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Title: Discourses of Brigham Young
Author: Brigham Young
Editor: John Andreas Widtsoe
Release date: September 20, 2024 [eBook #74447]
Language: English
Original publication: Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company
Credits: Produced by Tom Nysetvold for the Mormon Texts Project mormontextsproject.org
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISCOURSES OF BRIGHAM YOUNG ***
Discourses
of
Brigham Young
SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH
OF JESUS CHRIST
OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
"I am called to preach the Gospel of Life and Salvation."
--_Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 11_
-----
Selected and Arranged
By
JOHN A. WIDTSOE
-----
Salt Lake City, Utah
PREFACE
BRIGHAM YOUNG, second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, and first Governor of Utah, was the founder and
chief builder of the Great Intermountain West of the United States of
America. He is recognized as one of the foremost colonizers and empire
builders of all time. His unsurpassed methods of conquering for human
use the Great American Desert, have been adopted to some degree by all
who, since his day, have been engaged in the reclamation and settlement
of unoccupied lands, especially under a low rainfall. Statesmen,
scholars and business men have acclaimed the leadership, organizing
power and sound philosophy which brought social and economic happiness
to the people who were led into the wilderness by Brigham Young. He not
only brought contentment to the people, gathered from many lands, but
he guided the Church over which he presided, until, at his death, it
was larger in numbers and more firmly established than ever before.
The tremendous world significance of the labors of Brigham Young, and
the universal applicability of his methods, under modern conditions,
make it certain that the work he accomplished was not due, primarily,
to the gigantic personality of the man. Rather, the success achieved
must have been due to the possession of a life philosophy of sufficient
depth and extent to meet varying human needs. Another man, of less
dominant personality, armed with the same principles, would have won
success. As he, himself, would say, it was the possession of the Gospel
of Life and Salvation that enabled him and his associates to do the
work so well. In fact, Brigham Young was first a spiritual teacher and
secondly a material leader. The religion that he professed made him the
man that he became; its principles were used in guiding the people in
all their affairs.
Books enough to fill a library have been written about the history,
character and accomplishments of Brigham Young. Few of these books
attempt to analyze the system of doctrine and practice that brought
unbounded success to the Latter-day Saints. Many display such extreme
religious partisanship that even the sympathetic reader can place
no reliance upon their statements. Something harsher might be said
about the large number of books written about Brigham Young and his
times that manifestly aim to secure popularity by appealing to the
sensational and the lurid, at the expense of truth. Even recently, when
the years have given perspective, some writers have set up hypotheses
concerning Brigham Young, and have proceeded to argue the case--as if
that were history! It is amazing that intelligent people, knowing the
high order of accomplishments of the Latter-day Saints, give credence
to the weird and crude stories, appealing to the baser emotions of
mankind, which fill the pages of anti-"Mormon" literature.
In this book Brigham Young is allowed to speak for himself. Excerpts
have been made from his many discourses, and these have been arranged
to show the coherent system of faith which he continuously taught his
people and by which he was enabled to win success for his followers.
The philosophy thus set forth is clear and unmistakable in its purpose.
It reveals Brigham Young as a man who applied the simple principles
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the everyday affairs of men; and who
proved the efficacy, in common life, among common men, of the Gospel of
the Son of God.
This book was made possible because Brigham Young secured stenographic
reports of his addresses. As he traveled among the people, reporters
accompanied him. All that he said was recorded. Practically all of
these discourses (from December 16, 1851 to August 19, 1877) were
published in the Journal of Discourses, which was widely distributed.
The public utterances of few great historical figures have been so
faithfully and fully preserved. Clearly, this mass of material,
covering nearly thirty years of incessant public speaking could not be
presented with any hope of serving the general reader, save in the form
of selections of essential doctrines.
The discourses, from which this volume has been culled, were spoken
extemporaneously. The state papers of Governor Brigham Young, and
the epistles signed by him and his counselors in the Presidency of
the Church, have not been used in this collection. The excerpts here
presented came from his lips under the inspiration, at the moment, of
the Power that guided his life. The corrections for the printer, as
shown by existing manuscripts, were few and of minor consequence. The
discourses are a remarkable self-revelation of the character and moving
impulses of a man who accomplished huge tasks for his generation. It
is marvelous that the enemies of Brigham Young, with this wealth of
material before them, have found so little to use to his disadvantage.
But, a dishonest or insincere man would not have had his public
utterances reported and published all over the world. The consistency
of the views presented, from the first to the last discourse, would
be astounding, were it not for the fact that he clung constantly for
interpretation to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as he had been taught
it by the Prophet Joseph Smith. His devotion to his teacher and
predecessor, the Prophet, is tenderly beautiful.
The school education of Brigham Young was very limited, but his
discourses show a wide knowledge of men and affairs and an excellent
power to use the English language clearly and forcefully. Often, his
simple eloquence rises to great heights. Those who heard him speak
have declared that they were held in tense attention, however long
the address might be. His vivid imagination, dramatic power and
unquestioned sincerity made him a natural orator. He seldom confined
himself to one subject in his discourses. The needs of the day were the
themes about which he wound his teachings.
No liberties have been taken, in this book, with the words of Brigham
Young. In a few instances, errors in language or spelling, which
should have been caught by the printer, have been corrected. All
distinct sentiments, as expressed in the discourses, are represented
by one or more quotations, except such as refer to conditions now no
longer existing. The excerpts are confined to the principles of the
Gospel. The mass of historical and autobiographical detail could not
be included without making this volume too large for popular use. As
it is, severe pruning and elimination have been employed to enable the
inclusion of the message of each of the 363 addresses in the Journal
of Discourses, and the many others printed in the Deseret News, the
Millennial Star and other periodicals. The many summaries of Brigham
Young's discourses, appearing in the Deseret News have not been used.
The excerpts contained in this volume are from verbatim reports. The
figures at the end of each excerpt indicates the volume and page of the
Journal of Discourses.
These discourses are Brigham Young's witness to the existence of God,
the divine mission of Jesus the Christ, the restoration of the Gospel
in its fulness by Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and the possibility of
securing happiness here and hereafter by obedience to the requirements
of the Gospel. This volume is but another testimony that the Lord
continues to speak through his prophets.
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION
The reception of this book far surpassed the hopes of the publishers.
The first edition of fifteen thousand was soon exhausted. The second
edition of ten thousand is the same as the first edition except for
some minor letter corrections.
THE PUBLISHERS.
Feb. 15, 1926.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
THE GOSPEL DEFINED
Composed of Eternal Laws--Embraces all Truth--Increasing Knowledge
of Gospel--Holds Power of Priesthood--The Gospel of Life and
Salvation--Offers Salvation to All--A Guide in Daily Life--A
Fountain of Truth--We Need a Practical Religion--Temporal Labors are
Necessary--We Need a Present Everyday Religion--We Must Learn to
Support Ourselves
CHAPTER II
THE GODHEAD
Our Father in Heaven--Personality and Fatherhood of God--The Son of
God--the Holy Ghost
CHAPTER III
THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
The Spirit of God--Revelation--Angels--Prayer
CHAPTER IV
PRE-EXISTENCE, THE PLAN OF SALVATION
Time--The Organized Universe--Man and Matter Eternal--Man the
Offspring of God--The Spirit of Man--The Council in Heaven--The Plan of
Salvation
CHAPTER V
FREE AGENCY
Definition of
CHAPTER VI
THE POWER OF EVIL
Lucifer--False Spirits--Priestcraft--Sin and
Wickedness--Temptation--Apostasy
CHAPTER VII
THE LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION
Object of Mortal Life--Man to Endure Forever--The Business of
life--Prepare to Live--Eternal Increase--Blessings are Proportioned to
our Capacity
CHAPTER VIII
THE DESTINY OF MAN
The Gift of Eternal Life--Eternal Increase--The Celestial
World--Opposition to Death
CHAPTER IX
DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL
The Earth--Adam and Eve--Enoch and Moses--Jesus on Earth--The
Apostasy--The Restoration--The Book of Mormon
CHAPTER X
THE LAST DAYS
Confusion of the Last Days--Ultimate Triumph of Righteousness--Return
to Jackson County--Coming of Christ--The Millennium--Rapid Movements
in the Last Days--Zion--The Land of Zion--The City of Zion--Purpose of
Gathering--The Jews and Jerusalem--The Indians or Lamanites
CHAPTER XI
THE SCRIPTURES
The Bible--the Standard Church Works--The Use of the Scriptures
CHAPTER XII
THE PRIESTHOOD
The Priesthood--The First Presidency--The Apostle and Melchizedek
Priesthood--The Bishop and the Aaronic Priesthood--Church Organization
and Government
CHAPTER XIII
THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL
Importance of the Principles of the Gospel--Need of
Ordinances--Faith--Repentance--Baptism--The Gift of the Holy
Ghost--Healing the Sick
CHAPTER XIV
THE SABBATH; MEETINGS; THE SACRAMENT
How to Spend the Sabbath Day--Worship on Every Day--Preaching and
Listening in Meetings--Testimony Meetings--The Sacrament of the Lord's
Supper
CHAPTER XV
TITHING; THE UNITED ORDER
The Law of Tithing--The Lord has Given All--People Not Compelled to Pay
Tithing--Use of the Tithing--The United Order
CHAPTER XVI
THE WORD OF WISDOM
Moderation--The Word of Wisdom--Live Long--Eating for Health--Living
Out-of-Doors--Exercise and Mental Vigor--Physiological
Differences--Feeding Children--The Giving of the Word of Wisdom
CHAPTER XVII
THE FAMILY
Virtue--Marriage--Do Not Marry Unbelievers--Birth Control--The
Husband--The Wife--Children--Family Life--Importance of Early
Training--Influence of the Mother--Teach Children the Gospel--Parents
Should Teach by Example--Guides for Child Training--Need of Parent
Training
CHAPTER XVIII
SOME WOMANLY DUTIES
The Housewife--Woman's Fashions--Some Duties of the Relief Societies
CHAPTER XIX
OBEDIENCE
Counsel--Obedience--Effect of Obedience--Obedience and Free
Agency----Effects of Disobedience
CHAPTER XX
GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, DEVOTION, LIBERALITY, HONESTY
Gratitude--Humility--Devotion to the Gospel--Give Freely--Be
Honest--Honest in Labor--Consistency and Sincerity
CHAPTER XXI
HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENTS
Saints Should be Happy--Social Amusements--Dancing--The
Theater--Excursions
CHAPTER XXII
EDUCATION
Knowledge and Intelligence--A Religion of Improvement--Knowledge
to be Sought--Continuous Education--Effects of Education--Educate
Our Children--Establish Schools--What to Study--Religious
Education--Science and Religion--the Body and the Mind--Studies in
Sunday Schools
CHAPTER XXIII
SELF CONTROL
The Will of Man--Self-Control Necessary--Check your Words--Cease your
Anger--Learn to Know Ourselves--Let us Mind our own Business
CHAPTER XXIV
OUR FELLOW-MEN
Love Each Other--Let us be Merciful--Show Charity--Establish
Confidence--Avoid Contention--Do not Deal Judgment--Respect for
Neighbors--Lady and Gentleman Defined--The Negro--The Generous Nature
CHAPTER XXV
UNITY AND CO-OPERATION
Be of One Mind and One Heart--Perfect Oneness will Save a People--Unity
in God's Work, the Strength of Zion--Advantage of Temporal Unity--Unity
Does not Mean Individual Uniformity--the Co-operative Movement
CHAPTER XXVI
THRIFT AND INDUSTRY
Faith and Works--Time Should be Spent Wisely--Labor Indispensable--Let
Nothing go to Waste--We Must be a Self-sustaining People--The Elements
of Wealth are Around Us--Agriculture--Manufacturing--Commerce--Capital
and Labor--Build Good Houses and Beautiful Cities--Accumulate
Property--Debt
CHAPTER XXVII
WEALTH
Wealth Belongs to the Lord--Uncertainty of Temporal Possessions--The
Sin of Covetousness--True Riches--Gold is not Wealth--How to Become
Wealthy--Wealth Must be Used--Wealth Brings Happiness Only When Used
for the Gospel--Some Dangers of Wealth--The Poor
CHAPTER XXVIII
MISSIONARY WORK
The Gospel to be Preached to all Men--Help to Save Every Person--Words
to Departing Missionaries--Advice to Missionaries in the Field--The
Returned Missionary--The Gospel is Preached with Authority--The Spirit,
not Logic or Debate, Makes Converts--Humility and Devotion, the
Essentials--Preach only that which is Known--Hints to Teachers
CHAPTER XXIX
VISIONS, MYSTERIES AND MIRACLES
Visions of a Personal Matter--Leave Alone Mysteries--Providences of
God, all Miracles--Miracles for Believers--Faith not Dependent on
Miracles
CHAPTER XXX
TRIALS AND PERSECUTION
Trials are Necessary--Purpose of Persecution--Persecution May be
Expected--Meet Trials Cheerfully--Cause of Persecution--Disobedience
Causes Persecution--Result of Persecution--Cannot Overtake
Falsehood--Danger of Persecuting the Saints--Persecution Comes from
Efforts of Few
CHAPTER XXXI
POLITICAL GOVERNMENT
Theocratic Government--Republican Government--God and
Governments--Fitness of Rulers--Labor and Politics--Saints and
Politics--The Constitution of U. S. an Inspired Document--The
Saints Will Yet Save the Constitution--Religious Liberty Should be
Observed--Opposed to Corrupt Administrators of Law--The President of
the U. S.--Political Parties--States' Rights--Forebodings of the Civil
War--War--Woman Suffrage
CHAPTER XXXII
DEATH AND RESURRECTION
The Body Must Return to Mother Earth--Man Should Live out His Days--We
Should Not Mourn for the Righteous Dead--Our Identity will be
Preserved--Our Bodies will be Resurrected--Jesus, the First Fruits of
the Resurrection--The Resurrected Body--Resurrection Necessary to Full
Salvation
CHAPTER XXXIII
THE SPIRIT WORLD
All go to the Spirit World--Where is the Spirit World--Labors in the
pet World--Life in the Spirit World
CHAPTER XXXIV
ETERNAL JUDGMENT
Judgment According to Works--Honesty in Action Will Temper
Judgment--Hell Defined--The Second Death--Measure of Human Judgment
CHAPTER XXXV
SALVATION
Universal Salvation--The Way to Salvation--Salvation an Individual
Work--Many Degrees of Salvation--Exaltation Proportioned to
Capacity--The Celestial Kingdom
CHAPTER XXXVI
TEMPLES AND SALVATION FOR THE DEAD
Saints Always Commanded to Build Temples--Temples Indispensable
for Higher Ordinances--Endowments Given in Temples--Vicarious Work
for the Dead in Temples--Who Should Represent the Dead--Saviors on
Mount Zion--Powers of Evil Opposed to Temple Building--The Salt Lake
Temple--Address at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Salt Lake
Temple--St. George Temple
CHAPTER XXXVII
MAN'S SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND SALVATION
Man Desires Salvation--Humanity Loves Truth and Righteousness--Human
Family Alike in Sentiments--A Variety of Human Gifts--Man's Powers are
Limited--Man Must have Confidence in Himself--Man Always Dependent--We
Must Fight Our Battles--How to Know Oneself--Our Good Character Must be
Cherished--The Need of Leaders--Duty and Responsibility of Man
CHAPTER XXXVIII
TESTIMONY OF THE TRUTH
All Latter-day Saints May Know the Gospel is True--How a Witness of the
Truth is Won--Why Some Men Reject the Gospel--Testimony Not Built Upon
a Man--Joseph Smith a Witness of the Truth--A Duty to Listen to the
Truth
CHAPTER XXXIX
THE CHURCH AND KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH
Israel--The Church and the Kingdom--An Object of the Church--The
Kingdom of God to Develop Gradually--The Effect of the Kingdom of
God--It Will Continue--The Business of Latter-day Saints--Individual
Labor Required in the Kingdom of God--The Kingdom of God or Nothing
CHAPTER XL
SOME EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL
The Nature of the Gospel--Some of the Effects of the Gospel--His
Personal Joy in the Gospel--Blessings Continued Upon Good
Works--Increasing Blessings--Personal Blessings Upon the People
CHAPTER XLI
JOSEPH SMITH THE PROPHET
Joseph Smith, a Prophet of God--Joseph Called and Directed by
God--The Development of the Prophet--What Joseph Taught--Results
of the Prophet's Labors--Persecutions of the Prophet--The Prophet
Harassed by Law-suits--Joseph of Good Character--Why the Prophet was
Killed--Joseph's Work in the Spirit World--Nature of the Prophet and
His Family--The Twelve, the Successors of the Prophet--Some Sayings of
the Prophet
CHAPTER XLII
THE SETTLEMENT IN THE WEST
The Journey Across the Plains--The Mormon Battalion--Settlement in the
Great Salt Lake Valley
{1}
Discourses of Brigham Young
CHAPTER I
_THE GOSPEL DEFINED_
_Composed of Eternal Laws_--The Gospel of the Son of God that has
been revealed is a plan or system of laws and ordinances, by strict
obedience to which the people who inhabit this earth are assured that
they may return again into the presence of the Father and the Son.
13:233 [A]
[Footnote A: The numbers at the end of each excerpt refer to the volume
and page of the Journal of Discourses. Where the excerpt occurs thus,
13:233, it means Journal of Discourses, volume 13, page 233.]
The laws of the Gospel are neither more nor less than a few of the
principles of eternity revealed to the people, by which they can return
to heaven from whence they came. We delight in the heavenly law--in
that law that will preserve us to all eternity. 8:208.
The laws and ordinances which the Lord has revealed in these latter
days, are calculated to save all the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve
who have not sinned against the Holy Ghost, for all will be saved in a
kingdom of glory, though it may not be in the celestial kingdom, for
there are many mansions. 15:122. {2}
Our religion is nothing more nor less than the true order of
heaven--the system of laws by which the gods and the angels are
governed. Are they governed by law? Certainly. There is no being in all
the eternities but what is governed by law. Who desires to have liberty
and no law? They who are from beneath. 14:280.
Our religion, in common with everything of which God is the Author, is
a system of law and order. He has instituted laws and ordinances for
the government and benefit of the children of men, to see if they would
obey them and prove themselves worthy of eternal life by the law of the
celestial worlds. This holy Priesthood that we talk about is a perfect
system of government. By obedience to these laws we expect to enter the
celestial kingdom and to be exalted. 14:95.
The principles of truth and goodness, and of eternal lives and the
power of God are from eternity to eternity. The principle of falsehood
and wickedness, the power of the Devil and the power of death are also
from eternity to eternity. These two powers have ever existed and
always will exist in all the eternities that are yet to come. 11:234.
_Embraces All Truth_--Our religion measures, weighs, and
circumscribes all the wisdom in the world--all that God has ever
revealed to man. God has revealed all the truth that is now in the
possession of the world, whether it be scientific or religious. The
whole world are under obligation to him for what they know and enjoy;
they are indebted to him for it all, and I acknowledge him in all
things. 8:162.
I want to say to my friends that we believe in all good. If you can
find a truth in heaven, earth or hell, it belongs to our doctrine. We
believe it; it is ours; we claim it. 15:335.
In a word, if "Mormonism" is not my life, I do not know that I have
any. I do not understand anything else, for it embraces everything that
comes within the range of the understanding of man. If it does not
circumscribe everything {3} that is in heaven and on earth, it is not
what it purports to be. 2:123.
Our religion is simply the truth. It is all said in this one
expression--it embraces all truth, wherever found, in all the works of
God and man that are visible or invisible to mortal eye. 10:251.
The Gospel is simple, it is plain.
There is no mystery throughout the whole plan of salvation, only to
those who do not understand. 3:367.
"Mormonism" embraces all truth that is revealed and that is unrevealed,
whether religious, political, scientific, or philosophical. 9:149.
It comprehends all true science known by man, angels, and the gods.
There is one true system and science of life; all else tends to death.
That system emanates from the Fountain of life. 8:70.
True science, true art and true knowledge comprehend all that are in
heaven or on the earth, or in all the eternities. By these all beings
exist, whether they be celestial, terrestial or telestial; or whether
they are from beneath and dwell with the devils among the damned. All
truth is ours. 14:281.
"Where is your code, your particular creed?" says one. It fills
eternity; it is all truth in heaven, on earth or in hell. This is
"Mormonism." It embraces every true science; all true philosophy.
14:280.
The philosophy of the heavens and the earth of the worlds that are,
that were, and that are yet to come into existence, is all in the
Gospel that we have embraced. Every true philosopher, so far as he
understands the principles of truth, has so much of the Gospel, and
so far he is a Latter-day Saint, whether he knows it or not. Our {4}
Father, the great God, is the author of the sciences, he is the great
mechanic, he is the systematizer of all things, he plans and devises
all things, and every particle of knowledge which man has in his
possession is the gift of God, whether they consider it divine, or
whether it is the wisdom of man; it belongs to God, and he has bestowed
it upon us, his children dwelling here upon the earth. 18:359.
A fact is a fact, all truth issues forth from the Fountain of truth,
and the sciences are facts as far as men have proved them. 14:117.
"Mormonism," so-called, embraces every principle pertaining to life
and salvation, for time and eternity. No matter who has it. If the
infidel has got truth it belongs to "Mormonism." The truth and sound
doctrine possessed by the sectarian world, and they have a great
deal, all belongs to this Church. As for their morality, many of them
are, morally, just as good as we are. All that is good, lovely, and
praiseworthy belongs to this Church and Kingdom. "Mormonism" includes
all truth. There is no truth but what belongs to the Gospel. It is
life, eternal life; it is bliss; it is the fulness of all things in the
gods and in the eternities of the gods. 11:375.
We wish to frame, fashion and build after the pattern that God has
revealed; and in doing so we take all the laws, rules, ordinances and
regulations contained in the Scriptures and practice them as far as
possible, and then keep learning and improving until we can live by
every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 13:238.
The Lord reveals a little here and a little there, line upon line, and
he will continue to do so until we can reach into eternity and embrace
a fulness of his glory, excellency and power. 13:241. {5}
Truth will endure for ever and for ever, and every man that preaches
the Gospel of salvation may take the old text that some of us took in
the commencement of the building up of the Kingdom of God upon the
earth in the last days. I took truth for my text, salvation for my
subject, and the whole world for my circuit, to go as far as I could
and talk all I could about it. It takes every truth from every sect and
party. What! in a civil capacity also? Yes. All law, all powers, all
kingdoms, and all thrones,--in fine, all things are under the control
of God. 7:148.
When the Gospel of the Son of God is introduced among the children
of men, it comes with light and intelligence, with pure and holy
principles. It embraces all morality, all virtue, all light, all
intelligence, all greatness, and all goodness. It introduces a system
of laws and ordinances and a code of moral rectitude which, if obeyed
by the human family, will lead them back to the presence of God. 11:235.
For me, the plan of salvation must be a system that is pure and holy in
all its points; it must reveal things that no other church or kingdom
can reveal; it must circumscribe the knowledge that is upon the face
of the earth, or it is not from God. Such a plan incorporates every
system of true doctrine on the earth, whether it be ecclesiastical,
moral, philosophical, or civil; it incorporates all good laws that
have been made from the days of Adam until now; it swallows up the
laws of nations, for it exceeds them all in knowledge and purity, it
circumscribes the doctrines of the day, and takes from the right and
the left, and brings all truth together in one system, and leaves the
chaff to be scattered hither and thither. That is the proof to me,
and has been from the beginning, that the {6} principles are pure
and holy; and every person living to them will attain through them
sanctification. 7:148.
I will tell you who the real fanatics are: they are they who
adopt false principles and ideas as facts, and try to establish a
superstructure upon a false foundation. They are the fanatics; and
however ardent and zealous they may be, they may reason or argue on
false premises till doomsday, and the result will be false. 13:271.
_Increasing Knowledge of Gospel_--I want to say that we are for
the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth; we are pursuing
the path of truth, and by and by we expect to possess a great deal more
than we do now; but to say that we shall ever possess all truth, I
pause; I do not know when. 14:196.
The laws that the Lord has given are not fully perfect, because the
people could not receive them in their perfect fulness; but they can
receive a little here and a little there, a little today and a little
tomorrow, a little more next week, and a little more in advance of
that next year, if they make a wise improvement upon every little they
receive; if they do not, they are left in the shade, and the light
which the Lord reveals will appear darkness to them, and the kingdom
of heaven will travel on and leave them groping. Hence, if we wish to
act upon the fulness of the knowledge that the Lord designs to reveal,
little by little, to the inhabitants of the earth, we must improve upon
every little as it is revealed. 2:314.
We know enough to damn us; and when we know enough for that, we know
enough to save us, if that knowledge is improved upon. 6:198.
_Holds Power of Priesthood_--The Gospel which we preach is the
Gospel of life and salvation. The Church {7} which we represent is the
Church and Kingdom of God, and possesses the only faith by which the
children of men can be brought back into the presence of our Father
and God. The Lord has set his hands to restore all things as in the
beginning, and by the administration of his holy Priesthood, save all
who can be saved, cleanse from the world the consequences of the Fall
and give it to the hands of his Saints.
The Gospel of salvation--the Priesthood of the Son of God--is so
ordered and organized, in the very nature of it, being a portion
of that law of heaven by which worlds are organized, that it is
calculated to enlighten the children of men and give them power to
save themselves. It is of the same nature as the further principles of
eternal existence by which the worlds are and were, and by which they
will endure; and these principles are pure in their nature, from the
fact that they are of God, who is pure; but, without the revelation of
the Spirit of God, no man can understand them. That is the peculiarity
there is about this mysterious work. 7:54.
The power of all truth dwells in the bosom of our Father and God, which
he dispenses to his children as he will, by the means of his eternal
Priesthood. He is enthroned in the light, glory and power of truth.
He has abided the truth, and is thereby exalted, and his power, light
and glory are eternal. The Gospel and the Priesthood are the means he
employs to save and exalt his obedient children to the possession with
him of the same glory and power to be crowned with crowns of glory,
immortality and eternal lives. 9:330.
Now, we say to the people of the nineteenth century, and we speak the
truth and lie not, whosoever believes that {8} Joseph Smith, Junior,
was a Prophet sent of God, and was ordained by him to receive and hold
the keys of the holy Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of
God, and power to build up the Kingdom of God upon the earth, to gather
the House of Israel, to guide all who believe and obey to redemption,
to restore that which has been lost through transgression--whosoever
believes this, believing in the Lord, and obeying his commandments
to the end of their lives, their names shall not be blotted out of
the Lamb's book of life, and they shall receive crowns of glory,
immortality, and eternal life. This is for the nineteenth century, for
the generation of people now living. 12:101.
_The Gospel of Life and Salvation_--We have something more than
morality alone to teach the people. What is it? It is how to redeem the
human family. 19:47.
I will now say to my friends,--and I call you all, and all mankind,
friends, until you have proved yourselves, enemies,--you who do
not belong to this Church, that we have got the Gospel of life and
salvation. I do not say that we have a Gospel, but I say that we have
the definite and only Gospel that ever was or ever will be that will
save the children of men. 12:313.
_It Takes the Whole Man to Make a Saint_--There are no exceptions
in "Mormonism." Learn so to think and direct your acts in every
transaction of life, that we may overcome the evil that is sown within
us. Overcome the inward enemy; then we can overcome the Devil's
kingdom. And while others choose evil principles and build upon a
foundation which leads to destruction, let us build upon the principles
of eternal salvation, as we have striven to do all the day long. 7:66.
The doctrines of salvation are the same now as they {9} were in the
days of Adam, or Elijah, or Jesus, when he was upon the earth. 5:229.
We have brought the doctrine of life and salvation to you, that you may
exchange your low, narrow, contracted, selfish dispositions for the
ennobling Spirit of the Lord, for the Spirit of the Gospel, which gives
joy and peace. If you enjoy that, your food will be sweet to you, your
sleep will be refreshing, and your days will pass away in usefulness.
3:119.
We have as good a right to adopt tenets in our religion as the Church
of England, or the Methodists, or Baptists, or any other denomination
have in theirs. Our doctrine is a Bible doctrine, a patriarchal
doctrine, and is the doctrine of the gods of eternity, and of the
heavens, and was revealed to our fathers on the earth, and will save
the world at last. 2:187.
The revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ are sweeter than honey or the
honeycomb. We can eat, and continue to eat; drink, and continue to
drink. Is there durable satisfaction? Yes. I am in the height of my
enjoyment. All the pleasure and all the joy that can be bestowed upon
a finite being is in the Gospel of salvation, through the Spirit of
revelation, upon the creature--upon the Saint of God--old or young,
male or female. Not that this comparison fully conveys the idea; for
the language of mortals fails to fully portray the joys of the Gospel
of life everlasting. 8:139.
We have the Gospel of life and salvation, to make bad men good and good
men better. We are to preach, exhort expound, continue in our duty,
be fervent in spirit, bearing and forbearing with our brethren, being
filled with love and kindness. 8:130. {10}
There is no freedom anywhere outside the Gospel of salvation. 5:52.
_Offers Salvation to All_--A few here and a few there will receive
the truth, and the Lord will empty the earth of the wickedness that now
dwells upon it. 8:195.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the opening avenue--the open gate in the
road or way from earth to heaven, through which direct revelation comes
to the children of men in their various capacities, according to their
callings and standing in the society in which they live. The Gospel of
salvation is a portion of the law that pertains to the kingdom where
God resides; and the ordinances pertaining to the holy Priesthood are
the means by which the children of men find access to the way of life,
wherein they can extend their travels until they return to the presence
of their Father and God. 8:159.
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to continue to
be the sons of God." Instead of receiving the Gospel to become the
sons of God, my language would be--to receive the Gospel that we may
continue to be the sons of God. Are we not all sons of God when we are
born into this world? Old Pharaoh, King of Egypt, was just as much a
son of God as Moses and Aaron were his sons, with this difference--he
rejected the word of the Lord, the true light, and they received it.
For "this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and
men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil."
Then we receive not the Gospel that we may become the sons of God but
that we may remain the sons of God without rebuke. Inasmuch as all had
apostatized, they had to become the sons of God by adoption, still,
originally, all were the sons of God. We receive the Gospel, not that
we {11} may have our names written in the Lamb's book of life, but that
our names may not be blotted out of that book. "For," saith the Lord,
"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and
I will not blot out his name out of the book of life." Why? Because
he had overcome through his faithfulness. My doctrine is--that there
never was a son and daughter of Adam and Eve born on this earth whose
names were not already written in the Lamb's book of life, and there
they will remain until their conduct is such that the angel who keeps
the record is authorized to blot them out and record them elsewhere.
12:100-101.
In conversation not long since with a visitor who was about returning
to the Eastern States, said he, "You, as a people, consider that you
are perfect?" "Oh, no;" said I, "not by any means. Let me define to
you. The doctrine that we have embraced is perfect; but when we come to
the people, we have just as many imperfections as you can ask for. We
are not perfect; but the Gospel that we preach is calculated to perfect
the people so that they can obtain a glorious resurrection and enter
into the presence of the Father and the Son." 11:304.
Our motive is to make every man and woman to know just as much as we
do; this is the plan of the Gospel, and this is what I would like to
do. I would like all the Latter-day Saints to come up to this standard,
and know as much as I do, and then just as much more as they can learn,
and if they can get ahead of me, all right. 19:96.
We declare it to all the inhabitants of the earth from the valleys in
the tops of these mountains that we are the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints--not a church but the Church--and we have the
doctrine of life and salvation for all the honest-in-heart in all the
world. 12:173. {12}
This Gospel will save the whole human family; the blood of Jesus will
atone for our sins, if we accept the terms he has laid down; but we
must accept those terms or else it will avail nothing in our behalf.
_A Guide in Daily Life_--I reduce the Gospel to the present time,
circumstances and condition of the people. 10:1.
That system that brings present security and peace is the best to live
by, and the best to die by; it is the best for doing business; it is
the best for making farms, for building cities and temples, and that
system is the law of God. But it requires strict obedience. The rule
of right, and the line which God has drawn for the people to walk
by insures peace, comfort, and happiness now and eternal glory and
exaltation; but nothing short of strict obedience to God's law will do
this. 13:241.
We do not allow ourselves to go into a field to plough without taking
our religion with us; we do not go into an office, behind the counter
to deal out goods, into a counting house with the books, or anywhere to
attend to or transact any business without taking our religion with us.
If we are railroading or on a pleasure trip our God and our religion
must be with us. We are the most religious people in the world; but we
are not so enthusiastic as some are. We have seen plenty of enthusiasm,
but we do not care about it. Said I, "This shouting and singing one's
self away to everlasting bliss, may be all very well in its place, but
this alone is folly to me; my religion is to know the will of God and
do it." 14:118.
With God, and also with those who understand the principles of life
and salvation, the Priesthood, the oracles of truth and the gifts and
callings of God to the children of men, there is no difference in
spiritual and temporal {13} labors--all are one. If I am in the line of
my duty, I am doing the will of God, whether I am preaching, praying,
laboring with my hands for an honorable support; whether I am in the
field, mechanic's shop, or following mercantile business, or wherever
duty calls, I am serving God as much in one place as another; and so it
is with all, each in his place, turn and time. 13:260.
Our religion descends to the whole life of man, although some,
sometimes, say, there is divine law, there is human law, and there are
principles which pertain to our religion and there are principles which
pertain to the philosophy of the world. But let me here say to you,
that the philosophy of the religion of heaven incorporates every truth
that there is in heaven, on earth, or in hell. 15:125.
My mission to the people is to teach them with regard to their
every-day lives. I presume there are many here who have heard me
say, years and years ago, that I cared very little about what will
take place after the Millennium. Elders may preach long discourses
concerning what took place in the days of Adam, what occurred before
the creation, and what will take place thousands of years from now,
talking of things which have occurred or that will occur yet, of which
they are ignorant, feeding the people on wind; but that is not my
method of teaching. My desire is to teach the people what they should
do now, and let the Millennium take care of itself. To teach them to
serve God and to build up his Kingdom is my mission. I have taught
faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on
of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost. We are to be taught with
regard to our every-day life in a temporal point of view. 12:228.
Our religion incorporates every act and word of man. {14} No man should
go to merchandising unless he does it in God; no man should go to
farming or any other business unless he does it in the Lord. No man of
council should sit to judge the people but what should judge in the
Lord, that he may righteously and impartially discern between right
and wrong, truth and error, light and darkness, justice and injustice.
Should any legislature sit without the Lord? If it do, sooner or later
it will fall to pieces. No nation ever did live that counseled and
transacted its national affairs without the Lord, but what sooner or
later went to pieces and came to naught. The same is true of all the
nations that now live or ever will live. 13:60.
This Gospel is full of good sense, judgment, discretion and
intelligence. 14:17.
No matter how true and beautiful truth is, you have to take the
passions of the people and mould them to the law of God. 7:55.
_A Fountain of Truth_--The Gospel is a fountain of truth, and
truth is what we are after. We have embraced the truth--namely, the
Gospel of the Son of God. Its first principles are to believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ, to repent of our sins, then go down into the waters
of baptism for the remission of our sins, and have hands laid upon us
for the reception of the Holy Ghost, which will lead us into all truth?
12.268.
Truth will abide when error passes away. Life will remain when they who
have rejected the words of eternal life are swallowed up in death. I
like the truth because it is true, because it is lovely and delightful,
because it is so glorious in its nature, and so worthy the admiration,
faith and consideration of all intelligent beings in heaven or on the
earth. Should I be hated and my name cast out as {15} evil because I
love the truth? Yes, or the words of Jesus could not be fulfilled, for
he said, "Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake." He told his
disciples to rejoice evermore and to pray without ceasing when they
were held in derision by their enemies, and to lift up their heads and
rejoice when all men spoke evil of them, for "behold your redemption
draweth nigh." 13:216.
To me it is more rational for an intelligent being to embrace truth,
than it is to mix up a little truth with a great deal of error, or to
embrace all error and undertake to follow a phantom. 13:235.
Some who call themselves Christians are very tenacious with regard to
the Universalians, yet the latter possess many excellent ideas and good
truths. Have the Catholics? Yes, a great many very excellent truths.
Have the Protestants? Yes, from first to last. Has the infidel? Yes, he
has a good deal of truth; and truth is all over the earth. The earth
could not stand but for the light and truth it contains. The people
could not abide were it not that truth holds them. It is the Fountain
of truth that feeds, clothes, and gives light and intelligence to the
inhabitants of the earth, no matter whether they are saints or sinners.
Do you think there is any truth in hell? Yes, a great deal, and where
truth is there we calculate the Lord has a right to be. You will not
find the Lord where there is no truth. 12:70.
If you love the truth you can remember it. 3:358.
Again, what do you love truth for? Is it because you can discover a
beauty in it, because it is congenial to you; or because you think it
will make you a ruler, or a Lord? If you conceive that you will attain
to power upon such a motive, you are much mistaken. It is a trick of
the unseen power, that is abroad amongst the inhabitants of the earth
{16} that leads them astray, binds their minds, and subverts their
understanding.
Suppose that our Father in heaven, our Elder Brother, the risen
Redeemer, the Savior of the world, or any of the gods of eternity
should act upon this principle, to love truth, knowledge, and wisdom,
because they are all powerful, and by the aid of this power they
could send devils to hell, torment the people of the earth, exercise
sovereignty over them, and make them miserable at their pleasure; they
would cease to be Gods; and as fast as they adopted and acted upon
such principles, they would become devils, and be thrust down in the
twinkling of an eye; the extension of their kingdom would cease, and
their Godhead come to an end.
No man can disprove a truth. 8:132.
What do you know on natural principles? I do not say natural
philosophy, because my religion is natural philosophy. You never heard
me preach a doctrine but what has a natural system to it, and, when
understood, is as easy to comprehend as that two and two equal four.
All the revelations of the Lord Almighty to the children of men, and
all revealed doctrines of salvation are upon natural principles, upon
natural philosophy. When I use this term, I use it as synonymous with
the plan of salvation; natural philosophy is the plan of salvation, and
the plan of salvation is natural philosophy. 4:202.
Our doctrine and practice is, and I have made it mine through life--to
receive truth no matter where it comes from. 14:160.
When we demonstrate a truth, we demonstrate a portion of the faith,
law, or power by which all intelligent beings exist, whether in heaven
or on earth, consequently {17} when we have truth in our possession we
have so much of the knowledge of God. I delight in this, because truth
is calculated to sustain itself; it is based upon eternal facts and
will endure, while all else will, sooner or later, perish. 14:115.
All truth is worthy and worth possessing. 19:39.
How easy it is to live by the truth. Did you ever think of it, my
friends? Did you ever think of it, my brethren and sisters? In every
circumstance of life, no matter whether among the humble or lofty,
truth is always the surest guide and the easiest to square our lives
by. 14:76.
Be willing to receive the truth, let it come from whom it may; no
difference, not a particle. Just as soon receive the Gospel from Joseph
Smith as from Peter, who lived in the days of Jesus. Receive it from
one man as soon as another. If God has called an individual and sent
him to preach the Gospel that is enough for me to know; it is no matter
who it is, all I want is to know the truth. 14:136.
All truth is for the salvation of the children of men--for the benefit
and learning--for their furtherance in the principles of divine
knowledge; and divine knowledge is any matter of fact--truth; and all
truth pertains to divinity. 7:284.
_We Need a Practical Religion_--I am preaching to you practical
religion. 13:155.
I am decidedly in favor of practical religion--of everyday useful
life. And if I today attend to what devolves upon me to do, and then
do that which presents itself tomorrow, and so on, when eternity comes
I will be prepared to enter on the things of eternity. But I would not
be prepared for that sphere of action, unless I could manage {18} the
things that are now within my reach. You must all learn to do this. 5:3.
I still feel to urge upon the Latter-day Saints the necessity of a
close application of the principles of the Gospel in our lives, conduct
and words and all that we do; and it requires the whole man, the whole
life to be devoted to improvement in order to come to knowledge of the
truth as it is in Jesus Christ. Herein is the fulness of perfection.
It was couched in the character of our Savior; although but a scanty
portion of it was made manifest to the people, in consequence of their
not being able to receive it. All they were prepared to receive he
gave them. All we are prepared to receive the Lord gives us; all that
the nations of the earth are prepared to receive he imparts unto them.
12:225-226.
On reading carefully the Old and New Testaments we can discover
that the majority of the revelations given to mankind anciently
were in regard to their daily duties; we follow in the same path.
The revelations contained in the Bible and the Book of Mormon are
examples to us, and the book of Doctrine and Covenants contains direct
revelation to this Church; they are a guide to us, and we do not wish
to do them away; we do not want them to become obsolete and to set them
aside. We wish to continue in the revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ
day by day, and to have his Spirit with us continually. If we can do
this, we shall no more walk in darkness but we shall walk in the light
of life. 10:284.
If we wish to enjoy the Spirit of Zion, we must live for it. Our
religion is not merely theory; it is a practical religion, to bring
present enjoyment to every heart. 8:33.
At times when I think of addressing you, it occurs to {19} me that
strict sermonizing upon topics pertaining to the distant future, or
reviewing the history of the past, will doubtless please and highly
interest a portion of my hearers; but my judgment and the spirit
of intelligence that is in me teach that, by taking such a course,
the people would not be instructed pertaining to their every-day
duties. For this reason, I do not feel impressed to instruct you on
duties to be performed a hundred years hence, but rather to give
those instructions pertaining to the present, to our daily walk and
conversation, that we may know how to benefit ourselves under the
passing time, and present privileges, and be able to lay a foundation
for future happiness. 3:272.
The work of building up Zion is in every sense a practical work; it is
not a mere theory. A theoretical religion amounts to very little real
good or advantage to any person. To possess an inheritance in Zion or
in Jerusalem only in theory--only in imagination--would be the same as
having no inheritance at all. It is necessary to get a deed of it, to
make an inheritance practical, substantial and profitable. Then let
us not rest contented with a mere theoretical religion, but let it be
practical, self-purifying and self-sustaining, keeping the love of God
within us, walking by every precept, by every law, and by every word
that is given to lead us. 9:284.
The religion of Jesus Christ is a matter-of-fact religion, and taketh
hold of the every-day duties and realities of this life. 1:133.
I am in the hands of the Lord, and never trouble myself about my
salvation, or what the Lord will do with me hereafter. It is for me to
do the will of God today, and when tomorrow comes, to inquire what is
his will concerning {20} me; then do the will of my Father in the work
he has appointed me to do, and that is enough for me. I am serving a
God who will give me all I merit, when I come to receive my reward.
This is what I have always thought; and if I still think so, it is
enough for me. 6:276.
_Temporal Labors are Necessary_--In the mind of God there is no
such a thing as dividing spiritual from temporal, or temporal from
spiritual; for they are one in the Lord. 11:18.
The brethren have been talking about temporal things. We cannot talk
about spiritual things without connecting with them temporal things,
neither can we talk about temporal things without connecting spiritual
things with them. They are inseparably connected. 10:329.
I cannot, however, define any difference between temporal and spiritual
labors. I call it spiritual to accommodate my language to the ideas of
the people. Anything that pertains to the building up of the Lord's
kingdom on earth, whether it be in preaching the Gospel or building
temples to his name, we have been taught to consider a spiritual work,
though it evidently requires the strength of the natural body to
perform it. 2:95.
Be wise: be as wise as the generations of this world. In the days of
Jesus, those who received the kingdom and the spirit of the kingdom
seemed to lose all sight of a temporal salvation; and Jesus said to his
disciples, "The children of this world are wiser in their generations
than the children of light." The children of light did not know how to
sustain themselves; they did not understand how to preserve themselves
and the kingdom with them. 4:343.
If you cannot provide for your natural lives, how can you expect to
have wisdom to obtain eternal lives? God {21} has given you your
existence--your body and spirit, and has blest you with ability,
and thereby laid the foundation of all knowledge, wisdom, and
understanding, and all glory and eternal lives. If you have not
attained ability to provide for your natural wants, and for a wife and
a few children, what have you to do with heavenly things? 8:68.
We cannot even enter the temple when it is built, and perform those
ordinances which lead to spiritual blessings, without performing a
temporal labor. Temporal ordinances must be performed to secure the
spiritual blessings the Great Supreme has in store for his faithful
children. Every act is first a temporal act. The Apostle says, faith
comes by hearing. What should be heard to produce faith? The preaching
of the Word. For that we must have a preacher; and he is not an
invisible spirit, but a temporal, ordinary man like ourselves, and
subject to the same regulations and rules of life. To preach the Gospel
is a temporal labor, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is the
result of a temporal labor. To be baptized is a temporal labor, both to
the person administered to and the administrator. I am a living witness
to the truth of this statement, for I have made my feet sore many a
time, and tired myself out traveling and preaching, that by hearing
the Gospel the people might have faith. The blessings we so earnestly
desire will come to us by performing the manual labor required, and
thus preparing all things necessary to receive the invisible blessings
Jehovah has for his children. 9:240.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. All things
are natural, and all are spiritual. Every duty of life, no matter
what it is, every requirement necessary to sustain and exalt man,
is incorporated in the Kingdom of God and in the ordinances of his
house--in the duties God {22} requires of his children. It is all in
the Church and Kingdom of our God. "What! our labor?" Yes. I sometimes
take the liberty of preaching upon economy to this people. Perhaps some
are inclined to think that in so doing I transcend my own duties and
obligations. I do not. I instruct the husbandman how to till his farm,
because I know and I understand the nature of the elements that produce
grain better than he does. I know how he should prepare the elements
for the seed to produce the increase which he desires in the things
necessary to sustain himself and family. It is my duty to instruct
my brethren, if I understand my branch of business better than they
do. If I understand how to make myself comfortable--if I understand
better than others do the organization of the elements God has given
us ability to operate with for our benefit, it is my duty to instruct
them. Here are the elements. They are not made in vain, but are made
for the benefit, comfort, convenience, and happiness of God's children.
The principles of eternity and eternal exaltation are of no use to us,
unless they are brought down to our capacities so that we practice them
in our lives. 4:28.
_We Need a Present, Every-day Religion_--My religion must be with
me from one Monday morning to the next, the year around, or it will not
answer me. 1:338.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is given in the Old and New
Testaments, the Book of Mormon, the book of Doctrine and Covenants, and
in the experience of every true Christian who has lived and still lives
upon the earth, teaches that it is the privilege of every Saint so to
live and walk before their God, as to enjoy the light of the spirit
of truth-from day to day, from week to week, and from year to year,
through their whole lives. Without this privilege {23} in the Gospel,
connected with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, I should be inclined to
believe that the religion that is taught in the Bible and in the
Book of Mormon, would amount to nothing more than a mere phantom--an
imaginary thing. It would be inadequate to satisfy, in any degree, the
mind of man, as it is now organized. 1:233.
Were it not that our bodies have to be fed and clothed, I would propose
that we tarry here a few months, to give all a chance to speak, to
exhort, to pray, to prophesy, to sing, to speak in tongues, or to do
whatsoever the Spirit should manifest unto them. But our work is a work
of the present. The salvation we are seeking is for the present, and
sought correctly, it can be obtained, and be continually enjoyed. If it
continues to-day, it is upon the same principle that it will continue
to-morrow, the next day, the next week, or the next year, and, we might
say, the next eternity. 1:131.
It is present salvation and the present influence of the Holy Ghost
that we need every day to keep us on saving ground. When an individual
refuses to comply with the further requirements of Heaven, then the
sins he had formerly committed return upon his head; his former
righteousness departs from him, and is not accounted to him for
righteousness; but if he had continued in righteousness and obedience
to the requirements of Heaven, he is saved all the time, through
baptism, the laying on of hands, and obeying the commandments of
the Lord and all that is required of him by the heavens--the living
oracles. He is saved now, next week, next year, and continually, and is
prepared for the celestial kingdom of God whenever the time comes for
him to inherit it. 8:124.
There is no life more precious than the present life which {24} we enjoy;
there is no life that is worth any more to us than this life is. It may
be said that an eternal life is worth more. We are in eternity, and
all that we have to do is to take the road that leads into the eternal
lives. Eternal life is an inherent quality of the creature, and nothing
but sin can put a termination to it. The elements in their nature
are as eternal as are the gods. Let us learn, under the guidance and
direction of Heaven, how to use these eternal elements for the building
up, establishment and sending forth, of the Kingdom of God, gathering
up the poor in heart to begin with, and the further things we will
learn as we progress. 10:22.
I wish to urge upon the people the necessity of knowing what to
do with their present life, which pertains more particularly to
temporalities. The very object of our existence here is to handle the
temporal elements of this world and subdue the earth, multiplying those
organisms of plants and animals God has designed shall dwell upon it.
When we have learned to live according to the full value of the life we
now possess, we are prepared for eternal advancement in the scale of
eternal progression--for a more glorious and exalted sphere. 9:168.
Tradition has taught us that the great purpose of religion is to
prepare people to die; that when they have passed through a change
of heart, become converted, then they are ready for glory at any
moment and to dwell with the Father and the Son in the heavens to
all eternity. This is a mistake; for they have to improve, become
substantially changed from bad to good, from sin to holiness, here
or somewhere else, before they are prepared for the society they
anticipate enjoying. They would not be nearly so well prepared for the
society of the sanctified in heaven as a person {25} brought up in the
lowest classes of society would be prepared to present properly and
conduct himself among the highest and most polished grades of mankind.
Those who are counted worthy to dwell with the Father and the Son have
previously received an education fitting them for that society; they
have been made fully acquainted with every pass-word, token and sign
which has enabled them to pass by the porters through the doors into
the celestial kingdom. 10:172.
I want present salvation. I preach, comparatively, but little about the
eternities and Gods, and their wonderful works in eternity; and do not
tell who first made them, nor how they were made; for I know nothing
about that. Life is for us, and it is for us to receive it today, and
not wait for the Millennium. Let us take a course to be saved today,
and, when evening comes, review the acts of the day, repent of our
sins, if we have any to repent of, and say our prayers; then we can lie
down and sleep in peace until the morning, arise with gratitude to God,
commence the labors of another day, and strive to live the whole day to
God and nobody else. 8:124.
_We Must Learn to Support Ourselves_--I am under obligation to
take a course which will sustain life within myself and others, on
rational principles, without any special manifestation from God. 14:111.
I have tried continually to get this people to pursue a course that
will make them self-sustaining, taking care of their poor, the lame,
the halt and the blind, lifting the ignorant from where they have no
opportunity of observing the ways of the world, and of understanding
the common knowledge possessed among the children of men, bringing them
together from the four quarters of the world, and making {26} of them
an intelligent, thrifty and self-sustaining people. 12:195.
My warfare is, and has been for years, to get the people to understand
that if they do not take care of themselves they will not be taken care
of; that if we do not lay the foundation to feed and clothe and shelter
ourselves we shall perish with hunger and with cold; we might also
suffer in the summer season from the direct rays of the sun upon our
naked and unprotected bodies. 10:200.
I see more and more that there are but very few men and women that are
even capable of taking care of themselves temporally. 4:314. {27}
CHAPTER II
_THE GODHEAD_
_Our Father in Heaven_--Let every person be the friend of God.
4:372.
Some believe or conceive the idea that to know God would lessen him in
our estimation; but I can say that for me to understand any principle
or being, on earth or in heaven, it does not lessen its true value to
me, but on the contrary, it increases it; and the more I can know of
God, the dearer and more precious he is to me, and the more exalted are
my feelings towards him. 13:57.
There is a Power that has organized all things from the crude matter
that floats in the immensity of space. He has given form, motion and
life to this material world; has made the great and small lights that
bespangle the firmament above; has allotted to them their times and
their seasons, and has marked out their spheres. He has caused the air
and the waters to teem with life, and covered the hills and plains with
creeping things, and has made man to be a ruler over his creations. All
these wonders are the works of the Almighty Ruler of the universe, in
whom we believe and whom we worship. 11:120.
All the creations are his work, and they are for his glory and for
the benefit of the children of men; and all things are put into the
possession of man for his comfort, improvement and consolation, and for
his health, wealth, beauty and excellency. 13:151.
He is a God of system, order, law, science, and art; a God of knowledge
and of power. 13:309.
He is the Father, God, Savior, Maker, Preserver, and {28} Redeemer of
man. He holds in his hands the issue of all things and will judge every
man according to his works. 3:259-260.
God is the source, the fountain of all intelligence, no matter
who possesses it, whether man upon the earth, the spirits in the
spirit-world, the angels that dwell in the eternities of the Gods,
or the most inferior intelligence among the devils in hell. All have
derived what intelligence, light, power, and existence they have from
God--from the same source from which we have received ours. 8:205.
Every good and perfect gift cometh from God. Every discovery in science
and art, that is really true and useful to mankind has been given by
direct revelation from God, though but few acknowledge it. It has been
given with a view to prepare the way for the ultimate triumph of truth,
and the redemption of the earth from the power of sin and Satan. We
should take advantage of all these great discoveries, the accumulated
wisdom of ages, and give to our children the benefit of every branch of
useful knowledge, to prepare them to step forward and efficiently do
their part in the great work. 9:369.
He is our Heavenly Father; he is also our God, and the Maker and
upholder of all things in heaven and on earth. He sends forth his
counsels and extends his providences to all living. He is the Supreme
Controller of the universe. At his rebuke the sea is dried up, and the
rivers become a wilderness. He measures the waters in the hollow of his
hand, and meteth out heaven with a span, and comprehendeth the dust
of the earth in a measure, and weigheth the mountains in scales, and
the hills in a balance; the nations to him are as a drop in a bucket,
and he taketh up the isles as a very little thing; the hairs of our
heads are numbered {29} by him, and not a sparrow falleth to the ground
without our Father; and he knoweth every thought and intent of the
hearts of all living, for he is everywhere present by the power of his
Spirit--his minister, the Holy Ghost. He is the Father of all, is above
all, through all, and in you all; he knoweth all things pertaining to
this earth, and he knows all things pertaining to millions of earths
like this. 11:41.
