost. [p.20] He taught them exclusive
salvation. Joseph Smith was a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
acted under His instructions. His life and works boldly tell that he
was no impostor: He was, indeed and of a truth, a true Prophet of God.
He declared the principles of eternal life, and those principles have
been carried to the nations of the earth. What has followed the
preaching of the Gospel? Judgment, calamity and desolation have come,
in many instances, upon those who have rejected it; upon those who
have cast us out and spurned the message of life and salvation: for it
has been decreed by the Almighty. The hour of His judgment has come.
You take this large congregation. If they had the opportunity of
testifying, they would declare in words of soberness that God had
revealed to them the principles of the Gospel, and that it was for
that reason that they left the States, the islands of the sea, the
nations of Europe, and came to this country; it was because they
received a knowledge that these principles were true. They had been
impressed by His Spirit to gather here; it is the gathering of Israel.
In doing this they were told by their friends that they were deceived;
but I ask any man who has accepted these principles, who has practiced
them in solid faith, if he has ever been deceived? Never, no never.
God has been true to His word. He has done His part. He has placed us
in the possession of a knowledge of these principles, He has brought
us home to Zion from the various nations where we were scattered. He
has taught us the principles of righteousness through His appointed
channel, by His Holy Spirit, and woe be unto us if we harden our
hearts and close our ears against the pleadings of the Holy Ghost. We
should sanctify ourselves before, the Lord, and live holy and pure
lives. We are living in the last days, We have no time to trifle. We
are in the midst of the judgments of Almighty God. He has declared
that desolation should cover the earth, and that He would waste the
inhabitants away who would not listen to His voice. How can the
Latter. day Saints escape if they neglect so great a salvation? We are
called upon to be ministers of righteousness. We are building temples.
We have no right in those temples unless we can go in as saviors upon
Mount Zion. We never can be upon Mount Zion unless we save ourselves
from this untoward generation. We must practice the principles of
righteousness. We must give up our follies, our light speeches, our
loud laughter and our inhuman feeling with regard to our children
placing them in a position where they are under the dominion of
Belial, and under that influence that would wean them from the
principles of righteousness. We must repent of our sins. We must
listen to the voice of God through His servants. We must sanctify
ourselves before Him or we cannot assist Him in the establishment of
His righteousness upon the earth. You know this as well as I do. What
right have I to require of anybody what I will not do myself. What
right have I to expect of anybody what I do not do myself? No, we must
save ourselves. We must make our calling and election sure. Who is
afraid to die but the sinner? Who is afraid of death but those who
have sinned and who dread to meet the consequence of those sins behind
the veil? But those who love the principles of righteousness and who
practice them know that they have passed  from death unto [p.21] life.
They know that they are redeemed through the precious blood of the
Redeemer. When they pass into the spirit world it is not in blindness.
They know that they are going into the presence of the Lamb, and the
Church of the First Born. They know that they belong to that Church,
and they also know whether they have kept their garments clean or not.
Have we any occasion to fear the people? Have we any occasion to fear
nations? Do we fear when we go forth in their midst, traveling one or
two at a time in the midst of our enemies with threatenings on every
hands? Do we fear under those circumstances? No; and if we can trust
ourselves in the hands of God, under those conditions, I think we can
trust Him to-day. And as far as I am concerned as an individual, not
one principle that God has revealed from the heavens do I dare to go
back on—not one principle. I believe in the fullness of the
everlasting Gospel. I believe in plural marriage as a part of the
Gospel, just as much as I believe in baptism by immersion for the
remission of sins. The same Being who taught me baptism for the
remission of sins, taught me plural marriage, and its necessity and
glory. Can I afford to give up a single principle? I can not. If I had
to give up one principle I would have to give up my religion. If I
gave up the first principle of the revelations of the Lord, I would
prove before my brethren, before the angels, before God the Eternal
Father, that I was unworthy the exaltation that He has promised me. I
do not know how you feel; but I do not fear the face of man as I fear
the face of God. I fear lest when I go behind the veil and have to
meet my progenitors, that I should meet them as a traitor, as a man
who had not the backbone to stand by the principles of righteousness
for fear of my life; or for fear of some calamity that might come upon
me. How would they look upon me? How we would be condemned if we dared
suggest such a thing as to say that we would give up the first
principle of eternal truth! I bear my solemn testimony that plural
marriage is as true as any principle that has been revealed from the
heavens. I bear my testimony that it is a necessity, and that the
Church of Christ in its fullness never existed without it. Where you
have the eternity of marriage you are bound to have plural marriage;
bound to; and it is one of the marks of the Church of Jesus Christ in
its sealing ordinances. "Whatever you bind on earth is bound in
heaven." We know how sensitive the Prophet Joseph was to introduce
this principle. He knew the feeling that was against it. It had been
taught from the days of heathen Rome down to the present time that a
man should have but one wife, which has resulted in the prostitution
of many of the fair daughters of Eve as mistresses. Here we have too
much love for woman to see them trampled in the dust. Here we have too
much respect for unborn spirits to have them come into the world
branded as bastards, illegitheate, in shame, without knowing their
fathers. The children we have are legitheate. They are our own. We
honor them and our wives. Our children are given unto us of God, for
our wives are given to us of God. We never should have thought of
practicing this principle if God had not revealed it from the heavens
and commanded it, and we must stand by it and by every principle that
He has revealed. It is more than I dare, to go back on that principle
or any [p.22] other principle; and I have besought the Lord with all
my heart that He would give me strength according to my day that I
might never fail in my integrity, but that I might stand firm as the
pillars of heaven to the truths that He has revealed for the
redemption of the human family. I understand my own weaknesses; I
understand my own insufficiency; but my trust is in the living and
true God. And I have a testimony that for over thirty years He has
sustained me through some very crooked and tight places by His
Almighty power. He has stood by me, been my friend; and so far my
testimony and my love for the principles of righteousness are as deep
and earnest as my first love, and more so; for I have witnessed His
loving kindness in the sealing powers and bonds of the everlasting
covenant; I have been privileged to see the magnificent manner in
which He has provided for His children, in placing them in a position
that they may become like unto Him—eternal, without end of years.

Vol. 25, p.22
That God may give us grace to stand true and faithful to our
covenants, and endure to the end, is my prayer in the name of Jesus
Christ, Amen.

George Q. Cannon, January 6, 1884

Testimonies of the Servants of God—Illogical Manner in Which They Are
Met
—Only True Way to Obtain a Knowledge of the Gospel—Secret of the
Strength
 of the Church of Christ—Work to Be Accomplished—Struggle Between
Satan and
 God—Influence Brought to Bear Against the Saints

Delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City,
Sunday Afternoon, January 6th, 1884.

(Reported By John Irvine.)

Vol. 25, p.22
The testimonies of the servants of God, which we hear so frequently
from this stand, ought to make an impression upon the minds of those
who hear them—they ought to have weight, for the reason that those who
bear them declare in solemnity, in the presence of God, that they know
that which they testify is true; and when a man, or any number of men,
arise in the presence of their fellow men, and declare in words of
truth and soberness, that certain things are true, that  they know
them to be true, that they are willing to bear testimony of them
[p.23] before God and the people, and to suffer all thing for their
truth, even to death itself, it should make an impression upon the
human mind, and inspire those who hear these testimonies with a
disposition to at least investigate and withhold their condemnation.
Because, unless a malt knows something to the contrary, unless he has
had a testimony that these things are false, he is not justified in
condemning them. There is only one way in which they can be fairly
condemned, and that is by proving their falsity, by obtaining
knowledge that is directly in contradiction to that which is borne
testimony to. In this consists the condemnation of the inhabitants of
the earth at the present time, as it has consisted in every age when
God has had a work to do upon the earth. Certain men have gone forward
in the midst of their fellow men, and in solemnity and in truth have
testified that God has spoken, that God has given revelations, that
God is doing a certain work in the earth of which they are the
witnesses. They know this, they say, for themselves and bear testimony
of it, and exhort their fellow men to seek for knowledge in the same
manner in which they have sought for it, with an assurance that if
they do so they will obtain knowledge. Now, notwithstanding men have
done this, the world, without pretending to have any counter
demonstration or testimony, without being able to disprove by the same
sort of evidence, condemn wholesale, without discrimination or
hesitation those testimonies and declare them to be false, and assert
that the men who bear them are either deceived themselves or are
striving to deceive somebody else.

Vol. 25, p.23
I do not think this is fair. It never was fair. It is not a proper
method of dealing with affairs of this character; because if there is
a God, and one man says he has had communication with Him, and
another, who believes also, or professes to believe in God, denies
that the first has had any such communication, and yet does not
pretend that God told him any such thing, does not pretend to have had
any communication from God—the contradiction of the one is not equal
to the affirmation of the other. It is the height of presumption for a
man who professes to believe in God, to rise up and at his own
instance and of his own will, because he chooses to take that view of
God, and of God's method of dealing with man, and declare that the
testimony of the man who says he has had revelation from God is false.
Why, anyone at a glance can see that it is an improper way to deal
with the subject. If he does not have revelation himself from God, he
should, at least, be modest in contradicting the testimony of others
who declare that they have had revelation from Him. The whole
religious world in Christendom profess to believe in God. They declare
that God lives and are continually preaching to the people a belief in
Him, a belief in Jesus, saying that Jesus is the Son of God, that He
lived upon the earth in the flesh, that He has gone to the Father, and
that they are His ministers, having power to do certain things in His
name, and to teach His doctrines. They say to the people who do not
listen to them: "You will be visited with the most terrible judgments
if you do not believe what we say; you will go to hell, and you will
burn there throughout the countless ages of eternity, if you do not
believe what we tell you." Now, when men go to their fellow men and
make such statements as [p.24] these, and assume such prerogatives and
powers as these, and say that their fellow men will be condemned by
wholesale to eternal hell for not listening to them, they certainly
ought to have some method of communicating with the Being they
represent, and whose ministers they profess to be, and they ought to
know more than other men—more than common men at least—about the Being
who, they say, sends them as His ministers. But what are the facts?
Here is Brother Woodruff, who for the last half century has been
testifying, as he has this afternoon in your hearing, with all the
energy of his soul—for he has been a very zealous man all his days—he
has been testifying to all people to whom he could get access, that
God has spoken from the heavens and restored the plan of salvation in
its ancient parity, and the Church as it was organized upon the earth
in the days of Jesus, with the plenitude of its gifts and powers and
graces, and that this condition of things now exists upon the earth,
and that he is a living witness of it; that God has really revealed
this to him, so that he has become a witness through revelation from
God, of its truth. He has declared this. Hundreds have made a similar
declaration, and hundreds are still testifying concerning these things
to the inhabitants of the earth. But Christendom through some of its
principal representatives says: "We don't believe a word you say. We
don't believe God has spoken to you. We don't believe God has given
you any authority. We don't believe your doctrine to be from God. We
don't believe that the church you have organized, and that you declare
is the Church of Christ, is the Church of Christ; and so confident are
we of this that we believe that it would be justifiable for you to be
killed as a lot of impostors and dangerous men, and you ought to be
broken up. If it should be necessary to do this, and it cannot be done
any other way, we would be willing to have armies resort to violence
and have bloodshed, rather than such a dreadful heresy and such a
wicked system should be perpetuated on the earth."

Vol. 25, p.24
You turn to them to these men who profess to have the fate of their
fellow beings in their hands, whose efforts, as they state, will send
millions to heaven and millions to hell —you ask these men who profess
to have such awful powers as this—"By what authority do you make these
statements? Has God given you any testimony that the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the true Church? Has God told you
anything about it?"

Vol. 25, p.24
"Oh, no," they will say, "God has not spoken to us. We do not believe
He talks to anybody. We believe he has stopped all communication with
man; that no living man has heard His voice, or knows anything about
His mind and will."

Vol. 25, p.24
Now, this is their testimony. You cannot get any of them at least I
have not, and I speak so far as my own personal knowledge goes to
declare that God has revealed to them either by the spirit of prophecy
or by the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, that the doctrines taught
by the "Mormon" people are false, or that the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints is not of God, and yet, notwithstanding this,
they take the course that I now describe. Here on one side is
knowledge—at least it purports to be knowledge. Here are men who say
they have actually received revelations from  God; that God has poured
out the Holy Ghost upon men and women; that [p.25] Jesus has actually
visited the earth in person, and been seen by living men; and that
angels have been seen and conversed with by living men. They state
this in all solemnity and in all truth, and as a test of the sincerity
of their statements, they say to their fellow men: "If you will take a
certain course that God has pointed out, and that we are authorized to
designate; if you will take this certain course, you shall know also
of the truth of our testimony. We do not make these statements
expecting you to receive them simply because we make them; but we say
to you, if you will take this course, if you will accept the
conditions which God has prescribed and comply with them in sincerity
and humlity, you shall receive these blessings and this testimony for
yourselves, and you then will be numbered as witnesses with us."

Vol. 25, p.25
What can be fairer than this? And this is the course that the servants
of God have always taken with mankind, and hence, as I have said, the
condemnation of the inhabitants of the earth, because they will not
receive that testimony. They abuse the Church of Christ without having
reason or foundation for doing so; they abuse it without having any
evidence that is at all tangible or that can be relied upon; they have
nothing more than their personal feelings, personal prejudice, and
their personal tradition—that which they have inherited from their
fathers—upon which to base their opposition.

Vol. 25, p.25
Now, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been built up
in this manner. Its strength consists in this peculiarity: that those
who have embraced it as a rule—there may be exceptions—have taken the
course which has been taught by the servants of God, and the result is
that legions of witnesses have been raised up. It is not confined to
one; it is not confined to the original few; but this testimony has
extended itself, until it has brought within its fold men and women of
almost every race; for it is not confined, happily, to sex no more
than it is to nationality, but it is extended unto men of every race,
and unto women of every race, and all these rise up as an army of
witnesses, unanimously bearing testimony of the same great truths,
declaring that it is not from their fathers, it is not from tradition,
it is not from their teachers, it is not from any human source that
they have derived their knowledge; but that God Himself, by His
invisible power, by His superhuman power, by the outpouring of the
Holy Ghost upon them, has borne testimony to them, so that they are
thoroughly convinced and have a knowledge as strong as the knowledge
that they themselves live, that this is the work of God, that He has
established it, and that He will roll it forth and cause it to
accomplish all that He has said it would. It is in this peculiarity
that the strength of the people consists. If it was not for this we
should be as weak as a rope of sand; there would be no cohesiveness or
strength about us. But with this there is a power that makes hell
tremble. It makes the Devil mad. It makes every man that is afraid of
the truth angry in his spirit because of that which he sees. If men
were not afraid of truth there would be no fear connected with this
work. What is there about it to create fear? What is there in its
manifestations, in its fruits, and in its operations upon the minds of
the children of men to cause any man who loves truth to have any dread
concerning it? Nothing whatever. [p.26] It is beneficent in its
operations. It elevates men and women; it makes them better, purer,
more God-like, more orderly. It bestows blessings —this system
does—upon all who espouse it, and all who come within the range of its
influence. And this has been its characteristic ever since its
organization until to-day. You know it, each of you who have espoused
it. You know its effects upon you. You know it has made you better
men. You know it has made you men of purer lives, of loftier desires,
of more God-like aspirations. You all know this. Every man, every
woman, and every child connected with this work is a witness of the
truth of this. If it has this effect upon you, will it not have the
same effect upon every human being who comes within the range of its
influence and who bows in submission to its requirements? Certainly it
will. There is no human being, however low, that it will not elevate,
if he will obey it. It is the power and lever, so to speak, by which
humanity will be elevated to the presence of God our Eternal Father,
for the very reason that the exaltation which God has attained to, has
been through obedience to these self-same laws that are now taught to
us. That which obeyeth law is preserved and sanctified by law. The
people who obey law will be exalted by law; they will be preserved by
it, they will be sanctified by it; and that is the effect of the
teaching of the Gospel upon the Latter-day Saints.

Vol. 25, p.26
While Brother Woodruff was talking, I thought what an immense labor it
is to endeavor to accomplish that which the Prophets have told us will
be brought to pass in the last days. I look at this people so
comparatively few in numbers, and at the immense work that is to be
accomplished, and it seems an herculean, an impossible labor to the
natural vision. It seems as if no human beings could accomplish it.
But God has spoken concerning this work. His word has gone forth, and
it cannot fail. This work will be accomplished, and it will be
accomplished by the operation of truth. As Brother Woodruff has said,
there is a power connected with truth, that when brought to bear upon
bureau beings, has the effect that he has described, and has the
effect that the Prophets have predicted concerning the last days.
There will be a power exercised in our behalf, increasing as we are
prepared to receive it; for this people with all their weaknesses, and
they are many, are nevertheless drawing nearer and nearer to God every
day, and faith is increasing in their midst. A generation of boys and
girls are growing up who will have greater faith than their
predecessors, their parents, have had, and the work will continue to
grow and spread. And there is this to be taken into consideration, God
having predicted the ushering in of the last dispensation, knowing the
odds that would have to be contended with in establishing it: God
knowing this has reserved in the heavens to come forth at this time
the noblest of His spirits, the men and women most capable of carrying
out this work, and achieving the grand results the Prophets have
predicted should be accomplished in the day and generation,
preparatory to the coming of the Son of Man. God knowing this, in His
wisdom and foreknowledge has prepared the way beforehand, and there
will be men and women brought forth who will carry off this work in
the way He designs. Step by step, the adversary of God, that is the
adversary of all truth, will have to recede. [p.27] The struggle is
between Satan and God. The struggle is for the supremacy of this
earth, and you may depend upon it, it will not be given up without a
mighty wrestle. The adversary has wielded this power now for nearly
2,000 years—1,400 years and upwards on this continent. For this period
he has held undisturbed sway, it may be said—that is, if not entirely
true it is nearly true in saying it has been undisturbed. There have
occasionally some persons arisen who have endeavored to stem the tide
of wickedness that the devil has caused to flow over the earth; but
there has been no Priesthood on the earth, no organized church, no
organized power, through whom God could operate, and you may depend
upon it, now that there is one, there will be a mighty struggle. It
will cost the best efforts of which we are capable, to lay the
foundation so successfully that it shall not be overturned, to prepare
the way for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every kind of
opposition will be brought against this work. There is nothing that
you can conceive of that will be kept back, and it will come upon us
as fast as we are able to bear it. It is only the power of God that
restrains our enemies from overwhelming us. If it were not that God
has said this shall not be, and has told us that He will establish
this work never mole to be thrown down, we would not be able to stand.
But victory will perch upon our banners, and will do so until the end.
But it will not be without a mighty warfare, the hostility against
this work will be continuous. No man need calculate on anything else.
Why, just think of the results that are to be wrought out. Just think
of what depends upon our labors and upon this contest? We have been
gathering the people from Babylon through the power of God to build up
a Zion here. But see the results that attend our labors in this city
and in this Territory. It seems as though all hell is endeavoring to
defeat our object, and to defeat the cause of God in gathering the
people out from the nations of the earth. The adversary has said:

Vol. 25, p.27
"You shall not have a pure people; you shall not build up Zion; I will
bring all my forces to bear against this; I will destroy the work of
God; I will not allow the Priesthood of God to remain on the earth; I
will kill them off, or I will do everything in my power to cripple
them."

Vol. 25, p.27
Thus he brings every kind of influence to bear against this people. We
would have a pure people here; we would have a Zion such as the Bible
describes, if we were allowed; we would have a city in which angels
might walk in the streets all day, if we could have our way; but Satan
says: "You shall not. I will bring every power and influence to bear
against you. I will besmear you in every way I can, and will make you
so hateful in the eyes of all people, that they will come up against
and destroy you. You shall not build up Zion, if I can prevent it."

Vol. 25, p.27
And you see the result. Every power that is conceivable is brought to
bear against us. We are maligned. We are represented as everything
that is vile. Men think that in killing us they will be doing God
service; not because of our wickedness, but because they believe we
are wicked, because the adversary has had such power through falsehood
and misrepresentation, that men believe that they will be doing God
service in exterminating us from the face of the earth. "And what
[p.28] is it that restrains the efforts of our enemies? It is the
power of God only. We should be overwhelmed if it were not for this
invisible agency—invisible to us. There are legions of angels around
us. Their power is exerted in our behalf, and the results we can see
in the deliverances which are wrought out so miraculously for our
good. It is a cause of amazement how we are delivered from time to
time, so few in numbers, and so hated as we are. Our friends are
filled with astonishment. Every few days, every few weeks, or every
few months, they think that something is going to occur, that will
cause our destruction—I mean friends who have not the faith and the
knowledge that we have. But this work of our God will go forth,
despite all the opposition that will be brought against it. It will
win, because it is true. As we have been told by Brother Woodruff, the
eternal principles of truth are on the earth now in an organized form,
and you cannot kill them unless you kill the people themselves. There
is no way to stop this work, except by the extirpation of the
"Mormons," or Latter-day Saints, root and branch! No other method can
destroy them but that, and God will not permit it. His Priesthood is
on the earth, and it will remain on the earth. You may kill off a few,
still the Priesthood will remain, and it will exercise power in the
earth. It will unite the people, and the power of God will attend its
administration in the midst of the people. The honest will receive the
Holy Ghost, they will have a knowledge of this work for themselves,
and they will be ready to endure all the consequences that may attend
the espousal of the truth, just as their predecessors have done in
times that are past and in our own age. God will bless us if we seek
to do His will. Remember, my brethren and sisters, that that which
obeys law is preserved and sanctified by law. If you want to escape
evils, obey the law that God has revealed. Keep His commandments.
There is safety in this. It is a great work we are engaged in. The
desire I have for every man and woman of this Church is, that they may
he true, and that their children may live to be true to God in days to
come; for we are laying the foundation of a work that shall stand
undisturbed for one thousand years. Then, in the purposes of God,
Satan will be loosed again for a little season, but it will only be
for a little while. We are engaged in laying the foundations of that
work. It is the most glorious work that could be committed to man.
Angels delight in it, and we have the precious privilege of taking
part in it. We have difficulties to contend with, but let them come.
We will meet them, and what is better still, we will overcome them
through God's help, and our children will enjoy the blessings of
liberty. I trust and pray that of this people who have fought so
valiantly, and whose desires for the success of God's Kingdom are so
pure, there will be found men and women of their descent, who so long
as time shall last, shall stand up possessed of the Holy Priesthood in
the presence of God, to magnify it. This is my desire for myself, it
is my desire for my family, it is my desire for my brethren and
sisters throughout the Kingdom of God; and that God may grant that we
may be exalted in His presence when our work is done, is my prayer in
the name of Jesus. Amen. [p.29]

Erastus Snow, February 2, 1884

Near Coming of Christ—Work to Be Accomplished—Temples Already Built,
and
 Many More Yet to Be Built—Redemption of the Dead—Ezekiel's Vision—How
Long
 Will It Take to Warn the World?—Will the Lord Delay His Coming Until
All this
 Work is Accomplished?—Joseph Smith's Mission on Earth and Behind the
Veil—
Another Mission to Be Undertaken—The Resurrection of Joseph Smith
Near—
The Meaning of the Expression, "The Morning of the First
Resurrection."

Delivered in the Tabernacle, Logan, Saturday Afternoon,
 February 2nd, 1884.

Reported By John Irvine

Vol. 25, p.29
I am asked to speak, but I feel in attempting to do so that my speech
will be barren unless the Lord is pleased to inspire my mind by the
Holy Spirit. I know there is faith in the hearts of the people and the
Lord is able to give words of edification and comfort. I am not,
however, impressed with anything in particular, in the way of
doctrine, to speak to my brethren and sisters; I have only a feeling
to exhort in general terms.

Vol. 25, p.29
The Latter-day Saints realize as I do that every year brings us nearer
to the coming of our Lord; that every month and week and day that
passes over our heads, brings us nearer to the great and important
events that must transpire, and that it does not become us to give way
to a feeling of apathy and indifference, and to say in our hearts,
"The Lord delayeth His coming," and that to-morrow will be as this day
and much more abundant, and that the next generation will be like the
present, and as the world has continued to roll on, as generations
have come and generations have gone, so will it be with us and our
children. I say it does not become us to give way to these sentiments
and feelings which are common with unbelievers, with the world, or
with the unenlightened, who have not a knowledge of God, who have not
been favored with the light of revelation, who have not discerned the
signs of the times; for we are not the children of darkness, but the
children of light. Light has come unto us. We have been called but of
darkness unto light. We have been translated from the kingdom of
darkness unto the kingdom of God's dear Son, and therefore it may and
ought to be said of us as Saint Paul said concerning the Saints: "Ye,
brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief." It is written and we expect it to be fulfilled upon the heads
of the unbelieving end the wicked, that the Lord will overtake them as
a thief in the night. "In such an hour," [p.30] said the Savior, "as
ye think not, the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise
servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give
them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when
he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall
make him ruler over all his goods. But, and if that evil servant shall
say in his heart, my lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to
smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the
lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him,
and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and
appoint him his portion with the hypocrites." Now, it is not
impossible, nor yet improbable, that there will be some among the
Latter-day Saints who are called of God and appointed to this work,
and who are set over their fellow-servants to give them meat in due
season, who will be found negligent, who will have forgotten their
high and holy calling, who will have laid off their armor of
righteousness, who will have become slothful and weary in well doing,
and who will have taken to eating and drinking with the drunken and
smiting their fellow-servants; but as surely as any such are found
among the servants of God, they will be overtaken when the day of the
Lord cometh, and their portion will be appointed with hypocrites and
unbelievers. But we hope better things of the Elders of Israel, of
Presidents of Stakes, of Bishops, of High Counselors, of High Priests,
of Seventies, of Priests, Teachers and Deacons, and of all the
Latter-day Saints; for we have all been made partakers of this
Priesthood, and the blessings of the Lord, directly or indirectly,
have been conferred upon us.

Vol. 25, p.30
The work before us is a great one, and very much remaineth to be
accomplished according to the prophecies—Israel is to be gathered,
Jerusalem rebuilt, Zion established, the vineyard of the Lord pruned
and the corrupt branches cut off and cast into the fire, while the
good branches shall be grafted in and partake of the root and fatness
of the tame olive tree. There is a great work to be accomplished in
the earth. But the Lord has said by the mouth of His servants that He
will cut His work short in righteousness in building up His Kingdom in
the latter-days. True, when the Lord speaketh He does not reckon time
as we do. The time was, in the infancy of this Church, when our minds
were so narrow compared to what they are now, that we looked for the
speedy coming of our Lord, and the accomplishment of His great work
before this time. But as our minds grew, and our ideas enlarged, we
began to perceive that we were only children in our views and
feelings, our ideas and expectations. We had the views, ideas and
expectations of children; and we see how the Lord has enlarged Israel
and expanded His work; and now we behold so much more to be
accomplished than what has been accomplished, that we are apt in our
minds to put off the day of the Lord a great way. The time was that we
looked for one temple. The early revelations given to the Latter-day
Saints predicted a temple in Zion, and Zion in our minds at that time
was a little place on the Missouri River in Jackson County, Western
Missouri—a town and a few surrounding villages, or a country,
peradventure it may be as large as a county. When we first heard the
fullness of the Gospel  preached by [p.31] the first Elders, and read
the revelations given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, our ideas of
Zion were very limited. But as our minds began to grow and expand, why
we began to look upon Zion as a great people, and the Stakes of Zion
as numerous, and the area of the country to be inhabited by the people
of Zion as this great American continent, or at least such portions of
it as the Lord should consecrate for the gathering of His people. We
ceased to set bounds to Zion and her Stakes. We began also to cease to
think about a single temple in one certain place. Seeing the different
Stakes of Zion that were being organized we perceived the idea,
possibly, of as many temples. Having had one spot pointed out in the
revelations for the temple in Jackson County, our minds expanded so
that in a short time we were building another temple in a Stake of
Zion in Kirtland, Ohio. A little while afterwards we were laying the
foundation of a temple in Far West Missouri, and driven before our
enemies; from that place we next laid the foundation and built up a
temple unto the Lord in Nauvoo. When we located in the mountains and
laid the foundation of a temple in Salt Lake City, who of us had an
idea that before it should be completed we would be administering in a
temple in St. George, and another in Logan, and another in Manti, and
who conceives the idea to-day, that by the time these are completed
and the Saints have officiated in them, we will be scattered over the
American continent, building temples in e hundred other places? All
this comes within the range of possibility nay, probability, almost
amouting to certainty. One of my brethren behind me here, who
understands these things, and who can speak knowingly in regard to
them, says, that we may put it down as a certainty, that by and by,
there will be hundreds of these temples throughout the land. Our minds
are beginning to comprehend the object and purpose of the temples of
our God. We realize that they are places where the Lord bestows the
keys of life and salvation pertaining to the everlasting Priesthood,
and opens the door of redemption and salvation unto our dead. We begin
to comprehend a little of the vision shown to Ezekiel, as recorded in
the 37th chapter of his book. Ezekiel, while under the influence of
the Spirit of the Lord, was set down. in the midst of the valley which
was full of bones. He explored the valley, saw there were very many
bones, and, lo, they were very dry. The Lord commanded him to prophesy
concerning them, and he prophesied, saying: "O ye dry bones, hear the
word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones: Behold, I
will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: and I will lay
sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with
skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that
I am the Lord.	*	*	*	And the breath came unto them, and
they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of
Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dry, and our hope is lost: we
are cut off for our parts." Now, these were not the prophets and
saints and righteous dead who had been partakers of the blessings of
the Gospel and of the Priesthood, while in the flesh, but were those
who had passed off in a day of darkness, and in their lost condition
said to one another, and said in their hearts, "Our [p.32] bones are
dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts." But lo!
the plan of salvation for the dead is revealed. The scheme which the
Father had provided for the redemption of those whose hope was lost,
and who were cut off is revealed unto their children, unto those who
have been gathered from their long dispersion, and who have received
the keys of the Holy Priesthood, which bringeth life and salvation to
the dead as well as to the living. Having these keys corn mitred unto
us, we proceed to establish Zion; to build up her Stakes; to build her
temples; to gather together those who purify themselves before the
Lord, and qualify and fit themselves to become saviors upon Mount
Zion, by entering into holy places and officiating for themselves and
their dead, thus laying the foundation for the redemption of the dead
in being baptized for them, in being ordained for them, in being
blessed and endowed for them, in receiving the keys and the key-words
for them, that in the day when the Elders who have passed behind the
veil shall preach to them the Gospel of glad tidings of great joy, lo
and behold! they will receive it and will be put in possession of
those keys, endowments and blessings, whereby they may be freed from
their prison houses, and be raised from the dead, and stand upon their
feet an exceeding great army, and be restored to the blessings which
God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their seed after them.

Vol. 25, p.32
Now, this is the work before us, and I want to ask my brethren, the
Elders of Israel, how long shall we be in accomplishing this work? Can
I tell you? No, it is not given me to know. It is sufficient for us to
know that the time has come for the work to be done: that the Lord has
turned the key and opened the door; that it is an effectual door which
no man can shut—the door of life and salvation. Hence it is our duty
to step forward and magnify the calling whereunto God has called us.
Send out the young men of Israel; send out the middle aged send out
those who have not as yet cleared their garments of the blood of this
generation to call the children of men to repentance, and to see how
many will engage with us in this great work of salvation, and become
saviors upon Mount Zion. But this preaching the Gospel to the outside
world is a small part of the work. It is but the ABC of the lesson to
be learned and the work to be accomplished. How long, I ask, shall we
be in accomplishing this work? It is not, as I have said, given to me
to know; but I can tell you in general terms. As long as there is one
soul (of all the sons and daughters of Adam that have been born on
this earth) that has not had an opportunity of receiving and obeying
the Gospel; as long as there is one soul that is in a condition to be
saved and that can be reached by this plan of salvation, so long will
the Latter-day Saints be engaged in this work. But what I was going to
bring before your minds was this: Shall we expect that the Lord Jesus
is going to delay His coming in the midst of His people, until all
this great work shall have been accomplished? By no means. I do not
understand that He has ever intheated anything of this kind. Nor need
we wait in our faith and in our expectations till all these great and
glorious things shall have been accomplished on the earth before the
Prophet Joseph Smith shall come unto us again. He  has merely taken
another mission in advance of us. He fulfilled the [p.33] mission
given unto him on earth. The Lord was satisfied with his labors here.
He lived long enough to endow his brethren with full authority to
carry on the work that he had begun on the earth. He took his
departure behind the veil. The Lord suffered his enemies to destroy
him in the flesh, to take away his life, and he was made an
offering—what shall I say? an offering for sin. Not in the sense in
which the Savior was offered, but he was made a martyr for the truth
and his blood was shed to attest the testimony that he bore to the
world. He entered upon another short mission. Where? Why, unto his
brethren of the house of Israel, and as many of the Gentiles as will
receive his testimony, behind the veil The mission of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, between his death and resurrection was a similar
mission, but a very short one. It lasted only three days. While his
body lay in the tomb his spirit visited the spirits in prison, turned
the key and opened the door of their prison house, and offered unto
them the Gospel of salvation. How many of them were prepared to avail
themselves of it at that time? Comparatively few. But he opened the
door and offered the message of life and salvation, and having done
this, His fellow laborers—the Seventies, Elders and others whom He
ordained to the ministry—as fast as they finished their ministry in
the flesh—continued their work among' the spirits in prison. So is the
Prophet Joseph Smith officiating and ministering to those spirits, and
so are all His brethren, the Apostles, who have gone in his wake, who
have followed, as it were, in his track. They have just gone behind
the veil. Who shall we say? Let us call to mind a few of the brethren
who have passed away—Brother David Patten (the first of the Apostles
who was slain), Parley P. Pratt, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Brigham
Young, Orson Pratt, Charles C. Rich, and others of the Apostles; also
Patriarchs Father Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith; Elders Samuel H.
Smith, Don Carlos Smith—all the first Elders of this Church and the
Presidents of all the early quorums, and a vast company of the members
of their quorums. All these and many more are laboring in the spirit
world preparing the spirits thereof to receive the benefits and
blessings which are now about to be offered to them in the temples of
God. In other words, "a ticket of leave" is about to be sent to them
to the effect that their friends on the earth have officiated in their
behalf, have complied with the ordinances which are appointed for
their redemption, which will enable them to advance into a higher
sphere, to walk upon a higher plane, to enter a higher class where
they can be further instructed and prepared for a glorious
resurrection. And as fast as this work is accomplished—and it is nigh
at hand, it is now even at our doors—there will be another step made
in advance; there will be another mission undertaken. The next mission
will be to come and prepare the way in Zion, and in her Stakes, and in
the temples of our God for turning the key of the resurrection of the
dead, to bring forth those that are asleep, and to exalt them among
the Gods. And who will be first and foremost? Why, he whom God has
chosen and placed first and foremost to hold the keys of this last
dispensation. How long will it be? It is not given tome to say the
month, the day, or the hour; but it is given unto me to say that that
time is nigh at hand. The [p.34] time is drawing near (much nearer
than scarcely any of us can now comprehend) when Joseph will be
clothed upon with immortality, when his brother Hyrum will be clothed
upon with immortality, when the martyrs will be raised from the dead,
together with their faithful brethren who have performed a good
mission in the spirit world—they, too, will be called to assist in the
work of the glorious resurrection. The Lord Jesus, who was the first
fruits of the dead, the first fruit of them that sleep, and who holds
the keys of the resurrection, will bring to pass the resurrection of
the Prophet Joseph and his brethren, and will set them to work in
bringing about the resurrection of their brethren as He has set them
to work in all the other branches of the labor from the beginning. And
the Lord Jesus will appear and show Himself unto His servants in His
temple in holy places, to counsel and instruct and direct. He will
appear in the glory of His Father, in His resurrected body, among
those who can endure His presence and glory. And all this I expect
long before He will waste away and destroy the wicked from off the
face of the earth. True, we have, in our limited understandings,
perhaps imagined, many of us, that this glorious resurrection was to
come upon us, and upon the whole world suddenly, like the rising of
the sun. But you must remember the sun does not rise the same hour and
the same moment upon all the earth. It is twenty-four hours in rising
and twenty-four hours in setting. So with the resurrection. There is a
day appointed for the resurrection of the righteous. And it is sealed
upon the heads of many that if they are faithful and true, they shall
come forth "in the morning of the first resurrection;" but the morning
lasts from the first hour of the day until mid-day, and the day lasts
till night; and the rest of the dead—those who are not prepared or
counted worthy to have part in the first resurrection—shall not live
again until the thousand years are ended. In other words, the first
resurrection will have been ended, and another period appointed for
the resurrection of the rest of the dead. But this "morning of the
first resurrection" is nigh at hand, and blessed are those who,
through their faithfulness, shall be counted worthy to have part in
it; for they shall be crowned kings and priests with God and the
Lamb—they shall reign with Christ and in the midst of His people, and
carry on the work of the redemption and resurrection of the Saints of
God. And while in some parts of the world the Elders of Israel are
preaching the Gospel unto the heathen nations who have not been
ripened for destruction, but whose kings and mighty men have perished,
and whose governments have been broken in pieces and wasted away, and
the government of the Kingdom of God has been extended over them;
while this is going on in some portions of the world, in other places,
even in Zion and in her Stakes and in Jerusalem, the children of God
will be engaged in the redemption of their dead in the temples of our
God, and in the resurrection of those that are counted worthy of so
great a salvation.

Vol. 25, p.34
Then, I say, we need not put off the day of the Lord so far from us.
Rather let us prepare ourselves for it; for lo and behold! He cometh
quickly, and blessed are they who are prepared to receive Him; for
they shall enter into His rest and  be crowned with glory, and shall
labor with Him and with the Prophet [p.35] Joseph and his brethren in
bringing to pass this great salvation and redemption of our God.

Vol. 25, p.35
May God help us to continue faithful, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Erastus Snow, October 5, 1883

Present Revelation—Work Required of the Priesthood—Improvement
Among the People—More Improvement Necessary—Faith in the Ordinances
Required—Design of God in Relation to the Children of the Saints

Delivered at the General Conference,
Friday Afternoon, October 5th, 1883.

Reported By John Irvine.

Vol. 25, p.35
I am grateful for the opportunity of meeting in Conference once more
with the Latter-day Saints, and for the health and strength given me
to continue my labors among the people, and for this same blessing of
health which is enjoyed by my brethren. I am thankful, too, that the
Lord has raised up young men to bear off the Kingdom and help carry
the burdens of the people. It is also a source of satisfaction that He
has spoken and given instructions through His servant pertaining to
the Seventies, to more fully organize and set in order the quorums of
the Priesthood, the Seventies being more especially called as
assistants to the Twelve Apostles, in the work of the ministry. And it
is desirable that the revelation upon the subject should be fully
carried out, the Priesthood in its various departments fully
organized, and every thing set in order according to the word and mind
of the Lord; that every quorum of the Priesthood, general and local,
might be in good working order. For it devolves upon the quorums of
the Melchisedek Priesthood to carry the Gospel to the nations, and to
gather those that accept it. This work is great, the field is wide,
and the word of the Lord unto us, His servants, is to thrust in our
sickles and reap, and gather the harvest of the earth. And here let me
say, the Lord has sent His angels to superintend the work. The angel
spoken of by John the Revelator, has flown with the everlasting Gospel
to preach to those that dwell upon the earth; and it is given unto us
that we should proclaim it to all nations, to every people under
heaven, the [p.36] decree having gone forth that this Gospel of the
Kingdom should be preached to all nations, and then the end should
come.

Vol. 25, p.36
Many years have elapsed since this message began to be communicated to
the sons of men; and we have become, comparatively speaking, a great
people. A little one has indeed become a thousand. We, who a few years
ago were only numbered by units and tens, now are numbered by
thousands and tens of thousands, yea hundreds of thousands. And the
Priesthood is correspondingly increasing in numbers and in ability to
labor, and acquiring means to carry on the work of preaching the
Gospel and of gathering Israel. The labor before us is not
diminishing; it is extending on every hand, and the Lord desires to
see the Elders of Israel in their various quorums and organizations
interested, earnest and alive to their calling, anxious to perform
well and faithfully the duties assigned them.

Vol. 25, p.36
The Spirit of the Lord prompts from time to time the calling and
setting apart of men to the work of the ministry, and sending them to
different portions of the globe. And inasmuch as people feel earliest
and anxious to do good, to use the means that God blesses them with in
doing good, in sending the Gospel to the nations, and in gathering the
elect of God—and as this feeling prevails and increases among the
people generally—the Seventies and Elders, when they feel this spirit
moving upon them, should not wait, supinely rest upon their oars, but
be ready to act. And here permit me to say that that feeling which has
to some extent prevailed with some in time past, that when men are
named, either in Conference, or otherwise called on missions, to
indulge in such remarks as this—"I wonder what he has been doing that
he should be sent upon a mission;"—such a spirit should not exist in
the minds of Latter-day Saints, as it is entirely foreign to those who
call men to the ministry. Such a feeling is not worthy a man called to
preach the Gospel of the Son of God. The qualifications of Elders that
are sought after, and that should recommend a minister of the Gospel,
should be an earnest; desire to do good, a willingness to serve, a
desire to know what the Lord has for him to do, and a readiness to at
once engage in the undertaking, using himself and his means, if
blessed with means, his talents or gifts bestowed upon him by the
Lord, with an eye single to His honor and glory. And men who are at
home, ought to show forth these qualities in their daily lives and
conduct, by attending their quorum meetings and their ward meetings,
and their general Priesthood meetings, and by improving every
opportunity to learn their duty, and to improve themselves in their
daily lives; by being prompt in paying their tithing and in bringing
forth their offerings for the poor, and their contributions for the
building of Temples. It may not be those who are loudest in their
professions, but those actually pursuing this course of life. These
are the men that will be useful on the earth, and whom the Lord will
delight to own and bless in their labors in the ministry. And it is
desirable, that in the various Stakes of Zion, where quorums are
organized, that the Presidents of Stakes should encourage those
quorums, and the presiding officers of the various quorums should
endeavor to gather  together all who have received the Priesthood, and
see that they are [p.37] enrolled in their respective quorums, and
encourage them to attend their quorum meetings, and there seek for the
counsels of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit that should rest upon the
presiding officers of quorums to teach the members of the quorums all
things pertaining to their duties, and how to become fitted for the
labors whereunto God has called them. For all these quorums and
organizations are so many classes for mutual improvement, edification
and instruction; and the Presidents thereof are appointed and ordained
to instruct the members of their quorums in all things in the line of
their duty. And they should be encouraged by the Presidents of Stakes
in their Quarterly Conferences to report progress and attendance of
members, and the progress they are making in their qualifications. The
Elders should thus be sought after; and according to the spirit they
manifest in attending to their duties and qualifying themselves for
the work of the ministry, they should be called into the field,
whether from the Seventies or the Elders or the High Priests, the High
Priests, however, being more especially expected to take the
responsibility of presiding in Branches, in Stakes, in Wards, as
Presidents of Stakes, as High Counselors, as Bishops, or Bishop's
Counselors, as Presiding Elders in the Conferences of the churches
abroad. And the time is not far distant when the Elders of Israel will
be required to turn their attention and labors among the branches of
the house of Israel; and especially among the remnants of Joseph, upon
this American Continent.