Whether they make good or bad use of it, all power is ordained of God
and is in his hand. He sets up a kingdom here, and pulls down another
there at his pleasure. He breaks the nations like a potter's vessel;
he forms a nucleus, and around it builds up a kingdom or nation,
permitting the people to act upon their own agency, that they may do
right, or corrupt themselves, as did the Children of Israel; and after
they have become ripe for destruction, they will be scattered to the
four winds. If the people of God in ancient days had continued holy
they would have continued in power and authority to this day. 7:148.
If there is anything that is great and good and wise among men,
it cometh from God. If there are men who possess great ability as
statesmen, or as philosophers, or who possess remarkable scientific
knowledge and skill, the credit thereof belongs to God, for he
dispenses it to his children whether they believe in him or not, or
whether they sin against him or not; it makes no difference; but all
will have to account to him for the way and manner in which they have
used the talents committed unto them. If we believe the plain, broad
statements of the Bible, we must believe that Jesus Christ is the light
that lighteth every man that cometh into the world; none are exempt.
11:123. {30}
The fulness of the heavens and the earth is the Lord's--the gold and
the silver, the wheat, the fine flour, and the cattle upon a thousand
hills; and when we fully understand his works, we shall know that he
is in all the earth, and fulfils his will among the children of men,
exalting and debasing them according to his pleasure, for the systems,
creeds, thrones, and kingdoms of the world are all under his control.
1:49.
We believe that God is round about all things, above all things, in all
things, and through all things: To tell about empty space is to tell of
a space where God is not, and where the wicked might safely hide from
his presence. There is not such a thing as empty space. 1:276.
He is compassionate to all the works of his hands, the plan of his
redemption, and salvation, and mercy is stretched out over all; and
his plans are to gather up, and bring together, and save all the
inhabitants of the earth, with the exception of those who have received
the Holy Ghost, and sinned against it. With this exception, all the
world besides shall be saved. 3:92.
When the Lord fights the battles of the Saints, he does it so
effectually that nobody gets nervous but the enemy. 8:235.
No person deceives the Lord. 16:163.
It is written that God knows all things and has all power. He has the
rule and command of this earth, and is the Father of all the human
beings that have lived, do live and will live upon it. If any of his
children become heirs to all things, they in their turn can say,
by-and-by, that they know all things, and they will be called Supreme,
Almighty, King of kings, Lord of lords. All this and more that cannot
enter into our hearts to conceive is promised to {31} the faithful, and
are but so many stages in that ceaseless progression of eternal lives.
This will not detract anything from the glory and might of our Heavenly
Father. For he will still remain our Father, and we shall still be
subject to him, and as we progress in glory and power, the more it
enhances the glory and power of our Heavenly Father. This principle
holds good in either state, whether mortal or immortal. 10:5.
All that the Lord requires of us is a perfect submission in our hearts
to his will. 18:238.
The Lord gives us little by little and is ever willing to give us more
and more, even the fulness, when our hearts are prepared to receive
all the truths of heaven. This is what the Lord desires, what he would
delight in doing, for his children. 18:217.
Our Father in heaven wishes us to preserve that which he gives to us.
9:169.
He presides over the worlds on worlds that illuminate this little
planet, and millions on millions of worlds that we cannot see; and yet
he looks upon the minutest object of his creations; not one of these
creatures escapes his notice; and there is not one of them but his
wisdom and power has produced. 1:39.
I believe in a God who has power to exalt and glorify all who believe
in him, and are faithful in serving him to the end of their lives,
for this make them Gods, even the sons of God, and in this sense also
there are Gods many, but to us there is but one God, and one Lord Jesus
Christ--one Savior who came in the meridian of time to redeem the earth
and the children of men from the original sin that was committed by our
first parents, and bring to pass the restoration of all things through
his death and suffering, open {32} wide to all believers the gates of
life and salvation and exaltation to the presence of the Father and the
Son to dwell with them for evermore. 11:122.
As I said once to my brethren in the School of the Prophets, I have not
asked you, I dare not ask you to fulfil almost the first requirement
of the Kingdom of Heaven, almost the simplest principle, and one of
the first things that should be observed. I have not asked the people
to perform this great labor, I will say it is a great labor, and if I
were to refer it to you, you would say the same. You may ask what it
is? It is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy
mind and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself. Now, is
this not almost one of the first requirements that God has made of his
people? And I have not yet required it of the people. Love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and then speak evil of thy neighbor? No!
No! Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and speak that which is
not true? No, oh, no! Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
take that which is not thy own? No, no, no! Love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and seek after the riches of the world and forsake your
religion? No! Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and take his
name in vain, curse and swear? No, never! If the love of God was really
in the hearts of all who call themselves Latter-day Saints, there
would be no more swearing, no more lying, no more deceiving, no more
speaking evil of one another, no more running after the ungodly nor
dealing with the enemies of Zion, no more running after the gold mines;
nothing would be sought after, only to build up the Kingdom of God.
This we have not yet asked. But we do ask some things. Let us forsake
those sins that are so grievous, and let us try to do right before the
Heavens and with each other. 12:229. {33}
He has not committed the keys of the results of the acts of the nations
of the earth to any man on the earth; but that power he retains to
himself. 8:31.
What is commonly termed idolatry has arisen from a few sincere men,
full of faith and having a little knowledge, urging upon a backsliding
people to preserve some customs--to cling to some fashions or
figures, to put them in mind of that God with whom their fathers were
acquainted, without designing or wishing the people to worship an
idol--to worship stocks, stones, beasts, and birds. Idols have been
introduced, which are now worshiped, and have been for centuries and
thousands of years; but they were not introduced at once. They were
introduced to preserve among the people the idea of the true God. 6:194.
We are nothing, only what the Lord makes us. 5:343.
Cease bringing the names of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ
into disrespect and learn to reverence those names. 7:147.
The Lord operates upon the principles of continuing to organize, of
adding to, gathering up, bringing forth, increasing and spreading
abroad; while the opposite power does not. It shows the nature of his
opposition to that peculiar trait of Christianity, based upon the
principles of eternal duration, increase, power, glory, and exaltation;
and points out the difference between the two adverse powers. 1:117.
Unless God blesses our exertions we shall have nothing. It is the Lord
that gives the increase. 3:331.
The God that I serve is progressing eternally, and so are his children:
they will increase to all eternity, if they are faithful. 11:286.
It is written, "Prove all things, hold fast that which is {34} good."
Refuse evil, choose good, hate iniquity, love truth. All this our
fathers have done before us; I do not particularly mean Father Adam, or
his Father; I do not particularly mean Abraham, or Moses, the Prophets,
or Apostles, but I mean our fathers who have been exalted for millions
of years previous to Adam's time. They have all passed through the same
ordeals we are now passing through, and have searched all things, even
to the depths of hell. 9:243.
The great architect, manager and superintendent, controller and
dictator who guides this work is out of sight to our natural eyes.
He lives on another world; he is in another state of existence; he
has passed the ordeals we are now passing through; he has received
an experience, has suffered and enjoyed, and knows all that we know
regarding the toils, sufferings, life and death of this mortality, for
he has passed through the whole of it, and has received his crown and
exaltation and holds the keys and the power of this Kingdom; he sways
his scepter, and does his will among the children of men, among Saints
and among sinners, and brings forth results to suit his purpose among
kingdoms and nations and empires, that all may redound to his glory and
to the perfection of his work. 11:249.
How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never was a time when
there were not Gods and worlds, and when men were not passing through
the same ordeals that we are now passing through. That course has been
from all eternity, and it is and will be to all eternity. You cannot
comprehend this but when you can, it will be to you a matter of great
consolation. 7:333.
Wherever the human family dwell upon the face of the earth, whether
they are savage or civilized, there is a desire implanted within
them to worship a great Supreme Ruler, {35} and not knowing him they
suppose that through offering worship and sacrifice to their idols they
can conciliate his anger which they think they see manifested in the
thunder, in the lightning, in the storm, in the floods, in the reverses
of war, in the hand of death, etc., etc.; thus they try to woo his
protection and his blessing for victory over their enemies, and at the
termination of this life for a place in the heaven their imaginations
have created, or tradition has handed down to them. I have much charity
for this portion of the human family called heathens or idolators; they
have made images to represent to their eyes a power which they cannot
see, and desire to worship a Supreme Being through the figure which
they have made. 11:120.
We believe in one God, one Mediator and one Holy Ghost. We cannot
believe for a moment that God is destitute of body, parts, passions, or
attributes. Attributes can be made manifest only through an organized
personage. All attributes are couched in and are the results of
organized existence. 10:192.
The Lord is perfectly independent. He has received his glory, he reigns
supreme and omnipotent. He is not dependent upon you and me. If every
one of us should apostatize and go down to hell, it would neither add
to nor diminish from his glory. He would mourn at our folly in turning
away from the holy commandments and suffering the wrath of the Almighty
to come upon us; the heavens would weep over us, but still the Lord has
his glory, and you and I are not laboring for his benefit. For whose
benefit are we laboring? For our own. All my preaching, laboring and
toils in this Kingdom have been for myself, to get into the Celestial
Kingdom of God. I have been laboring for that and nothing else, 13:315.
{36}
Read the history of any kingdom or nation, and trace through all the
channels from the history of nations and kingdoms to that of families
and individuals who have not known God nor observed his commandments,
and you will find that sorrow and disappointment have been intimately
mingled in all the gaiety, luxuries, and pretended enjoyments of their
mortal lives. They have found a bitter sting in their happiest moments
and a deadly poison in their cups. 6:39.
There is no influence, truth, or righteousness in the world, only what
flows from God our Father in the heavens. 5:78.
_Personality and Fatherhood of God_--Some would have us believe
that God is present everywhere. It is not so. He is no more everywhere
present in person than the Father and Son are one in person. 6:345.
God is considered to be everywhere present at the same moment; and the
Psalmist says, "Whither shall I flee from thy presence?" He is present
with all his creations through his influence, through his government,
spirit and power, but he himself is a personage of tabernacle, and we
are made after his likeness. 10:319.
Our God and Father in Heaven, is a being of tabernacle, or, in other
words, he has a body, with parts the same as you and I have; and
is capable of showing forth his works to organized beings, as, for
instance, in the world in which we live, it is the result of the
knowledge and infinite wisdom that dwell in his organized body. His Son
Jesus Christ has become a personage of tabernacle, and has a body like
his Father. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Lord, and issues forth
from himself, and may properly be called God's minister to execute his
will in immensity; {37} being called to govern by his influence and
power; but he is not a person of flesh as we are, and as our Father in
Heaven and Jesus Christ are. 1:50.
The Kingdom of God on earth is a living, moving, effective institution,
and is governed, controlled, dictated and led by the invisible God whom
we serve who is an exalted, living being, possessing body, parts and
passions, who listens to the prayers of his Saints, is a reasonable,
merciful and intelligent being, who is filled with knowledge and
wisdom, who is full of light and glory, and the foundations of whose
throne are laid in eternal truth; whose personal form is perfect in
proportion and beauty. He loves the good, and is angry with the wicked
every day as it is written in the Scriptures. He hates the evil that
is done by evil doers, and is merciful to the repenting sinner. He is
beloved by all who know him for the attributes he possesses in and
of himself, in common with all glorified beings who now dwell with
him, and who will yet be glorified and crowned with crowns of glory,
immortality and eternal lives. 11:251.
It must be that God knows something about temporal things, and has had
a body and been on an earth. Were it not so, he would not know how to
judge men righteously, according to the temptations and sin they have
had to contend with. 4:271.
Our Father in Heaven begat all the spirits that ever were, or ever will
be, upon this earth; and they were born spirits in the eternal world.
Then the Lord by his power and wisdom organized the mortal tabernacle
of man. We were made first spiritual, and afterwards temporal. 1:50.
He is our Father; he is our God, the Father of our spirits; he is the
framer of our bodies, and set the machine in successful operation
to bring forth these tabernacles that {38} I now look upon in this
building, and all that ever did or ever will live on the face of the
whole earth. 13:250.
The Apostles and Prophets, when speaking of our relationship to God,
say that we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone, God is our
Father, and Jesus Christ is our Elder Brother, and both are our
everlasting friends. 6:332.
The kingdoms he possesses and rules over are his own progeny. Every
man who is faithful and gets a salvation and glory, and becomes a King
of kings and Lord of lords, or a Father of fathers, it will be by the
increase of his own progeny. Our Father and God rules over his own
children. Wherever there is a God in all the eternities possessing a
kingdom and glory and power it is by means of his own progeny. 11:262.
Many have tried to penetrate to the First Cause of all things; but it
would be as easy for an ant to number the grains of sand on the earth.
It is not for man, with his limited intelligence, to grasp eternity in
his comprehension. There is an eternity of life, from which we were
composed by the wisdom and skill of Superior Beings. It would be as
easy for a gnat to trace the history of man back to his origin as for
man to fathom the First Cause of all things, lift the veil of eternity,
and reveal the mysteries that have been sought after by philosophers
from the beginning. What then, should be the calling and duty of the
children of men? Instead of inquiring after the origin of Gods--instead
of trying to explore the depths of eternities that have been, that are,
and that will be, instead of endeavoring to discover the boundaries
of boundless space, let them seek to know the object of their present
existence, and how to apply, in the most profitable manner for their
mutual good and salvation, the intelligence they possess. Let them seek
to {39} know and thoroughly understand things within their reach, and
to make themselves well acquainted with the object of their being here,
by diligently seeking unto a super-power for information and by the
careful study of the best books. 7:284-5.
God has given this great variety of intelligence. He has also given
this great variety of forms--that eternal variety which we see upon
this earth, not only among human beings, but in every class of all the
creations of God; and they are all designed to be preserved to all
eternity. None of them were made to be destroyed, except those that do
not abide the law given them. 8:8.
I now see before me beings who are in the image of those heavenly
personages who are enthroned in glory and crowned with eternal lives in
the very image of those beings who organized the earth and its fulness,
and who constitute the Godhead. 9:246.
_The Son of God_--Our faith is concentrated in the Son of God,
and through him in the Father; and the Holy Ghost is their minister to
bring truths to our remembrance, to reveal new truths to us, and teach,
guide, and direct the course of every mind, until we become perfected
and prepared to go home, where we can see and converse with our Father
in Heaven. 6:98.
The Latter-day Saints believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten
Son of the Father, who came in the meridian of time, performed his
work, suffered the penalty and paid the debt of man's original sin by
offering up himself, was resurrected from the dead, and ascended to
his Father; and as Jesus descended below all things, so he will ascend
above all things. We believe that Jesus Christ will come again, as
it is written of him: "And while they looked {40} steadfastly toward
heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel;
which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
this same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." 11:123.
Jesus is our captain and leader; Jesus, the Savior of the world--the
Christ that we believe in. 14:118.
I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the
world; I have obeyed his sayings, and realized his promise, and the
knowledge I have of him, the wisdom of this world cannot give, neither
can it take away. 18:233.
My faith is placed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and my knowledge I have
received from him. 3:155.
Our Lord Jesus Christ--the Savior, who has redeemed the world and all
things pertaining to it, is the Only Begotten of the Father pertaining
to the flesh. He is our Elder Brother, and the Heir of the family, and
as such we worship him. He has tasted death for every man, and has paid
the debt contracted by our first parents. 12:69.
None of them have power to produce themselves. Jesus Christ is the Heir
of this vast family. He said that he had power to lay down his life
and take it up again; but he had no more power to produce his life,
in the beginning of his existence, than we have. Every human being is
endowed, more or less, with eternal intelligence, with the germ of life
everlasting, of glory immortal. 8:153.
He did nothing of himself. He wrought miracles and performed a good
work on the earth; but of himself he did nothing. He said, "As I have
seen my Father do, so do I." "I came not to do my will, but the will of
him that sent me." We must come to the conclusion that the Son of {41}
God did not suggest, dictate, act, or produce any manifestation of his
power, of his glory, or of his errand upon the earth, only as it came
from the mind and will of his Father. 6:96.
The Lord has revealed to us a plan by which we may be saved both here
and hereafter. God has done everything we could ask, and more than we
could ask. The errand of Jesus to earth was to bring his brethren and
sisters back into the presence of the Father; he has done his part of
the work, and it remains for us to do ours. There is not one thing that
the Lord could do for the salvation of the human family that he has
neglected to do; and it remains for the children of men to receive the
truth or reject it; all that can be accomplished for their salvation,
independent of them, has been accomplished in and by the Savior. It
has been justly remarked this afternoon that "Jesus paid the debt;
he atoned for the original sin; he came and suffered and died on the
cross." He is now King of kings and Lords of lords, and the time will
come when every knee will bow and every tongue confess, to the glory
of God the Father, that Jesus is the Christ. That very character
that was looked upon, not as the Savior, but as an outcast, who was
crucified between two thieves and treated with scorn and derision, will
be greeted by all men as the only Being through whom they can obtain
salvation. 13:59.
Jesus was appointed, from the beginning, to die for our redemption, and
he suffered an excruciating death on the cross. 8:115.
He has died to redeem it, and he is the lawful heir pertaining to this
earth. Jesus will continue to reign with his Father, and is dictated
by his Father in all his acts and ruling and governing in the building
up and overthrow of {42} nations, to make the wrath of man praise him,
until he brings all into subjection to his will and government. And
when he has subdued all his enemies, destroyed death and him that hath
the power of death, and perfected his work, he will deliver up the
kingdom spotless to his Father. 7:144.
The character we have been hearing of is our Savior and Redeemer, the
Savior of the whole world of mankind, and of all creatures pertaining
to the earth, and the earth itself, for all will be redeemed by the
blood of the Son of God. 14:130.
The moment the atonement of the Savior is done away, that moment,
at one sweep, the hopes of salvation entertained by the Christian
world are destroyed, the foundation of their faith is taken away, and
there is nothing left for them to stand upon. When it is gone all the
revelations God ever gave to the Jewish nation, to the Gentiles, and to
us are rendered valueless, and all hope is taken from us at one sweep.
14:41.
The knowledge of the character of the Only Begotten of the Father comes
to us through the testimony, not of disinterested witnesses, but of his
friends, those who were most especially and deeply interested for their
own welfare, and the welfare of their brethren. We have no testimony
concerning the Savior's character and works, only from those who were
thus interested in his welfare and success, and in the building up of
his kingdom. It has been often said, if a disinterested witness would
testify that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, many might believe his
testimony; but no person could be believed, by any intelligent person,
who would testify to a matter of such importance, and who would still
view it as a thing in which he had no interest. But they who are
interested, who know the {43} worth of that man and understand the
spirit and the power of his mission, and the character of the Being
that sent and ordained him, are the proper persons to testify of the
truth of his mission, and they are the most interested of any living
upon the earth. So it was with those who bore witness of the Savior,
and of his mission on the earth. 11:41.
The Latter-day Saints and every other person who is entitled to
salvation, and all except those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost,
may know that Jesus is the Christ in the same way that Peter knew it.
Miracles do not give this knowledge to mankind, though they may serve
as collateral evidence to strengthen the believer. The miracles of
Jesus were known to the Jews, yet they suffered him to be put to death
as a deceiver of mankind and one possessed of a devil. 10:193.
Who are the Saints? All those who believe in Jesus Christ and keep his
commandments. And who may be Saints? All the inhabitants of the earth,
for Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye
saved." 10:305.
All the Lord has called us to do is to renovate our own hearts, then
our families, extending the principle to neighborhoods, to the earth
we occupy, and so continue until we drive the power of Satan from the
earth and Satan to his own place. That is the work Jesus is engaged in,
and we will be co-workers with him. 10:173.
"I and my Father are one," says Jesus; what, one body? No, it never
entered the Savior's mind that such a rendering of this saying would
ever enter into the minds of persons holding the least claim to good
sense. They are no more one person than I and one of my sons are one
person. If my son receives my teaching, will walk in the path I {44}
mark out for him to walk in, if his faith is the same as mine, his
purpose is the same, and he does the work of his father as Jesus did
the work of his Father, then is my son one with me in the scriptural
sense. 10:192.
Inasmuch as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one, the desire of the
Savior, as manifested in his sayings and teachings, is, that his people
should also be one, even as he and his Father are one. 6:97.
All the works of mankind amount to but little, unless they are
performed in the name of the Lord and under the direction of his
Spirit. Let every man seek to learn the things of God by the
revelations of Jesus Christ to himself. 10:1.
Jesus undertook to establish the Kingdom of God upon the earth. He
introduced the laws and ordinances of the Kingdom. 15:125.
Jesus Christ will draw all men unto him, except those who contend
against the power of God and against his Kingdom until they have sealed
their own damnation. 11:238.
Jesus fulfilled the obligations he had entered into as the heir of all
things pertaining to this earth. 8:115.
We, the Latter-day Saints, certainly believe that Christ will
accomplish all that he undertook to do, but he never yet said he would
save a sinner in his sins, but that he would save him from his sins.
He has instituted laws and ordinances whereby this can be effected.
The "Mormon" Elder says that he will save all who come to him, all who
hearken to his word and keep his commandments, and Jesus has said, "If
ye love me, keep my commandments." The "Mormon" says, "I love Jesus,
and in proof of it I keep his commandments." 13:237. {45}
Jesus will redeem the last and least of the sons of Adam, except the
sons of perdition, who will be held in reserve for another time. They
will become angels of the Devil. 8:154.
Christ will not cease his labors pertaining to this earth until it is
redeemed and sanctified, ready to be presented spotless to the Father.
10:18.
We believe that Jesus Christ will descend from heaven to earth again
even as he ascended into heaven. "Behold, he cometh with clouds, and
every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all
kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." He will come to
receive his own, and rule and reign king of nations as he does king
of Saints; "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his
feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." He will banish
sin from the earth and its dreadful consequences, tears shall be wiped
from every eye and there shall be nothing to hurt or destroy in all
God's holy mountain. 11:123.
The Savior has not finished his work, and cannot receive the fulness
of his glory until the influence and power of the wicked are overcome
and brought into subjection. When the wicked inhabitants of the earth,
the beasts of the field, fowls of the air, fish of the sea, all mineral
substances, and all else pertaining to this earth, are overcome, then
he will take the kingdom, present it to the Father, and say, "Here is
the work you gave me to do--you made the appointment--I have wrought
faithfully, and here are my brethren and sisters who have wrought
with me. We have wrought faithfully together; we have overcome the
flesh, hell and the Devil. I have overcome, they have followed in my
footsteps, and here are all thou hast given me; I have lost none,
except the sons of perdition." 8:118. {46}
When he again visits this earth, he will come to thoroughly purge his
kingdom from wickedness, and, as ruler of the nations, to dictate and
administer to them as the heir to the kingdom; and the Gentiles will
be as much mistaken in regard to his second advent as the Jews were in
relation to the first. 8:115.
Take a pride in acknowledging the Savior. Train and educate yourselves
until you will take a pride in acknowledging God, the Author of all.
Take a pride in the religion that makes you pure and holy, and that
produces in the heart of every individual who embraces it a feeling
to be truthful in every word he speaks, to be honest in every act he
performs, in all his dealings with his neighbors. Take pride in this
and fear not the wicked. 12:326.
The Latter-day Saints believe in the Gospel of the Son of God, simply
because it is true. They believe in baptism for the remission of sins,
personal and by proxy; they believe that Jesus is the Savior of the
world; they believe that all who attain to any glory whatever, in any
kingdom, will do so because Jesus has purchased it by his atonement.
13:323.
_The Holy Ghost_--The Holy Ghost, we believe, is one of the
characters that form the Trinity, or the Godhead. Not one person in
three, nor three persons in one; but the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
are one in essence, as the hearts of three men who are united in all
things. He is one of the three characters we believe in, whose office
it is to administer to those of the human family who love the truth.
I have stated that they are one, as the hearts of three men might be
one. Lest you should mistake me, I will say that I do not wish you to
understand that the Holy Ghost is a personage having a tabernacle, like
the Father and the Son; {47} but he is God's messenger that diffuses
his influence through all the works of the Almighty. 6:95.
Not a desire, act, wish, or thought does the Holy Ghost indulge in
contrary to that which is dictated by the Father. 6:95.
Now ask yourselves whether you believe that the Holy Ghost ever
commenced to produce a work or an effect before it was in the heart and
mind of that Being we call our Heavenly Father. Do you think that the
Holy Ghost ever thought of dictating that Being we call our God? This
whole people have learned enough upon this subject to answer at once,
that we do not believe that the Holy Ghost ever dictated, suggested,
moved, or pretended to offer a plan, except that which the Eternal
Father dictated. 6:95.
Though a man should say but a few words, and his sentences and words be
ever so ungrammatical, if he speaks by the power of the Holy Ghost, he
will do good. 8:120.
I have proven to my satisfaction, according to the best knowledge I
can gather, that man can be deceived by the sight of the natural eye,
he can be deceived by the hearing of the ear, and by the touch of the
hand; that he can be deceived in all of what is called the natural
senses. But there is one thing in which he cannot be deceived. What is
that? It is the operations of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit and power of
God upon the creature. It teaches him of heavenly things; it directs
him in the way of life; it affords him the key by which he can test the
devices of man, and which recommends the things of God. Not only the
Saints who are present, and who gathered to Zion, but those of every
nation, continent, or island who live the religion taught by our Savior
and his Apostles, and also by Joseph Smith; they also bear the same
testimony, their eyes have {48} been quickened by the Spirit of God,
and they see alike, their hearts have been quickened, and they feel and
understand alike, and there are no disputations among them with regard
to the doctrines of the Savior. 18:230.
Again it is asked:--"Is the Holy Ghost given in this age of the world?"
Yes, but they could not send men to Joppa for Peter, for behold there
was no Peter, or men possessing the holy Priesthood, to send for,
neither has there been since the church lost the holy Priesthood,
until it was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Cornelius did
not belong to the House of Israel, yet he received the Holy Ghost.
Continue this history, and what does it give to us? It gives to us the
key of knowledge with regard to receiving the Holy Ghost through the
ordinances of the Gospel, that it is free to all, Jew and Gentile, as
Peter exclaimed when Cornelius had related to him how he was instructed
to send men to Joppa: "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter
of persons; but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh
righteousness, is accepted of him." 10:322.
Without the power of the Holy Ghost a person is liable to go to the
right or the left from the straight path of duty; they are liable to
do things they are sorry for; they are liable to make mistakes; and
when they try to do their best, behold they do that which they dislike.
10:289.
I want to see men and women breathe the Holy Ghost in every breath
of their lives, living constantly in the light of God's countenance.
9:288-289. {49}
CHAPTER III
_THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN_
_The Spirit of God_--God is here: his influence fills immensity.
He has his messengers throughout all the works of his hands. He watches
every one of his creatures; their acts, their affections, and thoughts
are all known to him; for his intelligence and power fill immensity.
Not that his person does, but his Spirit does; and he is here teaching,
guiding and directing the nations of the earth. 7:159.
The Spirit of the Lord enlightens every man that comes into the world.
There is no one that lives upon the earth but what is, more or less,
enlightened by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. It is said of him, that he
is the light of the world. He lighteth every man that comes into the
world and every person, at times, has the light of the spirit of truth
upon him. 14:201.
I do not believe for one moment that there has been a man or woman upon
the face of the earth, from the days of Adam to this day, who has not
been enlightened, instructed, and taught by the revelations of Jesus
Christ. "What! the ignorant heathen?" Yes, every human being who has
possessed a sane mind. I am far from believing that the children of
men have been deprived of the privilege of receiving the Spirit of the
Lord to teach them right from wrong. No matter what the traditions of
their fathers were, those who were honest before the Lord, and acted
uprightly, according to the best knowledge they had, will have an
opportunity to go into the Kingdom of God. I believe this privilege
belonged to the sons and daughters of {50} Adam, and descended from
him, and his children who were contemporary with him, throughout all
generations. 2:139.
All who would understand the things of God must understand them by the
Spirit of God. 8:115.
I will, in the commencement of my remarks, take up a subject upon
which much has been said in the pulpit and in the chimney corner.
It is regarding the Spirit of the Lord manifesting his will to his
children. There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the
revelations given to God's people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord
to signify to him his will, and to guide and to direct him in the
discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual
exercises. I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live
far beneath our privileges. If this is true, it is necessary that we
become more fervent in the service of God--in living our religion--and
more truthful and honest with one another, that we be not slack in the
performance of any duty, but labor with a right good will for God and
truth. If this people, called Latter-day Saints, live beneath their
privileges in the holy Gospel of the Son of God, are they justified in
every respect before him? They are not. If we do not live in the lively
exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus, possessing his Spirit always,
how can we know when he speaks to us through his servants whom he has
placed to lead us? 12:104.
The light of the Spirit upon the hearts and understandings of some
Latter-day Saints, is like the peeping of the stars through the broken
shingles of the roof over our heads, when we are watching through the
silent watches of the night and behold the glimmer of a twinkling star.
15:3.
No man can gain influence in this Kingdom, and maintain {51} himself in
it, or magnify his calling, without the power of God being with him.
Persons must so live that they can enjoy the light of the Holy Spirit,
or they will have no confidence in themselves, in their religion, or in
their God, and will sooner or later turn from the faith. 8:65.
You need the Spirit of the Almighty to look through a man and discern
what is in his heart, while his face smiles upon you and his words flow
as smoothly as oil. 3:225.
Thrust a man into prison and bind him with chains, and then let him
be filled with the comfort and with the glory of eternity, and that
prison is a palace to him. Again, let a man be seated upon a throne
with power and dominion in this world, ruling his millions and millions
and without that peace which flows from the Lord of Hosts--without that
contentment and joy that comes from heaven, his palace is a prison; his
life is a burden to him; he lives in fear, in dread, and in sorrow. But
when a person is filled with the peace and power of God, all is right
with him. 5:1-2.
There are men of talent, of thought, of reflection, and knowledge in
all cunning mechanism; they are expert in that, though they do not know
from whence they receive their intelligence. The Spirit of the Lord has
not yet entirely done striving with the people, offering them knowledge
and intelligence; consequently, it reveals unto them, instructs them,
teaches them, and guides them even in the way they like to travel.
Men know how to construct railroads and all manner of machinery; they
understand cunning workmanship, etc.; but that is all revealed to them
by the Spirit of the Lord, though they know it not. 5:124.
I rejoice in the privilege of meeting with the Saints, in hearing
them speak, and in enjoying the influence that is within and around
them. That influence opens to my {52} understanding the true position
of those who are endeavoring to serve their God. I do not require to
hear them speak to enable me to know their feelings. Is it not also
your experience that, when you meet persons in the streets, in your
houses, in your offices, or in your workshops, more or less of an
influence attends them which conveys more than words can? By this the
Father knows his children, Jesus knows his brethren, and the angels
are acquainted with those who delight to associate with them and with
those who hate them. This knowledge is obtained through that invisible
influence which attends intelligent beings, and betrays the atmosphere
in which they delight to live. 8:57.
Without the light of the Spirit of Christ, no person can truly enjoy
life. 8:66.
Now, my friends, brethren and sisters, ladies and gentlemen, how do
you know anything? Can you be deceived by the eye? You can, you have
proved this; you all know that there are men who can deceive the
sight of the eye, no matter how closely you observe their movements.
Can you be deceived in hearing? Yes; you may hear sounds but not
understand their import or whence they come. Can you be deceived by
the touch of the finger? You can. The nervous system will not detect
everything. What will? The revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
spirit of truth will detect everything, and enable all who possess it
to understand truth from error, light from darkness, the things of God
from the things not of God. It is the only thing that will enable us
to understand the Gospel of the Son of God, the will of God, and how
we can be saved. Follow it, and it will lead to God, the Fountain of
light, where the gate will be open, and the mind will be enlightened so
that we shall see, know and understand things as they are. 13:336. {53}
There is not a man upon the earth who can magnify even an earthly
office, without the power and wisdom of God to aid him. 10:42.
The eloquence of angels never can convince any person that God
lives and makes truth the habitation of his throne, independent of
that eloquence being clothed with the power of the Holy Ghost; in
the absence of this, it would be a combination of useless sounds.
What is it that convinces man? It is the influence of the Almighty,
enlightening his mind, giving instruction to the understanding, when
that which inhabits this body, that which came from the regions of
Glory, is enlightened by the influence, power and Spirit of the Father
of light, it swallows up the organization which pertains to this world.
1:90.
Those who love righteousness and possess the Spirit of God, those who
delight to do good can remember good. They can remember every good
principle and every good act. 3:358.
What causes this people to do as they do? It is written, "But there
is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them
understanding." It is a spirit that causes this people to do what
they do--to leave their native countries, to leave their fathers and
mothers, brethren and sisters, and take up their line of march and
travel thousands of miles to this distant country; and then, when
selected for missions, again to leave their fathers, mothers, and
friends, and travel back to their native lands, or to some other place,
wherever they are appointed to go. We cannot behold that spirit and
influence with our natural eyes. The results alone are known. 8:174.
You hearken to that still small voice that whispers eternal truth,
that opens the visions of eternity to you that you {54} can discern,
understand and follow, and the foul spirits that throng the air, and
that fill our houses if we let them in, will not have power over you.
15:7.
Every individual that lives according to the laws that the Lord has
given to his people, and has received the blessings that he has in
store for the faithful, should be able to know the things of God from
the things which are not of God, the light from the darkness, that
which comes from heaven and that which comes from somewhere else. This
is the satisfaction and the consolation that the Latter-day Saints
enjoy by living their religion; this is the knowledge which every one
who thus lives possesses. 16:163.
Now, I ask the wise, where did you get your wisdom? Was it taught you?
Yes, I say it was taught you. By your professors in college? No, it
was taught you by the influence of the spirit that is in man, and the
inspiration of the Spirit of God giveth it understanding; and every
creature can thus add intelligence to intelligence. 13:172.
_Revelation_--No person can receive a knowledge of this work,
except by the power of revelation. 8:315.
The spirit of revelation, even the spirit of eternal life, is within
that person who lives so as to bear properly the yoke of Jesus. The
heavens are open to such persons, and they see and understand things
that pertain to eternity, and also the things that pertain to this
earth. 8:206.
The spirit of revelation attends the Gospel, and without that spirit no
man can understand it. 8:130.
Many of the first revelations given to Joseph were of a temporal
character, pertaining to a literal kingdom on the earth. And most of
the revelations he received in the early part of his ministry pertained
to what the few around him should do in this or in that case--when and
how they should {55} perform their duties; at the same time calling
upon them to preach the Gospel and diffuse the spirit and principles of
the Kingdom of God, that their eyes might be open to see and gather the
people together that they might begin and organize a literal, temporal
organization on the earth. 6:171.
How can you know the Latter-day work to be true? You can know it only
by the spirit of revelation direct from heaven.
What proved this work true to you in England, Ireland, Scotland,
Germany, France, the United States, etc.? Was it not the spirit of
revelation that rested upon you? Then why should you lose the spirit?
You should add to it day by day; you should add as the Lord gives--a
little here and a little there, and treasure up truth in your faith
and understanding, until you become perfect before the Lord and are
prepared to receive the further things of the Kingdom of God. 7:159-160.
This principle we are in possession of, and it should be nourished and
cherished by us; it is the principle of revelation, or, if you like the
term better, of foreseeing. There are those who possess fore-knowledge,
who do not believe as we believe with regard to the establishment of
the Kingdom of God on the earth. Take the statesman, for instance: he
has a certain degree of knowledge with regard to the results of the
measures which he may recommend, but does he know whence he derived
that knowledge? No. He may say: "I foresee if we take this course we
shall perpetuate our government and strengthen it, but if we take the
opposite course we will destroy it." But can he tell whence he has
received that wisdom and fore-knowledge? He cannot. Yet that is the
condition of the statesmen in the nations of {56} the earth. If the
philosopher can gaze into the immensity of space, and understand how
to fashion and make glasses that will magnify a million times, that
knowledge comes from the Fountain of knowledge. A man of the world may
say: "I can foresee, I can understand, I can frame an engine, make a
track, and run that engine upon it, bearing along a train of loaded
cars at the rate of forty, fifty, or sixty miles an hour." Another
may say: "I can take the lightning, convey it on wires, and speak to
foreign nations." But where do they get this wisdom? From the same
source where you and I get our wisdom and our knowledge of God and
godliness. 12:112-13.
But we should all live so that the Spirit of revelation could dictate
and write on the heart and tell us what we should do, instead of the
traditions of our parents and teachers. But to do this we must become
like little children; and Jesus says if we do not we cannot enter the
kingdom of heaven. How simple it is! Live free from envy, malice,
wrath, strife, bitter feelings, and evil speaking in our families and
about our neighbors and friends and all the inhabitants of the earth,
wherever we meet them. Live so that our consciences are free, clean and
clear. 14:161.
No man can know Jesus the Christ except it be revealed from heaven to
him. 14:199.
No earthly argument, no earthly reasoning can open the minds of
intelligent beings and show them heavenly things; that can only be done
by the Spirit of revelation. 18:249.
When the Spirit of revelation from God inspires a man, his mind is
opened to behold the beauty, order, and glory of the creation of this
earth and its inhabitants, the object of its creation, and the purpose
of its Creator in peopling it with his children. He can then clearly
understand that {57} our existence here is for the sole purpose of
exaltation and restoration to the presence of our Father and God, where
we may progress endlessly in the power of godliness. After the mind has
thus been illuminated, the ignorance and blindness of the great mass of
mankind are more apparent. Yet there is no son or daughter of Adam and
Eve who has not incorporated in his organization the priceless gem of
endless life, for the endless duration and endless lives which they are
approaching. 9:256.
Without the revelations of God we know not who we are, whence we came,
nor who formed the earth on which we live, move and have our being. Did
I bring the particles of matter together and form the earth? No. Did
you, Mr. Philosopher? No? Did you Mr. Infidel, or you Mr. Christian,
Pagan or Jew? No, not any of us. We know that we are here, but who
brought us here, or how we came are questions the solution of which
depends upon a power superior to ours. The ideas of the inhabitants
of the earth with regard to the destiny of the earth, are very crude
and vague. But we must all acknowledge that some individual, being,
power or influence superior to ourselves produced us and the earth and
brought us forth and holds us in existence, and causes the revolutions
of the earth and of the planetary system. These are facts that neither
we nor all mankind can controvert; the whole Christian and even the
heathen world will acknowledge all this; but what do they know about
it? Who understands the modus operandi by which all this was brought
about and continued? Who is able to leap forth into the immensity
of thought, space, contemplation and research, and search out the
principles by which we are here and by which we are sustained? The
strangest phenomenon to the inhabitants of the earth today {58} is that
God, the maker and preserver of the earth and all it contains, should
speak from heaven to his creatures, the works of his hands here. What
would there be strange in the mechanician, after constructing the most
beautiful and ingenious piece of mechanism it is possible to conceive
of, speaking to it and admiring the beauty, regularity and order of its
motions? Nothing whatever. Well, to me it is not at all strange that
he who framed and fashioned this beautiful world and all the myriads
and varieties of organizations it contains, should come and visit them;
to me this is perfectly natural, and when we remember and compare the
belief of this people with that of the rest of the world we need not be
surprised at being considered "a strange people." 13:234.
How do we know that prophets wrote the word of the Lord? By revelation.
How do we know that Joseph Smith was called of God to establish his
Kingdom upon the earth? By revelation. How do we know that the leaders
of this people teach the truth? By revelation. How do we know the
doctrine of baptism for the remission of sins to be true? It is written
in the Bible; but the Christian world deny it, because it is not
manifested to them by the revelations of the Lord Jesus. 14:209.
Without revelation direct from heaven, it is impossible for any person
to understand fully the plan of salvation. We often hear it said that
the living oracles must be in the Church, in order that the Kingdom of
God may be established and prosper on the earth. I will give another
version of this sentiment. I say that the living oracles of God, or the
Spirit of revelation must be in each and every individual, to know the
plan of salvation and keep in the path that leads them to the presence
of God. 9:279. {59}
This people believe in revelation. This people did believe and do
believe that the Lord has spoken from the heavens. They did believe and
do believe that God has sent angels to proclaim the everlasting Gospel,
according to the testimony of John. It was this that gave rise to the
malice, hatred and vindictive feelings that have been so often made
manifest against them. 12:282.
When a revelation is given to any people, they must walk according to
it, or suffer the penalty which is the punishment of disobedience, but
when the word is, "will you do thus and so?" "it is the mind and will
of God that you perform such and such a duty;" the consequences of
disobedience are not so dreadful, as they would be if the word of the
Lord were to be written under the declaration, "Thus saith the Lord."
12:127.
Instead of considering that there is nothing known and understood,
only as we know and understand things naturally, I take the other side
of the question, and believe positively that there is nothing known
except by the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether in theology,
science, or art. 12:207.
It pleases me a little to think how anxious this people are for new
revelation. I wish to ask you a question: Do this people know whether
they have received any revelation since the death of Joseph, as a
people? I can tell you that you receive them continually. 6:282.
All the revelations of God teach simply this--son, daughter, you
are the workmanship of mine hands; walk and live before me in
righteousness; let your conversations be chaste; let your daily
deportment be according to my law; let your dealings one with another
be in justice and equity; let my character be sacred in your mouth, and
do {60} not profane my holy name and trample upon my authority; do not
despise any of my sayings, for I will not be disgraced. 6:284-85.
It has been observed that the people want revelation. This is a
revelation; and were it written, it would then be written revelation,
as truly as the revelations which are contained in the book of Doctrine
and Covenants. I could give you revelation upon the subject of paying
your tithing and building a temple to the name of the Lord; for the
light is in me. I could put these revelations as straight to the line
of truth in writing as any revelation you ever read. I could write the
mind of the Lord, and you could put it in your pockets. But before we
desire more written revelation, let us fulfil the revelations that are
already written, and which we have scarcely begun to fulfil. 6:319.
In every part and portion of the revelations of God as given to the
children of men, or to any individual in heaven or on earth, to
understand them properly, a man needs the Spirit by which they were
given--the Spirit that reveals such matters to the understanding, and
makes them familiar to the mind. 8:27.
There are revelations, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding yet to be
proclaimed. 8:59.
"Well, Brother Brigham, have you had visions?" Yes, I have. "Have you
had revelations?" Yes, I have them all the time, I live constantly by
the principle of revelation. I never received one iota of intelligence,
from the letter A to what I now know, I mean that, from the very
start of my life to this time, I have never received one particle of
intelligence, only by revelation, no matter whether father or mother
revealed it, or my sister, or neighbor.
No person receives knowledge, only upon the principle {61} of
revelation, that is, by having something revealed to them. "Do you have
the revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ?" I will leave that for others
to judge. If the Lord requires anything of this people, and speaks
through me, I will tell them of it; but if he does not, still we all
live by the principle of revelation. Who reveals? Everybody around us;
we learn of each other. I have something which you have not, and you
have something which I have not; I reveal what I have to you, and you
reveal what you have to me. I believe that we are revelators to each
other. Are the heavens opened? Yes, to some at times, yet upon natural
principles upon the principle of natural philosophy. "Do you know the
will and mind of the Lord?" Yes, concerning this people, and concerning
myself. Does every one of my brethren and sisters know the will of
the Lord? Let me say to the Latter-day Saints, if they will take up
their cross and follow the Lord Jesus Christ in the regeneration, many
of them will receive more, know more, and have more of the Spirit of
revelation than they are aware of; but the revelations which I receive
are all upon natural principles. 3:209.
I am so far from believing that any government upon this earth has
constitutions and laws that are perfect, that I do not even believe
that there is a single revelation, among the many God has given to the
Church, that is perfect in its fulness. The revelations of God contain
correct doctrine and principle, so far as they go; but it is impossible
for the poor, weak, low, grovelling, sinful inhabitants of the earth to
receive a revelation from the Almighty in all its perfections. He has
to speak to us in a manner to meet the extent of our capacities, as we
have to do with these benighted Lamanites; it would be of no benefit
to talk to them as I am now speaking to you. Before you can enter into
{62} conversation with them, give them your ideas, you are under the
necessity of condescending to their low estate, so far as communication
is concerned, in order to exalt them. 2:314.
The construction of the electric telegraph and the method of using
it enabling the people to send messages from one end of the earth to
the other, is just as much a revelation from God as any ever given.
The same is true with regard to making machinery, whether it be a
steamboat, a carding machine, threshing machine, or anything else, it
makes no difference--these things have existed from all eternity and
will continue to all eternity, and the Lord has revealed them to his
children. 13:305.
Many are pleading for revelations; do you suppose that Saints lack
revelations? They have plenty of them, and they are stored in the
archives of those who have understanding of the principles of the
Priesthood, ready to be brought forth as the people need. 3:337.
Men who know nothing of the Priesthood receive revelation and prophecy,
and yet these gifts belong to the Church, and those who are faithful
in the Kingdom of God inherit them and are entitled to them; and all
ought to live so as to enjoy the spirit of these gifts and callings
continually. 11:325.
Should you receive a vision or revelation from the Almighty, one that
the Lord gave you concerning yourselves, or this people, but which
you are not to reveal on account of your not being the proper person,
or because it ought not to be known by the people at present, you
should shut it up and seal it as close, and lock it as tight as heaven
is to you, and make it as secret as the grave. The Lord has no {63}
confidence in those who reveal secrets, for he cannot safely reveal
himself to such persons. 4:288.
Take a course to open and keep open a communication with your Elder
Brother or file-leader--our Savior. Were I to draw a distinction in
all the duties that are required of the children of men, from first
to last, I would place first and foremost the duty of seeking unto
the Lord our God until we open the path of communication from heaven
to earth--from God to our own souls. Keep every avenue of your hearts
clean and pure before him. 8:339.
That man who cannot know things without telling any other living being
upon the earth, who cannot keep his secrets and those that God reveals
to him, never can receive the voice of his Lord to dictate him and the
people on this earth. 4:287.
It was asked me by a gentleman how I guided the people by revelation. I
teach them to live so that the Spirit of revelation may make plain to
them their duty day by day that they are able to guide themselves. To
get this revelation it is necessary that the people live so that their
spirits are as pure and clean as a piece of blank paper that lies on
the desk before the inditer, ready to receive any mark the writer may
make upon it. 11:240.
Yes, my brethren and sisters here, both men and women, have revelation,
and I can say with Moses of old--"Would God that all the Lord's people
were prophets." 1:242.
_Angels_--There is a difference of opinion as to getting the word
of the Lord; but if you will read and cultivate the Spirit of God,
you will understand how it is obtained. The Lord is not everywhere in
person; but he has his agents speaking and acting for him. His angels,
his messengers, his apostles and servants are appointed and authorized
to {64} act in his name. And his servants are authorized to counsel
and dictate in the greatest and what might be deemed the most trifling
matters, to instruct, direct and guide his Saints. 12:245.
The Lord is here with us, not in person, but his angels are around
us, and he takes cognizance of every act of the children of men,
as individuals and as nations. He is here ready by his agents, the
angels, and by the power of his Holy Spirit and Priesthood, which he
has restored in these last days, to bring most perfect and absolute
deliverance unto all who put their trust in him, when they are ready to
receive it. 11:14.
When an angel is appointed to perform a duty, to go to the earth,
to preach the Gospel, or to do anything for the advancement of his
Father's kingdom in any part of the great domain of heaven, the vision
of that angel is opened to see and understand the magnitude of the work
that is expected of him to perform, and the grand results which will
grow out of it. That is the reason why the angels are of one heart and
of one mind, in their faithfulness and obedience to the requirements
of their Father and God. They can desire and ask for nothing that will
make them happy, good and great that is withheld from them; and life
eternal is theirs. Why, then, should they not be of one heart and of
one mind? They see alike, understand alike, and know alike, and all
things are before them, and, as far as their knowledge and experience
extend, they see the propriety of all the works of God, and the harmony
and beauty thereof. 11:15.
What is the difference between Saints of God and an angel of God? One
is clothed upon with mortality, the other has passed through mortality
and has received the {65} celestial glory of our Heavenly Father,
and is free from the contaminating influences of sin that we have to
contend with. 19:66.
There is much in my presence besides those who sit here, if we had eyes
to see the heavenly beings that are in our presence. 8:207.
When the Lord commands those invisible beings, shall I say, those who
have had their resurrection?--yes, millions and millions more than the
inhabitants of this earth, they can fight your battles. 2:255.
_Prayer_--Let all persons be fervent in prayer, until they know
the things of God for themselves and become certain that they are
walking in the path that leads to everlasting life; then will envy,
the child of ignorance, vanish and there will be no disposition in
any man to place himself above another; for such a feeling meets no
countenance in the order of heaven. Jesus Christ never wanted to be
different from his Father. They were and are one. If a people are led
by the revelations of Jesus Christ, and they are cognizant of the fact
through their faithfulness, there is no fear but they will be one in
Jesus Christ, and see eye to eye. 9:150.
If we draw near to him, he will draw near to us; if we seek him early,
we shall find him; if we apply our minds faithfully and diligently day
by day, to know and understand the mind and will of God, it is as easy
as, yes, I will say easier than, it is to know the minds of each other,
for to know and understand ourselves and our own being is to know and
understand God and his being. 13:312.
Practice your religion today, and say your prayers faithfully. 16:28.
The duty of the Latter-day Saints is to pray without {66} ceasing, and
in everything to give thanks, to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in
all things, and to be subject to his requirements. 15:63.
Let every man and every woman call upon the name of the Lord, and that,
too, from a pure heart, while they are at work as well as in their
closet; while they are in public as well as while they are in private,
asking the Father in the name of Jesus, to bless them, and to preserve
and guide in, and to teach them, the way of life and salvation and to
enable them so to live that they will obtain this eternal salvation
that we are after. 15:63.
The Lord says, I will be sought unto by my people for the blessings
that they need. And instead of our classing prayer among the duties
devolving upon us as Latter-day Saints, we should live so as to deem it
one of the greatest privileges accorded to us; for were it not for the
efficacy of prayer what would have become of us both as a people and as
individuals? 19:222.
You know that it is one peculiarity of our faith and religion never to
ask the Lord to do a thing without being willing to help him all that
we are able; and then the Lord will do the rest. 5:293.
I shall not ask the Lord to do what I am not willing to do. 8:143.
Do not ask God to give you knowledge, when you are confident that you
will not keep and rightly improve upon that knowledge. 3:338.
I pray both for my friends and for my enemies, that, if they will not
repent, the earth may be speedily emptied of the ungodly. 4:346.
If I ask him to give me wisdom concerning any requirement in life, or
in regard to my own course, or that of my {67} friends, my family, my
children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from him, and
then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, he is bound to
own and honor that transaction, and he will do so to all intents and
purposes. 3:205.
When you approach the throne of grace and petition the Father, in the
name of the Savior who has redeemed the world, do you use the name
as the name of a stranger? If you understand your own religion, you
petition that Personage as you would one of your brethren in the flesh.
Is this strange to you? It should bring near to you things that pertain
to eternity, give your reflections and views a more exalted cast, stamp
your daily actions with truth and honesty, and cause you to be filled
with the Spirit and power of God. 7:274-5.
Your prayers cannot prevail if there is disunion among you. 5:331.
I do not know any other way for the Latter-day Saints than for every
breath to be virtually a prayer for God to guide and direct his people,
and that he will never suffer us to possess anything that will be an
injury to us. I am satisfied that this should be the feeling of every
Latter-day Saint in the world. If you are making a bargain, if you are
talking in the house, visiting in the social party, going forth in the
dance, every breath should virtually be a prayer that God will preserve
us from sin and from the effects of sin. 10:313.
Let us be humble, fervent, submissive, yielding ourselves to the will
of the Lord, and there is no danger but that we shall have his Spirit
to guide us. If we will open our lips and call upon our Heavenly
Father, in the name of Jesus, we will have the spirit of prayer. I have
proved this to be {68} the best way. If we do everything in the season
thereof, attending to our prayers and daily labors in their proper
order and at the right time, all will go well. 13:155.
When you get up in the morning, before you suffer yourselves to eat one
mouthful of food, call your wife and children together, bow down before
the Lord, ask him to forgive your sins, and protect you through the
day, to preserve you from temptation and all evil, to guide your steps
aright, that you may do something that day that shall be beneficial
to the Kingdom of God on the earth. Have you time to do this? Elders,
sisters, have you time to pray? 15:36.
Say your prayers always before going to work. Never forget that. A
father--the head of the family--should never miss calling his family
together and dedicating himself and them to the Lord of Hosts, asking
the guidance and direction of his Holy Spirit to lead them through the
day--that very day. Lead us this day, guide us this day, preserve us
this day, save us from sinning against thee or any being in heaven or
on earth this day! If we do this every day, the last day we live we
will be prepared to enjoy a higher glory. 12:261.
We may say that our work drives us and that we have not time to pray,
hardly time to eat our breakfasts. Then let the breakfasts go, and
pray; get down upon our knees and pray until we are filled with the
spirit of peace. 10:174.
It matters not whether you or I feel like praying, when the time
comes to pray, pray. If we do not feel like it, we should pray till
we do. And if there is a heavy storm coming on and our hay is likely
to be wet, let it come. You will find that those who wait till the
Spirit-bids them pray, will never pray much on this earth. Such people
would come to meeting and look at each other and then when they had
{69} stayed as long as they felt inclined, address their brethren
with--"Goodbye, I am going home," and then leave. But when the time
comes to have prayers, let them be made, and there will be no danger.
13:155.
There are times and places when all should vocally repeat the words
spoken, but in our prayer meetings and in our family circles let every
heart be united with the one who takes the lead by being mouth before
the Lord, and let every person mentally repeat the prayers, and all
unite in whatever is asked for, and the Lord will not withhold, but
will give to such persons the things which they ask for and rightly
need. 3:53.
Some of the brethren come to me and say, "Brother Brigham, is it my
duty to pray when I have not one particle of the spirit of prayer in
me?" True, at times, men are perplexed and full of care and trouble,
their ploughs and other implements are out of order, their animals have
strayed and a thousand things perplex them; yet our judgment teaches us
that it is our duty to pray, whether we are particularly in the spirit
of praying or not. My doctrine is, it is your duty to pray; and when
the time for prayer comes, John should say, "This is the place and
this is the time to pray; knees bend down upon the floor, and do so at
once." But John said, "I do not want to pray; I do not feel like it."
Knees get down, I say; and down bend the knees, and he begins to think
and reflect. Can you say anything? Can you not say, God have mercy
on me a sinner? Yes, he can do this, if he can rise up and curse his
neighbor for some ill deeds. Now, John, open your mouth and say, Lord,
have mercy upon me. "But I do not feel the spirit of prayer." That does
not excuse you, for you know what your duty is. You have a passion, a
will, a temper to overcome. You {70} are subject to temptation as other
men; and when you are tempted, let the judgment which God has placed
within you and the intelligence he has given you by the light of the
Spirit be the master in this case.
If I could not master my mouth, I would my knees, and make them bend
until my mouth would speak. "But the cattle are in the corn." Let them
eat; you can attend to them when you have finished praying. Let the
will of man be brought into subjection to the law of Christ--to all the
ordinances of the house of God. What, in his darkness and depression?
Yes; for that is the time to prove whether one is a friend of God, that
the confidence of the Almighty may increase in his Son. We should so
live that our confidence and faith may increase in him. We must even go
further than that. Let us so live that the faith and confidence of our
Heavenly Father may increase towards us, until he shall know that we
will be true to him under any and all circumstances and at all times.
When in our darkness and temptation we are found faithful to our duty,
that increases the confidence of our God in us. He sees that we will be
his servants. 7:164.
If the Devil says you cannot pray when you are angry, tell him it
is none of his business, and pray until that species of insanity is
dispelled and serenity is restored to the mind. 10:175.
Let every Saint, when he prays, ask God for the things he needs to
enable him to promote righteousness on the earth. If you do not know
what to ask for, let me tell you how to pray. When you pray in secret
with your families, if you do not know anything to ask for, submit
yourselves to your Father in Heaven and beseech him to guide you by
the inspirations of the Holy Ghost, and to guide this people, {71} and
dictate the affairs of his Kingdom on the earth, and there leave it.
Ask him to put you just where he wants you, and to tell you what he
wants you to do, and feel that you are on hand to do it. 6:43.
When you have labored faithfully for years, you will learn this
simple fact--that if your hearts are aright, and you still continue
to be obedient, continue to serve God, continue to pray, the Spirit
of revelation will be in you like a well of water springing up to
everlasting life. Let no person give up prayer because he has not
the spirit of prayer, neither let any earthly circumstance hurry
you while in the performance of this important duty. By bowing down
before the Lord to ask him to bless you, you will simply find this
result--God will multiply blessings on you temporally and spiritually.
Let a merchant, a farmer, a mechanic, any person in business, live
his religion faithfully, and he need never lose one minute's sleep by
thinking about his business; he need not worry in the least, but trust
in God, go to sleep and rest. I say to this people--pray, and if you
cannot do anything else, read a prayer aloud that your family may hear
it, until you get a worshiping spirit, and are full of the riches of
eternity, then you will be prepared at any time to lay hands on the
sick, or to officiate in any of the ordinances of this religion. 12:103.
If I did not feel like praying, and asking my Father in Heaven to give
me a morning blessing, and to preserve me and my family and the good
upon the earth through the day, I should say, "Brigham, get down here
on your knees, bow your body down before the throne of him who rules in
the heavens, and stay there until you can feel to supplicate at that
throne of grace erected for sinners." 16:28. {71}
CHAPTER IV
_PRE-EXISTENCE; THE PLAN OF SALVATION_
_Time_--When was there a beginning? There never was one; if there
was, there will be an end; but there never was a beginning, and hence
there will never be an end; that looks like eternity. When we talk
about the beginning of eternity, it is rather simple conversation, and
goes far beyond the capacity of man. 2:307.
Here is time, where is eternity? It is here, just as much as anywhere
in all the expanse of space; a measured space of time is only a part of
eternity. 3:367.
Every mind that thinks deeply upon the things of time and eternity,
sees that time, which we measure by our lives, is like the stream from
the mountains which gushes forth, yet we cannot tell from whence it
comes, nor do we know naturally where it goeth, only it passes again
into the clouds; so our lives are here, and this we are certain of.
We do know that we live and that we have the power of sight. We do
know and can realize that we possess the faculty of hearing. We can
discern between that which we like and that which we dislike. This
life that you and I possess is for eternity. Contemplate the idea of
beings endowed with all the powers and faculties which we possess,
becoming annihilated, passing out of existence, ceasing to be, and
then try to reconcile it with our feelings and with our present lives.
No intelligent person can do it. Yet it is only by the spirit of
revelation that we can understand these things. By the revelations of
the Lord Jesus we understand things as they were, that have been made
known unto us; things that are in the life which we now enjoy, and {73}
things as they will be, not to the fullest extent, but all that the
Lord designs that we should understand, to make it profitable to us, in
order to give us the experience necessary in this life to prepare us to
enjoy eternal life hereafter. 12:111-112.
The present is that portion of time that more particularly concerns
us, and the greatest and most important labor we have to perform is
to cultivate ourselves. That man may know his fellow creatures, it is
necessary that he should first know himself. When he thoroughly knows
himself, he measurably knows God, whom to know is eternal life. 10:2.
As far as we can compare eternal things with earthly things that lie
within the scope of our understanding, so far we can understand them.
10:1.
As to the word annihilate, as we understand it, there is no such
principle as to put a thing which exists, entirely out of existence, so
that it does not exist in any form, shape, or place whatever. It would
be as reasonable to say that endless, which is synonymous to the word
eternity, has both a beginning and an end. 1:352.
_The Organized Universe_--The creations of God--the worlds that
are and the worlds that have been,--who can grasp in the vision of his
mind the truth that there never has been a time when there have not
been worlds like this, and that there never will be a time when there
will not be worlds organized and prepared for intelligent beings to
dwell upon? 8:81.
There is an eternity of matter. Astronomers estimate that there is
between us and the nearest fixed star matter enough from which to
organize millions of earths like this. There is an eternity of matter,
and it is all acted upon and {74} filled with a portion of divinity.
Matter is to exist; it cannot be annihilated. Eternity is without
bounds, and is filled with matter; and there is no such place as empty
space. And matter is capacitated to receive intelligence. 7:2.
Worlds are made of crude element which floats, without bounds in the
eternities--in the immensity of space; an eternity of matter--no limits
to it, in its natural crude state, and the power of the Almighty has
this influence and wisdom--when he speaks he is obeyed, and matter
comes together and is organized. 13:248.
According to all that the world has ever learned by the researches of
philosophers and wise men, according to all the truths now revealed
by science, philosophy and religion, qualities and attributes depend
entirely upon their connection with organized matter for their
development and visible manifestation. 11:121.
_Man and Matter Eternal_--Mankind are organized of element
designed to endure to all eternity; it never had a beginning and never
can have an end. There never was a time when this matter, of which you
and I are composed, was not in existence, and there never can be a time
when it will pass out of existence; it cannot be annihilated.
It is brought together, organized, and capacitated to receive knowledge
and intelligence, to be enthroned in glory, to be made angels,
Gods--beings who will hold control over the elements, and have power
by their word to command the creation and redemption of worlds, or to
extinguish suns by their breath, and disorganize worlds, hurling them
back into their chaotic state. This is what you and I are created for.
3:356. {75}
The elements with which we are surrounded are as eternal as we are, and
are loaded with supplies of every kind for the comfort and happiness of
the human race. 10:3.
Earthly things will be decomposed and their reorganization will be by
the power of the resurrection; then we shall begin to understand the
proper use of element. 7:65.
"Immaterial substance." It is like the center of a being everywhere and
his circumference nowhere, or like being seated on the top of a topless
throne. These are self-confounding expressions, and there is no meaning
to any of them. 16:31.
If we could so understand true philosophy as to understand our own
creation, and what it is for--what design and intent the Supreme Ruler
had in organizing matter and bringing it forth in the capacity that
I behold you here today, we could comprehend that matter cannot be
destroyed--that it is subject to organization and disorganization;
and could understand that matter can be organized and brought forth
into intelligence, and to possess more intelligence and to continue
to increase in that intelligence; and could learn those principles
that organized matter into animals, vegetables, and into intelligent
beings; and could discern the Divinity acting, operating, and diffusing
principles into matter to produce intelligent beings and to exalt
them--to what? Happiness. Will nothing short of that fully satisfy the
spirits implanted within us? No. 7:2-3.
Gold and silver are composing, and so does every other kind of
metal, the same as the hair upon my head, or the wheat in the field;
they do not compose as fast, but they are all the time composing or
decomposing. 1:219.
There never was a time when man did not exist, and {76} there never
will be a time when he will cease to exist. Eternity is without
confines, and all things animate and inanimate have their existence in
it. The Priesthood of God, that was given to the ancients and is given
to men in the latter days, is co-equal in duration with eternity--is
without beginning of days or end of life. It is unchangeable in its
system of government and its Gospel of salvation. It gives to Gods
and angels their supremacy and power, and offers wealth, influence,
posterity, exaltations, power, glory, kingdoms and thrones, ceaseless
in their duration, to all who will accept them on the terms upon which
they are offered. 10:5.
The life that is within us is a part of an eternity of life, and
is organized spirit, which is clothed upon by tabernacles, thereby
constituting our present being, which is designed for the attainment of
further intelligence. The matter composing our bodies and spirits has
been organized from the eternity of matter that fills immensity. 7:285.
Man is organized and brought forth as the king of the earth, to
understand, to criticise, examine, improve, manufacture, arrange, and
organize the crude matter, and honor and glorify the works of God's
hands. This is a wide field for the operation of man, that reaches into
eternity; and it is good for mortals to search out the things of this
earth. 9:242.
_Man the Offspring of God_--No human being has had power to
organize his own existence. Then there is a greater than we. Are we our
own in our bodies? Are we our own in our spirits? We are not our own.
We belong to our progenitors--to our Father and our God. 8:67.
Things were first created spiritually; the Father actually begat the
spirits, and they were brought forth and {77} lived with him. Then he
commenced the work of creating earthly tabernacles, precisely as he
had been created in this flesh himself, by partaking of the coarse
material that was organized and composed this earth, until his system
was charged with it, consequently the tabernacles of his children were
organized from the coarse materials of this earth.
When the time came that his First-born, the Savior, should come into
the world and take a tabernacle, the Father came himself and favored
that Spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it.
The Savior was begotten by the Father and his Spirit, by the same
Being who is the Father of our spirits, and that is all the organic
difference between Jesus Christ and you and me. And a difference
there is between our Father and us consists in that he has gained his
exaltation, and has obtained eternal lives. The principle of eternal
lives is an eternal existence, eternal duration, eternal exaltation.
Endless are his kingdoms, endless his thrones and his dominions and
endless are his posterity; they never will cease to multiply from this
time henceforth and forever. 4:218.
I want to tell you, each and every one of you, that you are well
acquainted with God our Heavenly Father, or the great Elohim. You are
all well acquainted with him, for there is not a soul of you but what
has lived in his house and dwelt with him year after year; and yet you
are seeking to become acquainted with him, when the fact is, you have
merely forgotten what you did know.
There is not a person here to-day but what is a son or a daughter of
that Being. In the spirit world their spirits were first begotten and
brought forth, and they lived there {78} with their parents for ages
before they came here. This, perhaps, is hard for many to believe, but
it is the greatest nonsense in the world not to believe it. If you do
not believe it, cease to call him Father; and when you pray, pray to
some other character. 4:216.
We are the sons and daughters of celestial Beings, and the germ of
the Deity dwells within us. When our spirits took possession of these
tabernacles, they were as pure as the angels of God, wherefore total
depravity cannot be a true doctrine. 10:192.
Our spirits once dwelt in the heavens and were as pure and holy as
the angels; but angels have tabernacles and spirits have none; and
they come to the meanest, lowest and humblest of the human race to
obtain one rather than run any risk of not doing so. I have heard that
the celebrated Mr. Beecher, of Brooklyn, once said that the greatest
misfortune that could ever happen to man was to be born; but I say
that the greatest good fortune that ever happened or can happen to
human beings is to be born on this earth, for then life and salvation
are before them; then they have the privilege of overcoming death, and
of treading sin and iniquity under their feet, of incorporating into
their daily lives every principle of life and salvation and of dwelling
eternally with the Gods. 13:145.
When we look upon the human face we look upon the image of our Father
and God; there is a divinity in each person, male and female; there
is the heavenly, there is the divine and with this is amalgamated the
human, the earthly, the weaker portions of our nature, and it is the
human that shrinks in the presence of the divine, and this accounts for
our man-fearing spirit, and it is all there is of it. 9:291.
The origin of thought was planted in our organization {79} at the
beginning of our being. This is not telling you how it came there, or
who put it there. Thought originated with our individual being, which
is organized to be as independent as any being in eternity. 2:135.
We were created upright, pure, and holy, in the image of our father and
our mother, the image of our God.
Wherein do we differ? In the talents that are given us, and in our
callings. We are made of the same materials; our spirits were begotten
by the same parents; in the begetting of the flesh we are of the same
first parents, and all the kindreds of the earth are made of one flesh;
but we are different in regard to our callings. 3:365.
We have no true interest, only conjointly with our Father in Heaven.
We are his children, his sons and daughters, and this should not be
a mystery to this people, even though there are many who have been
gathered with us but a short time. He is the God and Father of our
spirits; he devised the plan that produced our tabernacles; the houses
for our spirits to dwell in. 4:27.
_The Spirit of Man_--The spirits that live in these tabernacles
were as pure as the heavens, when they entered them. They came to
tabernacles that are contaminated, pertaining to the flesh, by the fall
of man. The Psalmist says, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in
sin did my mother conceive me." This Scripture has established in the
minds of some the doctrine of total depravity--that it is impossible
for them to have one good thought, that they are altogether sinful,
that there is no good, no soundness, and no spiritual health in them.
This is not correct, yet we have a warfare within us. We have to
contend against evil passions, or the seeds of iniquity that are sown
in the flesh through the fall. The pure spirits that occupy these {80}
tabernacles are operated upon, and it is the-right of him that sent
them into these tabernacles to hold the pre-eminence, and to always
give the Spirit of truth to influence the spirits of men, that it may
triumph and reign predominantly in our tabernacles, the God and Lord of
every motion. We not only have this warfare continually, day by day,
within ourselves, but we also have an outside influence or pressure to
resist. Both the religious and the political world have influences to
contend against that very much resemble each other; they are more or
less exercised, governed and controlled by surrounding influences. We,
Latter-day Saints, have an influence of this kind to contend against.
10:105.
We see life spring into existence all around us. Where is its fountain?
And how is it originated? It exists for a day, a night, a year, or
an age, and it is gone; and who can say where? Who can tell what
has become of the life that dwelt in that tabernacle, causing it to
think,--that lit up the eye with living fire, and caused the mouth to
utter forth wisdom? Can mortal man tell? Not unless he is inspired
by the Almighty, and understands eternal things. The origin of all
things is in eternity. Like a cloud passing across a clear sky--like a
bird that suddenly flits across our path--like a pure gushing stream
from a hidden fountain, that soon sinks in some mountain chasm, so,
apparently, life flashes into this mortal existence, and passes away.
7:173.
Intelligence is given unto us to improve upon. 8:81.
The origin of thought and reflection is in ourselves. We think, because
we are, and are made susceptible of external influences, and to feel
our relationship to external objects. Thus thoughts of revenge, and
thoughts of blessing will arise in the same mind, as it is influenced
by external circumstances. 2:135. {81}
There is just as much difference in the spiritual organization, as you
see in the temporal organization. You can see that eternal variety in
both. 9:125.
I see a man grow up from the infant stage to be a scholar, and by and
by he has an empire, and can give laws to the people, that can equalize
them, and bring them to a state of happiness and excellency, and give
them all the advantages that man can possess upon the earth, and make
every man happy and comfortable. This is the work that we have upon our
hands. Teach the people the faith of the Gospel. Teach them what God
is, and what his work is, and that there never was a time such as many
of our philosophers speak of, who drift back and back, and come to this
theory and that theory, and go back, and back to the time when we were
all reptiles. When was there a time when there was not a God? But, say
they, there must have been a time. Then you declare to me, do you, that
there was a time when there was no time? And this is the philosophy
of a great many of the scientific in this day. They see the heavens
stretched out, but they comprehend them not. And why do they not say,
if there was a time when there was no time, there will be a time again
when there will be no time. What a condition for man to be in! Can we
look onward and upward through the immensity of space, and behold the
worlds on worlds that we call stars, and imagine that they will be
blotted out forever? What an idea! 19:49.
Everything in heaven, on earth, and in hell is organized for the
benefit, advantage, and exaltation of intelligent beings; therefore
there is nothing that is out of the pale of our faith. There is
nothing, I may say, good or bad, light or darkness, truth or error,
but what is to be controlled {82} by intelligent beings; and we
should learn how to take into our possession every blessing and every
privilege that God has put within our reach, and know how to use our
time, our talents, and all our acts for the advancement of his Kingdom
upon the earth. 6:145.
We are all his children. We are his sons and daughters naturally, and
by the principles of eternal life. We are brethren and sisters. What is
it that makes the distinctions we see in the classes of the children
of men? We see the low and the degraded, like the aborigines of our
country; what is the cause of their being in their present condition?
It is because of the rejection by their fathers of the Gospel of the
Son of God. The Gospel brings intelligence, happiness, and glory to
all who obey it and live according to its precepts. It will give them
intelligence that comes from God. Their minds will be open so as to
understand things as they are; they will rejoice in being blessed
themselves and in blessing their fellow beings, and in being prepared
to re-enter the presence of the Father and the Son. This will be their
delight. 13:178.
_The Council in Heaven_--The Council in heaven said, "Let there be
an earth, and let there be a firmament above and beneath it," and it
was so. They said, "Let there be heat and cold," and it was so. They
said, "Let there be spring and summer, autumn and winter," and it was
so. 9:254.
"Who will redeem the earth, who will go forth and make the sacrifice
for the earth and all things it contains?" The Eldest Son said: "Here
am I;" and then he added, "Send me." But the second one, which was
"Lucifer, Son of the Morning," said, "Lord, here am I, send me, I will
redeem every son and daughter of Adam and Eve that lives on the {83}
earth, or that ever goes on the earth." "But," says the Father, "that
will not answer at all. I give each and every individual his agency;
all must use that in order to gain exaltation in my kingdom; inasmuch
as they have the power of choice they must exercise that power. They
are my children; the attributes which you see in me are in my children
and they must use their agency. If you undertake to save all, you must
save them in unrighteousness and corruption. You will be the man that
will say to the thief on the cross, to the murderer on the gallows, and
to him who has killed his father, mother, brothers, and sisters and
little ones, 'Now, if you will say, I repent and believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, or on the Savior of the world, you shall be saved.'" This
is what all the religious sects of the day are saying now, but Jesus
did not say any such thing. 13:282.
When there was rebellion in heaven, judgment was laid to the line and
righteousness to the plummet, and the evil were cast out. Yet there was
a portion of grace allotted to those rebellious characters.
But they must go from heaven, they could not dwell there, they must be
cast down to the earth to try the sons of men, and to perform their
labor in producing an opposite in all things, that the inhabitants of
the earth might have the privilege of improving upon the intelligence
given to them, the opportunity for overcoming evil, and for learning
the principles which govern eternity, that they may be exalted therein.
3:256.
The Lord Almighty suffered this schism in heaven to see what his
subjects would do preparatory to their coming to this earth. 14:93.
In regard to the battle in heaven, that Brother Truman O. Angell
referred to, how much of a battle it was I have {84} forgotten. I
cannot relate the principal circumstances, it is so long since it
happened; but I do not think it lasted very long; for when Lucifer, the
Son of the Morning, claimed the privilege of having the control of this
earth, and redeeming it, a contention arose; but I do not think it took
long to cast down one-third of the hosts of heaven, as it is written
in the Bible. But let me tell you that it was one-third part of the
spirits who were prepared to take tabernacles upon this earth, and who
rebelled against the other two-thirds of the heavenly host; and they
were cast down to this world. It is written that they were cast down
to the earth. They were cast down to this globe--to this terra firma
that you and I walk upon, and whose atmosphere we breathe. One-third
part of the spirits that were prepared for this earth rebelled against
Jesus Christ, and were cast down to the earth, and they have been
opposed to him from that day to this, with Lucifer at their head. He is
their general--Lucifer, the Son of the Morning. He was once a brilliant
and influential character in heaven, and we will know more about him
hereafter. 5:54-55.
From the spirit and tenor of the ancient Scriptures and revelations
which we have received, it is plainly set forth that there are men
pre-appointed to perform certain works in their lifetime, and bring to
pass certain ends and purposes in the economy of heaven. 11:253.
Do you not think that the Lord has his eye upon a great many? There is
a passage of Scripture that reads thus: "For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren," etc. Whom did he not
foreknow? I do not think there is anybody now on the earth, that has
lived before us, or that will come after us, {85} but what he knew. He
knew who would be his anointed; he had his eye upon them all the time,
as he had upon Moses, Pharaoh, Abraham, Melchizedek, and Noah, who was
a chosen vessel to build the ark and save a remnant from the flood.
8:229.
It is a mistaken idea that God has decreed all things whatsoever that
come to pass, for the volition of the creature is as free as air. You
may inquire whether we believe in foreordination; we do, as strongly as
any people in the world. We believe that Jesus was foreordained before
the foundations of the world were built, and his mission was appointed
him in eternity to be the Savior of the world, yet when he came in the
flesh he was left free to choose or refuse to obey his Father. Had he
refused to obey his Father, he would have become a son of perdition. We
also are free to choose or refuse the principles of eternal life. God
has decreed and foreordained many things that have come to pass, and
he will continue to do so; but when he decrees great blessings upon a
nation or upon an individual they are decreed upon certain conditions.
When he decrees great plagues and overwhelming destructions upon
nations or people, those decrees come to pass because those nations and
people will not forsake their wickedness and turn unto the Lord. It was
decreed that Nineveh should be destroyed in forty days, but the decree
was stayed on the repentance of the inhabitants of Nineveh. God rules
and reigns, and has made all his children as free as himself, to choose
the right or the wrong, and we shall then be judged according to our
works. 10:324.
You cannot give any persons their exaltation unless they know what evil
is, what sin, sorrow, and misery are, for no person could comprehend,
appreciate and enjoy an exaltation {86} upon any other principle.
The Devil with one-third part of the spirits of our Father's Kingdom
got here before us, and we tarried there with our friends, until the
time came for us to come to the earth and take tabernacles, but those
spirits that revolted were forbidden ever to have tabernacles of their
own. You can now comprehend how it is that they are always trying to
get possession of the bodies of human beings; you read of a man's being
possessed of a legion, and Mary Magdalene had seven. 3:369.
Foreordination, for instance, and free grace are both true doctrines;
but they must be properly coupled together and correctly classified, so
as to produce harmony between these two apparently opposite doctrines.
6:291.
_The Plan of Salvation_--The great plan called the plan of
salvation--the system of doctrine, ideas, and practices that pertain to
all the intelligence that exists in eternity. 8:32.
Elevation, exaltation and glory are the objects of the Father in
peopling this earth with his progeny. 10:191.
This is the plan of salvation. Jesus will never cease his work until
all are brought up to the enjoyment of a kingdom in the mansions of his
Father, where there are many kingdoms and many glories, to suit the
works and faithfulness of all men that have lived on the earth. Some
will obey the celestial law and receive of its glory, some will abide
the terrestrial and some the telestial, and others will receive no
glory. 13:76.
When you understand the Gospel plan, you will comprehend that it is the
most reasonable way of dealing with the human family. You will discern
that purity, holiness, {87} justice, perfection, and all that adorns
the character of the Deity are contributing to the salvation of men.
8:115.
Our mortal existence is a school of experience. 9:29.
Our mortal bodies are all important to us; without them we never can be
glorified in the eternities that will be. We are in this state of being
for the express purpose of obtaining habitations for our spirits to
dwell in, that they may become personages of tabernacle. 9:286.
Our bodies are all important to us, though they may be old and
withered, emaciated with toil, pain, and sickness, and our limbs bent
with rheumatism, all uniting to hasten dissolution, for death is sown
in our mortal bodies. The food and drink we partake of are contaminated
with the seeds of death, yet we partake of them to extend our lives
until our allotted work is finished, when our tabernacles, in a state
of ripeness, are sown in the earth to produce immortal fruit. Yet, if
we live our holy religion and let the spirit reign, it will not become
dull and stupid, but as the body approaches dissolution the spirit
takes a firmer hold on that enduring substance behind the veil, drawing
from the depths of that eternal Fountain of Light sparkling gems of
intelligence which surround the frail and sinking tabernacle with a
halo of immortal wisdom. 9:288.
Until the last spirit that has been designed to come here and take a
tabernacle has come upon the earth, the winding-up scene cannot come.
8:352.
Can you save all? Yes, you can save all that will be saved. If people
are not saved, it is because they are not disposed to be saved. They
act for themselves, and act from choice. 9:125.
The whole object of the creation of this world is to exalt the
intelligencies that are placed upon it, that they may live, {88}
endure, and increase for ever and ever. We are not here to quarrel
and contend about the things of this world, but we are here to subdue
and beautify it. Let every man and woman worship their God with all
their heart. Let them pay their devotions and sacrifices to him, the
Supreme, and the Author of their existence. Do all the good you can to
your fellow-creatures. You are flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone.
God has created of one blood all the nations and kingdoms of men that
dwell upon all the face of the earth: black, white, copper-colored, or
whatever their color, customs, or religion, they have all sprung from
the same origin; the blood of all is from the same element. 7:290.
The Lord created you and me for the purpose of becoming Gods like
himself; when we have been proved in our present capacity, and have
been faithful with all things he puts into our possession.
How many will become thus privileged? Those who honor the Father and
the Son; those who receive the Holy Ghost, and magnify their calling,
and are found pure and holy; they shall be crowned in the presence of
the Father and the Son. 43:93.
The great and grand secret of salvation, which we should continually
seek to understand through our faithfulness, is the continuation of the
lives. 18:260.
We are all the children of our common Father, who has placed us on the
earth to prove ourselves, to govern, control, educate and sanctify
ourselves, body and spirit, unto him, according to his will and
pleasure. When all that class of spirits designed to take bodies upon
this earth have done so, then will come the winding-up scene of this
particular department of the works of God on this earth. It is his
will that we should prepare ourselves to build up his {89} Kingdom,
gather the House of Israel, redeem and build up Zion and Jerusalem,
revolutionize the world, and bring back that which has been lost
through the fall. 10:2.
The Lord has given the earth to the children of men, that by the union
of mind and matter, inspired and directed by the power of eternal
Priesthood, all may be made subject to the Great Supreme Ruler of the
universe. 9:255.
The very laws which govern eternity are planned to sustain an eternal
growth, gathering together and increasing; so that the true servant of
God cannot possibly suffer loss, but will reap eternal gain, though he,
for the cause of truth, is poor and needy through the whole of this
short life. He has made truth his theme; and what is it? I will say
it is that which endures; it is eternity, and its power is to grow,
increase, and expand, adding life to life, and power to power, worlds
without end. 2:129.
You may ask, "What is meted out to us?" I answer the ordinances, the
sacraments that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted for the salvation of
the Jews, for all the House of Israel, and then for the Gentiles. This
is the Gospel--the plan of salvation the Lord has given to us. This is
the Kingdom the Lord has presented to us; the same he presented to the
Apostles in the days of Jesus. 3:90.
It is the wish of our Heavenly Father to bring all his children back
into his presence. The spirits of all the human family dwelt with him
before they took tabernacles of flesh and became subject to the fall
and to sin. He is their spiritual Father, and has sent them here to be
clothed with flesh, and to be subject, with their tabernacles, to the
ills that afflict fallen humanity. When they have proved themselves
faithful in all things, and worthy before him, they can then have the
privilege of returning again to his {90} presence, with their bodies,
to dwell in the abodes of the blessed. If man could have been made
perfect in his double capacity of body and spirit, without passing
through the ordeals of mortality, there would have been no necessity of
our coming into this state of trial and suffering. Could the Lord have
glorified his children in spirit, without a body like his own, he no
doubt would have done so. 11:43.
We had an existence before we came into the world. Our spirits came
here pure to take these tabernacles; they came to occupy them as
habitations, with the understanding that all that had passed previously
to our coming here should be taken away from us, that we should not
know anything about it. 3:367.
The plan by which God works is rational, and meets the capacity of his
children. This earth is the home he has prepared for us, and we are to
prepare ourselves and our habitations for the celestial glory in store
for the faithful. None will be destroyed except those who receive the
oracles of truth and reject them. None are condemned except those who
have the privilege of receiving the words of eternal life and refuse to
receive them. 8:294.
He governs by law. He has also provided means and, in connection with
the attributes he has implanted within us, has instituted ordinances
which, if we will receive and improve upon, will enable us to return
back into his presence. 13:171.
Is there a debt contracted between the Father and his children? There
is. Our first parents transgressed the law that was given them in the
garden; their eyes were opened. This created the debt. What is the
nature of this debt? It is a divine debt. What will pay it? {91} I ask,
Is there anything short of a divine sacrifice that can pay this debt?
No; there is not.
A divine debt has been contracted by the children, and the Father
demands recompense. He says to his children on this earth, who are
in sin and transgression, it is impossible for you to pay this debt;
I have prepared a sacrifice; I will send my Only Begotten Son to pay
this divine debt. Was it necessary then that Jesus should die? Do
we understand why he should sacrifice his life? The idea that the
Son of God, who never committed sin, should sacrifice his life is
unquestionably preposterous to the minds of many in the Christian
world. But the fact exists that the Father, the Divine Father, whom we
serve, the God of the Universe, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and the Father of our spirits, provided this sacrifice and sent
his Son to die for us; and it is also a great fact that the Son came to
do the will of the Father, and that he has paid the debt, in fulfilment
of the Scripture which says, "He was the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world."
Is this easy to understand? It is perfectly easy to me; and my advice
to those who have queries and doubts on this subject is, when they
reason and philosophize upon it, not to plant their position in
falsehood or argue hypothetically, but upon the facts as they exist,
and they will come to the conclusion that unless God provides a Savior
to pay this debt it can never be paid. Can all the wisdom of the world
devise means by which we can be redeemed, and return to the presence of
our Father and Elder Brother, and dwell with holy angels and celestial
beings? No; it is beyond the power and wisdom of the inhabitants of the
earth that now live, or that ever did or ever will live, to prepare
or create a sacrifice that will pay this divine debt. But God {92}
provided it, and his Son has paid it, and we, each and every one, can
now receive the truth and be saved in the Kingdom of God. Is it clear
and plain? It is to me, and if you have the Spirit of God, it is as
plain to you as anything else in the world. 14:71.
Has the Lord cast an obstacle in the way of any individual, to deprive
him of the privilege of being exalted? No, not one; but every thing
that could be done has been done, every provision that could be made
has been made, every law that could be instituted to encourage and
elevate the people, to increase their faith, their knowledge, their
understanding, and to lead them to life and salvation, the Lord has
brought to this people. 4:196.
The world is before us, eternity is before us, and an inexhaustible
fountain of intelligence for us to obtain. 8:8.
It seems to be absolutely necessary in the providence of him who
created us, and who organized and fashioned all things according to
his wisdom, that man must descend below all things. It is written of
the Savior in the Bible that he descended below all things that he
might ascend above all. Is it not so with every man? Certainly it is.
It is fit, then, that we should descend below all things and come up
gradually, and learn a little now and again, receive "line upon line,
precept upon precept, here a little and there a little." 15:3.
We know the design of our Father in Heaven in creating the earth and
in peopling it, and bringing forth the myriads of organizations which
dwell upon it. We know that all this is for his glory--to swell the
eternities that are before him with intelligent beings who are capable
of enjoying the height of glory. But, before we can come in possession
of this, we need large experience, and its acquisition {93} is a slow
process. Our lives here are for the purpose of acquiring this, and the
longer we live the greater it should be. 14:229.
It has also been decreed by the Almighty that spirits, upon taking
bodies, shall forget all they had known previously, or they could
not have a day of trial--could not have an opportunity for proving
themselves in darkness and temptation, in unbelief and wickedness, to
prove themselves worthy of eternal existence. 6:333.
Recollect the saying of one of the Apostles, when speaking about
getting into the kingdom of heaven, that "if the righteous scarcely
be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" The best
man that ever lived on this earth only just made out to save himself
through the grace of God. The best woman that ever lived on the earth
has only just made her escape from this world to a better one, with a
full assurance of enjoying the first resurrection. It requires all the
atonement of Christ, the mercy of the Father, the pity of angels and
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to be with us always, and then to
do the very best we possibly can, to get rid of this sin within us, so
that we may escape from this world into the celestial kingdom. 11:301.
Millions of them have passed away, both in the Christian and in the
heathen worlds, just as honest, virtuous and upright as any now living.
The Christian world say they are lost; but the Lord will save them, or,
at least, all who will receive the Gospel. The plan of salvation which
Jesus has revealed, and which we preach, reaches to the lowest and
most degraded of Adam's lost race. Is he going to save all in the same
glory and bring all the same state of felicity? Will they who refuse
to obey the Gospel of the Son of God {94} be saved and exalted in the
same kingdom and glory as they who have obeyed? No, never, never! It is
impossible. 13:232.
Darkness and sin were permitted to come on this earth. Man partook of
the forbidden fruit in accordance with a plan devised from eternity,
that mankind might be brought in contact with the principles and powers
of darkness, that they might know the bitter and the sweet, the good
and the evil, and be able to discern between light and darkness, to
enable them to receive light continually. 7:158.
The greatest desire in the bosom of our Father Adam, or of his faithful
children who are co-workers with God, our Father in Heaven, is to save
the inhabitants of the earth. 8:174. {95}
CHAPTER V
_FREE AGENCY_
All rational beings have an agency of their own; and according to their
own choice they will be saved or damned. 6:97.
The volition of the creature is free; this is a law of their existence
and the Lord cannot violate his own law; were he to do that, he would
cease to be God. He has placed life and death before his children,
and it is for them to choose. If they choose life, they receive the
blessing of life; if they choose death, they must abide the penalty.
This is a law which has always existed from all eternity, and will
continue to exist throughout all the eternities to come. Every
intelligent being must have the power of choice, and God brings forth
the results of the acts of his creatures to promote his Kingdom and
subserve his purposes in the salvation and exaltation of his children.
11:272.
My independence is sacred to me--it is a portion of that same Deity
that rules in the heavens. There is not a being upon the face of
the earth who is made in the image of God, who stands erect and is
organized as God is, that would be deprived of the free exercise of his
agency so far as he does not infringe upon others' rights, save by good
advice and a good example. 10:191.
When the Lord made man, he made him an agent accountable to his God,
with liberty to act and to do as he pleases, to a certain extent, in
order to prove himself. There is a law that governs man thus far; but
the law of the celestial {96} kingdom, as I have frequently told you,
is, and always will be, the same to all the children of Adam. 2:139.
He has given them the privilege of choosing for themselves, whether it
be good or evil; but the result of our choice is still in his hand. All
his children have the right of making a path for themselves, of walking
to the right or to the left, of telling the truth or that which is not
true. This right God has given to all people who dwell on the earth,
and they can legislate and act as they please; but God holds them in
his hands, and he will bring forth the results of his glory, and for
the benefit of those who love and serve him, and he will make the wrath
of men to praise him. All of us are in the hands of that God. 13:178.
We possess no ability; only that which is given us of God. He has
endowed us with glorious faculties, with Godlike attributes like those
which are incorporated in his own nature, and he has placed us upon
this earth to honor them, and to sanctify ourselves and the earth
preparatory to enjoying it in its celestial state. We are not, in
anything, independent of God. We inherit what we possess from him. Yet
it is so ordained, in the fathomless wisdom of God, that we should be
agents to ourselves to choose the good or the evil, and thereby save
and exalt our existence, or lose it. 10:265.
Our Father controls the results of our acts at his own pleasure, and
we cannot prevent it. Man can produce and control his own acts, but he
has no control over their results. God causes even the wrath of man to
praise him, to redound to his glory and the salvation of his children.
8:18.
The Lord has not established laws by which I am compelled to have my
shoes made in a certain style. He has never given a law to determine
whether I shall have a {97} square-toed boot or a peaked-toe boot;
whether I shall have a coat with the waist just under my arms, and the
skirts down to my heels; or whether I shall have a coat like the one
I have on. Intelligence, to a certain extent, was bestowed both upon
Saint and sinner, to use independently, aside from whether they have
the law of the Priesthood or not, or whether they have ever heard of it
or not. 2:139.
We cannot all do just as we please, because a great many times we want
to and cannot, and that is what produces misery, which is called hell.
13:33.
How far does our agency extend? There are certain bounds to it. What
we have witnessed in thirty years' experience teaches us that man can
appoint, but God can disappoint. Man can load his gun to shoot his
neighbor, but he cannot make the ball hit him, if the Lord Almighty see
fit to turn it away. He can draw the sword to hew down his fellow-man;
but instead of that, he may fall upon it himself. 8:31.
There are limits to agency, and to all things and to all beings, and
our agency must not infringe upon that law. A man must choose life
or death, and if he chooses death he will find himself abridged, and
that the agency which is given to him is so bound up that he cannot
exercise it in opposition to the law, without laying himself liable to
be corrected and punished by the Almighty.
A man can dispose of his agency or of his birth-right, as did Esau of
old, but when disposed of, he cannot again obtain it; consequently, it
behooves us to be careful, and not forfeit that agency that is given
to us. The difference between the righteous and the sinner, eternal
life or death, happiness or misery, is this, to those who are exalted
there are no bounds or limits to their privileges, their blessings {98}
have a continuation, and to their kingdoms, thrones, and dominions,
principalities, and powers there is no end, but they increase through
all eternity; whereas, those who reject the offer, who despise the
proffered mercies of the Lord, and prepare themselves to be banished
from his presence, and to become companions of the devils, have their
agency abridged immediately, and bounds and limits are put to their
operations. 3:267.
The Lord does not compel any person to embrace the Gospel, and I do
not think he will compel them to live it after they have embraced it.
10:282.
Our religion will not permit us to command or force any man or woman
to obey the Gospel we have embraced. And we are under no obligation
to do this, for every creature has as good a right, according to his
organization, to choose for himself as the Gods. 14:94.
Not that the diverse creeds are right, but the agency of the believers
therein demands protection for them, as well as for us. 3:257.
Do you suppose that the Lord would have ever given a king to Israel, if
they had not required one of his hands? No, he would have been their
king and ruler, and there would have been a prophet to guide them, had
it not been for their rebellion. They made choice of a king, and God
gave them one in his anger.
Their rebellion against the law, the agency given to them allowing
their free choice, induced them to ask for a king, and God gave them
one. 3:257.
When I contemplate the endless variety in the dispositions,
understandings, temperaments, countenances, and organizations of
people, I am not surprised that there are those who do not understand
things as I do. I expect people {99} to have their own peculiar views,
forms, principles, and notions. In consequence of this great variety,
we should not be astonished if all do not believe the Gospel--do not
love the truth. 8:131.
It is as much my right to differ from other men, as it is theirs to
differ from me, in points of doctrine and principle, when our minds
cannot at once arrive at the same conclusion. I feel it sometimes very
difficult indeed to word my thoughts as they exist in my own mind,
which, I presume, is the grand cause of many apparent differences in
sentiment which may exist among the Saints. 2:123.
I am not going to drive a man or a woman to heaven. A great many think
that they will be able to flog people into heaven, but this can never
be done, for the intelligence in us is as independent as the Gods.
People are not to be driven, and you can put into a gnat's eye all the
souls of the children of men that are driven into heaven by preaching
hell-fire. 9:124.
When misuse of power has reached a certain stage, the divinity that is
within the people asserts its right and they free themselves from the
power of despotism. 10:191.
When the people do all they can, the Lord is bound to do the rest.
3:154.
Many are disposed through their own wickedness "to do as I damned
please," and they are damned. 11:254.
When a truth is presented to an intelligent person he ought to grasp it
and receive it in his faith. 8:59.
You may know whether you are led right or wrong, as well as you know
the way home; for every principle God has revealed carries its own
convictions of its truth to the human mind, and there is no calling of
God to man on earth {100} but what brings with it the evidence of its
authenticity. 9:149.
You cannot break nor destroy the will. It is influenced and controlled,
more or less, by the evil that is sown in the flesh, but not in the
spirit, until the body has grown to years of accountability; then evil,
when listened to, begins to rule and overrule the spirit God has placed
within man. 6:332.
Men should not be permitted to do as they please in all things;
for there are rules regulating all good societies and the business
intercourse of men with each other, which are just and righteous in
themselves, the violation of which cannot be countenanced either by
civil or religious usages. It is not the privilege of any man to waste
the time of his employer under any pretense whatever, and the cause
of religion, good government, and humanity is not in the least degree
advanced by the practice, but the contrary is really the case. Men
should be abridged in doing wrong; they should not be free to sin
against God or against man without suffering such penalties as their
sins deserve. 12:153.
Does it follow that a man is deprived of his rights, because he lists
in his heart to do the will of God? Must a man swear to prove that
he has an agency? I contend there is no necessity for that, nor for
stealing nor for doing any wrong. I can manifest to the heavens and to
the inhabitants of the earth that I am free-born, and have my liberty
before God, angels and men, when I kneel down to pray, certainly as
much as if I were to go out and swear. I have the right to call my
family together at certain hours for prayer, and I believe that this
course proves that I am a free agent, as much as if I were to steal,
swear, lie, and get drunk. 10:323. {101}
We would not make everybody bow down to our religion, if we had the
power; for this would not be Godlike. 14:94.
The eternal laws by which he and all others exist in the eternities
of the Gods decree that the consent of the creature must be obtained
before the Creator can rule perfectly. 15:134.
The Lord has a school upon the earth, and we are his scholars; and the
Devil also has a school attended by a great number of scholars. While
we have been learning how to sustain the Kingdom of God upon the earth,
the Devil and his pupils have been learning how to sustain the kingdom
of darkness. From the very nature of the two kingdoms upon one planet,
the crisis must come when there will be a literal open warfare, just
as much as there now is a warfare within us against evil; and if we,
as individuals and as a community, have gained the victory over our
passions to such a degree that our Father knows that we are capable
of actually sustaining the Kingdom of God upon the earth, just so
true we shall be a kingdom by ourselves. If we are not yet capable of
maintaining and rightly managing that kingdom, it will not at present
be given to us in the fulness thereof; but the time will come when it
will be given and established in its perfect organization on the earth.
5:328.
The law of liberty is the law of right in every particular. 12:152.
There is not, has not been, and never can be any method, scheme, or
plan devised by any being in this world for intelligence to exist
eternally and obtain an exaltation, without knowing the good and
the evil--without tasting the bitter and the sweet. Can the people
understand that it is {102} actually necessary for opposite principles
to be placed before them, or this state of being would be no probation,
and we should have no opportunity for exercising the agency given
us? Can they understand that we cannot obtain eternal life unless we
actually know and comprehend by our experience the principle of good
and the principle of evil, the light and the darkness, truth, virtue,
and holiness,--also vice, wickedness, and corruption? We must discern
and acknowledge that the providences of the Lord are over all the works
of his hands--that when he produces intelligent beings he watches over
them for their good. He has given human beings an intelligence designed
to become eternal, self-existent, independent, and as Godlike as any
being in the heavens.
To answer such design, we are given our agency--the control of our
belief, and must know the darkness from the light and the light from
the darkness, and must taste the bitter as well as the sweet. 7:237-238.
What would we know about heaven or happiness were it not for their
opposite? 3:321.
Let the Kingdom alone, the Lord steadies the ark; and if it does
jostle, and appear to need steadying, if the way is a little sideling
sometimes, and to all appearance threatens its overthrow, be careful
how you stretch forth your hands to steady it; let us not be too
officious in meddling with that which does not concern us; let it
alone, it is the Lord's work. 11:252.
Every person who will examine his own experience--who will watch
closely the leading of his own desires--will learn that the very great
majority prefer to do good rather than to do evil, and would pursue a
correct course, were it not for the evil power that subjects them to
its sway. {103} In wrong doing, their own consciences condemn them.
6:330-331.
Shall we deny the existence of that which we do not understand? If we
do, we would want to keep an iron bedstead to measure every person
according to our own measurements and dimensions; and if persons were
too long we would cut them off, and if too short draw them out. But we
should discard this principle, and our motto should be, we will let
every one believe as he pleases and follow out the convictions of his
own mind, for all are free to choose or refuse; they are free to serve
God or to deny him. We have the Scriptures of divine truth, and we
are free to believe or deny them. But we shall be brought to judgment
before God for all these things, and shall have to give an account to
him who has the right to call us to an account for the deeds done in
the body. 14:131.
There is not an individual upon the earth but what has within himself
ability to save or to destroy himself; and such is the case with
nations. 5:53. {104}
CHAPTER VI
_THE POWER OF EVIL_
_Lucifer_--There was a devil in heaven, and he strove to possess
the birthright of the Savior. He was a liar from the beginning, and
loves those who love and make lies, as do his imps and followers here
on the earth. 8:279-80.
The spirits that were cast out of heaven, which you know are recorded
to have been one-third part, were thrust down to this earth, and have
been here all the time, with Lucifer, the Son of the Morning, at their
head. 4:133.
The spirits of devils have been deprived of bodies, and that
constitutes their curse, that is to say, speaking after the manner of
men, you shall be wanderers on the earth, you have got to live out of
doors all the time you live.
That is the situation of the spirits that were sent to the earth, when
the revolt took place in heaven, when Lucifer, the Son of the Morning,
was cast out. Where did he go? He came here, and one-third part of the
spirits in heaven came with him. Do you suppose that one-third part of
all beings that existed in eternity came with him? No, but one-third
part of the spirits that were begotten and organized and brought forth
to become tenants of fleshly bodies to dwell upon this earth. They
forsook Jesus Christ, the rightful heir, and joined with Lucifer, the
Son of the Morning, and came to this earth; they got here first. As
soon as Mother Eve made her appearance in the garden of Eden, the Devil
was on hand. 3:368-369.
As it has always been, and will be yet for some time, when the sons of
God assemble together Satan will be on {105} hand as an accuser of the
brethren, to find fault with those who are trying to do good. 11:141.
The power of the Devil is limited; the power of God is unlimited. 3:267.
Who owns this earth? Does the Devil? No, he does not, he pretended to
own it when the Savior was here, and promised it all to him if he would
fall down and worship him; but he did not own a foot of land, he only
had possession of it. He was an intruder, and is still; this earth
belongs to him that framed and organized it, and it is expressly for
his glory and the possession of those who love and serve him and keep
his commandments; but the enemy has possession of it. 15:5.
If true principles are revealed from heaven to men, and if there are
angels, and there is a possibility of their communicating to the human
family, always look for an opposite power, an evil power, to give
manifestations also; look out for the counterfeit. 240.
I frequently think of the difference between the power of God and the
power of the Devil. To illustrate, here is a structure in which we
can be seated comfortably, protected from the heat of summer or the
cold of winter. Now, it required labor, mechanical skill and ingenuity
and faithfulness and diligence to erect this building, but any poor,
miserable fool or devil can set fire to it and destroy it. That is just
what the Devil can do, but he never can build anything. The difference
between God and the Devil is that God creates and organizes, while the
whole study of the Devil is to destroy. Every one that follows the evil
inclinations of his own natural evil heart is going to destruction, and
sooner or later he will be no more. I pray you Latter-day Saints to
live your religion. 13:4. {106}
What, then, is the mission of Satan, that common foe of all the
children of men? It is to destroy and make desolate. 11:240.
The Devil delights in the work of destruction--to burn and lay waste
and destroy the whole earth. He delights to convulse and throw into
confusion the affairs of men, politically, religiously and morally,
introducing war with its long train of dreadful consequences. It is
evil which causeth all these miseries and all deformity to come upon
the inhabitants of the earth. But that which is of God is pure, lovely,
holy and full of all excellency and truth, no matter where it is found,
in hell, in heaven, upon the earth, or in the planets. 11:240.
Every providence and dispensation of God to his earthly children tends
directly to life and salvation, while the influences and powers exerted
by the enemy upon mankind and every suggestion of our corrupt natures
tends to death. 10:221.
The adversary presents his principles and arguments in the most
approved style, and in the most winning tone, attended with the most
graceful attitudes; and he is very careful to ingratiate himself into
the favor of the powerful and influential of mankind, uniting himself
with popular parties, floating into offices of trust and emolument by
pandering to popular feeling, though it should seriously wrong and
oppress the innocent. 11:238.
Show me one principle that has originated by the power of the Devil.
You cannot do it. I call evil inverted good, or a correct principle
made an evil use of. 3:157.
The Devil's forces are particularly marshalled against us. 5:353.
You are aware that many think that the Devil has rule {107} and power
over both body and spirit. Now, I want to tell you that he does not
hold any power over man, only so far as the body overcomes the spirit
that is in a man, through yielding to the spirit of evil. The spirit
that the Lord puts into a tabernacle of flesh, is under the dictation
of the Lord Almighty; but the spirit and body are united in order that
the spirit may have a tabernacle, and be exalted; and the spirit is
influenced by the body, and the body by the spirit.
In the first place the spirit is pure, and under the special control
and influence of the Lord, but the body is of the earth, and is subject
to the power of the Devil, and is under the mighty influence of that
fallen nature that is of the earth. If the spirit yields to the body,
the Devil then has power to overcome the body and spirit of that man,
and he loses both.
Recollect, brethren and sisters, every one of you, that when evil is
suggested to you, when it arises in your hearts, it is through the
temporal organization. When you are tempted, buffeted, and step out of
the way inadvertently; when you are overtaken in a fault, or commit an
overt act unthinkingly; when you are full of evil passion, and wish to
yield to it, then stop and let the spirit, which God has put into your
tabernacles, take the lead. If you do that, I will promise that you
will overcome all evil, and obtain eternal lives. But many, very many,
let the spirit yield to the body, and are overcome and destroyed. 2:255.
Evil is with us, it is that influence which tempts to sin, and which
has been permitted to come into the world for the express purpose
of giving us an opportunity of proving ourselves before God, before
Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, before the holy angels, and before
all good men, that we are determined to overcome the evil, and cleave
to the good, for {108} the Lord has given us the ability to do so.
Consequently, when the evil is present with me, I have a little
fighting to do, I must turn and combat it until it is eradicated from
my affections, as well as from my actions, that I may have power to do
all the good I wish to perform. Every person is capable of this, all
can bridle their tongues, and cease from every evil act from this time
henceforth and forever, and do good instead. 1:91.
There are but two parties on the earth, one for God and the other for
the world or the evil one. No matter how many names the Christian or
heathen world bear, or how many sects and creeds may exist, there are
but two parties, one for heaven and God, and the other will go to some
other kingdom than the celestial kingdom of God. 14:73.
Do not imagine that I am in the least finding fault with the Devil. I
would not bring a railing accusation against him, for he is fulfilling
his office and calling manfully; he is more faithful in his calling
than are many of the people. God is not yet going to destroy wickedness
from the earth. How frequently we hear it reiterated from the pulpit
that he is going to destroy all wickedness. No such thing. He will
destroy the power of sin. The work the Savior has on hand is to reduce
the power of the Devil to perfect subjection; and when he has destroyed
death and him that has the power of it, pertaining to this world, then
he will deliver up the kingdom spotless to the Father. 9:108.
Cease to mingle with the wicked. Many of our Elders seem to believe
that Christ and Baal can yet be made friends. How many times Elders
of Israel try to make me fellowship the Devil, or his imps, or his
servants; also try to make you fellowship your enemies, to amalgamate
the feelings of the Saints and the ungodly! It cannot be done; {109} it
never was done, and never can be accomplished. Christ and Baal never
can be friends. One or the other must reign triumphantly on the earth,
and I say that Jesus Christ shall reign, and I will help him; and Baal
shall not reign here much longer--the Devil shall not have power much
longer upon the land of Joseph. 8:325-6.
Who is the enemy of mankind? He who wishes to change truth for error
and light for darkness; he who wishes to take peace from a family,
city, state or nation and give the sword in return. He is my enemy, he
is your enemy and the enemy of mankind. Who is the friend of mankind?
He who makes peace between those who are at enmity, who brings together
those who, perhaps, through some misunderstanding, have been at
variance with and lost friendship and fellowship for each other, and
shows them that their ill-will is without foundation and existed simply
because they did not understand each other. 16:24.
Who is your enemy and mine? He that teaches language that is
unbecoming, that presents falsehood for truth, that furnishes false
premises to build upon instead of true, or that is full of anger and
mischief to his fellow beings. I call no others enemies. 16:24.
Can error live? No, it is the very plant of destruction, it destroys
itself; it withers, it fades, it falls and decays and returns to its
native element. Every untruth, all error, everything that is unholy,
unlike God, will, in its time, perish. 14:93.
You need have no fear but the fear to offend God. 4:369.
Who are the evildoers? Those who have had the light presented to them,
and rejected it. 8:357.
If we live so as to enjoy the spirit of the faith that we {110} have
embraced there is no danger of our being deceived. 14:157.
The wicked cannot do anything against the truth. Every move they make
to crush the Kingdom of God will be attended with the signal blessings
of the Almighty for its further extension and ultimate triumph. All
their efforts will result in the overthrow of sin and iniquity, and the
increase of righteousness and the Kingdom of God upon the earth. 8:175.
_False Spirits_--There are many spirits gone out into the world,
and the false spirits are giving revelations as well as the Spirit of
the Lord. 3:44.
There are myriads of disembodied evil spirits--those who have long ago
laid down their bodies here and in the regions round about, among and
around us; and they are trying to make us and our children sick, and
are trying to destroy us and to tempt us to evil. They will try every
possible means they are masters of to draw us aside from the path of
righteousness. 6:73-4.
The children of men give heed to the deceiving spirits that are abroad,
and that is the cause of the ten thousand errors, wrongs, sins and
divisions which are in the world, and for this reason the multitude are
unable to distinguish between the voice of the Good Shepherd and the
voice of the stranger. 16:75.