Vol. 25, p.37
I am pleased to be able to testify, from my travels among the people,
in attending Stake Conferences and Priesthood meetings, and hearing
their reports from time to time, that there is a steady improvement in
the feelings of the people. This was the testimony of Brother David P.
Kimball, this morning, when he said, that he could perceive a decided
improvement in the faith of the Latter-day Saints during the six years
of his absence. I think this is especially visible to all those who
are moving and acting among the people, they being the best able to
judge of their true condition. This is a source of gratitude and
thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father. I will not say of
self-congratulation; for although we have reason for thanksgiving for
the mercies and the blessings we have received, yet there are many
things still to be done, very many improvements to be made, many
weaknesses to be overcome, and very much yet to be done to instruct
the people that they may be sanctified and prepared to endure the
presence of the Lord, when he shall come; and to enable them to
withstand the shocks of the enemy, that will be directed against them.
Much remains to be done by the people in putting away evils that still
exist in our midst; and very much needs to be done in the various.
Wards and Stakes throughout all the settlements of the Saints by the
local Priesthood. I don't merely mean the Presidents of Stakes, the
Bishops, the High Counselors, and the lesser Priesthood appointed to
assist the Bishops—however important their labors may be and however
necessary it may be that they should be alive and active; but they
should also have the support of all High Priests, Seventies and Elders
in their Wards. And every officer of the Priesthood. should be alive
and awake to see what good he might do, wherever and whenever the
[p.38] opportunity exists of doing good—in his own home and family
first, watching over his own children, laboring to unite the hearts
and feelings of his wife or wives and children, that peace may dwell
in his own habitation, and the wisdom and knowledge of God grow and
increase among his own household; and to see that his children do not
grow up idlers, but are trained to be industrious, and taught to reach
out after truth, that their spirits may not be unfruitful, and that
they may be taught in the fear of the Lord, and to worship Him, and to
call upon Him, and to have faith in Him, so that when sickness assails
them that they may not first resort to the doctor, or desire to put
their trust in medical men to heal them, for the Lord has commanded
His people that when any are sick among them, they shall call for the
Elders of the Church, who shall pray over them, and lay their hands
upon them, and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord, and the
prayer of faith shall save the sick. This was the exhortation of the
Apostle James to the former-day Saints, and it has been repeated to
the Latter-day Saints. The revelations given unto us on this subject
are to the effect that "they who have faith to be healed, shall be
healed; the deaf who have faith to hear, shall hear; the lame who have
faith to walk, shall walk, etc. And they who have not faith to do
these things, but believe in me, I will have compassion upon them, and
bear their infirmities, and they shall be nursed with herbs and mild
food, and that not by the hand of an enemy."

Vol. 25, p.38
These things are for you, my brethren and sisters, and for your
families, and all who are willing to receive the word and counsels of
Almighty God. And if our faith is so weak that we have to resort to
medical aid, let us do it trusting and relying upon God, seeking unto
those who have faith, and who have confidence in God, and who do what
they do unto the Lord, righteously, justly and honorably, seeking for
the light of the Holy Ghost to help them in their profession. These
will be far more likely to succeed and do good; but the other class
are not to be relied upon, for all doctors have not faith any more
than all lawyers or other men. But the sound, intelligent philosopher
or Surgeon has respect for God and His works, which are made manifest
in all nature and in nothing more than the human frame, which is after
the image of God himself—fearfully and wonderfully made—and those who
understand it best, respect, as a rule, the Maker, and acknowledge His
wisdom as being superior to that of man, for there is nothing ever
devised by man that is equal to his own organization in perfection and
beauty, or in strength and durability.

Vol. 25, p.38
Let us remember and ponder upon these counsels, and cleave to the
Priesthood and have confidence in it; and let the Elders administer to
the sick in faith, and let them rebuke disease when the Spirit prompts
them, and it will be rebuked, and the sick will be healed by the power
of God. Every Elder in Israel should so live before the Lord as to
have confidence in Him to do this. And let the Presidents of Stakes
and the Bishops and the leading influential men encourage faith among
the people, depending upon God and the ordinances of His house rather
than trusting in man. And while  they seek for wisdom to nurse the
sick in a manner calculated to do them good, let them learn too,
[p.39] that herb medicine, unless administered in wisdom and
intelligence, is liable to injure the patient instead of benefitting
him. And let the Elders lay aside strong drinks and tobacco, and
discontinue the practice of everything having a tendency to injure the
system, and set examples before our sons and daughters that is worthy
of imitation. If parents will pursue this course they will command the
respect of their children; and when the time comes for them to go down
to their graves, their children will point to them in affection and
pride as being the chief means, under God, of their learning His ways
and walking in His paths, and of eschewing those pernicious habits
which are wasting away the life of our nation, and that are gradually
undermining society and destroying the human race. It is the design of
the Almighty to raise up in these mountains a hardy and a healthy
people, a people who shall live according to the laws of heaven that
govern them, in whom shall be found the elements of faith and power;
and it becomes our duty to shape our lives accordingly. And that God
may help us to do so, and to accomplish all that is required of us, is
my earnest desire and prayer. Amen.

Charles W. Penrose, May 20, 1883

Sincerity Alone not Sufficient—the Gathering Foretold—Inspired
Writings
not All Contained in the Bible—Province of the Holy Ghost—The
Reformers
—Confusion of Sects—Apostate Condition of the World Foretold—How the
 Apostles Were Sent Out—Authority Required—What the Saints Should Do—
Opposition to the Gospel, Ancient and Modern—Testimony

Delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon,
 May 20th, 1883.

Reported By John Irvine

Vol. 25, p.39
I am called upon this afternoon quite unexpectedly to me, to address
this congregation, and I earnestly pray that the spirit of the living
God may rest down upon me and upon all who are gathered in this
Tabernacle, that I may be inspired to say something which will be
profitable to hear, and that all who listen to my words may be able to
understand them in the spirit by which they are spoken.

Vol. 25, p.40
[p.40] We have assembled here to-day to worship God our Heavenly
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ His Son, under the influence and
power of the Holy Spirit. In order that our worship may be acceptable
to God, it must be done in the name of Jesus, and it must be done
under the influence or His Spirit; for "God is a spirit, and they that
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." We must be
sincere in our worship; we must be sincere in all that we do in order
that it may be acceptable to God. But sincerity alone is not
sufficient. We have to worship Him in truth as well as in spirit, and
we must worship Him also in the way that He has appointed, not in our
way. God does not accept the ways of man unless those ways are in
accordance with His ways. And we have come here that we may learn the
ways of God, and then walk in His path. This is in accordance with the
ancient prophets. They declared that in the last days, people should
come from all nations unto "the tops of the mountains" for this very
purpose, that they might learn of His ways and walk in His paths. The
reason why we have had to do this is because the ways of our fathers,
in their worship and in their service towards God, have been only in
accordance with their private notions, their ideas of what is right.

Vol. 25, p.40
There has been no voice from heaven heard among the children of men on
this earth for a great many centuries. People have not been guided by
the revelations of the Almighty, but by the wisdom of man, or, as we
think, the folly of faun. It is true that the people called
"Christians," have had the book called the Bible. The Old Testament
and the New Testament contain books which were written by men who
lived in ancient times, and who were inspired of God. Those books do
not contain all that was written by the servants of God, in ancient
times, but only a few of the writings given to the children of men by
inspiration. This book contains a great deal of truth and some few
errors, but the errors are the interpolations or the mistranslations
of men. The doctrines which the Bible contains are true, and they are
in sufficient plainness to be correctly understood, if the people who
read what it contains are influenced by the same spirit or inspired by
the same spirit as the men who wrote those things. But without that
spirit the people of the earth are not able fully to comprehend that
which is written. We read in that book that "the letter killeth." It
is the spirit that giveth life, and it is also the spirit that giveth
light. Without the Spirit of God as the revealing influence from on
high, mankind are unable to comprehend the things of God. As we are
unable this afternoon to see anything of a physical nature without
that natural light which comes from the sun, so without the light that
comes from the Son of Righteousness, we are unable to see the things
of God. The prophets who wrote the things contained in the Old
Testament, and the Apostles of Jesus Christ, who wrote the epistles,
and other writings contained in the New Testament, were blessed with
the gift that is called in the Scriptures the gift of the Holy Ghost.
This was not merely an influence which made them feel good; that
exalted their spiritual natures so as to make them happy, contented
and peaceful; but it was a manifestation of the power that comes from
God. As the light that comes from the sun reveals through our natural
eyes those objects which [p.41] we see around us, so the Holy Ghost
coming from God opens up and makes clear and plain the things of
eternity, those things that are called spiritual, although they are
all spiritual to our Heavenly Father. The things which we call natural
and temporal are spiritual to Him, because He sees the essence of
things, He comprehends them in their internal nature. All the elements
of all things that exist are eternal, and "the things that are
spiritual are eternal," and therefore it is all spiritual to God. We
at the present time are creatures of time, and we see things that
change. We do not comprehend their eternal nature. We do not
comprehend their essence. We only see that which is on the surface, on
the outside. But God looks into the internal nature of things as well
as of men, and comprehends them. And the elements, both of that which
is called natural and that which is spiritual, are all eternal,
without beginning and without end. They are manipulated and changed
and worked over, but they have no beginning in their essence, and they
cannot have. No atom in nature can be destroyed. It never commenced to
be; it will never cease to be. God looks upon things as they are, in
their eternal nature, and therefore they are all eternal or spiritual
to Him. But speaking after the manner of men we call things temporal
and spiritual, natural and supernatural; yet after all when we come to
comprehend them as they are, they are all material and all spiritual.

Vol. 25, p.41
The inhabitants of the earth, as I have remarked, have been without
any direct communication from God, and therefore they have been
measurably in the dark. They have been able to read some of the books
which were written by the servants of God, who were inspired by Him in
ancient times; but they have had no revelation for themselves. They
can read what Isaiah said, or Jeremiah, or Peter, or Paul, or Luke, or
other writers of the Old or New Testament; but they have had no
personal revelation. The light which they have obtained is a borrowed
light, like the light of the moon. They have been in a sort of
moonlight or twinkling star-light. There have been a great many
preachers who have claimed to be the servants of God, ministering
among the people in Christendom; some in the ancient church called the
Church of Rome, some in the Episcopal Church, some in the Methodist
Church, others in the Baptist Church, and so on through all the
various denominations that compose modern Christendom. No doubt many
of them were good men, men who strove to the best of their ability,
and the best of their knowledge to enlighten the minds of their
fellow-men. Some of them, perhaps, were mere hirelings, "preaching for
hire and divining for money;" but others were sincere in their hearts,
sincere in their worship, sincere in the religion which they taught to
others. But they had not a knowledge of the truth. They had a faith of
some kind. They believed in certain principles. They believed in the
things which they read in the Bible so far as they could comprehend
them, but they had no positive knowledge in regard to the things which
they believed in and which they taught. The men who were called the
Reformers, who came out from the Church of Rome, and introduced a
little more truth than the people previously had, and reformed several
errors that were existing—were, some of them, most excellent men, and
they performed [p.42] a great and a good work in the earth. But they
were not called of God in the way that His servants were called in
ancient times who wrote the things contained in the Bible, neither
were they endowed with the Holy Ghost, which those men enjoyed. They
nevertheless did a grand work in the earth, and for that they will
receive their reward, no doubt; for no man who ever lived on the earth
whether in a Christian nation or among the heathen or pagan world,
ever did a good thing but he was the better for it, and will receive
his reward for it, and no man ever did wilfilly a wicked thing, that
which he knew and felt to be wrong, without being the worse for it,
and for that he must give an account in the great day when the secrets
of the hearts of all mankind shall be made manifest, Christian and
heathen, those in the ancient times and those in the latter times. All
who ever dwelt in the earth in the flesh must appear before the bar of
God, and be judged for the deeds done in the body, whether they be
good or evil, and they will receive a reward for the good that they
did, and a punishment for the evil that they did, especially and
particularly if they did evil knowingly, if they sinned wilfully,
sinned against light and knowledge.

Vol. 25, p.42
A great many of those persons that I have referred to among those
reformers and others who worked on the earth, as they thought for
righteousness and for the Lord, have labored in sincerity, but not
always in truth. A great many errors have prevailed in the world since
the time when the Apostles were put to death, when the lights that God
placed in the world were put out by the hand of wickedness; since the
servants of God were destroyed in the flesh, a great many errors have
crept into the world, and darkness has spread over the minds of the
children of men. Though many have worshipped in sincerity, they have
not worshipped in truth, because they did not fully comprehend the way
of truth. When they read the Scriptures, they only partially
comprehended them, and they differed among themselves as to the
meaning of those things which they read. Thus sect has multiplied upon
sect, denomination upon denomination. And in what is called
Christendom, people are in confusion, not comprehending alike, not
seeing the truth as it is; for if they could all see the truth
properly, they would see alike; if they all comprehended the truth
correctly, they would be of one heart and one mind so far as they
comprehended. But the very fact that those divisions exist, proves
that there is darkness in the world. If the light of God was revealed
to six men in the same degree, they would comprehend the principles
presented before them, the principles of the Gospel, exactly in the
same way; and if six men can be united in comprehending truth exactly
alike, six millions or any number of men can be united so as to see
and comprehend the truth exactly in the same way, and this was the
effect of the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, the
Revealer, the spirit of life and light, which God gave to His people
in the ancient Christian Church when the Gospel came to them. They
were all divided when Jesus Christ came into the world. There was a
similar diversity of opinions and faith in regard to God and His ways,
to what there is now, only not to so great an extent. Jesus came and
showed the right way. He was "the way, the truth, and the life." He
came to reveal His Fathers will. He made plain the way of life and
truth, [p.43] that all who desired might be able to walk therein—in
the same way and under the same light, that they might see eye to eye
and be no more divided. It was thus with the people called Pharisees
or Sadducees, or with those who belonged to any sect that existed
among the Jews, or with those who lived among the Greeks, and had
adopted the Grecian system of philosophy, or with people who lived in
any other part of the world, and believed in any other kind of
religion—when they came into the Christian church they were no longer
divided in their opinions and in their faith, but they were all
brought to see alike; they were "all baptized by one spirit, into one
body, whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free." They no longer worshipped
different Gods, or the same God in different ways, but they worshipped
alike. They had "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one hope of
their calling." But when darkness came into the world again; when the
guides that God had placed among humanity were rejected and thrust
out, and the Holy Ghost was withdrawn, and men were left to
themselves, then they began to divide up, each man going his own way,
according to his notion. Preachers have multiplied, sects have
multiplied, and doctrines have multiplied. And here we are in the
latter times, in the nineteenth century, when the people boast so much
about Gospel light as well as scientific light, here we are in the
nineteenth century, and the people are groping like blind men for the
wall. They do not know God, and some do not care anything about Him.
Some deny His existence, and a great many more stand in a position of
doubt and uncertainty. Very few squarely deny the existence of a God;
but there are a great many people who do not know whether there is a
God or not; they are not satisfied in their minds. "I do not know,"
seems to be the sentiment of the great bulk of intelligent people
now-a-days in regard to divine things.

Vol. 25, p.43
Well, as I said in the beginning of my remarks, we have met here
to-day to worship God in His way—not our way, that is, not the way we
have made, not the way that any man has made, but according to the
plan and pattern revealed from heaven by Almighty God, in our day and
time. If God manifested himself in ancient times, why should He not
manifest Himself in latter times? If God spoke to the world by the
power of the Holy Ghost, through chosen men in former ages of the
world, why not in this age? If angels came down from heaven and
ministered to persons upon the earth in any period of this world's
history, why not in the latter times? Are God's lips closed that He
cannot speak? Are the heavens sealed up and become like brass, that no
man can break through, and no heavenly being come to this little world
and make manifest the things of eternity? Has the Holy Ghost changed
in its power and influence and revealing qualities? Or are the
children of men in such a condition that they are not willing to
receive the Lord and His ways and His works and His light? Has God
purposely departed from the earth, or have the people of the earth
departed from God? We read here in the book of Isaiah about a time
that should come when "darkness would cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people." We read of a time when God would come out from
His hiding place in judgment upon the inhabitants of the earth in the
latter days, and it should be "as with the people so with the priest;
as with the servant, [p.44] so with the master; as with the maid, so
with the mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the
lender so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the
giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly
spoiled, for the Lord has spoken this word." What for? "Because they
have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the
everlasting covenant. Therefore has the curse devoured the earth, and
they that dwell therein are desolate." Now, it looks to me a great
deal more reasonable to think that the people of the earth have
departed from God, and gone out of His way, and made ways of their
own; that they have "heaped to themselves teachers having itching
ears, and have turned away their ears from the truth, and have turned
unto fables;" that they have become "lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God;" and that they have a form of godliness, but lack the
power thereof, than that God has forsaken them, without any acts of
their own. Now, I know that this sounds very harsh in Christian ears.
It sounds very disagreeable to the people who compose Christendom, to
say that they have gone out of the way—those good, pious-appearing
people, who express such beautiful sentiments, and have such religious
emotions and such lofty feelings, and many of whom are sincere in
their hearts—to say that they have gone out of the way and that they
are in the dark. It is all right to say that millions upon millions of
the heathen nations for hundreds and hundreds of years have been in
the dark, and that they are in the dark to-day, that they are away
from God, that the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ does
not shine into their souls, that their philosophers and sages and
poets and preachers and mighty men of intellect are all wrong; that is
all right; you can say that. Many Christian people do say this, and
are not shocked in their feelings a bit; but to say that the
Christians of this generation are out of the way sounds terrible in
their ears. Nevertheless I will make bold to say that this is the
fact; that the whole earth has gone astray. I will go no further than
they say themselves: "We have left undone those things that we ought
to have done, and have done those things that we ought not to have
done, and there is no help in us. O Lord have mercy upon us, miserable
sinners." Well, that is just exactly what they are. Now, I do not
boast that we are any better than they are. I am merely taking them as
the Lord will take a great many of them: "Out of thine own mouth will
I judge thee." They tell the Lord, "All we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned every one to his own way." That is what is the
matter with the Christian world. They are not walking in the Lord's
way. They are walking in the ways that men have invented.

Vol. 25, p.44
Any student of the Scriptures who is willing to receive truth when it
is presented before him, can see by perusing the sacred books of the
Old and the New Testaments, that the condition of the world at the
present time was anticipated by the ancient prophets and apostles.
They all saw that the time would come when the people would turn away
from the truth; when they would walk in their own ways; when they
would build up churches to themselves; when they would hire men to
preach to them things which were wise and good in their own eyes; they
would not be very anxious to find  out the will of God, [p.45] or that
He might declare it to them, but would have preachers to teach them
doctrines which seemed good to their "itching ears."

Vol. 25, p.45
A student of the Scriptures will also find that in every age of the
world when there was a people dwelling on the earth whom God acknowled
as His people, He required them to do all things as He commanded them;
not as they might choose, but as He commanded. When Jesus Christ came
He did not come to do His own will, or to preach His own doctrine.
Said He: "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me. If any man
will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God,
or whether I speak of myself." Jesus did nothing and said nothing but
that which He had been commanded to do and say. He taught no doctrine
of Himself. And He declared that when He should go away, the Comforter
would come in His place. What would He do "He will guide you into all
truth for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come." When the
Apostles who were called of Jesus Christ, went out to preach the
Gospel in His name, they did not go to preach their own views and
opinions and notions, nor to administer ordinances that they thought
were proper and adapted to the people in different nations, but they
went out with the word of the Lord; they went out to teach that which
had been commanded. Said Jesus Christ: "Go therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you." They were not to preach with the enticing words
of man's wisdom, nor proclaim their notions about things, but they
were to go forth with the living word of God, they were to go and
teach that which Christ had taught them, and which He did not teach of
Himself. And even then He told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they
were endowed with power from on high. They waited. And on the day of
Pentecost, we read, they came together "with one accord in one place."
They were of one heart, of one mind, and of one spirit, and then the
Holy Ghost was manifested to them, in visible form, in cloven tongues
as of fire. They were all filled with that spirit, and they spoke with
other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, and from that time,
having been ordained by Jesus Christ, when He was upon the earth, they
were able to go out and preach the Gospel to the nations of the earth.
On that day (Pentecost) Peter preached that great gospel sermon which
we read about in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. He
did not teach the people anything in regard to his opinion. He told
the people that which he knew, that which had been made manifest to
him, that which he understood, and he did it under the influence and
power of the Holy Ghost, the same spirit which rested upon the ancient
prophets, the same spirit by which Jesus spoke, which was given to him
not by measure, but in a fullness.

Vol. 25, p.45
No man has a right to preach in the name, of the Lord, unless he is
endowed as were those Apostles, unless the Lord has committed to him a
dispensation of the Gospel; and if any man does so he does it; upon
his own responsibility. Unless he is so-called and endowed, all his
administrations, whether it be baptism, confirmation, or any other
rite which he may administer in the name of deity, are null and [p.46]
void and of non-effect in the heavens. When God calls men to
officiate, what they do on earth in His name in the way He has
appointed, by His authority, is as valid as if He performed it himself
in person; what they "seal on earth is sealed in the heavens;" and
what they "loose on earth is loosed in the heavens." But when men
administer the ordinances without authority, without inspiration,
without being called and appointed and ordained specially for that
work, all their ministrations are vain and valueless. If they baptize
a person that baptism is void. The baptism of infants is void. It
never was ordained of God. it never was authorized of Him, but is one
of the vagaries of men, one of man's inventions. But even baptism
administered as the ancient Apostles administered it, and as Jesus
Christ taught it, and according to the pattern which He Himself set in
His own baptism, if administered by men who have not been called and
ordained and endowed with the power and right to do it, is utterly
void, and is of no more account than a bath. And it is the absence of
this authority and the absence of this endowment, the absence of this
divine spirit which reveals the things of God, and makes them plain to
the children of men, which have caused all this confusion that exists
in the Christian world, as well as in the heathen world.

Vol. 25, p.46
Well, we have met here this afternoon, and we have gathered here in
these mountain valleys that we might learn God's ways, and then carry
them out in our lives, for ours is a practical religion. We not only
learn but we practice. If we are Latter-day Saints, we come to learn
what is right and then do it with all our might, fearless and
regardless of the opinions of others, or what other people may do or
try to do. The business of our lives is to try and find out the will
of our Heavenly Father and perform it. This we can do. There is no
need to be in doubt as to what it is. There is no need to depend upon
any man—Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Peter, Paul, Isaiah,
or anybody else. Every man that lives, and every woman that breathes
the breath of life has a right to know in his or her own heart,
whether a thing is right and true or not, and those who do not strive
to obtain this knowledge are derelict. "He that doeth the will of the
Father shall know of the doctrine." Our business is then to find out
what the Lord's will is, to guide us in our every-day life, not only
to make us feel good, to exalt our spiritual nature, our emotions, our
sentiments, our thoughts, not only that, but to guide us in our daily
lives, so that all our acts may be squared according to the rule of
right, that we may do that which is pleasing to our Heavenly Father,
that we may learn to live so as not merely to do our own will, but to
do the will of Him that has sent us here on the earth, and who has
enlightened our minds in regard to the truth. We need not walk in the
dark. It is our privilege to walk in the light. We have come out from
the darkness, we have come out from confusion, we have come out from
Babylon into the light and the liberty and the certainty of the
everlasting Gospel. We have come out from the creeds of men; we have
come out from the ways of men; we have come out from the nations and
kingdoms of the earth; we have come up into these mountain valleys,
that we may find out truth day by day and year by  year, that we may
get closer and closer to our God, that [p.47] we may learn the ways of
truth, and walk in them more perfectly, until the veil shall be
entirely taken away, and we shall see and comprehend the things of
eternity as plainly as with our natural eyes we can behold each other
and the things of time. It is our privilege to come near unto our
Father, to drink of those streams that flow from the eternal fountain,
to have the Holy Ghost in our hearts every day, springing up "like a
well of water unto everlasting life." It is our privilege to walk in
the light continually, and have the Holy Ghost to be our constant
companion, directing our ways, not only our actions and our doings.
but our feelings and our thoughts and our sentiments, that we may
become purer and holier, day by day, until we are sanctified and made
clean and white and fit to go back into the presence of our Heavenly
Father.

Vol. 25, p.47
This is our business here in Utah —to learn the Lord's ways, to walk
in the Lord's paths, to be devoted to Him; not only to be baptized by
water into His Church, but baptized by the Holy Ghost, that we may be
brought into a oneness with our Father, brought into communion with
Him, that the voice of the eternal Spirit may whisper peace to our
souls, and point out the way that we shall go, and enable us to bear
testimony of the truths made manifest from the Lord through His
inspired servants as He reveals His will. Some people think that we
have come here to gratify every lust and every passion and every base
desire that is common to poor fallen humanity. Never was a greater
mistake made. This is not how I have learned what is commonly called
"Mormonism." I have learned that it is a holy thing, a sacred thing;
that it requires self-abnegation, not to men, but to truth, to
righteousness, to that which God reveals. The very essence of
"Mormonism" is to find out what the Lord wants, and then to do it, and
to do it regardless of anybody living upon the face of the earth,
regardless of what the world may do to try and prevent us. And the
people here ate most of them of the same mind. They have come out from
the various sects and have all been baptized into one spirit, into one
body. The same Holy Ghost has rested down upon them as rested down
upon the Saints in ancient times, and has produced the very same
results. For the Holy Ghost has not changed, God has not changed, the
truth has not changed, and the Lord is just as willing to-day as He
was in the first years of the Christian era to reveal himself to those
who desire to learn of Him, and the Holy Ghost is just as much a
revealer to-day as it was in the olden times when the Prophets wrote
and spoke under its influence. The truth is just the same, but the
people have gone astray from the Lord's ways, corrupted themselves
before Him, filled the earth with abominations and iniquity, and their
eyes are so closed to that which is true and pure, that when the truth
is revealed from heaven, it is accounted a strange thing, and they not
only turn away from it, but they are filled with hatred towards those
who have received the truth and desire to walk in it.

Vol. 25, p.47
It always was so from the beginning. When Abel would worship God in
the way appointed, Cain, who wanted to go his own way, offered what he
pleased, what he thought would do, and he was filled with anger
towards Abel, because his offering was accepted. Abel offered what God
commanded, the firstlings of the flock. Cain offered the fruits of the
ground. God had commanded [p.48] a lamb without blemish and without
spot, to be offered as an emblem of the coming Redeemer, who, in the
meridian of time should come as "the lamb slain from before the
foundation of the world," and offer his life and pour out his blood
for the remission of sins. Cain offered what he pleased, and when
Abel's offering was accepted, Cain was filled with anger. The spirit
of Satan entered into him—which is the spirit of destruction, the
spirit of murder —and he arose and slew his brother. Now, though
persecutors in these times do not realize it themselves, they are
filled with the same spirit towards the servants of God. When Joseph
Smith, called of God to be a prophet in this latter time, to usher in
the great last dispensation of God's mercy to man, to bring forth the
ancient Gospel as taught by Jesus and His Apostles, to reveal again
the ancient Priesthood and authority thereof, to lay the foundation of
the Latter-day kingdom, to prepare the way for the coming of the Son
of Man; when he came as a boy, an unlettered youth, bearing the glad
tidings of great joy that communication between the heavens and the
earth so long lost, had been restored, that the light from the eternal
Sun of Righteousness had again streamed down to lighten up and dispel
the darkness of the world—how was he received? Why, men would not
listen to his teaching. They would not compare the doctrines he taught
with the scriptures which they professed to believe. They hooted at
the very idea of present revelation from God. They said: "Even
supposing it possible that in this enlightened age one could receive
revelation, was God going to speak to an illiterate boy? Would He not
choose some of the great and wise men of this generation, some of the
learned divines. But the idea of God's speaking to this youth? And
they were filled with anger. The preachers and ministers of the day
were filled with hatred and wrath towards him, and towards all those
who received his testimony, and the Saints were driven from place to
place, from city to city, front State to State, until finally his
blood was shed. What for? Because he committed crime? No; their own
confession proved to the contrary, for they said, "the law cannot
touch him, but powder and ball shall." The same spirit that put Jesus
Christ. to death; the same spirit that put, those holy men to death
about whom I have spoken, who had "the burden of the word of the
Lord," and came not to declare their own opinions, but the word of God
Almighty to the inhabitants of the earth; the spirit that put them to
death, put Joseph Smith to death, and that is the spirit that burns in
the hearts of the so-called pious "Christian" ministers against the
Latter-day Saints. They meet together in their convocations and
conferences and assemblies, and pass resolutions about a people of
whose doctrines and practices and lives they are in perfect ignorance.
They do not know the motives which prompt us. They do not know the
principles which actuate us. They know nothing. about the work God
Almighty has called us to do, for which we have left our homes in
distant lands, and come to these valleys. But they are inspired by the
same spirit of wickedness and destruction which filled the hearts of
men who slew the servants of God in former times. They do not want to
try and convert these Latter-day Saints.  Oh, no. What do they want to
do? One enlightened minister of the Gospel [p.49] who came out here
and stayed about twenty-four hours, and like a great many other people
went back professing to know all about "Mormonism"; although perhaps
he never spoke to a "Mormon" while here—got up in the pulpit and
preached the gospel of the bayonet and cannon as a means of solving
the "Mormon problem!" He said he would solve the problem in a short
time. He would gather all the Latter-day Saints into this great
Tabernacle, and then turn the artillery of the United States upon
them! That was a minister of the orthodox gospel. I do not say they
are all like him; God forbid that I should. But the same spirit is
working in their hearts and in the hearts of a great many men, and
they do not know it.

Vol. 25, p.49
It may be said of them as Jesus said in regard to His disciples on a
certain occasion. Because some people did not do exactly as they
wanted, they asked: "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down
from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?" The Savior, we are
told, rebuked them and said: "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are
of. For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save
them." That is the spirit of the Gospel, the spirit of salvation.
Well, those people who seek the destruction of the Latter-day Saints
do not know what spirit they are off They are in the dark in regard to
the things of God. They have not been guided by the gift and power of
the Holy Ghost. Many of them have administered in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, without the slightest
vestige of authority. They have done it upon their own authority; and
they are filled with the spirit of the evil one, and they desire the
destruction, not the conversion, of the Latter-day Saints.

Vol. 25, p.49
Well, my brethren and sisters and friends, I take great pleasure up
bearing testimony this afternoon in this public congregation before
the heavens, before Almighty God, who shall judge the world, before
Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the near covenant, before the angels of
heaven who can hear and witness my words, that in these last days our
Heavenly Father has revealed the ancient Gospel anew, by His own voice
from heaven and by heavenly messengers sent down from on high; that
the authority which the ancient prophets and apostles held in ancient
times has been restored, and men hold it now; that the same Holy Ghost
by which the ancient prophets spoke and wrote the word of the Lord is
given to the people called Latter-day Saints,—not only to the leaders
of the Church who are placed in authority to direct and manage and
govern the affairs of the Church of Christ upon the earth, but the
body of the people. The spirit that is in the head of the Church is in
the body, and runs to every extremity, enlightening it, filling it
with life and with vigor. And it brings forth the same fruits, which
are love, joy, peace, patience, long-suffering, brotherly kindness and
charity, and the light of God bears witness to these things. And not
only have we these gifts, but there are other gifts in our midst, the
same as were manifested in olden times, such as the gift of tongues,
interpretation of tongues, visions and dreams, the gift of prophecy,
the discerning of spirits, the healing of the sick—those who have
faith to be healed—and every gift and every power and every blessing
which were the result of the reception of the Holy Ghost in ancient
times, are enjoyed in the [p.50] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. I bear this testimony with words of truth and soberness,
before God and all men. I know this is God's work, and I know it will
prevail I know it will not be left to another people. I know it will
remain, and every power and every influence that rises against it, to
destroy it, will itself perish and be destroyed, and every arm that is
lifted against this work will, in the due time of the Lord, be palsied
and withered, for it is the work of the great God, and it will stand
for ever. The servants of the Lord in this Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, in spite of all attacks and schemes and efforts to
stop them, will go out to every nation, kindred, tongue and people,
and preach the Gospel of the kingdom as a witness before the end shall
come, and they will gather the elect of God from the four winds and
bring them to Zion. And these Temples which we are laboring upon will
be erected, and the people of God will enter them and administer in
behalf of the living and the dead, and God will commune with His
servants therein. They will learn more of His ways and walk in His
paths; they will purge out all iniquity in their midst; they will cut
off the evil doer by severing him or her from the Church; the spirit
of judgment will come to Zion, and the wicked and ungodly and the
hypocrite will flee away; and God will break every yoke, and remove
every bond, and Israel shall be free. And the Zion of our God shall
arise and shine, and the glory thereof shall stream forth to the
uttermost parts of the earth, and God will break down every nation,
kingdom and government of the earth which refuses to hearken to his
voice, until the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of
our God and His Christ, and He shall reign from pole to pole and from
shore to shore.

Vol. 25, p.50
May God add His blessing to this testimony, through Jesus Christ.
Amen. [p.51]

Joseph F. Smith, February 17, 1884

Desirable Condition of the Saints—Characteristics of Prophets the
Governing
Power of God in Human Affairs—Man's Ingratitude Toward God—The
 Enlightening Power of God's Spirit—Man's Origin, Probation and
Destiny—
A Base Conception of the Object of Life—The Savior's Noble Example—
The Source of True Happiness—Great Truths Revealed Through Joseph
Smith—
Eternal Associations and Destiny of the Saints—How to Attain to a
 Knowledge of the Things of Eternity

Delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City,
Sunday Afternoon, February 17th, 1884.

(Reported By John Irvine.)

Vol. 25, p.51
I trust that the Spirit of the Lord may direct what I may say. It is
sometime since I stood before a congregation in this building; my
labors have been directed in a great measure in other settlements
where I have enjoyed seasons of pleasure and profit, witnessing a good
spirit and a lively feeling among the Latter day Saints wherever it
has been my privilege to meet with them. I believe that the same good
spirit prevails among the Latter-day Saints in this City and
throughout this Stake of Zion, and that there is generally a feeling
of confidence and faith in the hearts of the Saints in the work of the
Lord, and in His servants. This is gratifying, when we realize the
importance of our being united, and of our faith being centered in the
Lord, and in the great work God has begun in the earth in these last
days. Without unity and confidence no faithful Latter-day Saint can be
truly happy.

Vol. 25, p.51
Brother Abraham Hatch has dwelt upon the idea he had when a boy, in
relation to the characteristics of a Prophet. I presume that his idea
was similar to that entertained by most of the civilized world to-day,
and yet I do not think that there is any ground or reason for such
opinions respecting the character of men who have been inspired of
God. While he was speaking upon this subject, my mind reverted to some
of the ancient Prophets whose words have been handed down to us as
words of inspiration, and so far as my mind can recall, all those
eminent men of ancient days were, I believe, young men when they were
called to their respective positions. From the first man Adam, down to
the latest inspired man of God of which we have any account in the
Scriptures, they were all chosen, so far as my knowledge goes, when
they were in their youth. Abraham became an inspired man when very
young. He was called to be a Prophet and Patriarch in his youth. His
sons Isaac and Jacob, were not at all old men when the prophetic
inspiration fell upon them. And when we come down to later times we
find that the Prophet Samuel was chosen and [p.52] dedicated unto the
Lord in his childhood. He was a Prophet from his youth up. David was a
youth, Daniel was a youth, Isaiah was a youth, and so far as I recall
to mind, the Prophets were all young men when they were called to the
work that they had to perform. Jesus himself, the greatest of all
Prophets, only attained His thirty-third year when He was offered as a
sacrifice upon the cross. Most of the Apostles who were chosen by our
Savior were young men, and those who have been chosen in this
dispensation were all of them, in the beginning, young men, some of
them almost beardless, much less having flowing beards, grey and bald,
wrinkled and old, as we see the prophets and patriarchs pictured by
modern artists, representing the modern conception of them. President
Taylor himself, when he was called to the apostleship—which is a
prophetic calling—was only a young man about thirty years of age, and
there were many younger than he, and all the way down to the present
time neatly every man called to the prophetic calling has been called
in his youth, grown up under the inspiration of the Almighty, and has
developed under the influence and power of the Spirit of the living
God. There is, I think, good reason for this. The young mind is much
more plastic, much more susceptible of impressions and of influence
than the older mind. A youth can be conformed. so to speak, in his
ideas, thoughts and feelings, to the will and requirements of heaven,
much easier than in old age. Nevertheless, I believe that God is able
to inspire any man who is good, faithful, pure and righteous in his
desires; God delights in the willing mind and in those who keep His
laws and commandments. Men have been raised up in almost all ages of
the world to perform certain works, or accomplish certain missions;
they having been inspired for that work and mission from their
infancy, and it may be even before they were born into the world. No
doubt all the prominent men who have figured in any dispensation of
the Gospel since the days of our father, Adam, until the present, were
inspired of the Almighty from their childhood, and were chosen and
selected even from or before their birth. God has His eye upon the
world; He over-rules and controls all things, notwithstanding He is
shut out from the councils of men by their unbelief. His authority is
not admitted by the world. The children of men ignore His right to
govern and control, to dictate or to counsel in the earth.
Nevertheless, He governs and controls the nations of the earth and
individuals, and all things are subject to His power. I do not mean
that all mankind are obedient to His will; I do not mean that they are
willing to acknowledge Him, or that they know Him. I am rather
inclined to the opinion that they are ignorant entirely of Him and of
His power, and that they do not conceive it possible that He governs
and controls the affairs of the nations of the earth. Nevertheless, He
does so, and while "man proposes, God disposes;" while the leaders of
the nations of the earth plan and scheme, and seek to govern according
to their ideas, yet God Almighty over-rules their acts and brings
forth results which, in accordance with His wisdom, are designed to
hasten and ultimately consummate His grand and glorious purposes in
the earth. And I believe that one of the greatest sins of which the
inhabitants of the earth are guilty to-day, is the sin of ingratitude,
the want of acknowledgment, on their [p.53] part, of God, and His
right to govern and control. We see a man raised up with extraordinary
gifts, or with great intelligence, and he is instrumental in
developing some great principle. He and the world ascribe his great
genius and wisdom to himself. He attributes his success to his own
energies, labor and mental capacity. He does not acknowledge the hand
of God in anything connected with his success, but ignores Him
altogether, and takes the honor to himself; this will apply to almost
all the world. In all the great modern discoveries in science, in the
arts, in mechanism, and in all the material advancement of the age,
the world say: "We have done it." The individual says, "I have done
it," and he gives no honor or credit to God. Now, I read in the
revelations through Joseph Smith, the Prophet, that because of this,
God is not pleased with the inhabitants of the earth, but is angry
with them because they will not acknowledge His hand in all things. I
am inclined to acknowledge the hand of God in all things. If I see a
man inspired with intelligence, with extraordinary ability and wisdom,
I say to myself he is indebted to God for that wisdom and ability, and
that without the providence or interposition of the Almighty, he would
not have been what he is. He is indebted to the Lord Almighty for his
intelligence, and for all that he has; for the earth is the Lord's and
the fullness thereof. God originated and designed all things, and all
are His children. We are born into the world as His offspring; endowed
with the same attributes. The children of men have sprung from the
Almighty, whether the world are willing to acknowledge it or not. He
is the Father of our spirits. He is the originator of our earthly
tabernacles. We live and move and have our being in God our Heavenly
Father. And having sprung from Him with our talents, our ability, our
wisdom, we should at least be willing to acknowledge His hand in all
the prosperity that may attend us in life, and give to Him the honor
and glory of all we accomplish in the flesh. We are particularly
dependent upon the Almighty for everything we possess of a worldly
character. There is not a man on the earth possessed of the wisdom or
power of himself to cause even a spear of grass to grow, or to produce
a kernel of wheat or of corn, or any fruit, vegetable, or any material
whatever which is essential for the sustenance, the happiness and the
well-being of a human creature in the world. It is true we can go to
the earth, we find it prepared to a certain extent, and we cultivate,
plow and plant, and we reap the harvest; but God has ordained that the
fruits of our labor shall he in subjection and in obedience to certain
laws which He Himself controls, and which He has kept out of the power
of man. Man may boast of having a great deal of wisdom; of having
accomplished a great deal in this 19th century; but, if he did but
know it, he derives the ability by which he accomplishes these things
from God his Father, who is in heaven. He does not possess the power
in and of himself.

Vol. 25, p.53
I read a Scripture something like this: that "there is a spirit in
man." Now, if that should stop here, there would not be perhaps
anything very remarkable about man; for the spirit of man knoweth only
the things of man, and the things of God are discerned by the Spirit
of God. But while there is a spirit in man, it is further stated that
"the inspiration of the Almighty [p.54] giveth it understanding."
There is not a man born into the world but has a portion of the Spirit
of God, and it is that Spirit of God which gives to his spirit
understanding. Without this, he would be but an animal like the rest
of the brute creation, without understanding, without judgment,
without skill, without ability, except to eat and to drink like the
brute beast. But inasmuch as the Spirit of God giveth all men
understanding, he is enlightened above the brute beast. He is made in
the image of God Himself, so that he can reason, reflect, pray,
exercise faith; he can use his energies for the accomplishment of the
desires of his heart, and inasmuch as he puts forth his efforts in the
proper direction, then he is entitled to an increased portion of the
Spirit of the Almighty to inspire him to increased intelligence, to
increased prosperity and happiness in the world; but in proportion as
he prostitutes his energies for evil, the inspiration of the Almighty
is withdrawn from him, until he becomes so dark and so benighted, that
so far as his knowledge of God is concerned, so far as the future or
hopes of eternal life are concerned, he is quite as ignorant as a dumb
brute.

Vol. 25, p.54
I was remarkably struck upon this point only a short time ago by the
expressed opinion of an individual who is considered to be very
intelligent—a philanthropist, going about the country, and said to be
doing a great deal of good, who remarked in my hearing that the future
was a blank; that we knew nothing about it; that we knew nothing as to
the condition of the spirit after death; nor as to the pre-existence
of spirits; and that all these things must be left without
consideration as matters wholly beyond our reach. This, in substance,
was the opinion expressed by this very intelligent person who is going
about the country doing so much good. I do not doubt that individuals
may go about doing good, relieving present necessities, throwing out
practical ideas and suggestions, as to temporal concerns and
administering reproof that will be greatly beneficial to very many in
their present worldly condition. But in view of the possibilities of
the great and eternal hereafter, and the important contingencies of
the past, involving our origin and our destiny, some of us are so
constituted that we cannot content ourselves to rest such vital
matters here, in the midst of so much ignorance, uncertainty and
doubt. We desire to know something about the future and the past, as
well as of the present. What is the object of our being? Whence have
we come? Whither are we going? What consequences are dependent upon
this life? What is to be gained or lost? To whom are we responsible,
seeing we do not owe our existence to our earthly parents alone, nor
to chance or hazard? Is there any reward or punishment hereafter for
good or evil committed in the flesh? We desire to know something about
these things, if it is possible to know anything about them. What is
the standard of right and truth, and who is the great example? Those
who say in their hearts that it is impossible to learn anything about
these things; that it is sufficient to content ourselves with that
which we can see and hear and handle, and with that which only
materially affects our present existence; that that is all we have to
concern ourselves about, can be but little removed beyond the brutes,
or the  animal creation. Such may be classed with those whom the
Savior referred to in the parable of the rich man [p.55] who said,
"Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." In other words, "Let us
have pleasure in that which we possess or enjoy today."

Vol. 25, p.55
This reminds me of a remark that I was told a certain man—said to be
learned in the law—had made in reference to the religion of the
Latter-day Saints. He remarked something like this: "You believe in
having joy; you claim that your religion is for the purpose of
securing to you the greatest amount of joy. Now, on the back of this
you deny yourselves of this, that and the other. Your people are
called upon to deny their appetites, to control their passions, and to
crucify the flesh, etc. My enjoyment consists in whatever I can get
that is good to eat, to drink or wear; Whatever ministers to my bodily
ease, or comfort, to the gratification of my tastes and appetites. I
deny myself nothing that I like or desire. Hence, I drink, I smoke, I
chew, and I do as I please," (he might have added, perhaps, "I curse
and swear, I gamble, I commit whoredoms and take advantage of every
circumstance I can to augment my pleasure and gratify my lust and my
ambition), all these contribute pleasure to me and constitute my
greatest joy and happiness." Such was the confessed moral status of
this legal individual to whom I refer. But I consider, (and I believe
that every right-minded person will heartily agree with me), that such
a conception of the object of bureau existence is groveling, vile and
contemptible. No pure-minded person can perceive anything noble,
exalted, pure or praiseworthy in a life so selfish, narrow and gross.
There is nothing liberal or manly in such avowals, much less in the
practical results of such a life, and coming from a man of years, of
legal experience and knowledge to a youth with a view to misleading
him, is infamous. Following, this theory, we observe a man wallowing
in the gutter, blood-shot, bloated, ragged, hideous and filthy, his
family neglected at home and destitute, his children bare-foot, naked
or bundled in rags—and starving for food—objects of pity and
disgust—without the shadow of a chance for mental improvement—with
only the blighting, withering example of a besotted husband and father
for their guiding star. And why all this? Because this misguided,
fallen human creature is seeking joy in the gratification of his
appetite! This theory may be followed in all its leadings, to similar
and equally appalling results. No man is safe unless he is master of
himself; and there is no tyrant so merciless or more to lie dreaded
than an uncontrollable appetite or passion. We will find that if we
give way to the grovelling appetites of the flesh and follow them up,
that the end will be invariably bitter, injurious and sorrowful, both
to the individual and society. It is hurtful in example as well as in
its individual effects; dangerous and hurtful to the unwary; while the
denial of these appetites—the crucifixion of the flesh, so to
speak—and an aspiration for something noble; whenever possible, doing
good to our fellow creatures, hoping for the future, laying up
treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot corrupt, and where
thieves cannot break through and steal—all these things will bring
everlasting happiness; happiness for this world and the world to come.
If there is no pleasure in the world except that which we experience
in the gratification of our physical desires—eating, drinking, gay
associations, and the pleasures of the [p.56] world—then the
enjoyments of the world are bubbles; there is nothing in them, there
is no lasting benefit or happiness to be derived from them.