It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the
Church would spread, prosper, grow and extend, and that in proportion
to the spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would
the power of Satan rise. It was told you here that Brother Joseph
warned the Elders of Israel against false spirits. It was revealed to
me that if the people did not receive the spirit of {111} revelation
that God had sent for the salvation of the world, they would receive
false spirits and would have revelation. Men would have revelation,
women would have revelation, the priest in the pulpit and the deacon
under the pulpit would have revelation, and the people would have
revelation enough to damn the whole nation, and nations of them, unless
they would hearken to the voice of God. It was not only revealed to
Joseph but to your humble servant, that false spirits would be as
prevalent and as common among the inhabitants of the earth as we now
see them. 13:280.
No man gets power from God to raise disturbance in any Branch of the
Church. Such power is obtained from an evil source. 9.93.
We may be within the pale of the Kingdom of God on earth, yet we are
liable to be overcome of evil. There are many spirits who have gone
abroad in the world, and men are overcome by false spirits, and led
astray from the path of truth. They will begin by doing some evil thing
out of sight, and say, "O, it is nothing, it is a mere trifle, and the
Lord is merciful and forgiveth sin." The sins which are considered
trifles lay the foundation for greater evils, and expose men to be
tempted, and buffeted by Satan, and they will be overcome little by
little, until by and by they are overtaken in a fault which is more
aggravating in the sight of justice, which lays the foundation for
another trial more severe, and to be buffeted more by the Devil, for
they lay themselves more liable to his power. 2:121.
Suppose I were to teach you a false doctrine, how are you to know it if
you do not possess the Spirit of God? As it is written, "The things of
God knoweth no man but by the Spirit of God." 18:72.
Our doctrine is right--there is no deception in it. It {112} requires
no argument, for it is a self-evident fact. Still, when we meddle with
that which we know nothing about, we are apt to fall into error and
differ; but we have so much which we do know, and think about and talk
about, that we have no time to speculate about that which we do not
know. We know that God lives. 10:327.
What is called spirit-rapping, spirit-knocking, and so forth, is
produced by the spirits that the Lord has suffered to communicate to
people on the earth, and make them believe in revelation. 7:239.
When we go into the world we find quite a portion of the people who
belong' to a class called Spiritualists. They would like to have it
considered that "Mormonism" is nothing but Spiritualism. A great many
want to know the difference between the two. I will give one-feature
of the difference, and then set the whole scientific world to work to
see if they can ever bring to bear the same feature in Spiritualism.
Take all who are called Spiritualists and see if they can produce the
order that is in the midst of this people. Here are system, order,
organization, law, rule, and facts. Now see if they can produce any
one of these features. They cannot. Why? Because their system is from
beneath, while ours is perfect and is from above; one is from God, the
other is from the Devil, that is all the difference. 13:266.
Spiritualism is a mass of confusion, it is a body without parts and
passions, principle or power. 13:266.
There is evil in the world, and there is also good. Was there ever
a counterfeit without a true coin? No. Is there communication from
God? Yes. From holy angels? Yes; and we have been proclaiming these
facts during nearly thirty years. Are there any communications from
evil {113} spirits? Yes; and the Devil is making the people believe
very strongly in revelations from the spirit world. This is called
Spiritualism, and it is said that thousands of spirits declare that
"Mormonism" is true; but what do that class of spirits know more than
mortals? Perhaps a little more in some particulars than is known here,
but it is only a little more. They are subject in the spirit world to
the same powers they were subject to here. 7:240.
Mesmerism is an inverted truth; it originated in holy, good and
righteous principles, which have been inverted by the power of the
Devil. 3:156.
The principle of animal magnetism is true, but wicked men use it to an
evil purpose. Speaking is a true gift, but I can speak to the glory of
God, or to the injury of his cause and to my condemnation, as I please;
and still the gift is of God. The gift of animal magnetism is a gift of
God, but wicked men use it to promote the cause of the Devil, and that
is precisely the difference. 3:370.
I know of many whom mesmerism has led out of this Church; they would
see the sick healed, and attribute it to the power of God; would fall
under its influence, embrace and practice it, and thus give the Devil
power over them to lead them out of the Kingdom of God. They could not
tell whether it was the power of God or the power of the Devil. What
is the reason? They had not the light of revelation within them; they
had not the knowledge of God. Are you not aware how easily we may be
deceived? 3:156.
There are many Elders in this house who, if I had the power to
mesmerize that vase and make it dance on that table, would say that it
was done by the power of God. Who could tell whether it was done by the
power of God or the power of the Devil? No person, unless he had the
{114} revelations of Jesus Christ within him. I suppose you are ready
to ask Brother Brigham if he thinks the power of the Devil could make
the vase dance. Yes, and could take it up and carry it out doors, just
as easy as to turn up a table and move it here and there, or to cause a
rap, rap, rap, or to bake and pass around pancakes, or to get hold of
a person's hand, and make him write in every style you can think of,
imitating George Washington's, Benjamin Franklin's, Joseph Smith's, and
other autographs. Can you tell whether that is by the power of God or
by the power of the Devil? No, unless you have the revelations of Jesus
Christ. 3:157.
I have seen the effects of animal magnetism, or some anomalous sleep,
or whatever it may be called, many a time in my youth. I have seen
persons lie on the benches, on the floor of the meeting house, or on
the ground at their camp meetings, for ten, twenty, and thirty minutes,
and I do not know but an hour, and not a particle of pulse about them.
That was the effect of what I call animal magnetism; they called it the
power of God, but no matter what it was, I used to think that I should
like to ask such persons what they had seen in their trance or vision;
and when I got old enough and dared ask them, I did so. I have said to
such persons: "Brother, what have you experienced?" "Nothing." "What do
you know more than before you had this; what do you call it--trance,
sleep or dream? Do you know any more now than before you fell to the
earth?" "Nothing more." "Have you seen any person?" "No." "Then what is
the use or utility of your falling down here in the dirt?" I could not
see it, and consequently I was an infidel to this. But I said then as
I say now--"Show me a church that God has organized, and you will find
apostles {115} to rule, govern, control, dictate, and give counsel.
You will find prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, governments,
helps, and diversities of tongues. When the Church and Kingdom of God
is upon the earth you will find all these things and you will also hear
prophesying therein." 14:113.
Many people in this city do not know whether astrology is true or
not, whether it is of God or the Devil; hence they are liable to be
deceived, as is every person unless they have the power of revelation
within themselves. If there are any brethren here who have been
studying astrology, and they were called upon to speak, would they
not say that they believed it to be a true science? They would; they
testify that they know it to be true. But what does it do for them?
It leads them into thousands of errors. Does God ever lead you into
error? Is he mistaken when he reveals? No; when he sets you to make
calculations and figures, I will insure you that every sum will prove
and come out precisely right. The Lord does not deceive people, but
astrology and mesmerism do lead them astray. How many deceptions are
there in the world? Millions, for a great many spirits have gone forth
into the world to deceive the people. Spirit rappings are of the same
class. 3:156.
_Priestcraft_--The priests are angry because they are afraid that
their religion is nothing but a sandy foundationed fabric; and whenever
they meditate upon the subject and humble themselves, and the Spirit
of the Lord finds its way to their hearts and convicts them, the truth
then is made manifest before them, and they begin to learn the falsity
of their systems; and when that spirit leaves them, they become angry.
"Mormonism" is declared to be true by hosts of witnesses, and this
makes the priests angry; for {116} this Gospel bears its own weight and
testimony, and they know not how to gainsay it. True, I have aimed to
point out their errors; but it is not you or me that they are opposed
to, although they throw their darts at us; but it is the spirit of
conviction that goes with the report of this work; for wherever it
goes it strikes conviction to the heart, and that is what disturbs the
priests and the people. 5:4-5.
Go to the United States, into Europe, or wherever you can come across
men who have been in the midst of this people, and one will tell you
that we are a poor, ignorant, deluded people; the next will tell you
that we are the most industrious and intelligent people on the earth,
and are destined to rise to eminence as a nation, and spread, and
continue to spread, until we revolutionize the whole earth. If you pass
on to the third man, and inquire what he thinks of the "Mormons," he
will say they are fools, duped and led astray by Joe Smith, who was a
knave, and a false prophet, and a money digger. Why is all this? It is
because there is a spirit in man. And when the Gospel of Jesus Christ
is preached on the earth, and the Kingdom of God is established, there
is also a spirit in these things, and an almighty spirit too. When
these two spirits come in contact one with the other, the spirit of
the Gospel reflects light upon the spirit which God has placed in man,
and wakes him up to a consciousness of his true state, which makes him
afraid he will be condemned, for he perceives at once that "Mormonism"
is true. "Our craft is in danger," is the first thought that strikes
the wicked and dishonest of mankind, when the light of truth shines
upon them. Say they, "If these people called Latter-day Saints are
correct in their views, the whole world must be wrong, and what will
become of our time-honored institutions, and of our {117} influence,
which we have swayed successfully over the minds of the people for
ages. This Mormonism must be put down." So priestcraft presents a bold
and extended front against the truth. 1:188.
It is not in my being called a Quaker, a Methodist or a "Mormon" that
is the true cause of contention between these two great powers--Christ
and Belial; but it is in the fact that God has established his Kingdom
upon the earth and restored the holy Priesthood which gives men
authority and power to administer in his name. 11:238.
Instead of seeking unto the Lord for wisdom, they seek unto vain
philosophy and the deceit and traditions of men, which are after the
rudiments of the world and not after Christ. They are led by their own
imaginations and by the dictates of their selfish will, which will lead
them in the end to miss the object of their pursuit. 10:209.
_Sin and Wickedness_--God permits sin, or it could not be here.
13:151.
The law is for the transgressor. 15:161.
All evil is from beneath, while all that is good is from God. 13:267.
Aside from the revelations in our day, there is not knowledge enough
to tell you why God suffered sin to come into the world. You have been
told the reason why--that all intelligence must prove facts by their
opposite. 6:144.
I wish you to understand that sin is not an attribute in the nature of
man, but it is an inversion of the attributes God has placed in him.
Righteousness tends to an eternal duration of organized intelligence,
while sin bringeth to pass their dissolution. 10:251.
Sin has come into the world, and death by sin. I frequently ask myself
the question: Was there any necessity {118} for sin to enter the world?
Most assuredly there was, according to my understanding and reasoning
powers. Did I not know the evil I could never know the good; had I not
seen the light I should never be able to comprehend what darkness is.
Had I never tried to see and behold a thing in darkness I could not
understand the beauty and glory of the light. If I had never tasted the
bitter or the sour how could I define or describe the sweet? 13:59.
The annoyances, difficulties, errors, perplexities, sorrows, and
troubles of this life, from first to last, are in consequence of sin
being in the world. For me to say it is not right for sin to be in the
world, or if we, as intelligent beings, come to the conclusion that sin
entered the world by chance, through some mistake, and it was contrary
to the design of him who created us, we should err. 14:98.
Let a Saint diverge from the path of truth and rectitude, in the least,
no matter in what, it may be in a deal with his neighbor, in lusting
after that which is not in his possession, in neglecting his duty, in
having an over anxiety for something he should not be anxious about, in
being a little distrustful with regard to the providences of God, in
entertaining a misgiving in his heart and feeling with regard to the
hand of the Lord towards him, and his mind will begin to be darkened.
3:222.
The law of God is pointed against sin and iniquity, and where they
appear it is unbending in its nature and must, sooner or later, hold
sovereign rule against them, or righteousness could never prevail.
3:256.
Paul asks, "Shall we sin that righteousness may abound?" No, there is
plenty of sin without your sinning. We can have all the experience we
need, without sinning ourselves, therefore we will not sin that good
may come, {119} we will not transgress the law of God that we may know
the opposite. There is no necessity for such a course, for the world
is full of transgression, and this people need not mingle up with it.
3:224.
It is as manly and as praiseworthy for an individual to make the choice
to do good, work righteousness and love and serve God--it is more
noble, than to choose the downward road. One or the other will be the
choice of every individual. Do not trifle with evil, or you will be
overcome by it before you know. 12:231.
Many imbibe the idea that they are capable of leading out in teaching
principles that never have been taught. They are not aware that the
moment they give way to this hallucination the Devil has power over
them to lead them onto unholy ground; though this is a lesson which
they ought to have learned long ago, yet it is one that was learned by
but few in the days of Joseph. 3:318.
It is far better to die in a good cause than to live in a bad one; it
is better to die doing good than to live doing evil. 11:134.
Sin is in the world, but it is not necessary that we should sin,
because sin is in the world; but, to the contrary, it is necessary that
we should resist sin, and for this purpose is sin necessary. Sin exists
in all the eternities. Sin is coeternal with righteousness, for it must
needs be that there is an opposition in all things. 10:2.
Look at ourselves--run over our own experience, and we shall discover
that ourselves, our neighbors, our friends, our acquaintances, and
all people do not always know when they are happy. In other words,
if you could crowd an individual or a community into heaven without
experience, it would be no enjoyment to them. They must know the
{120} opposite; they must know how to contrast, in order to prize and
appreciate the comfort and happiness, the joy and the bliss they are
actually in possession of. 5:294.
There is a clear distinction made between the sinner and the ungodly.
A person to be ungodly must have known godliness, and must have a
knowledge of what the Lord requires concerning him. There are many in
the midst of this people who believe the Gospel with all their hearts,
but yet do wickedly; this makes them ungodly. 2:258.
I would not associate with those who blaspheme the name of God, nor
would I let my family associate with them. By this you may know whether
you are in the path that leads to life and salvation. If you can hear
the name of the Deity lightly spoken of and blasphemed, and not be
shocked at it, you may know that you are not in that path. 12:219-220.
Improvement belongs to the spirit and plan of the heavens. To improve
in our minds, to increase in wisdom, knowledge and understanding,
to gather every item of knowledge that we can in mechanism and in
science of every description, respecting the earth, the object of the
organization of the earth, the heavens, the heavenly bodies--all this
is of Heaven, it is from God; but when a person or a people begin to
dwindle, to lessen and to take the downward course, they are going from
heaven and heavenly things. 16:65.
Many of us have been taught the doctrine of total depravity--that man
is not naturally inclined to do good. I am satisfied that he is more
inclined to do right than to do wrong. There is a greater power within
him to shun evil and perform good, than to do the opposite. 9:247.
The wickedness of the children of men is what influences {121} them to
fear. They are not afraid of their own laws, because they originated
from themselves; they can manage them and blot them out of existence
whenever they wish. But when that which is said to be the Kingdom
of God, or the theocracy of heaven, is upon the earth, many of the
inhabitants thereof tremble, and fear that it is not correct. 7:148.
How much does it take to prepare a man, or woman, or any being, to
become angels to the Devil, to suffer with him to all eternity? Just
as much as it does to prepare a man to go into the celestial kingdom,
into the presence of the Father and the Son, and to be made an heir to
his Kingdom, and all his glory, and be crowned with crowns of glory,
immortality, and eternal lives. 3:93.
Let not your feelings be afflicted or in anywise troubled by the
sayings and doings of the wicked, for they are in the hands of the
Almighty, and he will dispose of individuals and nations as seemeth him
good. He must give them an opportunity to receive the truth and prepare
themselves to dwell eternally with him, or to reject it and prepare
themselves to be cut down as cumberers of the ground, suffer the wrath
of the Almighty, and perish and be wasted away until they will be known
no more. Seek for that which will endure. 7:270.
It is not right, I will say, for people to know the truth and live in
disobedience to it; it is not right for them to understand the ways
and providences of God as they are dealt out to the people on the
earth, when they live and are determined to live in violation of every
commandment and law of God; and because they do so live, ignorance
covers them as with a mantle, shuts out the light of truth from them,
and keeps them in darkness; and if the light were to {122} shine upon
them, as it does now and as it did in the days of the Apostles, would
they receive it? No, they would not. Light has come into the world, but
the wicked choose darkness rather than light. Why? It was told in days
of old that their deeds were evil. That is the fact today--"They choose
darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil," and their
hearts are fully set in them to do evil. 15:64.
Let the wicked say what they please, for their breath is in their
nostrils, and all their glory is like the grass and the flower of the
grass that passeth away. They are here but for a moment, and soon those
who know them now will know them no more for ever. They will soon be as
though they had not been upon the earth. 7:270.
The hand of the Almighty is over the wicked, and he handles them
according to his good pleasure, as he does the Saints. His hand is over
us, and his hand is over them. But there is a thick mist cast before
their eyes, so they do not discern the truth of "Mormonism." Do you
wonder that they are mad, when they see the progress of truth? I do
not. 4:38.
I never believed that the righteous have ever suffered as much as the
wicked. 11:274.
The wicked do not know how to enjoy life, but the closer we live to God
the better we know and understand how to enjoy it. Live so that you can
enjoy the Spirit of the Lord continually. 10:336.
_Temptation_--I am happy, brethren, for the privilege of having
temptation. A great many people have thought that in my life I was
not tempted like other men. I tell them if I am it is none of their
business; it is nothing to them. Some say, "Brother Brigham, you slide
along and {123} the Devil lets you alone." If I have battles with him,
I can overcome him single handed quicker than to call in my neighbors
to help me. If I am tempted to speak an evil word, I will keep my lips
locked together. Says one, "I do not know about that, that would be
smothering up bad feelings, I am wonderfully tried about my neighbor,
he has done wrong, he has abused me and I feel dreadful bad about it.
Had I not better let it out than to keep it rankling within me?" No. I
will keep bad feelings under and actually smother them to death, then
they are gone. But as sure as I let them out they will live and afflict
me. If I smother them in myself, if I actually choke them to death,
destroy the life, the power, and vigor thereof, they will pass off and
leave me clear of fault, and pure, so far as that is concerned; and no
man or woman on earth knows that I have ever been tempted to indulge in
wicked feelings. Keep them to yourselves.
If you feel evil, keep it to yourselves until you overcome that evil
principle. This is what I call resisting the Devil, and he flees from
me. I strive not to speak evil, not to feel evil, and if I do, to keep
it to myself until it is gone from me, and not let it pass my lips.
3:195.
Thousands of temptations assail, and you make a miss here and a slip
there, and say that you have not lived up to all the knowledge you
have. True; but often it is a marvel to me that you have lived up
to so much as you have, considering the power of the enemy upon the
earth. Few that have ever lived have fully understood that power. I do
not fully comprehend the awful power and influence Satan has upon the
earth, but I understand enough to know that it is a marvel that the
Latter-day Saints are as good as they are. 8:285. {124}
It is necessary in the very nature of things, in the economy of heaven,
that we should be tried and tempted in all things, in order to prove
ourselves and prepare ourselves to enjoy that eternal life that is
prepared for the just. The time will be when people will not be tempted
as they now are--when there will be no Tempter upon the earth. The
knowledge and intelligence that will be diffused among the people will
enable them to live a time and a season without the Tempter. But we
live in a day when the power and rule of that evil principle is more
excessive upon the earth than it ever has been. 7:268.
When we neglect any one of these duties, the enemy says, "I have made
so much ground." If the-Devil can induce an Elder to drink a little,
he is not satisfied with this triumph, but says to him, "Your wife and
children know it, don't pray tonight." The Elder says to his family,
"I feel tired tonight, we won't have prayers." The enemy says, "I have
gained another point." You indulge still further, and you will find
other excuses. Your head is not right, your heart is not right, your
conscience is not right, and you retire again without praying. By and
by, you begin to doubt something the Lord has revealed to us, and it is
not long before such a one is led away captive of the Devil. 18:216.
When you are tempted to do wrong, do not stop one moment to argue, but
tell Mr. Devil to walk out of your barn. 3:359.
When the Devil cannot overcome an individual through temptation to
commit wickedness, when he sees that a person is determined to walk in
the line and travel straight forward into the celestial kingdom, he
will adopt a course of flattery, will strive to exercise a pleasing
influence and move along smoothly with him, and when he sees an
opportunity {125} he will try to turn him out of the way, if it is only
to the extent of a hair's breadth. 3:318.
Do not suppose that we shall ever in the flesh be free from temptations
to sin. Some suppose that they can in the flesh be sanctified, body and
spirit, and become so pure that they will never again feel the effects
of the power of the adversary of truth. Were it possible for a person
to attain to this degree of perfection in the flesh, he could not die,
neither remain in a world where sin predominates. Sin has entered into
the world, and death by sin. I think we shall more or less feel the
effects of sin so long as we live, and finally have to pass the ordeals
of death. Do not understand that in the flesh we shall ever overcome
the power of sin to such a degree that we shall never taste death. I do
not look for any such thing, though what we call death, or laying down
this body, is only the door to a higher state of life for the faithful.
If we live our religion it will enable us to so overcome sin that it
will not reign in our mortal bodies but will become subject to us,
and the world and its fulness will become our servant instead of our
master. 10:173.
As soon as a man hears the Gospel preached and becomes convinced of its
truthfulness, he is tempted of the Devil, who, whenever there is an
opportunity, suggests doubt for his reflection. If he entertain these
doubting influences it is not long before what he believed true becomes
a matter of conjecture. Another may receive the Gospel, travel and
preach it faithfully, feeling in his heart to exclaim, "Glory to God
in the highest," having no other motive than to do good to his fellow
beings. By and by he perhaps is left to himself, saying--"I wonder if I
really was {126} right?" This single doubt is perhaps the beginning of
his apostasy from the Church. 18:215.
Serve God according to the best knowledge you have, and lay down and
sleep quietly; and when the Devil comes along and says, "You are not
a very good Saint, you might enjoy greater blessings and more of the
power of God, and have the vision of your mind opened, if you would
live up to your privileges," tell him to leave; that you have long
ago forsaken his ranks and enlisted in the army of Jesus, who is your
captain, and that you want no more of the Devil. 4:270.
When temptations come to you, be humble and faithful, and determined
that you will overcome, and you will receive a deliverance, and
continue faithful, having the promise of receiving blessings. 16:164.
_Apostasy_--It is most astonishing to every principle of
intelligence that any man or woman will close their eyes upon eternal
things after they have been made acquainted with them, and let the
gay things of this world, the lusts of the eye, and the lusts of the
flesh, entangle their minds and draw them one hair's breadth from the
principles of life. 4:59.
If the candle of the Almighty does not shine from this place, you need
not seek for light anywhere else. 4:93.
To know the truth of my testimony he must have the visions and
revelations of God for himself. And when he gets them, and turns aside
becoming a traitor to the cause of righteousness, the wrath of God will
beat upon him, and the vengeance of the Almighty will be heavy upon
him. 2:140.
It was said here this morning that no person ever apostatized, without
actual transgression. Omission of duty {127} leads to commission. We
want to live so as to have the Spirit every day, every hour of the day,
every minute of the day, and every Latter-day Saint is entitled to
the Spirit of God, to the power of the Holy Ghost, to lead him in his
individual duties. 10:296.
He will make false prophecies, yet he will do it by the spirit of
prophecy; he will feel that he is a prophet and can prophesy, but he
does it by another spirit and power than that which was given him of
the Lord. He uses the gift as much as you and I use ours. 3:364.
Let a man or woman who has received much of the power of God, visions
and revelations, turn away from the holy commandments of the Lord, and
it seems that their senses are taken from them, their understanding and
judgment in righteousness are taken away, they go into darkness, and
become like a blind person who gropes by the wall. 2:301.
The person that forsakes the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ will find
himself ruined for time and eternity. How are they looked upon who
have received the Spirit of the Gospel and forsaken it? With a few
exceptions, they are despised by the good and wise among men, by the
noble and ignoble; all despise them, and they are in a most miserable
condition. 7:146.
Whenever there is a disposition manifested in any of the members of
this Church to question the right of the President of the whole Church
to direct in all things, you see manifested evidences of apostasy--of a
spirit which, if encouraged, will lead to a separation from the Church
and to final destruction; wherever there is a disposition to operate
against any legally appointed officer of this Kingdom, no matter in
what capacity he is called to act, if persisted in, {128} it will be
followed by the same results; they will "walk after the flesh in the
lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they,
self-willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities." 11:136.
When a man begins to find fault, inquiring in regard to this, that, and
the other, saying, "Does this or that look as though the Lord dictated
it?" you may know that that person has more or less of the spirit of
apostasy. Every man in this Kingdom, or upon the face of the earth,
who is seeking with all his heart to save himself, has as much to do
as he can conveniently attend to, without calling in question that
which does not belong to him. If he succeeds in saving himself, it has
well occupied his time and attention. See to it that you are right
yourselves; see that sins and folly do not manifest themselves with the
rising sun. I repeat that it is as much as any one can well do to take
care of himself by: performing every duty that pertains to his temporal
and eternal welfare. 8:12.
What is that which turns people away from this Church? Very trifling
affairs are generally the commencement of their divergence from the
right path. If we follow a compass, the needle of which does not point
correctly, a very slight deviation in the beginning will lead us, when
we have traveled some distance, far to one side of the true point for
which we are aiming. 12:125.
When men lose the spirit of the work in which we are engaged, they
become infidel in their feelings. They say that they do not know
whether the Bible is true, whether the Book of Mormon is true, nor
about new revelations, nor whether there is a God or not. When they
lose the spirit of this work, they lose the knowledge of the things of
God in time and in eternity; all is lost to them. 8:316. {129}
Those who leave the Church are like a feather blown to and fro in the
air. They know not whither they are going; they do not understand
anything about their own existence; their faith, judgment and the
operation of their minds are as unstable as the movements of the
feather floating in the air. We have not anything to cling to, only
faith in the Gospel. 15:136.
If the people would live their religion, there would be no apostasy and
we would hear no complaining or faultfinding. If the people were hungry
for the words of eternal life, and their whole souls even centered on
the building up of the Kingdom of God, every heart and hand would be
ready and willing and the work would move forward mightily and we would
advance as we should do. 13:153.
Men begin to apostatize by taking to themselves strength, by hearkening
to the whisperings of the enemy who leads them astray little by little,
until they gather to themselves that which they call the wisdom of man;
then they begin to depart from God, and their minds become confused.
18:231.
You have known men who, while in the Church, were active, quick and
full of intelligence; but after they have left the Church, they have
become contracted in their understandings, they have become darkened
in their minds and everything has become a mystery to them, and in
regard to the things of God, they have become like the rest of the
world, who think, hope and pray that such and such things may be so,
but they do not know the least about it. This is precisely the position
of those who leave this Church; they go into the dark, they are not
able to judge, conceive or comprehend things as they are. They are like
the drunken man--he thinks that everybody is the worse for liquor but
himself, and he is the only sober man in the neighborhood. {130} The
apostates think that everybody is wrong but themselves. 16:65.
You hear many say, "I am a Latter-day Saint, and I never will
apostatize"; "I am a Latter-day Saint, and shall be to the day of my
death." I never make such declarations, and never shall. I think I have
learned that of myself I have no power, but my system is organized to
increase in wisdom, knowledge, and power, getting a little here and a
little there. But when I am left to myself, I have no power, and my
wisdom is foolishness; then I cling close to the Lord, and I have power
in his name. I think I have learned the Gospel so as to know, that in
and of myself I am nothing. 1:337.
If you want to see the principle of devilism to perfection, hunt among
those who have once enjoyed the faith of the holy Gospel and then
forsaken their religion. We have the best and the worst. Why the worst?
Because the Devil prompts men and women of the meanest and lowest grade
to embrace the Gospel and get a foothold in the Kingdom of God to
destroy it. 7:145.
People do, however, leave this Church, but they leave it because they
get into darkness, and the very day they conclude that there should
be a democratic vote, or in other words, that we should have two
candidates for the presiding Priesthood in the midst of the Latter-day
Saints, they conclude to be apostates. There is no such thing as
confusion, division, strife, animosity, hatred, malice, or two sides to
the question in the house of God; there is but one side to the question
there. 14:92.
If the Saints neglect to pray, and violate the day that is set apart
for the worship of God, they will lose his Spirit. If a man shall
suffer himself to be overcome with anger, and curse and swear, taking
the name of the Deity in vain, {131} he cannot retain the Holy Spirit.
In short, if a man shall do anything which he knows to be wrong, and
repenteth not, he cannot enjoy the Holy Spirit, but will walk in
darkness and ultimately deny the faith. 11:134.
What have the Latter-day Saints got to apostatize from? Everything that
there is good, pure, holy, God-like, exalting, ennobling, extending
the ideas, the capacities of the intelligent beings that our Heavenly
Father has brought forth upon this earth. What will they receive in
exchange? I can comprehend it in a very few words. These would be the
words that I should use: death, hell and the grave. That is what they
will get in exchange. We may go into the particulars of that which they
experience. They experience darkness, ignorance, doubt, pain, sorrow,
grief, mourning, unhappiness; no person to condole with in the hour of
trouble, no arm to lean upon in the day of calamity, no eye to pity
when they are forlorn and cast down; and I comprehend it by saying
death, hell and the grave. This is what they will get in exchange for
their apostasy from the Gospel of the Son of God. 16:160.
Why do people apostatize? You know we are on the "Old Ship Zion." We
are in the midst of the ocean. A storm comes on, and, as sailors say,
she labors very hard. "I am not going to stay here," says one; "I don't
believe this is the 'Ship Zion.'" "But we are in the midst of the
ocean." "I don't care, I am not going to stay here." Off goes the coat,
and he jumps overboard. Will he not be drowned? Yes. So with those who
leave this Church. It is the "Old Ship Zion," let us stay in it. 10:295.
Will there still be apostasy? Yes, brethren and sisters, you may expect
that people will come into the Church and then apostatize. You may
expect that some people will run well for a season, and then fall out
by the way. 2:250. {132}
Many receive the Gospel because they know it is true; they are
convinced in their judgment that it is true; strong argument overpowers
them, and they are rationally compelled to admit the Gospel to be true
upon fair reasoning. They yield to it, and obey its first principles,
but never seek to be enlightened by the power of the Holy Ghost; such
ones frequently step out of the way. 2:250.
What has already become of those who, during our short existence
as a Church, have come out against us, politically, judicially, or
otherwise, those who have raised their puny arms to destroy the Kingdom
of God from the earth! They have become powerless, like the dew before
the rising sun; they have vanished away, their names are almost
forgotten; and if this is not the case with all, it will be. 18:232.
One of the first steps to apostasy is to find fault with your Bishop;
and when that is done, unless repented of, a second step is soon taken,
and by and by the person is cut off from the Church, and that is the
end of it. Will you allow yourselves to find fault with your Bishop?
No; but come to me, go to the High Council, or to the President of the
Stake, and ascertain whether your Bishop is doing wrong, before you
find fault and suffer yourselves to speak against a presiding officer.
9:141.
God is at the helm of this great ship, and that makes me feel good.
When I think about the world, and the enemies of the cause of God, I
care no more about them than I do for a parcel of mosquitoes. All hell
may howl, and they may run up and down the earth and seek whom they may
destroy, but they cannot move the faithful and pure in heart. Let those
apostatize who wish to, but God will save all who are determined to be
saved. 4:111. {133}
CHAPTER VII
_THE LAW OF ETERNAL PROGRESSION_
_Object of Mortal Life_--This life is worth as much to us as any
life in the eternities of the Gods. 9:170.
The object of this existence is to learn, which we can only do a little
at a time. 9:167.
What are we here for? To learn to enjoy more, and to increase in
knowledge and in experience. 14:228.
The whole mortal existence of man is neither more nor less than a
preparatory state given to finite beings, a space wherein they may
improve themselves for a higher state of being. 1:334.
We are placed on this earth to prove whether we are worthy to go into
the celestial world, the terrestrial, or the telestial, or to hell, or
to any other kingdom, or place, and we have enough of life given us to
do this. 4:269.
This is a world in which we are to prove ourselves. The lifetime of man
is a day of trial, wherein we may prove to God, in our darkness, in our
weakness, and where the enemy reigns, that we are our Father's friends,
and that we receive light from him and are worthy to be leaders of our
children--to become lords of lords, and kings of kings--to have perfect
dominion over that portion of our families that will be crowned in the
celestial kingdom with glory, immortality, and eternal lives. 8:61.
The first great principle that ought to occupy the attention of
mankind, that should be understood by the child and the adult, and
which is the main spring of all action, whether people understand it or
not, is the principle of {134} improvement. The principle of increase,
of exaltation, of adding to that we already possess, is the grand
moving principle and cause of the actions of the children of men. No
matter what their pursuits are, in what nation they were born, with
what people they have been associated, what religion they profess, or
what politics they hold, this is the main spring of the actions of the
people, embracing all the powers necessary in performing the duties of
life. 2:91.
_Man to Endure Forever_--Hear it, all ye Latter-day Saints! Will
you spend the time of your probation for naught, and fool away your
existence and being? You were organized, and brought into being, for
the purpose of enduring forever, if you fulfil the measure of your
creation, pursue the right path, observe the requirements of the
celestial law, and obey the commandments of our God. 1:113.
We are urged by the Spirit to refrain from articles which tend to
death, to preserve this life, which is the most precious life given
to mortal beings preparatory to an immortal life. It is our business
to prepare to live here to do good. Instead of crying to the people,
prepare to die, our cry is, prepare to live forever. These mortal
houses will drop off sometime, and when they are cleansed and purified,
sanctified and glorified, we shall inherit them again forever and ever.
Let all the Saints pursue a course to live. 12:209.
Mankind, in general, do not stop to reflect, they are pressing headlong
to grasp the whole world if possible; each individual is for himself,
and he is ignorant of the design the Almighty had in his creation and
existence in this life. To obtain a knowledge of this design is a duty
obligatory upon all the sons and daughters of Adam. 1:334.
_The Business of Life_--The only business that we have {135} on
hand is to build up the Kingdom of God and prepare the way of the Son
of Man. 5:230.
We are here to live, to spread intelligence and knowledge among the
people. I am here to school my brethren, to teach my family the way of
life, to propagate my species, and to live, if in my power, until sin,
iniquity, corruption, hell, and the Devil, and all classes and grades
of abominations are driven from the earth. That is my religion and the
object of my existence. We are not here merely to prepare to die, and
then die; but we are here to live and build up the Kingdom of God on
the earth--to promote the Priesthood, overcome the powers of Satan, and
teach the children of man what they are created for--that in them is
concealed the germ of all intelligence. Here is the starting-point--the
foundation that is laid in the organization of man for receiving a
fulness of eternal knowledge and glory. Are we to go yonder to obtain
it? No; we are to promote it on this earth. 8:282.
Human beings are expected by their Creator to be actively employed in
doing good every day of their lives, either in improving their own
mental and physical condition or that of their neighbors. 9:190.
The purpose of our life should be to build up the Zion of our God,
to gather the House of Israel, bring in the fulness of the Gentiles,
restore and bless the earth with our ability and make it as the
Garden of Eden, store up treasures of knowledge and wisdom in our own
understandings, purify our own hearts and prepare a people to meet the
Lord when he comes. 10:222.
Some say that "this is a miserable world, I do not care how soon I
get through." Well, go and destroy yourselves, if you choose; you
have all the opportunity that you can {136} desire, there is plenty
of arsenic, calomel, and other means, within your reach. But I would
not give a cent for such persons; I do not delight in such characters,
and I do not believe that the Lord delights in people who wish to die
before they have accomplished the work that he designed for them to do.
2:270-271.
The Latter-day Saints throughout the valleys in these mountains and
throughout the world ought to be learning what they are on this earth
for. They are here to increase and multiply, to enlarge, to gather
the House of Israel, redeem Zion, build up the Zion of our God, and
to promote that eternal intelligence that dwells with the Gods, and
begin to plant it in this earth, and make it take root downward and
bring forth fruit upward to the glory of God, until every obnoxious
principle in the hearts of men is destroyed, and the earth returns to
its paradisical state, and the Lord comes and dwells with this people,
and walks and talks with them as he did with Father Adam. That is our
business, and not to suffer all our energies to be expended in merely
preparing to die. 8:282.
It may appear strange to some of you, and it certainly does to the
world, to say it is possible for a man or woman to become perfect
on this earth. It is written "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect." Again, "If any man offend not
in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole
body." This is perfectly consistent to the person who understands what
perfection really is.
If the first passage I have quoted is not worded to our understanding,
we can alter the phraseology of the sentence, and say, "Be ye as
perfect as ye can," for that is all we can do, though it is written,
be ye perfect as your Father who is {137} in heaven is perfect. He
cannot be any more perfect than he knows how, any more than we. When
we are doing as well as we know how in the sphere and station which we
occupy here, we are justified in the justice, righteousness, mercy,
and judgment that go before the Lord of heaven and earth. We are as
justified as the angels who are before the throne of God. The sin that
will cleave to all the posterity of Adam and Eve is, that they have not
done as well as they knew how. 2:129.
When we use the term perfection, it applies to man in his present
condition, as well as to heavenly beings. We are now, or may be, as
perfect in our sphere as God and angels are in theirs, but the greatest
intelligence in existence can continually ascend to greater heights of
perfection. 1:93.
_Prepare to Live_--Instead of preparing to die, prepare to live in
the midst of all the exaltations of the Gods. 9:291.
We are organized for the express purpose of controlling the
elements, of organizing and disorganizing, of ruling over kingdoms,
principalities, and powers, and yet our affections are often too highly
placed upon paltry, perishable objects. We love houses, gold, silver,
and various kinds of property, and all who unduly prize any object
there is beneath the celestial world are idolators. 3:257.
But so long as we willingly hold fellowship with that which tends to
death and destruction, we cannot progress as we should in the work of
perfection in ourselves, nor in building up and beautifying Zion. 9:284.
It is our privilege to say, every day in our lives, "That is the best
day I ever lived." Never let a day so pass that you will have cause to
say, "I will live better to-morrow," and I will promise you, in the
name of the Lord Jesus, that {138} your lives will be as a well of
water springing up to everlasting life. You will have his Spirit to
dwell in you continually, and your eyes will be open to see, your ears
to hear, and your understandings to comprehend. 8:140.
He gives a little to his humble followers today, and if they improve
upon it, tomorrow he will give them a little more, and the next day a
little more. He does not add to that which they do not improve upon,
but they are required to continually improve upon the knowledge they
already possess, and thus obtain a store of wisdom. It is plain, then,
that we may receive the truth, and know, through every portion of the
soul, that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation; that it is
the way to life eternal; still there may be added to this, more power,
wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. 2:2.
_Eternal Increase_--This people must go forward, or they will go
backward. 16:165.
This work is a progressive work, this doctrine that is taught the
Latter-day Saints in its nature is exalting, increasing, expanding and
extending broader and broader until we can know as we are known, see as
we are seen. 16:165.
Unless this work is in progress as a whole, it is not complete--we are
found wanting, and not prepared to do the work we are called and sent
to do. 6:267.
Ignorant? Yes, we are ignorant; but we are on the high road to that
eternal knowledge that fills the bosoms of the Gods in eternity. 7:4.
We can still improve, we are made for that purpose, our capacities
are organized to expand until we can receive into our comprehension
celestial knowledge and wisdom, and to continue, worlds without end.
1:92. {139}
Shall we ever be learning and never be able to come to a knowledge of
the truth? No, I say we shall not; but we shall come to the knowledge
of the truth. This is my hope and anticipation, and this is my joy.
18:237.
We are in the school and keep learning, and we do not expect to cease
learning while we live on earth; and when we pass through the veil, we
expect still to continue to learn and increase our fund of information.
That may appear a strange idea to some; but it is for the plain and
simple reason that we are not capacitated to receive all knowledge at
once. We must therefore receive a little here and a little there. 6:286.
We have the principle within us, and so has every being on this earth;
to increase and to continue to increase, to enlarge, and receive and
treasure up truth, until we become perfect. It is wisdom for us to
be the friends of God; and unless we are filled with integrity and
preserve ourselves in our integrity before our God, we actually lay the
foundation for our destruction. 5:54.
If we are saved, we are happy, we are filled with light, glory,
intelligence, and we pursue a course to enjoy the blessings that the
Lord has in store for us. If we continue to pursue that course, it
produces just the thing we want, that is, to be saved at this present
moment. And this will lay the foundation to be saved forever and
forever, which will amount to an eternal salvation. 1:131.
Can mortal beings live so that they are worthy of the society of
angels? I can answer the question for myself--I believe that they can;
I am sure that they can. But in doing this, they must subdue the sin
that is within themselves, correct every influence that arises within
their own hearts that is opposed to the sanctifying influences of
the {140} grace of God, and purify themselves by their faith and by
their conduct, so that they are worthy. Then they are prepared for the
society of angels. To be Saints indeed requires every wrong influence
that is within them, as individuals, to be subdued, until every evil
desire is eradicated, and every feeling of their hearts is brought into
subjection to the will of Christ. 19:66.
We ought not to speak lightly of and undervalue the life we now enjoy,
but so dispose of each passing day that the hours and minutes are spent
in doing good, or at least doing no harm, in making ourselves useful,
in improving our talents and abilities to do more good, cultivating the
principle of kindness to every being pertaining to our earthly sphere,
learning their uses and how to apply them to produce the greatest
possible amount of good; learning to conduct ourselves towards our
families and friends in a way to win the love and confidence of the
good, and overcome every ungovernable passion by a constant practice of
cool judgment and deliberate thoughts. 9:291.
Because of the weakness of human nature, it must crumble to the dust.
But in all the revolutions and changes in the existence of men, in
the eternal world which they inhabit, and in the knowledge they have
obtained as people on the earth, there is no such thing as principle,
power, wisdom, knowledge, life, position, or anything that can be
imagined, that remains stationary--they must increase or decrease.
1:350.
Take the history of this Church from the commencement, and we have
proved that we cannot receive all the Lord has for us. We have proved
to the heavens and to one another that we are not yet capacitated to
receive all the Lord has for us, and that we have not yet a disposition
{141} to receive all he has for us. Can you understand that there is a
time you can receive, and there is a time you cannot receive, a time
when there is no place in the heart to receive? The heart of man will
be closed up, the will will be set against this and that, that we have
opportunity to receive. There is an abundance the Lord has for the
people, if they would receive it. 10:291.
To me, life is increase; death is the opposite. 1:350.
Do you think that we are always going to remain the same size? I am not
a stereotyped Latter-day Saint, and do not believe in the doctrine.
Every year the Elders of Israel are improving and learning, and have
more power, more influence with the Heavens, more power over the
elements, and over diseases, and over the power of Satan, who has ruled
this earth from the days of the fall until now. We have to gain power
until we break the chain of the enemy. Are we going to stand still?
Away with stereotyped "Mormons." I have more power than I had last
year. I feel much stronger than ever before, and that too in the power
of God; and I feel as though I could take the people and bring them
into the presence of God, if they only hearken to counsel. Do you think
that I am improving? "Yes." Keep up, then; keep your places, and follow
in the track. 8:185.
We are privileged, in a spiritual point of view, precisely as we are in
a temporal point of view. We have the privilege of learning and adding
to the knowledge we have already obtained. We have a knowledge, for
instance, of the rudiments of the English language. If we continue in
our studies--in our exertions to acquire information, we obtain more
knowledge; and if we continue still to persevere, {142} we add still
more to that, until we are perfect masters of the language.
Again, with regard to mechanism, in a certain sense, the same principle
will hold good. We have the privilege of learning the arts and sciences
that the learned among the Gentile nations understand; we have the
privilege of becoming classical scholars--of commencing with the
rudiments of all knowledge--of entering into the academies, we might
say, of perfection. We might study, and add knowledge to knowledge,
from the time that we are capable of knowing anything until we go down
to the grave. If we enjoyed healthy bodies, so as not to wear upon
the functions of the mind, there is no end to a man's learning. This
compares precisely with our situation pertaining to heavenly things.
6:283-284.
But simply to take the path pointed out in the Gospel by those who
have given us the plan of salvation, is to take the path that leads
to life, to eternal increase; it is to pursue that course wherein
we shall never, never lose what we obtain, but continue to collect,
to gather together, to increase, to spread abroad, and extend to an
endless duration. Those persons who strive to gain eternal life, gain
that which will produce the increase their hearts will be satisfied
with. Nothing less than the privilege of increasing eternally, in every
sense of the word, can satisfy the immortal spirit. If the endless
stream of knowledge from the eternal fountain could all be drunk in by
organized intelligences, so sure immortality would come to an end, and
all eternity be thrown upon the retrograde path. 1:350.
There is one principle that I wish the people would understand and lay
to heart. Just as fast as you will prove before your God that you are
{143} worthy to receive the mysteries, if you please to call them so,
of the Kingdom of heaven--that you are full of confidence in God--that
you will never betray a thing that God tells you--that you will never
reveal to your neighbor that which ought not to be revealed, as quick
as you prepare to be entrusted with the things of God, there is an
eternity of them to bestow upon you. Instead of pleading with the Lord
to bestow more upon you, plead with yourselves to have confidence in
yourselves, to have integrity in yourselves, and know when to speak
and what to speak, what to reveal, and how to carry yourselves and
walk before the Lord. And just as fast as you prove to him that you
will preserve everything secret that ought to be--that you will deal
out to your neighbors all which you ought, and no more, and learn how
to dispense your knowledge to your families, friends, neighbors, and
brethren, the Lord will bestow upon you, and give to you, and bestow
upon you, until finally he will say to you, "You shall never fall; your
salvation is sealed unto you; you are sealed up unto eternal life and
salvation, through your integrity." 4:371.
Life is an accumulation of every property and principle that is
calculated to enrich, to ennoble, to enlarge, and to increase, in every
particular, the dominion of individual man. To me, life would signify
an extension. I have the privilege of spreading abroad, of enlarging
my borders, of increasing in endless knowledge, wisdom, and power, and
in every gift of God. To live as I am, without progress, is not life,
in fact we may say that is impossible. There is no such principle in
existence, neither can there be. You may explore all the eternities
that have been, were it {144} possible, then come to that which we now
understand according to the principles of natural philosophy, and where
is there an element, an individual living thing, an organized body,
of whatever nature, that continues as it is? It cannot be found. All
things that have come within the bounds of man's limited knowledge--the
things he naturally understands, teach him that there is no period, in
all the eternities, wherein organized existence will become stationary,
that it cannot advance in knowledge, wisdom, power, and glory.
If a man could ever arrive at the point that would put an end to the
accumulation of life--the point at which he could increase no more, and
advance no further, we should naturally say he commenced to decrease
at the same point. Again, when he has gained the zenith of knowledge,
wisdom, and power, it is the point at which he begins to retrograde;
his natural abilities will begin to contract, and so he will continue
to decrease, until all he knew is lost in the chaos of forgetfulness.
As we understand naturally, this is the conclusion we must come to, if
a termination to the increase of life and the acquisition of knowledge
is true. 1:349.
The knowledge we now have in our possession is sufficient to guide and
direct us step by step, day by day, until we are made perfect before
the Lord our Father. 8:167.
Can you not live it for one hour? Begin at a small point; can you not
live to the Lord for one minute? Yes. Then can we not multiply that by
sixty and make an hour, and live that hour to the Lord? Yes; and then
for a day, a week, a month, and a year? Then, when the year is past, it
has been spent most satisfactorily. 8:59-60.
There are great and glorious things yet to be revealed. {145} We are
but babes and sucklings in the knowledge of God and godliness. With
all we know and understand by the Priesthood here in the midst of this
people, we are mere infants before the angels in heaven. 8:203.
I will apply my heart to wisdom, and ask the Lord to impart it to me;
and if I know but little, I will improve upon it, that to-morrow I
may have more, and thus grow from day to day, in the knowledge of the
truth, as Jesus Christ grew in stature and knowledge from a babe to
manhood. 1:313.
This principle is inherent in the organization of all intelligent
beings, so that we are capable of receiving, and receiving, and
receiving from the inexhaustible fountain of knowledge and truth. 3:354.
It is enough for me to know that mankind are made to improve
themselves. All creation, visible and invisible, is the workmanship of
our God, the supreme Architect and Ruler of the whole, who organized
the world, and created every living thing upon it, to act in its
sphere and order. To this end has he ordained all things to increase
and multiply. The Lord God Almighty has decreed this principle to be
the great, governing law of existence, and for that purpose are we
formed. Furthermore, if men can understand and receive it, mankind are
organized to receive intelligence until they become perfect in the
sphere they are appointed to fill, which is far ahead of us at present.
1:92.
A time when there was no God, no eternity! It cannot be possible, and
the philosopher who tries to establish such a doctrine cannot possess
any correct ideas of his own being. Will there ever be such a time? No.
But forever onward and upward. 19:50.
Knowledge increases among this people; they know {146} more of the
things of the Kingdom of God to-day than they did in the days of Joseph
Smith. 10:222.
If a person suffers his feelings to rise above the natural level of his
capacity, they will sink in the same ratio. 8:32.
_Blessings are Proportioned to Our Capacity_--We are prepared for
some things, and we receive just as fast as we prepare ourselves. 15:4.
The heart of man is incapable of fully comprehending the blessings
that God has in store for the faithful, unless he has revealed those
blessings to them by the revelations of his Spirit. The natural man is
contracted in his feelings, in his views, faith and desires, and so are
the Saints, unless they live their religion. 8:188.
Some might suppose that it would be a great blessing to be taken
and carried directly into heaven and there set down, but in reality
that would be no blessing to such persons; they could not reap a
full reward, could not enjoy the glory of the kingdom, and could not
comprehend and abide the light thereof, but it would be to them a
hell intolerable and I suppose would consume them much quicker than
would hell fire. It would be no blessing to you to be carried into
the celestial kingdom, and obliged to stay therein, unless you were
prepared to dwell there. 3:221.
A man who has had his mind opened to the operation of the Priesthood
of the Son of God--who understands anything of the government of
heaven, must understand that finite beings are not capable of receiving
and abiding the celestial law in its fulness. When can you abide a
celestial law? When you become a celestial being, and never until then.
7:143. {147}
CHAPTER VIII
_THE DESTINY OF MAN_
_The Gift of Eternal Life_--This is the greatest gift that can
be conferred on intelligent beings, to live forever and never be
destroyed. 8:261.
It is written that the greatest gift God can bestow upon man is the
gift of eternal life. The greatest attainment that we can reach is
to preserve our identity to an eternal duration in the midst of the
heavenly hosts. We have the words of eternal life given to us through
the Gospel, which, if we obey, will secure unto us that precious gift.
8:7.
Suppose it possible that you have the privilege of securing to
yourselves eternal life--to live and enjoy these blessings for ever;
you will say this is the greatest blessing that can be bestowed upon
you, to live forever and enjoy the society, of wives, children, and
children's children, to a thousand generations, and forever; and also
the society of brethren, sisters, neighbors, and associates, and to
possess all you can ask for to make you happy and comfortable. What
blessing is equal to this? What blessing is equal to the continuation
of life--to the continuation of our organization? 8:63.
The intelligence that is in me to cease to exist is a horrid
thought; it is past enduring. This intelligence must exist; it must
dwell somewhere. If I take the right course and preserve it in its
organization, I will preserve to myself eternal life. 5:53.
Never serve God because you are afraid of hell; but live your religion,
because it is calculated to give you eternal {148} life. It points
to that existence that never ends, while the other course leads to
destruction. 5:340.
I am for life everlasting. I have a being and a life here; and this
life is very valuable; it is a most excellent life! I have a future! I
am living for another existence that is far above this sinful world,
wherein I will be free from this darkness, sin, error, ignorance
and unbelief. I am looking forward to a world filled with light and
intelligence, where men and women will live in the knowledge and light
of God. 13:220.
I tell you that if we strive with all our powers, by-and-by the time
will come that we will be Saints indeed. I have not said that we are
Saints. We are trying to be, and we profess to have the keys that will
lead us in the path of eternal life. 6:46.
Understand eternity? There is not and never was a man in finite flesh
who understands it. Enoch has been referred to in this matter. How
many of the Gods and kingdoms he saw when the vision of his mind was
opened, matters not. If he had seen more than he could have enumerated
throughout his long life, and more than all the men on earth could
multiply from the time his vision opened until now, he would not have
attained to the comprehension of eternity. How much Enoch saw, how many
worlds he saw, has nothing to do with the case. This is a matter that
wise men know nothing about. 8:17.
We are going to have the Kingdom of God in the fulness thereof, and all
the heights and depths of glory, power, and knowledge; and we shall
have fathers and mothers, and wives and children. 8:178.
_Eternal Increase_--Whenever we get into the Kingdom of Heaven,
where God and Christ dwell, we shall find something {149} more to do
than to "sit and sing ourselves away to everlasting bliss." The mind of
man is active, and we must have exercise and amusement for the mind as
well as the body. 12:313.
Now understand, to choose life is to choose principles that will lead
you to an eternal increase, and nothing short of them will produce
life in the resurrection for the faithful. Those that choose death,
make choice of the path which leads to the end of their organization.
The one leads to endless increase and progression, the other to the
destruction. 1:352.
If men are faithful, the time will come when they will possess the
power and the knowledge to obtain, organize, bring into existence,
and own. "What, of themselves, independent of their Creator?" No. But
they and their Creator will always be one, they will always be of one
heart and of one mind, working and operating together; for whatsoever
the Father doeth so doeth the Son, and so they continue throughout all
their operations to all eternity. 2:304.
The Lord has blessed us with the ability to enjoy an eternal life with
the Gods, and this is pronounced the greatest gift of God. The gift of
eternal life, without a posterity, to become an angel, is one of the
greatest gifts that can be bestowed; yet the Lord has bestowed on us
the privilege of becoming fathers of lives. What is a father of lives
as mentioned in the Scriptures? A man who has a posterity to an eternal
continuance. That is the blessing Abraham received, and it perfectly
satisfied his soul. He obtained the promise that he should be the
father of lives. 8:63.
I expect, if I am faithful, with yourselves, that I shall see the time,
with yourselves, that we shall know how to {150} prepare to organize an
earth like this--know how to people that earth, how to redeem it, how
to sanctify it, and how to glorify it, with those who live upon it who
hearken to our counsels. 6:274-5.
The faithful will become Gods, even the sons of God; but this does not
overthrow the idea that we have a father. 6:279.
After men have got their exaltations and their crowns--have become
Gods, even the sons of God--are made kings of kings and lords of lords,
they have the power then of propagating their species in spirit. Power
is then given to them to organize the elements, and then commence the
organization of tabernacles. 6:275.
The Father and the Son have attained to this point already; I am on the
way, and so are you, and every faithful servant of God. 6:275.