Vol. 25, p.56
It seems to me that the example which was set to us by our Savior is
the example we should seek to follow. Did He prostitute His
intelligence for the gratification of the lusts of the flesh? Or did
He go about doing good—healing the sick, opening the eyes of the
blind, giving speech to the dumb, hearing to the deaf, cleansing the
lepers, forgiving sin, relieving the distressed? Was not that the
example He set before the world? Was not that the course He commanded
His disciples to pursue? I think it was. There is something in such a
course that is praiseworthy and noble. It will bring true and lasting
pleasure; while the pleasures of the world are only temporary and
fleeting. The Spirit of God brings unspeakable pleasure to all who
enjoy it—it leads men to do good, to deny themselves Some things that
they may the better be enabled to do good. It certainly affords more
pleasure to give than to receive. It is so said in the Scriptures. It
is more blessed to administer comfort and joy to our fellow creatures
than to have them administer to ourselves. But under the spirit and
influence that the world is under at present, this is not the view
that is generally taken. Men of the world are rushing headlong after
that which will as they suppose contribute to their own pleasure. They
don't care how they get pleasure so that they get it. As a general
thing gold or money is the thing which administers most to their
pleasure and joy. In a few years, however, they will be called away
from this world, when their wealth and everything else they have
cherished will have to be left behind. They cannot take their gold
with them, because it belongs to the world. When they get behind the
veil, that which served to make them happy will be gone beyond their
reach. The source of their pleasure will have fled. There will be
nothing left for them to enjoy in that other sphere. They had their
enjoyment in this. They did not frame their minds for other
enjoyments. They served their bodies, their fleshly desires, and the
result is they have served the devil, they are, therefore, his
children, and they have no pleasure in God, nor He in them. What is
there in this world that can give so much joy or so much pleasure as
to know that our sins are forgiven; that we stand acceptable to God
our Heavenly Father; that we have not injured any of our fellow
creatures; that we are free from ally indebtedness or incumbrance;
that we are not in bondage to the world, nor to our fellow creatures?
This gives one far greater pleasure than anything the world can give.
Money cannot give it. The wealth of the world cannot bestow this
enjoyment upon man. The honors of men do not affect this question at
all. If we can only realize before God our Father, that our sins are
forgiven, that we are free from transgression, and that our spirit is
right and pure in the sight of God—this should be a greater source of
happiness than anything the world can give. To know that we possess
the gift of the Holy Spirit—that is, the right to claim the aid and
assistance of the Spirit of God to direct us in our labors and course
in life, is far greater than the wealth and the honors of this world.
To know that we enjoy a portion of those rights and privileges which
belong to the Priesthood,  which is after the order [p.57] of the Son
of God, is a source of greater joy and pleasure to righteous men than
all that the world can give. To know that we are in fellowship with
the Saints; to know we are held in confidence by them; to know that we
have their faith and prayers, is worth more to the honest-in-heart
than all that the pleasures of the world can bestow. To know that we
have enjoyed privileges by which we have secured to ourselves peculiar
blessings for time and eternity is beyond all comparison with earthly
things. We would not exchange the least of the gifts that have been
bestowed upon us by and through the authority of the Holy Priesthood
for all the world can produce; because that which cometh from God is
eternal and will not perish. If I were to be deprived of the
privileges I have referred to, all else of an earthly character would
be worthless, senseless and evanescent to me. We want something that
reaches out into eternity. We want to know where we came from, and
where we are going. Where did we come from? From God. Our spirits
existed before they came to this world. They were in the councils of
the heavens before the foundations of the earth were laid. We were
there. We sang together with the heavenly hosts for joy, when the
foundations of the earth were laid, and when the plan of our existence
upon this earth and redemption were mapped out. We were there; we were
interested, and we took a part in this great preparation. We were
unquestionably present in those councils, when that wonderful
circumstance occurred to which President Taylor has so often referred
of late, when Satan offered himself as a savior of the world, if he
could but receive the honor and the glory of the Father for doing it.
But Jesus said, "Father, Thy will be done, and the glory be Thine
forever." Wherefore, because Satan rebelled against God, and sought to
destroy the agency of man, the Father rejected him and he was cast
out, but Jesus was accepted. We were, no doubt, there, and took a part
in all those scenes; we were vitally concerned in the carrying out of
these great plans and purposes; we understood them, and it was for our
sakes they were decreed and are to be consummated. These spirits have
been coming to this earth to take upon them tabernacles, that they
might become like unto Jesus Christ—being "formed in His likeness and
image," from the morn of creation until now, and will continue until
the winding-up scene, until the spirits who were destined to come to
this world shall have come and accomplished their mission in the
flesh.

Vol. 25, p.57
This we have learned. How have we found it out? I answer, through the
prophet Joseph Smith, by revelation and the inspiration of the
Almighty upon our own minds, by which we are able to ascertain the
truth respecting the predictions of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
respecting the truth of the sayings of the ancient Prophets,
respecting the truth of the Scriptures, respecting the validity of the
promises that God has made to the children of men; for every man has
the privilege of obtaining the inspiration of the Almighty—or the gift
of the Holy Ghost—to know for himself and need not depend upon Joseph
Smith, nor upon Brigham Young, nor upon John Taylor, nor upon any of
the prophets who wrote and spoke as the Spirit of God gave them
utterance, upon these principles. We have learned these things. We
have learned whence we came, why [p.58] we came, and whither we are
going. We are not here to seek the joys of the flesh, and yet the Lord
does not design that we should go about sorrowful, or that we should
deny ourselves of any legitheate pleasure. The Lord never intended
that we should go around fasting, mourning, grieving, weeping and
wailing, while we sojourn in mortality. Jesus said, "When ye fast, be
not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance. * * But appear not unto
men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret. In other words,
appear to the world to be happy. This is the privilege of every
Latter-day Saint, and indeed the privilege of every soul that lives.
There is abundance of joy to be obtained aside from the joy which ends
in suffering and sorrow. Seek those joys that bring no alloy with
them, those joys which are unremitting, eternal in their nature. Do
good.

Vol. 25, p.58
Again, where are we going? We come here and sojourn in the flesh a
little season, and then we pass away. Every soul that is born into the
world will die. There is not a soul that has escaped death, except
those upon whom God has passed, by the power of His Spirit, that they
should live in the flesh until the second coming of the Son of Man:
but they will eventually have to pass through the ordeal called death;
it may be in the twinkling of an eye, and without pain or suffering;
but they will pass through the change, because it is an irrevocable
edict of the Almighty. "In the day that thou eatest thou shalt surely
die." This was the edict of the Almighty, and it pertains to Adam—that
is, all the human race; for Adam is many, and it means you and me and
every soul that lives and that bears the image of the Father. We shall
all die. But is that the end of our being? If we had an existence
before we came here, we certainly shall continue that existence when
we leave here. The spirit will continue to exist as it did before,
with the additional advantages derived from having passed through this
probation. It is absolutely necessary that we should come to the earth
and take upon us tabernacles; because if we did not have tabernacles
we could not be like God, or like Jesus Christ. God has a tabernacle
of flesh and bone. He is an organized being just as we are, who are
now in the flesh. Jesus Christ was born of His mother Mary, He had a
fleshly tabernacle; He was crucified on the cross; and his body was
raised front the dead. He burst the bonds of the grave and came forth
to newness of life, a living soul, a living being, a man with a body,
with parts and with spirit—the spirit and the body becoming a living
and immortal soul. You and I have to do the same thing. We must go
through the same ordeal in order to attain to the glory and exaltation
which God designed we should enjoy with him in the eternal worlds. In
other words, we must become like Him; peradventure to sit upon
thrones, to have dominion, power, and eternal increase. God designed
this in the beginning. We are the children of God. He is an eternal
being, without beginning of days or end of years. He always was, He
is, He always will be. We are precisely in the same condition and
under the same circumstances that God our Heavenly Father was when He
was passing through this or a similar ordeal. We are destined to come
forth out of the grave as Jesus did, and to obtain immortal bodies as
He did—that  is, that our tabernacles are to become immortal as His
became immortal, that the spirit and the body [p.59] may be joined
together and become one living being, indivisible, inseparable,
eternal. This is the object of our existence in the world; and we can
only attain to these things through obedience to certain principles,
through walking in certain channels, through obtaining certain
information, certain intelligence from God, without which no man can
accomplish this work or fulfill the mission he has come upon the earth
to fulfill. These principles are the principles of the Gospel of
eternal truth, the principles of faith, repentance, and baptism for
the remission of sins, the principle of obedience to God the Eternal
Father; for obedience is one of the first principles or laws of
heaven. Without obedience, there can be no order, no government, no
union, no plan or purpose carried out. And that obedience must be
voluntary; it must not be forced; there must be no coercion. Men must
not be constrained against their will to obey the will of God; they
must obey it because they know it to be right, because they desire to
do it, and because it is their pleasure to do it. God delights in the
willing heart.

Vol. 25, p.59
I am looking forward to the time when I shall have passed away from
this stage of existence, that I shall be permitted to enjoy more fully
every gift and blessing that has contributed to my happiness in this
world; everything. I do not believe that there is one thing that was
designed or intended to give me joy or make me happy, that I shall be
denied hereafter, provided I continue faithful; otherwise my joy
cannot be full. I am not now speaking of that happiness or pleasure
that is derived from sin; I refer to the happiness experienced in
seeking to do the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven. We
expect to have our wives and husbands in eternity. We expect our
children will acknowledge us as their fathers and mothers in eternity.
I expect this; I look for nothing else. Without it I could not be
happy. The thought or belief that I should be denied this privilege
hereafter would make me miserable from this moment. I never could be
happy again without the hope that I shall enjoy the society of my
wives and children in eternity. If I had not this hope, I should be of
all men most unhappy; "for if in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all men most miserable." All who have tasted of the
influence of the Spirit of God, and have had awakened within them a
hope of eternal life, cannot be happy unless they continue to drink of
that fountain until they are satisfied, and it is the only fountain at
which they can drink and be satisfied.

Vol. 25, p.59
Now, we desire to know something about this, and in the name of
Israelis God, I say we do know something about it. How do you know I
know it, because God has revealed it, through His ancient and modern
Prophets. I know it, because it has been testified of, by all the
ancient worthies of God, from the foundation of the world to the
present. I know it, because it is the theory of God's plan of
salvation. I know it, because it has been expounded and made plain,
not only by the Prophets, but by the Savior Himself. I know it,
because the Spirit of the living God testifies of it in my heart, and
tells me it is true. I know it is true by all the senses by which I
can determine the most simple fact. I see it with my eyes, I hear it
with my ears, I understand it with my heart, I comprehend it in part
according to the intelligence with which God has endowed me. I am
convinced of it [p.60] and hence I am happy; for I know that I am in
the discharge of my duty. This is the happiness I am after. Is it not
the happiness we all desire? I think it is.

Vol. 25, p.60
May God bless this congregation, and all the household of faith, and
help us to live for the future, for eternal pleasures, exaltations,
thrones, principalities, dominion and power; may God help us to live
for these things; may He give us a knowledge of them, that we may
comprehend them as He comprehends, that we may take the course that He
has marked out for us to pursue, in order that we may secure unto
ourselves the riches of eternal life, is my humble prayer, in the name
of Jesus. Amen.

Francis M. Lyman, February 24, 1884

Necessity of Faith—The Holy Ghost—Importance of the Sacrament—
Warfare Between God and the Power of Evil—A True Latter-Day Saint
 Cannot Be Converted—Knowledge of the Truth Can Only Be Received From
 God—None Will Suffer As Christ Suffered—God Overrules All Things for
the
 Good of His People—The Organization of the Church of God is Perfect
—Proper Training of the Children of the Saints

Delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City,
 Sunday Afternoon, Feb. 24, 1884.

Reported By John Irvine

Vol. 25, p.60
While I attempt to speak to you, my brethren and sisters, this
afternoon, I desire an interest in your faith and prayers, that I may
speak that which the Lord would have me say, that we may be edified,
strengthened and encouraged to go forward in the discharge of our
duties as Saints of the living God. And as I speak during the passing
of the sacrament, I would not take your minds flora this sacred
ordinance, as I realize the blessings to be received by us in
partaking thereof. We should remember that it is not pleasing in the
sight of the Lord to partake of this ordinance or sacrament in a
thoughtless manner, but that we should come here for the purpose of
renewing our covenants and of pledging ourselves once more to remember
the Savior, to take upon us His name, and to keep His
commandments—that is, to keep all of  [p.61] them that have been
revealed to us, to live lives of purity, and to be devoted and
obedient to the principles He has revealed for the salvation of man.

Vol. 25, p.61
It is said, and truly, that without faith it is impossible to please
God. It may be as truthfully said that without obedience it is
impossible to please God; that without virtue, without truthfulness,
it is impossible to please God. It is not possible for us to perform
the labors that are required of us as Latter-day Saints—to preach the
Gospel among the nations, to gather together the people, to build
temples, and to perform in those temples the labors that are necessary
for the salvation of the living and the dead—except we are aided by
the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. It is not possible for men who stand at
the head of this Church to direct, or to give counsel in regard to the
building up of the Kingdom of God, in regard to the location of new
settlements, in regard to organizing branches, wards, and stakes, and
the opening of missions, except they enjoy the Holy Ghost. It is not
possible for us as Apostles, as Presidents of stakes, as Bishops of
wards, as Presidents of quorums, as Presidents of associations, to
preside with dignity and in a manner pleasing to God, unless we enjoy
the Holy Ghost. It is not possible for us as parents, to preside in
our families, to set good examples before them, to set and keep our
houses in order—as it is necessary they should be kept, that we may
have salvation—unless we enjoy the Holy Ghost. It is not possible for
us as individuals to be Saints, unless we enjoy the Holy Ghost. It was
conferred upon every one of us when we were baptized, when we first
embraced the Gospel, and the Lord has given us ample instructions as
to how we should live, as to the labors we should perform, and as to
the lives we should lead in order that we may enjoy the Holy Ghost.
Among other things the sacrament was established by the Savior, when
He was here in person. He established it again when He visited this
continent and set up His Church among the Nephites. He has again
established it in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and
it seems to be very important that this sacred ordinance of the Gospel
should be attended to frequently, that by partaking of it we may
witness to the Lord that we are willing to take upon us His name, that
we have not forgotten Him, that we do keep His. commandments, and are
still willing to keep them, and to walk according to His counsel.
Hence it is important that all Saints, not only presiding officers,
but all Saints who have named the name of Jesus Christ and entered
into covenant with God, should meet together often and partake of the
sacrament and reneer their covenants, in order that they may have the
Spirit of the Lord. It is not pleasing in the sight of the Lord, for
us to partake of the sacrament if there be hard feelings in our
hearts, if there be jealousness, if there be enmity or strife, if we
are not in fellowship with one another, if we are not in fellowship
with the Church, if we are not keeping the commandments of the Lord,
if we are not living in peace, if we are not obedient to the counsels
of heaven; I say that it is not pleasing in the sight of the Lord to
partake of the sacrament under such circumstances. This is an
ordinance that should be partaken of properly, understandingly,
thoughtfully, and with faith that we will receive an increased portion
of the Holy Spirit. If we were not in a world of sin [p.62] if we were
not in a world of trial and temptation; if evil was not in the world
as well as good; if there were not evil influences; if the spirit and
power of darkness was chained and there was nothing in this life but
good; if there was no evil inspiration, no evil insinuations —if none
of these things existed, then we might possibly manage to go through
this world without committing sin. But we find that as good is in the
world so there is evil. As there is light in the world, so there is
darkness. We are subject to the influences of evil—to the powers of
darkness. We are liable to temptation. God has given us our agency;
and it is found necessary that we should have very particular
instructions, very complete organization and perfect care thrown
around us, as the Saints of God, under those circumstances, in order
that we may obtain salvation. It is not enough that we be baptized for
the remission of sins. We need organization. We need the Priesthood.
We need authority. We need power. We need the blessing and help of God
from the beginning. When the Elders go out into the world, and baptize
for the remission of sins, they do not there leave the people. They
are taught the necessity of other ordinances, the necessity of
gathering together, the principle of tithing, the words of wisdom, the
necessity of prayer; all these doctrines are laid before them. Then
organization is given them, not in perfection, but in a primitive
form. They have branches, and presiding authorities, Elders, Priests,
Teachers, Deacons; etc., to teach and care for them while they are in
the world, and when they gather to Zion they have a more complete
organization of stakes, wards, quorums, associations and the like; so
that every man and every woman has a place and a position. They act as
helpers, exhorters, encouragers, and all these are necessary for the
salvation of the people; for we find, as we become attached to the
Gospel of Christ, the evils of the world come in upon us, and they
come with greater strength and power to overcome and destroy us.

Vol. 25, p.62
There is a warfare in the earth between God and the power of evil. The
Lord has established this Church. The Father Himself in person,
accompanied by His Son Jesus Christ, came and laid the foundation of
this work. They commenced it. They established it. They have sustained
and supported it. It has not been sustained and supported by the power
of man. Those who have stood faithful to this day—whether they be many
or few—among the Latter-day Saints, have stood by the blessing and
power of God. No one that was living in the days of Nauvoo, or in the
days of Kirtland, or that joined the Church during the lifetime of
President Young, and has faithfully endured to the present time, can
arrogate to himself that he has so endured in his own strength. God
has sustained him. The Lord has given him a testimony, and established
in his heart a knowledge of the truth. And the reason that this Church
is so much more stable and solid—cannot be overthrown, cannot be
broken in upon by those from the outside—is that in each individual
heart is established a knowledge that comes by the gift of God—the
Holy Ghost. The religious world, so far as they have endeavored to
convert the Latter-day Saints—to reform them and turn them from their
faith—have failed. They know not the reason of their  failure. They
cannot understand why it is [p.63] that the Latter-day Saints are not
easily converted. You cannot convert a Latter-day Saint. You cannot
change a Latter-day Saint into a Methodist, a Presbyterian, or a Roman
Catholic, or cause him to join any other denomination upon the face of
the earth. There is not wisdom nor power enough in the world to turn
one Latter-day Saint from the truth; for every man, woman and child
that is a Latter-day Saint has established in his or her heart a
knowledge of the truth. They have a testimony of the truth from God.
The father does not have this testimony for the son, or the mother for
the daughter, or the priest for the people; but every individual
member of the Church has a knowledge of the truth for himself. An
honest man cannot turn from that which he knows to be true. An honest,
virtuous, good man is willing to lay down his life for the truth.
Indeed, men devoted to error are found willing to lay down their lives
(and have so done in many instances), for it. How much more, then,
will men be willing to lay down their lives for that which they know
to be truth—for the Gospel of Christ. Have we a knowledge of the
principles of truth? Yes. Do the Apostles depend upon President
Taylor, who was so closely associated with the Prophet Joseph in his
lifetime and at the time of his death, for a testimony of the truth?
No. Is there any man dependent upon President Taylor for a knowledge
of the truth. No. There is not a member of the Church dependent upon
any man for a knowledge of the truth of this work. The early members
of the Church never depended upon Joseph Smith for their testimony in
regard to these things. It was not in the power of the Prophet to give
that knowledge. Jesus Himself—if I read the Scriptures correctly—had
not the power to establish in the hearts of His own Apostles a
knowledge of the truth, or even a knowledge of his own character. For
when He enquired of Peter and the disciples as to who the world said
He was, they answered Him that some said that He was Elias, some that
He was John the Baptist arisen from the dead, etc. "But," said He,
"whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered and said, "Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God." Whereupon the Savior informed him
that flesh and blood had not revealed that unto him, but His Father
which is in heaven. Now, if there was a man at that time who could
possibly obtain, in any other way, a knowledge as to who Jesus was and
as to the truth of the work He established, that man was Peter. Such
men as President Taylor, and the first Apostles of the Church, would
have, if it were possible, obtained that knowledge from the Prophet
Joseph. But none of these men obtained their knowledge in regard to
these things in that way. And you may ask the Saints by the tens of
thousands in the land of Zion to day, as to how they learned Joseph
Smith was a Prophet of God—although a great many of them never saw
him, and yet there are many of them who knew him personally—and they
will tell you that their knowledge of his character, mission and
power, was given to them of the Lord. We have had this knowledge
established in our hearts and we cannot fly it. We cannot close our
eyes upon it. When we know what the truth is, we cannot fail to tell
it; and there are people in the world today, that look upon us,
perhaps, with no degree of allowance and consider us a very wicked
people, that, if [p.64] they had the same testimony that we have,
would be as valiant in defense of the truth as we are. There are many
such people in the world to-day—good, honest people. Are they
Methodists? I presume so. Are they Presbyterians and Catholics and
people belonging to many other denominations? Yes; and there are
honest men, perhaps, who do not profess Christ at all—who claim to be
infidels and close their eyes to the mission of Christ—that if they
had the knowledge we have, they would be just as valiant as we are
to-day. They could not help it; for that testimony would make them
valiant, and they would be as difficult to turn from the truth as the
Latter-day Saints. The world have discovered that the Latter-day
Saints cannot be turned from their purpose, cannot be converted, and
having failed to attain their object in that way, many advocate strong
measures being enacted against us. Some go so far as to think we
should be exterminated; others that we should be placed under
political disabilities, or hampered in some way, in order that our
religious faith may be crippled. Will they accomplish their object by
these means? No. Such treatment did not accomplish anything with the
Son of God, nor with His Apostles, and it did not accomplish anything
with Daniel, or with his brethren, who were cast into the fiery
furnace. It did trot change their sentiments and their faith, and it
will not change ours. We cannot deny the truth. We may have troubles
in this life; many of us may see sorrow in this life; but some of us
will ever see what the Savior saw in that regard. None of us will
suffer as He suffered, although His mission was but a short one. Our
mission may be long, and our suffering may possibly, in some
instances, be continuous; but we will not be called to stiffer as much
as He suffered. Yet, we may look for persecution. But the Lord will
over-rule all things for our good. He will sustain this Kingdom, and
He will build it up in spite of all other kingdoms in the earth; for
it is His right to do so. The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness
thereof, and the peoples, the nations, and the kingdoms that are upon
the earth, all belong to the Lord. We are His children, and He has the
right to control and dictate in all the affairs of men. He has the
right to over-rule the conduct of men to serve his purposes; to
overrule the wars between the nations of the earth. He has the right
to break down nations, to change the form of government, to cause
revolutions, and in all things to do that which seemeth Him good. He
has the right to do all this—just as He broke off the colonies from
the mother country, and established religious liberty, thus making it
possible for His Kingdom to be established upon this land.

Vol. 25, p.64
Now, as we discover the world opposed to us—feeling, no doubt, in a
great many instances that they are doing God's service in bringing
everything to bear against what they consider a very wicked
people—what is the proper thing for the Saints to do for their
protection? This is an important matter. When surrounded by enemies, a
wise man would take the precaution to protect himself from
destruction. What, then, shall we do that we may not be trodden down,
broken to pieces and scattered or destroyed; that we may remain in
this land; that we may not be removed as we were from Missouri, from
Illinois, and from Ohio? What shall we do that we may not be brought
into bondage, but may remain a  free people?—[p.65] that is, free to
do the will of God, and to build up His Kingdom upon the earth, the
mission we are called upon to perform. The most important matter that
I know of is, not to prepare our arms, not to prepare for war, but to
prepare for peace; to keep the commandments of the Lord; to discharge
with fidelity to God every obligation we are under to Him; to keep
sacredly His laws, and to be found in the discharge of our duty;
preaching the Gospel; gathering the poor; building temples;
establishing home industries; becoming a self-sustaining people;
providing for our necessities; providing employment that none may
need; providing for the poor; nursing the sick; caring for those who
need comfort; seeking to do the will of God in all things; abstaining
from intemperance, from profanity, from corruptions of every name and
nature; seeking to be, not as the world, but to be indeed the Saints
of God; striving to be united; listening to counsel; seeking to live
so that the Spirit of the Lord may inspire our hearts and prepare us
for the responsibilities that are upon us, let our positions be what
they may—home missionaries, foreign missionaries, men presiding in the
Church, in the Stakes, in the Quorums, in the Associations, in the
institutions of learning, each and all standing in their proper place,
doing the will of God. For we have no battles to fight if we be the
Saints of our God. He will fight our battles if battles are to be
fought. The wicked will slay the wicked and the righteous will be left
free. The Lord has been very good to us in giving us this land, and in
enabling us to maintain peace therein, up to the present time. It is a
land that is admirably adapted to the necessities of this growing
kingdom. The water supplies are not very great, and as we have
multiplied the water sources have been almost all utilized. Yet the
fountains of water have increased in many parts of the country, and
where but a few families, a few years ago, could be accommodated on a
stream—say a half a dozen families or the like—to-day we have fifty to
a hundred families on that same stream, with a constant and abundant
supply of water. And the Lord has changed the seasons. Fruits are
hardier, and some that are not so hardy are doing and thriving well in
our land. The blessing of the Lord has been over the land, and peace
has reigned in it, and it will continue to reign if we but do the will
of the Lord. He will overrule and control all those agencies that may
be brought against us from the outside, if we will but listen to the
voice of counsel here at home. That voice of counsel is within the
reach of every family in every neighborhood. He has given to this
people the Priesthood. He has placed it upon almost every malt in
Zion. Almost every man bears a portion of the Holy Priesthood, Aaronic
or Melchisedek. We are almost a nation of Priests—of High Priests,
Seventies, Elders—men bearing the Priesthood and authority of God. We
have each of us the right to approach the throne of grace, to hear
from the Father, to receive counsel, to receive inspiration in regard
to the duties which devolve upon us, that we may not go astray. Every
man who is called to preside as a Bishop in a ward is entitled to the
Holy Spirit to guide him in his labors; so is every man who presides
over a family, or in a quorum, or who is placed in a position to lead
and instruct the people. That is the reason that the Lord has given us
such a host of ministers; for [p.66] every man who holds the
Priesthood is a minister of righteousness and is expected to
administer in his calling in the midst of the people in the world,
wherever he is located, at home or abroad. We have thousands of such
men. Our settlements are full of them. They are the men who build the
houses and decorate them, and they do the business that is done in
Zion among our people. They are ministers of righteousness; and if the
people will keep the commandments of God, His hand will be stretched
out in their behalf, to save and protect them from harm.

Vol. 25, p.66
Now, when I assert that the Latter-day Saints cannot be converted or
turned from the truth, I do not mean to say that there are none who
ruin away from the Gospel. There are many who lose their faith, many
who go into sin, many who apostatize. But are they Saints of God? No.
Do those that apostatize live the lives of Saints? No. If they were
Saints, enjoying the Spirit of the Lord, it would be impossible for
them to apostatize. A man cannot deny the truth which the Spirit of
God is burning in His bosom; but by transgressing the laws of God, by
neglect and sin, men lose their testimony and are taken up by the
"Josephites," or by some other class of people, and perhaps
"improved." I trust they are. But widen it comes to converting a
Latter-day Saint, a man who keeps the commandments of God, and lives
according to the principles of the Gospel, as laid down by the Prophet
Joseph Smith, it cannot be done. They may labor here as missionaries
from now to doomsday, they never can get one Latter-day Saint to join
any of their religious denominations. Strenuous efforts are being made
to capture our children as though there were not children enough in
the world requiring their attention. They might leave us to manage our
own children. But they think they stand a better show to convert
children than grown people. If the truth were not grounded in our
hearts, we would be liable to conversion. But inasmuch as we keep the
commandments of the Lord, and enjoy the Holy Ghost, we cannot be
turned.

Vol. 25, p.66
We have no fears in regard to the work of the Lord; because it is just
as plain to us as the sun at noonday, that the Kingdom of God will
endure and will not be given to another people. If the Saints will be
faithful, the Church and Kingdom of God will be safe; God will be
honored, and His purposes accomplished in the earth; and a pure people
will grow up here such as the Lord will delight to come and dwell
among.

Vol. 25, p.66
The organization of the Church of God is perfect. We find at the head
of every Quorum of Deacons three are appointed to preside; the same
with the Teachers, Priests and Elders; the Seventies have seven men to
preside over each Quorum; and all these various Quorums are expected
to hold meetings and classes, so that they may be instructed in their
various duties, that men may be prepared to preach the Gospel in the
nations of the earth. Then, we have organizations of the young
people—the Mutual Improvement Associations—which are intended to
embrace all the young people of Zion. But we find in our visits
through the country, that complaints are made that the young people
are not all enrolled. Many have not been brought to see the importance
of joining these associations. Well, now, if it were left to the
children  entirely, how many of them would go to school at the age of
eight, ten or twelve years? Not many. But [p.67] there is a proper
influence brought to bear upon children by their parents. School
houses and resellers are provided, and then the children are sent to
school. After a while, as the children grow older, they begin to see
the importance of knowledge, and then it does not take very much
exertion on the part of parents to get the children to attend school.
In the same way, those who have identified themselves with these
associations begin to see the importance of their connection
therewith. But those who are on the outside need to be instructed in
regard to the importance of these things, and an influence should be
brought to bear upon them in that direction. They should be taken
early in life. Many of them have been left alone until it is too late,
or later than it ought to have been. At the age of twelve or fourteen
years they should be introduced into the lesser Priesthood, and thus
learn something of the authority of the Lord. They should be educated
in the principles of the Gospel, and have faith established in their
hearts. This should be done by experienced people. But they have been
more or less neglected until we have hundreds to-day that are twenty
years of age, that bear no Priesthood at all. When they get to that
age they become more or less set in their ways; they desire to be
free; they don't care to be hampered with religion or anything of that
kind. Now, my brethren and sisters, parents in Zion, Bishops, leading
men in the Wards and Stakes, see to it that the young people receive
proper instruction; see to it that they are not neglected as those of
whom I have been speaking have been neglected in the past. Let fathers
and mothers be anxious in regard to their sons and daughters. Let
those who are yet young be brought into the Mutual Improvement
Associations and classes, that they may have the advantage of a
religious training in the Church. There is nothing on earth of greater
value to your children than a knowledge of the truth. I know of no
gift that could be given to my children from among men that would
compensate for their being deprived of the knowledge that God has
established His Church and Kingdom upon the earth; that Joseph Smith
was a Prophet of God; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and that
God lives. To deprive them of this knowledge, nothing could compensate
for its loss. Then, if we so consider these things; if we are so
firmly established in the truth and value it so much, let us see to it
that our children are not neglected. At eight years of age they should
be baptized for remission of their sins, and become members of the
Church. And as they get older, see that they are brought into the
schools, associations and classes. See, too, that they are taught at
home in regard to prayer, family worship, etc. Let them not be
neglected; for if they are neglected and go astray, your hearts will
be barren and sorrowful. You may be very firm and solid yourselves;
but in the loss of a son or daughter, through neglect, your hearts
will be made sorrowful. The Catholics are very careful in regard to
their children, and I respect them for it. They are very careful to
educate their children in regard to the Catholic faith. Not that I
would have my children become Catholics; but I would have the same
care that they display in this matter displayed in the care of the
children of the Latter-day Saints. Early life is the time when they
should be trained. Then indelible impressions can be made in their
minds [p.68] How difficult it is when men have grown up in the world
with ideas that are prevalent in the world in regard to God, the
Savior, religion, etc.,—how difficult it is to bring them into the
Church, and get those ideas eradicated from their minds. I have heard
elderly brethren who were brought up as Methodists say, that it was
almost impossible for them to rid themselves of Methodism. One of the
earliest revelations given to the Church charges all parents having
children in Zion to teach them faith in God, faith in Jesus Christ,
and that when they arrive at the age of eight years they should be
baptized for remission of their sins. This is a law that has been
before us since 1831, really years before I was born. Now, I wonder if
this law has not been neglected by the Latter-day Saints—generally
forgotten or overlooked. Have we not been careless in this regard? Let
every father and every mother question their own hearts on this
matter, and if they have been negligent, let them reform and see that
they be more careful in the future than they have been in the past.
Indeed, let me exhort you, my brethren and sisters, you who stand st
the heads of families, Wards, and quorums, to be of a truth educators
of the people, teaching them not only in theory, but in practice, in
your lives; walking so that you may be the light of a sun instead of a
moon; and that great improvement may be found all around.

Vol. 25, p.68
And that God may sustain us, inspire our hearts and help us to
discharge with fidelity every duty; that the testimony God has given
us may grow and increase in our hearts, is my prayer in the name of
Jesus, Amen.

Erastus Snow, February 24, 1884

Work of God the Same in All Ages—the Millennium—Christ the Prophet
 of Whom Moses Spake—What Makes the Saints Steadfast—
Cause of Apostasy—Duty of the Saints

Delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City,
 Sunday Afternoon, Feb. 24, 1884.

Reported By John Irvine

Vol. 25, p.68
It is allotted to me to occupy a few minutes, and it is a privilege
which I ought to esteem, and which I do esteem, to stand before my
brethren and sisters as a witness of the truth which we have embraced;
the truth as it is revealed in Christ, the  truth that is confirmed in
the hearts of the Saints of the Holy Ghost, the truth as testified by
ancient [p.69] Prophets, Patriarchs and Apostles, and by our Savior
Himself when upon the earth among the Jews, and among the Nephites on
the continent of America.

Vol. 25, p.69
The work in which the Latter-day Saints are engaged, the work
whereunto God has called His people in this day, is the work which has
engaged the attention of the Prophets and Saints from the beginning of
the world till the present time. That portion of the world of mankind
who have been inspired from above to look forward through the vista of
opening years and contemplate the future history of mankind, have had
their eyes directed to the great and last dispensation of the fullness
of times, in which the Lord would perfect His work on the earth, and
bring in everlasting righteousness; when He would establish a reign of
peace, when wickedness would be subdued, when Satan would be curtailed
in his power and influence among the children of men—the time
represented in the vision of St. John, when he declared:

Vol. 25, p.69
"I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

Vol. 25, p.69
"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil,
and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the
bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he
should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Vol. 25, p.69
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given
unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the
witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not
worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark
upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned
with Christ a thousand years.

Vol. 25, p.69
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years
were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Vol. 25, p.69
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on
such the second death hath no power, but they shall be Priests of God
and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

Vol. 25, p.69
Now, this thousand years is spoken of among modern Christians as the
millennium, signifying a thousand years. That period of all other
periods will, as we speak of the Sabbath, be a day of rest. On the
Sabbath, the seventh day, the Lord rested from his labors, and He has
commanded His people to rest from their labors on that day; to meet
together and worship Him; to offer up their sacraments and their
oblations; to confess their sins unto one and another and before the
Lord. And as they ask to be forgiven, and feel to forgive one another,
so God forgives them. Our Savior gave us clearly to understand this
when He taught His disciples to pray and to say, "Forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors;" for, said he, "If ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." This
day of rest is a day to forgive and to be forgiven, and to make peace
with one another and with our God, and is a type of the millennium, or
the seventh thousandth year, in the which universal peace will be
established upon the earth, and the Kingdom of our God prevail in all
lands —a day when the servants of God may bear the glad tiding's to
all people, nations, kindreds and tongues upon all the face of the
earth, and [p.70] there shall be none to molest them, or make them
afraid. The truth will abound and light and understanding come to the
people. It will be a day of great light in every corner of the
land—the day spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah, wherein he says the
knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the
sea—the day when they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and
every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shall all know
Him from the least of them to the greatest of them—a day when "every
man shall see eye to eye." Prophets and Saints have looked for such a
period, have longed for it, have prayed for it, have sung about it,
have prophesied of it, and they have spoken of the work that should
bring it about. Are all these prophecies fallacious? Are all these
hopes vain? Will all these expectations come to naught? Or are they to
be fulfilled? With the Latter-day Saints there is but one answer to
this question. The Lord has opened their understanding, has touched
their eyes, has pricked them in the ear, has comforted them, and has
given to them the Holy Ghost. They have been enabled to see and to
discern the signs of the times, and to understand in a measure the age
in which we live. It is a source of unbounded joy unto those who
possess this testimony, and are living for the blessings promised to
the faithful. These events are dawning upon us. A preparatory work has
been begun in the earth. As foretold in the Scriptures, an angel has
flown in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to deliver
to them that dwell on the earth, and which shall be preached unto
every nation, kindred, tongue and people before the end cometh. But
will every nation and kindred and tongue and people receive it? Not at
all. It has not been so written. But it is written that the time
cometh when all who will not hear that Prophet whom Moses said God
would raise up unto the people should be cut off from among his
people. This Prophet was Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, raised
up in the meridian of time and in the midst of the house of Israel,
from the seed of Abraham, that seed which God said would be a blessing
unto all nations. When Jesus showed himself unto the Nephites on the
American continent, He quoted this Scripture—this prophecy of
Moses—and said to them, "I am that Prophet of whom Moses spake." Now,
we have this assurance, that the time will come when all those who
will not hear that Prophet shall be cut off from among the people. It
is grievous to reflect upon the darkness that enshrouds the minds of
the people; upon the unbelief which prevails among mankind at the
present time; upon the infidelity which stalks abroad, that is
manifested in church and state, with high and low. It is grievous to
contemplate how statesmen and the would-be wise men of our age despise
God, or ignore His counsels, ignore His word, His right to rule, His
ability to counsel, to teach, and to regulate the affairs of men; how
little they acknowledge His hand, how unwilling they are to allow Him
to have any voice in the affairs of state. And it is equally sorrowful
to contemplate how little are Christian sects willing to acknowledge
Him, or allow Him to interfere in their affairs, or acknowledge Him in
any way, further than in a sort of—what shall I say?—a sort of
mystical way. True, there are many who affect to believe that they
must be born again, and  teach the doctrine of the [p.71] new birth,
the spiritual birth. But how little they seem to comprehend what is
meant by that birth, and the effects that follow it; yet there are
some, yea, there are many in the Christian world who profess to
believe what Jesus said to Nicodemus in the third chapter of John's
Gospel, that a man must be born of the water and of the Spirit in
order to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and that that which is born
of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.
Yet when we come to read the New Testament and learn of the fruits,
the influence and effects of that Spirit upon those who possess it,
how wonderful, how strange it appears to those Christians! The
Latter-day Saints strive to bring home to the minds of those modern
Christians, that the Holy Spirit, when overshadowing the people born
of the water and of the Spirit produces certain fruits, certain
effects, that are the same to-day as anciently, and will be the same
among all people in all ages and times when people receive that
Spirit. But most of the Christian sects of our time ignore those
fruits of the Spirit, the spiritual gifts and blessings which followed
the outpouring of that Spirit upon the Saints of God in all former
ages.

Vol. 25, p.71
Brother Lyman has well said that it is this Spirit shed abroad upon
the Latter-day Saints, bearing witness unto them of the truth—which is
the witness of the Holy Ghost of the Father and of the Son—that makes
them steadfast and immovable. They cannot be turned away so long as
they enjoy this Spirit; they cannot be turned away From the light of
the Gospel and the liberties they enjoy in Christ Jesus; they cannot
be converted to Catholicism, nor Methodism, nor any other ism; but if
they fall into sin, if they violate their holy covenants, if they
grieve the Holy Spirit from them, then they are left in great
darkness. As the Savior said to His disciples: "The light of the body
is the eye: if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole holy shall
be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be
full of darkness. If, therefore, that which is in time be darkness,
how great is that darkness!" It may seem to some a wonder how it is,
that any man or set of men, after having once tasted of the good word
of God, of the heavenly gifts, and the powers of the world to come,
and having been made to know and understand the things of God, and
been able to bear witness of them, should afterwards fall away, lose
their testimony and the light of the truth, fall bite darkness and
apostatize. It is a marvel and a wonder unto many how this can be, and
to some portion of the Christian world it has seemed impossible, and
they have affected to espouse the dogma and to make it a part of their
religious creed, that once in grace always in grace, and that if they
are the elect of God, they cannot fall away. This is a doctrine of
men: it is not a doctrine of Christ, and it is not true. The Savior
constantly exhorted His disciples to watch and pray, lest they should
fall into temptation, and cautioned them that they who once put their
hands to the plow and looked back, or turned away, were not fit for
the kingdom of heaven, but that they who endured unto the end, the
same should have eternal life. He warned them against falling into
darkness, and, as I have already quoted, He assured them that the
light that was in them might become darkness, and if it did, how great
should be that darkness.

Vol. 25, p.71
Brother Lyman has well said, also, [p.72] that when men apostatize
from the truths of heaven, and become infidel to the things of God, it
is because of sin and transgression; it is because they have given way
to evil; it is because they have corrupted their ways, defiled their
tabernacles, defiled their spirits, violated their own consciences, or
given themselves up to work sin and wickedness. All this they may have
done in the dark, or in secret, and not upon the housetops: but the
time cometh when the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed, and
every secret thing shall be made known upon the housetops. Then it
shall be known and read of men the causes that operated to take away
the light and the truth from the hearts of men and left them to go
into outer and utter darkness. None are proof against the attacks of
the enemy, against the powers of evil, against the evil devices of the
wicked one; none are proof against or safe from the influence and
power thereof, without watchfulness and prayer, without so living that
the Spirit will have pleasure to abide with them, to be their monitor
and protector. That Spirit will not dwell in unholy temples, it will
not continue to dwell with those who violate their own consciences,
corrupt their ways, defile their spirits and tabernacles, and defile
themselves with their fellow creatures; for God will have a pure
people. His Kingdom is holy; His dominions are pure; and no impure
thing can inherit the Kingdom of God. "And without are dogs and
sorcerers, and whoremongers and murderers, and idolaters and whosoever
loveth and maketh a lie."

Vol. 25, p.72
Brother Lyman asked the question (and answered it beautifully)
pertaining to the preservation of the Latter-day Saints, from the
combined efforts of their enemies. He answered well. The safety and
protection of the Latter-day Saints lie in their preparing for peace.
In other words, it is to make peace with their God, and with one
another, and to proclaim peace unto all mankind, and so live and
deport themselves, that they will encourage, extend and maintain peace
to the utmost of their ability. But, and if the wicked continue to
oppress, to war against and annoy the people of God, and to deprive
them of social, religious and political privileges, and other rights
that belong to them as the children of God, as human beings, as
citizens of the commonwealth, those unalienable rights of life and
liberty and the pursuit of happiness; if, I say, the wicked combine to
abridge these immunities, privileges and rights, and trample them
under foot, and to wage war against the Saints for the purpose of
destroying them, what may we do to avert it? It has been well
answered: Do the will of the Lord; keep His commandments; do good to
one another; forgive one another, and ask to be forgiven of each other
and of our God; walk humbly before Him day and night; trust in Him,
believe in Him, and go forward in the discharge of every duty, fearing
only God. "Fear not them," says the Savior, "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." Let our fear centre upon Him; let
our trust and our faith centre upon Him; let us maintain our
confidence in Him, that He rules in the heavens and among the armies
of men, and that He turns the hearts of the children of men as the
rivers of water are turned; and if at one time their hearts are
softened, as was Pharaoh's of old, and then, again, their hearts are
hardened, as was Pharaoh's, we  [p.73] may bear in mind that all these
things are necessary in the accomplishment of the divine purposes of
our Father and Creator. For the wicked have their agency as well as
the righteous, and God will not deprived them of it. He wills not that
any be deprived of their agency. If people will work wickedness; if
they will violate their covenants; if they will fores wear themselves;
if they will trample under foot the constitution and institutions of
our common country, (which they are sworn to defend and maintain) in
their over-zeal to destroy the Saints they must have their agency so
to do. They must have the privilege of working out their own salvation
or their own damnation. They must fill up the cup of their iniquity
otherwise, how will the Lord be justified in wasting them away and
destroying them out of the earth, except they first fill up the cup of
their iniquity. But, says one, what and if He shall permit them to
overrun and lay waste and scatter and destroy the Latter-day Saints?
Such questions have been asked a great many times in years that have
gone by, by those that were fearful, or doubtful, or unbelieving; but
questions of this kind need not arise in the breasts of those who are
living as Saints ought to live, and have the testimony of Jesus
dwelling in them. We ought to know, yea, it is our duty to feel that
abiding trust and confidence in God, to know that He will make the
wrath of the wicked to praise Him, and the residue of wrath He will
restrain; and that neither Congress, nor Presidents, nor Senators, nor
Judges, nor Governors, nor armies, nor Generals, nor any other human
being have or can exercise any power in the earth, except that which
is given them of our Father in the heavens, and that He can restrain
when it seemeth Him good, and within such limits as seemeth Him good.
And this He does without interfering with their personal agency; for
man may propose, but God only disposes the affairs of men.