_The Celestial World_--If we keep the celestial law when our
spirits go to God who gave them, we shall find that we are acquainted
there and distinctly realize that we know all about that world. 4:218.
When you are qualified and purified, so that you can endure the glory
of eternity, so that you can see your Father, and your friends who have
gone behind the veil, you will fall upon their necks and kiss them, as
we do an earthly friend that has been long absent from us, and that we
have been anxiously desiring to see. 4:55.
When you see celestial beings, you will see men and women, but you
will see those beings clothed upon with robes of celestial purity. We
cannot bear the presence of our Father now; and we are placed at a
distance to prove whether we will honor these tabernacles, whether we
will be obedient and prepare ourselves to live in the glory of {151}
the light, privileges, and blessings of celestial beings. We could not
have the glory and the light without first knowing the contrast. Do you
comprehend that we could have no exaltation, without first learning by
contrast? 4:54.
_Opposition to Death_--We are striving for eternal life, and are
opposed to those who love and have the power of death. We have the
influence and the power of life, and that necessarily brings us in
opposition to those who prefer the principles of death. 7:56.
We are not in opposition to anything in earth or hell, except the
principle of death. God has introduced life, and it is the principle of
life that we are after. The power of the enemy is all the time trying
to destroy this life, and I am opposed to that power. 7:56.
The principle opposite to that of eternal increase is that the person
decreases, loses his knowledge, tact, talent, and ultimately, in a
short period of time, is lost; But where, Oh! where is his spirit? I
will not now take the time to follow his destiny; but here, strong
language could be used, for when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be
revealed, after the termination of the thousand years' rest, he will
summon the armies of heaven for the conflict, he will come forth in
flaming fire, he will descend to execute the mandates of an incensed
God, and, amid the thunderings of the wrath of Omnipotence, roll up the
heavens as a scroll, and destroy death, and him that has the power of
it. 1:118.
Mankind have forfeited the right they once possessed to the friendship
of their Heavenly Father, and through sin have exposed themselves
to misery and wretchedness. Who is to bring back to the sin-stained
millions of earth that which they have lost through disobedience? Who
is to {152} plant smiling peace and plenty where war and desolation
reign? Who is to remove the curse and its consequences from earth--the
homestead of mankind? Who shall say to the raging and contending
elements, "Peace, be still", and extract the poison from the reptile's
tooth, and the savage and destructive nature from beast and creeping
thing?
Who placed the dark stain of sin upon this fair creation? Man. Who
but man shall remove the foul blot, and restore all things to their
primeval purity and innocence? But can he do this independent of
heavenly aid? He can not. To aid him in this work heavenly grace is
here; heavenly wisdom, power, and help are here, and God's laws and
ordinances are here; the angels and spirits of just men made perfect
are here; Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, with Prophets, Apostles,
and Saints, ancient and modern, are here to help man in the great work
of sanctifying himself and the earth for final glorification in its
paradisical state. All this will be accomplished through the law of the
holy Priesthood. 10:301. {153}
CHAPTER IX
_DISPENSATIONS OF THE GOSPEL_
_The Earth_--The world and all its various grades of organized
denizens, from the lowest forms of vegetable or animal life, up to man,
the lord of creation, were framed and made, or they would not have been
here. 14.41.
It is said in this book (the Bible) that God made the earth in six
days. This is a mere term, but it matters not whether it took six days,
six months, six years, or six thousand years. The creation occupied
certain periods of time. We are not authorized to say what the duration
of these days was, whether Moses penned these words as we have them,
or whether the translators of the Bible have given the words their
intended meaning. However, God created the world. God brought forth
material out of which he formed this little terra firma upon which
we roam. How long had this material been in existence? Forever and
forever, in some shape, in some condition. We need not refer to all
of those who were with God, and who assisted him in this work. The
elements form and develop, and continue to do so until they mature,
and then they commence to decay and become disorganized. The mountains
around us were formed in this way. By and by, when they shall have
reached their maturity, the work of disintegration and decay will
commence. It has been so from all eternity, and will continue to be so
until they are made celestial. 18:231.
This earth is brought together and organized from native elements as
we now behold it, our tabernacles included. The matter of which all
animate and inanimate existence is formed is from all eternity, and it
must remain {154} to all eternity, without beginning and without end.
There are certain portions of this native element that will be refined
and prepared to enter into the celestial kingdom--into the celestial
family of the celestial world. If the spirit honors the body and the
body honors the spirit while they are here united, the particles of
matter that compose the mortal tabernacle will be resurrected and
brought forth to immortality and eternal life; but it cannot be brought
forth and made immortal, except it undergoes a change, for "dust thou
art, and unto dust shalt thou return." What for? To prepare the body to
be made immortal and fitted to dwell in the presence of the Gods. 8:27.
We shall go and come; and when we are in the eternity, we shall be on
this earth, which will be brought into the immediate presence of the
Father and the Son. We shall inhabit different mansions, and worlds
will continue to be made, formed, and organized, and messengers from
this earth will be sent to others. This earth will become a celestial
body--be like a sea of glass, or like a Urim and Thummim; and when
you wish to know anything, you can look in this earth and see all the
eternities of God. We shall make our home here, and go on our missions
as we do now, but at greater than railroad speed. 8:200.
We are for the Kingdom of God, and not going to the moon, nor to any
other planet pertaining to this solar system; but are determined
to have a heaven here, and are going to make it ourselves, by the
help of God and his angels. We have been traditionated that when we
were prepared to be saved, we ought then to pass from this stage of
existence, and that then we never would have anything more to do with
this earth; for all our connections and associations with it, as
pertaining to this life, also passed {155} away, and we should see
and know nothing about it in the future. This is not according to the
design, as we believe, of God and his providences and works. It is not
the work of the Lord to organize an earth and destroy it. That is not
the system he has devised. His plan is to organize an earth, people
it with intelligent beings, present to them the principles of eternal
life, and bestow upon them the keys thereof, that they may be able to
prepare themselves to dwell to all eternity, and to bring forth their
increase to dwell with them. This is our belief. 8:293.
The animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms abide the law of their
Creator; the whole earth and all things pertaining to it, except man,
abide the law of their creation. 9:246.
The earth is organized for a glorious resurrection. 2:124.
But the earth will not be utterly destroyed; the elements of which it
is composed will not be annihilated, but they will be changed. Neither
shall those be consumed who can abide the day of the Lord Almighty,
and stand in his presence. The earth in that great day will be
renovated--cleansed from wickedness--purified from dross, sanctified,
and prepared for the habitation of the Saints of the Most High. 2:124.
The earth is very good in and of itself, and has abided a celestial
law, consequently we should not despise it, nor desire to leave it, but
rather desire and strive to obey the same law that the earth abides,
and abide it as honorably as does the earth. 2:302-303.
The earth will abide its creation, and will be counted worthy of
receiving the blessings designed for it, and will ultimately roll back
into the presence of God who formed it and established its mineral,
vegetable, and animal kingdoms. {156} These will all be retained upon
the earth, come forth in the resurrection, and abide for ever and for
ever. 8:8.
This earth in its present condition and situation, is not a fit
habitation for the sanctified; but it abides the law of its creation,
has been baptized with water, will be baptized by fire and the Holy
Ghost, and by-and-by will be prepared for the faithful to dwell upon.
8:83.
_Adam and Eve_--Mankind is composed of two distinct elements; the
first is a spiritual organization in eternity, the second is a natural
organization on this earth, formed out of the material of which this
earth is composed. Man is first spiritual, then temporal.
These spirits I shall leave for the present, and refer to our first
parents, Adam and Eve, who were found in the Garden of Eden, tempted
and overcome by the power of evil, and consequently subject to evil
and sin, which was the penalty of their transgression. They were now
prepared, as we are, to form bodies or tabernacles for the reception of
pure and holy spirits. 18:257.
When Father Adam came to assist in organizing the earth out of the
crude material that was found, an earth was made upon which the
children of men could live. After the earth was prepared Father Adam
came and stayed here, and there was a woman brought to him. There was
a certain woman brought to Father Adam whose name was Eve, because she
was the first woman, and she was given to him to be his wife. 16:167.
When Moses wrote and said that man was formed precisely in the image
of God he wrote the truth. We are the children of our Father--his
offspring, of the same family; we belong to him by birthright, and we
are his children {157} and Jesus is our brother. Does the Bible tell
all this? Just as plain as words can tell anything. 14:280.
In the beginning, after this earth was prepared for man, the Lord
commenced his work upon what is now called the American continent,
where the Garden of Eden was made. In the days of Noah, in the days
of the floating of the ark, he took the people to another part of the
earth; the earth was divided, and there he set up his kingdom. 8:195.
The human family are formed after the image of our Father and God.
After the earth was organized the Lord placed his children upon it,
gave them possession of it, and told them that it was their home--the
place of their habitation from thenceforth; he told them to till the
ground and subdue it; he gave it to them for their inheritance, and to
do their will upon it. Then Satan steps in and overcomes them through
the weakness there was in the children of the Father when they were
sent to the earth, and sin was brought in, and thus we are subjected to
sin. 10:300.
Some may regret that our first parents sinned. This is nonsense. If
we had been there, and they had not sinned, we should have sinned. I
will not blame Adam or Eve. Why? Because it was necessary that sin
should enter into the world; no man could ever understand the principle
of exaltation without its opposite; no one could ever receive an
exaltation without being acquainted with its opposite. How did Adam
and Eve sin? Did they come out in direct opposition to God and to
his government? No. But they transgressed a command of the Lord, and
through that transgression sin came into the world. The Lord knew
they would do this, and he had designed that they should. Then came
the curse upon the fruit, upon the vegetables, and upon our mother
earth; and it came upon the creeping {158} things, upon the grain in
the field, the fish in the sea, and upon all things pertaining to this
earth, through man's transgression. 10:312.
Mother Eve partook of the forbidden fruit. We should not have been
here to-day if she had not; we could never have possessed wisdom and
intelligence if she had not done it. It was all in the economy of
heaven, and we need not talk about it; it is all right. We should never
blame Mother Eve, not the least. I am thankful to God that I know good
from evil, the bitter from the sweet, the things of God from the things
not of God. When I look at the economy of heaven my heart leaps for
joy, and if I had the tongue of an angel, or the tongues of the whole
human family combined, I would praise God in the highest for his great
wisdom and condescension in suffering the children of men to fall into
the very sin into which they had fallen, for he did it that they, like
Jesus, might descend below all things and then press forward and rise
above all. 13:145.
The Devil had truth in his mouth as well as lies when he came to Mother
Eve. Said he, "If you will eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of
good and evil, you will see as the Gods see." That was just as true as
anything that ever was spoken on the face of the earth. She did eat,
her eyes were opened, and she saw good and evil. She gave of the fruit
to her husband, and he ate, too. What would have been the consequence
if he had not done so? They would have been separated, and where would
we have been? I am glad he did eat. 12:70.
We are safe in saying that from the day that Adam was created and
placed in the Garden of Eden to this day, the plan of salvation and the
revelations of the will of God to man are unchanged, although mankind
have not for many {159} ages been favored therewith, in consequence of
apostasy and wickedness. There is no evidence to be found in the Bible
that the Gospel should be one thing in the days of the Israelites,
another in the days of Christ and his Apostles, and another in the 19th
century, but, on the contrary, we are instructed that God is the same
in every age, and that his plan of saving his children is the same. The
plan of salvation is one, from the beginning of the world to the end
thereof. 10:324.
I wish you all to understand "Mormonism" as it is. We embraced it
in different parts of the world, because we considered it the best
religion we could find. Can we tell how much better "Mormonism" is than
other religions and isms of the present day? More or less truth may be
found in them all, both in civilized and barbarous nations. How has
it transpired that theological truth is thus so widely disseminated?
It is because God was once known on the earth among his children of
mankind, as we know one another. Adam was as conversant with his
Father who placed him upon this earth as we are conversant with our
earthly parents. The Father frequently came to visit his son Adam, and
talked and walked with him; and the children of Adam were more or less
acquainted with him, and the things that pertain to God and to heaven
were as familiar among mankind in the first ages of their existence on
the earth, as these mountains are to our mountain boys, as our gardens
are to our wives and children, or as the road to the Western Ocean is
to the experienced traveler. From this source mankind have received
their religious traditions. 9:148.
The Gospel was among the children of men from the days of Adam until
the coming of the Messiah; this Gospel {160} of Christ is from
the beginning to the end. Then why was the law of Moses given? In
consequence of the disobedience of the Children of Israel, the elect
of God; the very seed that he had selected to be his people, and upon
whom he said he would place his name. This seed of Abraham so rebelled
against him and his commands that the Lord said to Moses, "I will give
you a law which shall be a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ." But
this law is grievous; it is a law of carnal commandments. 13:269.
Cain conversed with his God every day, and knew all about the plan of
creating this earth, for his father told him. But, for the want of
humility, and through jealousy, and an anxiety to possess the kingdom,
and to have the whole of it under his own control, and not allow
anybody else the right to say one word, what did he do? He killed his
brother. Then the Lord put a mark on him. 2:142-143.
Here let me state to all philosophers of every class upon the earth,
when you tell me that Father Adam was made as we make adobes from the
earth, you tell me what I deem an idle tale. When you tell me that the
beasts of the field were produced in that manner, you are speaking idle
words devoid of meaning. There is no such thing in all the eternities
where the Gods dwell. Mankind are here because they are the offspring
of parents who were first brought here from another planet, and power
was given them to propagate their species, and they were commanded to
multiply and replenish the earth. 7:285-6.
We all belong to the races which have sprung from Father Adam and
Mother Eve; and every son and daughter of that God we serve, who
organized this earth and millions of others, and who holds them in
existence by law. 14:111.
There are no persons without evil passions to embitter {161} their
lives. Mankind are revengeful, passionate, hateful, and devilish in
their dispositions. This we inherit through the fall, and the grace
of God is designed to enable us to overcome it. The grace of God is
bestowed upon all, and the Kingdom of God is planted on the earth
expressly to enable mankind to overcome the evil that is in them, and
to save all. 8:160.
It is true mankind have wandered and have fallen from that which they
might have attained through the redemption made by Jesus Christ; but
there is one point in connection with this statement on which I differ
from the orthodox divines of the day. They say that man is naturally
prone to evil. In some respects this is true, where by the force of
example and wrong tradition has become ingrained, but if man had always
been permitted to follow the instincts of his nature, had he always
followed the great and holy principles of his organism, they would have
led him into the path of life everlasting, which the whole human family
are constantly trying to find. 10:189.
_Enoch to Moses_--The Lord sent forth his Gospel to the people;
he said, I will give it to my son Adam, from whom Methuselah received
it; and Noah received from Methuselah; and Melchizedek administered to
Abraham. 3:94.
Enoch possessed intelligence and wisdom from God that few men ever
enjoyed, walking and talking with God for many years; yet, according
to the history written by Moses, he was a great length of time in
establishing his kingdom among men. The few that followed him enjoyed
the fulness of the Gospel, and the rest of the world rejected it. Enoch
and his party were taken from the earth, and the world continued to
ripen in iniquity until they were overthrown by the great flood in the
days of Noah; and, "as it {162} was in the days of Noah, so shall it be
in the days of the coming of the Son of Man." 9:365.
Enoch had to talk with and teach his people during a period of three
hundred and sixty years, before he could get them prepared to enter
into their rest, and then he obtained power to translate himself and
his people, with the region they inhabited, their houses, gardens,
fields, cattle and all their possessions. 3:320.
Abraham was faithful to the true God, he overthrew the idols of his
father and obtained the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek,
which is after the order of the Son of God, and a promise that of the
increase of his seed there should be no end; when you obtain the holy
Priesthood, which is after the order of Melchizedek, sealed upon you,
and the promise that your seed shall be numerous as the stars in the
firmament, or as the sands upon the sea shore, and of your increase
there shall be no end, you have then got the promise of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, and all the blessings that were conferred upon them. 11:118.
If they had been sanctified and holy, the Children of Israel would not
have traveled one year with Moses before they would have received their
endowments and the Melchizedek Priesthood. 6:100.
Mankind have degenerated; they have lost the physical and mental power
they once possessed. In many points pertaining to mechanism, men
have in modern times been instructed by revelation to them, and this
mechanical knowledge causes them almost to boast against their Creator,
and to set themselves up as competitors with the Lord Almighty,
notwithstanding they have produced nothing but what has been revealed
to them. In the knowledge of astronomical and other philosophical
truths, which our {163} modern great men are searching after and pride
themselves in, they are but babes, compared with the ancient fathers.
Do the wise men of modern ages understand the laws which govern the
worlds that are, that were, and that are to come? They cannot fathom
this matter. They have grown weaker when they ought to have grown
stronger and wiser. 8:61.
_Jesus on Earth_--It was necessary for Jesus Christ to open
the heavens to certain individuals that they might be witnesses of
his personage, death, sufferings, and resurrection; those men were
witnesses. But as Jesus appeared to the two brethren going out of
Jerusalem, he was made known to them in the breaking of bread. Now
suppose he had eaten that bread, and gone out without opening their
eyes, how could they have known that he was the Savior who had been
crucified on Mount Calvary? They could not; but in the breaking of
bread the vision of their minds was opened. This was necessary in order
to constitute safe witnesses, and they returned to Jerusalem and told
the brethren what they had seen. 3:208.
When we come to discriminate between the former and the Latter-day
Saints we shall find there was a little difference in their callings
and duties, and in many points that we may say pertain to our temporal
lives. Not in the doctrine of baptism, the laying on of hands for the
reception of the Holy Ghost, nor in the gifts of the Gospel. There is
no difference in these things, but there is a difference in regard to
the temporal duties devolving upon us. 12:67.
_The Apostasy_--In the early days of the Christian Church we
understand that there was a good deal of speculation among its members
with regard to their belief and practice, and the propagation of these
speculative ideas {164} created divisions and schisms. Even in the
days of the Apostles there was evidently considerable division, for we
read that some were for Paul, some for Apollos, and others for Cephas.
The people in those days had their favorites, who taught them peculiar
doctrines not generally received and promulgated. 12:64.
Why have they wandered so far from the path of truth and rectitude?
Because they left the Priesthood and have had no guide, no leader, no
means of finding out what is true and what is not true. It is said the
Priesthood was taken from the Church, but it is not so, the Church went
from the Priesthood and continued to travel in the wilderness, turned
from the commandments of the Lord, and instituted other ordinances.
12:69.
You can read the account given of our first parents. Along came a
certain character and said to Eve, you know women are of tender heart,
and he could operate on this tender heart, "The Lord knows that in
the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt not surely die, but if thou
wilt take of this fruit and eat thereof thine eyes will be opened and
thou wilt see as the Gods see"; and he worked upon the tender heart of
Mother Eve until she partook of the fruit, and her eyes were opened.
He told the truth. And they say now, "Do this that your eyes may be
opened, that you may see; do this that you may know thus and so." In
the days of Jesus and his Apostles the same power was operating, and,
actuated by that, men hunted them until the last one was banished
from human society, and until the Christian religion was so perverted
that the people received it with open hands, arms, mouth and heart.
It was adulterated until it was congenial to the wicked heart, and
they received the Gospel as they supposed. But that was the time they
commenced {165} little by little to transgress the laws, change the
ordinances, and break the everlasting covenant, and the Gospel of the
kingdom that Jesus undertook to establish in his day and the priesthood
were taken from the earth. 15:126.
The land of Judea has fallen into disrepute, and it has become a
desert, just through the apostasy of those who once inhabited it, who
had the oracles of God among them. 16:66.
_The Restoration_--Generations have come and gone without the
privilege of hearing the sound of the Gospel, which has come to you
through Joseph Smith--that was revealed to him from heaven by angels
and visions. We have the Gospel and the keys of the holy Priesthood.
7:173.
We are a people whose rise and progress from the beginning, has been
the work of God our Heavenly Father, which in his wisdom he has seen
proper to commence for the re-establishment of his Kingdom upon the
earth. 2:170.
Do you think the Lord Almighty will reveal the great improvements in
the arts and sciences which are being constantly made known and will
not revive a pure religion? If any man imagines that with the mighty
strides which the sciences have been making for a few years past,
there will be no improvement in religion, that man is vain in his
imagination. God will improve the religion of the nations of the earth
in proportion to the improvement made in the sciences. This is true
whether you believe it or not. The Lord has commenced the work, and it
is a marvelous one. 12:135.
It was decreed in the counsels of eternity, long before the foundations
of the earth were laid, that he, Joseph Smith, should be the man, in
the last dispensation of this {166} world, to bring forth the word
of God to the people, and receive the fulness of the keys and power
of the Priesthood of the Son of God. The Lord had his eyes upon him,
and upon his father, and upon his father's father, and upon their
progenitors clear back to Abraham, and from Abraham to the flood, from
the flood to Enoch, and from Enoch to Adam. He has watched that family
and that blood as it has circulated from its fountain to the birth of
that man. He was fore-ordained in eternity to preside over this last
dispensation. 7:289.
But as it was in the days of our Savior, so was it in the advent of
this new dispensation. It was not in accordance with the notions,
traditions, and pre-conceived ideas of the American people. The
messenger did not come to an eminent divine of any of the so-called
orthodoxy, he did not adopt their interpretation of the Holy
Scriptures. The Lord did not come with the armies of heaven in power
and great glory, nor send his messengers panoplied with aught else than
the truth of heaven, to communicate to the meek, the lowly, the youth
of humble origin, the sincere enquirer after the knowledge of God. But
he did send his angel to this same obscure person, Joseph Smith, Jr.
who afterwards became a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and informed him
that he should not join any of the religious sects of the day, for they
were all wrong; that they were following the precepts of men instead of
the Lord Jesus; that he had a work for him to perform, inasmuch as he
should prove faithful before him.
No sooner was this made known, and published abroad, and people began
to listen and obey the heavenly summons, than opposition began to
rage, and the people, even in this favored land, began to persecute
their neighbors and friends {167} for entertaining religious opinions
differing from their own. 2:171.
You may remember it and lay it to heart, and if you wish, write it in
your journals that some of the best spirits that have ever been sent to
earth are coming at the present time. 11:117.
The beginning of this dispensation of the fulness of times may well be
compared to the commencement of a temple, the material of which it is
to be built being still scattered, unshaped and unpolished, in a state
of nature. I am thankful that the way is being prepared, and that we
have the privilege of erecting a spiritual and moral superstructure--a
temple of God. 12:161.
_The Book of Mormon_--There is not another nation under heaven,
in whose midst the Book of Mormon could have been brought forth. The
Lord has been operating for centuries to prepare the way for the coming
forth of the contents of that Book from the bowels of the earth, to
be published to the world, to show to the inhabitants thereof that he
still lives, and that he will, in the latter days, gather his elect
from the four corners of the earth. It was the Lord who directed
the discovery of this land to the nations of the Old World, and its
settlement, and the war for independence, and the final victory of the
colonies, and the unprecedented prosperity of the American nation,
up to the calling of Joseph the Prophet. The Lord has dictated and
directed the whole of this, for the bringing forth, and establishing of
his Kingdom in the last days. 11:17.
Here is the Book of Mormon. We believe it contains the history of
the aborigines of our continent, just as the Old Testament contains
the history of the Jewish nation. In that book we learn that Jesus
visited this continent, delivered {168} his Gospel and ordained Twelve
Apostles. We believe all this, but we do not ask you to believe it.
What we do ask is that you will believe what is recorded in the Holy
Bible concerning God and his revelations to the children of men. Do
this in all honesty and sincerity, then you will know that the Book
of Mormon is true. Your minds will be opened and you will know by the
visions of the Spirit of God that we teach the truth. 13:335.
I was somewhat acquainted with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon,
not only through what I read in the newspapers, but I also heard a
great many stories and reports which were circulated as quick as the
Book of Mormon was printed, and began to be scattered abroad. Then the
spirit of persecution, the spirit of death, the spirit of destruction
immediately seemed to enter the hearts of the pious priests more
particularly than any other portion of the people; they could not bear
it. 2:249.
What did Oliver Cowdery (one of the three witnesses to the Book of
Mormon) say, after he had been away from the Church years and years?
He saw and conversed with the angel, who showed him the plates, and he
handled them. He left the Church because he lost the love of the truth;
and after he had traveled alone for years, a gentleman walked into his
law office and said to him, "Mr. Cowdery, what do you think of the
Book of Mormon now? Do you believe that it is true?" He replied, "No,
sir, I do not!" "Well," said the gentleman, "I thought as much; for I
concluded that you had seen the folly of your ways and had resolved to
renounce what you once declared to be true." "Sir, you mistake me; I do
not believe that the Book of Mormon is true; I am past belief on that
point, for I _know_ that it is true, as well as I know that you now sit
{169} before me." "Do you still testify that you saw an angel?" "Yes,
as much as I see you now; and I know the Book of Mormon to be true."
Yet he forsook it. Every honest person who has fairly heard it knows
that "Mormonism" is true, if they have had the testimony of it; but to
practice it in our lives is another thing. 7:55. {170}
CHAPTER X
_THE LAST DAYS_
_Confusion of the Last Days_--The time is coming when a good man
will be more precious than fine gold. 10:295.
The sinner will slay the sinner, the wicked will fall upon the wicked,
until: there is an utter overthrow and consumption upon the face of the
whole earth, until God reigns, whose right it is. 2:190.
The world is drunk, but not with wine or strong drink; and our country
is the most drunken of all. They are deluding themselves; they
are drunk with party fanaticism; they are high-minded, heady, and
senseless, and are fast going to destruction.
Thinking men, inquiring minds, ask whether it is really necessary for
the Government of God to be on the earth at the present day; I answer,
most assuredly; there never was a time when it was more needed than it
is now. Why? Because men do not know how to govern themselves without
it. Would it be considered treason of any Christian government in
our day to profess to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the
efficacy of his death and resurrection for the salvation of man, and to
profess and declare that it is his inalienable, indisputable right and
prerogative to reign over men, the earth and all things upon it? 10:320.
If we live, we shall see the nations of the earth arrayed against this
people; for that time must come, in fulfilment of prophecy. Tell about
war commencing! Bitter and relentless war was waged against Joseph
Smith before he had received the plates of the Book of Mormon; and from
that time till now the wicked have only fallen back at times to {171}
gain strength and learn how to attack the Kingdom of God. 5:339.
All we have yet heard and all we have experienced is scarcely a
preface to the sermon that is going to be preached. When the testimony
of the Elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to them, "Come
home; I will now preach my own sermons to the nations of the earth,"
all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the sermon that
will be preached with fire and sword, tempests, earthquakes, hail,
rain, thunders and lightnings, and fearful destruction. What matters
the destruction of a few railway cars? You will hear of magnificent
cities, now idolized by the people, sinking in the earth, entombing the
inhabitants. The sea will heave itself beyond its bounds, engulfing
mighty cities. Famine will spread over the nations and nation will rise
up against nation, kingdom against kingdom and states against states,
in our own country and in foreign lands; and they will destroy each
other, caring not for the blood and lives of their neighbors, of their
families, or for their own lives. 8:123.
There never has been a day for ages and ages, not since the true church
was destroyed after the days of the Apostles, that required the faith
and the energy of godly men and godly women, and the skill, wisdom and
power of the Almighty to be with them, so much as this people require
it at the present time. There never was that necessity; there never has
been a time on the face of the earth, from the time that the church
went to destruction, and the Priesthood was taken from the earth,
that the powers of darkness and the powers of earth and hell were so
embittered, and enraged, and incensed against God and Godliness on
the earth, as they are at the present. And when the {172} spirit of
persecution, the spirit of hatred, of wrath, and malice ceases in the
world against this people, it will be the time that this people have
apostatized and joined hands with the wicked, and never until then;
which I pray may never come. 4:326.
The Devil is just as much opposed to Jesus now as he was when the
revolt took place in heaven. And as the Devil increases his numbers by
getting the people to be wicked, so Jesus Christ increases his numbers
and strength by getting the people to be humble and righteous. The
human family are going to the polls by and by, and they wish to know
which party is going to carry the day. 4:38.
_Ultimate Triumph of Righteousness_--I most assuredly expect that
the time will come when every tongue shall confess, and every knee
shall bow to the Savior, though the people may believe what they will
with regard to religion. 2:189.
The Savior will dictate his Kingdom, through his Apostles and Prophets,
until all the heathen nations are virtually redeemed by the ordinances
that effect redemption, that they may inherit the kingdom that is
prepared for them. 8:83.
This is a day of days, and a time of times; this is the fulness of
times, in which all things that are in Christ are to be gathered in
one. This is a momentous period. 10:308.
I expect to see the time when the inhabitants of the earth will pride
themselves in doing good. 8:363.
The time will come when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess
to and acknowledge him, and when they who have lived upon the earth
and have spurned the idea of a Supreme Being and of revelations from
him, will fall with shamefacedness and humble themselves before him,
{173} exclaiming, "There is a God! O God, we once rejected thee and
disbelieved thy word and set at naught thy counsels, but now we bow
down in shame and we do acknowledge that there is a God, and that Jesus
is the Christ." This time will come, most assuredly. We have the faith
of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. 13:306.
What will they do? They will hear of the wisdom of Zion and the kings
and potentates of the nations will come up to Zion to inquire after
the ways of the Lord, and to seek out the great knowledge, wisdom and
understanding manifested through the Saints of the Most High. They will
inform the people of God that they belong to such and such a church,
and do not wish to change their religion.
They will be drawn to Zion by the great wisdom displayed there, and
will attribute it to the cunning and craftiness of men. It will be
asked, "What do you want to do, ye strangers from afar?" "We want to
live our own religion." "Will you bow the knee before God with us?" "O
yes, we would as soon do it as not"; and at that time every knee shall
bow, and every tongue acknowledge that God who is the framer and maker
of all things, the governor and controller of the universe. They will
have to bow the knee and confess that he is God, and that Jesus Christ,
who suffered for the sins of the world, is actually its Redeemer; that
by the shedding of his blood he has redeemed men, women, children,
beasts, birds, fish, the earth itself, and everything that John saw and
heard praising in heaven. 2:316-317.
By and by the world will be overturned according to the words of the
prophet, and we will see the reign of righteousness enter in, and sin
and iniquity will have to walk off. But the power and principles of
evil, if they can {174} be called principles, will never yield one
particle to the righteous march of the Savior, only as they are beaten
back inch by inch, and we have got to take the ground by force. Yes, by
the mental force of faith, and by good works, the march forth of the
Gospel will increase, spread, grow and prosper, until the nations of
the earth will feel that Jesus has the right to rule King of nations as
he does King of Saints. 14:226.
_Return to Jackson County_--When are we going back to Jackson
County? Not until the Lord commands his people; and it is just as much
as you and I can do to get ready to go when he does command us. 6:269.
If that is back to Jackson County, do not be scared, for as the Lord
lives this people will go back and build a great temple there. This
people will surely go back to Jackson County. How soon that may be, or
when it may be, I do not care; but that is not now the gathering place
for this people: 3:278.
Where is the center Stake of Zion? In Jackson County, Missouri. 8:198.
There has been considerable said this afternoon with regard to
redeeming and building up Zion, the Order of Enoch, etc. I see men and
women in this congregation--only a few of them--who were driven from
the central Stake of Zion. Ask them if they had any sorrow or trouble;
then let them look at the beautiful land that the Lord would have given
them if all had been faithful in keeping his commandments, and had
walked before him as they should; and then ask them with regard to the
blessings they would have received. If they tell you the sentiments of
their minds, they will tell you that the yoke of Jesus would have been
easy and his burden would have been {175} light, and that it would have
been a delightful task to have walked in obedience to his commandments
and to have been of one heart and one mind; but through the selfishness
of some, which is idolatry, through their covetousness, which is the
same, and the lustful desire of their minds, they were cast out and
driven from their homes. We have been driven many times; but each time,
if they who professed to be the servants of God had served him with
an undivided heart, they would have had the privilege of living in
their houses, possessing their lands, attending to their meetings, and
spreading abroad on the right and the left, lengthening the cords of
Zion, and strengthening her stakes until the land had been dedicated
to the Gospel of the Son of God. Well, I have been with the rest and I
expect I have been covetous like them, and probably I am now; but if I
am, I wish somebody would tell me wherein. 13:1.
_Coming of Christ_--Do you know that it is the eleventh hour of
the reign of Satan on the earth? Jesus is coming to reign, and all you
who fear and tremble because of your enemies, cease to fear them, and
learn to fear to offend God, fear to transgress his laws, fear to do
any evil to your brother, or to any being upon the earth, and do not
fear Satan and his power, nor those who have only power to slay the
body, for God will preserve his people. 10:250.
In the progress of the age in which we live, we discern the fulfilment
of prophecy, and the preparation for the second coming of our Lord
and Savior to dwell upon the earth. We expect that the refuge of lies
will be swept away, and that city, nation, government, or kingdom
which serves not God, and gives no heed to the principles of truth and
religion, will be utterly wasted away and destroyed. 2:178. {176}
Jesus has been upon the earth a great many more times than you are
aware of. When Jesus makes his next appearance upon the earth, but few
of this Church will be prepared to receive him and see him face to face
and converse with him; but he will come to his temple. Will he remain
and dwell upon the earth a thousand years, without returning? He will
come here, and return to his mansions where he dwells with his Father,
and come again to the earth, and again return to his Father, according
to my understanding. Then angels will come and begin to resurrect the
dead, and the Savior will also raise the dead, and they will receive
the keys of the resurrection, and will begin to assist in that work.
Will the wicked know of it? They will know just as much about that as
they now know about "Mormonism," and no more. 7:142.
When your eyes are open, you will see that this earth has fallen from
the glory and presence of the Father, to pass through certain ordeals,
together with the people upon it. And by and by, when Jesus reigns and
rules, King of nations, he will say to his Father, "Here is my work!
Here are my brethren! Here is my redemption--the fruit of my labor! I
have ceased not to contend with the Enemy until I have put him under
my feet. I have destroyed death, and him that has the power of death."
8:297.
At times I may to many of the brethren appear to be severe. I sometimes
chasten them; but it is because I wish them to live so that the power
of God, like a flame of fire, will dwell within them and be around
about them. These are my feelings and desires. I wish to see this
people take a course to bring back the days, years, and intelligence
that have been lost through transgression. This cannot be performed in
a day. Zion will not be redeemed and built up {177} in a day. Israel
will not be brought back to the fold of Christ and redeemed in a day.
8:62.
_The Millennium_--The Millennium consists in this--every heart
in the Church and Kingdom of God being united in one; the Kingdom
increasing to the overcoming of everything opposed to the economy of
heaven, and Satan being bound, and having a seal set upon him. All
things else will be as they are now, we shall eat, drink, and wear
clothing. 1:203.
When all nations are so subdued to Jesus that every knee shall bow and
every tongue shall confess, there will still be millions on the earth
who will not believe in him; but they will be obliged to acknowledge
his kingly government. 7:142.
Let the people be holy, and the earth under their feet will be holy.
Let the people be holy, and filled with the Spirit of God, and every
animal and creeping thing will be filled with peace; the soil of the
earth will bring forth in its strength, and the fruits thereof will be
meat for man. The more purity that exists, the less is the strife; the
more kind we are to our animals, the more will peace increase, and the
savage nature of the brute creation vanish away. If the people will not
serve the Devil another moment whilst they live, if this congregation
is possessed of that spirit and resolution, here in this house is the
Millennium. Let the inhabitants of this city be possessed of that
spirit, let the people of the territory be possessed of that spirit,
and here is the Millennium, and so will it spread over all the world.
1:203.
In the Millennium, when the Kingdom of God is established on the earth
in power, glory and perfection, and the reign of wickedness that
has so long prevailed is subdued, {178} the Saints of God will have
the privilege of building their temples, and of entering into them,
becoming, as it were, pillars in the temples of God, and they will
officiate for their dead. Then we will see our friends come up, and
perhaps some that we have been acquainted with here. If we ask who
will stand at the head of the resurrection in this last dispensation,
the answer is--Joseph Smith, Junior, the Prophet of God. He is the man
who will be resurrected and receive the keys of the resurrection, and
he will seal this authority upon others, and they will hunt up their
friends and resurrect them when they shall have been officiated for,
and bring them up. And we will have revelations to know our forefathers
clear back to Father Adam and Mother Eve, and we will enter into the
temples of God and officiate for them. Then man will be sealed to man
until the chain is made perfect back to Adam, so that there will be a
perfect chain of priesthood from Adam to the winding-up scene.
This will be the work of the Latter-day Saints in the Millennium.
15:138.
When Jesus comes to rule and reign, King of nations, as he now does,
King of Saints, the veil of the covering will be taken from all
nations, that all flesh may see his glory together, but that will not
make them all Saints. Seeing the Lord does not make a man a Saint;
seeing an angel does not make a man a Saint by any means. A man may see
the finger of the Lord, and not thereby become a Saint; the veil of the
covering may be taken from before the nations, and all flesh see his
glory together, and at the same time declare they will not serve him.
2:316.
_Rapid Movements in the Last Days_--Do you understand that what
the Lord will perform in the latter days will {179} be done quicker
than in the former days? He suffered Noah to occupy one hundred and
twenty years in building the ark. Were he to command us to build an
ark, he would not allow so long a time for completing it. 8:134.
If I live as long as Enoch lived, who walked with the Lord three
hundred and sixty-five years, can I then see a people prepared to enter
at once in the celestial world? No. Many may think that Enoch and his
whole city were taken from the earth directly into the presence of God.
That is a mistaken idea. If, within three hundred and sixty-five years,
I can see a people capable of surmounting every sin, of overcoming
every evil and effect of sin to such a degree as to be separated in the
flesh from the sinful portion of the world and from all the effects of
the fall--a great people as pure and holy as were the people of Enoch,
I should not complain, and, perhaps, have no cause to. Yet, in the
latter days, God will cut short his work in righteousness. 8:134.
According to my definition of the word, there is not a strictly
and fully civilized community now upon the earth. Is there murder
by wholesale to be found in a strictly civilized community? Will a
community of civilized nations rise up one against another, nation
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, using against each other
every destructive invention that can be brought to bear in their
wars? When will they be civilized? When the Lord shall judge among
the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their
swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; when
nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither learn war any
more. When the world is in a state of true civilization, man will have
ceased to contend against his fellow-man, either as {180} individuals,
parties, communities, sects, or nations. This state of civilization
will be brought about by the holy Priesthood of the Son of God; and
men, with full purpose of heart, will seek unto him who is pure and
holy, even our great Creator--our Father and God; and he will give them
a law that is pure--a government and plan of society possessed by holy
beings in heaven. Then there will be no more war, no more bloodshed,
no more evil speaking and evil doing; but all will be contented to
follow in the path of truth, which alone is calculated to exalt and
dignify the whole man, mentally and physically, in all his operations,
labors, and purposes. Short of this, mankind cannot be said to be truly
civilized. 8:6-7.
Then, do not be too anxious for the Lord to hasten his work. Let our
anxiety be centered upon one thing, the sanctification of our own
hearts, the purifying of our own affections, the preparing of ourselves
for the approach of the events that are hastening upon us. This should
be our concern, this should be our study, this should be our daily
prayer, and not to be in a hurry to see the overthrow of the wicked.
9:3.
Whether the world is going to be burned up within a year, or within
a thousand years, does not matter a groat to you and me. We have the
words of eternal life, we have the privilege of obtaining glory,
immortality, and eternal lives, now will you obtain these blessings?
4:53.
This is the day in which we are to learn-and to increase in our
knowledge. 4:204.
The Lord's time is not for me to know; but he is kind, long-suffering,
and patient, and his wrath endureth silently, and will until mercy is
completely exhausted, and then judgment will take the reins. I do not
know how, neither {181} do I at present wish to know. It is enough for
us to know how to serve our God and live our religion, and thus we will
increase in the favor of God. 4:371.
It is too late in the day for this people ever to be cast off and
disowned by the Lord. The work the Lord promised to do is too nigh
accomplished, and he has promised to make a short work on the earth.
This work has some time since commenced; and if any of the people will
not serve their God and do the work he has given them to do, they will
be removed out of the way, and that speedily. It is too late in the day
for this people to apostatize and the Priesthood to be taken again from
the earth; so there is not much ground for fears even in this respect.
6:267.
_Zion_--Where is Zion? Where the organization of the Church of God
is. And may it dwell spiritually in every heart; and may we so live as
to enjoy the spirit of Zion always! 8:205.
Do we realize that if we enjoy a Zion in time or in eternity we must
make it for ourselves? That all, who have a Zion in the eternities of
the Gods, organized, framed, consolidated, and perfected it themselves,
and consequently are entitled to enjoy it? 9:282.
This is the Gospel; this is the plan of salvation; this is the Kingdom
of God; this is the Zion that has been spoken and written of by all the
Prophets since the world began. This is the work of Zion which the Lord
has promised to bring forth. 12:172.
When we conclude to make a Zion we will make it, and this work
commences in the heart of each person. When the father of a family
wishes to make a Zion in his own house, he must take the lead in this
good work, which it is impossible for him to do unless he himself
possesses the {182} spirit of Zion. Before he can produce the work of
sanctification in his family, he must sanctify himself, and by this
means God can help him to sanctify his family. 9:283.
There is not one thing wanting in all the works of God's hands to make
a Zion upon the earth when the people conclude to make it. We can make
a Zion of God on earth at our pleasure, upon the same principle that
we can raise a field of wheat, or build and inhabit. There has been no
time when the material has not been here from which to produce corn,
wheat, etc., and by the judicious management and arrangement of this
ever-existing material a Zion of God can always be built on the earth.
9:283.
Let me say a few words with regard to Zion. We profess to be Zion. If
we are the pure in heart we are so, for "Zion is the pure in heart."
Now when Zion is built up and reigns, the question may arise with
some, will all be Latter-day Saints? No. Will there be this variety
of classes and faiths that we now behold? I do not know whether there
will be as many, or whether there will be more. But be that as it may,
Jesus has gone to prepare mansions for every creature. Who will go
down as "sons of perdition" and receive the reward of the damned? None
but those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost. All others will be
gathered into kingdoms where there will be a certain amount of peace
and glory. Will the Methodists have their heaven? I will venture to say
that John Wesley, if he never hears the Gospel preached in the world of
spirits, will enjoy all the happiness and glory that he ever thought
of. And so it will be with others; I mention him merely because he is a
noted character. In all those kingdoms the people will be as varied as
they are here. In the Millennium men will have the privilege of their
own belief, but they will not have {183} the privilege of treating the
name and character of Deity as they have done heretofore. No, but every
knee shall bow and every tongue confess to the glory of God the Father
that Jesus is the Christ. 12:274.
My spiritual enjoyment must be obtained by my own life, but it would
add much to the comfort of the community, and to my happiness, as one
with them, if every man and woman would live their religion, and enjoy
the light and glory of the Gospel for themselves, be passive, humble,
and faithful; rejoice continually before the Lord, attend to the
business they are called to do, and be sure never to do anything wrong.
All would then be peace, joy, and tranquility, in our streets and in
our houses. Litigation would cease, there would be no difficulties
before the High Council and Bishops' Courts, and courts, turmoil, and
strife would not be known.
Then we would have Zion, for all would be pure in heart. 3:255.
_The Land of Zion_--This is the land of Zion. West of us is a body
of water that we call the Pacific, and to the east there is another
large body of water which we call the Atlantic, and to the north is
where they have tried to discover a northwest passage; these waters
surround the land of Zion. 4:301.
And what is Zion? In one sense Zion is the pure in heart. But is
there a land that ever will be called Zion? Yes, brethren. What land
is it? It is the land that the Lord gave to Jacob, who bequeathed it
to his son Joseph, and his posterity, and they inhabit it, and that
land is North and South America. That is Zion, as to land, as to {184}
territory, and location. The children of Zion have not yet much in
their possession, but their territory is North and South America to
begin with. As to the spirit of Zion, it is in the hearts of the Saints
of those who love and serve the Lord with all their might, mind and
strength. 2:253.
This American continent will be Zion; for it is so spoken of by the
prophets. Jerusalem will be rebuilt and will be the place of gathering,
and the tribe of Judah will gather there; but this continent of America
is the land of Zion. 5:4.
This is the land of Zion--this is the continent whereon the Lord has
commenced his work for the last time, and whereon Jesus will make his
appearance the second time, when he comes to gather and save the House
of Israel. 8:81-2.
Zion will extend, eventually, all over this earth. There will be no
nook or corner upon the earth but what will be in Zion. It will all be
Zion. 9:138.
_The City of Zion_--We look forward to the day when the Lord will
prepare for the building of the New Jerusalem, preparatory to the
City of Enoch's going to be joined with it when it is built upon this
earth. We are anticipating to enjoy that day, whether we sleep in death
previous to that, or not. We look forward, with all the anticipation
and confidence that children can possess in a parent, that we shall be
there when Jesus comes; and if we are not there, we will come with him:
in either case we shall be there when he comes. 8:342.
We want all the Latter-day Saints to understand how to build up Zion.
The City of Zion, in beauty and magnificence, will outstrip anything
that is now known upon the earth. The curse will be taken from the
earth and sin and {185} corruption will be swept from its face. Who
will do this great work? Is the Lord going to convince the people that
he will redeem the center Stake of Zion, beautify it and then place
them there without an exertion on their part? No. He will not come here
to build a Temple, a Tabernacle, a Bowery, or to set out fruit trees,
make aprons of fig leaves or coats of skins, or work in brass and iron,
for we already know how to do these things. He will not come here to
teach us how to raise and manufacture cotton, how to make hand cards,
how to card, how to make spinning machines, looms, etc., etc. We have
to build up Zion, if we do our duty. 10:172.
I have many times asked the questions, "Where is the man that knows
how to lay the first rock for the wall that is to surround the New
Jerusalem or the Zion of God on the earth? Where is the man who knows
how to construct the first gate of the city? Where is the man who
understands how to build up the Kingdom of God in its purity and to
prepare for Zion to come down to meet it?" "Well," says one, "I thought
the Lord was going to do this." So he is if we will let him. This is
what we want: we want the people to be willing for the Lord to do it.
But he will do it by means. He will not send his angels to gather up
the rock to build up the New Jerusalem. He will not send his angels
from the heavens to go to the mountains to cut the timber and make it
into lumber to adorn the City of Zion. He has called upon us to do this
work; and if we will let him work by, through, and with us, he can
accomplish it; otherwise we shall fall short, and shall never have the
honor of building up Zion on the earth. 13:313.
_Purpose of Gathering_--A remnant of the people of Israel {186}
are to be saved, and they will yet be gathered together. 16:109.
Ephraim has become mixed with all the nations of the earth, and it is
Ephraim that is gathering together. 2:268.
We are gathering the people as fast as we can. We are gathering them to
make Saints of them and of ourselves. 9:137-8.
We have been gathered to the valleys of these mountains for the express
purpose of purifying ourselves, that we may become polished stones
in the temple of God. We are here for the purpose of establishing
the Kingdom of God on the earth. To be prepared for this work it has
been necessary to gather us out from the nations and countries of the
world, for if we had remained in those lands we could not have received
the ordinances of the holy Priesthood of the Son of God, which are
necessary for the perfection of the Saints preparatory to his coming.
12:161.
_The Jews and Jerusalem_--Jerusalem is not to be redeemed by our
going there and preaching to the inhabitants. It will be redeemed by
the high hand of the Almighty. It will be given into the possession of
the ancient Israelites by the power of God, and by the pouring out of
his judgments. 2:141.
Jerusalem is not to be redeemed by the soft, still voice of the
preacher of the Gospel of peace. Why? Because they were once the
blessed of the Lord, the chosen of the Lord, the promised seed.
They were the people from among whom should spring the Messiah; and
salvation could be found only through that people. The Messiah came
through them, and they killed him; and they will be the last of all
the seed of Abraham to have the privilege of receiving the New and
Everlasting Covenant. You may {187} hand out to them gold, you may feed
and clothe them, but it is impossible to convert the Jews, until the
Lord God Almighty does it. 2:142.
By and by the Jews will be gathered to the land of their fathers, and
the ten tribes, who wandered into the north, will be gathered home,
and the blood of Ephraim, the second son of Joseph, who was sold into
Egypt, which is to be found in every kingdom and nation under heaven,
will be gathered from among the Gentiles, and the Gentiles who will
receive and adhere to the principles of the Gospel will be adopted and
initiated into the family of Father Abraham, and Jesus will reign over
his own and Satan will reign over his own. 12:38.
We have a great desire for their welfare, and are looking for the time
soon to come when they will gather at Jerusalem, build up the city and
the land of Palestine, and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. When
he comes again, he will not come as he did when the Jews rejected him;
neither will he appear first at Jerusalem when he makes his second
appearance on the earth; but he will appear first on the land where he
commenced his work in the beginning, and planted the Garden of Eden,
and that was done in the land of America.
When the Savior visits Jerusalem, and the Jews look upon him, and see
the wounds in his hands and in his side and in his feet, they will then
know that they have persecuted and put to death the true Messiah, and
then they will acknowledge him, but not till then. They have confounded
his first and second coming, expecting his first coming to be as a
mighty prince instead of as a servant. They will go back by and by to
Jerusalem and own their Lord and Master. We have no feelings against
them. 11:279. {188}
_The Indians or Lamanites_--The Lamanites or Indians are just as
much the children of our Father and God as we are. So also are the
Africans. But we are also the children of adoption through obedience to
the Gospel of his Son. 11:272.
I spoke a harsh word yesterday with regard to a man who professes to be
a Latter-day Saint who has been guilty of killing an innocent Indian.
I say today that he is just as much a murderer through killing that
Indian, as he would have been had he shot down a white man. To slay an
innocent person is murder according to the law of Moses. 11:263.
We could circumscribe their camps and kill every man, woman and child
of them. This is what others have done, and if we were to do it, what
better are we than the wicked and the ungodly? It is our duty to be
better than they in our administrations of justice and our general
conduct toward the Lamanites. It is not our duty to kill them; but it
is our duty to save their lives and the lives of their children. 11:264.
There is a curse on these aborigines of our country who roam the
plains, and are so wild that you cannot tame them. They are of the
House of Israel; they once had the Gospel delivered to them, they had
the oracles of truth; Jesus came and administered to them after his
resurrection, and they received and delighted in the Gospel until the
fourth generation when they turned away and became so wicked that God
cursed them with this dark and benighted and loathsome condition. 14:86.
As we have here an assemblage of the people from other settlements,
I wish to impress them with the necessity of treating the Indians
with kindness, and to refrain from harboring {189} that revengeful,
vindictive feeling that many indulge in. I am convinced that as long
as we harbor in us such feelings toward them, so long they will be
our enemies, and the Lord will suffer them to afflict us. I certainly
believe that the present affliction, which has come upon us from the
Indians, is a consequence of the wickedness which dwells in the hearts
of some of our brethren. If the Elders of Israel had always treated
the Lamanites as they should, I do not believe that we should have had
any difficulty with them at all. This is my firm conviction, and my
conclusion according to the light that is in me. I believe that the
Lord permits them to chasten us at the present time to convince us that
we have to overcome the vindictive feelings which we have harbored
towards that poor, downtrodden branch of the House of Israel. 11:263.
Do we wish to do right? You answer, yes. Then let the Lamanites come
back to their homes, where they were born and brought up. This is the
land that they and their fathers have walked over and called their
own; and they have just as good a right to call it theirs today as any
people have to call any land their own. They have buried their fathers
and mothers and children here; this is their home, and we have taken
possession of it, and occupy the land where they used to hunt the
rabbit, and, not a great while since, the buffalo, and the antelope
were in these valleys in large herds when we first came here.
When we came here, they could catch fish in great abundance in the
lake in the season thereof, and live upon them pretty much through the
summer. But now their game has gone, and they are left to starve. It
is our duty to feed them. The Lord has given us ability to cultivate
the ground and reap bountiful harvests. We have an {190} abundance of
food for ourselves and for the stranger. It is our duty to feed these
poor ignorant Indians; we are living on their possessions and at their
homes. 11:264. {191}
CHAPTER XI
_THE SCRIPTURES_
_The Bible_--In the Bible are the words of life and salvation.
13:214.
We are believers in the Bible, and to our unshaken faith in its
precepts, doctrine, and prophecy, may be attributed "the strangeness of
our course," and the unwarrantable conduct of many towards this people.
1:237.
But I want to know if we agree with the teachings of the Bible, in our
belief and practice. The Latter-day Saints believe in doing just what
the Lord has told them to do in this book. 1:239.
We believe the New Testament, and consequently, to be consistent, we
must believe in new revelation, visions, angels, in all the gifts of
the Holy Ghost, and all the promises contained in these books, and
believe it about as it reads. 1:242.
We have a holy reverence for and a belief in the Bible. 14:113.
The Bible is true. It may not all have been translated aright, and
many precious things may have been rejected in the compilation and
translation of the Bible; but we understand, from the writings of one
of the Apostles, that if all the sayings and doings of the Savior
had been written, the world could not contain them. I will say that
the world could not understand them. They do not understand what we
have on record, nor the character of the Savior, as delineated in the
Scriptures; and yet it is one of the simplest things in the world, and
the Bible, when it is understood, is one of the simplest books in the
world, for, as far {192} as it is translated correctly, it is nothing
but truth, and in truth there is no mystery save to the ignorant. The
revelations of the Lord to his creatures are adapted to the lowest
capacity, and they bring life and salvation to all who are willing to
receive them. 14:135.
Take the Bible just as it reads; and if it be translated incorrectly
and there is a scholar on the earth who professes to be a Christian,
and he can translate it any better than King James's translators did
it, he is under obligation to do so. If I understood Greek and Hebrew
as some may profess to do, and I knew the Bible was not correctly
translated, I should feel myself bound by the law of justice to the
inhabitants of the earth to translate that which is incorrect and
give it just as it was spoken anciently. Is that proper? Yes, I would
be under obligation to do it. But I think it is translated just as
correctly as the scholars could get it, although it is not correct in
a great many instances. But it is no matter about that. Read it and
observe it and it will not hurt any person in the world. 14:226.