Vol. 25, p.73
May God help us to be in deed and in truth what we have been called to
be—Saints of the last days, and then, whether in life or death, we
shall be His, we shall enter into His glory and be numbered with His
jewels; for the Lord cometh to make up His jewels, and it will be
those who have met together often and have spoken often one to
another, that will be numbered therein; while all the proud and they
that do wickedly, will become as stubble; and the day that cometh
shall burn them up, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Vol. 25, p.73
May the grace of God be sufficient for us under all circumstances,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.—Amen. [p.74]

John Morgan, January 20, 1884

Self-Existent Truths—"The Poor Have the Gospel Preached to Them"—
Repentance—Faith—"The Doctrine of Baptisms"—The "Laying on of Hands"—
Too Strong a Doctrine to Be Endured—The Conflict in Which the Saints
Are
 Engaged—Temples and Their Uses—Salvation for the Dead

Delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City,
 January 20th, 1884.

Reported By John Irvine

Vol. 25, p.74
"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go
on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from
dead works, and of faith toward God;

Vol. 25, p.74
"Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of
resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."

Vol. 25, p.74
I have read the first and second verses of the 6th chapter of Paul's
epistle to the Hebrews.

Vol. 25, p.74
Having been requested to occupy portion of the time allotted to our
afternoon service, I desire an interest in your faith and prayers and
confidence, that I may be enabled to say those things which will be
acceptable to our common Father and God in the heavens, and will be
for our good.

Vol. 25, p.74
The Latter-day Saints who have congregated together this afternoon for
religious worship, come for a particular specified object, having in
view the strengthening of their spiritual natures, the receiving of
light, intelligence and knowledge from on high on matters that pertain
unto eternal life. To enable us to accomplish this object, it is
necessary that we draw in our minds from the things by which we are
surrounded, and endeavor to concentrate our faith upon the duties
which devolve upon us in religious worship. And it is no meaningless
phrase when an Elder of Israel asks the faith and prayers of Israel in
his behalf, that he may be clothed upon by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit to say those things that will be for the good of the people.

Vol. 25, p.74
We have laid down here, certain principles of the Gospel that Paul
taught to the Hebrews nearly 2,000 years ago, but principles that were
not new even in that day; on the contrary, principles of eternal truth
which have always existed, that always will exist, which cannot be
changed in their form, cannot be annihilated through the unbelief of
the human family; for they are self-existent and do not depend upon
the belief or unbelief of men for their sustenance or for their
destruction. In this consists their greatness, that they are not
dependent upon the arm of flesh for their existence; for they were
just as true when rejected [p.75] by the Hebrews in days of old as
they were in times before that, as they are to-day—accepted by a few
of the human family, but rejected by the great mass. The Latter-day
Saints, then, feel to congratulate themselves upon this point—that
they have built their faith upon a rock which cannot be destroyed, and
that will exist not only through the ages of time, but throughout all
the endless ages of eternity. Having existed in eternity in the past,
it exists to-day, and will exist in the eternities to come.

Vol. 25, p.75
These principles are plain and simple, so plain and so simple that a
wayfaring man though a fool need not err therein; on the contrary they
are suited to the capacity of the whole human family, the unlearned as
well as the learned. There was this peculiar feature about these
principles when they were promulgated in the days of Jesus: as a rule
it was the unlearned of the human family that were willing to yield
obedience to them; it was the common people who heard him gladly. The
teachers of the Jews, they who had control of the synagogues, who
stood in the foremost places in the nation, rejected the lowly
Nazarene and His teachings, while fishermen from the shores of the Sea
of Galilee heard and received Him gladly. That peculiar feature to a
greater or less extent adheres to those principles to-day. Gathered
from the middle walks of life, from the various nations of the earth,
coming from the east and from the west, from the north and from the
south, for the Gospel's sake; gathered together in these valleys of
the mountains, the Latter-day Saints are willing to sacrifice the good
opinion of the world; willing to sacrifice all that man holds near and
dear to him for the sake of the truth; willing to forsake kindred and
home, the graves of our ancestors, and those associations that bind
themselves round the heart—coming here for the sole purpose of being
instrumental in the hands of God in establishing His Kingdom, in
bringing to pass His purposes, in proclaiming the glad tidings of the
Gospel—tidings that were proclaimed to the shepherds upon the plains
of Bethlehem 1,800 years age, "On earth peace, good will towars men;"
bringing with us a broad charity and philanthropy for the world,
desiring to better the human family, and allowing our charity to go,
out broader than that even—reaching behind the veil, taking hold upon
the things pertaining not only to this life, but redeeming those who
have preceded us into the spirit world—allowing our charity to go out
so broad that we give a possible salvation to every son and daughter
of Adam that ever came upon the face of the earth, or that shall come.

Vol. 25, p.75
Paul calls those principles that I have read over, "the doctrine of
Christ." He calls one of those principles the doctrine of repentance.
The Latter-day Saints who have gathered from the nations of the earth
will bear me out when I say that the doctrine of repentance as
believed in by them is different in many respects to the doctrine of
repentance as it existed in the lands from whence they came. As the
Latter-day Saints understand the doctrine of repentance, it is to turn
from that which is wrong; to forsake evil and cleave unto that which
is good. If a man has been a wrongdoer, let him be a wrong-doer no
longer; let him conform his life to the principles of integrity and
righteousness and honor; let him keep the commandments of God in their
[p.76] letter and in their spirit. I care not what the professions of
a man may be; I care not with what air of sanctity he may be clothed;
without the observance of this law in its true sense, it is not
repentance.

Vol. 25, p.76
Paul speaks of another principle which he calls faith; and in the 11th
chapter of his epistle to the Hebrews, he gives some information in
regard to its nature and character. He says: "Who through faith
subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped
the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge
of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in
fight. Women received their dead raised to life again," etc. Faith
certainly is a most important principle, and without it, I ask the
Latter-day Saints how long could we exist as a body I have often heard
the remark made by those unacquainted with the Gospel, those who knew
not the truth, but yet who were willing to look dispassionately, yea,
even kindly upon the errors and fallacies as they termed them and
believed them to be that we are indulging in—the question has been
asked by this class of persons: "How does it come, by what process is
it that the Latter-day Saints, surrounded as they have been,
surrounded as they are to-day, environed around about upon every side
by difficulties that seen insurmountable, difficulties and obstacles
that might cause, apparently, the stoutest heart to quake and the
firmest knees to tremble—that in their hour of trial and tribulation
they always had confidence that in the outcome, it would all be well
with Israel, that no matter what might be done, it would in the end
prove for the good of the Kingdom of God, until, the motto, 'They can
do nothing against, but only for us, has become a household word in
the midst of the Saints?" Why, when the powers and influences of the
world are brought to bear upon the Latter-day Saints, whether
collectively or in an individual capacity, they cling to this
principle of faith; they believe in the promises of the God of Israel;
they believe that God will not falsify His word; they believe that God
will establish His Kingdom, and bring to pass His purposes in the
earth. The faith of the Latter-day Saints is a living principle. A
Latter-day Saint devoid of the principle of faith, would be an
anomaly—in fact such an one could not be a Latter-day Saint; for it
requires faith in the God of Israel to stand the tests that they are
called upon to pass through. Yet calmly and quietly, deliberately,
with full confidence in Jehovah, they can go forth in the discharge of
their duties as they understand them, believing that in the outcome
God will be their friend and protector in the future as He has been in
the past; as He has brought them through the trials and tribulations
of days gone by, so will he do in the future. This principle of faith,
therefore, that Paul taught to the Hebrews, was certainly a most
important one, and it is one without which it would be impossible for
the Latter-day Saints to have succeeded.

Vol. 25, p.76
Paul also speaks of the doctrine of baptisms; not in the singular, but
in the plural, apparently, as though there were two baptisms. "The
doctrine of baptisms," he says. We find, following after the
principles of faith and repentance, the doctrine of baptism for the
remission of sins, as John the forerunner of Jesus taught, as Paul
taught, and as Jesus himself taught. It  is upon record here that they
taught baptism for the remission of sins, of those [p.77] who would
submit to the ordinance of baptism. Or, in other words, to more
clearly explain what I wish to, the sins of human beings up till the
age at which they are baptized are recorded against them. If they are
willing to submit to the ordinance of baptism by immersion, having
faith in God, repenting of their sins, by one having authority, God
gives them His promise that He will remit their sins; that all that
have been committed in the past shall be blotted out from the book of
His remembrance, and from that day forth they are free from the sins
of the past. The ordinance of baptism, then, is not an ordinance to us
of mere form, or something that is submitted to simply because it is
an ordinance of the Church. On the contrary, it is positively
essential to the salvation of the human family, Nicodemus, in times of
old, came to Jesus upon this subject, and apparently asked Him the
question, If there was some other possibly better method whereby man
could enter the Kingdom of God, and he was told by the Redeemer, that
no man could enter the Kingdom of God, except he had been born of the
water and of the Spirit." This is the law as it is laid down. If there
is any difference of opinion upon the part of any single individual on
this subject, it is not with me, but it is with the word of God, as
given through His Son Jesus Christ,—that except a man be born of the
water and of the spirit he can in no wise enter the Kingdom of God.
The Latter-day Saints believe this, and act accordingly—that except a
man be born again he could not even see the Kingdom of God, let alone
enter therein. The ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins is,
then, to Latter-day Saints a very important ordinance.

Vol. 25, p.77
Paul speaks of another ordinance that he terms the "laying on of
hands." I have found in traveling in the midst of the Christian world,
that very often Christian people would agree with me in relation to
the principles of which I have spoken. They would say: "Yes, we
believe that idea of faith is correct; we believe that idea of
repentance is correct; we believe that idea of baptism even is
correct; but they were not strong enough apparently to believe in this
principle called the "laying on of hands," which Paul terms one of the
doctrines of Christ. We find that this principle is practiced in the
midst of the Latter-day Saints as also an essential ordinance—that
except a man be baptized in water and born of the Spirit, by the
laying on of hands, he can in no wise enter the Kingdom of God. This
is the light, we are told, that is given to every soul that comes upon
the earth; not to the Latter-day Saints alone, not to the former-day
Saints alone, not to those alone who were baptized, but to every soul
that cometh upon the earth. The ordinance of baptism for the remission
of sins being essential, so is the ordinance of the laying on of
hands, that men may receive the Holy Spirit; or, in other words, the
laying on of hands is the medium that God has instituted for His
children to be placed in communication with Himself, that they may
receive the Spirit that leads and guides and directs unto all truth,
that brings things past to our remembrance, that shows us things to
come, that opens up the visions of heaven and makes known unto us the
mind and will of God. I remember one minister with whom I had the
privilege. of conversing upon this principle. He stated that it looked
reasonable; that he did not know really but what [p.78] it was
correct, and doubtless had been neglected in times gone by. Well, he
got to thinking over the matter, and he read, "He will show you things
to come." He came to me with some questions. One was, "Do you mean to
say the Holy Spirit will show a man things to come?" "Yes." Well, of
course if it shewed me things to come I could tell of it?" "Yes."
"Would not that constitute me a prophet?" "it would." "Well," said he,
"this generation will not endure this thing; it is too strong
doctrine." I replied that no generation that I had ever read or heard
of had endured it; but that in all the ages gone by when God had
placed men here upon the earth with authority to confer this gift,
they had invariably been rejected of men. This principle is believed
in and practiced by the Latter-day Saints. We read in one instance,
that is doubtless fresh in the minds of many of the Latter-day
Saints—as contained in the 8th Chapter of the Acts of the
Apostles—where certain men had been baptized; but they had to send for
the Apostles to go into the portion of country where those baptisms
had occurred, and we read: "Then laid they their hands on them and
they received the Holy Ghost." The Latter-day Saints believe that not
only was that principle efficacious in that direction in that day, but
that it is true to-day as then. The Latter-day Saints bear testimony
of its truth; that having repented of their sins, having faith in God,
having been baptized, having received the laying on of hands, they
have received the Holy Spirit, they have received knowledge, light and
intelligence from on high, that God has revealed to them certain
principles of truth and righteousness. If this is the case, I ask, how
can we unlearn these things? how can we unknow them at the dictation
of the world will fines and imprisonment take this knowledge away from
us? Will disfranchisement take this knowledge away from us? Will death
itself take this knowledge away from us? No, verily, I say to you, it
will not. It is with us here to-day; it will be and abide with us when
we go hence. The knowledge I have in relation to this principle—of
which I bear my testimony to you this day—that I received through the
laying of hands, I expect to retain with me so long as I live in
accordance with the laws and principles of truth and righteousness.
When I turn away from these, there may be a veil of darkness drawn
over my mind; but I can never free myself from the fact that I had
once a knowledge of the things of God.

Vol. 25, p.78
These four principles are termed the first principles of the Gospel of
the Son of God. These principles the Latter-day Saints believe in.
These were the principles that were enunciated by Joseph Smith, 50
years ago. These were the principles, and about the only principles at
that time—very nearly the only principles—in the original organization
of the Church—that were taught to the world.

Vol. 25, p.78
But let us reflect in relation to the record and history of that day.
Men tell us that a certain doctrine we believe in to-day—a doctrine
that has been taught and revealed at more recent date—is the cause of
our difficulty. But I ask you, were not difficulties met by the
Latter-day Saints, in the early history of the Church, such as we meet
to-day? Were they not driven  and tossed to and fro? Were they not
subject to persecution and death, to fines and imprisonment? Were they
not [p.79] cast out from the Christian world in that day before this
obnoxious—as they term it—principle was revealed? Were they not cast
out for the doctrine of faith in the God of Israel, for the doctrine
of repentance, turning from wrong doing, for the doctrine of baptism
for the remission of sins, for the doctrine of the gift of the Holy
Ghost by the laying on of handel Were the Saints persecuted formerly?
So they are to-day; and doubtless this will continue until one or the
other power is vanquished; for it is not a struggle between a few
people, citizens of the United States, who live here in the Territory
of Utah, and in the surrounding States and Territories, to the number
of 150,000 or 200,000 people, and the people of the world. It is not a
contest between these two parties, by any means, no more than it was a
contest between Luther, when, at the Diet at Worms, he exclaimed:
"Here I take my stand. I can do no more and no less" It was not a
contest between him individually and the priests, but it was a contest
between truth and error, right and wrong. It was a contest between the
advancement of the human family and their retrogression. This conflict
to-day cannot be narrowed down to the few people who live in the
Territory of Utah. But running out from here as veins and arteries
from tire human heart, it penetrates and permeates the whole universe,
going from the rivers to the ends thereof, and to all the nations of
the human family. This struggle which we are engaged in to-day, the
struggle that Joseph Smith was engaged in 50 years ago, in the infancy
of this work; the clash of opinion and the conflict of ideas that
existed in the days of Nauvoo, that exists to-day; all this does not
pertain alone to the Latter-day Saints, my friends, but, on the
contrary, to the good, to the salvation and to the redemption of the
whole human family—broader in its scope, mightier in its influence
than it is generally acknowledged to be. Then, can this conflict cease
at the command of men? Can laws be passed to stop title struggle? Is
it in the power of kingdoms and principalities and governments to stay
the onward march and progress of the principles of truth? No more than
it was in times gone by when the march of thought in its onward
progress was sought to be stayed by the hand of the mother church from
Rome. No more to-day than it could in the days when the Puritans in
England, when the Huguenots in France, asked the privilege of
worshiping God according to the dictates of their own conscience; and
almost as a parody on human nature, when these very same Puritans came
to the land of America, they in turn could turn upon the Quakers and
persecute them for religion's sake, bore holes throught the tongues of
the people that did not agree with them in religious matters. But what
did all this accomplish? The world looks back—the Christian world
looks back with shame upon this record of their ancestors, and yet in
turn they do the very same thing to-day, to be followed in a
generation or two by people whose faces will mantle with the blush of
shame, that in this free land of America, under a government
established for the freedom of the human family, where the religious
exile, the exile for thought and ideas, front the nations of the earth
could come to for protection; that in this land dedicated to freedom
and equality to all men there should have found footing the idea that
men must be persecuted for religion's sake, for beliefs sake. Let
[p.80] the Latter-day Saints then, understand and comprehend that this
struggle which we are engaged in, broadens out and extends itself not
to us alone, but to the nations of the earth, to the whole human
family. I imagine I hear some one say, "But is not that a
contradiction. You asserted a few moments ago that baptism was
essential to the salvation of the human family, and as there has been
but a very few of the human family baptized, how is it with the rest
who have not had the privilege of this ordinance? Paul very correctly
wrote, and the translators very correctly translated this passage that
I read, wherein he refers to the doctrine of baptisms, for there is
more than one baptism. We read of the baptism of water for the
remission of sin. We read of another Baptism; far as I have, already
quoted, except a man be born of the water and of the spirit, he can in
no wise enter into the Kingdom of God. Then we ask ourselves the
question, What shall become of the untold millions of the human family
who have not heard the sound of the Gospel? What shall we do with
those who have not even heard anything relative to the plan of
salvation? Our Christian friends, for instance, devote many thousands
of dollars and pounds sterling to the conversion of the heathen as
they are pleased to call them, and to carry the Bible to those who are
unacquainted with it. This is certainly very commendable; this
certainly shows a most philanthropic spirit upon their part; this is
an evidence of good will to the human family, and it is to be
commended. But inasmuch as they reach but a very few, we ask ourselves
the question, What shall become of the rest? To the Latter-day Saints
this is a solved problem. We assert this not simply with the words of
our lips; we assert this not simply in editorials and pamphlets
written; but we prove our faith by our works. Almost within the sound
of my voice here, there is a magnificent temple being erected at the
expense of many hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the town of St.
George in the south, at the expense of nearly half a million; at
Manti, in Sanpete County; at Logan, in Cache; we have four temples
either completed or nearly so. At Nauvoo, when the Saints were
storm-tossed with persecution, surrounded about by mobs, and every
influence that fiendish vindictiveness could think of, was brought to
bear upon them, they built themselves a magnificent temple there. At
Kirtland, in the days of their infancy, when the labors which they
performed were very arduous in comparison with the labors the
Latter-day Saints have to perform to-day in the building of these
temples, they built another temple. What are these temples for? There
is an object in their being built. We prove our faith in these things
by our works, seeking not only to redeem ourselves, seeking not only
salvation for our own household, but extending its influence beyond
and reaching out to those of our progenitors who have gone before us
into the spirit world and are there, becoming acquainted with the
principles of eternal life; for as recorded in the 3rd Chapter of the
Epistle of Peter, "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just
for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in
the flesh, but quickened by the spirit: by which also He went and
preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient,
when  once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah." Or
as we find it still further recorded [p.81] in the 4th chapter of the
same epistle: "For this cause was the Gospel preached also to them
that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh,
but live according to God in the spirit." We also find a question
asked of our Savior, as recorded in the account of His crucifixion in
the book of Saint Luke. One of the thieves who was crucified alongside
of car Savior, said to Him: "Lord, remember me when thou comest into
thy Kingdom." Jesus could not consistently do this; for He had told
Nicodemus previous to that, that except a man be born of the water and
of the Spirit he could not enter into His Kingdom; and this thief,
acknowledging that he was worthy of death, was, consequently, an
unrepentent, unbaptized stoner. Jesus, however, turned to him and
said: "To-day thou shalt be with me in paradise." The Christian world
have made the mistake of imagining, believing and teaching that Jesus
and the thief on the cross went back to the bosom of our Father and
God in heaven. But we find, after the resurrection of our Savior, when
He stood by the open door of the sepulchre, Mary came, and recognizing
Him, put out her hands to touch Him. But Jesus said: "Touch me not;
for I am not yet ascended to my Father in heaven; but go to my
brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father;
and to my God and your God." During the three days that the body of
Jesus lay in the tomb, then, where was the spirit that formerly
inhabited the body? According to the testimony of Peter, as recorded
in the 3rd Chapter of the first epistle of Peter, it was preaching to
the spirits in prison; and Isaiah tells us that it was for this that
Jesus was to come; it was to loose the bonds of the prisoners; it was
to open the prison-door. Men who had lived in days gone by, who had
failed to obey the commandments of God, who had passed into the spirit
world, according to the accepted idea of a few years ago—Christian
ideas change about these things, you know—these people were eternally
lost. There was no possible chance for their redemption; but having
closed their eyes in death as sinners in the sight of God, they were
under condemnation to all eternity. A strange parody indeed upon the
idea of God's love and mercy for His children! God is love, we are
told, and yet in the short space of one man's life, that man's sins
and errors—nay, more than that, he might have lived honorably and
honestly; he might have sought to do as best he knew how; he might
have been a good citizen, a good father, a good husband; he might have
filled all these duties acceptably, yet if he is outside the pale of
the Church and death overtakes him in that condition, he was eternally
lost according to the Christian idea of a few years ago. Leading
thinkers of to-day, in the Christian world are changing their views
very materially in relation to this matter, as within the past few
years I heard the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher declare, that, if his God
reigned in the next world, every man and woman who did not learn the
truth here, should have the privilege there. Then we find also Dr.
Thomas, of Chicago, a leading light in the religious world, and very
many who are distinguished in the religious world, are to-day changing
their ideas and theories in relation to this matter. One of the
peculiar features connected with the Gospel in days gone by is often
presented to my mind in this wise: Jesus taught [p.82] some of His
doctrines in the midst of the Pharisees and Scribes. They found that
certain of His doctrines were popular; they found that certain of His
doctrines were very pleasant; they found that certain of His doctrines
were very agreeable. And so they did what He told them they were
doing. They poured new wine into their old Pharisee bottles; they
endeavored to patch their Sadducee coat with a new piece of cloth; but
they were told that they would burst their bottles, and make a larger
rent in their coat than there was. So it is to-day. When Mr. Beecher
introduces to the Christian world the idea that there is a redemption
beyond the grave, he shakes the pillars of so called Christianity; he
gives them a mightier blow than could be given by an Elder advocating
the same doctrine; and when Dr. Thomas, of Chicago, advanced that idea
to his intelligent audience, it went like wild fire over the land that
so distinguished a theologian as Dr. Thomas, had declared that there
was a chance for redemption after the grave. This new wine, revealed
from heaven in this day and age of the world, through the
instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, a man who was despised by
the world, is being taken by the wise men and poured into their
sectarian bottles, and in the end the result will be as it was with
the Pharisees in times gone by.

Vol. 25, p.82
But this doctrine has more of a meaning to the Latter-day Saints than
simply preaching to the spirits in prison. We read here in the old
Bible where God, speaking through the mouth of one of His Prophets,
said certain things should transpire in the last days. "Behold," says
the Lord through His Prophet Malachi, "I will send you Elijah the
Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;
and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the
earth with a curse." So to-day the Latter-day Saints testify that God
having sent the Prophet Elijah to the earth to reveal this principle,
or rather to give the key for the administration of this principle,
the hearts of the children here upon the earth are being turned to the
fathers behind the veil, and the hearts of the fathers behind the veil
are being turned to their children here upon the earth, the one
feeling after the other for their redemption; for without them we
cannot be perfect, neither can they without us. This plan of salvation
that the Latter-day Saints believe in is broad, indeed it reaches out
to the whole human family, present, past and future. We read in the
15th Chapter of 1st Corinthians, an explanation of this expression of
Paul's in regard to the two baptisms. In the 29th verse of that
Chapter he says: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the
dead, if the dead rise not at all. Why are they then baptized for the
dead?" Or as Paul expresses it in the 19th verse of the same chapter:
"If in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable." Paul in preaching to the Corinthians said that very few of
them took hold of the Gospel. The great mass rejected Paul. Paul,
however, with that broad philanthropy of heart, lit up by the light
that first came to him on his way to Damascus, would have been
miserable indeed had he not learned of this great principle that in
the spirit world these  Corinthians would be preached to and taught.
So the Latter-day Saints to-day [p.83] would be of all men the most
miserable if they did not recognize this principle of preaching to
spirits in prison and baptism for the dead. The Latter-day Saints are
fulfilling the Scripture, which says that there shall be gathered home
to Zion, "one of a city and two of a family." In many instances one
person of an entire lineage is all there is in the Church and Kingdom
of God. That being the case, what of the fathers and the mothers, the
brothers and the sisters, the relatives near and dear, who have not
had the opportunity of accepting the Gospel? How glorious, how grand a
work it is that swells the hearts of Israel to know that we can enter
into the temples of the living God and redeem our dead and become in
truth and indeed saviors upon Mount Zion! Certainly no nobler, no
grander, no mightier principle has ever been revealed to the human
family than this. And though we may have doctrines that are obnoxious
to the world; though we may have principles that innovate upon
established ideas; though we may have ideas that conflict with those
of the honest and the good, and those who love the principles of
integrity and righteousness; though we may have all these, yet when we
come to reflect in regard to this one principle, that of itself alone
should be sufficient to recommend the Latter-day Saints of the whole
civilized world; that of itself should blot out from their remembrance
those other matters that seem to disagree with and are unpleasant to
them. That principle that is reaching out for the salvation of the
untold myriads of the human family—the very possibility of it should
cause the hearts of the whole human family to rejoice, should cause
them to think, to feel and to act kindly towards a people who are
seeking to carry out this principle. But human nature is very strong
in relation to these matters, and as it has been in the past doubtless
it will be in the future—that through much tribulation shall they come
up who shall be clothed in robes of white, and that it is through
trial and tribulation God shall have a tried people. The Latter-day
Saints do not lay to themselves the flattering unction that there
shall be peace, peace, peace, to us just yet; but that on the contrary
this work and this struggle will continue; the nations of the earth
will be brought to the knowledge of the truth; the honest of the blood
of Israel will be gathered home; the kingdom of God will be built up;
temples will be erected and the Saints will enter into them and redeem
their dead, and cause the hearts of our fathers and our mothers who
have gone before us into the spirit world to rejoice; and we shall
join hands with the Prophets and Apostles of days gone by, with those
of to-day who have preceded us behind the veil; with the good and the
true of all ages; with our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, and with God
our Eternal Father in the heavens—all linked together in one mighty
phalanx in this great and glorious work of the latter-days.

Vol. 25, p.83
May God bless you. Amen. [p.84]

John Taylor, February 10, 1884

Object of Assembling—A Peculiar People—Saints Misrepresented
 in All Ages—Statistics—Opposition Expected—Plural Marriage—
Early Persecution—"Twin Relics"—Why the Saints Gather to Zion

Delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City,
Sunday Afternoon, Feb. 10, 1884.

Reported By John Irvine

Vol. 25, p.84
We meet together from time to time to speak, to sing, to pray, and,
according to an institution which has been provided, to partake of the
sacrament of the Lord's supper, and also to perform those various
duties devolving upon us as servants of the living God. It is
pleasant, for the Saints to meet together to commune with each other,
to listen to the words of life, to reflect also upon their position
and relationship to God, to His Church and Kingdom, as well as to
examine into their own feelings, and, under the guidance of the Lord
and of His Holy Spirit, try to find out what relationship they sustain
to their Heavenly Father, and whether they are performing the various
duties devolving upon them, and are seeking to carry out the word, the
will, and the law of God.

Vol. 25, p.84
We are certainly a very peculiar people gathered together in these
valleys of the mountains; we are assembled here from many nations; it
would be difficult to say at present how many; but I think on some
public occasion a while ago, there were twenty-five nationalities
represented. In this respect, we present a very singular aspect, and
occupy a very peculiar position in the history of the day and age
wherein we live. Our religion differs very widely from that which
exists in the world. Our ideas of God, of futurity, of heaven and of
hell, and of the future destiny of the human family, not only of
ourselves, but of all nations, differ very materially from that of
others. Our social ideas, too, are very dissimilar from those
entertained by others. And, again, our political ideas are not in
accord in many respects with those of others, and thus we find
ourselves in a very anomalous position, gathered together here in
these valleys of the mountains, separated to a great extent from the
rest of mankind. We were a few years ago very decidedly separated.
Now, this portion of the continent has become almost the highway of
the nations. I frequently meet with persons from France, England,
Ireland, Scotland and Wales, from the various Principalities of
Germany; from Russia, Italy, Spain, Portugal; from Australia, and the
Islands of the sea, and  from almost all the nations of the earth.
They pass by [p.85] here, and hearing that we are a strange sort of a
people, they are desirous to know something about us as they pass
through. 

Vol. 25, p.85
It frequently becomes a question in the minds of many—How and in what
manner did these things originate, and what is the object of our being
thus gathered together as a separate and distinct people? By what
motives are we actuated? The world of mankind, whether in this nation,
or in any other nation, form very strange notions in regard to our
reasons for thus gathering together. Although we have been striving
for a great many years to enlighten the world in relation to this and
other matters, still they seem very much at sea in regard to the
position which we occupy, and to our moral, social, religious and
political status. So that it becomes almost impossible for people at a
distance from here, notwithstanding we profess to live in an age of
light and intelligence, in an age of railroads, telegraphs, and
telephones, in an age when rapid communication can be had, say from
all parts of the earth in one day, in an age of professed knowledge of
science, literature and art, and of everything that is calculated—or
ought to be if properly conducted—to promote the welfare of the human
family; I say that, notwithstanding all these things, if there is one
subject about which the human family to-day is grossly ignorant, it is
on the subject of the principles of the Latter-day Saints. A short
time ago a very distinguished European gentleman, after eulogising the
appearance of our city, the quiet and order that prevail, etc., said
to me, "President Taylor you can scarcely conceive how impossible it
is, outside of your Territory, to obtain correct information regarding
you as a people;" and an editor of The North American Review told me
he came here from New York, expressly for the purpose of getting me to
write an article on our present status, thus again exhibiting the
strange attitude which we occupy before this nation and the world, and
demonstrating that in consequence of such a flood of falsehood,
vituperation and abuse which is constantly circulated against us, that
it is almost impossible, as before referred to, to obtain any correct
information concerning us. Some of the literary men who come along
here, express to me the opinion that we have been maligned and
misrepresented a good deal. I tell them that in an age like this
people ought to know better; that they ought to be better informed;
that they ought to make themselves acquainted with facts within the
reach of everybody; and that there is no excuse for ignorance in
relation to these matters, Still this ignorance continues. There is an
under-current that men generally are not acquainted with, which
operates in the minds of men and produces these results of which I
speak at the present time. To the Latter-day Saints there is nothing
very mysterious about this. We have passed through this state of
things in embryo, years and years ago. Many of you thought, when you
heard the Gospel, and your hearts had been made glad by obedience
thereunto, that all you would have to do would be to tell your
particular friends and relatives of these things, and that it would
cause their hearts to rejoice as it did yours. You felt interested in
their welfare and had a desire to promote their happiness, that they
might rejoice with you in the blessings which you experienced through
obedience to the Gospel. But lo and behold! the moment you opened your
mouth [p.86] on this subject, you were set down as impostors. You were
probably before this a decent man or a decent woman; but now you
became ostracised and cut off in many instances from association even
with members of your own family. Was it because you had become
corrupt? No. Was it because you had become unsocial? No. Was it
because you possessed principles that were at variance with the
principles of truth, virtue, honor, and the word of God? No. And if
you had asked them what the reason was, for their coolness and the
feeling of ostracism that they manifested, they could not tell, only
that you were a "Mormon." You have all of you experienced this. If
this is the case, then, with your most intimate friends—with your
relatives, with your fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, uncles
and aunts, with whom you had been on the most friendly terms
heretofore—how can you expect the world to look at things in any
different manner. I reflect sometimes upon the position occupied by
the ancient Christians, and upon the character, position and standing
of Jesus, the Son of God. We all profess to reverence Him. All
Christendom bows in reverence at the mention of His name; they feel
there is something hallowed about it. They look upon Him as being the
Son of God, and they look upon His Apostles as men of unblemished
reputation, of pure lives, holy, virtuous and upright. You cannot
travel anywhere in Christendom but you find churches erected to St.
Paul, St. Peter, to St. John, to St. Matthew, to St. Luke, and to all
the different saints as they are now called by the people. But how was
it with these saints when they lived here upon the earth They were
called disturbers of the peace. It was said of them that they were
stirrers up of sedition—that they were impure, ungodly men. Tire idea
of their being persecuted, as we read of, for their religion, would
have been altogether preposterous in that day. They would tell you
they were prosecuted for their crimes and their iniquities. They were
brought before rulers, kings and judges, and they had to depend upon
the Lord and His Holy Spirit, to sustain them under those
circumstances. Jesus emphatically told them to expect these things.
"If the world hate you," said He, "ye know that it hated me before it
hated you.    *     *     * If they have persecuted me, they will also
persecute you.     *    *    * For if they do these things in a green
tree, what shall be done in the dry?" It is singular, yet it is a fact
that these things did exist. While the crowds were ready sometimes to
cover his path with olive branches and with their garments, and to
shout "Hosanna? Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord,"
yet with the very next breath they were ready to cry, "Crucify Him!
crucify Him! it is not fit that He should live." And when He was
hounded and hunted, persecuted and proscribed, at the very last, even
when a Roman judge said, "What evil hath he done?" and washed his
bands of the blood of this just person, they still continued to cry,
"Let Him be crucified," and Barabbas, a noted thief and a murderer,
was released in preference to Jesus. This was the kind of feeling
manifested toward the Savior. Were they an ignorant people that thus
treated Him? No. They were what were called the elite of the day, the
educated; men of position, the High Priests, the scribes, the
Pharisees, the doctors, the  [p.87] lawyers, the leading men of the
nation; all of them engaged in this thing, and all of them partook of
the same spirit. What was the cause of this? It was because He was not
of the world. "If ye were of the world," said the Savior to His
disciples, "the world would love his own: but because ye are not of
the world, therefore the world hateth you." That is the cause. The
world loveth its own. And the world is to-day, was then, and always
will be, until it shall be regenerated, opposed to God, opposed to
righteousness and opposed to the principle of truth. Paul makes the
following statement: "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is at
enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither
indeed can be." There is nothing new, therefore, in any of these
matters that we hear bruited around flora place to place —from the
east to the west, from the north to the south, and spreading abroad
among the nations of the earth; nothing new, nothing strange, nothing
very remarkable in any of these things. The carnal mind knows not tire
things of God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither can it
be. They form all kinds of opinions, even, with regard to our
gathering. "Why don't you stop at home as other folks do?" Some say
that it is an emigration scheme gotten up to make money, and that
missionaries are sent out by us to deceive the weak and the ignorant,
and to gather them together that they may be made merchandise of. That
is one idea. You all know how far that is true, and how far it is
false. Others say that we are gathered here for licentious purposes—to
carry out polygamic ideas, to corrupt, demoralize, and trample under
foot the women who come and associate with us, and to destroy their
virtue; whereas you know there is not a place in the world where women
are better protected and their virtue there sacredly guarded than in
Utah. They compare plural marriage to their whoredom, seductions,
their social evils, and the many kinds of iniquity, corruption and
rottenness that prevail among themselves. Reasoning from their own
standpoint, they consider that we are a very wicked, corrupt and
licentious people. But according to the statistics that we have
pertaining to these matters, our immorality is twenty to forty times
less than theirs here in our midst, without going any further. The
crimes, inquities and corruptions committed by the small minority of
outsiders in our midst very far exceed, perhaps by twenty to thirty
times, the crimes of the Latter-day Saints. This excess of crime on
the part of outsiders is what might be reasonably expected; for we
profess to be a better people, and we ought to be a better people than
those who make no pretentious to be guided by divine revelation.
Examine the records of our city jail, of the Penitentiary, of the
county prisons, which have been published and are being published, and
you will find a full statement in relation to these matters and the
per cent of crime that exists between one and the other. Mr. Barclay,
a member of the British Parliament, who lately visited us, writes in
"The Nineteenth Century," a monthly review published in London: "In
the whiter of 1881, a census was taken of the prisons in Utah, with
the following results:—In the City Prison were twenty-nine convicts,
and in the county prison six convicts, all now Mormons. In the
Penitentiary, out of fifty-one prisoners only five were Mormons,
[p.88] two of whom were there for polygamy. * * Of the population of
Salt Lake City, about 75 per cent is Mormon, and 25 per cent
non-Mormon." He further says: "These figures conclusively prove that
the Mormons are a sober, law-abiding people, and singularly free from
the grosser forms of vice; whatever may be alleged by ignorant or
prejudiced enemies. Of the two hundred saloons, billard, bowling
alley, and pool table keepers, not a dozen even profess Mormonism."
And since these figures were published, others in relation to 1882
have been made public. One gentleman, who has spent a considerable
length of time investigating these matters, writes: "The statistics at
hand for 1882 * * * cover a wide field, taking in all the populous
districts of the Territory. The total number of all arrests for crimes
and misdemeanors in these localities during 1882, was 2,198—of which
the 78 per cent of the Mormon population furnished 300, and the 22 per
cent of the non-Mormons 1,898, * * So that the Mormons comprising 78
per cent. of the population of the Territory contributed one eighth of
the arrests made during 1882 and the non-Mormons, having only 22 per
cent contributed seven-eighths. The number of brothels throughout the
Territory was 12, all kept by non-Mormons."

Vol. 25, p.88
Regarding Salt Lake City, where he resided for some time, he states:
"The criminal record of Salt Lake City, for 1882, shows that in a
population of about 25,000, divided between Mormons and non-Mormons as
19 to 6, the total number of arrests was 1,561, of which 188 were
Mormons and 1,373 non-Mormons. Of the 66 houses, where beer and liquor
were retailed by the glass, 60 were kept by non-Mormons, and the
remaining 6, nominally Mormons, were not entitled to participate in
the sacraments of the Church by reason of their calling. The 15
billiard rooms and bowling alleys, and the 7 gambling houses were all
kept by non-Mormons. The 6 brothels had non-Mormon proprietors, and
they were filled by 31 non-Mormon inmates." There is nothing in this
to be proud of; for it would be a pity if we could not live better
than they do. We have gathered here, not for speculative purposes, as
is sometimes charged, but to worship God, to keep His commandments,
and to be instructed in the laws of life. There is no cause for
boasting on our part in regard to these things; but I refer to them to
show how fallacious their ideas are in regard to these matters.

Vol. 25, p.88
Then, is it strange that we should be placed in the position that we
are? Yes, it is very strange, but it is nevertheless true, and the
same condition of things has existed in the different ages.

Vol. 25, p.88
We profess to be the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; we profess to
be in possession of the everlasting Gospel; we profess to have
gathered here to observe the laws and keep the commandments of God,
and that we might assist in building up the Church of God, the Kingdom
of God, and the Zion of God. These are really the facts of the case.
True, we do not do as well as we might. We are not as pure as we might
be, nor as good, nor as virtuous, nor as upright, nor do we possess
the amount of integrity that we ought; but, then, we don't propose to
place ourselves on a level with the outside world; we have not dropped
to their standard by a very long way: and many of us are striving to
live our religion, to observe the laws of God, and to keep His
commandments.

Vol. 25, p.89
[p.89] In regard to the spirit and genius of the age in which we live,
there is nothing, as I have said, strange about that. The powers of
darkness have always been in antagonism to the light, truth and
intelligence that proceeds from God, and till Satan is bound, and his
power is curtailed by a superior power, that state of things will
continue, and instead of getting better and better, we are told in the
Scriptures, that the wicked shall grow worse and worse, deceiving and
being deceived. Do you imagine that they will grow better? I do not.

Vol. 25, p.89
Do not let us be mistaken in relation to all these things—that is as
the world are mistaken. We complain sometimes about the injustice of
men. I expect to find unjust men, many of them. We refer to certain
laws that are being enacted by our Congress as unconstitutional, etc.
Why, we expect they will yet pass many laws of that kind. We don't
expect them to be our friends or the friends of God. They don't
profess it. We have a right to expect, of course, that they would
abide by the Constitution, because that is an instrument gotten up by
themselves, and that they profess to be governed by, and that men in
authority swear to uphold. We have a right to expect that. But, then,
does not all Christendom profess to believe in the Bible? Yes. And do
the ministers of the various denominations? Yes. Do they practice its
teachings. Do they follow its doctrines? Or are there any two of their
doctrines alike? They have all kinds of theories, notions and ideas;
yet still they tell you that the Bible contains the word of God. But
are they governed by it? No. God placed in the Church Apostles,
Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists, and He gave unto His
servants the Holy Ghost, and the light of revelation, and made them
acquainted with the same sacred principles. They were all baptized
unto one baptism, and all partook of the same spirit. Howls it now?
Many Lords, many faiths, many baptisms.

Vol. 25, p.89
Speaking of the doctrine of the plurality of wives, I remember talking
with one of our Presidents—I mean one of the Presidents of the United
States—on this subject in Washington, a number of years ago, as I have
with others since on the same subject; but I remember some of the
remarks made on that occasion. "Well," said he, after talking some
little on politics, and one thing and another, "what about your
polygamy?" "Mr. Pierce," said I,—I can mention his name now as it is a
thing of the past—"it may be possible that some of us may have wrong
ideas in regard to these things. We read about such a man as Abraham,
who is described as 'the friend of God;' we read about such a man as
David, who is described as 'a man after God's own heart:' we read
about Jacob, who had twelve sons, whose names are to be written upon
the twelve gates of the holy city. Who was Jacob? He was a man who had
several wives, by whom he had these twelve sons. Then we read of Moses
—a man of God, a leader of Israel, and a law-giver. He told the people
how they should treat their children whether by the first wife or by
the second, and how all these matters were to be arranged. "Mr.
Pierce," said I, "It is possible that we of the nineteenth century,
have not been able to instruct the Lord very much in regard to these
matters. Probably He knew just as much about them then as we do now,
and that in regard to our marital laws, [p.90] we may have made some
mistakes. "Well," said Mr. Pierce, "I cannot say." Of course he could
not.

Vol. 25, p.90
Now, then, men assume to judge the acts of others, but they don't
judge their own acts, and they strive to falsify us, and to make evils
of those things that God has ordained according to His economy, and
that men of old, who were considered men of God, and the friends of
God, practiced under His direction. It is not uncommon for men to talk
about Abraham. They would like to get into Abraham's bosom—that is
most of the Christians of the present day would like to have a place
in Abraham's bosom. Would you? Would you really? Are there any of that
class here that would like to go unto Abraham's bosom? Why, should you
have your wish, when you woke up you would find you were in the bosom
of a polygamist, and would not that be very horrible? But that would
be the fact. Jesus Himself, was a descendant of that class of people
who had practiced the things that we to-day believe in. But they
didn't persecute Him because He was a polygamist. They persecuted Him
because He was a friend of publicans and sinners. They accused Him of
being a blasphemer, of casting out devils through the power of
Beelzebub, the prince of devils. If He did any good act at all, they
were ready to cry out, "Give God the praise: we know that this man is
a sinner."

Vol. 25, p.90
These things are facts that we cannot ignore. They stand out before us
in living characters, and to use a very trite saying, "history repeats
itself" in regard to these things. The same causes in one age
generally produce the same results in another age.

Vol. 25, p.90
I will now tell you about some of my feelings when I first came into
this Church. It is a long while ago. When I first heard the Gospel I
was compelled to admit there was something reasonable about it. I
almost hoped it was not true. "If it is true," said I, "as an honest
man I shall be obliged to obey it, or else I cannot have any
confidence in myself." When I had investigated the subject, and become
convinced that it was true, I said, "I am in for it; I must embrace
it; I cannot reject the principles of eternal truth;" and I will say,
moreover, I don't know of a time in my life when if anybody presented
a truth that could not be controverted, but I was ready to obey it;
and I am to-day. If any person in the religious worm, or the political
world, or the scientific world, will present to me a principle that is
true, I am prepared to receive it, no matter where it comes from.
Well, says one, you believe the Bible? Yes. You believe in the Book of
Mormon? Yes. You believe the Book of Doctrine and Covenants? Yes. I
believe all that God has ever written or spoken, everything that we
have on record, and I am prepared to believe every thing that He will
communicate to the human family. We profess to believe in all truth,
and to be governed by all truth.

Vol. 25, p.90
Then, in regard to our position—referring to that again—we are
gathered here from the different nations of the earth, from England
and elsewhere. I remember the time very well when the Gospel was tier
preached in England. I remember when Brothers Heber C. Kimball, Orson
Hyde, Wilford Woodruff, myself and others took our first, mission to
England. Many of you that are here, whose heads are white like mine,
will remember the circumstances. We took our departure after  [p.91]
laying the corner-stone of the Temple in Far West, Caldwell County,
Missouri. The people were much excited about the Mormons at that time,
just as they are now, and every once in awhile. They had gotten up a
furore against us; and Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Bishop McRae, and
others, were seized by a mob and imprisoned; and many of you may have
read the remarks made by a certain General Clark—the famous, or rather
infamous General Clark. He told the people —the same as they tell us
now—that it was wrong to gather as they were then doing, and as we are
now doing, and place ourselves under Bishops, etc. And said he,—I
heard him—"Oh, that I could invoke the spirit of the unknown God to
rest upon you, that you may be delivered from the delusions with which
you are encompassed." But his "unknown God" didn't hear him, and the
"delusions" have still gone on. We had been driven out of Missouri.
They were so good a people and so virtuous, and we were so bad. But we
were not polygamists then; we had not entered into the awful crime of
polygamy; but we dared to worship God according to the dictates of our
own conscience. They drove us out, took possession of our property,
and robbed and pillaged everyone they could. After doing this they did
not like that their action should go out to the world; so the
legislature actually made an appropriation for us—that is, for the
poor "Mormons"—of $2,000, if my memory serves me aright. They had
killed and destroyed any amount of our cattle and hogs, and anything
and everything of that kind that they came across. Still they
pretended to be very sorry for us, and solicitous for our welfare. In
order that we might not suffer, they went into an adjoining county
where our people lived, stole a lot of hogs from them, and then turned
in those hogs to make up the appropriation made by the legislature of
Missouri! They were so liberal in their operations! They stole the
hogs from one portion of our people, and then. gave them to another. I
saw the hogs come in, and they were butchered and divided among the
Mormons.

Vol. 25, p.91
These are some of the things that I am acquainted with. Was I
surprised when I saw such operational? No. I expected when I came into
this Church, that I should be persecuted and proscribed. I expected
that the people would be persecuted. But I believed that God had
spoken, that the eternal principles of truth had been revealed, and
that God had a work to accomplish which was in opposition to the
ideas, views and notions of men, and I did not know but it would cost
me my life before I got through. It came pretty near it at one time;
yes, at many times. I have had to "stand the racket" in a way that
many of you folks don't know much about. Move than once I have had to
face large crowds of people in the shape of armies, expecting to come
into contact every moment—no farther off, perhaps, than the length of
this hall. That is not a very pleasant position to be in. But I was in
a worse scrape in Carthage jail, when Joseph and Hyrum were
killed—penned up in a room and attacked by a balckened mob. I had to
stand at the door and ward off the guns while they were trying to
shoot us, and we without arms, and under the protection of the
Governor of the State. Dr. Bernhisel and myself were sent by, Joseph
Smith to wait upon the Governor, and lay before him the facts of the
case. We told him we were [p.92] competent to take care of ourselves,
and did not require any of his aid, for we had an organized body of
militia that were quite competent to protect us from their mobs, and
asked his advice. He thereupon stated it would be better for us not to
bring an armed force, and pledged his faith and the faith of the
State, as Governor, for our protection. We consented. This he said to
Dr. Bernhisel and myself; and that pledge was violated by the murder
of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage jail, and I myself received five
balls in my person; but then I am here yet.

Vol. 25, p.92
Was there anything surprising in all this? No. If they killed Jesus in
former times, would not the same feeling and influence bring about the
same results in these times? I had counted the cost when I first
started out, and stood prepared to meet it.

Vol. 25, p.92
We afterwards came to these valleys of the mountains. We people have
been gathered here and are gathering; but we have had to encounter
very little of such things as I have referred to. It is true, we had
what was called the Buchanan war, when we paraded up and down, and
when we went to Echo, etc. But there was not much harm done. It cost
the government some forty million dollars, from what I learn; but
there was no one killed. Two newspaper reporters who had been sent out
here to report the war, got to fighting between themselves, and I
remember being called upon by one of them to assist him in his trouble
in Provo. That is all that occurred. We had to go out and meet the
army. We marched and counter marched —the same as we do in our dances,
you know; one of those grand marches, marching in and marching out;
and finally the President sent us a pardon for that which we had never
done. We did not appreciate it very much. With the exception of that
little episode, we have not had much trouble. I have heard people
complain of our judges and our governors, and this, that and the
other. Why, bless your soul, how can they send better men than they
have? We need not expect good men, virtuous men, honorable men; they
can only send such as they have, consequently, we need not look for
any better.

Vol. 25, p.92
Well, what are we to do? They are talking all kinds of loud things
about us now. They keep on talking. Sometimes they do a little;
sometimes they don't do much; sometimes they are very angry with us,
and get up quite a furore. A Presidential election is coming on, you
know, and they are preparing things for that, and the "Mormon
question" is as good a thing as they can have on both sides of the
House—on the republican side, and on the democratic, too. "Well," the
question is asked, "What are they going to do with you?" It don't make
much difference. They hardly know themselves. They think they are
going to do a great deal. They will do just what the Lord will let
them, and no more. But we understand their ideas, I presume, as well
as they do. Here are two political parties. The republicans long ago
put into their platform that there were two twin relics that had to be
moved out of the way—the one was slavery, and the other polygamy. They
have removed slavery out of the way, but polygamy seems to be rather a
hard nut for them to crack. It seems to bother them. They are in a
good deal of trouble about it, and the religious people are very much
exercised over  it. Their pure souls are very much agonized about
things [p.93] of that sort, and about impurities which exist among the
Mormons. They cannot see or say anything about the licentiousness, the
corruption, the foeticide, the infanticide, the rottenness, hypocrisy,
lying, fraud and deception that exists among themselves; but they
think we are a very bad people, and in order to purge the nation of so
foul a blot, they must all unite to put us down. They will just do
what the Lord will let them, and no more.

Vol. 25, p.93
Now, neither of these political parties are our friends. Neither of
them are the friends of God. They think that we are democratic. We are
to a certain extent, and then we are republicans to a certain extent.
But the republicans are afraid that the democrats are going to make
use of us in some way or other, and they are determined to crowd the
Mormons down their throats, and the democrats gulp at it; they don't
like to swallow it. It is worse than the apple that stuck in Adam's
throat. They don't want to shoulder the responsibility, and so the
democrats will join with the republicans on a question of this kind,
just the same as the Scribes and Pharisees, the Herodians and
Sadducees, did when Jesus was to be crucified. Pilate and Herod could
then be made friends, and they were hail fellows, well met. So it is
now, and as the Church of England chant says: "As it was in the
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, worlds without end, amen," it
may continue—at least for a certain length of time.

Vol. 25, p.93
What are we to do under those circumstances? Shall we be very angry?
No. I feel just as easy about it as the boy did about his father. Says
Tommy, to his companion: "Do you know my daddy?" "No, I don't." "Why,"
said Tommy, "I know him just as e-a-s-y." I feel just as easy as the
boy did about knowing his daddy.

Vol. 25, p.93
We are engaged in a work of importance. We are immortal beings. We are
dual beings associated with time and eternity; I might say associated
with the past, the present, and the future. We have a work to perform
here upon the earth, and with the help of Israel's God we expect to do
that work.

Vol. 25, p.93
I do not wish to defame anybody. But the things I have talked of are
true. It is a pity they are true, but then they are. What are we going
to do? Do right. We are called of God to be an upright people, a
virtuous people, an honorable people. We are called upon to maintain
correct principles, and to introduce them among the peoples of the
earth, and especially among the people of this nation. Jesus told His
disciples to pray in His day, "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven." Did He understand what He was saying. I
think He did.

Vol. 25, p.93
The Lord has gathered us together in these valleys of the mountains,
that He might have a people who would be prepared to receive the
eternal truths of heaven, and be governed by them. Instead of your
being deceived to get you to come here, you had the pure principles of
the Gospel of the Son of God preached unto you, in the various nations
from which you have come. You were called upon to repent of your sins,
and to be baptized in the name of Jesus, for the remission of sins,
and to have hands laid upon you for the reception of the Holy Ghost.
And when you received that Holy Ghost, it took of the things of God,
and showed them unto you. Among other things it showed you that it was
proper for you to gather to the [p.94] land of Zion, and you came
here. It was under this influence you came. You came to learn more
fully the law of God, and to be instructed in the principles of
eternal life. The Lord has said through the Prophet Jeremiah: "I will
take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to
Zion; and I will give you pastors, according to mine heart, which
shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." This is what we are
gathered here for —to build up the Zion of our God, to establish the
Kingdom of God, and to purify and exalt the Church of the living God;
that His people may be presented without spot or wrinkle, as spoken of
in the Scriptures; that they may be prepared to have an inheritance
among those that are sanctified; and that the principles of eternal
truth may go forth from the land of Zion, and extend to the ends of
the earth, that the honest in heart may be gathered together to help
establish the principles of truth upon this land of Zion.

Vol. 25, p.94
Shall we accomplish this? I think we shall. But people are opposed to
you. What difference does that make to you or to me? We are here, as
Jesus was, to do the will of God. "I seek not mine own will," said the
Savior, "but the will of the Father which hath hath sent me." We are
here to-day to do the same thing.

Vol. 25, p.94
Now, do you feel angry at our enemies? No. They don't know any better,
and if they did many of them would not like to act differently. If
they are not capable of comprehending and receiving the truths of God,
we cannot help it. But shall we be their enemies because of this? No.
Shall we return evil for evil? No. What shall we return? God for evil,
blessing for cursing. "Pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in
heaven." What was the blessing pronounced upon Abraham? "In thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;" not cursed. Did they
carry this out? Yes. Witness the preaching of the Apostles in former
times in the land of Asia, and the disciples on this continent. Who
were they? Descendants of Abraham. Whom did they preach to? A good
people, a virtuous people, a holy people? No, if they had been good,
virtuous and holy, there would have been no need of a message of that
kind being taken to them. But God felt merciful towards all the human
family; for they are all His children, and His design was to benefit
and bless them, so far as they would let Him, and sometimes He has had
to deal with them very severely. On one occasion He had to cut them
off by a flood, because they had corrupted themselves. Every
imagination of their hearts was evil, and that continually. They were
raising up a corrupt progeny, and it was an injustice to the spirits
that dwelt in the heavens that wished and desired and had a fight to
have tabernacles here upon the earth. Those corrupt men and women were
not fit to be the producers of those tabernacles, and they had to be
cut off. But God knew how to manipulate these matters. He prepared a
prison house for them, and when Jesus came He went and preached to the
spirits in prison that sometime were disobedient in the days of Noah.

Vol. 25, p.94
God has always felt interested in the welfare of the human family; but
there are certain eternal laws associated with His economy that have
to be carried out, whether in His Church or out of His Church. From
the members of His Church  [p.95] He expects a higher state of
morality than He does from those that are outside. All men will be
judged according to the deeds done in the body, whether they be good
or evil. The Gospel has been sent to them from time to time. The old
disciples were told to go to every nation, kindred, tongue and people,
and proclaim its glad things, and the people on this continent had the
same testimony delivered among them. In the last days there was
another angel to fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting
Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth. What Gospel? The
same Gospel that Adam had, the same Gospel that Enoch had, the same
Gospel that Seth slid Mahalaleel and Noah had, the same Gospel that
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had, and that Moses and the Prophets had, the
same Gospel that Jesus had, the same Gospel that was taught on the
Asiatic continent and on the American continent, and proclaimed to the
various peoples of the earth.

Vol. 25, p.95
As Latter-day Saints we believe this Gospel has been restored, and
further, we know that we are in possession of it. I do for one, and so
do you; and through obedience to its principles, and the reception of
the Holy Ghost, you Latter-day Saints do know that this is the work of
God, and if you don't know it, it is because you are not living your
religion, and keeping the commandments of God; "for if any man will do
His will," says Christ, "he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be
of God, or whether I speak of myself." And the Spirit taketh of the
things of God, and shows them unto us, and if we will follow its
teaching, it searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. if we
do not know these things, we ought to know them, and we shall know
them if we only humble ourselves, and ask according to the light of
the Spirit of the living God, even the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Vol. 25, p.95
Now, what are we doing? We are sending the Gospel to the nations of
the earth. Why? Because God has commanded it. What are the Seventies
for? For this purpose. What are the Twelve for? For this purpose. What
are the Elders for? When there is a deficiency among the Seventies
they are chosen for this purpose, and the High Priests have to assist
in the same way. What to do? To teach, to instruct, to enlighten, to
bless, and to lead the people of the world in the ways of life. This
may be considered criminal by some, but we consider we have a duty to
perform, God has laid that duty upon us and, in the name of Israel's
God, we will try and do it.

Vol. 25, p.95
We are building temples. What for? To carry out other purposes that
have been spoken of. Shall we, catty them out? If the Lord permits we
will. We will go on laboring and working in the interest of humanity.
"Well," says one, "don't you feel angry sometimes?" Well, sometimes I
feet almost as Jesus did when he went into the Temple and found a lot
of money changers, and took a whip of small cords and chased them out,
saying unto them, "It is written, My house shall he called a house of
prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." We are not all of us
what we ought to be, we ought to be more humble and more faithful,
more diligent and more self-denying. We ought to assist in building up
the Kingdom of God, and in doing the will of God, and seek to promote
those principle, which He has introduced for the salvation and
exaltation of the human family. And what about [p.96] this nation? We
will do them all the good we can, and I will say, gentlemen, pursue
your course, persecute, proscribe, so far as God will let you. We can
stand these things if you can, but woe to those who fight against
Zion; I say that in the name of Israel's God. If they can stand these
things we can. We are here to do the will of God. Shall we persecute
in return? No. We will do good for evil, and pray for those who
despitefully use us, and evil intreat us that we may be the children
of our Heavenly Father. This is the spirit of the Gospel of the Son of
God, and it is for us to carry it out. What shall we do, then? Do
right; be honest with ourselves; be honest with our neighbors; honest
with the good; honest with the bad; honest, I was going to say, with
the devil; honest with everybody. We can afford to do right, whether
others can or not. We can afford to maintain the Constitution and
institutions of the United States, and all laws, as it is said in the
Doctrine and Covenants, that are constitutional. It is the will of God
that we should obey them, and sometimes we obey laws that we think are
not constitutional. I expect, like the Catholics in this respect, we
shall have to do some works of supererogation. However, let us do
right. Let us maintain the Constitution of this government. It was
ordained of God, and if wicked and corrupt men do wrong, and
administer' improperly and unrighteously, God will deal with them. We
need not rail and rant and get up a commotion about them. We do not
cherish any ill-will or ill-feelings, but they would not like it to be
said that they are doing the works of their father, the devil: but
that is what Jesus said about people of the same kind in His day. We
need not be angry with them. Jesus, at the very last, even when
hanging on the cross and expiring, said, as it were with His last
breath, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Neither do they in this day. But, we are the children of the light.
Let us walk in the light, and be governed by the principles of truth
and righteousness, virtue and honor, and seek to cleave to God in our
bodies and in our spirits, which are His. If the Latter-day Saints
throughout the land of Zion, would only fear God and work
righteousness, there is not a power on this side of hell, or the other
side either, that could harm them; for God will carry out His work and
His purposes, and if He suffers us, at any time to be chastened, it
will be for our good; but Zion will triumph, and the Kingdom of God
will roll forth, and no man shall stop its progress from this time,
henceforth and forever, in the name of Jesus. Amen. [p.97]

Joseph F. Smith, April 6, 1884

Divine Mission of Joseph Smith—Prediction and Promise Fulfilled—Many
Others
 Will Yet Be Verified—the World's Hatred of the Saints—Indisputable
Evidence of the
 Divine Origin of the Church—No Power Can Destroy It—Missionaries
Should Go to
 the Fields to Which They Are Called—the Effects of Obedience and Its
Opposite

Delivered at the General Conference, on Sunday Morning,
 April 6th, 1884.

Reported By Geo. F. Gibbs.

Vol. 25, p.97
As the time remaining is so short, I think I could not do better than
devote it to continuing the subject dwelt upon by Brother Cannon.

Vol. 25, p.97
The Doctrine and Covenants, as well as the Book of Mormon, contains
indisputable evidence of the divine calling and mission of Joseph
Smith. For instance, I will refer the congregation to the revelation
given Dec. 25th, 1832, in relation to the great war of the Rebellion,
with which all are more or less familiar. A portion of that revelation
has been literally fulfilled, even to the very place indicated in the
prediction where the war should commence: which, as was therein
stated, was to terminate in the death and misery of many souls. Again,
in the revelation given in March, 1831, to Parley P. Pratt and Lemon
Copley, the following remarkable prediction is found:

Vol. 25, p.97
"But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish
in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose. Zion
shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and
shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed."

Vol. 25, p.97
Who, let me ask, unless he was inspired of the Lord, speaking by the
gift and power of God, at that remote period of the Church's history,
when our numbers were few, when we had no influence, name or standing
in the world—who, I would ask, under the circumstances in which we
were placed when this prediction was made, could have uttered such
words unless God inspired him? Zion is, indeed, flourishing on the
hills, and is rejoicing on the mountains, and we who compose it are
gathering and assembling together unto the place appointed. I now ask
this congregation if they cannot see that this prediction, (which was
made many years before the idea prevailed at all among this people
that we should ever migrate and gather out to these mountain valleys),
has been and is being literally fulfilled? If there were no other
prophecy uttered by Joseph Smith, fulfillment of which could be
pointed to, this alone would be sufficient to [p.98] entitle him to
the claim of being a true Prophet.

Vol. 25, p.98
Again, in the revelation given Feb. 24th, 1834, this remarkable
promise and prophecy is found:

Vol. 25, p.98
"Verily, verily I say unto you, I have decreed a decree which my
people shall realize, inasmuch as they hearken from this very hour
unto the counsel which I the Lord their God, shall give unto them.
Behold, they shall, for I have decreed it, begin to prevail against
mine enemies from this very hour, and by hearkening to observe all the
words which the Lord their God shall speak unto them, they shall never
cease to prevail until the kingdoms of the world are subdued under my
feet, and the earth is given unto the Saints, to possess it for ever
and ever."

Vol. 25, p.98
Is there a person within the sound of my voice, or anywhere else upon
the face of the wide earth, who can say that this promise has failed,
that this prediction is not founded in truth, that so far it has not
been fulfilled? I stand before this vast congregation, and am at the
defiance of any human being to say, that this was not pronounced by
the spirit of truth, by the inspiration of the Almighty, for it has
been fulfilled, and is being fulfilled, and that, too, in the face of
opposition of the most deadly character: and what remains will be
fulfilled literally and completely. And it is the fear in the heart of
Satan that this will be the case, that causes him to stir up his
emissaries to oppose the Kingdom of God and seek, if possible, to
destroy this great and glorious work. For it is a living fact, a fact
that fills the hearts of the righteous and God-fearing with
unspeakable joy and the hearts of the wicked and ungodly with
consternation and jealous fear that this work of God, this work of
redemption and salvation in which we are engaged, is moving forward
and is destined to continue in its onward march until the kingdoms of
the world shall be subdued and brought under the law of Almighty God.
And that this will come to pass, I can assure you, the enemy of all
righteousness comprehends as well as we do. Yes, he knows that this
will eventually be the case, better than many who profess to have
received the Holy Spirit in their hearts; and, therefore, he is
diligently seeking to stir up the hearts of the wicked to fight
against the Saints of God, until they are discomfited, and Zion is
free.

Vol. 25, p.98
These predictions concerning the triumph of the cause of God over
wickedness, and the triumph of the Saints of God over the wicked who
contend against them, were uttered by Joseph Smith in his youth, in
the early rise of the Church when, to all human appearance, their
fulfillment was absolutely impossible. At that time there were but few
who could believe, that dared to believe the truth of these
predictions. The few, comparatively, that did believe when they heard,
were those whose minds had been enlightened by the Holy Spirit of
promise and who, therefore, were prepared to receive them. As these
predictions have been fulfilled, so those not yet fulfilled will come
to pass in the due time of the Lord; and as this latter-day work has
so far grown and assumed force and power in the earth, so it will
continue to do, and there is no power beneath the Celestial Kingdom
that can prevent its growth, or the consummation of all that has been
predicted concerning it.

Vol. 25, p.98
I do not wonder that the enemies of righteousness are stirred up about
this matter. I am not surprised [p.99] that the wicked rage and the
heathen imagine a vain thing. I am not astonished when certain men get
mad, or that their souls are vexed within them, that their minds are,
perplexed, and that they feel wrought up with anger against a people
who have never injured them or theirs. One thing I am surprised about
in relation to this matter is, that the Latter-day Saints themselves
should not be as strongly aroused in the interest of the Kingdom of
God, as the enemies of truth are against it. When I contemplate the
situation as it is presented to my mind, I am astonished that so many
of the Latter-day Saints should be so indifferent and neglectful of
duty that they cannot, apparently, appreciate the importance of living
their religion. I am surprised that there should be any necessity for
reformation among the Latter-day Saints, that is, if I should be
surprised at all; though surprised is not the appropriate word to use,
the word grieved, perhaps, might be used with greater propriety in
this sense. If I would allow myself to indulge in a feeling of sorrow,
I might indeed feel grieved that any of us should find ourselves in a
condition to require reform in our lives. It certainly cannot be in
consequence of the lack of evidences of the divinity of the work in
which we are engaged, as there are so many such evidences transpiring
every day in our experience; in fact the whole spectacle of this
latter-day work is overwhelming in undeniable proof to the people of
God, at least, that it is His work; while the whole world, on the
contrary, are arrayed against it, because they cannot see the light.
You who have obeyed the requirements of the everlasting Gospel, and
have been chosen out of the world, having received the gift of the
Holy Ghost, through the laying on of hands, it is your privilege to
receive the witness of the Spirit for yourselves; it is your privilege
to discern the mind and will of the Father respecting your own
welfare, and respecting the final triumph of the work of God. Why,
then, should we be told that "Mormonism" is true? Why should we need
any further proof that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet, or that his
predictions are being fulfilled? Why should it be necessary to prove
that the word of God has come to the world through him, and that that
word is indisputable, that the world cannot gainsay it? The doctrines
and revelations believed in by the Latter-day Saints have now been
before the world for 54 years, and during that time what the world has
been pleased to call "Mormonism" has been to them an unsolved problem.
The sound of the Book of Mormon has rung in the ears of the civilized
world since the year 1830, when it was published, and the report of it
had gone forth and was being agitated some time before that; and
during the 54 years that that book has been made public to the world,
there has been no stone unturned by the most learned men of the age to
disprove it, and make it appear a delusion and imposition. In this,
however, they have signally failed, not being able to produce a single
argument that can not be successfully met by even the boys of this
community. This may seem a broad assertion, but it is nevertheless
true. Our Elders have been sent out as missionaries to the different
nations now for the last 50 years, during which time they have
testified to the truth of the Book of Mormon, and have invited
investigation of its pages. And although many in their day and time
have arisen either to ridicule or disprove the truths it [p.100]
contains, their efforts have been futile, resulting only in their own
dismay. It cannot be disproved, for it is true. There is not a word or
doctrine, of admonition, of instruction within its lids, but what
agrees in sentiment and veracity with those of Christ and His
Apostles, as contained in the Bible. Neither is there a word of
counsel, of admonition or reproof within its lids, but what is
calculated to make a bad man a good man, and a good man a better man,
if he will hearken to it. It bears the mark of inspiration from
beginning to end, and carries conviction to every honest-hearted soul.
And because the Book of Mormon is a true and authentic record of a
people who once lived and flourished on this American continent—and
because God Himself has undertaken, through us, His weak and erring
children, to establish His rule and government on the earth in answer
to the prayers of His Saints, ancient and modern, and according to the
counsels of His own will—because it is verily so, devils rage and the
wilfully wicked are angered and seek the life and liberties of the
Saints, and the destruction of the work of the Lord; but in the name
of Israel's God, they never will be able to accomplish their purposes
against us. As I have often said, so I repeat, the best time the world
ever saw, or ever will see, to destroy "Mormonism," was on the 6th day
of April, 1830. But they did not do it then, and so they let the
opportunity slip: and have ever since been blindly struggling in the
hope of doing something towards it. But the more they struggle, the
wider of the mark their efforts will be. This is my testimony. If I
had the power, and was called upon to do it, I would go to the ends of
the earth and would lift up my voice in testimony of this fact to
every nation, tongue and people, for I know that it is true.

Vol. 25, p.100
Before I close I want to say a word to our young men who are called as
missionaries. When a man is called to go on a mission, and a field of
labor is assigned him, he should, I think, say in his heart, not my
will be done, but thine, O Lord. We find it a little difficult
sometimes to get the right men to go to certain distant lands to
preach the Gospel. It is sometimes thought, especially among our young
Elders, that Great Britain is the finest field labor the world; and,
consequently, they want to go there. They do not like to go to the
Southern States; they do not much fancy the Northern States; they do
not care to go to New Zealand, or to the Sandwich Islands. When we
call men to go to Great Britain, it is gratifying for them to respond
cheerfully to the call and when we call others to go to the Northern
States, to New Zealand, or to the Sandwich Islands, we do not want any
to come and say, they want their field of labor changed to England. We
expect every man to be on hand to go wherever he may be called, and
then he may expect the blessing of the Lord to attend him in his
labors. I have been thankful only once since I went to the Sandwich
Islands on my first mission, and that has been ever since.

Vol. 25, p.100
Soon after I was sent there was a very bright, intelligent man called
to go to the Islands, and it was one of the causes of his apostasy.
"What," said he, "send me, a linguist, a man well read, an educated
man, and an Englishman at that, to preach to heathens?" He felt that
he was not looked upon with that consideration and respect that his
scholarly  attainments [p.101] commanded; he felt that he was
slighted; and apostatized, and returned to his native land, where he
wrote a book against us, and has since died. When Brother George Q.
Cannon was called to go to the Islands, he had no such feelings. He
learned the language, and translated the Book of Mormon into the
Hawaiian language. He performed a glorious mission, and is now one of
the First Presidency of the Church. And singular as it may appear, out
of the number of Elders that have been on missions to the Sandwich
Islands, I can count more Apostles, more Presidents of Stakes,
Bishops, and leading men, than can be found in the same number that
have gone to any other country. Why is this? Perhaps it is because
they manifested their willingness to descend below all things, that
they might rise above all things. If a man in this Church would be
exalted, let him humble himself; and he that would exalt himself, God
will abase.

Vol. 25, p.101
God bless Israel, and pour out His Spirit upon the household of faith,
and strengthen us to do the labors required of us, in the name of
Jesus. Amen.

Erastus Snow, March 9, 1884

Conspicuous Position of the Saints—Early Persecutions—Historical Facts
that Ought to Be Published in Book Form—Anomalous Treatment of Utah—
Governor Young's Policy and that of His Successors Different—Isaiah's
Prophecy Fulfilled—The Edmunds Law—The Saints Will Yet Conquer—
The Real Object of Attack—The Result Predicted

Delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City,
Sunday Afternoon, March 9th, 1884.

(Reported By John Irvine.)

Vol. 25, p.101
In rising before you, brethren and sisters, this afternoon, I desire
to commit myself unto the Lord, invoking His blessing upon the
congregation, and that the Holy Spirit may dictate that which may be
spoken to our edification and encouragement in well-doing.

Vol. 25, p.101
In the providence of God His people are located in the valleys of the
Rocky Mountains, midway between the oceans, occupying the position of
a city set upon a hill which cannot be hid. It was the providences of
God around about His people which brought them to [p.102] this land,
which led them out of—what shall I say? out of bondage?—perhaps that
is not quite the phrase to use—but which led them out of the older
States of America, where persecution had followed the Saints from
their earliest history, across the great plains, guided by the prayer
of faith and the inspiration of the Almighty, manifested through
President Brigham Young and his brethren, who counseled and guided the
people hitherward, and planted their feet in the valleys of the Rocky
Mountains. It was not our seeking. As President George A. Smith once
quaintly remarked "We came to this country willingly, because we were
obliged to."

Vol. 25, p.102
When persecuted in the State of New York, the early churches fled to
Ohio—established themselves on the "western reserve"—the northern part
of Ohio—located a Stake of Zion—built a temple unto the Lord in
Kirtland, from which Elders were sent out into all parts of America,
and into Europe. Persecuted in those regions, most of them emigrated
westward and located in Missouri, where several Stakes of Zion were
organized, and again foundations were laid for a temple, and the
Twelve, with others of the Priesthood, were commanded of the Lord to
take their departure to the nations of Europe and other parts of the
globe, to preach the Gospel. Persecutions arose in that land, and
became more general than any persecutions that had preceded them,
until the State became embroiled, and an executive order was issued by
the then Governor Lilburn W. Boggs, who directed his principal
generals and aides-de-camp to gather together the militia of the
State, and expel the Saints from the State. And in this executive
order this remarkable phrase was used; speaking of the Mormon people
it said: "They must he exterminated or driven from the State." Strange
that in a republic like ours, a country of law and government, such an
executive order should appear. But it is beyond dispute; it has passed
into history; the annals of the State attest it; and the result of
such an order is well known in the history of this people. They were
not exterminated, but they were driven from the State. Time would fail
me to tell of the tears, the sorrow of women and children, when
husbands and fathers and brothers were dragged to prison, or compelled
to flee and to make their escape in various ways, through the
wilderness of the Great West, through the then unsettled regions of
northern Missouri and Iowa, until they found a stopping place on
either side of the Mississippi, in Hancock County, Illinois, and in
Lee County, Iowa; these places becoming rallying places, temporarily,
for the Latter-day Saints, where the banner of truth was again
unfurled, and the Saints began to establish themselves in those, at
that time, almost entirely unsettled regions. In the short space of
seven years they had increased to tens of thousands, and established
several Stakes of Zion on beth sides of the Mississippi, with the
beautiful city of Nauvoo as the centre of their operations and the
site of the new temple. It was here that the ire of the people both of
Illinois and Missouri was aroused against the Saints—especially the
ire of the surrounding counties, both in Illinois and Iowa—until it
became evident that the Saints must again take up the line of march to
some other unsettled region. Of the history of the persecutions that
followed in 1845-6; the  martyrdom [p.103] of the Prophets Joseph and
Hyrum, as also the slaughter of many other individuals; the burning of
houses of granaries, of haystacks, of grain stacks, time property of
the Saints from outside settlements near Nauvoo, and of the consequent
combination of nine counties to make a descent upon Nauvoo, and the
expulsion of the Saints from the city—all these things, I say, are
matters of history. And while the people of the State in their
organized capacity sought to screen themselves from the direct
responsibility of those events under various pretences, yet the
covering was "too thin" from the fact that the then Governor Ford, of
Illinois was really aiding and abetting all those movements; he did
nothing to restrain them, but everything to encourage them, and in
this way the stain of these things—the death of the Prophets and the
expulsion of the Saints—was fastened upon the government of the State.
However much some honorable persons in the State may have opposed
these things, yet there was not influence and power enough in the
State to intervene for the protection of the Saints in the enjoyment
of their civil and religious rights. Thus they were compelled to
retire, and their march was westward into these mountains.

Vol. 25, p.103
All this had been predicted by the Prophet Joseph. The Saints had been
looking forward to the accomplishment of those events. They were not
altogether unlooked for, however much the necessity was deplored and
however great were the suffering of individuals and families, and the
community as a whole in their travels for a distance of nearly 1,500
miles across the then barren trackless desert.

Vol. 25, p.103
The history of the pioneers and the many people that followed, and the
privations of the early years in the settlement of the Saints in these
Rocky Mountains, are also matters of history. I would that they were
compiled in a succinct and lucid history, that our children might
peruse the same and not forget the scenes through which their fathers
have passed; for they are wonderful. There are many now living who
passed through these events; they were personal sharers in them; but,
the great mass of the present generation know nothing of them, only as
they are occasionally referred to by their fathers.

Vol. 25, p.103
It is therefore quite true what President George A. Smith said, "that
we came to this country willingly because we were obliged to." It
seemed to have been the course marked out before us, and circumstances
so surrounded and pressed upon us, that we were not able to avoid it,
although we fain would have avoided it, if we could.

Vol. 25, p.103
Prior to the full determination upon moving westward, President
Brigham Young and the Twelve joined in communications to all the
Governors of the several States east of the Rocky Mountains, imploring
them and their Legislatures for some word of comfort, of consolation,
of tacit permission for the Saints to find shelter and protection at
the hands of their respective governments. These official
communications, made to every State and State legislature in the land,
received but very slight consideration. From a portion of them no
answers were received at all, and those who did deign to answer those
communications answered them evasively, without any hearty expressions
of welcome, or any intheation that they would use their influence to
maintain the rights, privileges and immunities of citizens. In short,
[p.104] the cold shoulder was turned towards the Saints from every
quarter, and immediately in front was the combined mob of nine
counties, waging war against them, backed up secretly by the powers of
the State—or at least there was no effort on the part of the State to
restrain the actions of the mob. President Young and other Elders and
the people were harrassed continually by vexatious law suits. They
were pressed on every hand. Their enemies desired to involve them in
trouble. They sought to imprison our leading men. And though, at a
council, held in October, 1845, between the Twelve and the leaders of
the opposition, including representatives of the State—the principal
general of that district, the circuit judge of that district—Stephen
A. Douglas, subsequently a Senator of the United States, and
presidential aspirant—I say, notwithstanding that it was stipulated at
that council, that if we would in good faith go to and make the
necessary preparations for our departure westward, as soon as the
grass grew in the spring, to enable our teams to live, we should be
protected and the mobocratic spirit restrained until we could take our
departure—our agreement, and pledge to accept these conditions, only
seemed to embolden the more rabid of our enemies in the counties round
about, and instead of respecting these conditions, agreed to by the
dignitaries of the State for our protection during winter, they
commenced to oppress and harrass and war against us to such an extent,
that we were compelled to take up our march in the dead of winter.
Early in February, multitudes of the people commenced to cross the
Mississippi, and form their encampments in the forests of Iowa,
preparatory to starting out upon their long and dreary march across
the desert. In regard to the terrible sufferings that followed—the
terrible snow storms and rains that continued from February until May,
causing such floods and mire, distress and suffering and consequent
sickness, as perhaps has never before been known to the lot of man
undersimilar circumstances—they were at least such as none can
properly depict or comprehend, but those who passed through them. Of
the many that were laid by the wayside before reaching these valleys
of the mountains, those families who were decimated must be left to
tell the tale. The history of those early days of persecution and
suffering will never be fully known. But in the midst of it all a
goodly number of the people of God were sustained by their faith and
the overruling providence of Jehovah, and were brought safely through;
while the weaker and more doubtful, the fearful and unbelieving,
scattered into the surrounding country, left the body of the Saints,
drifted up and down the Mississippi into the various towns of
Illinois, iowa and Missouri, and back into the Eastern States, while
others of the poor and less able, though earnest in the faith and
abiding in the truth, were left by the wayside, at the way stations
that were planted between the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers,
where farms were opened, grain and vegetables planted for the poor,
until they reached a general place of rendezvous on the Missouri
River, at Council Bluffs, where the Mormon Battalion enlisted for the
Mexican War, and in the midst of which the emigrating camps were
obliged to halt until the following spring, when they started for the
western wilds of this great interior country. I said these things had
been directed by the overruling  providence of God. [p.105] The
combined force of the unbelieving and the wicked was brought to bear
to expel the Saints, and compel their journey westward to the Rocky
Mountains. It was permitted by Him who overrules all things for the
good of His people; and the trials of the people and the afflictions
of individuals and individual families were eventually lost, as it
were, and buried in the universal good which Providence had provided
for His people as a whole. The school of experience through which the
early leaders and families of Israel had passed for a period of
sixteen years had fitted them for those trying scenes and for the work
which they were destined to perform in these mountains, in grappling
with the difficulties of a new country, of a barren waste, of an
untried region, a region supposed to be utterly uninhabitable. The
great arid belt bordering on the Rocky Mountains, extending for some
hundreds of miles eastward of the Rocky Mountains, and across the
great basin of the American desert, was supposed to be absolutely
unproductive—incapable of producing cereals, vegetables and fruits
necessary to civilization. The school boys of my age will remember to
have looked on their maps and seen all this country marked as the
Great American Desert. It was supposed that a strip bordering on the
Pacific, was composed of fine fertile land, and adapted to European
settlements. But that country on the Pacific, was, at that time, in
the possession of the Mexicans, with a few Catholic missions
established along the coast, where they had raised a few beans and
cabbages and red peppers, and where they had sustained themselves
mostly by raising stock. This  was all there was to show for their
presence in that region. And the few trappers who had mingled with the
Indians of this great interior country for twenty years were of the
opinion that it was utterly impossible to raise grain in any part of
this region. Captain James Bridger, the noted hunter and trapper, who
had inter-married and established a trading-post among the Shoshones,
met the pioneers on the Big Sandy, and gave it as the opinion of
himself, and of the early trappers who had gone through this country,
that it would be impossible to raise grain here. He told us of the
valley of the Great Salt Lake, and pointed out especially the valley,
which he termed the valley of the Utah outlet—the valley that spread
between the fresh water lake of Utah and the Great Salt Lake—as the
most probable place in all of this great interior country to raise
grain, at the saint time supplementing his account of the land with
the opinion that it was impossible to raise grain, and as a clincher
to his opinion offered $1,000 as a premium for the first ear of corn
that should be raised in this valley. But the faith which sustained
the Saints, and which led them, responded through President Brigham
Young to Captain Bridger like this: "Wait a little season and we will
show you."

Vol. 25, p.105
We have shown to the world what could be done, or, I will say, rather,
the Lord our God—the God of the Latter-day Saints—has shown to us and
to all the world what could be done in this hitherto barren region
when His blessing rested upon it.

Vol. 25, p.105
The first important movement of the pioneer company on setting foot
upon this ground near City Creek, was to call the camp together, and
bow down under the sun at high noon, and dedicate themselves unto God,
and this laud for the habitation [p.106] of His Saints, imploring His
blessing upon it, that its barrenness might be turned into
fruitfulness, and that the rewards of His people might be sure. And
whithersoever their footsteps were turned, to the north or the south,
to the east or the west, the prayer and faith of an afflicted and
devoted people ascended up to heaven for the God of the land to
sanctify it, and hallow the elements and make tire country fruitful.

Vol. 25, p.106
The art of irrigation was unknown on the North American continent at
that time—at least among European settlers in the United States. There
was no part of the United States which at that time relied upon
artificial irrigation in all the arid regions of America. The system
of irrigation adopted in Utah has measurably been copied by
California, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, although
some of the best features of our system of irrigation have been
neglected in these surrounding States and Territories; canal and
irrigation companies have there been allowed to organize and
monopolize the streams and make tire farmers tributary to them,
taxpayers for use of the fluid which God sends down from heaven—that
is, they have not united the interest of the farmer, the land owner,
with the canal owners as we have done in Utah, but they have made the
water rather personal property than an attach of the realty,
compelling the farmer to rent or buy water for their lands. Herein
Utah sets an example in this arid region to the rest of the world,
slid the future history of this great interior country will award all
due honor to the wise legislation of Utah, and the wise counsels of
her leaders, and deprecate the folly of the surrounding States and
Territories in not following their example in this respect. But the
Lord has blessed the labors of tire people of Utah in diverting the
mountain streams over the arid plains, and opening farms, orchards and
vineyards, and building villages, towns and cities, organizing
governments, and establishing a commonwealth. That the early history
of the Latter-day Saints fitted its leaders for governing, for
organizing and controlling society, and moulding it for the best
interest of the whole, will be admitted by the impartial historian of
future ages, when the religious bigotry of the hour shall have spent
its fury, and the stupid, blind ignorance of demagogues shall have
been lost and drowned in the common sense of the people. Yet, our
eastern neighbors in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and the Atlantic
States, sanctioned in their inmost hearts the murder of the Prophets,
and the persecution and expulsion of the Saints, though some of them
lifted up their voices against it, but the voices so lifted were "like
angels' visits, few and far between," and powerless to turn the
popular current or stem the tide that flowed, like the waters which
the serpent cast out of his mouth after the apocalyptic woman that
fled from the face of the serpent into the wilderness. The Lord had a
place prepared for His Church in the wilderness, in the Great American
Desert, where she would be preserved from the face of the serpent for
a season.

Vol. 25, p.106
I well remember those early years, as do many who are here before me
to-day, though their numbers are fast becoming very visibly less. We
remember the time when the first State government was organized in
these mountains. It was  simultaneous with the organization of a State
government on the Pacific coast under the title of the State of
[p.107] California. Delegates were appointed by the provisional
government of the State of Deseret, to visit Washington and present
their application for admission into the Union at the same Congress at
which California's representatives appeared and knocked for admission.
Both acted in their sovereign capacity in organizing their State
government and adopting their State constitution. It did not need any
special act of Congress extending liberty to them so to do; for in
both instances the people of California and Utah acted in virtue of
their inalienable rights as free men entitled to the enjoyment of free
government, and under the general institutions of our country, that
recognize the right of the people to local self-government. Each State
organized a State government, adopted a State constitution; they were
equally republican in form and liberal in spirit, and made a
simultaneous application to Congress for admission. The answer of the
general government to California was favorable; to that of Deseret
unfavorable; in other words they recognized in the one the rights of
local self-government, admitted their senators and representatives to
Congress, and the State into the Union, on an equal footing with the
original States; while to Deseret they handed back a Territorial form
of government, adopted the Organic Act, and appointed their
territorial officers. Thanks to the advice of our never deviating
friend, General Thomas L. Kane, President Fillmore, who succeeded
General Taylor in the Presidency, nominated President Brigham Young as
the first Governor of Utah. Thankful were we even for this partial
recognition of the rights of the people to local  self-government, but
strange to say, that in the organization of our Territorial
government, it seemed good to the Congress of the United States to
make the Governor of Utah an integral part of its local legislature,
empowered to approve its laws or to exercise an unqualified and
absolute veto in all matters of legislation, a feature, so
unrepublican and unusual, that it could scarcely be endured by any
other people for a period of 35 years, except the Latter-day Saints,
and in this instance we are an exception. Two-thirds of the Senate and
two-thirds of the House of Representatives can pass any measure over
tire veto of the President of the United States. The same may be said
of all the legislatures in every State in the Union; a two-thirds vote
of the Legislature suffices to pass any measure over the veto of the
governor, and this is the rule obtaining in the territories, as well
as the States, with the exception of Utah and New Mexico.

Vol. 25, p.107
I only refer to this as an instance of the marked jealousy that has
prevailed toward this people—the unwillingness to concede to them the
common right of local self-government.