By reading the Bible we find that the Gospel is contained not only
in the New Testament, but also in the Old. Moses and the Prophets
saw and predicted the apostasy of the Church. They saw that the Lord
would strive with the children of men from time to time, that he would
deliver to them the truth and the Priesthood; they also saw that
through the wickedness of the people they would change his ordinances,
break the covenants, and transgress his laws, until the Priesthood
would be taken from the earth, and its inhabitants be left in apostasy
and darkness. 16:74.
I have heard ministers of the Gospel declare that they believed every
word in the Bible was the word of God. I have said to them, "You
believe more than I do." I believe {193} the words of God are there; I
believe the words of the Devil are there; I believe that the words of
men and the words of angels are there; and that is not all,--I believe
that the words of a dumb brute are there. I recollect one of the
prophets riding, and prophesying against Israel, and the animal he rode
rebuked his madness. 14:280.
I believe the words of the Bible are just what they are; but aside
from that I believe the doctrines concerning salvation contained in
that book are true, and that their observance will elevate any people,
nation or family that dwells on the face of the earth. The doctrines
contained in the Bible will lift to a superior condition all who
observe them; they will impart to them knowledge, wisdom, charity, fill
them with compassion and cause them to feel after the wants of those
who are in distress, or in painful or degraded circumstances. They who
observe the precepts contained in the Scriptures will be just and true
and virtuous and peaceable at home and abroad. Follow out the doctrines
of the Bible, and men will make splendid husbands, women excellent
wives, and children will be obedient; they will make families happy and
the nations wealthy and happy and lifted up above the things of this
life. 13:175.
We take this book, the Bible, which I expect to see voted out of the
so-called Christian world very soon, they are coming to it as fast
as possible, I say we take this book for our guide, for our rule of
action; we take it as the foundation of our faith. It points the way
to salvation like a fingerboard pointing to a city, or a map which
designates the locality of mountains, rivers, or the latitude and
longitude of any place on the surface of the earth that we desire to
find, and we have no better sense than to believe {194} it; hence, I
say that the Latter-day Saints have the most natural faith and belief
of any people on the face of the earth. 13:236.
We as Latter-day Saints have confessed before Heaven, before the
heavenly hosts, and before the inhabitants of the earth, that we really
believe the Scriptures as they are given to us, according to the best
understanding and knowledge that we have of the translation, and the
spirit and meaning of the Old and New Testaments. 12:227.
Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with
it, and see if it will stand the test. 17:46.
This Book, which is the Old and New Testament, preaches but one sermon
from Genesis to Revelation. 6:284.
The doctrine that we preach is the doctrine of the Bible, it is the
doctrine the Lord has revealed for the salvation of the children of
God, and when men, who have once obeyed it, deny it, they deny it with
their eyes wide open, and knowing that they deny the truth and set at
naught the counsels of the Almighty. 14:200.
I ask you, brother B, how I must believe the Bible, and how shall you
and every other follower of the Lord Jesus Christ believe it? "Brother
Mormon, how do you believe it?" I believe it just as it is. I do not
believe in putting any man's interpretation upon it, whatever, unless
it should be directed by the Lord himself in some way. I do not believe
we need interpreters and expounders of the Scriptures, to wrest them
from their literal, plain, simple meaning. 1:237.
There is one idea entertained by the "Mormons" which is somewhat of a
stumbling-block to the people, and apostates handle it to suit their
purpose. It is, that we consider {195} the Bible merely as a guide
or fingerboard, pointing to a certain destination. This is a true
doctrine, which we boldly advance. If you will follow the doctrines,
and be guided by the precepts of that book, it will direct you where
you may see as you are seen, where you may converse with Jesus Christ,
have the visitation of angels, have dreams, visions, and revelations,
and understand and know God for yourselves. Is it not a stay and a
staff to you? Yes; it will prove to you that you are following in the
footsteps of the ancients. You can see what they saw, understand what
they enjoyed. 1:243.
_The Standard Church Works._ With us the Bible is the first book,
the Book of Mormon comes next, then the revelations in the book of
Doctrine and Covenants, then the teachings of the living oracles,
yet you will find, in the end, that the living oracles of God have
to take all things of heaven and earth, above and beneath, and bring
them together and devote them to God, and sanctify and purify them and
prepare them to enter into the Kingdom of heaven. 9:297.
There is no clash in the principles revealed in the Bible, the Book of
Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants; and there would be no clash
between any of the doctrines taught by Joseph the Prophet and by the
brethren now, if all would live in a way to be governed by the Spirit
of the Lord. All do not live so as to have the Spirit of the Lord with
them all the time, and the result is that some get out of the way.
5:329.
We have learned much from the Bible. We have also learned much from
the Book of Mormon and the book of Doctrine and Covenants; but all the
salvation you can obtain by means of those books alone is comparatively
of little {196} value. They contain a history of what other men have
done, show the path they walked in, and the way in which they obtained
the words of eternal life for themselves; but all the Scriptures from
the days of Adam until now cannot, alone, save one individual. Were
they all committed to memory so perfectly that they could be recited
with the greatest ease, that alone would not save one of the smallest
of God's creatures, nor bring any person nearer the gate of the
celestial kingdom. In visiting a foreign nation, an understanding of
its language, geography, manners, customs, and laws is very agreeable
and: beneficial. So the reading of the Bible gives comfort and
happiness to the traveler to eternity, and points out to him in part
the character and attributes of the Being whom to know is life eternal.
We have not yet attained to that knowledge, and the mere reading of the
Scriptures can never put us in possession of it. 7:332.
It is your privilege and duty to live so, as to be able to understand
the things of God. There are the Old and New Testaments, the Book of
Mormon, and the book of Doctrine and Covenants, which Joseph has given
us, and they are of great worth to a person wandering in darkness.
They are like a lighthouse in the ocean, or a finger-post which points
out the road we should travel. Where do they point? To the Fountain of
light. 8:129.
What do the infidel world say about the Bible? They say that the
Bible is nothing better than last year's almanac; it is nothing but a
fable of priestcraft, and it is good for nothing. The Book of Mormon,
however, declares that the Bible is true, and it proves it; and the
two prove each other true. The Old and New Testaments are the stick of
Judah. You recollect that the tribe of Judah tarried in {197} Jerusalem
and the Lord blessed Judah, and the result was the writings of the Old
and New Testaments. But where is the stick of Joseph? Can you tell
where it is? Yes. It was the children of Joseph who came across the
waters to this continent, and this land was filled with people, and
the Book of Mormon or the stick of Joseph contains their writings, and
they are in the hands of Ephraim. Where are the Ephraimites? They are
mixed through all the nations of the earth. God is calling upon them to
gather out, and he is uniting them, and they are giving the Gospel to
all the world. Is there any harm or any false doctrine in that? A great
many say there is. If there is, it is all in the Bible. 13:174.
The Christian world profess to believe the Old and New Testaments; the
Jews say they believe the Old Testament. We believe both, and that
is not all, we believe in the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and
Covenants given by the Lord to Joseph Smith and by him to the Church.
We also believe if we were destitute of the Spirit of the Lord, and our
eyes were closed so that we could not see and understand things as they
are by the spirit of revelation, we might say farewell to all these
books, no matter how numerous. If we had all the revelation given since
the days of Adam and were without the spirit of revelation to be and
abide in the midst of the people, it would be impossible for us to be
saved in the celestial kingdom of God. 12:259-260.
The book of Doctrine and Covenants is given for the Latter-day Saints
expressly for their everyday walk and actions. 16:188.
_The Use of the Scriptures_--Do you read the Scriptures, my
brethren and sisters, as though you were writing them {198} a thousand,
two thousand, or five thousand years ago? Do you read them as though
you stood in the place of the men who wrote them? If you do not feel
thus, it is your privilege to do so, that you may be as familiar with
the spirit and meaning of the written word of God as you are with your
daily walk and conversation, or as you are with your workmen or with
your households. 7:333.
The people on every hand are inquiring, "What does this scripture
mean, and how shall we understand this or that passage?" Now I wish,
my brethren and sisters, for us to understand things precisely as they
are, and not as the flitting, changing imagination of the human mind
may frame them.
The Bible is just as plain and easy of comprehension as the revelation
which I have just read to you, if you understand the Spirit of God--the
Spirit of Revelation, and know how the Gospel of salvation is adapted
to the capacity of weak man. 3:336.
We are not in the same attitude that the people were a few thousand
years ago--they were depending on the Prophet or Prophets, or on having
immediate revelation for themselves to know the will of the Lord,
without the record of their predecessors, while we have the records of
those who have lived before us, also the testimony of the Holy Spirit;
and, to the satisfaction of all who desire a testimony, we can turn
to this book and read that which we believe, learn the object of our
pursuit, the end that we expect to accomplish--the end of the race as
far as mortality is concerned--and the fulness of the glory that is
beyond this vale of tears; consequently we have the advantage of those
who lived before us. We are in pursuit of knowledge; and when you meet
together, if you have a word of prophecy, {199} a dream, a vision, or a
word of wisdom, impart the same to the people. 15:35.
Is there anything in the Bible that should not be read by the scholars
in schools? If there be, leave out such parts, or rather replace the
language there used, with phraseology more in accordance with modern
usage, so that the principles contained in the Bible may be taught in
your catechisms or other books. I know that there is some plain talk
in the Bible, plainer than I heard this morning; but that plain talk
was the custom of the ancients. The mere phraseology there used is not
of much consequence, it is the true principle which that book teaches
which renders it so valuable. If any of you, ladies and gentlemen, were
to step on a steamboat and cross over to Liverpool, you would hear
language and see customs that you never heard or saw in Yankee land.
It is the same with regard to the Bible, the phraseology is that which
was customary centuries ago; but no matter what the language is, that
is merely custom. But I will say that the doctrines taught in the Old
and New Testaments concerning the will of God towards his children here
on the earth; the history of what he has done for their salvation; the
ordinances which he has instituted for their redemption; the gift of
his Son and his atonement--all these are true, and we, the Latter-day
Saints, believe in them. 13:174.
I am a witness, so far as this is concerned, that the persons whose
names are mentioned, and many others of the first Elders of the Church,
were looked upon almost as angels. They were looked upon by the young
members as being so filled with the Spirit and power of God, that we
were hardly worthy to converse with them. You hear the names of Bishop
Partridge, of Brother W. W. Phelps, who {200} is now sitting in this
stand, of Parley P. Pratt, of David Whitmer, of Oliver Cowdery, and the
names of many others of the first Elders who had been up to Zion, and
I declare to you that brethren in other parts of the land, those who
had not seen the persons named, felt that should they come into their
presence they would have to pull off their shoes, as the ground would
be so holy upon which they trod.
Do you know what distance and age accomplish? They produce in people
the most reverential awe that can be imagined.
When we reflect and rightly understand, we learn how easy of
comprehension the Gospel is, how plain it is in its plan, in every part
and principle fitted perfectly to the capacity of mankind, insomuch
that when it is introduced among the lovers of truth it appears very
easy and very plain, and how very ready the honest are to receive it.
But send it abroad and give it antiquity, and it is at once clothed
with mystery. This is the case with all the ancient revelations. Those
which were received and understood by the ancients are shrouded in
mystery and uncertainty to this generation, and men are employed to
reveal the meaning of the ancient Scriptures. 3:335-6. {201}
CHAPTER XII
_THE PRIESTHOOD_
_The Priesthood_--All ye inhabitants of the earth, hearken and
hear! God has, in our day, spoken from the heavens; he has bestowed his
holy Priesthood on the children of men; he has called upon all people
to repent. 8:136.
Let us submit to him, that we may share in this invisible, almighty,
God-like power, which is the everlasting Priesthood. 3:259.
The Priesthood of the Son of God, which we have in our midst, is a
perfect order and system of government, and this alone can deliver the
human family from all the evils which now afflict its members, and
insure them happiness and felicity hereafter. 13:242.
If anybody wants to know what the Priesthood of the Son of God is, it
is the law by which the worlds are, were, and will continue for ever
and ever. It is that system which brings worlds into existence and
peoples them, gives them their revolutions--their days, weeks, months,
years, their seasons and times and by which they are rolled up as a
scroll, as it were, and go into a higher state of existence. 15:127.
When we talk of the celestial law which is revealed from heaven, that
is, the Priesthood, we are talking about the principle of salvation, a
perfect system of government, of laws and ordinances, by which we can
be prepared to pass from one gate to another, and from one sentinel
to another, until we go into the presence of our Father and God. This
law has not always been upon the earth; and in its absence, other laws
have been given to the children {202} of men for their improvement, for
their education, for their government, and to prove what they would do
when left to control themselves; and what we now call tradition has
grown out of these circumstances. 2:139.
The Priesthood of the Son of God in its operations comprises the
Kingdom of God. 11:249.
Some of the brightest spirits who dwell in the bosom of the Father are
making their appearance among this people, of whom the Lord will make
a Royal Priesthood, a peculiar nation that he can own and bless, talk
with, and associate with. 11:132.
Men who are vessels of the holy Priesthood, who are charged with words
of eternal life to the world, should strive continually in their words
and actions and daily deportment to do honor to the great dignity of
their calling and office as ministers and representatives of the Most
High. 11:216.
The Gospel has brought to us the holy Priesthood, which is again
restored to the children of men. The keys of that Priesthood are here;
we have them in our possession; we can unlock, and we can shut up. We
can obtain salvation, and we can administer it. 4:299.
This Priesthood has been on the earth at various times. Adam had it,
Seth had it, Enoch had it, Noah had it, Abraham and Lot had it, and it
was handed down to the days of the Prophets, long after the days of the
ancients. This High Priesthood rules, directs, governs, and controls
all the Priesthoods, because it is the highest of all. 9:87.
But the Lord has so ordained that no man shall receive the benefits of
the everlasting Priesthood without humbling himself before him, and
giving him the glory for teaching him, that he may be able to witness
to every man of the {203} truth, and not depend upon the words of any
individual on the earth, but know for himself, live "by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God," love the Lord Jesus Christ and the
institutions of his Kingdom, and finally enter into his glory. Every
man and woman may be a revelator, and have the testimony of Jesus,
which is the spirit of prophecy, and foresee the mind and will of God
concerning them, eschew evil, and choose that which is good. 2:189.
The Priesthood is given to the people and the keys thereof, and, when
properly understood, they may actually unlock the treasury of the
Lord, and receive to their fullest satisfaction. But through our own
weaknesses, through the frailty of human nature, we are not capable of
doing so. 3:191-2.
The Priesthood does not wait for ignorance; it instructs those who have
not wisdom, and are desirous of learning correct principles. 7:64.
It is the business, duty, and power of the eternal Priesthood to
commence laying the foundation to bring back the days, years, and
intelligence that have been lost through transgression. I intend to
pursue this course so long as I possibly can. I trust that I shall not
commit an act that will annoy my feelings when I meet my Savior. I pray
for this every day and every moment. 8:62.
The Lord Almighty will not suffer his Priesthood to be again driven
from the earth. 2:183-184.
But mark it well, if we live according to the holy Priesthood bestowed
upon us, while God bears rule in the midst of these mountains, I
promise you, in the name of Israel's God, that he will give us
seed-time and harvest. We must forfeit our right to the Priesthood,
before the blessings of {204} the heavens cease to come upon us. Let us
live our religion and hearken to the counsel given to us. 10:292.
Much has been said about the power of the Latter-day Saints. Is it the
people called Latter-day Saints that have this power, or is it the
Priesthood? It is the Priesthood; and if they live according to that
Priesthood, they can commence their work here and gain many victories,
and be prepared to receive glory, immortality, and eternal life, that
when they go into the spirit-world, their work will far surpass that of
any other man or being that has not been blessed with the keys of the
Priesthood here. 7:288-9.
There is not a despot upon the earth whose power has not originally
sprung from the Priesthood, and there is not a law in the Priesthood
but what is founded on the revelations of Jesus Christ. These are the
laws upon which all governments were originally based. Truth will
endure forever, and every person that cannot abide truth will fail in
obtaining eternal life. Truth is what we have. Let us live to it, and
we shall abide for ever and no power can prevent it. 7:149.
When the faithful Elders, holding this Priesthood, go into the spirit
world they carry with them the same power and Priesthood that they had
while in the mortal tabernacle. 3:371.
When the holy Priesthood is upon the earth, and the fulness of the
Kingdom of God has come to the people, it requires a strict obedience
to every point of law and doctrine and to every ordinance which the
Lord reveals. 10:286.
Were your faith concentrated upon the proper object, your confidence
unshaken, your lives pure and holy, every one fulfilling the duties
of his or her calling according to the {205} Priesthood and capacity
bestowed upon you, you would be filled with the Holy Ghost, and
it would be as impossible for any man to deceive and lead you to
destruction as for a feather to remain unconsumed in the midst of
intense heat. 7:277.
An individual who holds a share in the Priesthood, and continues
faithful to his calling, who delights himself continually in doing the
things God requires at his hands, and continues through life in the
performance of every duty will secure to himself not only the privilege
of receiving, but the knowledge how to receive the things of God,
that he may know the mind of God continually; and he will be enabled
to discern between right and wrong, between the things of God and the
things that are not of God. And the Priesthood--the Spirit that is
within him, will continue to increase until it becomes like a fountain
of living water; until it is like the tree of life; until it is one
continued source of intelligence and instruction to that individual.
3:192.
It is the privilege of every person who is faithful to the Priesthood,
who can overcome the enemy, thwart the design of death, or him that
hath the power of it, to live upon the earth until their appointed
time; and they may know, see, and understand, by revelation, the things
of God just as naturally as we understand natural things that are
around us. 3:192-193.
All the acts we perform should be governed by the guidance of the
Priesthood. 7:64.
There is no act of a Latter-day Saint--no duty required--no time given,
exclusive and independent of the Priesthood. Everything is subject to
it, whether preaching, business, or any other act pertaining to the
proper conduct of this life. 7:66. {206}
Until a selfish, individual interest is banished from our minds, and
we become interested in the general welfare, we shall never be able to
magnify our holy Priesthood as we should. 11:115.
No man will gain influence in this Kingdom, save what he gains by the
influence and power of the Holy One that has called him to truth,
holiness, and virtue. That is all the influence I have, and I pray God
that I may never have any different influence. 7:140.
Let me say to the brethren and sisters, when you are chastened by any
of your leaders, never consider that the enemy does it, but receive
it always as a kindness from the hand of a friend and not as from an
enemy. If your presidents were your enemies they would let you alone
in your faults. If you are beloved of the Lord you will be chastened;
receive it with joy. 10:174.
In trying all matters of doctrine, to make a decision valid, it is
necessary to obtain a unanimous voice, faith and decision. In the
capacity of a Quorum, the three First Presidents must be one in their
voice; the Twelve Apostles must be unanimous in their voice, to obtain
a righteous decision upon any matter that may come before them, as you
may read in the Doctrine and Covenants. Whenever you see these Quorums
unanimous in their declaration, you may set it down as true. Let the
Elders get together, being faithful and true; and when they agree upon
any point, you may know that it is true. 9:91-92.
I would like to see the High Council and Bishops and all Judges filled
with the power of the Holy Ghost, that when a person comes before them
they can read and understand that person, and be able to decide a case
quickly and justly. When men have a just appreciation of right and
{207} wrong, their decision can be made as well the first minute after
hearing a statement of the case, as to waste hours and days to make it.
I would like the Bishops and other officers to have sufficient power
and wisdom from God to make them fully aware of the true nature of
every case that may come before them. But there are some of our great
men who are so ignorant that a personal favor will so bias their minds
that they will twist the truth and sustain a person in evil. Some,
with a trifling consideration, can so prejudice the mind of a High
Councilor, a High Priest, a Bishop, or an Apostle, that he will lean to
the individual instead of the truth. I despise a man that would offer
me money to buy me to his favor. 10:42.
In all High Councils, in Bishops' Courts, and in all other departments
for transacting our business, the Church and Kingdom of God, with the
Lord Almighty at the head, will cause every man to exhibit the feeling
of his heart, for you recollect it is written that in the last days the
Lord will reveal the secrets of the hearts of the children of men. 3:47.
When I am brought to the test to fight for my religion, which I trust
I never will be, I will call men who are full of the power of God for
such an emergency. 7:143.
I relate these circumstances to show you that a person who is ordained
to the office of an Elder in this Kingdom has the same Priesthood that
the High Priests, that the Twelve Apostles, that the Seventies, and
that the First Presidency hold; but all are not called to be one of the
Twelve Apostles nor are all called to be one of the First Presidency,
nor to be one of the First Presidents of all the Seventies, nor to be
one of the Presidents of a Quorum of Seventies, nor to preside over the
High Priests' Quorum; but every man in his order and place, possessing
a portion {208} of the same Priesthood, according to the gifts and
callings to each. Does not this clear up the subject? This will explain
it to you so that you can understand it. When we find where our
callings and positions are in the midst of the people of God, and every
person willing to act in the discharge of his duty, there is enough for
us all to do. All persons can have all they desire to do to promote the
Kingdom of God on the earth; they can exercise themselves in all that
God has granted to them to prove themselves worthy before God and the
people. 9:89.
Did they destroy it when they took the life of Joseph? No. "Mormonism"
is here, the Priesthood is here, the keys of the Kingdom are here on
the earth; and when Joseph went, they did not go. And if the wicked
should succeed in taking my life, the keys of the Kingdom will remain
with the Church. 5:76-7.
If I find a man, as I do once in a while, who thinks that he ought to
be sustained in a higher position than he occupies, that proves to me
that he does not understand his true position, and is not capable of
magnifying it. Has he not already the privilege of exhibiting all the
talents he has--of doing all the good he is capable of in this Kingdom?
Is he curtailed in the least, in anywise or place, in bringing forth
his wisdom and powers, and exhibiting them before the community and
leading out? No, not in the least. Are any of you infringed upon or
abridged in the least? Is there a sister who has not the privilege of
exhibiting all the talent and power she will, or is capable of, for
the benefit of her sisters and her children? Are the sisters deprived
of any liberty in displaying their taste and talent to improve the
community?
When I hear persons say that they ought to occupy a {209} station more
exalted than they do, and hide the talents they are in possession of,
they have not the true wisdom they ought to have. There is a lack in
them, or they would improve upon the talents given. 7:161-2.
I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their
leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they
are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind
self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their
leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the
purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they
could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the
revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man
and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves,
whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or
not. 9:150.
You may take the Quorums in this Church--the First Presidency, the
Twelve, the Presidents of the High Priests, the High Councilors, and
the Presidents of the Seventies; and a person may go to each of those
Quorums for counsel upon any subject, and he will invariably receive
the same counsel. Why is this the case? Because they are all actuated
by the same spirit. 5:328-9.
Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, all the Patriarchs and Prophets, Jesus and the
Apostles, and every man that has ever written the word of the Lord,
have written the same doctrine upon the same subject; and you never can
find that Prophets and Apostles clashed in their doctrines in ancient
days; neither will they now, if all would at all times be led by the
Spirit of salvation. 5:329.
Where the Priesthood is not, the people are expected to {210} live
according to the best knowledge they have; but even then they cannot
with impunity commit many heinous faults. The Lord more readily
overlooks them in consequence of their unenlightened condition, and
there is a kingdom prepared for them. 10:286.
When a man merely from a spirit of conviction goes forth to build up
the Kingdom of God--to reform the nations of the earth, he can go so
far as morality operates upon and enlightens him; but he is without
authority from heaven. We are under no obligation to obey any man or
being in matters pertaining to salvation, unless his words have the
authority and sanction of the holy Priesthood. 8:122.
I never passed John Wesley's church in London without stopping to
look at it. Was he a good man? Yes; I suppose him to have been, by
all accounts, as good as ever walked on this earth, according to his
knowledge. Has he obtained a rest? Yes, and greater than ever entered
his mind to expect; and so have thousands of others of the various
religious denominations. Why could he not build up the Kingdom of God
on the earth? He had not the Priesthood; that was all the difficulty
he labored under. Had the Priesthood been conferred upon him, he would
have built up the Kingdom of God in his day as it is now being built
up. He would have introduced the ordinances, powers, grades, and
quorums of the Priesthood; but, not holding the Priesthood, he could
not do it. Did the Spirit of God rest upon him? Yes, and does, more or
less, at times, upon all people. 7:5.
Many persons think, if they see a Prophet they see one possessing all
the keys of the Kingdom of God on the earth. This is not so; many
persons have prophesied without having {211} any Priesthood on them at
all. It is no particular revelation or gift for a person to prophesy.
You take a good statesman, for instance, he will tell you what will
become of a nation by their actions. He forsees this and that, and
knows the results of any line of policy that may be pursued. To be a
prophet is simply to be a foreteller of future events; but an Apostle
of the Lord Jesus Christ has the keys of the holy Priesthood, and the
power thereof is sealed upon his head, and by this he is authorized to
proclaim the truth to the people, and if they receive it, well; if not,
the sin be upon their own heads. 13:144.
Seek diligently to know the will of God. How can you know it? In
matters pertaining to yourselves as individuals, you can obtain it
directly from the Lord; but in matters pertaining to public affairs,
his will is ascertained through the proper channel, and may be known by
the general counsel that is given you from the proper source. 1:78.
I have already said that Christ set in his Church Apostles and
Prophets; he also set in his Church evangelists, pastors and teachers;
also the gifts of the Spirit, such as diverse tongues, healing the
sick, discernment of spirits, and various other gifts. Now, I would
ask the whole world, Who has received revelation that the Lord has
discontinued these offices and gifts in his Church? I have not. I have
had revelation that they should be in the Church, and that there is no
Church without them. I have had many revelations proving to me that the
Old and New Testaments are true. Their doctrines are comprised in the
Gospel that we preach, which is the power of God unto salvation to all
who believe. 13:144.
I plead with the Elders of Israel day by day, when I have an
opportunity, to live their religion--to live so that {212} the Holy
Ghost will be their constant companion; and then they will be qualified
to be judges in Israel, to preside as Bishops, presiding Elders,
and High Councilors, and as men of God, to take their families and
friends by the hand and lead them in the path of truth and virtue, and
eventually into the Kingdom of God. 6:331.
_The First Presidency_--In the setting forth of items of doctrine
which pertain to the progress and further building up of the Kingdom
of God upon the earth, and the revealing of his mind and will, he has
but one mouth through which to make known his will to his people. When
the Lord wishes to give a revelation to his people, when he wishes
to reveal new items of doctrine to them, or administer chastisement,
he will do it through the man whom he has appointed to that office
and calling. The rest of the offices and callings of the Church are
helps and governments for the edifying of the body of Christ and the
perfection of the Saints, etc., every president, bishop, elder, priest,
teacher, deacon and member standing in his order and officiating in his
standing and degree of Priesthood as ministers of the words of life as
shepherds to watch over departments and sections of the flock of God in
all the world, and as helps to strengthen the hands of the Presidency
of the whole Church. 11:135.
The Lord Almighty leads this Church, and he will never suffer you to be
led astray if you are found doing your duty. You may go home and sleep
as sweetly as a babe in its mother's arms, as to any danger of your
leaders leading you astray, for if they should try to do so the Lord
would quickly sweep them from the earth. Your leaders are trying to
live their religion as far as they are capable of doing so. 9:289. {213}
The First Presidency have of right a great influence over this
people; and if we should get out of the way and lead this people to
destruction, what a pity it would be! How can you know whether we lead
you correctly or not? Can you know by any other power than that of
the Holy Ghost? I have uniformly exhorted the people to obtain this
living witness, each for themselves; then no man on earth can lead them
astray. 6:100.
Be careful, all the world, and touch not the anointed of the Lord.
Afflict not the people who have the oracles of salvation for all the
human family. 8:195.
To possess and retain the spirit of the Gospel, gather Israel, redeem
Zion, and save the world must be attended to first and foremost, and
should be the prevailing desire in the hearts of the First Presidency
of the Elders of Israel, and of every officer in the Church and Kingdom
of God. 7:174.
Perhaps it may make some of you stumble, were I to ask you a
question--Does a man's being a Prophet in this Church prove that he
shall be the President of it? I answer, No! A man may be a Prophet,
Seer, and Revelator, and it may have nothing to do with his being
the President of the Church. Suffice it to say, that Joseph was the
President of the Church, as long as he lived. He always filled that
responsible station by the voice of the people. Can you find any
revelation appointing him the President of the Church? The keys of the
Priesthood were committed to Joseph, to build up the Kingdom of God on
the earth, and were not to be taken from him in time or in eternity,
but when he was called to preside over the Church, it was by the voice
of the people; though he held the keys of the Priesthood, independent
of their voice. 1:133. {214}
I would beseech and pray the people to live so that if I do not magnify
my office and calling, you will burn me by your faith and good works,
and I shall be removed. 7:281.
The spirit of Joseph which fell upon me is ready to fall upon somebody
else when I am removed. 5:57.
The first name I shall present to you is that of Brigham Young,
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If any
person can say that he should not be sustained in this office, say so.
If there is no objection, as it is usual in the marriage ceremony of
the Church of England, "Let them for ever afterwards hold their peace,"
and not go snivelling around, saying that you would like to have a
better man, and one who is more capable of leading the Church. 7:228.
Suppose that Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams had been taken
away or had apostatized, as one of them did soon after the revelation I
have referred to was given, and there had been only Joseph Smith left
of the First Presidency, would he alone have had authority to set in
order the Kingdom of God on the earth? Yes. Again: Suppose that eleven
of the Twelve had been taken away by the power of the Adversary, that
one Apostle has the same power that Joseph had, and could preach,
baptize, and set in order the whole Kingdom of God upon the earth,
as much so as the Twelve, were they all together. Again: If in the
providence of God he should permit the enemy to destroy these two first
Quorums, and then destroy the Quorum of the Seventy, all but one man,
what is his power? It would be to go and preach, baptize, confirm,
lay on hands, ordain, set in order, build up, and establish the whole
Kingdom of God as it is now. Suppose the enemy had power to destroy
all but one of the High Priests from the {215} face of the earth, what
would that one possess in the power of his Priesthood? He would have
power and authority to go and preach, baptize, confirm, ordain, and set
in order the Kingdom of God in all its perfection of the earth. Could
he do this without revelation? No. Could the Seventies? No. Could the
Twelve? No. And we ask, could Joseph Smith or the First Presidency
do this without revelation? No. Not one of them could do such a work
without revelation direct from God. I can go still further. Whoever is
ordained to the office of an Elder to a certain degree possesses the
keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood; and suppose only one Elder should
be left on the earth, could he go and set in order the Kingdom of God?
Yes, by revelation. 9:88.
Although Brothers Willard Richards, Heber C. Kimball, and myself are
out of the Quorum of the Twelve, our Apostleship has not been taken
from us. I preached considerable upon this subject in Nauvoo, to give
the people the understanding of the different callings of men. 6:320.
Many may think that a man in my standing ought to be perfect; no such
thing. If you would only think of it for a moment you would not have
me perfect, for if I were perfect the Lord would take me to Paradise
quicker than you would be willing to have me go there. I want to stay
with you; and I expect to be just nearly perfect enough to lead you on.
10:212.
I had the promise, years ago, that I never should apostatize and bring
an evil upon this people. God revealed that through Joseph, long before
he died; and if I am not doing right, you may calculate that the Lord
is going to take me home. He will not send me to hell, but he will take
me home to himself. "I will take you up here, Brigham, and give you a
few lessons." 9:142. {216}
(After putting the motion for himself to be sustained as "Prophet,
Seer, and Revelator," the President remarked):
I will say that I never dictated the latter part of that sentence. I
make this remark, because those words in that connection always made me
feel as though I am called more than I am deserving of. I am Brigham
Young, an Apostle of Joseph Smith, and also of Jesus Christ. If I have
been profitable to this people, I am glad of it. The brethren call me
so; and if it be so, I am glad. 5:296.
_The Apostle and Melchizedek Priesthood_--The calling of an
Apostle is to build up the Kingdom of God in all the world; it is the
Apostle that holds the keys of this power, and nobody else. If an
Apostle magnifies his calling, he is the word of the Lord to his people
all the time. 6:282.
It is the duty and privilege of the Twelve Apostles to have the Holy
Ghost for their constant companion, and live always in the Spirit of
Revelation, to know their duty and understand their calling; this is
also the duty and privilege of the First Presidency of the Church.
11:135.
I can tell you the spirit of the Twelve, which will be a consolation
to you, and also to the Twelve. If I could see every one of the Elders
with their wives and children as obedient to every requirement made of
them--the children to the parents, the wives to the husbands, and the
husbands to the Priesthood--as the Twelve are--my soul would be happy.
I will say further: those of the Twelve that travel the most and serve
God, are the most obedient. 10:310.
In the last week's News I published a portion of a revelation, showing
the authority of the First Presidency of the Church, composed at
first of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. When
this revelation was {217} given, the two last-named brethren were
Joseph Smith's counselors, and this First Presidency possessed the
power and authority of building up the Kingdom of God upon all the
earth, and of setting the Church in order in its perfection. You read
in the revelation alluded to that when the Twelve were called and
ordained, they possessed the same power and authority as the three
First Presidents; and in reading further you find that there must
needs be appendages and helps growing out of this Priesthood. The
Seventies possess the same power and authority; they hold the keys of
establishing, building up, regulating, ordaining and setting in order
the Kingdom of God in all its perfections upon the earth. We have a
Quorum of High Priests, and there are a great many of them. They are a
local body--they tarry at home; but the Seventies travel and preach;
so also do the High Priests, when they are called upon. They possess
precisely the same Priesthood that the Seventies and the Twelve and the
First Presidency possess; but are they ordained to officiate in all the
authority, powers, and keys of this Priesthood? No, they are not. Still
they are High Priests of God; and if they magnify their Priesthood,
they will receive at some time all the authority and power that it is
possible for men to receive. 9:87.
The Bishopric by right belongs to the literal descendants of Aaron, but
we shall have to ordain from the other tribes, men who hold the High
Priesthood, to act in the Lesser, until we find a literal descendant of
Aaron, who is prepared to receive it.
The Lesser Priesthood, then, you perceive, comes within the purview
of the Apostleship, because a man that holds it has a right to act
or officiate as a High Priest, as one of {218} the High Council, as
a Patriarch, as a Bishop, Elder, Priest, Teacher, and Deacon, and in
every other office and calling that is in the Church, from first to
last, when duty demands it. 1:136.
Now will it cause some of you to marvel that I was not ordained a High
Priest before I was ordained an Apostle? Brother Kimball and myself
were never ordained High Priests. How wonderful! I was going to say how
little some of the brethren understood the Priesthood, after the Twelve
were called. In our early career in this Church, on one occasion, in
one of our Councils, we were telling about some of the Twelve wanting
to ordain us High Priests, and what I said to Brother Patten when he
wanted to ordain me in York State: said I, "Brother Patten, wait until
I can lift my hand to heaven and say, I have magnified the office of
an Elder." After our conversation was over in the Council, some of
the brethren began to query, and said we ought to be ordained High
Priests; at the same time I did not consider that an Apostle needed to
be ordained a High Priest, an Elder, or a Teacher. I did not express
my views on the subject, at that time, but thought I would hear what
brother Joseph would say about it. It was William E. McLellin who told
Joseph, that I and Heber were not ordained High Priests, and wanted
to know if it should not be done. Said Joseph, "Will you insult the
Priesthood? Is that all the knowledge you have of the office of an
Apostle? Do you not know that the man who receives the Apostleship,
receives all the keys that ever were, or that can be, conferred upon
mortal man? What are you talking about? I am astonished!" Nothing more
was said about it.
I have tried to show you, brethren, as briefly as possible, {219} the
order of the Priesthood. When a man is ordained to be an Apostle, his
Priesthood is without beginning of days, or end of life, like the
Priesthood of Melchizedek; for it was his Priesthood that was spoken of
in this language and not the man. 1:136.
Twenty-seven years ago, on the 5th of this month, in the year 1834, a
company started for Kirtland to redeem the land of Zion. Brother Heber
C. Kimball and my brother Joseph were in that camp. There had not then
been ordained any Twelve Apostles, nor any Seventies, although there
was a revelation pertaining to the Apostles and Seventies. There were
High Priests, but no High Priests' Quorum. I am relating this as a
little matter of history that will no doubt be interesting to those who
were not there.
After we returned from Missouri, my brother Joseph Young and myself
had been singing after preaching in a meeting; and when the meeting
was dismissed, Brother Joseph Smith, said, "Come, go down to my house
with me." We went and sung to him a long time, and talked with him.
He then opened the subject of the Twelve and Seventies for the first
time I ever thought of it. He said, "Brethren, I am going to call out
Twelve Apostles. I think we will get together, by-and-by, and select
Twelve Apostles, and select a Quorum of Seventies from those who have
been up to Zion, out of the camp boys." In 1835 the last of January
or in February, or about that time, we held our meetings from day to
day, and Brother Joseph called out Twelve Apostles at that time. He had
a revelation when we were singing to him. Those who were acquainted
with him knew when the Spirit of Revelation was on him, for his
countenance wore an expression peculiar to himself while under {220}
that influence. He preached by the Spirit of Revelation, and taught
in his council by it, and those who were acquainted with him could
discover it at once, for at such times there was a peculiar clearness
and transparency in his face. He followed up that revelation until he
organized the Church, and so along until the baptism for the dead was
revealed. 9:89.
How came these Apostles, these Seventies, these High Priests, and all
this organization we now enjoy? It came by revelation. Father Cahoon,
who lately died in your neighborhood, was one of the first ordained to
the office of High Priest in this Kingdom. In the year 1831 the Prophet
Joseph went to Ohio. He left the State of New York on the last of
April, if my memory serves me, and arrived in Kirtland sometime in May.
They held a General Conference, which was the first General Conference
ever called or held in Ohio. Joseph then received a revelation, and
ordained High Priests. You read in the book of Doctrine and Covenants
how he received the Priesthood in the first place. It is there stated
how Joseph received the Aaronic Priesthood. John the Baptist came to
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. When a person passes behind the veil,
he can only officiate in the spirit-world; but when he is resurrected
he officiates as a resurrected being, and not as a mortal being. You
read in the revelation that Joseph was ordained, as it is written. When
he received the Melchizedek Priesthood, he had another revelation.
Peter, James, and John came to him. You can read the revelation at
your leisure. When he received this revelation in Kirtland, the Lord
revealed to him that he should begin and ordain High Priests; and he
then ordained quite a number, all whose names I do not now recollect;
but Lyman {271} Wight was one; Fathers Cahoon and Morley, John Murdock,
Sidney Rigdon, and others were also then ordained. These were the first
that were ordained to this office in the Church. I relate this to show
you how Joseph proceeded step by step in organizing the Church. At that
time there were no Seventies nor Twelve Apostles. 9:88-89.
Joseph Smith never would permit the Seventies to get together and
believe themselves a separate body from the rest of the Church. I
never cared much about this, for I was not a particle afraid that
they would get any power that truly does not belong to them; for, if
they did, I was always satisfied that it would be blown to the four
winds. I want to inform the Seventies living in Bishop Miller's Ward
(and what I now say applies to all the other Wards and Bishops) if
he calls on them to act as Teachers, it is their imperative duty to
act as Teachers, seeking to benefit and bless the people by enlarging
their understandings, that they may prove themselves before God and one
another. There is a world of intelligence to impart, and the Priesthood
(in its various callings, appointments, helps, and governments) is the
means, through its ministers, of imparting it to the people. It is not
a duty of a Seventy or High Priest, who is appointed a Teacher or a
Bishop, to neglect the duties of those callings to attend a Seventies'
or High Priests' meeting. Attend to the wishes of your Bishop, and
never ask who has the most power. The man who has the most power with
God will wield it, and earth and hell cannot hinder it. Every man who
has true influence has obtained it before God through faithfulness, and
in all such cases there is not the least danger but what he will have
it before the Saints. It is the man who converses with the heavens,
who delights in doing so, and knows for himself {222} that this is the
Kingdom of God, who has true influence. 9:92.
There is no retrograde movement in ordaining a High Priest to the
office of a Bishop, for, properly speaking, he is set apart to act in
that office. 10:96.
We shall dissolve the present High Council of this Stake. Many of
them are far advanced in years, and some of them live at considerable
distances from this city. They have labored according to the best of
their ability. 7:337.
_The Bishop and the Aaronic Priesthood_--The office of a Bishop
belongs to the lesser Priesthood. He is the highest officer in the
Aaronic Priesthood, and has the privilege of using the Urim and
Thummim--has the administration of angels, if he has faith, and lives
so that he can receive and enjoy the blessings Aaron enjoyed. At the
same time, could Aaron rise up and say, "I have as much power and
authority as you, Moses?" No; for Moses held the keys and authority
above all the rest upon the earth. He holds the keys of the Priesthood
of Melchizedek, which is the Priesthood of the Son of God, which
holds the keys of all these Priesthoods, dispensing the blessings and
privileges of both Priesthoods to the people, as he did in the days of
the Children of Israel when he led them out of Egypt. 9:87.
I will say a few words with regard to a Bishop. Except we find a
literal descendant of Aaron, a man has to be ordained to the High
Priesthood to administer as did Aaron and his sons. Can the Bishop
baptize the people, according to his Bishopric? He can. When the people
he has baptized assemble for confirmation, can he confirm them? He
cannot, under the power of his Bishopric; but as he has been ordained
to the office of a High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, to
prepare him to act in the office of a {223} Bishop in the Priesthood
of Aaron, when he has baptized the people under the authority of his
Bishopric, he has a right as a High Priest to confirm them into the
Church by the laying on of hands. 9:280.
A Bishop in his calling and duty is with the Church all the time; he is
not called to travel abroad to preach, but is at home; he is not abroad
in the world, but is with the Saints. 2:89.
In the capacity of a Bishop, has any person a right to direct the
spiritual affairs of the Kingdom of God? No. In that capacity his right
is restricted to affairs in a temporal and moral point of view. He has
a right to deal with the transgressor. I do not care what office a
transgressor bears in the Church and Kingdom of God, if he should be
one of the Twelve Apostles, and come into a Bishop's neighborhood, and
purloin his neighbor's books, defile his neighbor's bed, or commit any
breach of the moral law, the Bishop has a right to take that man before
himself and his council, and there hold him to answer for the crime he
has been guilty of, and deal with him for his fellowship in the Church.
9:91.
Who, then, has the greatest power? Those who best do the will of God.
When a Bishop calls upon a man to officiate as an assistant to him, he
does not call upon him as a Seventy or as a High Priest, but as one of
his own family--as a member of his Ward. 9:93.
Instead of my believing for a moment that Paul wished to signify to
Timothy that he must select a man to fill the office of a Bishop that
would have but one wife, I believe directly the reverse; but his advice
to Timothy amounts simply to this--it would not be wise for you to
ordain a man to the office of a Bishop unless he has a wife; you {224}
must not ordain a single or unmarried man to that calling. 2:88.
The Bishops should be a perfect example to their Wards in all things.
16:44.
Let each Bishop attend faithfully to his Ward, and see that every man
and woman is well and faithfully and profitably employed; that the
sick and aged are properly cared for that none suffer. Let each Bishop
be a tender and indulgent father to his Ward, administering a word of
comfort and encouragement here, a word of advice and counsel there,
and a word of chastisement in another place, where needed, without
partiality, wisely judging between man and man, caring for and seeking
earnestly the welfare of all, watching over the flock of God with the
eye of a true shepherd, that wolves and dogs may not enter-among the
flock to rend them. 11:252.
The Bishops should, through their teachers, see that every family in
their Wards, who is able, should donate what they would naturally
consume on the fast day to the poor. 12:116.
If a Bishop will act to the extent of his calling and office, and
magnify it, there will not be an individual in his Ward that is not
employed to the best advantage. He would see that all lived as they
should, walking humbly with their God. There would not be a person in
his Ward that he does not know, and he would be acquainted with their
circumstances, conduct, and feeling. 8:146.
The Bishops should set those whom they have confidence in, those whom
they know to be honest, to be watchmen on the tower, and let them find
out who are suffering. 3:245.
There are many of the Bishops here today, and my advice {225} to them
is for them to be honest with me, to be honest with their God, to
keep their covenants sacred, and to make a clean breast of all their
business transactions that their consciences may be void of offense
towards God and man. 8:316.
When your Bishop calls upon you, or advises you to do anything that
will be for your good, do not call that oppression. All the instruction
he gives will be calculated to do you good, to raise you in that scale
of intelligence that will make of you wise men and wise women. When we
are recommended to do that which will lead to good, that cannot very
well be construed into oppression. 10:313.
If the people of a Ward are living in the faithful performance of their
several duties, their faith and their prayers will be concentrated
before the Lord, in the name of Jesus, for and in behalf of their
Bishop, that he may know his business and be made fully capable to
fulfil the duties of his calling to the honor of God and the salvation
of the people. 11:135.
You have often heard me and my brethren say that if the people in the
capacity of a Ward, for instance, would let their faith be perfectly
united, and their whole desires rise to the Father, through the name
of Jesus Christ, and hold their Bishop in his calling between God and
them, it would hardly be possible for that Bishop to do wrong, for he
would be filled with wisdom. 6:98-99.
Do our Bishops labor for pay? No, if they are not capable of getting
a living and sustaining themselves and families, and of filling the
office of Bishop without pay, they are hardly worthy of the Bishopric.
If a High Priest is called to be a president or to travel and preach
the Gospel to the nations of the earth, he must do it without pay; and
{226} we think that any man who is not able to keep himself and family
and travel and preach one-half or two-thirds of his time without being
paid, is not so good a financier as he ought to be. 14:108.
I say to the Bishop who has just addressed us, won't you do as I have
formerly directed you, and appoint good, wise, judicious men to go
through your Ward, to find out what is in that Ward, and the situation
of every family, whether they have money, flour, or costly clothing
or whether they are destitute and suffering? This is your business
and calling. Do not let there be one place, in the habitations of the
Saints in your Wards, about which you are uninformed. Brother Woolley
has reported the circumstance of a Bishop finding a woman who had been
living upon the charity of her neighbors, and who, at the same time,
had valuable property, and money hid up. I can refer you to scores of
like circumstances, and what is more, to some of the Elders, those who
are supposed to be among the best of our Elders. 3:244.
Bishops' Counselors should be examples to the Church; they should be
like fathers to the Church. If they are really the Counselors of the
Bishop, they should practice everything that is good that he practices;
and if the Bishop himself should neglect any duty, they should perform
their duty as counselors, and should teach, guide, direct, and counsel
the Bishop to improve in his life. 13:275.
The Wards will be organized hereafter; Bishops will be placed over
them, with their two Counselors, all of whom will be ordained High
Priests, if not already so ordained, and then be set apart to act in
their several offices. They then will form a court; and all the other
quorums of Priesthood will be set in order. 19:43. {227}
_Church Organization and Government_--The living oracles of the
Lord, * * * are always in the midst of his people. 10:302.
Teach the people true knowledge, and they will govern themselves.
10:190.
The government of this Church is based upon true principles,
and the reason people fall out by the way is because of their
ignorance--because they do not thoroughly canvass their acts, and
wisely ponder the probable results. 7:65.
We shall never have the keys of authority committed to us to be rulers
until we will rule just as God would rule if he were here himself.
14:97.
But the Kingdom of heaven, when organized upon the earth, will have
every officer, law and ordinance necessary for the managing of those
who are unruly, or who transgress its laws, and to govern those who
desire to do right, but cannot quite walk to the line; and all these
powers and authorities are in existence in the midst of this people.
15:161.
I am for the Kingdom of God. I like a good government, and then I like
to have it wisely and justly administered. The government of heaven, if
wickedly administered, would become one of the worst governments upon
the face of the earth. No matter how good a government is, unless it is
administered by righteous men, an evil government will be made of it.
10:177.
"But we thought that the government you are talking about was a
theocratic government." It is; and it is the only true form of
government on the earth--the only one that possesses all the true
principles of republicanism. It puts every man and woman right, puts
everything in its place, and gives to each one his due according to his
work; for so will they be judged in that day. 7:8. {228}
People have reason to fear the bogus or spurious theocracy. There
are but few upon the earth who do not in their hearts acknowledge a
Supreme Being, and also believe that Being to be holy; and, if they
could be dictated by that Being, and be sure that they were dictated
by the influence from him, there are but few who would object to that
influence, and that government. 7:147.
I wish you to build up every man who is in the faith of the Gospel--who
is in the faith of God, angels, and good men; and if you strive to pull
down good men who are around you, you are sure to fall yourselves. 8:71.
There is only one way to obtain power and influence in the Kingdom of
God, and only one way to obtain foreknowledge, and that is to live so
that that influence will come from our Creator, enlightening the mind
and revealing things that are past, present and future pertaining to
the earth and its inhabitants, and to the dealings of God with the
children of men; in short, there is no source of true information
outside of the Spirit of Revelation; it maketh manifest all things,
and revealeth the dispositions of communities and of individuals. By
possessing this Spirit, mankind can obtain power that is durable,
beneficial, and that will result in a higher state of knowledge, of
honor and of glory. This can be obtained only by strictly marking the
path of truth, and walking faithfully therein. 10:104.
It is the right and privilege of every Elder in Israel to enjoy the
Holy Ghost, and the light of it, to know everything which concerns
himself and his individual duties, but it is not his right and
privilege to dictate his superior in office, nor to give him counsel,
unless he is called upon to do so, then he may make suggestions. 11:135.
Now ask yourselves, and let me ask you, who has been {229} to you,
individually, and told you to vote just as you have voted here today?
Has any man visited your habitations to tell you that when you come to
this house you must all vote precisely alike? I will pause right here
and will request that, if any person present has been so instructed, he
or she will let us know it. I do not see any person rise, and I need
not look for any one to do so, from the simple fact that not a word on
this subject has been said to the Latter-day Saints. Our doctrine is
true and we like it; our faith is one and we are one in it, our object
is one and we unitedly pursue the straight and narrow path that leads
to it. 14:91.
If the time was that the Elders of Israel could not be chastened and
corrected for their wrongs, and be set right, you may know that they
have proved recreant to the faith. And if those who are appointed to
lead this people dare not rise up and tell them of their iniquity and
chastise them therefor, and teach them the way of life and salvation,
you may know that your leaders have fallen from their station. 5:124.
We will first present the Authorities of the Church; and I sincerely
request the members to act freely and independently in voting--also
in speaking if it be necessary. There has been no instance in this
Church of a person's being in the least curtailed in the privilege
of speaking his honest sentiments. It cannot be shown in the history
of this people that a man has ever been injured, either in person,
property, or character, for openly expressing, in the proper time and
place, his objections to any man holding authority in this Church, or
for assigning his reasons for such objections. Persons have frequently
ruined their own characters by making false accusations. 7:227-228.
{230}
Our ecclesiastical government is the government of heaven.
No being possesses intelligence, in any degree, that he has not
received from the God of heaven, or, in other words, from the Fountain
of all intelligence, whether he acknowledges his God in it or not. No
man, independent of the Great Ruler of the universe, is capable of
devising that which we see and are well acquainted with. All mechanism,
good government, wholesome principle, and true philosophy of whatever
name or nature, flows from God to finite man. What for? To determine
what he will do with it. It is for his improvement and advancement in
the arts of civilized life, morality, and true religion. This has been
taught you from the beginning as the unmistakable features of our holy
religion. 7:141.
Let the Presidents and Apostles and Elders do the work the Lord has set
them to do, and obey the counsel which is given them, and the Kingdom
will continue to roll, to increase in strength, in importance, in
magnitude and in power, in wisdom, intelligence and glory; and no one
need be concerned, for it is the Kingdom which the Lord our God has
established, and has sustained by his matchless wisdom and power from
the beginning to this day. 11:253.
It is a common adage, "Old men for counsel, and young men for war."
Until men born in the Priesthood grow old therein in faithfulness, I
would say, with comparatively few exceptions, "Young men for counsel,
and young men for war." For knowledge and understanding, I would
rather, as a general thing, select young men from eighteen years of
age--the sons of men who have been in this Church from the beginning,
than to select their fathers. Their minds have {231} been but little,
if any, trammeled with erroneous traditions and teachings. Let the yoke
of the Gospel be put upon those young men Brother Joseph referred to in
his remarks, who have been sowing their wild oats for years, and they
are generally better and more correct in the offices of the Priesthood
than many of the gray-haired fathers. They understand more about God,
about Jesus Christ, and the government of God on the earth, than do
many of the fathers and grand-fathers. 7:335.
It is true that under some circumstances we may have to look at the
others. For instance, here is the High Council, they are called to
act upon cases that come before them. Of course their duty, then, is
to examine into the conduct of their brethren and sisters; and this
is required of them. And if they do it without prejudice, without
selfishness, by the power of the Holy Ghost, divested of every
improper feeling, judging righteous judgment between man and man, the
performance of this duty will purify them just as much any other labor.
11:292.
It may be considered that we are a mixed congregation, consisting of
Bishops, Seventies, High Priests, Elders, the Twelve, and the First
Presidency; but I consider we are, strictly speaking, a meeting of the
Elders of Israel; for if we were to be instructed in the duties of any
one of these Quorums, that instruction would be equally good for all.
6:314.
High Councilors, do you have any trials before you? "Yes." Have the
brethren complained of each other? "Yes." Are their feelings alienated
one from the other? Is there a party spirit manifested in the Council?
"Sometimes." Do the brethren go off satisfied with the decisions of the
Council? Bishops, do you have any trials? Are the feelings of {232} the
brethren in your Wards alienated? "Yes." What should they do in such
cases? They should follow the rules laid down, and be reconciled to
their brethren forthwith. I think that it can be shown that the great
majority of difficulties between brethren arises from misunderstandings
rather than from malice and a wicked heart, and instead of talking the
matter over with each other in a saint-like spirit, they will contend
with each other until a real fault is created, and they have brought a
sin upon themselves. When we have done good ninety-nine times and then
do an evil, how common it is, my brethren and sisters, to look at that
one evil all the day long and never think of the good. Before we judge
each other we should look at the design of the heart, and if it is
evil, then chasten that individual, and take a course to bring him back
again to righteousness. 12:173.