Vol. 25, p.107
Under the administration of Governor Young, his efforts were ever
directed with the Legislative Assembly to enlarge and extend the area
of freedom and the liberty of the voter, and the rights of the common
people, never attempting to exercise the veto power, much less to
enlarge and extend, the executive prerogatives; and under his
administration, laws were enacted to provide for various offices
necessary to administer the affairs of the Territorial government, as
well as those of counties and municipalities, making them all elective
by the people, or by their chosen representatives in Legislative
Assembly united. It seems to have [p.108] been reserved to one or two
of our late Governors—notably our present one—to labor assiduously,
tenaciously, blindly, and, as we think, foolishly, to abridge the
popular suffrage, the rights of the mass of the people in the
management of their own local affairs, and the election of their own
officers, or for the handling of their own finances; I say it seems to
be left to our late governors to earnestly struggle to enlarge the
executive prerogative. Not content with the veto power reserved in the
Organic Act by Congress to annul any act of the Legislative Assembly
of Utah, nor yet with the second veto vested absolutely in the
Governor by simply withholding his approval of any measure; the
present Governor has sought in various ways to extend and enlarge this
executive prerogative.

Vol. 25, p.108
I refer to these things only as items of history which we are making
for ourselves, and which our Federal government and its
representatives in Utah are making for themselves, and which the
historian will point to as the evidence of a continual desire for
aggression upon the liberties of the people.

Vol. 25, p.108
I am well aware that the excuse for all this is the unity of our
people—the fact that they are not so greatly distracted by the efforts
of aspiring demagogues and political satraps—and that their own common
sense teaches them the necessity, under existing circumstances, to
consider well and ponder the paths of their feet, and unite in the
wisest and best measures, and in the choice of reliable honorable men
to fill the various offices within the gift of the people, rather than
divide and admit into power aspiring demagogues. We, as a people, have
adopted the motto, that the office should seek the man, instead of the
man seeking the office, and have invariably administered to the office
seekers this quiet rebuke, a ticket-of-leave to stay at home. The good
sense of the people has led them to seek out honorable and
non-aspiring men and call them to duty, to fill the offices in the
interests of the people, not for plunder and pelf, but for the reward
of a good conscience and the approbation of an honest, discerning and
approving people. And this unity of the people has not been solely a
matter of our own seeking, however desirable it is, but measurably the
result of outward pressure. If left to ourselves, unbelied, unscoffed
at; if treated with any degree of fairness and liberality, and freedom
to enjoy the rights and immunities of citizenship, unmolested,
unpersecuted, I fear that we should soon begin to learn the ways of
the wicked around us, or of the foolish of other countries, and the
heedless, the thoughtless, and the ignorant among us would soon be
following political demagogues. But it seems to be one of the
providences of God, that there should be sufficient opposition from
without—that is, from those who are not of us—to bind us together and
enable us to see our only true interest in seeking to become one. And
that oneness has not been the oneness of blindness, a blind following
of the blind, but has been the result of. Seers and Prophets and wise
men and sages and fathers of the people foreseeing the evil and
pointing it out in that way and manner that all have been able to view
and see it for themselves. They have followed with their eyes open the
Seers and Prophets who are not walking in darkness, and the result has
been that we have not fallen into the ditch together, but we have
continued to prosper and go on in the path which heaven has marked
out [p.109] for us, and the enemies of this people, who have resorted
to every measure which their cunning and ingenuity could devise to
hamper them and lessen their liberties—it is these which have fallen
into the ditch, that have been trapped in their own measures, that
have been ensnared with their own snares, and their folly has been
made manifest, and the prediction of the Prophet Isaiah has happened
unto them: The wisdom of their wise men has perished, and the
understanding of their prudent men has been hid. No more in any former
examples than in their last effort—the Edmunds law, so called —which
is the result of the combined efforts and labors of a nation, begotten
by the hireling priests, a conclave that met in Ogden, the
representatives of all the sectarians in Utah. Then a nation groaned,
and "the mountain labored," and brought forth a mouse, the Edmunds
law! Its main object was to be effected through a Commission, chosen
expressly, not to administer that law according to the letter of it,
but chosen with a secret understanding and tacit obligations to
enforce it with the spirit of despotism in which it had been
conceived; and by establishing rules—irresponsible rules—rules of
their own—absolute and appealable to nobody—and enforcing them in
their own way they have succeeded in disfranchising not only actual
polygamists, but all those who have been in any way associated or
connected with polygamist families—not only plural wives, but first
wives, and men and women who long years ago have been freed—to use a
common phrase—from polygamy; all who have from any cause ceased to be
polygamists. All these have been disfranchised—excluded from
political privileges—forbidden to be office-holders, even to be a
fence viewer, or a school director, or a public surveyor, or a
supervisor of streets. Have the men who made. this country, who
organized government therein, who established order, preserved peace,
and tamed the savage—who were the mountain police for all this great
interior country for 30 years—have these tamely submitted to these
arbitrary rulings and decisions without protest, and because there was
no power to withstand? I will only say they have done it from the same
inspiration and feeling that has governed them from the beginning in
all their wanderings. They have stooped to conquer! Will they conquer?
Yes, God will conquer, and with Him they will rise and prevail. Let no
one attempt to seize upon this expression as one of treason, of
disloyalty to government, of defiance of the power of this great
country. It is not spoken in that spirit, nor with any such intent;
but it is the outspoken declaration of that faith which underlies the
movements of this people, and which has led them on to victory from
the beginning. You may write it down as a prophecy, but not as a
threat, not as a defiance, not as a treasonable utterance. We
recognize our allegiance to the general government: we recognize that
it is our duty to sustain constitutional law and the institutions of
our common country, and if men in power overstep their legitheate
bounds, and exercise power that is not vested in them under the
constitution, and violate its sacred provisions in their zeal to
trample upon the liberties of the Saints, or hedge up their ways, it
is our duty to bear and forbear, until the Lord says—"'Tis enough,"
and until He shall open the way, in His own wonderful manner, to bring
about a change and our release.

Vol. 25, p.110
[p.110] I well recollect the speeches that were uttered in some of the
great cities of the west and of the eastern States, when the whole
people were aroused and urged to bring their influence to bear upon
Congress to pass the Edmunds law. I well remember that numbers of
their most noted orators uttered the declaration that polygamy was the
least part of the evil they warred against in Utah. I have always been
aware of this. Only a few, comparatively speaking, of their leading
orators had the temerity—or perhaps the lack of policy—to give
utterance, in a public manner, to this view of the case. But those who
gave such utterance said that the unity exhibited by the people of
Utah—the united, solid vote of the Latter-day Saints—was far more to
be dreaded than their polygamy. This was recognized and made clearly
manifest by the action of the present Executive of Utah, when he first
introduced as a prerequisite to commissioning Notaries Public, an oath
of his own providing, unlawful in every way, under pain of refusing
their commissions, viz., that they were not polygamists or bigamists,
and had not cohabited with more than one woman in the marriage
relation! And when the Utah Commissioners arrived in Utah and entered
upon their labors, in one of the schemes devised for carrying into
effect the Edmunds law, they adopted the same measure that had been
introduced by His Excellency, Governor Murray, and incorporated the
same provision in their test oath—thrust in the mouths or in the face
of every individual voter, male and female, this test oath, leaving
every libertine in the land, and every lewd woman, every secret
whoremonger and adulterer at liberty to register, vote, and hold
office, provided their liaisons have not been in the marriage
relation! But the honorable men and the honorable women who had
entered into sacred vows with each other, and had sacredly observed
these vows, and were rearing their families to honor and respect their
parents and to be good citizens in society, teaching them to fear God,
and honor the Patriarchs of old, and flee fornication, and look upon
whoredom and adultery as the greatest of all crimes, next to the
shedding of innocent blood—all these fathers and mothers must be
disfranchised! and an attempt made to dishonor them in the eyes of
their sons and daughters! They appealed to their sons and daughters to
rise up in their majesty and throw their fathers and their mothers
overboard, and elect them to power. And when the people nominated Hon.
John T. Caine as their Delegate to Congress, to supply the vacancy
made by the illiberal and unrepublican action of the so-called
Republican party in the expulsion of their Delegate, Hon, George Q.
Cannon, from Congress; the opposing candidate, Judge P. T. Van Zile,
went through this Territory, delivering his political speech, calling
to his aid his retainers, in every place where he could get an
audience, telling the masses of the people: My election means the
continuation of your liberties; the election of my opponent means your
disfranchisement as a whole people, the abolishment of your
Legislative Assembly, the reducing of you to a colony governed,
absolutely, as a conquered race. Suiting the action to the word, those
who sustained him have labored to bring about his prophecies, sad they
are still laboring to bring them about. We know full well, that the
devil, as well as the Lord, can utter some truths,  and sometimes is
allowed to fulfill his predictions. Wicked men [p.111] do this as well
as righteous men. But there is one decree that has gone out from days
of old, that whatever may be the result of a few skirmishes here and
there, and now and then, through the generations of men the great and
last battle shall result in the utter overthrow of his Satanic
Majesty; he will be bound in everlasting chains and thrust into the
bottomless pit, his followers being east down with him. It is this
assurance underlying the faith of the Salute, that enables them to go
forward, onward and upward, relying upon the arm of Jehovah, and the
ultimate triumph of truth and righteousness in the earth. That those
men who have laid these schemes to abridge our liberties and
immunities as citizens; and forged fetters for our hands and feet,
have not done so in the interests of morality, is made painfully
apparent in the test oath framed by Governor Murray, adopted by the
Commissioners, and sustained—so far as any outward manifestation is
concerned—by Congress and the people of the nation, in that they
continue to uphold this Federal Governor and these Commissioners, and
to sustain them in their rulings and in the results thereof. Had they
been honestly working in the interest of morality, would they merely
have made the effort to exclude those that were in plural marriage,
and embrace in their arms the libertine, the adulterer, the
whoremonger, the fornicator, and every lewd person of every class in
the land outside of the marriage relation? This shows it was the
patriarchal order of marriage that they warred against, and not
against illicit intercourse and the defilement of the sexes and
degeneracy of the race. All these things are held up before high
heaven, for angels to look upon, for future historians to descant
upon, and for the children that may, peradventure, be spared of these
ignoble sires to gaze upon with unutterable disgust. The one-man power
exercised by a stranger appointed to Federal office, and sent among
the people as a Governor; the one-man power that puts forth his ipsc
dixit to nullify the acts of a great people through their
representatives in the Legislative Assembly, and to dictate to the
people, or their representatives, what they may do with their taxes,
or what they must not do with them—all these things, I say, will be
referred to by the future historian as very, very black marks upon
their history; and also their blind zeal and efforts—to what? To
prevent the growth, enlargement and extension of the Latter day Saints
in the land. This is the real object underlying all their efforts. The
Latter-day Saints do not imitate the examples of the Eastern cities
and the old commonwealths of the Atlantic seaboard in destroying their
offspring. They do not patronize the vendor of noxious, poisonous,
destructive medicines to procare abortion, infanticide; child murder,
and other wicked devices, whereby to check the multiplication of their
species, in order to facilitate the gratification of fleshly last. We
are not disposed to imitate these examples, nor to drink in the
pernicious doctrine once uttered in Plymouth Church by the noted Henry
Ward Beecher—that it was a positive evil to increase families in the
land beyond a limited extent, and the ability of the parents to
properly educate and maintain them, sustaining the idea of small
families; in effect, justifying the mothers—the unnatural mothers—of
New England, and their partners who sanction their efforts in
destroying their own offspring, and in [p.112] preventing the
fecundity of the race. Fancy such a doctrine justified by the noted
orator of the nineteenth century, and re-echoed by the smaller fry
throughout the country! The Latter-day Saints are taught to reverence
the words of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, concerning the
multiplication of their species, and are called as His children to
multiply and replenish the earth. If the traveler who visits Utah,
will deign to visit our congregations, our schools and our Improvement
Associations, he can view hosts of children growing up on every hand,
all of whom are taught to read and write, and in the common branches
of an English education beyond that which is found to exist in any
other part of the land under similar circumstances. Bat
notwithstanding all this, they say secretly among themselves, and in
the national and state councils: "This will never do. A people
multiplying and increasing like this will over-run the land." They
say, as did Pharaoh of old, "We must do something to stop this
increase." Pharaoh devised means of secretly checking it, by charging
his midwives, and making a decree, that every male child born in
Israel should be put to death. We read that when Moses was born and
his mother found him a goodly child she disregarded the decree of the
king, and God over-ruled in her favor, in pursuance of her faith, and
protected her movements, and Moses was spared and brought into the
king's house, and unwittingly educated under his tuition to become the
future deliverer of Israel, and the lawgiver of nations. History but
repeats itself. The efforts of the wicked to stop the growth and
enlargement of the Latter-day Saints will as signally fail, and the
failure will be on as natural principles as it was anciently in the
days of Moses. For the Lord has decreed it. He has decreed that Zion
shall prosper, and that in the latter days righteousness and truth
shall prevail. Blessed are all they that will listen to truth and walk
righteously, and woe! be unto those who fight against Zion. For the
time cometh saith the Lord of Hosts, when all they that fight against
Zion shall be as a dream of a night vision. "It shall even be as when
an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and
his soul is empty; or, as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he
drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath
appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight
against Zion." This work is not of man but of God, who has set His
hand the second time to bring again Zion. And He has said: "Gather my
Saints unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
His arm is stretched out to accomplish the purposes which He has
predicted by His Prophets from the beginning of the world until the
present time, and it will not be turned back until it has accomplished
all things.

Vol. 25, p.112
May the grace of God be and abide with us individually and
collectively: may it assist us to remember these things; may we not
forget the high calling whereunto we are called; may we abide in the
truth; may we stand steadfast to our work; may we go forward in our
labors, yielding not unto the tempter; for if we art; faithful our
triumph is sure and our reward cometh not from beneath, but from
above, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. [p.113]

Moses Thatcher, April 4, 1884

Hatred Towards Saints—Its Cause—Hope of the Saints
—Constitutional Rights—Loyal Intentions

Delivered at the General Conference,
 Friday Afternoon, April 4th, 1884.

Reported By Geo. F. Gibbs.

Vol. 25, p.113
I rejoice in the remarks that were made this morning by the brethren,
and feel that they were prompted by the Holy Ghost. It was truly
remarked by our aged and venerated President, that unless sustained by
the Lord, we cannot, as a people, accomplish His work; and it
certainly must be apparent to every thoughtful mind, that man in and
of himself is very weak, that he is unable, alone and unaided, to
accomplish that which will result in his own salvation. It is not
difficult to understand or to comprehend the power of God, as it is
manifested in the affairs of nations; but we cannot always see how He
manages and controls individuals. And yet no human being without His
permission breathes the breath of life, for He is the giver of life;
and when we, as a community or as individuals, sense this, manifesting
by our works a goodly degree of faith and humility before God, then we
are in the light. But people, on the other hand, who undertake to
exhibit their own wisdom, or to depend upon the knowledge of man will,
if they continue in that spirit, be led into darkness, and their life
will result in failure.

Vol. 25, p.113
During the past few months, I have thought much upon a particular
subject, which has weighed heavily upon my mind by reason of the
enmity, the malice and hatred which I have seen manifested towards the
Latter-day Saints. And I have been led to believe that they are hated
more for their virtues than for their supposed vices. In connection
with this subject, I have been led to believe that many among this
people are apt to have compassion for the guilty. And I must confess
myself that I have never heard judgment passed on any man by the
authorities of the Church without more or less pity in my heart for
that man. We are generally apt to be too lenient to the falsifier, who
becomes the accuser of his brethren. We are too apt to look with pity
upon one who may have fallen from the path of chastity, and forsaken
the ways of the Lord. There is something in the human heart that is
drawn out in sympathy and compassion for the erring. I will not
attempt this afternoon to show whether this is a correct or an
incorrect sentiment; whether it is a failing or a virtue; but I have
noticed on the other hand, when hatred prompts action, there is but
little if any mercy shown. The shafts intended for the innocent are
often dipped in doubly distilled [p.114] poison, before they are sped
from the bow of envy by the hand of malice· It was so in the days of
the Savior. Thrice tried and thrice condemned, followed to the cross
with but little human sympathy, he endured the agonies of a cruel,
lingering death. How much sympathy do you suppose Cain had when he
slew his brother Abel? Did Cain hate Abel because he was innocent, or
because he was guilty? His hand would have paused; he would have
reflected had Abel been as guilty before God as he was. But because he
was pure, and because God recognized his purity by accepting his
offering, there arose in Cain's heart envy, malice and hatred, that
could only be appeased with blood. It has been so in every age of the
world. You may trace human persecution; you may trace the history of
those who invented the rack, the thumbscrew and the wheel, and you
will find they have always been moved by one spirit, that same spirit
which raised the rebellion in heaven, and that sought the glory and
power of God the Father, and that found its culmination in sending to
perdition Lucifer and those that were cast out with him. And Milton,
interpreting the spirit that prompted Lucifer in the course he
pursues, makes him any, It is better to reign in hell than serve in
heaven." And wherever we find that spirit, we find a spirit of envy, a
spirit of malice, a spirit that desires to destroy that which is more
excellent and worthy than itself· In this way, after a just comparison
between our persecutors and ourselves, we can account for the
persecution to which we have been made subject.

Vol. 25, p.114
Let the youth of Zion contemplate the character of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, and see how evidences of prejudice, hatred and malice were
heaped upon him until those that were prompted by it, succeeded at
last in slaying him. They perpetrated this deed without mercy, without
pity, innocent and guiltless as he was.

Vol. 25, p.114
How is it to-day? Converse with certain people in Salt Lake City,
those who have made it their business to hate, to lie about, and to do
all in their power to persecute and despoil the Latter-day Saints, and
you will find lurking in their breasts exactly the same spirit
manifested by the wickedness towards the Saints of God in all ages of
the world; divest them of their malice and hatred and there would be
little left.

Vol. 25, p.114
We hear a great deal about the immorality of this people; but allow me
to say, if we permitted ourselves to be led into wickedness; if we
would adopt the ways of the Christian age; if we would cast our
children into reservoirs and ash pits, on vacant lots and dung heaps,
or throw them on to the railroad track; if we would transmit to our
sons and daughters disease, and encourage them in ways that lead to
death, hell and the grave; we should then have assimilated, as some of
our would-be Christianizers have expressed it, with "American
institutions;" in other words, then we should be hail fellows well met
with the office-seekers, with adventurers, with libertines and other
destroyers of other people's peace and happiness. It is because we
cannot do this; because we refuse to "assimilate;" because we prefer
to row against the current of corruption; because the fruits of our
labors, political, financial and social are good, and bespeak a higher
and better civilization, that we are hated and ostracised, and not
because of any immorality that may, exist in our midst. We  are
sensible [p.115] of the fact that we are not of the world; that if we
were, the world would love us as its own. We are sensible of the fact
that we have come out from the world, and that, too, for a wise
purpose in the wisdom of God. In these mountains we expect to
establish the foundation of a civilization that will yet be the
admiration of the world. We expect to bequeath to our children the
blessings of physical and mental strength such as will enable them to
stand the test that will equired of them; and the very principle and
tenet of our religion, against which the Christian feeling of the age
appears to be so much shocked, will be the chief cornerstone in the
hands of the builder of rearing the structure that will be different
from anything else in the world. Because we practice celestial or
plural marriage, we are branded as law-breakers; we are told that we
seek to violate constitutional law, and the enactments of the Congress
of the United States. Upon this point I desire to make a few remarks.

Vol. 25, p.115
I was born in this country. I can trace my lineage to the
revolutionary fathers. I love the institutions of my country; I love
and venerate the Constitution. But I am not so ignorant, I am not so
blind that I cannot see that anything which you or I may do may be
made contrary to law, and may be called unconstitutional; but I hold
that the Constitution was made broad enough, high enough and deep
enough to enable us to practice our religion and be free before God
and man. I hold that if Congress has a right to enact a law in
relation to marriage, it might just as consistently make a law
affecting baptism, or prescribing the manner, if at all, the sacrament
of the Lord's supper should be administered. "What will you do about
it? says one. I do not pretend to know that others will do, neither do
I pretend to give advice in the premises; but I do say this: that no
nation or government has ever been able to crush the religious
sentiment of any people unless it crushed the whole people. The
nearest approach to success in this direction that I can find in
history, was that of Charles IX., advised by his wicked mother, when
he slew the Huguenots in the streets of Paris. But even this kind of
treatment did not succeed, and never can succeed. For a persecuted
religion will be an investigated religion; and in my opinion it is
truth that receives the thrust of the enemy far more frequently than
evil.

Vol. 25, p.115
I wish to bear my testimony in relation to the Latter-day Saints and
their position we will abide in these mountains, and we will plead
with our government; we will continue to petition Congress and submit
our memorials to the President of the United States; and we will
continue to love our country, defend its interests, and be free men in
these mountains. If we were aught else, if we could be bound hand and
foot as abject slaves, we should be unworthy to be citizens of so
great a Republic as is ours. It cannot he done, and for this reason:
We have come from the nations of the civilized world of our own free
will and choice, expecting to enjoy and to bequeath to our children
the freedom guaranteed by the laws and institutions of our country; we
came as intelligent, independent men and women, and a people who are
intelligent and 	independent cannot be made slaves. The result will
doubtless be this: We shall be crowded upon from time to time—but no
more, I apprehend, than God in His wisdom will permit—and the very
acts of [p.116] persecution and unfairness that will be directed
against us, will bring out and develop the elements of excellency that
will make our young men statesmen, and that will make them lovers and
defenders of right and liberty, until, in the due time of the Lord,
there will grow up in these mountains a race of people that will not
only defend the Constitution, but defend the flag of the nation, and
at the same time be willing to extend the principles of freedom to all
who desire to receive them. It is a great mistake to imagine that the
"Mormons" are opposed to the government. They are not opposed to the
government; there is not a feeling of secession about them, and they
do not propose to be forced on the other side of the fence by any
alliance formed either in Utah or outside of Utah. We expect to stand
upon the platform laid broad and deep by the fathers. We expect to
defend our rights as American citizens, and to do less than this would
be unworthy a free people.

Vol. 25, p.116
Before closing I wish to bear my testimony in regard to the people in
the world. I am perfectly satisfied there are thousands of good and
honest men and women in our nation who, if they knew our true status,
and understood the facts as they are, would defend our rights to the
uttermost of their power. But they have been hedged about; and reports
misrepresenting and belying our true character have been so widely
circulated, that they have been led to believe them; but as we are
becoming better known we may expect to find men and women with a high
degree of moral courage, here and there, defending us, and speaking
favorably of us. There is no such feeling exhibited in our nation
towards us to-day as two years ago; and even that, hostile as it was,
did good. The evil that the ministers and priests and politicians
together, sought to bring upon us was, through the wisdom of God,
overruled for our good. And so it will continue to be, whatever the
enemies of truth do for the purpose of crushing it, will eventually be
found to be the very means used to establish it. We have confidence in
the wisdom and power of God, and are abundantly able to wait and
labor, to work on in the path marked out for us to walk in, fully
believing that in His own due time He will accomplish His "marvelous
work and a wonder," and bring about those happy results foreshadowed
in the promises made to His people, both ancient and modern. Amen.
[p.117]

Brigham Young, April 5, 1884

Uniting of Temporal Interests—Not An Obsolete Principle
—Improvements Among the Saints—Need of Being More 
Self-Sustaining—Works to Be Accomplished

Delivered at the General Conference,
 on Saturday Morning, April 5th, 1884.

Reported By John Irvine

Vol. 25, p.117
It has been said, that words fitly spoken are like apples of gold in
pictures of silver. This is especially true when they are accompanied
by the Spirit of the Lord, carrying with them life and salvation to
the people. There are many subjects that might be dwelt upon which are
familiar to the Latter-day Saints, and which would doubtless yet be
appropriate to speak upon in our general assemblies. I look back upon
the past few years and recall principles that have been taught to the
people, but which the Spirit no longer seems to inspire the Elders to
dwell upon. And the question arises in the mind: Have such principles
become obsolete?—Are they done away? I look forward to the time when
we shall be able to speak upon the principles of uniting this people
together in their temporal as well as their spiritual interests far
more effectually than we have ever done heretofore. United we stand;
our interests are identified; the welfare of the one affects the
other; and our influence socially, financially and politically is
powerful for good, and is a lever for our own prosperity as well as
our own protection. Disunited we acknowledge our own weakness;
infirmity is stamped in our every act, and in time we pass away like
the dream of the night vision. I do not desire at this time to treat
upon the subject of the United Order, but I would like to ask if the
Latter-day Saints think for a moment that that principle is done away,
or that it may be considered a failure never again to be brought to
our notice? If such has been the conclusion of any part of this
assembly, I have no hesitancy in stating for their information that
such is not the case; it cannot be so if we are ever to answer the
design of the Almighty respecting the future of His Kingdom upon the
earth. I would say further, the time is approaching, if I am a judge
of the Spirit as witnessed among the people throughout our settlements
from the extreme north to the extreme south, when the principle will
again be sounded in our ears; and the Spirit of God as I read it in
its workings among the people, and as I feel its operations in my own
breast, testifies to me that when it comes again the people will be
prepared to receive it, and act upon it, as they have never done
before. It is, perhaps, necessary, in our present state, that we
should have a certain [p.118] amount of experience; the experience we
have had will doubtless be of value to us, in the future, when the
people will again be called upon to practice this principle; and when
this time comes, in my opinion, we will commence at the root of the
matter, accepting in the spirit and meaning thereof, that principle
which has been disregarded and shunned by us for many years, the
principle that lies at the foundation of the greatness and power to
which we are destined to attain. I am happy to say that the people are
being led to examine their own hearts, and to ask themselves what they
are doing individually towards building up the Zion of God, and
towards influencing others to do likewise. The spirit that is working
among the people is having the effect of reform, as I have never
before witnessed it. The reformation of 1856, ran through the people
like wild fire; they received it under the impulse of the moment when
the spirit of enthusiasm ran high; but now there appears to be but
little effort to move the people in this direction, at the same time a
determined feeling exists among the Saints to right themselves, and
that too by commencing at the bottom round of the ladder, and then
radually ascending. The hearts of the people are being turned to the
Lord. The men who have of late been addicted to drinking, using
tobacco, swearing, and other loose habits, are, of their own free
will, discarding their bad habits, and thus righting themselves, and
setting a better example to their children and associates. This silent
but potent influence that is fruitful of such good results is
significant to the man or woman that is alive in this work, and that
is watching with interest its onward progress; and it comes home to
our hearts with convincing proof that the Lord is working among the
people by His Spirit, and it bids us all in its silent and suggestive
way, to prepare ourselves for events that must come, and that are even
nigh at our doors.

Vol. 25, p.118
In witnessing the operations of the Spirit in the midst of the people
in such a remarkable manner I was strongly impressed with the idea
that we, as a people, ought to be turning our attention in directions
looking to our becoming self-sustaining. We are pay out very much more
than we profess. Where does the money come from? How is it that the
families of our working men are able to purchase for their use
imported articles? How long can this people prosper by pursuing such a
course? The danger of this course has long been pointed out by our
leading men; and sooner or later, unless all turn a short corner, the
condition that we shall place ourselves in, will be of such a
convincing character, that all will readily concede the correctness of
the position taken by our leaders in urging the people to become
producers and patrons of home productions. This doctrine was taught by
President Young, during much of his life time, but especially during
his later years; and it does appear to me that we are hastening on to
the point that President Young said we should reach, unless we became
self-sustaining, namely, financial embarrassment. In fact his doctrine
on this subject was, that we could not stand financially, unless we
became self-sustaining. It is doctrine that comes home to the heart of
every Latter-day Saint; it is doctrine that all must accept and reduce
to practice, if we would attain to power and influence in the land. We
must become financially strong. Wealth in and of itself, is a lever of
power; and wealth in the hands  [p.119] of a righteous people must
necessarily command an influence for good. We must first learn to make
a wise use of the means that we possess, however little that may be;
and by continuing to do this, we prepare ourselves to make a right and
proper use of the power that wealth brings. But in order to attain the
position that we are bound to occupy in the land, we must learn to
combine our interests in such a manner that it will be to the
advantage of the whole community to consume and wear that which is
produced and manufactured at home. It will be by co-operative action
that we shall be tied together in temporal matters as we are now bound
together in spiritual things. As a thoroughly united people we can the
better hasten the work of God in the earth; such as building temples,
establishing settlements, civilizing the Lamanites, carrying the
Gospel to the Jews, and building up the Zion of God in these
mountains. We shall be the better able to extend a helping hand to the
needy poor, to the oppressed and down-trodden among the nations, as
well as to protect ourselves from the inroads of wicked and designing
men. The few minutes allotted to me have expired.

Vol. 25, p.119
That God may inspire our hearts to do His will, and that all may be
willing in the day of His power, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus.
Amen.

George Q. Cannon, April 6, 1884

Predictions in the Book of Mormon—Evidence of Its Divinity—Proof that
 Joseph Smith Was Inspired—Predictions Concerning the Indians
Fulfilled
—Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon Foretold—Plainness of Its 
Teachings—Prediction Relating to Sidney Rigdon—Only Two
 Churches—Other Prophecies Being Fulfilled

Delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City,
 (to the General Conference assembly)
 Sunday Morning, April 6, 1884.

(Reported By John Irvine.)

Vol. 25, p.119
I will read a portion of the 29th chapter of the second book of Nephi,
from the last edition of the Book of Mormon.

Vol. 25, p.119
1. "But behold, there shall be many at that day, when I shall proceed
to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember my covenants
which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set [p.120] my
hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the
house of Israel.

Vol. 25, p.120
2. "And also, that I may remember the promises which I have made unto
thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember your
seed; and that the words of your seed should proceed forth out of my
mouth unto your seed. And my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of
the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of
Israel.

Vol. 25, p.120
3. "And because my words shall hiss forth, many of the Gentiles shall
say, A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there can not be any
more Bible.

Vol. 25, p.120
4. "But thus saith the Lord God; O fools, they shall have a Bible; and
it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people.
And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from
them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travels,
and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto
me, in bringing gorth salvation unto the Gentiles?

Vol. 25, p.120
5. "O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant
people? Nay, but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have
not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things
upon your own heads; for I the Lord hath not forgotten my people.

Vol. 25, p.120
6. "Thou feel, that shall say, A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we
need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible, save it were by the
Jews?

Vol. 25, p.120
7. "Know ye not that there are me. re nations than one? Know ye not
that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember
those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the
heavens above, and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word
unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth

Vol. 25, p.120
8. "Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my
word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto
you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another?
Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another.
And when the two nations shall run together, the testimony of the two
nations shall run together also.

Vol. 25, p.120
9. "And I do this that I may prove unto many, that I am the same
yesterday, to-day, and forever; and that I speak forth my words
according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one
word, ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is
not yet finished; neither shall it be, until the end of man; neither
from that time henceforth and for ever.

Vol. 25, p.120
10. "Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible, ye need not suppose that
it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not
caused more to be written:

Vol. 25, p.120
11. "For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in
the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they
shall write the words which I speak unto them: for out of the books
which shall be written, I will judge the world, every man according to
their works, according to that which is written."

Vol. 25, p.120
There is much more of the next chapter and of the preceding chapter
that pertains to our time, to the day and age in which we live, and
these chapters, with many more, are full of predictions by the Prophet
Nephi, concerning the days when the Book of Mormon should come forth.

Vol. 25, p.121
I want this morning, if I can have [p.121] the Spirit of God to lead
and to assist me, to speak somewhat upon the predictions contained in
the Book of Mormon—the predictions which had to be fulfilled after the
publication of the book. It is alleged, as you know, that the Book of
Mormon is not an inspired record, but that Joseph Smith, if he was the
author of it, copied a great deal of it from the Old and New
Testament. Now, there is scarcely any need to say to those who have
studied the Book of Mormon, who have read it prayerfully and
carefully—there is scarcely any need to say to them that it contains
the internal evidence of its own divinity, that God wrote it through
inspired men, and that no one but an inspired man or men could have
written the book. There is no book in the English language that
compares with it, unless it be books which contain the pure word of
God. It has the advantage of the Bible in this: that it was translated
by the power of God, not by the learning of man, and not selected from
hundreds and thousands of versions as the Bible has been; for there is
no end to the versions which exist, of the books contained in the
Bible. Of course we have our version translated by learned men; but
there is scarcely a passage of any importance in the Bible concerning
which there is not some dispute among learned commentators. But with
the Book of Mormon it is different. God preserved those records for a
purpose in Himself. They were hidden up. This book, called the Book of
Mormon, is an abridgment prepared by one of the last prophets of the
Nephites, under the command of God, that it might come forth in the
last days. God revealed in part to him, and to his son Moroni, the
purpose which He had in view, in making this abridgment, and in
concealing it in the earth, and they performed the labor connected
with this under the direct command and inspiration of the Almighty, to
come forth in the latter times, and to accomplish a great work. I wish
to allude to some of the predictions—not those that are contained in
other books, but those that are original with the Book of Mormon
itself, and that could not have been made, unless the man who wrote
them was inspired of God.

Vol. 25, p.121
The words which I have read were written by Nephi, one of the first
prophets of the Nephite nation, and he describes, at great length, and
with wonderful plainness and minuteness, the condition of the
inhabitants of the earth at the time that this work should go forth.
Much of this, the caviller may say, could have been written by a man
of these days. But there are some things which Nephi wrote, that could
not have been written by a modern man who did not have the spirit of
prophecy, and that which I have read in your hearing is a part that
could not have been written by any human being, unless he had been
inspired of God, and was a prophet of God. If Joseph Smith—if the
divinity of his mission—his claims to be a Prophet rested upon this
chapter alone, or this portion of the chapter that I have read in your
hearing, according to my view his claims would be fully and
indisputably established, for the reason that at the time that he
translated this chapter he had no conception, neither could any human
being have any conception, unless inspired of God, as to the effect
the publication of the Book of Mormon would have upon the Gentile
world. But Joseph, inspired of God, translated  the prediction of
Nephi, which [p.122] prediction states that when the Book of Mormon
should be published, it should be received by the Gentiles with this
expression: "A Bible! a Bible! we have got a Bible, and there cannot
be any more Bible." How many times has this expression been made by
clergymen, by professors of religion, and by Christendom generally,
since the publication of the Book of Mormon? Ye Elders who have
traversed sea and land, who have gone from continent to continent, who
have visited the isles of the ocean, who have lifted up your voices in
the cities of the Gentiles, and in their congregations; ye Elders, who
have thus labored, know full well, that in every land, and among every
people where you have labored, when you have spoken about God having
restored another record, the Book of Mormon—you know that you have
been met with these expressions, the literal words that Nephi said,
would be used in the last days by the Gentiles, in regard to this
work. You Latter-day Saints, who have endeavored to teach your friends
the doctrines that God had revealed, and endeavored to show them that
God had restored this ancient record—you know how your testimonies
have been received concerning the Book of Mormon. These remarkable
expressions have come front thousands of lips in many, many lands, and
in many, many languages, confirmatory of the Book itself, and of its
divine origin, and of its inspired translation. You read all the words
of Nephi in this 29th chapter, and you will find that he describes
with wonderful, and, I might say, photographic accuracy and
minuteness, the condition of the so-called Christian world —the spirit
that they possess, the crimes of which they are guilty, the condition
in which they are placed, and all the circumstances connected with
them.

Vol. 25, p.122
In his next chapter, he makes further remarks concerning this work,
and the effect it should have. He says:

Vol. 25, p.122
3. "And now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and
the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken shall come
forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the
Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are
written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed.

Vol. 25, p.122
4. "And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how
that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the
Jews.

Vol. 25, p.122
5. "And the Gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them;
wherefore they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers,
and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their
fathers.

Vol. 25, p.122
6. "And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a
blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness
shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not
pass away among them, save they shall be a white and delightsome
people."

Vol. 25, p.122
Now, that is one prediction. These are the words of Nephi. I will now
read the words of Jesus, recorded in the 16th chapter of the third
Book of Nephi, where He, in speaking about the last days, and the
coming forth of this work, says:

Vol. 25, p.122
"And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you at that day
when the Gentiles shall sin against my Gospel,  and shall be lifted up
in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the
[p.123] people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner
of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of
hypocrisy, and murders and priestcrafts, and whoredomes, and of secret
abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject
the fullness of my Gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the
fullness of my Gospel from among them:

Vol. 25, p.123
"And then I will remember my covenant which I have made unto my
people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my Gospel unto them:

Vol. 25, p.123
"And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall
not have power over you, but I will remember my covenant unto you, O
house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fullness
of my Gospel."

Vol. 25, p.123
These predictions are parallel; they point to the same period; they
describe the same events, the same condition of affairs—one uttered
600 years or thereabouts, before the other, and yet they are precisely
similar in their tenor, describing that which should be done with the
Gospel among the Gentiles. I wish you all to remember—you Latter-day
Saints, you young men and you young women, you little children who are
capable of understanding my words—I wish you all to remember that at
the time this was written, or rather at the time this was translated
into the English language—say somewhere about the year 1828—Joseph
Smith himself, had not received, or at least obeyed, the Gospel. He
had derived some knowledge of it through the ministration of angels,
and from that portion of the record that he had translated; but there
was not a Latter-day Saint upon the face of the whole earth that we
know anything about, or that he knew anything about. No man or woman
had received the Gospel; no church had been organized; no Priesthood
from the eternal worlds had been bestowed; not a man among all the
children of men had been clothed with the power of the eternal
Priesthood of the Son of God to administer the ordinances of life and
salvation unto the children of men. Yet the Prophet Joseph Smith in
this translation, showed forth with great clearness, that the Gospel
would be revealed, and that it should be received by some of the
Gentiles; that when it should be received by the Gentiles, it should
be carried by them to the descendants of Nephi and his brethren, who
by that time should have become a filthy and a loathsome people. The
Indians of our continent should receive the message of life and
salvation. The Gospel should be carried to them. They would receive it
with gladness. They would come to a knowledge of their Redeemer, as
well as to a knowledge of the principles and doctrines and covenants
which their fathers under—stood, and which their fathers had received.
Wonderful prediction! And most wonderfully has it been fulfilled. At
the time that the Prophet Joseph Smith translated this Book of Mormon,
I suppose the impression was general, as it is today, that the Indians
were a perishing race, that they would soon disappear from the face of
the land. But before Joseph had translated this, he had found in
previous predictions that the Gentiles—that is, our nation—that we as
a race and the nation to which we belong, should not have power to
destroy the Indians. This was a most remarkable statement to make when
we consider where Joseph was brought up, and the circumstances [p.124]
surrounding him. If he had not been inspired of God, he would not have
dared, in my opinion, and no man would have dared to have made such a
prediction. But what, does Nephi say concerning this matter as
translated by the Prophet? He says:

Vol. 25, p.124
"Nevertheless thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth out
of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all
other nations upon the face of the land, which is choice above all
other lands, which is the land the Lord God hath covenanted with thy
father, that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance,
wherefore thou seest that the Lord God will not suffer that the
Gentiles will utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed, which are among
thy brethren;

Vol. 25, p.124
"Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of
thy brethren;

Vol. 25, p.124
"Neither will He suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of
thy brethren"—that is, the Lamanites proper. They were not to be
permitted to destroy Nephi's seed that should be mingled among the
Lamanites, nor should they be permitted to destroy the Lamanites—that
is, the descendants of Laman and Lemuel. Nephi predicted this. To-day
it is said that the Indians will perish, and that it is impossible to
save them. Here is the word of God recorded in this sacred book. We
have the words of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ arrayed against
all, or nearly all, the conclusions of the Gentiles. I look around and
I see here on this stand to-day, representatives of strange tribes of
Indians who have come here to visit, thus being in part a fulfillment
of the prediction of the Son of God, and also the fulfillment of that
prediction of Nephi, that I have read in your hearing. The Gentiles
did receive the Gospel of the Son of God, when it was revealed.
Burning with zeal to carry this Gospel to every nation, kindred,
tongue and people; inspired by the Holy Ghost, they went out among the
Indian races as well as others, and fulfilled the predictions of the
Book of Mormon in this respect. And strange to say—if anything can be
said to be strange connected with the work of God—the descendants of
those ancient covenant people of the Lord, have gladly received the
testimony of the servants of God. Wherever we have gone and mingled
with those people, with those Red Men, and been able to communicate to
them the truths of which we are in possession, which God has revealed
to us, they have received the same gladly; not only upon this
continent, but upon the islands of the sea, throughout Polynesia, the
Sandwich, the Marquesas, the Society and the Navigator Islands—yes,
and everywhere where those men with red skins dwell, they have gladly
received the testimony of God's servants concerning the Gospel, and
they rejoice in its fullness and in the knowledge that their fathers
once possessed, and of the redemption that Jesus Christ has wrought
out for them. Most wonderful has this prediction been fulfilled in
this respect! And God has done and is doing a great and a mighty work
among the people, fulfilling the words of the ancient prophets and of
Jesus. When the Gentiles do reject the Gospel—as I fear they will from
their conduct in the past—that is, as a nation—although I trust there
will yet be many hundreds and thousands—yea, I would that I could say
millions—of Gentiles gathered in by this Gospel;  I trust [p.125] that
this will be the case, though the prospects are not very hopeful at
present. It seems at present that as a nation, the Gentiles will
reject the Gospel. When they do reject it, as they have in part, then
God will commence, as the Savior said, to do a great work among the
house of Israel. He will carry his Gospel there, and the work will
commence then among all the scattered remnants of the house of Israel,
over the whole earth.

Vol. 25, p.125
I wish to read another prophecy connected with the coming forth of
this Book, and the results that should attend it, namely:

Vol. 25, p.125
"Wherefore the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the
loins of Judah shall write;" [the Prophet here is speaking of the
fruit of the loins of the Patriarch Joseph, who was sold into Egypt by
his brethren]; "and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy
loins" [that is, of Joseph's loins] "and also that which shall be
written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto
the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions,
and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them
to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days; and also to the
knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord."

Vol. 25, p.125
Now, here is a very remarkable prediction connected with the coming
forth of this Book. It should have the effect, when united with the
Bible—for it was the Bible that the Prophet was referring to as being
the writings of the fruit of the loins of Judah; when these two Books
should be united, it should have a remarkable effect—that is, their
union should. They should confound false doctrine; they should lay
down contentions, put an end to them and establish peace; and they
should be the means of bringing the people to the knowledge of the
covenants of God with those ancient Prophets, with His ancient
servants and people. Now, all those who know anything about the effect
of the Book of Mormon—of the preaching of the Elders with the aid of
the Book of Mormon—know that these words have been fulfilled to the
very letter. False doctrines have been put down. Contentions have
ceased. Peace has been established, and the people have been brought
to the knowledge of the covenants which God made with His ancient
servants. Those who have read this Book know how precious are the
words of God, contained in it—how plain the doctrine of Jesus Christ
is set forth in it. There are no mistranslations; there is no
mysticism infused into it by men who have had their own peculiar views
of the doctrine of Christ; for in consequence of the taking out from
the ancient records (the Bible) of many plain and precious parts of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the whole religious world is in confusion
as to the meaning of certain texts. So far as baptism itself is
concerned there is no end to contention. The Baptists say that
immersion is necessary and is right. Others say that it is wrong, and
that sprinkling is right. Others contend for infant baptism, while
others say it is not of God. Many claim that infant baptism is
necessary, and that if a child is not baptized, it is in danger of
being consigned to the regions of the damned. While others, again,
contend for the pouring of water; and still others who permit the
candidate to elect which mode of baptism he will have, whether
sprinkling, immersion or pouring; while men are thus divided upon this
subject, Paul [p.126] says there is but one baptism.

Vol. 25, p.126
Now, the Book of Mormon comes forth, and it speaks in exceeding great,
plainness upon this point. It not only gives the mode of baptism which
Jesus gave to His ancient disciples on this continent; but the very
words to be used. It says that they shall immerse candidates in the
water; and it gives particular directions about the laying on of
hands, and about all the doctrines of the church of Christ, or of the
Gospel. No man who reads the Book of Mormon, need be at a loss to know
the doctrine of Christ. It is as plain as it is possible for the
English language to make it, and everybody can see it. Therefore, most
wonderfully, when united with the Bible, has it fulfilled this
prediction—the writings o f the descendants of Joseph, of which this
Book is the record.

Vol. 25, p.126
Another most remarkable prediction is given in this same chapter;
showing how plainly the Lord revealed to His ancient servants who
wrote this Book, that which should take place in the last times. Lehi
in speaking about Moses, said, that the Lord had revealed to Joseph
the Patriarch, that He would raise up a mighty prophet named Moses,
and that He should raise up for him a spokesman; that Moses would not
be mighty in word, but in deed. Here is what the Lord said unto Joseph
the Patriarch, as quoted by Lehi:

Vol. 25, p.126
"And the Lord said unto me also" [that is, Joseph the Patriarch], "I
will raise up unto the fruit of thy loins; and I will make for him a
spokesman. And I, behold, I will give unto him, that he shall write
the writing of the fruit of thy loins, unto the fruit of thy loins,
and the spokesman of thy loins shall declare it."

Vol. 25, p.126
After the church had been organized some months, Oliver Cowdery,
Parley P. Pratt, Peter Whitmer, and Ziba Petersen were appointed by
the prophet of God to visit the western boundaries of Missouri. On
their journey westward, they passed through the western part of Ohio,
where Parley had formerly lived and labored in connection with the
Reformed Baptists. They called upon one of the founders of that sect,
Sidney Rigdon. They found him in the town of Kirtland, gave him a book
of Mormon, and bore their testimony to him of the restoration of the
Gospel. Sidney Rigdon said to them: "You tell me a strange tale. I
will examine this book" and he commenced to do so. They were all young
men, Sidney Rigdon was many years their senior. Rigdon examined the
book, and became convinced that it was the word of God. He was
baptized in the town of Kirtland, and the foundation of a great work
was laid there. God afterwards revealed that this man was to be a
spokesman, and he became the spokesman to this people and to the world
for the prophet Joseph. Those who knew Sidney Rigdon, know how
wonderfully God inspired him, and with what wonderful eloquence he
declared the word of God to the people. He was a mighty man in the
hands of God, as a spokesman, as long the prophet lived: or up to a
short time before his death. Thus you see that even this which many
might look upon as a small matter, was predicted about 1,700 years
before the birth of the Savior, and was quoted by Lehi 600 years
before the same event, and about 2,400 years before its fulfillment,
and was translated by the power of  God, through his servant Joseph,
as was predicted should be the case, [p.127] and at a time, as I have
said, when there was not a man upon the earth who was a member of the
church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church had not yet
been organized, and Joseph did not know, unless he knew by the spirit
of revelation, whether any man would receive the Gospel. I doubt
whether he knew as to how the church would be organized. He had some
idea, doubtless; but there were many things which he himself did not
know, till he wrote this translation.

Vol. 25, p.127
Time will not permit me to proceed much further with this subject; I
wish I had a day to speak upon it; but I am now trespassing on Brother
Joseph F. Smith's time.

Vol. 25, p.127
There is one prediction, however, I wish, before I sit down, to allude
to, because I think it is most signally fulfilled, namely:

Vol. 25, p.127
"And he said unto me, Behold there are, save two churches only;" [this
was the angel speaking to Nephi in the vision,] "the one is the church
of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil."

Vol. 25, p.127
This is a new thing. It is supposed there are a great many churches.
The Lord here says there is but one church outside of his own church.

Vol. 25, p.127
"Wherefore, whose belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God,
belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations;
and she is the whore of all the earth.

Vol. 25, p.127
"And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the
earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the
earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples.

Vol. 25, p.127
"And it came to pass that I beheld She church of the Lamb of God, and
its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of
the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless I beheld that the
church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the
face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were
small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

Vol. 25, p.127
"And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of
abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the
earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the
Lamb of God."

Vol. 25, p.127
At the time this was written, a man would have been a bold man who
would have said—that is, unless he was inspired of God—that anything
of this kind could happen in these United States. One of the chief
foundation stones of the great fabric of Government in this land, upon
this continent, is religious liberty—liberty for every creed.
Persecution of people for religion was unknown at the time this was
written, and no man, unless he had been inspired of God, could have
contemplated such a possibility as that any church would be persecuted
for religion's sake. Yet here was a prediction made by Nephi, 2,400
years before it took place, in which he foretold the condition of
things in this land, and upon all lands where the church of Christ
should exist. There should be combinations and peoples gathered
together, by religious influences, against the church of God. Now,
what are the facts? Among the first persecutors of this church, when
its members were few, were those who were themselves religious
teachers. The earliest persecutors of Joseph Smith were religious
teachers, and the mobs in Missouri, and the mobs in Illinois, were led
by religious teachers. Even the mob that murdered our beloved [p.128]
Prophet and Patriarch, and wounded our revered President—that mob was
led by a local Baptist preacher, and our people were driven from
Nauvoo, as Brother Wens well knows, by a mob headed by a preacher. And
to-day, those who are inciting mobs against this people; those who go
to Congress, and incite persecutions against us; those who fulminate
threats and frame petitions; those who meet together in conventions;
those who gather together in conferences, are those who belong to this
"mother of abominations," this "whore of all the earth," and it is
through the influence of that accursed whore, that they gather
together and marshal their forces in every land against the Latter-day
Saints, the Church of the living God. The blood that has stained
Georgia, and that cries from the ground for vengeance upon those who
shed it—that blood was shed by mobs who were banded together, headed
and "aided and egged on by religious men; and if it were not for this
"mother of abominations," and those who are connected with her, we
could dwell in peace and in safety in the valleys of these mountains.
Here in this city, who has done as much or more than any one else? The
religious teachers, men who came here to preach what they call the
Gospel. They are stirring up strife continually, instead of making
peace; going back to other religious associations in the east, and
telling the most abominable falsehoods about us, exciting the public
mind, in order that they may get money with which to come here and
accomplish their wicked designs. They tell lies without number about
us. Our newspapers have exposed such people time and time again, and
yet they shamelessly go forth and repeat those lies about the
wickedness of this people, about the intolerance of this people, about
the dangers they run when here in this country, when they know, as we
all know who are here to-day, that they have never been molested, and
that we have never injured them, nor interfered with them in any form,
but that we have always treated them with that respect and kindness
with which we desire to be treated ourselves.

Vol. 25, p.128
In this way, this word of God, through his servant Nephi, uttered
2,400 years ago, has been and is being fulfilled to the very letter.
Thus God is bringing to pass in the most wonderful manner the words of
this Book. It is going forth, as He said it should, to all the nations
of the earth. It is accomplishing that which He designed it should,
and it will go forth and accomplish its mission. There is no power
upon the earth that can stop it, because it is the word of God, and
the doctrines of' Jesus Christ, and it will be the means, as has been
said, of gathering out the honest from every nation, causing them to
dwell in peace, uniting them in doctrine, and putting an end to all
controversy and contention concerning points of doctrine, because it
reveals the Gospel with great plainness unto all those who will
receive it.

Vol. 25, p.128
Now, I want to read one more prediction and then Stop. It is contained
in the last words of Moroni, concerning this work, namely:

Vol. 25, p.128
"When ye shall receive these things" says Moroni, (standing alone on
the continent, the last one of his race who had been true to God, not
knowing what his own fate would be; he leaves on record for us
Gentiles, the world of God, as he was inspired to give it, and thus he
writes) "I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the eternal Father,
in the name of  Christ, if these [p.129] things are not true; and if
ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in
Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the
Holy Ghost;

Vol. 25, p.129
"And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all
things."

Vol. 25, p.129
These are the words of a prophet of God, standing in the face of
eternity, not knowing what his own fate would be. He leaves this, his
dying declaration, on record, at the close of this glorious book,
which he was the instrument in the hands of God, of hiding up to be
brought forth in the latter times. He testifies that if we will ask
God concerning these things, in the  name of Jesus Christ, we shall
know concerning the truth of them by the power of the Holy Ghost. Let
me ask this vast  congregation: Has not this word of God, through his
inspired prophet, been fulfilled?

Vol. 25, p.129
You men and women and children, who have sought unto God, in the name
of Jesus, as he commanded you, have you not received, by the power of
the Holy Ghost, a testimony for yourselves, that these things are
true, that this is the word of God, divinely inspired, written by the
finger of inspiration, and translated by the power of God? [Yes]. I
know that if I were to call for a response it would be universal in
this congregation, and not only in this congregation, but in every
congregation of the Latter-day Saints throughout all these mountains,
and scattered abroad among all the nations of the earth. I ask you, at
the request of my brethren, if this is no; true? All who know it is,
and have received this testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost, say
yes—[the vast congregation responded "YES" as by one voice.]

Vol. 25, p.129
God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. [p.130]

B. H. Roberts, January 28, 1884

Joseph Smith's Mission—Necessity for Such a Mission—Evidences
 of Apostasy—Restoration of the Gospel and Establishment of the
 Kingdom of God—Hatred and Persecution Accorded to Joseph Smith,
 An Evidence of His Divine Calling—Further Proof of Inspiration

Of Centerville, Under the Auspices of the Mutual Improvement
Association,
 in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Salt Lake City, 
Monday Evening, January 28th, 1884.

Reported By James D. Stirling

Vol. 25, p.130
At the request of the Presidency of Davis Stake of Zion, I have
delivered two lectures in each of the Wards of that county. Being a
young man, I have addressed myself to the young people, with a view to
strengthen their faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which has been
revealed anew to the earth in this age of the world. And in
considering the subject before us to-night—"Joseph Smith's Mission"—I
desire to show to my young brethren and sisters that our fathers have
not been following cunningly devised fables, but that they have, and
so have we, good and sufficient reasons for believing in the mission
of Joseph Smith as a divine one.

Vol. 25, p.130
In considering the subject of our lecture, the question naturally
arises What was Joseph Smith's mission? It was the mission of Joseph
Smith, under God's direction, to establish the Church of Christ and
the Kingdom of God upon the earth; and to the accomplishment of this
work he devoted the whole energy of his life, trod was faithful unto
death.

Vol. 25, p.130
But this statement of what his mission was, gives birth to another
question: "Is there any necessity for such a work as is ascribed to
Joseph Smith being performed? The Christian world believe that when
Christ was upon the earth in the flesh, that he then established his
Church and Kingdom, and that it has continued among men from that time
until the present. And although many changes have taken place in
regard to principles and doctrines, and divisions and subdivisions
have distracted the religious world—yet they claim that those things
which are essential to the existence of Christ's Church and Kingdom
have remained among men. This is their theory. We have a theory which
is opposite to theirs.

Vol. 25, p.130
The first revelation that Joseph Smith received from the Lord, was
that men were teaching for doctrine the commandments and precepts of
men, and that He [the Lord] did not acknowledge their institutions as
His Church or Kingdom, and told Joseph to join none of them.

Vol. 25, p.130
Here then you see, we have two propositions presented to us; if one is
true the other must be false; [p.131] both cannot be correct. If the
theory held by the Christian world be true, then there appears no
necessity for such a work as we ascribe to Joseph Smith being
performed; for if the Kingdom of God has continued upon the earth from
the days of Jesus until the present, then there would be no need of
any one being raised up to establish that which was already here; and
proving that there was no necessity for such a work as that ascribed
to Joseph Smith would be a big stride towards proving that he was an
impostor. But if we can show that the theory held by the Christian
world is incorrect,—if we can prove that there has been an
apostasy,—that men have been following for doctrine the commandments
of men; if we can prove that Christ's Church and Kingdom were not upon
the earth at the time Joseph Smith's Mission commenced—then the
necessity of such a work as we claim he performed, becomes apparent;
and if there is a necessity for such a work as the restoration of the
Kingdom of God to the Earth, may not Joseph Smith have been the
instrument in the hands of God, in performing that work?

Vol. 25, p.131
Let us consider the question then—Has there been an apostasy? We
cannot examine this subject in detail. All we shall be able to do, is
to briefly refer to some of those prophecies which relate to the
subject. We begin by calling your attention to the 24th chapter of
Isaiah, commencing with the 4th verse: "The earth mourneth and fadeth
away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the
earth do languish.

Vol. 25, p.131
"The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they
have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, broken the
everlasting covenant.

Vol. 25, p.131
"Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell
therein are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are
burned, and few men are left."

Vol. 25, p.131
I have had men in the world try to reason away the force of this
prophecy, in the following manner: They reminded us that Isaiah lived
in the Mosaic dispensation, when the law of carnal commandments was in
force; and claim that it was of this carnal law of which Isaiah
spake—it was the law of Moses that was to be transgressed; the Mosaic
ordinances which were to be changed; the Mosaic covenant which was to
be broken. These assertions, however, are incorrect—from the fact that
the, Mosaic law never was considered, by those who understood it, "an
everlasting covenant." It was given for a special purpose, and when it
had accomplished that purpose, it was laid aside.

Vol. 25, p.131
We read from Galatians, 3rd chapter and 8th verse:

Vol. 25, p.131
"And the Scriptures foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham: saying: In
thee shall all nations be blessed."

Vol. 25, p.131
From this it appears that the Gospel was preached unto Abraham. In the
4th chapter of Hebrews and 2nd verse, Paul in speaking of ancient
Israel, says:

Vol. 25, p.131
"For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the
word preached, did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them
that heard it." Not only then was the Gospel preached unto Abraham,
but also unto the children of Israel. Now, let us go back to the 3rd
chapter of Galatians, for Paul having stated that the Gospel was
preached unto Abraham, asks this question (19th verse):

Vol. 25, p.132
"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of [p.132]
transgression, till seed should come to whom the promise was made."

Vol. 25, p.132
Added to what? Added to the Gospel, which before that time had been
preached unto Abraham, and also to ancient Israel. But the Israelites
under Moses, were unable to live the perfect law of the Gospel, were
not strong enough to overcome evil with good, as the Gospel requires,
so a law of carnal commandments was "added" to the Gospel—a law which
included the principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"—a
law which was suited to their capacity. Paul still speaking of this
subject in the same chapter of Galatians, already quoted, (23rd
verse), says:

Vol. 25, p.132
"Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith
which should afterwards be revealed.

Vol. 25, p.132
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that
we might be justified by faith.

Vol. 25, p.132
"But after that faith has come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster."

Vol. 25, p.132
From these passages of Scripture, we learn this: The Gospel was
preached to Abraham, and also to ancient Israel. The Israelites were
unable to live the law of the Gospel —so a law of carnal commandments,
known as the law of Moses, was given as a school-master to bring them
up to the higher law: Christ came and introduced that higher-law—the
Gospel, explained its precepts, and pointed out the difference between
it and the law of Moses. The Gospel took the place of the law of
Moses, which was laid aside, having fulfilled the object for which it
was added to the Gospel. If then the law of Moses was not an
everlasting covenant, this prophecy of Isaiah's, which we are
considering, does not relate to it, as the prophecy of Isaiah was
concerning an everlasting Covenant.

Vol. 25, p.132
We find in Hebrews xiii, 20, the following: "Now the God of peace that
brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the
sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you
perfect," etc.

Vol. 25, p.132
From this we learn that Christ's blood is called the blood of the
everlasting covenant. Paul in writing to Titus, gives us to understand
that he lived "In hope of eternal life, which God who cannot lie,
promised before the world began," and this immortal life which God had
promised—this everlasting covenant which God had made with man before
the world began, was sealed by the blood of Christ, and this life and
immortality were brought to light through the Gospel—and is called in
the Scripture, the everlasting Gospel or covenant; and Isaiah says
that the laws of the everlasting covenant, or the Gospel laws, shall
be transgressed, the Gospel ordinances Shall be changed: and in
consequence of these serious transgressions, the earth is to be
burned, and few men left; which judgment still is hanging over the
inhabitants of the earth. Having proven then that this prophecy of
Isaiah's refers to the Gospel, and not to the law of Moses, let us
remember that Jesus said, "Though heaven and earth pass away, not one
jot or tittle of my word shall fail, but all shall be fulfilled."
Either Isaiah was mistaken when he spake as moved upon by the Holy
Ghost, in relation to the world departing from that order of things
inaugurated by the Savior, or else the Christian world is incorrect in
maintaining that the Gospel in all that is essential, has continued
from the days of Jesus to the present time.

Vol. 25, p.133
[p.133] Some few noted Christian writers more candid than their
fellows, have freely admitted the apostasy of Christendom. We will
introduce their testimony. John Wesley in his 94th sermon, says:

Vol. 25, p.133
The reason why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost are no longer
in the church, "is because the love of many waxed cold, and the
Christians had turned heathens again, and had only a dead form left:"

Vol. 25, p.133
The following quotation is taken from page 163, of Smith's Dictionary
of the Bible. This work is indorsed by the names of 63 divines of both
Europe and ,America, all noted for their scholarship. They say:

Vol. 25, p.133
"We must not expect to see the Church of Holy Scripture actually
existing in its perfection upon the earth. It is not to be found thus
perfect, either in the collected fragments of Christendom, or still
less in any one of those fragments." This is a frank acknowledgment of
all that we claim as to the apostasy of the primitive Church. Christ
and his Apostles established the Church upon the earth, in the days of
their ministry, and now we are told that it is not to be found even in
the collected fragments of Christendom—that is, take the principles of
truth which each sect possesses, and put them all together, and yet
from this collection of truths we would not find the Gospel of Christ.
Let us then take them at their word: they have but a dead form
left—"The Church of Christ is not to be found on the earth." These
admissions on the part of the prominent writers of Christendom,
coupled with the sure prophecy of Isaiah, forces us to the conclusion
that men have corrupted the Gospel, as taught by Christ and the
Apostles—that there has been an apostasy, and it must needs be that
God set up His Kingdom again upon the earth.

Vol. 25, p.133
By examination, we shall find that the Scriptures predict the
restoration of the Gospel. It pleased the Almighty, while His servant
John was on the Isle of Patmos, to show him many things that would
transpire in the future. While wrapped in heavenly vision, he saw,
among other things, "Another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having
the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell upon the earth, to
every nation, kindred, tongue and people, saying with a loud voice,
fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of His judgment is
come." It appears from this passage of Scripture, which you will find
in the 14th chapter of Revelation, that the angel who is to come with
the Gospel, will make his appearance just prior to the judgments of
God being poured out upon the children of men in the last days—"in the
hour of God's judgment." This Gospel was not to be preached merely to
one nation or people, but to EVERY nation, every kindred, every
tongue, and every people. It is evident to my mind, that all nations,
tongues and peoples must have been without the Gospel, or why would it
be necessary for the Lord to restore it by the ministry of an angel to
all peoples and tongues, if any of them possessed it? There is another
prophet who has predicted the setting up of God's Kingdom upon the
earth in the last days. I refer to Daniel, the Hebrew prophet, who was
among the captive Jews, who were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon, by
King Nebuchadnezzar, about six hundred years B.C. The Lord gave unto
this same king of Babylon a wonderful dream, but he had forgotten it.
He assembled all his wise men and [p.134] magicians, and demanded that
they tell him his dream, and the interpretation thereof. If they
failed to do so, death was to be the penalty. This produced great
consternation among the wise men, but the Lord revealed the thing to
Daniel, who came before the king, with the dream, and the
interpretation of it.

Vol. 25, p.134
The king saw a great image, the head of which was gold; the arms and
chest of silver; the trunk of brass; the legs of iron; the feet and
toes, part of iron and part of potter's clay. He also saw a little
stone, cut out of the mountains without hands, which smote the image
on the feet and toes, and broke them in pieces; then was the iron, the
clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken to pieces, and became
as the chaff of the summer's threshing floor, and the wind carried
them away, but the little stone became a great mountain and filled the
whole earth. Such was the dream. Daniel in giving the interpretation
thereof, said unto Nebuchadnezzar, "Thou, O king! art a king of kings;
for the God of heaven hath given time a kingdom, power and strength
and glory; * * * thou art this head of gold." (Daniel 2, verses 37 and
38.) The head of this great image, therefore, was the Babylonian
kingdom, which flourished in the sixth and seventh centuries, B.C.,
but in 538 B.C., it was destroyed. Daniel continues "And after
thee"—Nebuchadnezzar —"shall arise another kingdom, inferior to thee."
(Verse 39.) The Medo-Persian Empire succeeded the Babylonian kingdom,
and continued from 535 to 531, B.C., and is represented by the chest
and arms of silver in the great image.

Vol. 25, p.134
Again we quote: "And another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear
rule over all the earth." (Verse 39.) The Macedonian Empire succeeded
the Medo-Persian, being founded by Alexander the Great, and did "bear
rule" over the then known world, continuing until 161, B.C.

Vol. 25, p.134
"And the fourth kingdom," says Daniel, "shall be strong as iron; for
as much as iron breaketh in pieces, and subdueth all things, and as
iron breaketh, all these things shall it," the fourth kingdom, "break
in pieces and bruise." (Verse 40.) The Macedonian Empire, founded by
Alexander the Great, was pushed out of existence by the Roman Empire,
which entirely supplanted it in 161, B.C. The Roman nation is the
fourth great nation seen by Nebuchadnezzar in the image, and is
represented by the legs of iron; and as iron breaketh in pieces, all
other metals, so the Roman nation broke in pieces the other kingdoms
of the earth.

Vol. 25, p.134
We still have left the feet and toes of the image, which are part of
iron and part of clay. What kingdom or kingdoms do they represent

Vol. 25, p.134
In the year 364 A. D., the Roman Empire was divided between
Valentinian and Valens. The western part of the empire was assailed by
the Goths, Vandals, Huns, and other tribes inhabiting the north part
of Europe, until it was utterly destroyed 483, A. D. From its ruins
arose those kingdoms and empires, which, to-day, occupy the western
part of Europe.

Vol. 25, p.134
The eastern part of the Roman Empire was destroyed by the invasions of
the Saracens, and out of this part of ancient Rome has Sprung the
kingdoms which now occupy the east of Europe, and the west of Asia.

Vol. 25, p.135
The old Roman Empire, then, represented in the image by the legs
[p.135] of iron, was divided and subdivided, until the kingdoms
represented by the feet and toes of this image are in existence.
Concerning these feet and toes, Daniel says, "And whereas thou sawest
iron mixed with miry clay. THEY" Who? Why those nations which sprung
up out of the ruins of the Roman Empire—"they shall mingle themselves
with the seed of men, but they shall not cleave one to another, even
as iron is not mixed with clay." The nations now in existence marry
and intermarry—"mingle themselves with the seed of men," striving in
this manner to unite their interest and avert calamity, but all in
vain; they do not cleave together any more than hard pieces of iron
will dissolve and become one substance with clay. We have now traced
this prophecy down to our own times—to the kingdoms that exist in our
own days. What comes next? Why, says Daniel, "In the days of these
kings," represented by the feet and toes of the image, "shall the God
of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the
kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in
pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."

Vol. 25, p.135
Not only, then, does John tell us that the Gospel, in the hour of
God's judgment, shall be restored to the earth by the ministry of an
angel, but the Prophet Daniel has proclaimed to us, that in the last
days,) for he says —2nd chapter, 28th verse—"There is a God who maketh
known unto the king, what shall be in the latter days;") the God of
heaven would set up His kingdom, and has given us the assurance that
it would stand for ever. No handwriting will ever appear upon the
walls of the temples of that kingdom, saying the kingdom is divided
and given to another people. Whatever may be our fate as individuals,
we may rest assured the Kingdom of God has come to stay.

Vol. 25, p.135
Having shown from the Scriptures not only that there would be a
universal apostasy, but also a restoration of the Gospel, and the
setting up of the Kingdom of God in the last days, we are now at
liberty to inquire what the reasons of men are for rejecting Joseph
Smith as God's instrument in accomplishing this work.

Vol. 25, p.135
Is the fact that Joseph Smith was rejected by the world, hated and
persecuted by thousands, any evidence against his being the chosen
servant of God, to accomplish the mighty work of setting up the
Kingdom of God upon the earth in the last days? Let history answer
that question. How have the servants of God been received in all ages
of the world? Much in the same way that Joseph Smith was. Paul, in
speaking of the Prophets, tells us, "They were stoned, they were sawn
asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about
in sheep skins and goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented."
(Heb. iv, 37, 38). Jesus was hated and despised by the world, and
finally put to death by the wicked. His Apostles and disciples fared
but little better. Concerning the Apostles, Paul says: "We are fools
for Christ's sake, * * even unto this present time we both hunger and
thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling
place; and labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless;
being persecuted we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat; we are made
as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto
this day." (1 Cor. iv.) Was Joseph Smith despised any more [p.136]
than these ancient servants of God were? But Jesus says: "Blessed are
ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from
their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil,
for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy;
for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in like manner did
their fathers unto the prophets. Woe unto you when all men shall speak
well of you; for so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Luke
vi, 22, 26).

Vol. 25, p.136
On another occasion the same Great Teacher said to His disciples: "If
the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If
ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are
not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore
the world hateth you." And does not the same principle hold good
to-day? And if Joseph Smith was indeed God's servant, would not the
world hate him? This principle also holds good when applied to the
people of God as a whole. If the Latter-day Saints were as vile and
corrupt, or as ungodly as they are represented to be by their enemies,
if they were as licentious as they are said to be—then as God lives
they would be of the world: and if of the world, and the principle
which Jesus laid down be true, then the world would love them: but
from the fact that this people are hated of the world, we have an
assurance that they are not of the world: but God hath chosen them out
of the world, and the world hate them.

Vol. 25, p.136
That Joseph Smith was despised, rejected, and persecuted by men, is no
valid objection to his being the honored servant of God. I have heard
other objections urged against Joseph Smith: such as that he was
unlearned—uneducated in the wisdom of the world—and this was true.
That is, in his youth he was unlettered, and his scholastic
attainments were limited, but as he grew to manhood, his lack of
education could scarcely be complained of, as he proved himself able
to cope with all the scholars of the age.

Vol. 25, p.136
It is also alleged that both he and his followers were men that came
from the humble walks of life, and were not among the lawyers, the
rulers, and the professors. The same objections were urged against
Jesus and His followers—His Apostles. But what does such an objection
amount to? Are not these the class of men that God has almost
invariably called to perform His work? I read the following passage
from the first Chapter of I. Corinthians:

Vol. 25, p.136
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.

Vol. 25, p.136
"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the
things that are mighty;

Vol. 25, p.136
"And base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God
chosen; yea, and the things which are not, to bring to naught things
that are: that no flesh might glory in His presence."

Vol. 25, p.136
To say, then, that Joseph Smith's estate was lowly, and that he was
unlearned when called to the work of God, instead of being a valid
objection against him, is, to the contrary, an evidence in his favor.

Vol. 25, p.136
Having thus disposed of the objections made against his being a good
man and a servant of God, let us next inquire into  the evidence of
his being an instrument in the hands of God, in restoring the Gospel,
and [p.137] setting up the Kingdom of God upon the earth. What
evidences have the Latter-day Saints to offer to the world that he
accomplished this important work? First, the work itself: the
institution which he organized—it is an exact fac simile of that which
Christ instituted when He ministered upon the earth. Did the ancient
Apostles teach faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of the
world—did they teach salvation in His name? Yes, and so do we! Did
they teach repentance, which includes the forsaking of sin? Yes, and
so do we! Did they teach baptism by immersion for the remission of
sin? and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost?
the resurrection of the dead and future rewards and punishments? Yes,
and so do we!

Vol. 25, p.137
Did they have in the Church Apostles, Prophets, Seventies, Elders,
Bishops, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, and Deacons—together with
other helps and governments in the Church organization? Yes, and the
same are in the Church of Christ to-day, which Joseph Smith, under
God, has organized on the earth.

Vol. 25, p.137
Did the ancient Saints enjoy the spiritual gifts and blessings of the
Gospel—the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, faith, healing, tongues,
interpretations, discerning of spirits, revelation, prophecy,
visitation of angels, etc.? Yes: and do the Latter-day Saints enjoy
these things? You know they do, for you are witnesses of these
things—then this institution exactly resembles that which Jesus
established upon the earth when He was here. It is the same in its
principles and ordinances; its officers and organization; and the same
results—the same gifts and graces grow out of obedience to its
requirements. If you compare the institution known as the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with that institution described in
the New Testament, you will find they correspond with each other, as
face answers to face in the mirror. This feat of organizing a Church
which should in every respect resemble that of Christ's, has been the
ambition of the learned and pious reformers for centuries past; but
they have failed. The world, however, are now compelled to admit one
or the other of the two following conclusions: Either Joseph Smith,
unlettered youth though he was, has so far out-stripped the learning
and wisdom of ages, and by the power of his own genius accomplished
that which genius aided by scholarship could not do in previous
centuries; or else they must Conclude that God has in very deed again
spoken from heaven, and revealed the Gospel and the organization of
His Kingdom, through Joseph Smith. The first conclusion is absurd; the
second is the true solution of the mystery, and thousands testify of
it.

Vol. 25, p.137
Another reason I would offer to sustain his being called of God, is
—he started right. I have seen a motto somewhere, which reads: "Well
begun, is half done."

Vol. 25, p.137
Jesus, when among His disciples on one occasion, appeared curious to
know what people thought of Him; so He said to His Apostles, "Whom do
men say that I, the Son of Man, am!" He was answered, that some said
He was John the Baptist, others Elias, or one of the prophets. "But
whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God." "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona," said Jesus,
"for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my father
which is in heaven: * * * and upon this rock will I build my church,
and the [p.138] gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt.
xvi.) What was that "rock" upon which the Church was to be built? It
was upon the principle of God revealing unto men that Jesus was the
Christ—the principle of revelation.

Vol. 25, p.138
In the Spring of 1820, Joseph Smith, in obedience to the instruction
given in James—"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who
giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given
him"—was praying in the woods to the Father, when he was suddenly
enwrapped in a glorious vision. He saw a pillar of light descending
from heaven—it rested upon him—its brightness exceeded the brightness
of the null at noon-day. In the midst of this glorious light stood two
personages: each resembling the other. One standing a little above the
other, pointing to the one below him said: "This is my beloved son;
hear ye him."—"Blessed art thou, Peter, for flesh and blood hath not
revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven." The same
could be said to Joseph Smith now, for the Father had revealed the Son
to him. "And upon this rock will I build my Church." Hence we say
Joseph Smith started upon the very principle upon which Jesus said He
would build His Church.

Vol. 25, p.138
Not only did Joseph start right, but he continued right. John, the
Revelator, said that an angel would bring the everlasting Gospel to
the earth in the hour of God's judgment; Joseph Smith declares that
the angel Moroni, who had been one of the ancient Prophets upon this
American continent, came to him, and taught him many principles of the
Gospel, and also delivered to him the metallic plates containing the
Book of Mormon, in which is contained the "fullness of the everlasting
Gospel. Thus was the Gospel restored to the earth, according to the
prediction of the Scripture. John made the prediction; Joseph Smith
declares its fulfillment.

Vol. 25, p.138
Furthermore, he received the authority to administer in the ordinances
of this Gospel as the Scriptures direct. He did not take the honor
upon himself, for the Scriptures forbid that. I will read from the 5th
chapter of Hebrews, 4th verse. Paul, speaking of those who minister in
the things pertaining to God, says:

Vol. 25, p.138
"And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of
God, as was Aaron."

Vol. 25, p.138
The question now for our consideration is, how was Aaron called For if
we can find out how he was called, we shall then know how all other
men must be called before they have authority to administer in the
Gospel. Suppose that on the Statute books of Utah Territory, we should
find a law which said, "No man shall be governor of Utah, except he be
appointed as was Governor Young." If that law was in force, what would
we do if we were without a governor, and wanted one? We would turn
back in the history of Utah, and find how Governor Young was
appointed, and then appoint one the same way; very well, let us do the
same thing in the case before us, as they are parallel cases. How was
Aaron called? We read in the 4th chapter of Exodus, that the Lord
called Moses to go and deliver Israel out of Egypt. Moses excused
himself, and desired the Lord to send some one else, as he was not
eloquent, but slow of speech. This angered the Lord, and He said, "Who
hath made man's mouth?" And the Lord promised to be with [p.139] him,
and teach him what he should say. Still Moses shrank; so the Lord
says, "Is not Aaron, the Levite, thy brother? I know that he can speak
well. *  *  And he shall be thy spokesman to the people, and he shall
be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of a
God." On another occasion, when further authority was granted to
Aaron, the word of the Lord came through Moses, saying, "Take thou
unto thee, Aaron, thy brother; and his sons with him from among the
children of Israel, that he may administer unto me in the Priest's
office," etc. (Exodus, 28th chapter.) From this, then, we learn that
Aaron was called by the word of God coming to a Prophet of God,
calling him to administer in things pertaining to God; and Paul states
the law—no man taketh this honor unto himself, except he be called in
the same way that Aaron was. Joseph Smith was called according to this
law. John the Baptist, a Prophet of God, who had held the Priesthood
of Aaron when on the earth, came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery,
and placing his hands upon their heads, ordained them to the Aaronic
Priesthood, which gave them authority to preach repentance, and
baptize for the remission of sins. Subsequently, Peter, James and John
came, and conferred the apostleship upon them, which gave them the
authority to build up the Kingdom of God in all the world. Thus he
received his authority of God according to the Gospel law relating to
this matter.

Vol. 25, p.139
But let us come to more positive proof than we have yet considered.

Vol. 25, p.139
I read from the 84th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, 64th
verse, the Lord in speaking to the first Elders of the Church, makes
this promise unto them through Joseph Smith: "Therefore, as I said
unto mine Apostles, I say unto you again, that every soul that
believeth on your words, and is baptized by water for the remission of
sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost."

Vol. 25, p.139
Here, now, is a promise than an impostor dare not make. It is placed
within the reach of all men to test the truth whether Joseph Smith was
authorized to make such a promise or not. It is just as much a test as
that which Jesus gave to the people in His day, when He taught them in
their temples, saying, "If any man will do the will of my Father in
Heaven, he shall know of the doctrine, whether I speak of myself or of
Him who sent me." So now we are told by this modern teacher, that if
we believe on his words, and are baptized, we shall receive the Holy
Ghost. If this promise is not fulfilled, then it proves beyond all
controversy that the person making it is an impostor. But seeing it is
something that man cannot bestow upon another by his own power, if the
promise is fulfilled, and men do receive the Holy Ghost, then it in
positive evidence that Joseph was authorized of God to make that
promise. Thousands can testify that this promise has been fulfilled.
Most of you in this hall, if called upon, would doubtless testify
that. you have received the gift and power of the Holy Ghost. For one
I can bear testimony that I have received the Holy Ghost, through
obedience to the Gospel. It has expanded my mind, and enabled me to
understand many of the principles connected with the Church and
Kingdom of God. I have frequently felt it thrill from the crown of my
head to the soles of my feet. I could as soon doubt the existence of
the sunlight, as doubt the existence of the Holy Ghost within me, and
which I have [p.140] received in fulfillment of this promise in the
Doctrine and Covenants.

Vol. 25, p.140
But I read further, in the same section, "And these signs shall follow
them that believe: In my name they shall do many wonderful works; in
my name they shall cast out devils; in my name they shall heal the
sick; in my name they shall open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the
ears of the deaf; and the tongue of the dumb shall speak; and if any
man shall minister poison unto them, it shall not hurt them; and the
poison of a serpent shall not have power to harm them. But a
commandment I give unto them, that they shall not boast themselves of
these things, neither speak them before the world." That is, we shall
not boast before the world that God has promised to deliver us from
these things. We may learn a lesson from Jesus on this subject—The
devil took Him to the pinnacle of the temple, and now, said he, if
thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, I will
give mine angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands shall they
bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. "It
is also written," replied Jesus, "thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God." So to-day, we shall not boast ourselves of these things, and
tempt the Lord.

Vol. 25, p.140
But are these signs and blessings in the Church which Joseph Smith
established? You, my brethren and sisters, know they are: you know
that it is a common thing to send for the Elders to administer to the
sick, and they are healed, and thousands in Utah, and hundreds
throughout the world, can testify that they have seen the power of God
manifest in the Church. If these promises made through Joseph Smith,
had not been realized, it would have proven him an impostor; their
being fulfilled, is an evidence that he was called of God.

Vol. 25, p.140
The Lord gave Unto ancient Israel a rule by which they might prove the
men who spoke to them in the name of the Lord, that they might know
whether God had sent them or not; you will find it in the 18th chapter
of Deuteronomy, 22nd verse.

Vol. 25, p.140
"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow
not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not
spoken; but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not
be afraid of him."

Vol. 25, p.140
This, then, was the test made; if their prophecies failed to come to
pass when the wheel of time brought them due, the Lord had not sent
them. If their prophecies were fulfilled, then Israel might know that
the Lord had sent them. Since it is claimed that Joseph Smith is a
Prophet of God, let us try him by this rule. Many of his predictions
are on record, let us examine them. We must confine ourselves to a
few, however, for lack of time prevents us from making a very
extensive examination.

Vol. 25, p.140
I call your attention to a prediction recorded in section 103, of the
Doctrine and Covenants, verses 5, 6 and 7.

Vol. 25, p.140
"But verily I say unto you, that I have decreed a decree, which my
people shall realize, inasmuch as they hearken from this very hour
unto the counsel which I, the Lord their God, shall give unto them.
Behold they shall, for I have decreed it, begin to prevail against
mine enemies from this very hour; and by hearkening to observe all the
words which I, the Lord  their God, shall speak unto them, they shall
never cease to prevail, until the kingdoms of the world are subdued
[p.141] under my feet, and the earth is given unto the Saints to
possess it for ever and for ever."

Vol. 25, p.141
This prophecy was given in February, 1834—a few months after the
Saints were driven from Jackson County, Missouri. Now, take the
history of the Saints from that time until the present, and to my
mind, it appears to be one continual series of triumphs. The Saints
being driven from Jackson County, did not stop the progress of the
Kingdom of God. The Gospel was preached more extensively, and the
fruits of the Elders' labors were more abundant; and when five years
later the Saints were expelled from the State of Missouri, 12,000 were
driven instead of 1,200 as in the drivings in Jackson County. The only
visible effect of their expulsion from Missouri, was to give the work
fresh impetus. The exiled Saints settled in Illinois, started to build
a great city, and began the erection of a noble temple, at the same
time sending the Gospel to the European nations. Eight years after,
when they were again obliged to move, instead of 12,000 going, there
were 20,000 that began their march for the West. They settled in these
mountains, and although great difficulties have had to be surmounted,
still the work of God has been growing; and if the Saints had to move
again, 150,000 would leave their homes—so persecution has not stayed
the work of God.

Vol. 25, p.141
Again; when the Saints were in Missouri, they had but one temple;
to-day we have one temple completed and several more in course of
erection—some of which will soon be finished.

Vol. 25, p.141
In 1833 they drove our fathers from a single county in Missouri; five
years later it was found that they had possession of several counties.

Vol. 25, p.141
In 1846, they drove our parents from a single city and its
surroundings; they came to the wilderness, and founded a Territory
which we possess; and we are spreading over into the surrounding
States and Territories, and to-day the cry of Zion's children is—"Give
us room that we may dwell!" We have prevailed against every
obstacle—the prophecy so far has been fulfilled; and if we will but
hearken to the counsels of God, we shall never cease to triumph, until
the kingdoms of this world are the kingdoms of our God and His Christ.

Vol. 25, p.141
In Sec. 8, of the Doctrine and Covenants, is the remarkable prophecy
of Joseph Smith's, relating to the great rebellion of the Southern
States. Before I read that part of the prophecy of which I wish more
particularly to speak, I will pave the way for it. When reasoning with
infidels on the truth of the Jewish Scriptures, I have often alluded
to the many prophecies in the Bible, and then have shown from history
that these predictions have been verified—hence they were inspired.
They would generally try to destroy the force of my argument by
claiming that the predictions were made after the events had
transpired; that is, they were not predictions in fact, but were
written by fanatics to deceive mankind. But I wish to show my young
brethren this prophecy on the war of the rebellion cannot be
overthrown by such assumptions as these, to which I have just alluded.

Vol. 25, p.141
This revelation and prophecy on war, was given December 25, 1832; the
events it predicts did not commence until 1861—29 years after the
prophecy was made. I have heard several of the leading Elders of the
Church say, they carried with them manuscript copies of that prophecy
in their preaching tours [p.142] throughout the States, and
occasionally would read it to the people: better still—in the year
1851, Elder F. D. Richards published in England a book called, "The
Pearl of Great Price ;" among other interesting matter it contained,
was this prophecy on war. This was nine years before the war it
predicted began. As this book was widely circulated both in Europe and
America, no one can ever use the old infidel argument against it—that
is, that the prediction was made after the event had occurred.

Vol. 25, p.142
I read from the Book of Covenants:

Vol. 25, p.142
"Verily thus saith the Lord, concerning the wars that shall shortly
come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which
shall eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls. The
days will come when war will be poured out on all nations, beginning
at that place:

Vol. 25, p.142
"For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern
States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the
nation of Great Britain as it is called, and they shall also call upon
other nations in order to defend themselves against other nations; and
then war shall be poured out upon all nations."

Vol. 25, p.142
We have already shown that this prediction was made a number of years
before it began to be fulfilled. It now remains for us to prove that
the events spoken of, actually occurred.

Vol. 25, p.142
It is a matter of history that the first gun fired "in the late
unpleasantness, was fired upon Fort Sumpter, from a rebel battery in
South Carolina, and from there the war spread to other States. The
trouble started, then, where Joseph Smith said it would begin—South
Carolina.

Vol. 25, p.142
It was to "end in the death and misery of many souls." This, however,
was contrary to the expectations both of the North and the South. The
South claimed that in a short time they would be able to compel the
North to acknowledge them as an independent nation. While Abraham
Lincoln was equally confident in his ability to put his foot upon the
neck of the Rebellion and crush out its life; his first levy for
troops was only for 90,000 men, for 90 days. But whatever the
expectations of men might be, the Lord had said the war should "end in
the death and misery of many souls." All who are acquainted with the
history of the Rebellion know that it thus ended.

Vol. 25, p.142
I, myself, have visited many of the battle grounds in the Southern
States. Not long ago I was on the battle field of Shiloh, on the
Tennessee River, where 20,000 men were killed in two days: I have also
passed over the battle fields around Nashville, Franklin, and
Murfreesboro; also over Missionary Ridge, Chiamaugel, and Mount
Lookout. Last summer I visited Richmond, and passed over that part of
country where the Battles of the Wilderness were fought, where over
three hundred thousand men laid down their lives in their respective
causes; and as I called to mind the thousands who had been slain on
these battle fields I have mentioned, and many others—said: The fact
that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, is written in characters of
blood to this generation, and yet they regard it not.

Vol. 25, p.142
But this war was to end in the "misery of many souls," and when I
called to mind the sorrow of the sister who looked in  vain for the
return of the brother—the companion of her childhood—when I thought of
the tears that had [p.143] fretted channels in the pale cheek of the
mother who looked in vain for the return of her son, who in the
buoyancy of youth had gone to do battle in his country's cause—when I
thought of the wife, who still watched and waited for the return of
him whose strong' arm was to be her support through life's dreary
march—when I called to mind all the anguish these hearts felt, I
exclaimed—That Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, is witnessed by the
tears and heart-rending sobs of these multitudes who have looked and
waited in vain for the return of their loved Ones.

Vol. 25, p.143
The Southern States were to call on Great Britain to assist them. Did
they do it? Yes. The Southern States Confederacy sent two men, Messrs.
Mason and Slidell, to negotiate with the English government, with the
view of getting assistance; but they were captured and brought back to
the United States. This is a familiar matter of history. England, too,
was to call upon other nations to protect themselves against other
nations. Has this been done? To answer that question we have but to
allude to the treaties now existing between Great Britain and other
European nations. Thus you see this prophecy, so far as we have read
it, has been minutely fulfilled—fulfilled in every particular, and the
rest of it will be, so fast as the wheels of time shall bring the
events due; and the fulfillment of these prophecies prove beyond
controversy, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and "spake as he
was moved upon by the Holy Ghost."

Vol. 25, p.143
There is just one more item I will refer to, and then close.

Vol. 25, p.143
It was always a strange thing to me, that Joseph Smith should have to
lay down his life, until I found the following passage of Scripture:
it is contained in the 9th chapter of Hebrews, 16 and 17 verses:

Vol. 25, p.143
"For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death
of the testator.

Vol. 25, p.143
"For a testament is of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of no
strength at all while the testator liveth."