When you are rebuked by each other--when brethren meet you and say,
"This is wrong in you," you should receive it kindly, and express your
thanks for the reproof, and acknowledge the wrong frankly, and admit
that you may frequently do wrong when you do not know it, and say, "I
wish you to enlighten my mind, to take me by the hand, and let me go
along hand-in-hand and strengthen and sustain each other." What, in
your weaknesses? Yes. Do you expect to see a perfect man? Not while you
stay here. 8:367.
You may, figuratively speaking, pound one Elder over the head with a
club, and he does not know but what you have handed him a straw dipped
in molasses to suck. There are others, if you speak a word to them, or
take a straw and chasten them, whose hearts are broken; they are as
tender in their feelings as an infant, and will melt like wax {233}
before the flame. You must not chasten them severely; you must chasten
according to the spirit that is in the person. Some you may talk to all
day long, and they do not know what you are talking about. There is a
great variety. Treat people as they are. 8:367.
Just a few words to the Presidency of this Stake of Zion. It is now
their duty to see that the officers within their jurisdiction perform
their several duties, it is sufficient work for them, too, if they will
attend to it. The High Council, I hope, will not have much business to
do. I am told that there have only been three cases during the last
twenty-three years, that have gone for trial before the High Council
from Farmington. That is doing very well. To the now acting Bishops,
who will be ordained Bishops, as well as to Brother Hess, who I believe
is the only ordained Bishop in the county, I will say that you will
now be required to look after your several Wards more assiduously than
heretofore; see that Teachers are diligent in the performance of their
duties, and that all difficulties that may arise among the brethren of
the Ward be settled, if possible, by the Teachers; and also see that
all who claim membership in this Church observe the moral law of our
religion. We shall not expect to hear of people breaking the Sabbath,
and a hundred other things all of which are inconsistent with our
holy callings, and opposed to the accomplishment of the work that the
Father has given us to do. You are called upon now to make yourselves
familiar with the revelations and commandments that have been given us
of the Lord for our perfection, for our sanctification preparatory to
our exaltation, and so live that our acts and conversations may conform
to the same. You are called upon now to improve your ways, to seek
with all {234} earnestness for an increase of faith that you may live
according to the higher laws, which is your privilege to do, and which
is so necessary for our peace and comfort and for the good order of
society and for the salvation of the Latter-day Saints. 19:43. {235}
CHAPTER XIII
_FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL_
_Importance of the Principles of the Gospel_--By faithfully
attending to the first principles of the Gospel laid down in the New
Testament, you are introduced into the knowledge of the works of God in
the dispensation of the fulness of time. 1:244.
To understand the first principles of the Gospel--to rightly understand
them, a man must have the wisdom that comes from above; he must be
enlightened by the Holy Ghost; his mind must be in open vision; he must
enjoy the blessings of salvation himself, in order to impart them to
others. 6:283.
_Need of Ordinances_--There is no ordinance that God has delivered
by his own voice, through his Son Jesus Christ, or by the mouths of
any of his Prophets, Apostles or Evangelists, that is useless. Every
ordinance, every commandment and requirement is necessary for the
salvation of the human family. 13:215.
With regard to the ordinances of God, we may remark that we yield
obedience to them because he requires it; and every iota of his
requirements has a rational philosophy with it. We do not get up things
on a hypothesis. That philosophy reaches to all eternity, and is the
philosophy that the Latter-day Saints believe in. Every particle of
truth that every person has received is a gift of God. We receive these
truths, and go on from glory to glory, from eternal lives to eternal
lives, gaining a knowledge of all things, and becoming Gods, even Sons
of God. These are the celestial ones. These are they whom the Lord has
{236} chosen through their obedience. They have not spurned the truth,
when they have heard it. These are they that have not spurned the
Gospel, but have acknowledged Jesus and God, in their true character;
that have acknowledged the angels in their true character. These are
they that work for the salvation of the human family. 19:50.
Because we believe in the ordinance of baptism, the ordinance of the
sacrament is not to be done away. To learn that, if you believe in the
laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, you are not to
deny the laying on of hands for the healing of the sick. It is not for
people to take only part of the religion of Christ, and say, "It is all
we require;" but take the whole truth wherever you find it. It is good;
claim it, take it to yourself, and cleave to it, for it will do you
good. Cease to separate truth from truth. 8:260.
However much we may profess attachment to God and his cause we are not
entitled to the blessings and privileges of his Kingdom until we become
citizens therein. How can we do this? By repenting of our sins, and
obeying the requirements of the Gospel of the Son of God which has been
delivered to us. Hundreds and thousands of people have believed on the
Lord Jesus Christ and repented of their sins, and have had the Holy
Spirit to witness unto them that God is love, that they loved him and
that he loved them, and yet they are not in his Kingdom. They have not
complied with the necessary requirements, they have not entered in at
the door. 13:57.
_Faith_--The Gospel that we preach is the power of God unto
salvation; and the first principle of that Gospel is, as I have already
said, faith in God, and faith in Jesus Christ his Son, our Savior. We
must believe that he is the character {237} he is represented to be in
the Holy Scriptures. Believe that he told the truth when he said to his
disciples, "Go ye forth and preach the Gospel to every creature; he
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth
not shall be damned." We must believe that this same Jesus was
crucified for the sins of the world, that is for the original sin, not
the actual individual transgressions of the people; not but that the
blood of Christ will cleanse from all sin, all who are disposed to act
their part by repentance, and faith in his name. But the original sin
was atoned for by the death of Christ, although its effects we still
see in the diseases, distempers and every species of wickedness with
which the human family is afflicted. 13:143.
Faith is an eternal principle; belief is an admission of the fact.
Faith, to us, is the gift of God; belief is inherent in the children
of men, and is the foundation for the reception of faith. Belief and
unbelief are independent in men, the same as other attributes. Men can
acknowledge or reject, turn to the right or to the left, rise up or
remain seated, you can say that the Lord and his Gospel are not worthy
of notice, or you can bow to them. 8:16.
Belief is inherent in the creature--implanted within him for his use
and benefit--to believe or disbelieve. Your own experience may satisfy
you that faith is not brought into requisition by the presentation of
either facts or falsehoods, to the external senses, or to the inward
perceptions of the mind. If we speak of faith in the abstract, it is
the power of God by which the worlds are and were made, and is a gift
of God to those who believe and obey his commandments. On the other
hand, no living, intelligent being, whether serving God or not, acts
without belief. He might as well undertake to live without breathing as
to live without the {238} principle of belief. But he must believe the
truth, obey the truth, and practice the truth, to obtain the power of
God called faith. 8:259-260.
When men are in the habit of philosophising upon every point, only
relying upon what we call human reason, they are constantly liable to
error. But place a man in a situation where he is obliged or compelled,
in order to sustain himself, to have faith in the name of Jesus Christ,
and it brings him to a point where he will know for himself; and happy
are those who pass through trials, if they maintain their integrity and
their faith to their calling. 7:158.
When you believe the principles of the Gospel and attain unto faith,
which is a gift of God, he adds more faith, adding faith to faith.
He bestows faith upon his creatures as a gift; but his creatures
inherently possess the privilege of believing the Gospel to be true or
false. 8:17.
If the people will only be full of good works, I will insure that they
will have faith in time of need. 3:154.
There is no saving faith merely upon the principles of believing or
acknowledging a fact. Take a course to let the Spirit of God leave your
hearts, and every soul of you would apostatize. 7:55.
It is the easiest thing in the world to believe the truth. It is a
great deal easier to believe truth than error. It is easier to defend
the truth than to defend error. 19:42.
We are under obligation to trust in our God; and this is the
ground-work of all we can do ourselves. 4:356.
The first principle of the Gospel is faith in God--faith in a Supreme
Being. This is a point that meets the infidel, and is one upon which
I have reflected and talked a great deal, and I have come to this
conclusion--that good, solid, sound sense teaches me never to judge
a matter until I {239} understand it, and infidels should never pass
their opinion with regard to the character of a Supreme Being until
they know whether there is one or not. If this principle were an
article in the creed of the infidel world, I think they would not be
quite so sceptical as they are; I think we should not meet with any
person who would deny the existence of a Deity. The infidel looks
abroad and sees the works of nature, in all their diversity--the
mountain piercing the clouds with its snowy peaks, the mighty river,
fertilizing, in its course to the sea, the valleys and plains in every
direction, the sun in his glory at mid-day, the moon in her silvery
splendor, and the myriad organizations from man to the minutest form
of insect life, all giving the most irrefutable evidence of a Designer
and Creator of infinite wisdom, skill and power, and yet he says there
is no Deity, no Supreme Ruler, but all is the result of blind chance.
How preposterous! Now, here is a book called the Bible. It is enclosed
in what we call the cover, consisting of boards, paper and leather.
Within the covers we see a vast amount of writing--syllables, words and
sentences; now if we say there never was a person to compose, write,
print or bind this book, but that it is here wholly as the result of
chance, we shall only give expression to the faith, if faith it can be
called, of those who are termed infidels; in fact this is infidelity. I
do not want to say much about it, it is too vain! 13:142.
When you read the revelations, or when you hear the will of the Lord
concerning you, for your own sakes never receive that with a doubtful
heart. 3:336.
To explain how much confidence we should have in God, were I using a
term to suit myself, I should say _implicit_ confidence. I have faith
in my God, and that faith corresponds {240} with the works I produce. I
have no confidence in faith without works. 4:24.
My faith is, when we have done all we can, then the Lord is under
obligation, and will not disappoint the faithful; he will perform the
rest. 4:91.
A great many good people, who possess much of the Spirit of the Lord,
are naturally given to doubting, having so little self-reliance that
they sometimes doubt whether they are Saints in truth or not. These
often doubt when they should not. So long as they are walking humbly
before God, keeping his commandments, and observing his ordinances,
feeling willing to give all for Christ, and do everything that will
promote his Kingdom, they need never doubt, for the Spirit will testify
to them whether they are of God or not. There are some who are always
fearful, trembling, doubting, wavering, and at the same time doing
everything they can for the promotion of righteousness. Yet, they are
in doubt whether they are doing the best possible good, and they fear
and fail here and there, and will doubt their own experience and the
witness of the Spirit to them. 12:169.
When a person is placed in circumstances that he cannot possibly
obtain one particle of anything to sustain life, it would then be his
privilege to exercise faith in God to feed him, who might cause a raven
to pick up a piece of dried meat from some quarter where there was
plenty, and drop it over the famishing man. When I cannot feed myself
through the means God has placed in my power, it is then time enough
for him to exercise his providence in an unusual manner to administer
to my wants. But while we can help ourselves, it is our duty to do so.
If a Saint of God be locked up in prison, by his enemies, to starve to
{241} death, it is then time enough for God to interpose, and feed him.
1:108.
Are you full of faith? You can tell whether I am or not by looking at
me. You can tell whether the brethren who have been speaking to you are
full of faith in the Gospel by the look of their countenances. You can
see this if there is not a word spoken; we can tell by our feelings
when we look at a congregation whether they have faith or not. I see
there is a great amount of faith in the midst of the Latter-day Saints,
and I wish there was a little more patience and obedience. 15:37.
If the Latter-day Saints will walk up to their privileges, and exercise
faith in the name of Jesus Christ, and live in the enjoyment of the
fulness of the Holy Ghost constantly day by day, there is nothing on
the face of the earth that they could ask for, that would not be given
to them. The Lord is waiting to be very gracious unto this people, and
to pour out upon them riches, honor, glory and power, even that they
may possess all things according to the promises he has made through
his Apostles and Prophets. 11:114.
When faith springs up in the heart, good works will follow, and good
works will increase that pure faith within them. 3:155.
The expression, "true believer," needs qualifying, for many believe who
do not obey--I will qualify it by saying, a believer in Jesus Christ,
who manifests his faith to God, angels, and his brethren, by his
obedience. Not but that there are believers who do not obey, but the
only true believers are they who prove their belief by their obedience
to the requirements of the Gospel. 1:234.
Our Heavenly Father does not always reveal to his children the secret
workings of his providences, nor does he {242} show them the end from
the beginning; for they have to learn to trust in him who has promised
to fight our battles, and crown us with victory, if we are faithful as
was faithful Abraham. 11:13.
_Repentance_--Sin consists in doing wrong when we know and can do
better, and it will be punished with a just retribution, in the due
time of the Lord. 2:133.
Though we may do the best we know how at this time, can there be no
improvement made in our lives? There can. If we do wrong ignorantly,
when we learn it is wrong, then it is our duty to refrain from that
wrong immediately and for ever, and the sin of ignorance is winked at,
and passes into oblivion. 2:130.
When men truly and heartily repent, and make manifest to the heavens
that their repentance is genuine by obedience to the requirements made
known to them through the laws of the Gospel, then are they entitled
to the administration of salvation, and no power can withhold the good
spirit from them. 10:18.
Now, my brethren, you who have sinned, repent of your sins. I can say
to you in regard to Jesus and the atonement (it is so written, and I
firmly believe it), that Christ has died for all. He has paid the full
debt, whether you receive the gift or not. But if we continue to sin,
to lie, steal, bear false witness, we must repent of and forsake that
sin to have the full efficacy of the blood of Christ. Without this it
will be of no effect; repentance must come, in order that the atonement
may prove a benefit to us. Let all who are doing wrong cease doing
wrong; live no longer in transgression, no matter of what kind; but
live every day of your lives according to the revelations given, and so
that your examples may be worthy of imitation. Let us remember {243}
that we never get beyond the purview of our religion--never, never!
11:375.
Some of our old traditions teach us that a man guilty of atrocious
and murderous acts may savingly repent when on the scaffold; and upon
his execution will hear the expression, "Bless God! he has gone to
heaven, to be crowned in glory, through the all-redeeming merits of
Christ the Lord." This is all nonsense. Such a character never will see
heaven. Some will pray, "O that I had passed through the veil on the
night of my conversion!" This proves the false ideas and vain notions
entertained by the Christian world. 8:61.
When I first came into the Church it was a subject of considerable
thought to me why people whom I knew to be as good and moral as they
could be, should have to repent. But I could see afterwards that if
they had nothing else to repent of they could and ought to repent of
their false religions, of their narrow, contracted creeds in which
they were bound, of the ordinances of men, and get something better.
These narrow, contracted religions have spread infidelity in the world.
They should repent of these and take hold of the things of God and
receive the truths of heaven. "Well," say the ministers, "we have lived
according to the light we have received." We say, are you willing to
receive more? If so, here is more for you. So far as your faith in
Christ goes, and your morality, we say, Amen. But here is something
more. 16:43.
The Savior has warned us to be careful how we judge, forgiving each
other seven times seventy in a day, if we repent, and confess our sins
one to another. Can we be more merciful and forgiving than our Father
in Heaven? We cannot. Therefore let people do the best they can, and
{244} they will pave the way for the rising generation to walk up into
the light, wisdom, and knowledge of the angels, and of the redeemed
from this earth, to say nothing of other earths, and they will be
prepared to enjoy in the resurrection all the blessings which are for
the faithful, and enjoy them in the flesh. 2:132.
We should never cease reforming and seeking to the Lord our God. 4:269.
All I have ever asked for or contended for is a reformation in the life
of this people; that the thief should stop his stealing, the swearer
his swearing, the liar his lying, the deceiver his deceiving, and
the man who loves the world more than his God and his religion wean
his affections from those objects and place them where they of right
belong. I do not wish anybody to cherish a wild enthusiasm, so common
in the world, which is produced by the excitement of animal passions,
and makes people weep and cry out in an insane manner. I wish the
people to make themselves acquainted with facts pertaining to God, to
heaven, to mankind upon the earth, their errand here, for what they are
created, the nature of their organization, who has power over them,
who controls them, how much they can control themselves, etc., etc.;
and then let us see whether we can be men and conduct ourselves like
Saints, or live and act like the wicked. 9:103.
Keep your follies that do not concern others to yourselves, and keep
your private wickedness as still as possible; hide it from the eyes
of the public gaze as far as you can. I wish to say this upon this
particular point in regard to people's confessing. We wish to see
people honestly confess as they should and what they should. 8:362.
{245}
If I have injured any person, I ought to confess to that person and
make right what I did wrong. 8:361.
But if you have stolen your neighbor's cattle, own it, and restore the
property, with fourfold if it is requested. If you have taken your
neighbor's spade, own it, and return it, with fourfold if he requires
it. I believe in coming out and being plain and honest with that which
should be made public, and in keeping to yourselves that which should
be kept. If you have your weaknesses, keep them hid from your brethren
as much as you can. You never hear me ask the people to tell their
follies. But when we ask the brethren, as we frequently do, to speak in
sacrament meetings, we wish them, if they have injured their neighbors,
to confess their wrongs; but do not tell about your nonsensical conduct
that nobody knows of but yourselves. Tell to the public that which
belongs to the public. If you have sinned against the people, confess
to them. If you have sinned against a family or a neighborhood, go to
them and confess. If you have sinned against your Ward, confess to
your Ward. If you have sinned against one individual, take that person
by yourselves and make your confession to him. And if you have sinned
against your God, or against yourselves, confess to God, and keep the
matter to yourselves, for I do not want to know anything about it.
8:362.
_Baptism_--We, the Latter-day Saints, believe in being baptized
by immersion for the remission of sins, according to the testimony of
the disciples of Jesus and the revelations of the Lord given in these
last days. Infants are pure, they have neither sorrow of heart, nor
sins to repent of and forsake, and consequently are incapable of being
baptized for the remission of sin. If we have sinned, we must know good
from evil; an infant does not know this, it cannot {246} know it; it
has not grown into the idea of contemplation of good and evil; it has
not the capacity to listen to the parent or teacher or to the priest
when they tell what is right or wrong or what is injurious; and until
these things are understood a person cannot be held accountable and
consequently cannot be baptized for the remission of sin. 13:237.
The Lord has instituted laws and ordinances, and all have their
peculiar design and meaning. And though we may not know the origin of
the necessity of being baptized for the remission of sins, it answers
that portion of the law we are now under to teach the people in their
ignorance that water is designed for purification, and to instruct them
to be baptized therein for the remission of their sins. If the people
could fully understand this matter, they would perceive that it is
perfectly reasonable and has been the law to all worlds. 7:162-163.
What is required of us as soon as we come to the years of
accountability? It is required of us, for it is an institution of
heaven, the origin of which you and I cannot tell, for the simple
reason that it has no beginning, it is from eternity to eternity--it
is required of us to go down into the waters of baptism. Here is a
fountain or element, typical of the purity of the eternities. Go down
into the waters, and there be baptized for the remission of sins, and
then have hands laid upon us to confirm us members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then receive the Spirit of Truth, or
the Holy Ghost. Then live according to every word that proceeds out of
the mouth of God, through those men whom he has appointed here upon the
earth, until we are perfect. 19:48.
If you have been righteous from your birth up, and have never
committed known sins and transgressions, be {247} baptized to fulfil
all righteousness, as Jesus was. If you can say you have no sins to
repent of, forsake your false theories, and love and serve God with an
undivided heart. 14:281.
Has water, in itself, any virtue to wash away sin? Certainly not; but
the Lord said, "If the sinner will repent of his sins, and go down into
the waters of baptism, and there be buried in the likeness of being put
into the earth and buried, and again be delivered from the water, in
the likeness of being born--if in the sincerity of his heart he will do
this, his sins shall be washed away." Will the water of itself wash them
away? No; but keeping the commandments of God will cleanse away the
stain of sin. 2:4.
In the beginning God cursed the earth; but did he curse all things
pertaining to it? No, he did not curse the water, but he blessed
it. Pure water is cleansing--it serves to purify; and you are aware
that the ancient Saints were very tenacious with regard to their
purification by water. From the beginning the Lord instituted water for
that purpose among others. I do not mean from the beginning of this
earth alone; and although we have no immediate concern in inquiring
into the organization of other earths that do not come within reach
of our investigation, yet I will say that water has been the means
of purification in every world that has been organized out of the
immensity of matter. 7:162.
All Latter-day Saints enter the new and everlasting covenant when they
enter this Church. They covenant to cease sustaining, upholding and
cherishing the kingdom of the Devil and the kingdoms of this world.
They enter the new and everlasting covenant to sustain the Kingdom of
God and no other kingdom. They take a vow of the most {248} solemn
kind, before the heavens and earth, and that, too, upon the validity
of their own salvation, that they will sustain truth and righteousness
instead of wickedness and falsehood, and build up the Kingdom of God,
instead of the kingdoms of this world. 12:230.
You have not the power to baptize yourselves, neither have you power to
resurrect yourselves; and you could not legally baptize a second person
for the remission of sins until some person first baptized you and
ordained you to this authority. 6:275.
_Gift of the Holy Ghost_--In the New Testament and Book of Mormon,
we learn that when the Gospel is preached the people are taught to
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to repent of their sins, be baptized
for the remission of sin, and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on
of hands; the Holy Ghost is then the special gift of the Father and is
his minister. He also gives intelligence by angels, as well as by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and by opening the minds of the Saints
to behold in vision things as they are in eternity. When true doctrines
are advanced, though they may be new to the hearers, yet the principles
contained therein are perfectly natural and easy to be understood, so
much so that the hearers often imagine that they had always known them.
This arises from the influence of the Spirit of Truth upon the spirit
of intelligence that is within each person. The influence that comes
from heaven is all the time teaching the children of men. 9:254.
We believe we are entitled to the gift of the Holy Ghost in extent
according to the discretion and wisdom of God and our faithfulness;
which gift brings all things to our remembrance, past, present, and
to come, that are necessary for us to know, and as far as our minds
are prepared {249} to receive the knowledge of God revealed by that
all-wise Agent. The Holy Ghost is God's minister, and is delegated to
visit the sons and daughters of men. All intelligent beings pertaining
to this earth are instructed from the same source. 9:254.
The Holy Ghost reveals unto you things past, present, and to come; it
makes your minds quick and vivid to understand the handiwork of the
Lord. Your joy is made full in beholding the footsteps of our Father
going forth among the inhabitants of the earth; this is invisible to
the world, but it is made visible to the Saints, and they behold the
Lord in his providences, bringing forth the work of the last days. 4:22.
My knowledge is, if you will follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and
his Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, every man and woman
will be put in possession of the Holy Ghost; every person will become a
Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and an expounder of truth. They will know
things that are, that will be, and that have been. They will understand
things in heaven, things on the earth, and things under the earth,
things of time, and things of eternity, according to their several
callings and capacities. 1:243.
There is a variety of blessings; a different blessing being probably
given to one, two, three or four of this congregation. Thus, one will
have faith to lay hands upon the sick and rebuke disease, and drive it
from the person afflicted. Many may receive this blessing of faith, the
gift of healing. Some may receive faith to the discerning of spirits;
they can discern the spirit of a person, whether it is good or evil.
They have such power that when a person enters this congregation they
can tell the spirit of such {250} person; then they have received the
gift of discerning of spirits. Some may receive the gift of tongues,
that they will get up and speak in tongues, and speak in many other
languages beside their mother tongue, the language that they were
brought up in, that they were first taught, and be able to proclaim the
Gospel of life and salvation that all men could understand it. These
are the blessings; but others might receive the gift of prophecy, get
up and prophesy what is to befall this nation, what will befall this
or that individual, and what will befall the different nations of the
earth, etc. 16:164.
The gifts of the Gospel are given to strengthen the faith of the
believer. 10:324.
Suppose you obey the ordinances of the Gospel, and do not speak in
tongues today, never mind that. Suppose you do not have the spirit of
prophecy, no matter. Suppose you do not receive any particular gift
attended by the rushing of a mighty wind, as on the day of Pentecost,
there is no particular necessity that you should. On the day of
Pentecost there was special need for it, it was a peculiarly trying
time. Some special and powerful manifestation of the power of the
Almighty was necessary to open the eyes of the people and let them know
that Jesus has paid the debt, and that they had actually crucified him
who, by his death, had become the Savior of the world. It required this
at that time to convince the people. 14:114.
The gift of seeing with the natural eyes is just as much a gift as the
gift of tongues. The Lord gave that gift and we can do as we please
with regard to seeing; we can use the sight of the eye to the glory of
God, or to our own destruction. 3:364.
The gift of communicating one with another is the gift {251} of God,
just as much so as the gift of prophecy, of discerning spirits, of
tongues, of healing, or any other gift, though sight, taste, and
speech, are so generally bestowed that they are not considered in the
same miraculous light as are those gifts mentioned in the Gospel.
We can use these gifts and every other gift God has given us, to the
praise and glory of God, to serve him, or we can use them to dishonor
him and his cause; we can use the gift of speech to blaspheme his name.
3:364.
_Healing the Sick_--We lay hands on the sick and wish them to be
healed, and pray the Lord to heal them, but we cannot always say that
he will. 4:284.
I am here to testify to hundreds of instances, of men, women, and
children being healed by the power of God, through the laying on of
hands, and many I have seen raised from the gates of death, and brought
back from the verge of eternity; and some whose spirits had actually
left their bodies, returned again. I testify that I have seen the sick
healed by the laying on of hands, according to the promise of the
Savior. 1:240.
When I lay hands on the sick, I expect the healing power and influence
of God to pass through me to the patient, and the disease to give way.
I do not say that I heal everybody I lay hands on; but many have been
healed under my administration. Jesus said, on one occasion, "Who has
touched me?" A woman had crept up behind him in the crowd, and touched
the hem of his garment, and he knew it, because virtue had gone from
him. Do you see the reason and propriety of laying hands on each other?
When we are prepared, when we are holy vessels before the Lord, a
stream of power from the Almighty can pass through the tabernacle of
the administrator to the system of the patient, {252} and the sick are
made whole; the headache, fever or other disease has to give way. My
brethren and sisters, there is virtue in us if we will do right; if we
live our religion we are the temples of God wherein he will dwell; if
we defile ourselves, these temples God will destroy. 14:72.
Instead of calling for a doctor you should administer to them by the
laying on of hands and anointing with oil, and give them mild food, and
herbs, and medicines that you understand; and if you want the mind and
will of God at such a time, get it, it is just as much your privilege
as of any other member of the Church and Kingdom of God. It is your
privilege and duty to live so that you know when the word of the Lord
is spoken to you and when the mind of the Lord is revealed to you. I
say it is your duty to live so as to know and understand all these
things. 18:71.
Many people are unwilling to do one thing for themselves in case of
sickness, but ask God to do it all. 4:25.
I am sent for continually, though I only go occasionally, because it is
a privilege of every father, who is an Elder in Israel, to have faith
to heal his family, just as much so as it is my privilege to have faith
to heal my family; and if he does not do it he is not living up to his
privilege. It is just as reasonable for him to ask me to cut his wood
and maintain his family, for if he had faith himself he would save me
the trouble of leaving other duties to attend to his request. 3:46.
You may go to some people here, and ask what ails them, and they
answer, "I don't know, but we feel a dreadful distress in the stomach
and in the back; we feel all out of order, and we wish you to lay
hands on us." "Have you used any remedies?" No. "We wish the Elders to
lay hands upon us, and we have faith that we shall be healed." {253}
That is very inconsistent according to my faith. If we are sick, and
ask the Lord to heal us, and to do all for us that is necessary to be
done, according to my understanding of the Gospel of salvation, I might
as well ask the Lord to cause my wheat and corn to grow, without my
plowing the ground and casting in the seed. It appears consistent to me
to apply every remedy that comes within the range of my knowledge, and
to ask my Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, to sanctify
that application to the healing of my body; to another this may appear
inconsistent.
But supposing we were traveling in the mountains, and all we had or
could get, in the shape of nourishment, was a little venison, and one
or two were taken sick, without anything in the world in the shape of
healing medicine within our reach, what should we do? According to my
faith, ask the Lord Almighty to send an angel to heal the sick. This
is our privilege, when so situated that we cannot get anything to help
ourselves. Then the Lord and his servants can do all. But it is my duty
to do, when I have it in my power. 4:24. {254}
CHAPTER XIV
_THE SABBATH; MEETINGS; THE SACRAMENT_
_How to Spend the Sabbath Day_--Spend the Sabbath day prudently,
in the love and fear of God. 19:65.
Persons professing to be Saints should assemble themselves together on
the Lord's day, except those who may be necessarily detained at home to
keep the house, take care of the children, or to perform some work of
necessity and mercy; the rest should assemble in the place appointed
for worship and the offering up of our sacraments. 10:284.
You take this book (the book of Doctrine and Covenants) and you will
read here that the Saints are to meet together on the Sabbath day. It
is what we call the first day of the week. No matter whether it is the
Jewish Sabbath or not. I do not think there is anybody who can bring
facts to prove which is the seventh day, or when Adam was put in the
garden, or the day about which the Lord spoke to Moses. This matter is
not very well known, so we call the day on which we rest and worship
God, the first day of the week. This people called Latter-day Saints,
are required by the revelations that the Lord has given, to assemble
themselves together on this day. In this commandment we are required to
come together and repent of our sins and confess our sins and partake
of the bread and of the wine, or water, in commemoration of the death
and sufferings of our Lord and Savior. 16:168.
Instead of suffering our labors to occupy the Sabbath--instead of
planning our business to infringe upon the first day of the week, we
should do as little as possible; if {255} it is necessary to cook food,
do so; but even if that could be dispensed with, it would be better. As
to keeping the Sabbath according to the Mosaic law, indeed, I do not;
for it would be almost beyond my power. Still, under the new covenant,
we should remember to preserve holy one day in the week as a day of
rest--as a memorial of the rest of the Lord and the rest of the Saints;
also for our temporal advantage, for it is instituted for the express
purpose of benefiting man. It is written in this book (the Bible), that
the Sabbath was made for man. It is a blessing to him. As little labor
as possible should be done upon that day; it should be set apart as a
day of rest, to assemble together in the place appointed, according to
the revelation, confessing our sins, bringing our tithes and offerings,
and presenting ourselves before the Lord, there to commemorate the
death and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. 6:277-8.
Now, remember, my brethren, those who go skating, buggy riding or
on excursions on the Sabbath day--and there is a great deal of this
practiced--are weak in the faith. Gradually, little by little, little
by little, the spirit of their religion leaks out of their hearts
and their affections, and by and by they begin to see faults in
their brethren, faults in the doctrines of the Church, faults in the
organization, and at last they leave the Kingdom of God and go to
destruction. I really wish you would remember this, and tell it to your
neighbors. 15:83.
The Lord has directed his people to rest one-seventh part of the time,
and we take the first day of the week, and call it our Sabbath. This
is according to the order of the Christians. We should observe this
for our own temporal good and spiritual welfare. When we see a farmer
in such a hurry, that he has to attend to his harvest, and to haying,
{256} fence-making, or to gathering his cattle on the Sabbath day,
as far as I am concerned, I count him weak in the faith. He has lost
the spirit of his religion, more or less. Six days are enough for us
to work, and if we wish to play, play within the six days; if we wish
to go on excursions, take one of those six days, but on the seventh
day, come to the place of worship, attend to the Sacrament, confess
your faults one to another and to our God, and pay attention to the
ordinances of the house of God. 15:81.
I said yesterday to a Bishop who was mending a breach in the canal, and
expressed a wish to continue his labor on the following Sabbath, as
his wheat was burning up, let it burn, when the time comes that is set
apart for worship, go up and worship the Lord. 3:331.
The Lord has planted within us a divinity; and that divine immortal
spirit requires to be fed. Will earthly food answer for that purpose?
No; it will only keep this body alive as long as the spirit stays with
it, which gives us an opportunity of doing good. That divinity within
us needs food from the Fountain from which it emanated. It is not of
the earth, earthy, but is from heaven. Principles of eternal life, of
God and godliness, will alone feed the immortal capacity of man and
give true satisfaction. 7:138.
We are under the necessity of assembling here from Sabbath to Sabbath,
and in Ward meetings, and besides, have to call our solemn assemblies,
to teach, talk, pray, sing, and exhort. What for? To keep us in
remembrance of our God and our holy religion. Is this custom necessary?
Yes; because we are so liable to forget--so prone to wander, that we
need to have the Gospel sounded in our ears as much as once, twice, or
thrice a week, or, behold, we will turn again to our idols. 6:195. {257}
If you can make as good a beginning as did an old lady, you will do
well. She went to a schoolhouse, and, on her return, called at a
neighbor's who inquired where she had been. She replied, "I have been
to meeting." "Has there been a meeting?" "Oh, yes, and a glorious one,
too." "Dear me, we did not hear of it. Were there many there?" "No,
there were not many." "Who was there?" "Why, the Lord was there, and
I was there, and had a blessed good meeting." If you cannot get any
person to meet with you, be sure and have the Lord meet with you, and
you will soon gain confidence in yourselves and have influence with
your brethren. 8:65.
_Worship on Every Day_--Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday must be spent to the glory of God, as much as
Sunday, or we shall come short of the object of our pursuit. 13:261.
The Lord knows the wants of his mortal children, and has appointed unto
them one-seventh part of the time for rest, though we cannot say, in
every sense of the word, that this is a day of rest to the Latter-day
Saints or to the professing Christians, some of whom are in the habit
of rising at sunrise to hold prayer-meetings; they then eat breakfast
and hurry away to the morning service until noon; in the afternoon they
again have meetings, and class meetings, prayer meetings, confessing
meetings, etc., and so continue until nine in the evening. To such
persons I cannot consider it really a day of rest. 10:187.
Coming to this Tabernacle to worship and do the will of God for one day
in the week, and following our own inclinations and doing our own will
at all other times, is a folly; it is useless, and a perfect burlesque
on the service of God. We should do the will of God, and spend all our
time {258} for the accomplishment of his purposes, whether we are in
this Tabernacle or elsewhere. 12:34.
If I had my own mind, I would devote the time for meetings like this
within the measure of the six days, and on the seventh rest from all
my labors, for the express purpose of renewing the mental and physical
powers of man. They require it, as the Lord well knew; hence he
established a day of rest. The natural tendency of the physical powers
of man is to decay; and to preserve them as long as possible, they need
this retirement from labor--this rest--this ease. 8:58.
_Preaching and Listening in Meetings_--While we have the
privilege of speaking to each other, let us speak words of comfort
and consolation. When you are influenced by the Spirit of holiness
and purity, let your light shine; but if you are tried and tempted
and buffeted by Satan, keep your thoughts to yourselves--keep your
mouths closed; for speaking produces fruit, either of a good or evil
character. 7:268.
As we have met in the capacity of a General Conference, we shall expect
to hear instructions from the Elders pertaining to the building up of
the Kingdom of God on earth. This is our calling, this is the labor
devolving upon us, and it should occupy our attention day by day from
morning until evening and from week to week; in fact, we have no other
calling or business. 13:260.
Today we are able to meet together to speak to each other, to
strengthen and do each other good; and by forsaking our fields for a
season, to gather together to worship our God, I can assure you that
our crops will be better than they would be if we were to spend all
our time in our fields. We may water and plant and toil, but we should
never forget {259} that it is God who gives the increase; and by
meeting together, our health and spirits will be better, we will look
better, and the things of this world will increase around us more, and
we will know better how to enjoy them. 11:116.
I will take the liberty of suggesting to my brethren who address the
congregation that our sermons should be short, and if they are not
filled with life and spirit let them be shorter, for we have not time
at this Conference to let all the Elders who speak preach a long
sermon, but we have time to say a few words in bearing testimony, to
give a few words of counsel to encourage the Saints, to strengthen the
weak, to endeavor to confirm those who are wavering, and so forward the
Kingdom of God. 12:27.
Brethren and sisters, I will make one request of you. When you speak,
speak so that we can hear and understand you, whether it be much or
little, good or bad. If you have nothing to say, take my counsel, and
keep your seat. If you have anything to say, say it; and when you get
through, stop. Let your feelings be governed and controlled by the
principles of eternal life, as should the children of God, delighting
in truth and righteousness. 7:270.
Many have a foreboding in their hearts; a fearfulness, a tremor comes
over them, when they arise to address a congregation. They think that
it will not do to tell the people just what they understand, but talk
about it and talk about it. In this way they darken counsel: Do not
darken counsel by your words. 4:368.
When people assemble to worship they should leave their worldly cares
where they belong, then their minds are in a proper condition to
worship the Lord, to call upon him in the name of Jesus, and to get his
Holy Spirit, that {260} they may hear and understand things as they are
in eternity, and know how to comprehend the providences of our God.
This is the time for their minds to be open, to behold the invisible
things of God, that he reveals by his Spirit. 3:53.
Every person should be silent when we meet here to worship God.
Remember and try to keep perfectly quiet, and do not whisper, talk, nor
scrape your feet; and do not let your children cry if you can help it.
14:44.
My greatest desire to my Father and God is that I may so speak that my
remarks will be acceptable to him and beneficial to those who hear me.
7:131.
I am responsible for the doctrine I teach; but I am not responsible for
the obedience of the people to that doctrine. 13:1.
The same weakness is in me, that is common to the most of my brethren
who address you from this stand, that is, a degree of timidity, which
arises from a sense of the importance of the work in which we are
engaged; but my resolution overbalances this. 1:334.
I am extremely anxious so to convey my ideas to the people that they
will understand them as I do. Our language is deficient, and I do
not possess in this particular the natural endowment that some men
enjoy. I am a man of few words, and unlearned in the learning of this
generation. 9:287.
I have never yet seen the time that I had wisdom, strength, and ability
enough to preach a Gospel discourse--to commence it, and finish it,
setting before the people the plan of salvation sufficiently full, that
thereby they might be saved. But it is only given in portions--a little
here, and a little there, by feeble man, 6:283. {261}
When I have endeavored to address a congregation, I have almost always
felt a repugnance in my heart to the practice of premeditation, or of
pre-constructing a discourse to deliver to the people, but let me ask
God my Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, to give me his
Spirit, and put into my heart the things he wishes me to speak whether
they be for better or worse. These have been my private feelings, as a
general thing. 1:264.
I need the attention of the congregation and the faith of those who
have faith; I need the wisdom of God and his Spirit to be in my heart
to enable me to speak to the edification of the people. Although I
have been a public speaker for thirty-seven years, it is seldom that I
rise before a congregation without feeling a child-like timidity; if I
live to the age of Methuselah I do not know that I shall outgrow it.
There are reasons for this which I understand. When I look upon the
faces of intelligent beings I look upon the image of the God I serve.
There are none but what have a certain portion of divinity within them;
and though we are clothed with bodies which are in the image of our
God, yet this mortality shrinks before that portion of divinity which
we inherit from our Father. This is the cause of my timidity, and of
all others who feel this embarrassment when they address their fellow
beings. 13:139.
In addressing a congregation, though the speaker be unable to say more
than half a dozen sentences, and those awkwardly constructed, if his
heart is pure before God, those few broken sentences are of more value
than the greatest eloquence without the Spirit of the Lord and of more
real worth in the sight of God, angels, and all good men. In praying,
though a person's words be few and awkwardly expressed, if the heart is
pure before God, that {262} prayer will avail more than the eloquence
of a Cicero. What does the Lord, the Father of us all, care about our
mode of expression? The simple, honest heart is of more avail with the
Lord than all the pomp, pride, splendor, and eloquence produced by men.
When he looks upon a heart full of sincerity, integrity, and child-like
simplicity, he sees a principle that will endure forever--"That is the
spirit of my own kingdom--the spirit I have given to my children."
8:283-4.
I believe, according to my feelings, that if I had all the mastery of
language that has ever been obtained by the learned, my spirit would
delight more in childlike conversation, and that too, in a simple
language, than in the most learned literary style that is used. A
plain, clear method of expressing ideas is the most pleasing to me.
4:341.
I believe it is our duty to imitate everything that is good, lovely,
dignified and praiseworthy. We ought to imitate the best speakers,
and study to convey our ideas to each other in the best and choicest
language, especially when we are dispensing the great truths of the
Gospel of peace to the people. I generally use the best language I can
command. 11:255.
_Testimony Meetings_--You know that the first Thursday in each
month we hold as a fast day. How many here know the origin of this day?
Before tithing was paid, the poor were supported by donations. They
came to Joseph and wanted help, in Kirtland, and he said there should
be a fast day, which was decided upon. It was to be held once a month,
as it is now,[A] and all that would have been eaten {263} that day,
of flour, or meat, or butter, or fruit, or anything else, was to be
carried to the fast meeting and put into the hands of a person selected
for the purpose of taking care of it and distributing it among the
poor. 12:115.
[Footnote A: At present the first Sunday of the month is designated fast
day.]
Do not hesitate to tell your feelings. 4:368.
In our fast-day meetings, the Saints meet to express their feelings and
to strengthen each other in their faith in the holy Gospel. 7:267.
We wish the Latter-day Saints to meet at their respective houses,
erected for that purpose, on the day appointed for a fast, and take
with them of their substance to feed the poor and the hungry among us,
and, if it is necessary, to clothe the naked. We expect to see the
sisters there; for they are generally first and foremost in deeds of
charity and kindness. Let the hearts of the poor be made glad, and let
their prayers and thanksgiving ascend unto God, and receive an answer
of rich blessings upon our heads. 12:126.
Do you not receive as much of the spirit of intelligence, of the spirit
of knowledge, and the consoling influences of the Holy Ghost, to have
people rise and testify of the things of God which they do know, of
those things which they have experienced themselves? Does not that
vividly bring to your minds the goodness of the Lord in revealing to
you the truths of the Gospel? Does not that strengthen your faith,
give you an increase of confidence and witness to you that you are a
child of God? Most assuredly it does. Therefore, when any testify of
the things of God, it strengthens their brethren, precisely as it did
in days of old when they observed the counsel to, "Speak often one to
another," "strengthen the brethren," and so on. 4:367.
If any of you feel that there is no life in your meetings, as I
occasionally hear some of the brethren say, then it becomes {264} your
duty to go and instill life into that meeting, and do your part to
produce an increase of the Spirit and power of God in the meetings in
your locality. 10:309.
I always feel to urge our youth to attend meetings when strangers
preach, that they may be able to understand that which is not of God,
and learn the difference between the doctrine taught by us and others.
13:323.
Now, then, if our brethren of the Presbyterians, Methodists or any
others visit here and want to preach to you, certainly let them preach,
and have your children hear them. They will tell you to keep the
Sabbath and to love your father and mother; they will tell you to be
true, honest, industrious, to be faithful to your studies, to read the
Bible and all good books, to study the sciences, etc., which is all
good, and as far as such teaching goes just as good as it can be. I
say, parents, do not be afraid of having your children learn everything
that is worth learning. And if any of our Christian brethren want to go
into our Sabbath schools to teach our children, let them do so. They
will not teach them anything immoral in the presence of those who are
in charge of the schools. 14:196.
Whether we are poor or rich, if we neglect our prayers and our
sacrament meetings, we neglect the Spirit of the Lord, and a spirit of
darkness comes over us. 10:300.
When a man opens or closes a meeting with prayer, every man, woman, and
child in the congregation who professes to be a Saint should have no
desire or words in their hearts and mouths but what are being offered
by the man who is mouth for all the congregation. 6:42.
_The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper_--The revelations of God to
Joseph Smith instruct the Latter-day Saints to live their religion day
by day, and to meet on the first day {265} of the week to break bread,
confess their faults one to another and pray with and for each other. I
would like this tradition fastened not only upon the people generally,
but particularly upon the Bishops and other leaders of this Church.
9:369.
I say to the brethren and sisters, in the name of the Lord, it is our
duty and it is required of us, by our Father in Heaven, by the spirit
of our religion, by our covenants with God and each other, that we
observe the ordinances of the house of God, and especially on the
Sabbath day, to attend to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Then
attend the Ward meetings and the Quorum meetings. 15:82.
In the ordinance we here attend to in the afternoon, we show to the
Father that we remember Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother; we testify to
him that we are willing to take upon us his name. When we are doing
this, I want the minds here as well as the bodies. I want the whole man
here when you come to meeting. 8:137.
This is a very solemn ordinance. The Christian world accepts it, in
preference to any other, as one of the ordinances of the house of God.
With some, this ordinance is the first and the last; and with others
this ordinance is not thought to be of sufficient importance to be
attended to. I wish to say to the Latter-day Saints, and also to those
who do not believe in the fulness of the Gospel, that this ordinance,
which we are now attending to this afternoon, is, in reality, no more
sacred than any other ordinance of the house of God in the eyes of him
who has instituted the same. The validity of one divine law is the same
as the validity of another with our Father and God. 11:39-40.
I would exhort my brethren and sisters to receive this ordinance
every Sabbath, when they meet together, as is {266} our practice; not
following the customs of others, for with some denominations this is
administered once a month, with others once in three months, with
others never, they not believing in outward ordinances. We are in the
habit of partaking of the contents of the cup each Sabbath when we meet
together, and I do pray you, my brethren and sisters, to contemplate
this ordinance thoroughly, and seek unto the Lord with all your hearts
that you may obtain the promised blessings by obedience to it. Teach
its observance to your children; impress upon them its necessity.
Its observance is as necessary to our salvation as any other of the
ordinances and commandments that have been instituted in order that
the people may be sanctified, that Jesus may bless them and give unto
them his spirit, and guide and direct them that they may secure unto
themselves life eternal. Impress the sacredness of this important
ordinance upon the minds of your children. 19:91.
We do this in remembrance of the death of our Savior; it is required of
his disciples until he comes again, no matter how long that may be. No
matter how many generations come and go, believers in him are required
to eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of his death and sufferings
until he comes again. Why are they required to do this? To witness unto
the Father, to Jesus and to the angels that they are believers in and
desire to follow him in the regeneration, keep his commandments, build
up his Kingdom, revere his name and serve him with an undivided heart,
that they may be worthy to eat and drink with him in his Father's
Kingdom. This is why the Latter-day Saints partake of the ordinance of
the Lord's Supper.
I know that in the Christian world sermon after sermon is preached on
this subject; yet people there differ in their {267} belief concerning
these emblems. The Mother Church, of the Christian world, believes that
the bread becomes the actual flesh of Jesus, and that the wine becomes
his blood; this is preposterous to me. It is bread, and it is wine;
but both are blessed to the souls of those who partake thereof. But to
be followers of the Lord Jesus more is required than merely to partake
of the bread and wine--the emblems of his death and suffering--it
is necessary that strict obedience be rendered to his requirements.
13:139-140.
In what consists the benefit we derive from this ordinance? It is in
obeying the commands of the Lord. When we obey the commandments of our
Heavenly Father, if we have a correct understanding of the ordinances
of the house of God, we receive all the promises attached to the
obedience rendered to his commandments. 2:3.
It is one of the greatest blessings we could enjoy, to come before the
Lord, and before the angels, and before each other, to witness that we
remember that the Lord Jesus Christ has died for us. This proves to the
Father that we remember our covenants, that we love his Gospel, that we
love to keep his commandments, and to honor the name of the Lord Jesus
upon the earth. 6:277.
In the days of ancient Israel, while in the land of Palestine, they
were not blessed so profusely as we are with the crystal streams from
the mountains. They were in the habit of drinking a great deal of wine,
and among the few who have continued to inhabit that land, this habit,
I believe, has been kept up to the present time. It is a wine country.
But the Lord has said to us it mattered not what we partake of when
we administer the cup to the people, inasmuch as we do it with an eye
single to the glory of God; it is then acceptable to him. Consequently
we use water as {268} though it were wine; for we are commanded to
drink not of wine for this sacred purpose except it be made by our own
hands. 19:92.
In some of our Wards and settlements the administering of the Sacrament
has been introduced in the Sunday schools. It is very pleasing and
gratifying to the spirit that I possess, for the parents to see that
their children attend Sunday school and receive the proper instruction
with regard to their faith. After the Sunday school is over, let the
parents take the pains to bring their children to meeting. 19:92.
I will now express a wish in relation to all who may rise here to ask
a blessing on the bread and water of the Sacrament, or to preach to
such large congregations as assemble here. When the Elders rise here to
speak, I want them to raise their voices so that the people can hear
them, that the audience may be able to say "Amen" to all the good; and
if there is evil, refuse it. When any one rises to preach, pray, sing,
exhort, or bless the Sacramental emblems, let him do so with voice
sufficient for all to hear. 8:183. {269}
CHAPTER XV
_TITHING; THE UNITED ORDER_
_The Law of Tithing_--One thing is required at the hands of this
people, and to understand which there is no necessity for receiving
a commandment every year, viz.: to pay their tithing. I do not
suppose for a moment, that there is a person in this Church, who is
unacquainted with the duty of paying tithing, neither is it necessary
to have revelation every year upon the subject. There is the Law--pay
one-tenth. 1:278.
I like the term, because it is scriptural, and I would rather use it
than any other. The Lord instituted tithing; it was practiced in the
days of Abraham, and Enoch and Adam and his children did not forget
their tithes and offerings. You can read for yourselves with regard to
what the Lord requires. I want to say this much to those who profess to
be Latter-day Saints--if we neglect our tithes and offerings we will
receive the chastening hand of the Lord. We may just as well count on
this first as last. If we neglect to pay our tithes and offerings we
will neglect other things and this will grow upon us until the spirit
of the Gospel is entirely gone from us, and we are in the dark, and
know not whither we are going. 15:163.
If the Lord requires one-tenth of my ability to be devoted to building
temples, meeting houses, school houses, to schooling our children,
gathering the poor from the nations of the earth, bringing home the
aged, lame, halt and blind, and building houses for them to live in,
that they may be comfortable when they reach Zion, and to sustaining
the Priesthood, it is not my prerogative to question the {270}
authority of the Almighty in this, nor of his servants who have charge
of it. If I am required to pay my tithing it is my duty to pay it. In
the days of Joseph, when my circumstances were very, very straitened,
I never had $500, $100, one dollar, fifty cents or twenty-five cents,
but what, if it were wanted, it went as free as a cup of water from a
well--Joseph was welcome to it. Was I tried in this? Yes, for many and
many has been the time in my poverty, when if I had a dollar or fifty
cents in my possession I have thought, "I can buy a pint or a half pint
of molasses for my children to sop their bread in," but it was called
for, and it went as free as the water of the river here would be to a
thirsty person. And as for my time, from the day that I entered this
Church until now, I have paid no attention to any business except that
of building up this Kingdom. The question may be asked, "Do you not
attend to your private affairs and business?" Yes, when I can, but I
do not know that I have ever spent one minute in attending to business
belonging to Brigham Young, when the business of the Church and Kingdom
of God on the earth required his attention. Yet I would not say that
this is any excuse for not strictly paying my tithing. I have paid a
great deal of tithing, more perhaps than any other man, or any other
ten men who were ever in the Church, and yet my tithing is not paid.
But I pay tithing, and when the grain upon my farm is ripened, or the
cattle upon it are matured, I say to my men, "Be sure and pay the
tithing on whatever we have raised." But in some instances I have found
that it was neglected. 16:111.
It is very true that the poor pay their tithing better than the rich
do. If the rich would pay their tithing we should have plenty. The
poor are faithful and prompt in paying {271} their tithing, but the
rich can hardly afford to pay theirs--they have too much. If he has
only ten dollars he can pay one; if he has only one dollar he can pay
ten cents; it does not hurt him at all. If he has a hundred dollars he
can possibly pay ten. If he has a thousand dollars he looks over it a
little and says, "I guess I will pay it; it ought to be paid anyhow;"
and he manages to pay his ten dollars or his hundred dollars. But
suppose a man is wealthy enough to pay ten thousand, he looks that
over a good many times and says, "I guess I will wait until I get a
little more, and then I will pay a good deal." And they wait and wait,
like an old gentleman in the East; he waited and waited and waited to
pay his tithing until he went out of the world, and this is the way
with a great many. They wait and continue waiting, until, finally, the
character comes along who is called Death, and he slips up to them
and takes away their breath, then they are gone and cannot pay their
tithing, they are too late, and so it goes. 15:163-164.
The Saints abroad are required to pay their tithing. 8:182.
When men are Saints, they will bring their thousands and lay them at
the feet of the Bishops, Apostles, and Prophets, saying, "Here is my
money; it is now where it should be." 6:175.
When a man wishes to give anything, let him give the best he has got.
The Lord has given to me all I possess; I have nothing in reality, not
a single dime of it is mine. You may ask, "Do you feel as you say?"
Yes, I actually do. The coat I have on my back is not mine, and never
was; the Lord put it in my possession honorably, and I wear it; but if
he wishes for it, and all there is under it, he {272} is welcome to the
whole. I do not own a house, or a single farm of land, a horse, mule,
carriage, or wagon, or wife, nor child, but what the Lord gave me, and
if he wants them, he can take them at his pleasure, whether he speaks
for them, or takes them without speaking. 2:307.
When my Bishop came to value my property, he wanted to know what he
should take my tithing in. I told him to take anything I had, for I
did not set my heart upon any one thing; my horses, cows, hogs, or any
other thing he might take; my heart is set upon the work of my God,
upon the public good of his great Kingdom. 1:376.
If we live our religion we will be willing to pay tithing. 10:283.
Here is a character--a man--that God has created, organized, fashioned
and made,--every part and particle of my system from the top of my head
to the soles of my feet, has been produced by my Father in Heaven; and
he requires one-tenth part of my brain, heart, nerve, muscle, sinew,
flesh, bone, and of my whole system, for the building of temples, for
the ministry, for sustaining missionaries and missionaries' families,
for feeding the poor, the aged, the halt and blind, and for gathering
them home from the nations and taking care of them after they are
gathered. He has said, "My son, devote one-tenth of yourself to the
good and wholesome work of taking care of your fellow-beings, preaching
the Gospel, bringing people into the Kingdom; lay your plans to take
care of those who cannot take care of themselves; direct the labors of
those who are able to labor; and one-tenth part is all-sufficient if it
is devoted properly, carefully and judiciously for the advancement of
my Kingdom on the earth." 16:69.
_The Lord Has Given All_--It is not for me to rise up {273} and
say that I can give to the Lord, for in reality I have nothing to give.
I seem to have something. Why? Because the Lord has seen fit to bring
me forth, and has blessed my efforts in gathering things which are
desirable, and which are termed property. 2:300.
We are not our own, we are bought with a price, we are the Lord's; our
time, our talents, our gold and silver, our wheat and fine flour, our
wine and our oil, our cattle, and all there is on this earth that we
have in our possession is the Lord's, and he requires one-tenth of this
for the building up of his Kingdom. Whether we have much or little,
one-tenth should be paid in for tithing. 14:88.