Vol. 25, p.143
Joseph was the instrument through which God ushered in the
dispensation of the fullness of times —the greatest of all
dispensations—in which God will complete His work, pertaining to the
salvation of men on the earth; it was a great work—Joseph was to
testify of it—and "where a testament is there must needs be," says
Paul, "the death of the testator." So when Joseph Smith fell by the
old well-curb at Carthage jail, pierced by the bullets of assassins,
he placed the capstone upon his mission by sealing it with his
blood—and from that time henceforth it is in force on all the world.
[p.144]

Orson Pratt, May 11, 1878

A Church of Order—The Lord's Promises Sure—People Prepared
 By Dreams and Visions to Receive the Elders—Gifts Received 
and Others Yet to Be Received—Blessings to Be Obtained
 By Faith—Great Promises

Delivered at a Conference in Paris, Bear Lake,
 May 11, 1878.

(Reported By James H. Hart)

Vol. 25, p.144
I am pleased to have the opportunity and privilege of speaking to you
this morning, and I hope to have your attention while I endeavor to
lay before you principles pertaining to salvation and eternal life,
and set forth those characteristics that mark the people of God in
contradistinction to the people of the world. I hope to be so explicit
that you may all understand, and that you may each receive your
portion of the Bread of Life in due season.

Vol. 25, p.144
The Church of Jesus Christ is a Church of order, in which it is
necessary that some persons have authority to teach and counsel and
preside. The authority of the church in this Stake, is held by Prest.
Wm. Budge, who represents the leaders of the church, and is expected
to reflect their feelings and spirit upon the people under his
presidency. And I must say I feel pleased with the spirit that seems
to prevail in this Stake of Zion, which is an evidence that you have
been blessed of the Lord, through the ministrations of His servants.
And there are still greater blessings offered those who will seek
after them with all their heart; some of which can only be received by
earnest faith and prayer.

Vol. 25, p.144
The Prophets, Patriarchs and Saints in olden times received great and
glorious blessings, and why should we not be blessed, the same as they
were blessed? But some will begin to doubt, and say, such and such
blessings were truly given to persons many years ago, but perhaps they
are not promised to me. Do we not worship the same God, that they
worshipped? Have we not obeyed the same Gospel and received of the
same spirit? When you Elders have gone forth on missions, have not the
promises of the Lord been fulfilled in your behalf? It depends on
ourselves whether we will receive the glorious blessings of the Gospel
or not. If we are faithful and diligent in serving the Lord, His
promises are sure, and His blessings will certainly be poured out on
the humble and obedient.

Vol. 25, p.144
Those who have been sent on missions to the nations of the earth have
had abundant proof that the Lord is ready and willing to pour out His
blessings upon them. You were promised that the angels should go
before you, and open the hearts of the people to receive you; and when
you have gone among a strange people, some of them have recognized you
 through the dreams and [p.145] vision s given them from the Almighty,
and they have said: "I know you are a servant of the Lord, for you
were shown to me in the night vision." These and other blessings are
given to us on condition that we are diligent and faithful. If we fail
to receive them, the failure is not on the part of the Lord, nor in
His servants who preside over us, but the fault lies in ourselves
alone.

Vol. 25, p.145
This failure to realize all the blessings and powers of the Priesthood
does not apply to the elders and lesser Priesthood only; but it
applies to the higher quorums, and comes home to ourselves, who are
Apostles of Jesus Christ. We are presented before the Church, and
sustained as prophets, seers and revelators, and we have received
oftentimes the gift of prophecy and revelation, and have received many
great and glorious gifts. But have we received the fullness of the
blessings to which we are entitled? No, we have not. Who, among the
Apostles have become seers, and enjoy all the gifts and powers
pertaining to that calling? Still it is our privilege to become
prophets, seers and revelators, for these blessings were promised us
through the Prophet Joseph, in the year 1836. Now I don't think many
of us have attained to these gifts, but it is not the fault of the
Almighty, but the fault is in ourselves. And can they be realized by
us? Certainly they can, if we are faithful in seeking for them. The
Prophet Joseph would not have attained to these glorious gifts if he
had not lived for them, and he would not have held out these
inducements to us, unless they could have been obtained. These things
were renewed at our last fall Conference, and they are brought home to
us, and it is our privilege to live for them and enjoy them in their
fullness, according to our faith. Brother Charles C. Rich has had
visions from the Lord, and revelations through which he has been
forewarned of dangers that threatened him; by which means his life has
been preserved from time to time. And these are some of the gifts of
God, and should be cultivated in our feelings and in our faith, for
God is no respecter of persons, but is willing to give to all men
liberally, and upbraid not. But all cannot be Apostles. Some have to
take the presidency in different ages. Enoch was chosen in his day,
and Abraham and Moses in theirs, and Joseph in our day, and unto him
was given the power to translate the ancient records, and to bring
forth abundance of revelations. And those who are called to perform
special missions in opening up dispensations of the Gospel to the
children of men, as Joseph and others were called of the Lord, He
endows more fully with these gifts; but this does not hinder others
from enjoying similar gifts according to His promises, and according
to our faithfulness. And I have thought the reason why we have not
enjoyed these gifts more fully is, because we have not sought for them
as diligently as we ought. I speak for one, I have not sought as
diligently as I might have done. More than forty years have passed
away since these promises were made. I have been blessed with some
revelations and prophecies, and with dreams of things that have come
to pass; but as to seeing things as a seer, and beholding heavenly
things in open vision, I have not attained to these things. And who is
to blame for this? Not the Lord; not brother Joseph—they are not to
blame. And so it is with the promises made to you in your
confirmations and endowments, and by the patriarchs, in your
patriarchal [p.146] blessings; we do not live up to our privileges as
saints of God and elders of Israel; for though we receive many
blessings that are promised to us, we do not receive them in their
fullness, because we do not seek for them as diligently and faithfully
as we should.

Vol. 25, p.146
The work in which we are engaged has occupied the attention of the
Prophets in all ages, and they have prophecied concerning it, and have
rejoiced in contemplating the day and age in which we live. The
Prophet Isaiah says: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of
them that bringeth good tidings; that saith unto Zion thy God
reigneth. The watchmen shall lift up the voice, with the voice
together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord
shall bring again Zion."

Vol. 25, p.146
It is through faith we are made partakers of these glorious blessings,
for by faith all the blessings promised are to be obtained; by faith
the holy men of old obtained promises pertaining to future
generations, and by faith the Gospel has been restored to the earth,
with the gifts and powers of the holy Priesthood, with the promise
that it shall never be taken from the earth. Joseph, who was sold into
Egypt, through his righteousness and faith obtained great promises
concerning his seed who should dwell upon this land. And through faith
a portion of his seed was brought from Jerusalem and led by the
Almighty on the borders of the Red Sea, and brought over the great
deep unto a land that is choice above all other lands. By faith the
Nephites received the ministrations of the Savior after His
resurrection from the dead, through the covenants  made with their
fathers. By faith the brother of Jared saw the wonders of eternity,
and saw the time when the wicked would be destroyed from the face of
the earth; and like Enoch, Abraham, Moses and others, saw all things
that were to take place upon the earth to the end of time. This
latter-day work which occupies our attention, was shown to the
prophets thousands of years before we were born. Don't you suppose
they prayed for it, and sought unto the Lord to know when these things
should come to pass, and what should be the sign of His coming, and
the end of the world? Through faith covenants were made with the
Nephite prophets, that the sacred records should be preserved, and
should come forth in the last days for the blessing and salvation of
their posterity, and all others who would receive them. It has been
our privilege to receive these sacred things, and have withal the
fullness of the Everlasting Gospel, and if we have the faith that was
in them, and live as Saints of God, we shall not be careless and
indifferent, but our souls will be filled with joy and gladness,
because of the many mercies and blessings that are promised to us, in
our calling as elders and priests, and as seers and revelators. If we
lived fully up to our privileges, and attained to all the blessings
and powers that are promised, and were filled with the spirit of the
Lord, we should have more influence, and our ministrations would be of
more benefit to the people of God.

Vol. 25, p.146
I am glad the Lord has spared my life to behold this day, and that I
am numbered among His people, a people who have been acknowledged of
the Lord as His chosen people. We should all feel thankful for living
prophets and apostles, who  have been given for the work of the
ministry, and for the perfecting of the Saints. I rejoice, moreover,
[p.147] that the First Presidency of the Church has again been
organized, for by the more perfect organization we receive greater
strength and wisdom, and more abundant blessings from the Lord, and I
think this increase in faith and union, and other manifestations of
the spirit are felt in this Conference. Every man and woman can feel a
renewed influence and power, and it is felt in all the quorums of the
Priesthood. And it is our privilege to so live that we may come into
possession of all the promised blessings. Among the blessings promised
by our Lord Jesus Christ, unto those who humble themselves, and seek
unto him, is that "You shall see my face, and know that I am." This
does not mean the Apostles only, but the promise is to every
Latter-day Saint who will comply with the conditions, that such person
"shall see my face, and know that I am." These are some of the
promises that have been made to the Latter-day Saints through the
Prophet Joseph Smith. The same promise was made to ancient Israel,
through Moses, the great law-giver and Prophet who promised that they
should all hear his voice, and see his face, if they would hearken to
his counsels, and obey all His commandments. The promise was not to
the Priesthood only, but every son and daughter of God had the same
promise, because all are destined to come into the presence of God,
and behold the glory of His countenance. If we would attain to these
blessings, and enjoy the fullness of the promises made unto the people
of God, we must cleanse ourselves from all unrighteousness, that we
may endure His presence in the world of glory.

Vol. 25, p.147
For this reason it was ordered that a tabernacle be built in the
wilderness; but such was the wickedness of the people, that while the
glory of the Lord was resting on the mountain, and Moses was holding
communion with Jehovah in the interests of the people, they had
induced Aaron to make a golden calf for them to worship, in place of
the true and living God. And the consequence was, they were deprived
of the presence of the Lord in their journeyings, for He made a decree
that He would not go before the camp, "but mine angel shall go before
them, lest I consume them in the land."

Vol. 25, p.147
The Lord has been very kind and merciful unto His people in these last
days. He has known the hearts of this people, and that we are willing
to serve Him. He saw that we were willing to suffer persecution for
His sake, and the Gospel's sake, and for this cause He has poured out
His blessings upon us in great abundance, and I hope when these
Temples shall be built, and we minister therein, and receive the
blessings promised us for ourselves and for our dead, that we shall be
more united, and that we shall receive more fully the gifts and
endowments that pertain to the sons and daughters of God. And then
peradventure He will condescend to bless us with His presence, as He
blessed His Saints in the Temple at Kirtland, and the presence and
glory of His holy angels. It has been promised to Israel in these
latter days, that the Lord Himself will go before them, and lead and
guide them, and fight their battles and deliver them from all their
enemies. What a glorious promise? and we may be assured that there
will be nothing lacking on the part of our Eternal Father, nor in
Jesus Christ, His Son, and the holy angels, for all are interested
with us in the progress and consummation of this great and [p.148]
glorious latter-day work, for it is the dispensation of the fullness
of times.

Vol. 25, p.148
How great will be our joy when we attain to these blessings, and
realize these promises that have been made to us. The Lord will dwell
in the midst of His people, and the angels will be with us, with the
ministrations of our Father in heaven; these are privileges and
blessings indeed, that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and the glory
thereof hath not entered in the heart of man to conceive, but the Lord
hath revealed them unto us by His spirit. Then we shall hear His
voice, and see His face, and know that He exists, for we shall see His
glory and participate with the sanctified in the powers of the world
to come, for being heirs of God we shall be joint heirs with our Lord
Jesus Christ, and having suffered with Him for righteousness sake, we
shall also reign with Him in glory.

Vol. 25, p.148
In conclusion, let me exhort you to turn to the Lord, and serve Him
with full purpose of heart, and be willing to consecrate yourselves
and all you have unto His service, and so live that you can perfect
the bond of union that will secure unto you eternal lite, and bring
honor and glory to Him that sitteth upon the throne for ever and ever.
That this may be your happy lot, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus
Christ, Amen.

George Q. Cannon, May 4, 1884

Kind of God the Saints Believe In—Skepticism in the World—Miracles not
 Due to a Suspension of Law—Results of Faith Exercised By the Saints
—Providence in Their Favor—Ideas As to the Form and Attributes
 of Heavenly Beings—How Joseph Smith Obtained His 
Knowledge—What Our Faith Has Cost

Delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Evening,
 (Quarterly Conference, Salt Lake Stake), May 4th, 1884.

(Reported By John Irvine)

Vol. 25, p.148
In arising to address you, my brethren and sisters, this evening, I
desire an interest in your faith and prayers, that I may be led to
speak upon those points of doctrine or of principles, that are adapted
to our wants and to the circumstances which surround us.

Vol. 25, p.148
It is a great responsibility to arise as a teacher to a great people
like those who have assembled within this house this  evening,
especially to [p.149] speak in the name of the Lord, and I do not
believe that any man should do this unless he can have the assistance
of that spirit which God has promised to bestow upon His servants.

Vol. 25, p.149
We who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
believe in God; not a God who lived a few thousand years ago, but a
God who lives to-day; a God who has a voice with which to speak
to-day, and who has arms and a head, and bodily as well as spiritual
powers, who can communicate His mind and His will unto His children,
with the same facility in the days in which we live as He did in the
days of the Savior and His disciples. or in the days of the prophets.
If there is any feature characteristic of the present age that is more
notable than another, it is the decay of faith in God. It is a
characteristic of our age and time, and it is one that is increasingly
manifesting itself among what are termed the Christian nations. I have
myself frequently—especially of late years—been struck with the
contrast between the present unbelief and the faith concerning God,
which existed in the days when I first went out to preach the Gospel,
or in the days of my youth. Skepticism is increasing on every hand,
and if it were not for this Church, and the faith that is cherished by
the Latter-day Saints, and which they are endeavoring to instil into
the minds of their children, and of all unto whom they have access,
there would be no Church of which I have any knowledge that, as a
church, believes in God our Eternal Father, as he is described in the
Scriptures—a God who can hear and answer—literally answer—the prayers
of those who address Him in faith. The idea has become very prevalent
of late years, in the so-called Christian world, that God does not
interfere by any special providence in behalf of any people or of any
individual; that He governs the universe and the earth upon which we
stand, and the inhabitants of which we form a part, by grand and
universal laws, and that those laws are never over-ruled. In other
words, that there is no special interposition of providence in behalf
of individuals or of peoples, but that the Lord rules by those grand
laws which are applicable. to all, and which all have to submit to,
and that He does not concern Himself to listen unto the appeals of
individuals in behalf of themselves, or of those in whom they are
interested, or to have any special providence extended unto nations;
and it is this feature of belief that causes mankind who are familiar
with us, to entertain such ideas respecting our future as they
frequently indulge in. You will often hear it said—I have heard it
stated I may say hundreds of times when I have spoken to friends who
are not of our faith, concerning the interposition of providence in
our behalf; and the faith that we had respecting the deliverances that
would be wrought out for us—I have been told that God is on the side
of the strongest battalions, that God is on the side of the heaviest
artillery; that God is on the side of the greatest numbers; and I have
often provoked smiles of incredulity by the simple statement of our
faith in God, and our hopes and anticipations concerning the care that
He had had over us, the deliverances which He has wrought out for us,
and the promises that He had made unto us concerning the future.

Vol. 25, p.149
Upon this point and in this respect we differ, as I have remarked,
from every people with whom I am acquainted—in this feature of our
[p.150] religion, this implicit trust in a God who can hear and who
can answer prayer, in a God who is not on the side of the greatest
numbers, unless the greatest numbers are in the right; in a God whose
power is not exerted in behalf of the strongest battalions, nor of the
heaviest artillery, unless the strongest battalions and the heaviest
artillery are in the right. We believe, as it has sometimes been
stated, that God and one man are a great majority, and that when He
purposes to accomplish a certain work, all the powers of earth and the
powers of hell combined cannot prevent the accomplishment of that
work; that there is no power that can by any possibility defeat His
purposes; and that He will interpose by the exercise of His Almighty
power in behalf of the individual, in behalf of the community, or in
behalf of the nation concerning whom He has spoken, and who are
seeking to do his will. We have proved this, at least to our own
satisfaction. The history of the people is full of illustrations of
the most remarkable character establishing this truth, so far as we
are concerned beyond all controversy; and I am happy to say that this
faith is increasing instead of decreasing among the Latter-day Saints.
I am happy in this knowledge. In my associations with our people in
various places, I find that there is a steady growth of faith in that
God whom we worship, and in His power to save and to deliver us, and
in his power to bless us and to grant unto us the righteous desires of
our hearts. This does not necessarily require a suspension of law. It
was no suspension of law on the part of our Savior, that caused Him to
gather from the elements the bread and the fishes necessary to feed
the multitude. It was no suspension of law that caused Him to open the
eyes of the blind, or to cause the sick to be healed. It was no
suspension of law that caused Him to ascend in the sight of His
disciples after His resurrection when He visited them. I know that
miracles are said to be a suspension of law; but instead of their
being a suspension of law, they are due to a knowledge of a higher
law, to a comprehension of greater laws, by the knowledge of which,
what are called miracles are wrought. To a person who never saw the
effect of electricity, if he were in this Tabernacle and were to see
these lights kindled instantaneously by the touch of electricity—a
person who did not understand the laws of electricity, would say, "Why
this is miraculous." Or to an ignorant person, a person who knew
nothing of the law of electricity, it would seem marvelous that one
standing at the end of a wire, stretched under the ocean could, by
touching that wire, communicate a distance of nearly 3,000 miles, and
could talk to a person at the other end of the wire. Had this been
mentioned in the days of our forefathers, they would have declared it
was an impossibility. Such power would have been miraculous in their
eyes, and they would have said that such a thing was contrary to all
known laws concerning the transmission of sound and thought; but to us
who understand this law—or if we do not understand it, who see the
operations of electricity; who know that we can go to the telegraph
office and send a message to Europe from this city, and get a reply
within a few hours; in fact, receive it here at a time of the day
earlier than it was transmitted from there, which is frequently done.
We, who witness this, no longer look upon it as a miracle,  or as a
suspension of law, or a violation of the laws which [p.151] govern the
transmission of sound or thought. We accept it because we have become
familiar with it. And so, if we understood the law by which Jesus
operated when He fed the multitude, it would be as simple to us as the
law of electricity is today. If we understood the law by which the
sick were healed, and sight restored to the blind, or by which He
counteracted the laws of gravitation, and ascended in the sight of His
disciples into heaven—if we understood these laws, they would be
simple to us, as all laws are when they are understood.

Vol. 25, p.151
There is no suspension of law on the part of our Father when He
interposes in behalf of His children. He has ministering spirits who
minister unto those, as the Apostle tells us, who shall be heirs of
salvation. Jesus conveys the idea very beautifully, when He says, that
not one hair of our heads falls to the ground unnoticed. This was the
kind of faith which He taught His disciples, and it is the kind of
faith that was believed in by the ancients, by those who wrote the
Bible, by those who wrote the Book of Mormon, and it is the faith that
is transmitted to us, which God is endeavoring to establish in the
hearts of the children of men, to bring them nearer to Him, and enable
them to partake of that power which He is willing to bestow upon men,
if they will follow after Him.

Vol. 25, p.151
As I have said, the history of this Church is full of instances of
this character. When we started out from the State of Illinois, and
crossed the Mississippi when it was frozen over, the leading men of
this Church, sending their wagons on with the few goods they had, they
launched forth into a wilderness, not knowing where they were going.
Moses and the children of Israel, when they left Egypt, had a more
definite idea of their destination than the Latter-day Saints had,
when they left Illinois; because the children of Israel knew that the
promises which had been made to their father Abraham, concerning
Canaan, (and which was the residence of the heads of their tribes)
must be fulfilled. The traditions of the people led them to look back
to Canaan, as the land which they would eventually inherit. But there
were no such traditions for us to lean upon. Before the people
stretched an unihabited wilderness, two thousand miles in extent,
concerning which but little was known, but the people had no
hesitation. God had spoken by the mouth of His servant Joseph Smith,
the Prophet, concerning the Latter-day Saints, that they should be in
the Rocky Mountains, and should become a numerous people, a great
people. The Twelve Apostles who then presided over the Church. were
led by the Spirit of God to organize the people into companies, and to
encourage them to look forward to a journey in the wilderness to a
land to which God would lead us, and that when we should find it, we
should know it was the land that He designed for us. There were
inviting places in Iowa, for Iowa was then comparatively uninhabited.
We followed Indian trails with our wagons, for there was no regular
wagon road. We built bridges across the streams of o a—that is,
streams that were not fordable—over which to take our wagons and
cattle. The whole country was a waste. The Latter-day Saints might,
had they chosen, have settled there, but the voice of the Spirit was
not to settle there. We crossed the Missouri River, remained during
the winter upon its banks, and then in the spring [p.152] the pioneers
launched out through what is now the State of Nebraska, which was then
Indian Territory. The fertility of those plains did not tempt them to
make that their abiding place, but they pressed on, not a man in the
company knowing where they were going, not a man in the company who
had ever trod the ground before, or who knew anything, by practical
experience, of the character of the region upon which they were
entering.

Vol. 25, p.152
Now, this was faith in God. It is easy to say, after it has been
demonstrated that settlements could be made in these mountains—that
crops could be raised—it is easy to say that this was not much of an
undertaking. I am reminded of a story told of Columbus. After be had
made the discovery of America, and returned to Spain, upon one
occasion, while at a banquet with a number of Spanish grandees, some
one made light of the discovery he had made, of the voyage that he had
undertaken, and the result of it. He picked up an egg that was lying
near, and asked which of them could make that egg stand on end. They
all tried it, but failed; they could not make the egg stand on end. He
thereupon took the egg, knocked it on the table, and flattened it, and
made the egg stand. "Gentlemen," said he, "it is easy to make an egg
stand on end when you know how to do it." It is easy to discover a
land after it has been discovered. It is easy to talk about the
settlement of these valleys, and that which has been done here; after
the work has been accomplished and the problem has been solved; after
it has been demonstrated beyond all possible doubt that this country
is habitable, that these valleys will produce crops to sustain human
life and that these streams that flow from the mountains can be used
for the irrigating of these lands, and used successfully. But there
was a time when there was a doubt concerning this. When the pioneers
reached this valley, there was no doubt in the mind of the man who led
the people, whatever there might be in the minds of others. His mind
was clear, and the whole people felt that he had the right from God,
as His servant, to designate the spot. They had faith to believe that
God would sustain them in doing what they were told, and they planted
themselves on this spot, having faith in God, believing that He would
hear them, believing that He had heard them, believing that he would
still continue to protect them, and fulfill all His promises which He
had made, and they proved then, if they had not proved before, that
God the Eternal Father is a God nigh at hand and not afar off. And
when the crickets came down, as they did in 1848, in myriads front the
mountains, blackening the whole face of the valley, sweeping off
during one night fields of grain that were as promising as fields
could be, and leaving them as bare as the palm of a man's hand, even
then their faith did not fail: they still had confidence that that God
who had led them thus far would still continue to preserve them, and
would supply their wants; and when it seemed as though their faith had
been tried to the very uttermost, when the last point had been
reached, God interposed by a very natural means. He did not come down
Himself, that is in our sight, for us to see Him visibly; His angels
did not come for us to see them visibly; but He sent the gulls who
came by thousands, and devoured those crickets, leaving them in heaps
along the edges of the  water ditches. Having eaten their fill, they
then [p.153] vomited, and having eaten again, vomited again, and thus
continued the work of devouring, until every field was clear of those
destructive insects. Now, an unbeliever might not have seen the hand
of God in this, but the hearts of the Latter-day Saints did see His
hand, and profound gratitude was aroused. Prayers of thanksgiving
ascended unto the God of heaven for His interposition in our behalf.
The people felt that their God was still near to them, that He still
heard and answered their prayers, and granted unto them the desires of
their hearts.

Vol. 25, p.153
And thus it has been from that day until the present time.
Notwithstanding the many measures that have been taken against us as a
people, the many plots that have seemed so promising to those who
framed them concerning the destruction of the Latter-day Saints; when
it has seemed that destruction was inevitable, that no power could
save us, God has interposed by His wonderful power and we have
escaped, and to-day, notwithstanding these many efforts, we are a free
people in the mountains, having the privilege, that God said we should
have, of worshipping Him, and enjoying peace and prosperity, if we
would but continue to put our trust in him and keep His commandments;
so that to day, throughout all these valleys, from one end to the
other, there is a people found who, notwithstanding all the threats
that are fulminated, all the projects that are started, all the
efforts that are made to destroy us as a religious organization, to
break down our liberties, to rob us of those rights which are dear to
every man who has been born free—notwithstanding these threats, a
reign of peace and undisturbed quiet prevails throughout all these
valleys, in the breasts, in the houses, in the family circles, of all
the Latter-day Saints from one end of this land to the other. A
grander exhibition of faith, a more sublime exhibition of confidence
in God cannot be witnessed anywhere upon the face of the earth, than
is afforded by the example of the Latter-day Saints. They do bear
witness unto the heavens, unto God the Eternal Father, unto holy
angels, and unto all men, that whatever unbelief may prevail
elsewhere, whatever the feelings of skepticism may be in other lands,
and among other peoples, they at least have, unwaveringly and
un-doubtingly, relied upon His glorious promises, and are willing to
trust him to the very uttermost, believing that He is indeed a God who
is, as I have said, near at hand and not afar off. In fact, outside of
this people you can scarcely find a man or a woman who has any clear
conception concerning God Himself. You ask members of churches, "What
is your God like? Who is the Being whom you worship?"—and the reply,
doubtless, of many, would be, "great is the mystery of godliness. That
is something we do not comprehend." It is a forbidden topic, almost.
You ask ministers of religion concerning the character and form of
God, and how few there are who will attempt to make any sort of a
reasonable answer. They have no idea, scarcely. Do they believe Him to
be a personal being? I have scarcely ever found a professing Christian
who did believe this. They say God is a spirit. True enough. But has
God no powers? Is God a diffused substance, filling all creation? That
is the idea that many have. And you get the professed Christian and
the professed infidel, and let each of them talk about God, and they
are [p.154] as near together as it is possible to be. The infidel who
has no faith in God, believes in nature. The Christian, who professes
to believe in God, if he attempts to define his God, will describe him
something as an infidel would the creative power.

Vol. 25, p.154
But what is the truth concerning God? Let us hear what Moses says:—

Vol. 25, p.154
"And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of
the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Vol. 25, p.154
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he
him; male and female created he them."

Vol. 25, p.154
What could be plainer than this! "God created man in his own image, in
the image of God created he him: male and female created he them."
Again Moses says:

Vol. 25, p.154
"This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God
created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

Vol. 25, p.154
"Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their
name Adam, in the day when they were created."

Vol. 25, p.154
Yet with this Bible in their hands, you will scarcely find a professed
Christian who believes this statement of Moses, that God created man
in his own image, notwithstanding the fact that Paul in two or three
places in his epistles, actually says that Jesus is the express image
of his Father's person. He wrote so to the Galatians. He wrote so to
the Hebrews. He told them that Jesus, Christ was the express image of
God his Father. And we have the fact recorded, that Abraham talked
with God, and that Abraham plead with God. You remember the occasion
when three personages came down and visited Abraham. Abraham it is
said, talked with the Lord, and plead with Him concerning the
destruction which was about to come upon Sodom. He plead that if there
should be fifty righteous men found in Sodom, would He spare the city?
He plead that if there should be but forty-five, or forty, or thirty,
or twenty, and finally he came down to ten—that if ten righteous men
were found, would He spare the city? and He promised He would. He
talked with Him as one man talketh with another. Again, we have the
record of Moses in Exodus, where he tells us that the seventy Elders
of Israel ate and drank in the presence of the God of Israel. We have
the statement also that the two tables of stones which contained the
law and the testimony, were written by the finger of God, by his own
finger. Arid when Moses plead with Him that He might see His person,
He told hint that he should see His back parts; but His face should
not be seen. He gave that promise to Moses, and Moses saw His person.

Vol. 25, p.154
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom we worship as God, was a man
like unto us, so much so that his divinity was not recognized through
any external signs by the Jews. There was nothing about his person
that they could discover that would make Him a God, the creator of the
heavens and the earth, any more than the Sandwich Islanders could
discover in the person of Captain Cook, who discovered their Islands.
They believed him to be a god when he first came in their midst; but
he showed signs of mortal fear, by which they knew he was not a god,
and they slew him. The Jews tested, as they thought most thoroughly,
the divinity of Jesus. [p.155] When they hung Him upon the cross, they
said mockingly, "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross."
They assumed that they would believe and accept Him as the Son of God,
if He would come down from the cross. He was in all respects a man, so
far as the outward appearance was concerned; His  exterior was that of
a man but, nevertheless, He was a God. He was the first begotten Son
of the Eternal Father, who sits enthroned in glory and majesty,
surrounded by burning fire. He was the Son of that Being, and was the
express image of His person, like Him, having a head, having the
senses that men have, having all the bodily features that we have, and
His Father was precisely like Him, or He, in other words, was
precisely like His Father. There is nothing more plainly conveyed and
taught than this in the Scriptures of divine truth, the Bible, and yet
men professing to teach godliness and to teach God, endeavor to
destroy that feeling and that faith in the minds of the people.

Vol. 25, p.155
When such misconceptions as these exist in the minds of the children
of men, of course there cannot be correct faith exercised; men who do
not know to whom to go, on whom to call, or to whom to pray. "This is
eternal life," says Jesus, "that they might know thee the only true
God and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent." That was eternal life—to
know Him, to comprehend Him, to understand the Being that gave us
life, that created us. Therefore, when a man understands this he goes
to God with perfect confidence. He asks God as he would his earthly
father for that which he desires.

Vol. 25, p.155
My brethren and sisters, it is a glorious truth that has been taught
to us, that we are literally the children of God, that we are his
literal descendants, as Jesus was literally descended from Him, and
that He is our Father as much as our earthly parent is our father, and
we can go to Him with a feeling of nearness, knowing this,
understanding it by the revelations which God has given to us.

Vol. 25, p.155
I would like to read to you a little to refresh your minds and to show
you how this faith which had been so long lost to the earth was
restored; for the memory of it—the memory of what God was like, had
died out of the human mind. Hundreds of years had elapsed since any
man had seen God. All that was known, therefore, respecting Him, His
personality and His attributes, was that which was written in the
Bible; but through the spiritualizing that had taken place, through
the attachment of double meanings to the plain word of God, it caused
the truth to fade away from men's minds. There was no man upon the
earth of whom we have any knowledge, who could tell any thing about
God, or about an angel. As I remarked here a few Sundays ago, the
general idea that prevailed in regard to angels was, that they were
half fowl, that they were men or women with feathered wings growing
out of their backs. I know that there are creatures referred to in the
Scriptures, who have wings, but they are not men, they are not angels,
such as come and minister unto the human family. Yet you will see in
all the pictorial representations of angels in our family Bibles
beings dressed somewhat like a woman, with features resembling those
of a woman, and with feathered wings growing out on their backs. These
ideas became common, and still prevail throughout Christian nations.

Vol. 25, p.156
Now, as I have said, the true [p.156] conception of God, like the true
conception of angels, had vanished from the minds of the children of
men. But Joseph Smith, prompted by the Spirit of God, chosen, as I
fully believe, as the old prophets were, from before the beginning of
the world, to lay the foundation of this great latter-day work, was
moved upon to inquire of God. I will read a little of what is said
concerning this:

Vol. 25, p.156
"While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties, caused by the
contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the
Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any
of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth unto men liberally
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Never did any passage
of Scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at
this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every
feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that
if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not
know; and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, would never
know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood
the same passage so differently as to destroy all confidence in
settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to
the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or
else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came
to the determination to ask of God, concluding that if He gave wisdom
to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally and not upbraid,
I might venture. So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask
of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the
morning of a beautiful clear day, early in the spring of 1820. It was
the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst
all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

Vol. 25, p.156
"After I had retired into the place where I had previously designed to
go, having looked around me and finding myself alone, I kneeled down
and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely
done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which
entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to
bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered
around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to
sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to
deliver me out of the power of this enemy, which had seized upon me,
and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and
abandon myself to destruction, not to an imaginary ruin, but to the
power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such a
marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being. Just at this
moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head,
above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it
fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from
the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two
personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing
above me in the air. One of them spake unto me by name, and said
(pointing to the other) THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR HIM.

Vol. 25, p.156
"My object in going to enquire of the Lord, was to know which of all
the sects was right, that I might [p.157] know which to join. No
sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to
speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light,
which of all the sects was right; (for at this time it had never
entered into my heart that all were wrong), and which I should join. I
was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong,
and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an
abomination in His sight; that those professors were all corrupt, they
draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;
they teach for doctrine the commandments of men, having a term of
godliness, but they deny the power thereof.

Vol. 25, p.157
"He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things
did he say unto me which I cannot write at this time. When I came to
myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into
heaven."

Vol. 25, p.157
Here is the testimony of one who actually saw the Father and the Son.
They were as described by all who have seen them—literal personages,
personages with tabernacles, the Son being the express image of the
Father. John the Revelator, also saw one that was like unto the Son of
Man. He describes his person. You remember that he fell down and
worshipped an angel upon one occasion, thinking it was the Lord, and
the angel forbade him doing so, telling him that he must not worship
him, that he was one of his fellow-servants, the prophets. John,
however, had a correct conception of the great truth that the Son was
in the exact image of His Father.

Vol. 25, p.157
Now, not only have we this testimony, but we have the testimony of
others concerning this matter. Doubtless you will remember, my
brethren and sisters, what is said respecting this in the vision that
has come to us. It was a vision that was seen by Joseph Smith and
Sidney Rigdon. To them was revealed the eventual fate of the various
inhabitants of the earth, the various glories and kingdoms which our
Father and God has in reserve for His children. Now, say they:

Vol. 25, p.157
"And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes
of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about;

Vol. 25, p.157
"And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father,
and received of his fullness;

Vol. 25, p.157
"And saw the holy angels and they who are sanctified, before the
throne, worshipping God and the Lamb, who worship Hint for ever and
ever;

Vol. 25, p.157
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of Him,
this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of Him, that He
lives;

Vol. 25, p.157
"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—

Vol. 25, p.157
"That by Him, and through Him, and of Him the worlds were and are
created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters
unto God."

Vol. 25, p.157
These two men of our day (fifty-two years ago last February) beheld
the Son of God—Jesus, the Only Begotten—and they saw Him at the right
hand of the Father, occupying the position that has always been
assigned to Him, and in the express image of His Father's person, as
He is described by all who have seen Him. After this, Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery both saw the Savior, and both testified as to His
person. This was on April 3rd [p.158] 1836, after the completion of
the Kirtland Temple.

Vol. 25, p.158
"The vail was taken from our minds," say they, "and the eyes of our
understanding were opened.

Vol. 25, p.158
"We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit before us,
and under His feet was a paved work of pure gold in color like amber.

Vol. 25, p.158
"His eyes were as a flame of fire, the hair of His head was white like
the pure snow, His countenance shone above the brightness of the sun,
and His voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even
the voice of Jehovah, saying—

Vol. 25, p.158
"I am the first and the last, I am He who liveth, I am He who was
slain, I am your advocate with the Father."

Vol. 25, p.158
Oliver Cowdery, as well as Joseph Smith, saw this vision; they beheld
this glorious personage, even the Son of God, when He accepted the
Kirtland Temple after its dedication. These witnesses are also
supplemented by hundreds of others who have beheld in vision and
otherwise, glorious personages in these last days. There are men alive
who have beheld the Son of God, who have heard His voice, and who have
been ministered unto by Him in this our day and generation. In the
face of these testimonies, which cannot be impeached successfully, is
it any wonder that faith grows in the hearts of the people of God, the
Latter-day Saints? That notwithstanding the growth of skepticism
outside of this Church, faith continues to manifest itself and find
lodgment in the hearts of the Latter-day Saints? But just as faith
grows among the Latter-day Saints, as a natural consequence faith will
decrease in the hearts of those who reject this testimony concerning
the truth. This was the crime, the great sin, at least, of the Jewish
nation. Light came into the world, but men chose darkness rather than
light; therefore the light that was in them became darkness. The
Jewish nation became abandoned to hardness of heart and unbelief. They
were left to be a prey to that spirit of unbelief which they
encouraged, until they rejected God, until they rejected the Son of
God, with all His divinity, with His great miracles, with His mighty
power, with His pure and spotless life—they rejected Him, they slew
Him, and the light that was in them became darkness. He bestowed
remarkable power upon those who received His word and they increased
in faith; but those unto whom they preached, those who heard their
testimony and rejected it, became a prey to that other influence, the
power of darkness, the power of Satan, and they shed the blood of
innocence, and I am sorry to say that this is the case at the present
time with our own nation. The blood of righteous men has been cruelly,
inhumanly shed upon this free soil. This man who beheld these visions;
this man, the first for hundreds of years who described, who could
describe the personage of God, who could say that he beheld Him, who
arose as a mighty witness in the midst of this generation to say of a
truth that God lived, that Jesus lived; this man was cruelly,
treacherously and inhumanly murdered; and murdered, too, under the
pledged honor of one of the sovereign States of this our nation; the
Governor of the State himself, pledging his own honor and the honor of
the State that he (Joseph Smith) should be protected, but he was
cruelly slain like the prophets who had gone before, who had  borne
[p.159] a similar testimony. He sealed his testimony with his blood,
declaring to the very last that that which he had testified of was the
truth, willing to die if it were necessary, to seal his testimony and
render it so unimpeachable that it never could be questioned from that
time forward. This man was thus slain, and who is there that has been
punished for it? No more than the murderers of the Prophets were
punished in ancient days, no more than the murderers of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ were punished, no more has it been the case in
this instance. No, his blood still stains the soil, still cries, with
the blood of all the martyrs, unto God in heaven for vengeance on his
guilty murderers. And the testimony that he bore has been borne by
others, and in like manner others have shared that fate. Our reverend
President, who sits to-night in this place, his blood stains the same
soil. He himself narrowly escaped the same fate. In the providence of
God he was spared for a wise purpose, and has lived among us until
this day—a living martyr, a living witness of the cruelty of man
towards those who testify that God lives.

Vol. 25, p.159
My brethren and sisters, the faith that we have received has cost the
best blood of this century. The faith that we have received cost the
blood of the Son of God when He taught it to men upon the earth. The
faith that we have received cost the blood of Isaiah, of Jeremiah, and
of others of the prophets who were slain for the truths that they
declared. It has always been a costly sacrifice, this teaching of the
truth unto the human family. The adversary has been determined that a
knowledge of God shall not spread among the people if he can prevent
it. He killed Jesus, he killed every one of His apostles that he
could, until throughout the wide earth there was no man who could
stand up and say to the people, "Thus saith the Lord," or who could
stand up in the authority of the Priesthood of the Son of God and say,
"I am God's servant, and this is God's will, God having revealed it to
me." They stopped the mouths of all such. They closed them in death.
No one was left that they could reach. Then, when the heavens became
as brass over the heads of the children of men, a church arose having
a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, until to-day,
throughout Christendom, men who profess to be ministers of Jesus
Christ, do not know anything about Him, have no communication with
Him. A king with embassadors here, and these embassadors receive no
communication from the court which authorizes them. What nonsense!
Whoever heard of such a thing? Is there anything in this book (the
Bible) which hints at such a thing? Who ever heard of a servant of God
having no knowledge of him, no revelation from him? There is no such
thing in this book. It is reserved for men in the nineteenth century,
and preceding centuries, to arise and make such claims as these, and
who can believe them?

Vol. 25, p.159
Now, God has restored the everlasting Gospel to the earth. He has told
the children of men that if they will come unto Him and obey His
commandments, they shall receive a testimony of the truth of this
work, as in times of old, through the gift and power of the Holy
Ghost. They do not need to depend on Joseph Smith if he were here, or
Oliver Cowdery, or Sidney Rigdon. Others have been administered to.
Others have received the Holy Ghost. [p.160] This is the privilege of
every human being who will keep the commandments of the Almighty. It
is not the privilege of all to see the Father at present, or to see
the Son. Our faith is not strong enough, but it is growing. But it is
the privilege of every human being to receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost, if he or she will obey the commandments of God. This is a
privilege that is universal. It is like the air that we breathe. It is
like the light that illumines our eyes. So with the gift of the Holy
Ghost. It is given to every soul that will bow in submission to the
will of God, keep his commandments, and have the ordinances
administered by one whom God recognizes as his servant. It is this, my
brethren and sisters, that is the glorious feature of the work in
which we are engaged. It is this that should stimulate us, and fill us
with faith. Let men do as they please concerning this work of our God,
God has made promises concerning it. His word cannot fail. He hears
and answers the prayers of His children. He is near at hand and not
far off, and He will interpose by His wonderful providence, invisible
to those who do not see His hand and do not have His Spirit, but
visible to those who are enlightened by his Spirit, so that they can
see and acknowledge the manifestations of God in their behalf. And
thus are we led, and thus we shall be led until, emerging from this
darkness, emerging from this unbelief, we shall be ushered into the
fullness of the glory of our God, and dwell with him eternally, if we
are faithful to the covenants which we have made, which I ask may be
the case in the name of Jesus, Amen.

John Taylor, June 15, 1884

Temples—Requirements Made of Those Who Seek to Enter Temples
—A Woman States Her Case to President Taylor, in Which Arises Some
Singular
 and Serious Questions—The Saints Ought to Be Progressing—They Should
Seek to
Do the Will of God—Duties of Presiding Officers—Evil Doers Should Be
 Brought to Account and Dealt With—God is Merciful—the Celestial
Kingdom

Delivered in the Tabernacle, Cache County, Sunday Afternoon,
June 15th, 1884.

Reported By John Irvine

Vol. 25, p.160
I have been very much interested while listening to the remarks made
by the brethren who have addressed us, and  certain thoughts have
passed [p.161] through my mind associated therewith, which it may not
be amiss, in part at least, to make known.

Vol. 25, p.161
There are certain circumstances which take place in our associations
with the things of God that tend to lead our minds to reflection and
thought. We have been building a temple here. We have exerted
ourselves for a number of years for the accomplishment of that object.
We have completed it, it has been accepted by the Lord, and we are now
administering therein. In these administrations there are many things
that tend to lead men to thought and reflection. We meet in our
congregations as we are doing here to-day, and in thus meeting we pass
along through the common routine of religious duties which devolve
upon us; but when we go into those sacred places there are certain
requirements made of us, that, whether we may have thought about these
things before or not, are then brought to our remembrance. In the
first place people desirous to go and attend to ordinances in these
houses, must have a recommendation from their Bishop. That is one of
those—I was going to say—ugly facts. That is, ugly to those who are
not prepared to pass through that ordeal, whose lives have been
careless, whose actions have been improper, and whose standing perhaps
is precarious—that is one of those facts that must be faced. Then when
they have obtained this recommendation from the Bishop, it must be
endorsed by the President of the Stake, and after that have the
sanction of the President of the Church. This is quite an ordeal for
many men to go through. For men and women who are upright, virtuous
and honorable, it is a very simple matter; there is no difficulty in
their way at any time; but to those who have been careless of their
duties, who have departed from the laws of God, and who have tampered
with, or violated the ordinances of the Gospel—to such people it is a
critical time. However, there is something far more difficult than
that yet to come. That is only a starting point in these matters. The
things that are ahead are a great deal more difficult to accomplish.
What are they? The time will come when we shall not only have to pass
by those officers whom I have referred to—say, to have the sanction
and approval of our Bishop, of the President of the Stake and of the
President of the Church—but we are told in this book [the Book of
Doctrine and Covenants] that we shall have to pass by the angels and
the Gods. We may have squeezed through the other; we may have got
along tolerably well, and been passed and acted upon, and sometimes a
"tight squeak" at that; but how will it be when we get on the other
side, and we have the angels and the Gods to pass by before we can
enter into our exaltation? If we cannot pass, what then? Well, we
cannot, that is all. And if we carnet, shall we be able to enter into
our exaltation? I think not. What do you think about it?

Vol. 25, p.161
A great many things of this kind are continually presenting,
themselves before me. All kinds of cases are brought to my attention,
and some of them are of a very serious nature. I had a case only this
morning. I am not going to mention names, nor to expose persons; but
it was a case of a sister who had been married to a man, actually
sealed to him, in the Endowment House. The man, from what I was given
to understand—of course I