What object have I in saying to the Latter-day Saints, do this, that
or the other? It is for my own benefit, it is for your benefit; it is
for my own wealth and happiness, and for your wealth and happiness
that we pay tithing and render obedience to any requirement of Heaven.
We can not add anything to the Lord by doing these things. Tell about
making sacrifices for the Kingdom of heaven. There is no man who ever
made a sacrifice on this earth for the Kingdom of heaven, that I know
anything about, except the Savior. He drank the bitter cup to the
dregs, and tasted for every man and for every woman, and redeemed the
earth and all things upon it. But he was God in the flesh, or he could
not have endured it. "But we suffer, we sacrifice, we give something,
we have preached so long." What for? "Why, for the Lord." I would not
give the ashes of a rye straw for the man who feels that he is making
sacrifice for God. We are doing this for our own happiness, welfare and
exaltation, and for nobody else's. This is the fact, and what we do, we
do for the salvation of the inhabitants {274} of the earth, not for the
salvation of the heavens, the angels, or the Gods. 16:114.
I do not expect to see the day when I am perfectly independent,
until I am crowned in the celestial kingdom of my Father, and made
as independent as my Father in Heaven. I have not yet received my
inheritance as my own, and I expect to be dependent until I do, for all
that I have is lent to me. 3:245.
We own nothing but the talents God has given to us to improve upon, to
show him what we will do with them. 8:293.
_People Not Compelled to Pay Tithing_--The people are not
compelled to pay their tithing, they do as they please about it, it is
urged upon them only as a matter of duty between them and their God.
12:36.
We do not ask anybody to pay tithing, unless they are disposed to do
so; but if you pretend to pay tithing, pay it like honest men. 8:202.
Some complain and say that they are taxed by tithing. We ask no tithing
of any man. In this we are as independent as the Lord is. I say, do not
pay another dollar in tithing unless you want to. 8:345.
Pay your tithing, just because you like to, not unless you want to.
They say we cut people off the Church for not paying tithing; we
never have yet, but they ought to be. God does not fellowship them.
The law of tithing is an eternal law. The Lord Almighty never had his
Kingdom on the earth without the law of tithing being in the midst
of his people, and he never will. It is an eternal law that God has
instituted for the benefit of the human family, for their salvation and
exaltation. This law is in the Priesthood, {275} but we do not want any
to observe it unless they are willing to do so. 14:89.
_Use of the Tithing_--It may be supposed by some that the tithing
is used to sustain and feed the First Presidency and the Twelve; this
is a false impression. I can say, without boasting, that there is not
another man in this Kingdom has done more in dollars and cents to
build it up than I have, and yet I have not done a farthing's worth of
myself, for the means I have handled God has given me; it is not mine,
and if it ever is mine it will be when I have overcome and gained my
exaltation and received it from him who rightfully owns all things.
10:270.
The little moiety that is now paid on tithing is used to bring the poor
here, to find them houses to live in, bread to eat, and wood to burn.
Now, suppose we had a little more of this surplus on hand, could we not
help the brethren on their way to preach the Gospel to the nations?
Yes, we could. Some of them will leave families that will, probably, be
destitute, and if we had means on hand we could donate to help them,
and to prevent them from running continually to the Bishops. 12:36.
The Lord requires one-tenth of that which he has given me; it is
for me to pay the one-tenth of the increase of my flocks and of all
that I have, and all the people should do the same. The question may
arise, "What is to be done with the tithing?" It is for the building
of temples to God; for the enlarging of the borders of Zion; sending
Elders on missions to preach the Gospel and taking care of their
families. By and by we shall have some temples to go into, and we
will receive our blessings, the blessings of heaven, by obedience to
the doctrine of tithing. We shall have temples built throughout these
mountains, in the {276} valleys of this Territory and the valleys of
the next Territory, and finally, all through these mountain valleys. We
expect to build temples in a great many valleys. We go to the Endowment
House, and before going, we get a recommendation from our Bishop that
we have paid our tithing. 16:168.
In regard to this whining of the world about Brigham's handling the
tithing, I can say that he has put in ten dollars where he has taken
one out of the treasury, and he has paid more tithing than any other
man in the Church. Everybody should pay their tenth. A poor woman ought
to pay her tenth chicken, if she has to draw out ten times its value
for her support. It is all the Lord's and we are only his stewards.
16:45.
It is my business to control the disbursements of the tithing paid by
the Saints, and not the business of every Elder in the Kingdom who
thinks the tithing belongs to him. 8:170.
_The United Order_--The Lord has declared it to be his will that
his people enter into covenant, even as Enoch and his people did, which
of necessity must be before we shall have the privilege of building the
Center Stake of Zion, for the power and glory of God will be there, and
none but the pure in heart will be able to live and enjoy it. 18:263.
When the Lord gave the revelation instructing us in our duty as to
consecrating what we have, if the people then could have understood
things precisely as they are; and had obeyed that revelation, it would
have been neither more no less than yielding up that which is not their
own, to him to whom it belongs. And so it is now. 2:303.
When they bow down to worship the Lord, they acknowledge that the
earth is his, and the cattle upon a {277} thousand hills; and tell the Lord
there is no sacrifice they are not willing to make for the sake of the
religion of Jesus Christ. The people were crying this continually among
the churches when the Book of Mormon came forth, and the Lord spoke
through Joseph, revealing the law of consecration, to see whether they
were willing to do as they said in their prayers. 2:305.
There is another revelation still prior to this time, stating that
it is the duty of all people who go to Zion to consecrate all their
property to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This
revelation was referred to at the April Conference in 1854. It was one
of the first commandments, or revelations given to this people after
they had the privilege of organizing themselves as a Church, as a body,
as the Kingdom of God on the earth. I observed then, and I now think,
that it will be one of the last revelations which the people will
receive into their hearts and understanding, of their own free will and
choice, and esteem it as a pleasure, a privilege, and a blessing unto
them to observe and keep most holy. 2:299.
I have said, and say today, that according to the age of the people
we have improved as fast as the church of Enoch. I trust we improve
faster, for we have not as much time as they had. In some of the first
revelations which were given to this Church, the Order of Enoch was
given for a pattern to this people; and Enoch patterned after the
heavens. In the commencement of the Church, the Latter-day Saints could
not receive it, and they were driven from city to city, as the Lord
said they should be, through the mouth of his servant Joseph, until
they should be willing to receive this Order. 12:210.
Will the time ever come that we can commence and {278} organize this
people as a family? It will. Do we know how? Yes; what was lacking in
these revelations from Joseph to enable us to do so was revealed to me.
Do you think we will ever be one? When we get home to our Father and
God, will we not wish to be in the family? Will it not be our highest
ambition and desire to be reckoned as the sons of the living God, as
the daughters of the Almighty, with a right to the household, and the
faith that belongs to the household, heirs of the Father, his goods,
his wealth, his power, his excellency, his knowledge and wisdom? 11:326.
I will say, first, that the Lord Almighty has not the least objection
in the world to our entering into the Order of Enoch. I will stand
between the people and all harm in this. He has not the least objection
to any man, every man, all mankind on the face of the earth turning
from evil and loving and serving him with all their hearts. With
regard to all those orders that the Lord has revealed, it depends upon
the will and doings of the people, and we are at liberty, from this
Conference, to go and build up a settlement, or we can join ourselves
together in this city, do it legally--according to the laws of the
land--and enter into covenant with each other by a firm agreement that
we will live as a family, that we will put our property into the hands
of a committee of trustees, who shall dictate the affairs of this
society. 16:8.
And when this people become one, it will be one in the Lord. They will
not look alike. We will not all have grey, blue, or black eyes. Our
features will differ one from another, and in our acts, dispositions,
and efforts to accumulate, distribute, and dispose of our time,
talents, wealth, and whatever the Lord gives to us, in our journey
{279} through life, we will differ just as much as in our features. The
point that the Lord wishes to bring us to is to obey his counsel and
observe his word. Then every one will be dictated so that we can act as
a family. 12:57.
But to the text. We want to see a community organized in which every
person will be industrious, faithful and prudent. What will you do with
the children? We will bring them up until they are of legal age, then
say, "Go where you please. We have given you a splendid education,
the advantage of all the learning of the day, and if you do not wish
to stay with the Saints, go where you please." What will you do with
those who apostatize after having entered into covenant and agreement
with others, that their property shall be one, and be in the hands
of trustees, and shall never be taken out? If any of these parties
apostatize, and say we wish to withdraw from this community, what will
you do with them? We will say to them, "Go, and welcome," and if we are
disposed to give them anything, it is all right. 15:226.
I know how to start such a society, right in this city, and how to make
its members rich. I would go to now, and buy out the poorest Ward in
this city, and then commence with men and women who have not a dollar
in the world. Bring them here from England, or any part of the earth,
set them down in this Ward and put them to work, and in five years
we would begin to enter other Wards, and we would buy this house and
that house, and the next house, and we would add Ward to Ward until we
owned the whole city, every dollar's worth of property there is in it.
We could do this, and let the rich go to California to get gold, and
we would buy their property. Would you like to know how to do this? I
can tell you {280} in a very few words--never want a thing you cannot
get, live within your means, manufacture that which you wear, and raise
that which you eat. Raise every calf and lamb; raise the chickens, and
have your eggs, make your butter and cheese, and always have a little
to spare. The first year we raise a crop, and we have more than we
want. We buy nothing, we sell a little. The next year we raise more;
we buy nothing and we sell more. In this way we could pile up the gold
and silver and in twenty years a hundred families working like this
could buy out their neighbors. I see men who earn four, five, ten or
fifteen dollars a day and spend every dime of it. Such men spend their
means foolishly, they waste it instead of taking care of it. They do
not know what to do with it, and they seem to fear that it will burn
their pockets, and they get rid of it. If you get a dollar, sovereign,
half-eagle or eagle, and are afraid it will burn your pockets, put
it into a safe. It will not burn anything there, and you will not be
forced to spend, spend, spend as you do now. 16:11.
I have looked upon the community of Latter-day Saints in vision and
beheld them organized as one great family of heaven, each person
performing his several duties in his line of industry, working for
the good of the whole more than for individual aggrandizement; and in
this I have beheld the most beautiful order that the mind of man can
contemplate, and the grandest results for the upbuilding of the Kingdom
of God and the spread of righteousness upon the earth. Will this people
ever come to this order of things? Are they now prepared to live
according to that patriarchal order that will be organized among the
true and faithful before God receives his own? We all concede the point
that when this mortality falls off, and with it its cares, anxieties,
{281} love of self, love of wealth, and love of power, and all the
conflicting interests which pertain to this flesh, that then, when our
spirits have returned to God who gave them, we will be subject to every
requirement that he may make of us, that we shall then live together as
one great family; our interest will be a general, a common interest.
Why can we not so live in this world? 12:153. {282}
CHAPTER XVI
_THE WORD OF WISDOM_
_Moderation_--By temperance and moderation lay the foundation for
the development of the mind. 19:68.
Indulgence of appetite is not worthy the notice of men and women,
though the body must be sustained, for that is a duty God has placed
upon us. 8:141.
Satisfying the appetite brings to an end the pleasure of eating; and
where food is partaken of chiefly to gratify the pleasureable sensation
derived from eating, disease is engendered, and true misery springs
out of this unwise gratification. Some healthy, strong-constitutioned
persons can eat large quantities of food with apparent impunity; but,
in so doing, the tax they place upon their systems will ultimately
bring disease and death. 8:139.
As I said to the brethren the other day in the Thirteenth Ward
schoolhouse, with regard to worldly pleasure, comfort, and enjoyment:
you may take as much as you please of the Spirit of the Lord, and it
will not make your stomach or head ache. You may drink nine cups of
strong spiritual drink, and it will not hurt you; but if you drink nine
cups of strong tea, see what it will do for you. Let a person that is
very thirsty and warm satiate his appetite with cold water, and when
he gets through he will perhaps have laid the foundation for death,
and may go to an untimely grave, which is frequently done. Excessive
eating, drinking, or exercise all tend to the grave. 11:329.
The blessings of food, sleep, and social enjoyment are ordained of God
for his glory and our benefit, and it is for us to learn to use them
and not abuse them, that his Kingdom {283} may advance on the earth,
and we advance in it. 6:149.
_The Word of Wisdom_--This Word of Wisdom prohibits the use of hot
drinks and tobacco. I have heard it argued that tea and coffee are not
mentioned therein; that is very true; but what were the people in the
habit of taking as hot drinks when that revelation was given? Tea and
coffee. We were not in the habit of drinking water very hot, but tea
and coffee--the beverages in common use. And the Lord said hot drinks
are not good for the body nor the belly, liquor is not good for the
body or the belly, but for the washing of the body, etc. Tobacco is not
good, save for sick cattle, and for bruises and sores, its cleansing
properties being then very useful. 13:277.
I know that some say the revelations upon these points are not given by
way of commandment. Very well, but we are commanded to observe every
word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 13:3.
Now I want you should recollect--Bishops, Elders of Israel, High
Priests, Seventies, the Twelve Apostles, the First Presidency, and all
the House of Israel, hearken ye. O my people! keep the word of the
Lord, observe the Word of Wisdom, sustain one another, sustain the
household of faith, and let our enemies alone. 12:29.
Now, Elders of Israel, if you have the right to chew tobacco, you have
a privilege I have not; if you have a right to drink whisky, you have
a right that I have not; if you have a right to transgress the Word of
Wisdom, you have a right that I have not. 12:30.
I said to the Saints at our last annual Conference, the Spirit whispers
to me to call upon the Latter-day Saints to observe the Word of Wisdom,
to let tea, coffee, and tobacco alone, and to abstain from drinking
spirituous drinks. {284} This is what the Spirit signifies through me.
If the Spirit of God whispers this to his people through their leader,
and they will not listen nor obey, what will be the consequences of
their disobedience? Darkness and blindness of mind with regard to the
things of God will be their lot; they will cease to have the spirit of
prayer, and the spirit of the world will increase in them in proportion
to their disobedience until they apostatize entirely from God and his
ways. 12:118.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command the Elders of
Israel--those who have been in the habit of getting drunk--to cease
drinking strong drink from this time henceforth. But some may think
they need it as soon as they go out of this house. Let me be your
physician in this matter. So long as you are able to walk and attend
to your business, it is folly to say that you need ardent spirits to
keep you alive. The constitution that a person has should be nourished
and cherished; and whenever we take anything into the system to force
and stimulate it beyond its natural capacity, it shortens life. I am
physician enough to know that. When you are tired and think you need a
little spirituous liquor, take some bread and butter or bread and milk,
and lie down and rest. Do not labor so hard as to deem it requisite to
get half drunk in order to keep up your spirits. If you will follow
this counsel, you will be full of life and health, and you will
increase your intelligence, your joy, and comfort. 7:337.
I now again request the authorities of this Church in their various
localities to sever from this society those who will not cease getting
drunk. 7:338.
It is my positive counsel and command that drinking liquor be stopped.
If I had the influence the world gives me {285} credit for, I would
not have a single drunkard, thief, or liar in this society. I do not
profess to have that influence, but I can raise my voice against those
evils. 1:337.
This Word of Wisdom which has been supposed to have become stale, and
not in force, is like all the counsels of God, in force as much today
as it ever was. There is life, everlasting life in it--the life which
now is and the life which is to come. 12:209.
It is a piece of good counsel which the Lord desires his people to
observe, that they may live on the earth until the measure of their
creation is full. This is the object the Lord had in view in giving
that Word of Wisdom. To those who observe it he will give great wisdom
and understanding, increasing their health, giving strength and
endurance to the faculties of their bodies and minds until they shall
be full of years upon the earth. This will be their blessing if they
will observe his word with a good and willing heart and in faithfulness
before the Lord. 12:156.
Mankind would not become attached to these unnecessary articles were it
not for the poison they contain. The poisonous or narcotic properties
in spirits, tobacco and tea are the cause of their being so much liked
by those who use them. 13:276.
I say to all the Elders of Israel, if it makes you sick and so sleepy
that you cannot keep out of bed unless you have tobacco, go to bed and
there lie. How long? Until you can get up and go to your business like
rational men, like men who have heads on their shoulders and who are
not controlled by their foolish appetites. I have said to my family,
and I now say to all the sisters in the Church, if you cannot get up
and do your washing without a cup of tea in the morning, go to bed, and
there lie. How long? {286} Until the influence of tea is out of the
system. Will it take a month? No matter if it does; if it takes three
months, six months, or a year, it is better to lie there in bed until
the influence of tea, coffee and liquor is out of the system, so that
you may go about your business like rational persons, than to give way
to these foolish habits. They are destructive to the human system;
they filch money from our pockets, and they deprive the poor of the
necessaries of life. 13:278.
The sisters may inquire, "What can we do?" Rule your own passions, and
exercise faith until you can govern and control your appetites, instead
of drinking tea, coffee, and hot drinks. That is one of the smallest
duties I can think of. Permit your bodies to have natural forms; also
take pains to have the bodies of your daughters grow naturally, and
teach them what they are made for, and that they, through faith, must
overcome every besetting sin and every unholy passion and appetite.
8:283.
And now that we have commenced to observe the Word of Wisdom, never
treat resolution with a cup of tea or coffee, for as sure as you treat
resolution once, it will plead hard for a treat again. Keep the Word of
Wisdom--help the poor, feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. Never let
it be said of the Territory of Utah that a poor person had to go to the
second house for a morsel to eat. 12:54-55.
Many of our sisters think they cannot live without tea. I will tell
you what we can do--I have frequently said it to my brethren and
sisters--if they cannot live without tea, coffee, brandy, whiskey,
wine, beer, tobacco, etc., they can die without them. This is beyond
controversy. If we had the determination that we should have, we would
live without them or die without them. Let the mother {287} impregnate
her system with these narcotic influences when she is bringing forth a
family on the earth, and what does she do? She lays the foundation of
weakness, palpitation of the heart, nervous affections, and many other
ills and diseases in the system of her offspring that will afflict them
from the cradle to the grave. Is this righteous or unrighteous, good or
evil? Let my sisters ask and answer the question for themselves, and
the conclusion which each and every one of them may come to is this,
"If I do an injury to my child, I sin." 13:276.
Last week I received a note in which was enclosed three dollars from a
sister; I cannot tell her name, for she did not give it. She said she
had not drunk any tea since Conference, and she had saved about three
dollars, which she enclosed for me to do good with. I felt "God bless
her," and she will be blessed as sure as she lives. 12:52.
If you observe faithfully the Word of Wisdom, you will have your
dollar, your five dollars, your hundred dollars, yea, you will have
your hundreds of dollars to spend for that which will be useful and
profitable to you. Why should we continue to practice in our lives
those pernicious habits that have already sapped the foundation of the
human constitution, and shortened the life of man to that degree that
a generation passes away in the brief period of from twenty-seven to
twenty-nine years? The strength, power, beauty and glory that once
adorned that form and constitution of man have vanished away before the
blighting influences of inordinate appetite and love of this world.
The health and power and beauty that once adorned the noble form of
man must again be restored to our race; and God designs that we shall
engage in this great work of restoration. Then let us not trifle with
our mission, by indulging in the use {288} of injurious substances.
These lay the foundation of disease and death in the systems of men,
and the same are committed to their children, and another generation of
feeble human beings is introduced into the world. Such children have
insufficient bone, sinew, muscle, and constitution, and are of little
use to themselves, or to their fellow creatures; they are not prepared
for life. 12:118.
A man who indulges in any habit that is pernicious to the general good
in its example and influence, is not only an enemy to himself but to
the community so far as the influence of that habit goes. A man who
would not sacrifice a pernicious habit for the good it would do the
community is, to say the least of it, lukewarm in his desires and
wishes for public and general improvement.
So we see that almost the very first teachings the first Elders of this
Church received were as to what to eat, what to drink, and how to order
their natural lives that they might be united temporally as well as
spiritually. This is the great purpose which God has in view in sending
to the world, by his servants, the Gospel of life and salvation. 12:158.
There is more strength and nutriment in a bowl of water gruel than
there is in tea; and there is no unhealthy influence in the water
gruel, but there is in tea and coffee. 11:350.
_Live Long._ Take care of yourselves, and live as long as you can,
and do all the good you can. 4:302.
The first principle that pertains to the intelligence God has bestowed
upon us is to know how to preserve the present organization with which
we are endowed. It is man's first duty to his existence, a knowledge of
which would cause him to use all prudent efforts for the preservation
{289} of his life on the earth until his work here is completed. 8:281.
Prepare to die, is not the exhortation in this Church and Kingdom;
but prepare to live is the word with us, and improve all we can in
the life hereafter, wherein we may enjoy a more exalted condition of
intelligence, wisdom, light, knowledge, power, glory, and exaltation.
Then let us seek to extend the present life to the uttermost, by
observing every law of health, and by properly balancing labor, study,
rest, and recreation, and thus prepare for a better life. Let us teach
these principles to our children, that, in the morning of their days,
they may be taught to lay the foundation of health and strength and
constitution and power of life in their bodies. 11:132.
This is the duty of the human family, instead of wasting their lives
and the lives of their fellow-beings, and the precious time God has
given us to improve our minds and bodies by observing the laws of life,
so that the longevity of the human family may begin to return. By and
by, according to the Scriptures, the days of a man shall be like the
days of a tree. But in those days people will not eat and drink as they
do now; if they do their days will not be like a tree, unless it be a
very short-lived tree. This is our business. 14:89.
We are trying to become natural in our habits, and are striving to
fulfil the end and design of our creation. 13:233.
The fathers and mothers have laid the foundation for many of these
diseases, from generation to generation, until the people are reduced
to their present condition. True, some live to from fifty to ninety
years of age, but it is an unusual circumstance to see a man an hundred
years old, or a woman ninety. The people have laid the foundation of
{290} short life through their diet, their rest, their labor, and
their doing this, that, and the other in a wrong manner, with improper
motives, and at improper times. 2:269.
You, mothers and daughters in Israel, who are taking this course, how
do you expect to live to accomplish the work the Lord has assigned
you? You get up in the morning and have your cup of tea, your fried
ham, your cold beef and mince pies, and everything you can possibly
cram into the stomach, until you surfeit the system and lay the
foundation for disease and early death. Says the mother--"Do eat, my
little daughter, you are sick; take a piece of pie, toast, or meat,
or drink a little tea or coffee; you must take something or other."
Mothers in Israel, such a course engenders disease, and you are laying
a foundation that will cut off one-half or two-thirds of the lives of
your children. 12:37.
_Eating for Health_--Instead of doing two days' work in one day,
wisdom would dictate to our sisters, and to every other person, that
if they desire long life and good health, they must, after sufficient
exertion, allow the body to rest before it is entirely exhausted.
When exhausted, some argue that they need stimulants in the shape of
tea, coffee, spirituous liquors, tobacco, or some of those narcotic
substances which are often taken to goad on the lagging powers to
greater exertions. But instead of these kind of stimulants they should
recruit by rest. Work less, wear less, eat less, and we shall be a
great deal wiser, healthier, and wealthier people than by taking the
course we now do. It is difficult to find anything more healthy to
drink than good cold water, such as flows down to us from springs and
snows of our mountains. This is the beverage we should drink. It should
be our drink at all times. If we {291} constantly drink even malt
liquor made from our barley and wheat, our health would be injured more
or less thereby. It may be remarked that some men who use spirituous
liquors and tobacco are healthy, but I argue that they would be much
more healthy if they did not use it, and then they are entitled to
the blessings promised to those who observe the advice given in the
"Word of Wisdom." Some few persons who have been addicted to the use
of hot drinks, etc. have reached the age of eighty, eighty-three, and
eighty-four years, but had they not been addicted to such habits of
living they might have reached the age of an hundred or an hundred and
five years. 12:122.
I do not mean to go without food and go to fasting. This is the other
extreme. A sufficient amount of food that will agree with the-stomach
is healthy, and should be partaken of. Aged or middle aged, youth or
children, never should go without food until their stomachs are faint,
demanding something to sustain their systems, and continue to undergo
this; for this lays the foundation of weakness, and this weakness will
tempt disease. But keep the stomach in a perfectly healthy condition.
Now I do not mean fasting, but eating moderately; and if my sisters
will go home and commence to adopt this rule, you will find that you
begin to get better, your children and neighbors will get better. We
do not expect all to be free from sickness. I have had a great deal
of sickness in my life. I do not expect to be free from the ills, the
weakness, debility and disease that prey upon the human family, but we
can amend our ways, and amend our life by being prudent; and I wish the
sisters to understand this, and to adopt these instructions. 19:68.
The citizens of this city are tolerably comfortable; a {292} great
many of them have an abundance of fruit, and they enjoy it. It is very
healthy for them and their children to eat in the season thereof.
11:141.
As we got richer and built warm houses, and have lived more richly,
indulging in sweet cake, plum pudding, roast beef and so on, we have
had more or less disease among us. 13:132.
Go into their houses and you will find beef, pork, apple pie, custard
pie, pumpkin pie, mince pie, and every luxury, and they live so as
to shorten their days and the days of their children. You may think
that these things are not of much importance; no more they are, unless
they are observed, but let the people observe them and they lay the
foundation for longevity, and they will begin to live out their days,
not only a hundred years, but, by and by, hundreds of years on the
earth. Do you think they will stuff themselves then with tea and
coffee, and perhaps with a little brandy sling before breakfast and a
little before going to bed, and then beef, pork, mutton, sweet meats,
and pastry, morning, noon and night? No; you will find they will live
as our first parents did, on fruits and on a little simple food, and
they will never overload the stomach. 12:37.
Suppose I happen to say, "Come, wife, let us have a good dinner today";
what does she get? Pork and beef boiled, stewed, roasted, and fried
potatoes, onions, cabbage, and turnips, custard, eggs, pies of all
kinds, cheese and sweet meats. 2:269.
A thorough reformation is needed in regard to our eating and drinking,
and on this point I will freely express myself, and shall be glad if
the people will hear, believe and obey. If the people were willing to
receive the true knowledge from heaven in regard to their diet they
would cease {293} eating swine's flesh. I know this as well as Moses
knew it, and without putting it in a code of commandments. The beef fed
upon our mountain grasses is as healthy food as we need at present.
Beef, so fattened, is as good as wild meat, and is quite different in
its nature from stall-fed meat. But we can eat fish; and I ask the
people of this community, Who hinders you from raising fowls for their
eggs? Who hinders you from cultivating fruit of every variety that
will flourish in the different parts of this Territory? There has not
been a day through the whole winter that I have not had fresh peaches,
and plenty of apples and strawberries. Who hinders any person in this
community from having these different kinds of food in their families?
Fish is as healthy a food as we can eat, if we except vegetables and
fruit, and with them will become a very wholesome diet. 12:192.
When we go on a trip to the settlements and stop at the brethren's
houses, it is, "Brother Brigham, let us manifest our feelings towards
you and your company." I tell them to do so, but give me a piece of
Johnny-cake; I would rather have it than their pies and tarts and sweet
meats. Let me have something that will sustain nature and leave my
stomach and whole system clear to receive the Spirit of the Lord and be
free from headache and pains of every kind.
The Americans, as a nation, are killing themselves with their vices
and high living. As much as a man ought to eat in half an hour they
swallow in three minutes, gulping down their food like the canine
quadruped under the table, which, when a chunk of meat is thrown down
to it, swallows it before you can say "twice." If you want a reform,
carry out the advice I have just given you. Dispense {294} with your
multitudinous dishes, and, depend upon it, you will do much towards
preserving your families from sickness, disease and death.
If this method were adopted in this community, I will venture to say
that it would add ten years to the lives of our children. That is worth
a great deal. 13:153-154.
If the days of man are to begin to return, we must cease all
extravagant living. When men live to the age of a tree, their food will
be fruit. Mothers, to produce offspring full of life and days, must
cease drinking liquor, tea, and coffee, that their systems may be free
from bad effects. If every woman in this Church will now cease drinking
tea, coffee, liquor, and all other powerful stimulants, and live upon
vegetables, etc. not many generations will pass away before the days
of man will again return. But it will take generations to eradicate
entirely the influences of deleterious substances. 8:63.
_Living out-of-Doors_--People need not be afraid of living out of
doors, nor sleeping out of doors. This country is much healthier than
the lowlands in the States, or than many places in the Old World. 4:92.
Good pure air is the greatest sustainer of animal life. Other elements
of life we can dispense with for a time, but this seems to be essential
every moment; hence the necessity of well ventilated dwelling-houses,
especially the rooms occupied for sleeping. You can live without
water and food longer than you can without air, and water is of more
importance than meat and bread. 8:168.
The out-door air is what the people need for health, it is good for
them to camp out. Close houses are injurious to the health; if our
houses were every one of them levelled to the ground, and we were
obliged to live in our wagons {295} and tents, the people would be
healthier, from year to year, than they are now. Good houses are
comfortable and very convenient, and please our feelings, and are
tolerably healthful when properly ventilated. 2:284.
What gives the people colds and makes them sick? You hear many say
"I had not had a cold this fall, until I came into our new house."
Brethren and sisters that have come into the city from living in the
canyons, and those who have arrived from the States this season, have
not been troubled with colds until they came into warm houses; that
gives them colds, by depriving their lungs of the benefit they are
organized to receive from the atmosphere. 4:91.
We should have plenty of pure, fresh air. If children are kept in close
bed-rooms, they become puny and weakly. Let them sleep where they can
have abundance of pure air, in well ventilated rooms, or out of doors,
in the summer time, in a safe place; it will be most beneficial for
their health. 12:218.
_Exercise and Mental Vigor_--Do you know that it is your privilege
so to live that your minds may all the time be perfectly within your
control? Study to preserve your bodies in life and health, and you will
be able to control your minds. 8:135.
My mind becomes tired, and perhaps some of yours do. If so, go and
exercise your bodies. 6:148.
In the eastern country there was a man who used to go crazy, at times,
and then come to his senses again. One of his neighbors asked him
what made him go crazy; he replied, "I get to thinking, and thinking,
until finally I think so far that I am not always able to think back
again." Can you think too much for the spirit which is put in the
tabernacle? {296} You can, and this is a subject which I wish the
brethren instructed upon, and the people to understand. The spirit
is the intelligent part of man, and is intimately connected with the
tabernacle. Let this intelligent part labor to excess, and it will
eventually overcome the tabernacle, the equilibrium will be destroyed,
and the whole organization deranged. Many people have deranged
themselves by thinking too much.
The thinking part is the immortal or invisible portion, and it is that
which performs the mental labor; then the tabernacle, which is formed
and organized for that express purpose, brings about or effects the
result of that mental labor. Let the body work with the mind, and let
them both labor fairly together, and, with but few exceptions, you will
have a strong-minded, athletic individual, powerful both physically and
mentally.
When you find the thinking faculty perfectly active, in a healthy
person, it should put the physical organization into active operation,
and the result of the reflection is carried out, and the object is
accomplished. In such a person you will see mental and physical health
and strength combined, in their perfection. 3:247.
As for health, it is far healthier to walk than to ride, and better
every way for the people. 4:103.
Many persons are so constituted, that if you put them in a parlor, keep
a good fire for them, furnish them tea, cake, sweet meats, etc., and
nurse them tenderly, soaking their feet, and putting them to bed, they
will die in a short time; but throw them into snow banks, and they will
live a great many years. Brother Heywood would have been in his grave
long ago, if he had not led an out-door life, and {297} such is the
case with others; but he is again here, and we have the privilege of
seeing him. 4:295.
_Physiological Differences_--The study and practice of anatomy and
surgery are very good; they are mechanical, and are frequently needed.
Do you not think it is necessary to give medicine sometimes? Yes, I can
see the faces of this congregation, but I do not see two alike; and if
I could look into your nervous systems and behold the operations of
disease, from the crowns of your heads to the soles of your feet, I
should behold the same difference that I see in your physiognomy--there
would be no two precisely alike. Doctors make experiments, and if they
find a medicine that will have the desired effect on one person, they
set it down that it is good for everybody, but it is not so, for upon
the second person that medicine is administered to, seemingly with the
same disease, it might produce death. If you do not know this, you
have not had the experience that I have. I say that unless a man or
woman who administers medicine to assist the human system to overcome
disease, understands, and has that intuitive knowledge, by the Spirit,
that such an article is good for that individual at that very time,
they had better let him alone. Let the sick do without eating, take a
little of something to cleanse the stomach, bowels and blood, and wait
patiently, and let nature have time to gain the advantage over the
disease. 15:225.
_Feeding Children_--Now, mothers, if you want to do good, do not
let your sons and daughters drink either tea or coffee, while under
your protection. 11:352.
Some mothers, when bearing children, long for tea and coffee, or for
brandy and other strong drinks, and if they give way to that influence
the next time they will want {298} more, and the next still more, and
thus lay the foundation for drunkenness in their offspring. An appetite
is engendered, bred, and born in the child, and it is a miracle if it
does not grow up a confirmed drunkard. 2:270.
Infants, children, youth, young men, and young women, thousands and
tens of thousands of them, go to an untimely grave through the diseases
engendered in their systems by their progenitors. 13:276.
Sisters, will you take notice, and instruct those who are not here
today, to adopt this rule--stop your children from eating meat, and
especially fat meat; let them have composition to drink, instead of
unhealthy water; let them eat a little milk porridge; let them eat
sparingly and not oppress the stomach so as to create a fever. No
matter whether it is a child or a middle-aged person, whenever the
stomach is over-loaded and charged with more than is required it
creates a fever; this fever creates sickness, until death relieves the
sufferer. 19:68.
Many husbands are made sick and many children are sent to an untimely
grave through eating badly prepared food, the result of ignorance or
carelessness. 10:28.
Children should have milk, bread, water, and potatoes; and everything
that would lay the foundation for disease should be strenuously kept
from their stomachs, that no appetites may be formed for pernicious
substances, which, when formed, cannot be overcome easily, if at all.
2:21.
I will tell you how you can enjoy health. You let your children have
a little milk in the morning. Give them a little bread with it--not
soft bread; teach your children to eat crust--hard baked bread, that
the Americans would call stale, but the English would not. Teach them
to eat this, {299} and to eat sparingly. Instead of drinking unhealthy
water, boil such water, and let it stand until it is cool. If the
children are in the least troubled with summer complaint, and are weak
in their bowels, make a weak composition tea, sweeten it with loaf
sugar and put a little nice cream in it; and let the children make a
practice of drinking composition instead of cold water. Mothers, keep
the children from eating meat; and let them eat vegetables that are
fully matured, not unripe, and bread that is well baked, not soft.
Do not put your loaf into the oven with a fire hot enough to burn it
before it is baked through, but with a slow heat, and let it remain
until it is perfectly baked; and I would prefer, for my own eating,
each and every loaf to be not thicker than my two hands--you tell how
thick they are--and I would want the crust as thick as my hand. 19:67.
Be careful of your bodies; be prudent in laying out your energies,
for when you are old you will need the strength and power you are now
wasting. Preserve your lives. Until you know and practice this, you are
not thoroughly good soldiers nor wise stewards. 8:136-137. {300}
CHAPTER XVII
_THE FAMILY_
_Virtue_--Purity preserves, sustains and increases. 16:108.
The principle of pure affection is the gift of God, and it is for us to
learn to control it and exercise proper dominion over it. 6:149.
Learn the will of God, keep his commandments and do his will, and you
will be a virtuous person. 3:204.
Any man who humbles a daughter of Eve to rob her of her virtue,
and cast her off dishonored and defiled, is her destroyer, and is
responsible to God for the deed. If the refined Christian society of
the nineteenth century will tolerate such a crime, God will not; but
he will call the perpetrator to an account. He will be damned; in hell
he will lift up his eyes, being in torment, until he has paid the
uttermost farthing, and made a full atonement for his sins. 11:268.
The defiler of the innocent is the one who should be branded with
infamy and cast out from respectable society, and shunned as a pest,
or, as a contagious disease, is shunned. The doors of respectable
families should be closed against him, and he should be frowned upon by
all high-minded and virtuous persons. Wealth, influence and position
should not screen him from their righteous indignation. His sin is one
of the blackest in the calendar of crime, and he should be cast down
from the high pinnacle of respectability and consideration, to find his
place among the worst of felons. 11:267.
I would rather follow her to the grave, and send her {301} home pure,
than suffer my daughter to be prostituted. I will not suffer any female
member of my family to be polluted through the corruptions of wicked
men. 2:322.
Ever since I knew that my mother was a woman I loved the sex, and
delighted in their chastity. The man who abuses, or tries to bring
dishonor upon the female sex is a fool, and does not know that his
mother and his sisters were women. 12:194.
_Marriage_--Let every man in the land over eighteen years of age
take a wife, and then go to work with your hands and cultivate the
earth, or labor at some mechanical business, or some honest trade to
provide an honest living for yourselves and those who depend upon you
for their subsistence; observing temperance, and loving truth and
virtue; then would the woman be cared for, be nourished, honored and
blest, becoming honorable mothers of a race of men and women farther
advanced in physical and mental perfection than their fathers. This
would create a revolution in our country, and would produce results
that would be of incalculable good. 12:194-195.
Young men, fit you up a little log cabin, if it is not more than ten
feet square, and then get you a bird to put in your little cage. You
can then work all day with satisfaction to yourself considering that
you have a home to go to, and a loving heart to welcome you. You will
then have something to encourage you to labor and gather around you the
comforts of life, and a place to gather them to. Strive to make your
little home attractive. Use lime freely, and let your houses nestle
beneath the cool shades of trees, and be made fragrant with perfume of
flowers. 12:204.
The Lord says--Let my servants and handmaidens be sealed, and let their
children be sealed. 12:164. {302}
We understand that we are to be made kings and priests unto God; now if
I be made the king and lawgiver to my family, and if I have many sons,
I shall become the father of many fathers, for they will have sons, and
their sons will have sons, and so on, from generation to generation,
and, in this way, I may become the father of many fathers, or the king
of many kings. This will constitute every man a prince, king, lord, or
whatever the Father sees fit to confer upon us.
In this way we can become king of kings, and lord of lords, or father
of fathers, or prince of princes, and this is the only course, for
another man is not going to raise up a kingdom for you. 3:265-266.
But the whole subject of the marriage relation is not in my reach, nor
in any other man's reach on this earth. It is without beginning of days
or end of years; it is a hard matter to reach. We can tell some things
with regard to it; it lays the foundation for worlds, for angels,
and for the Gods; for intelligent beings to be crowned with glory,
immortality, and eternal lives. In fact, it is the thread which runs
from the beginning to the end of the holy Gospel of Salvation--of the
Gospel of the Son of God; it is from eternity to eternity. 2:90.
When a man and woman have received their endowments and sealings[A], and
then had children born to them afterwards, those children are legal
heirs to the Kingdom and to all its blessings and promises, and they
are the only ones that are on this earth. There is not a young man in
our community who would not be willing to travel from here to England
to be married right, if he understood things as they are; there is not
a young woman in our community, {303} who loves the Gospel and wishes
its blessings, that would be married in any other way; they would live
unmarried until they could be married as they should be, if they lived
until they were as old as Sarah before she had Isaac born to her. Many
of our brethren have married off their children without taking this
into consideration, and thinking it a matter of little importance. I
wish we all understood this in the light in which heaven understands
it. 11:118.
[Footnote A: In the Temple--For Eternity.]
Our children who are born in the Priesthood are legal heirs, and
entitled to the revelations of the Lord, and as the Lord lives, his
angels have charge over them, though they may be left to themselves
occasionally. 12:174.
There is no ecclesiastical law that you know anything about, to free
a wife from a man to whom she has been sealed, if he honors his
Priesthood. 8:345.
I will give each of the young men in Israel, who have arrived at an age
to marry, a mission to go straightway and get married to a good sister,
fence a city lot, lay out garden and orchard and make a home. This is
the mission that I give to all young men in Israel. And I say to you,
sisters, if you do not know how to milk a cow, you can soon learn. If
you do not know how to feed the cows, you can learn. If you do not know
how to feed the chickens, get them and learn how, and if your husband
takes you to live in ever so small and humble a cottage, make it neat
and nice and clean, and set out flowers around the doors, and let the
husband plant fruit trees and shade trees, and let wives help their
husbands that they may be encouraged to take hold of more important
business that will create an income sufficient to sustain their wives,
and by economy and care become wealthy in a short time, and have your
carriage to ride in. What a satisfaction it will be to you to know that
{304} what you possess is the result of your industry and economy.
12:200-201.
_Do Not Marry Unbelievers_--Be careful, O ye mothers in Israel,
and do not teach your daughters in future, as many of them have been
taught, to marry out of Israel. Woe to you who do it; you will lose
your crowns as sure as God lives. 12:97.
What was the cause of the first, or one of the first, curses that
came upon Israel? I will tell you. One of the first transgressions of
the family called Israel, was their going to other families or other
nations to select partners. This was one of the great mistakes made by
the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for they would go and marry
with other families, although the Lord had forbidden them to do so,
and had given them a very strict and stringent law on the subject. He
commanded them not to marry among the Gentiles, but they did and would
do it. Inasmuch as they would not do what he required of them, then he
gave them what I call a portion of the law of carnal commandments. This
law told them what they might and whom they might not marry. It was
referred to by the Savior and his Apostles and it was a grievous yoke
to place on the necks of any people; but as the children of this family
would run after Babylon, and after the pride and the vanity and evils
of the world, and seek to introduce them into Israel, the Lord saw fit
to place this burden upon them. 16:111.
How is it with you, sisters? Do you distinguish between a man of God
and a man of the world? It is one of the strangest things that happens
in my existence, to think that any man or woman can love a being that
will not receive the truth of heaven. The love this Gospel produces
{305} is far above the love of women; it is the love of God--the love
of eternity--of eternal lives. 8:199-200.
_Birth Control_--There are multitudes of pure and holy spirits
waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty?--To prepare
tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive
those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be
trained in wickedness, debauchery, and every species of crime. It is
the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for
all the spirits they can. 4:56.
This is the reason why the doctrine of plurality of wives was revealed,
that the noble spirits which are waiting for tabernacles might be
brought forth. 4:56.
To check the increase of our race has its advocates among the
influential and powerful circles of society in our nation and in
other nations. The same practice existed forty-five years ago, and
various devices were used by married persons to prevent the expenses
and responsibilities of a family of children, which they must have
incurred had they suffered nature's laws to rule preeminent. That
which was practiced then in fear and against reproving conscience, is
now boldly trumpeted abroad as one of the best means of ameliorating
the miseries and sorrows of humanity. Infanticide is very prevalent
in our nation. It is a crime that comes within the purview of the
law, and is therefore not so boldly practiced as is the other equally
great crime, which no doubt, to a great extent, prevents the necessity
of infanticide. The unnatural style of living, the extensive use of
narcotics, the attempts to destroy and dry up the fountains of life,
are fast destroying the American element of the nation; it is passing
away before the increase of the more healthy, robust, honest, and less
sinful class of the {306} people which are pouring into the country
daily from the Old World. The wife of the servant man is the mother
of eight or ten healthy children, while the wife of his master is the
mother of one or two poor, sickly children, devoid of vitality and
constitution, and, if daughters, unfit, in their turn, to be mothers,
and the health and vitality which nature has denied them through the
irregularities of their parents are not repaired in the least by their
education. 12:120-121.
_The Husband_--Let the father be the head of the family, the
master of his own household; and let him treat them as an angel would
treat them; and let the wives and the children say amen to what he
says, and be subject to his dictates, instead of their dictating the
man, instead of their trying to govern him. 4:55.
Now let me say to the First Presidency, to the Apostles, to all the
Bishops in Israel, and to every quorum, and especially to those who
are presiding officers, Set that example before your wives and your
children, before your neighbors and this people, that you can say:
"Follow me, as I follow Christ." When we do this, all is right, and our
consciences are clear! 15:229.
I exhort you, masters, fathers, and husbands, to be affectionate and
kind to those you preside over. And let them be obedient, let the
wife be subject to her husband, and the children to their parents.
Mothers, let your minds be sanctified before the Lord, for this is
the commencement, the true foundation of a proper education in your
children, the beginning point to form a disposition in your offspring,
that will bring honor, glory, comfort, and satisfaction to you all your
life time. 1:69.
Let the husband and father learn to bend his will to the {307} will
of his God, and then instruct his wives and children in this lesson
of self-government by his example as well as by precept, and his
neighbors also, showing them how to be brave and steadfast, in subduing
the rebellious and sinful disposition. Such a course as this will
eventually subdue that unhallowed influence which works upon the human
heart. 9:256.
It is for the husband to learn how to gather around his family the
comforts of life, how to control his passions and temper, and how to
command the respect, not only of his family but of all his brethren,
sisters, and friends. It is the calling of the wife and mother to know
what to do with everything that is brought into the house, laboring to
make her home desirable to her husband and children, making herself an
Eve in the midst of a little paradise of her own creating, securing her
husband's love and confidence, and tying her offspring to herself, with
a love that is stronger than death, for an everlasting inheritance.
10:28.
Let the husband make an improvement upon his kitchen and pantry
and upon his bedrooms for the benefit of his family, and improve
his gardens, walks, etc., beautifying your habitations and their
surroundings, making pavements and planting shade trees. 10:177.
I have been into houses which have not had the least convenience for
the women, not so much as a bench to set their water pails on, and they
have to set them on the floor, and yet their husbands will sit there
year after year, and never make so much improvement as a bench to set
the pail on. Yet they have the ability, but they will not exercise it.
18:75.
The father should be full of kindness, and endeavor to {308} happify
and cheer the mother, that her heart may be comforted and her
affections unimpaired in her earthly protector, that her love for God
and righteousness may vibrate throughout her whole being, that she
may bear and bring forth offspring impressed and endowed with all the
qualities necessary to a being designed to reign king of kings and lord
of lords. 8:62.
_The Wife_--You cannot read in the Bible that women take the
lead--that the responsibility is upon the women, for it is not so.
9:143.
One thing is very true and we believe it, and that is that a woman is
the glory of the man; but she was not made to be worshiped by him. As
the Scriptures say, Man is not without the woman, neither is woman
without the man in the Lord. Yet woman was not made to be worshiped
anymore than man was. Woman has her influence, and she should use that
in training her children in the way they should go; if she fails to do
this she assumes fearful responsibilities. 14:106.
I have a word to say to my sisters. When I reflect upon the duties
and responsibilities devolving upon our mothers and sisters, and the
influence they wield, I look upon them as the mainspring and soul of
our being here. It is true that man is first. Father Adam was placed
here as king of the earth, to bring it into subjection. But when Mother
Eve came she had a splendid influence over him. A great many have
thought it was not very good; I think it was excellent.
Now, I say the women have great influence. Look at the nations of
the earth. Any nation you like, no matter which, and you enlist the
sympathies of the female portion of it and what is there you cannot
perform? If the government wants soldiers, they are on hand; if means,
it is forthcoming. {309} If you want influence and power, and have the
ladies on your side, they will give it you. 14:102.
Now, a few words directly to my sisters here in the Kingdom of God.
We want your influence and power in helping to build up that Kingdom
and what I wish to say to you is simply this, if you will govern and
control yourselves in all things in accordance with good, sound, common
sense and the principles of truth and righteousness, there is not the
least fear but what father, uncle, grandfather, brothers, and sons will
follow in the wake. 14:102.
You ought to love a woman only so far as she adorns the doctrine you
profess. 3:360.
The mothers are the moving instruments in the hands of Providence to
guide the destinies of nations. Let the mothers of any nation teach
their children not to make war, the children would grow up and never
enter into it. Let the mothers teach their children, "War, war upon
your enemies, yes, war to the hilt!" and they will be filled with this
spirit. Consequently, you see at once what I wish to impress upon your
mind is, that the mothers are the machinery that give zest to the whole
man, and guide the destinies and lives of men upon the earth. 19:72.
It is the right of the mother who labors in the kitchen, with her
little prattling children around, to enjoy the Spirit of Christ, and
to know her duty with regard to those children; but it is not her duty
and privilege to dictate to her husband in his duties and business. If
that mother or wife enjoys the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, she
will never intrude upon the rights of her husband. It is the right and
privilege of the husband to know his duty with regard to his wives and
children, his flocks and his herds, his fields and his possessions;
though I have seen women who, I {310} thought, actually knew more about
the business of life than their husbands themselves did, and were
really more capable of directing a farm, the building of a house, and
the management of flocks and herds, etc., than the men were; but if men
were to live up to their privileges this would not be the case; for it
is their right to, claim the light of truth and that intelligence and
knowledge necessary to enable them to carry on every branch of their
business successfully. 11:135.
Study order and cleanliness in your various occupations. Adorn your
city and neighborhood. Make your homes lovely, and adorn your hearts
with the grace of God. 8:297.
You may say that it is hard work to please a man; yes, and woman too.
But when a man does his duty in providing for a family, there can
reasonably be but little complaint on the part of any sensible woman.
4:314.
Many of the sisters grieve because they are not blessed with offspring.
You will see the time when you will have millions of children around
you. If you are faithful to your covenants, you will be mothers of
nations. 8:208.
It is your right, wives, to ask your husbands to set out beautiful
shade and fruit trees, and to get you some vines and flowers with which
to adorn the outside of your dwellings; and if your husbands have not
time, get them yourselves and plant them out. Some, perhaps, will say,
"O, I have nothing but a log house, and it is not worth that." Yes; it
is worth it. Whitewash and plaster it up, and get vines to run over
the door, so that everybody who passes will say, "What a lovely little
cottage!" This is your privilege and I wish you to exercise yourselves
in your own rights. 14:105. {311}
It is not my general practice to counsel the sisters to disobey their
husbands, but my counsel is--obey your husbands; and I am sanguine and
most emphatic on that subject. But I never counseled a woman to follow
her husband to the Devil. If a man is determined to expose the lives
of his friends, let that man go to the Devil and to destruction alone.
1:77.
A few words to the sisters, you mothers who are trifling with the
ordinances of the house of God, and the blessings that are proffered
to you, I will say that the time will come, if you persist in doing
so, when you will mourn, and will be willing to give worlds, if you
possessed them, for the privilege of living your lives over again.
Some of you are treating with contempt the oracles of the Kingdom of
God upon the earth, and in the commission of this sin you trifle with
your own salvation, as well as the salvation of your children. Repent,
and turn unto God, and teach your children the importance of doing the
same, and of the sacredness of the ordinances and the laws of God.
18:263.
The duty of the mother is to watch over her children and give them
their early education, for impressions received in infancy are lasting.
You know, yourselves, by experience, that the impressions you have
received in the dawn of your mortal existence, bear, to this day,
with the greatest weight upon your mind. The child reposes implicit
confidence in the mother, you behold in him a natural attachment, no
matter what her appearance may be, that makes him think his mother
is the best and handsomest mother in the world. I speak for myself.
Children have all confidence in their mothers; and if mothers would
take proper pains, they can instill into the hearts of their children
what they please. You will, no doubt, recollect reading, in the {312}
Book of Mormon, of two thousand young men, who were brought up to
believe that, if they put their whole trust in God, and served him, no
power would overcome them. You also recollect reading of them going out
to fight, and so bold were they, and so mighty their faith, that it was
impossible for their enemies to slay them. This power and faith they
obtained through the teachings of their mothers.
These duties and responsibilities devolve upon mothers far more than
upon fathers, for you know the latter are often in the field or canyon,
and are frequently away from home, sometimes for several days together,
attending to labors which compel them to be absent from home. But the
mother is at home with the children continually; and if they are taught
lessons of usefulness it depends upon her. 14:105.
Mothers, remember that when your husbands are engaged in the service
of the Church, and are all the time occupied in the duties of the
Priesthood, so that they have not time to instruct their children,
the duty devolves upon you. Then bring your children up in the ways
of truth, and be to them both a father and mother, until they are old
enough to perform duties by the side, and under the immediate eye, of
their father. I like to see mothers bring their children to meeting, as
soon as they can be brought without injuring them, and when they can
tell what they want, and call for water when they are faint. As soon
as they are old enough to receive instruction, bring them here to be
taught. 2:21.
Were I a woman possessed of great powers of mind, filled with wisdom,
and, upon the whole, a magnanimous woman, and had been privileged with
my choice, and had married a man, and found myself deceived, he not
answering {313} my expectations, and I being sorry that I had made such
a choice, let me show my wisdom by not complaining about it. A woman's
wisdom and judgment has failed her once in the choice of a husband,
and it may again, if she is not very careful. By seeking to cast off
her husband--by withdrawing her confidence and good will from him, she
casts a dark shade upon his path, when, by pursuing a proper course of
love, obedience, and encouragement, he might attain to that perfection
she had anticipated in him. 7:280.
Is it not a blessing to you, mothers, to raise up Prophets and
Apostles--men filled with the glory of God, to go forth and extend the
work of our God? 8:92.
I can say to the sisters, if you have superior talents, arise and let
your light shine. Prove to your neighbors and the community that you
are capable of teaching those sisters whom you deem to be ignorant or
neglectful. 7:162.
_Children_--I wish to say to the children, obey your parents, be
good, never suffer yourselves to do that which will mortify you through
life, and that will cause you to look back with regret. While you are
pure and spotless preserve yourselves in the integrity of your souls.
Although you are young you know good from evil, and live so that you
can look back on your lives and thank the Lord that he has preserved
you, or has enabled you to preserve yourselves, so that you have no
misconduct to regret or mourn over. Take this course and you will
secure to yourselves an honorable name on earth among the good and
the pure; you will maintain your integrity before heaven, and prove
yourselves worthy of a high state of glory when you get through with
this world. 14:200.
You may say to yourselves, "If I can do as well as my {314} parents, I
think I shall do well, and be as good as I want to be, and I should not
strive to excel them." But if you do your duty you will far excel them
in everything that is good--in holiness, in physical and intellectual
strength, for this is your privilege, and it becomes your duty. 2:18.
Our young folks who have arrived at years of maturity should think
and act for themselves. They are citizens of the earth; they have
a share here, and have a part to bear--a character to form and
frame and present to the world, or they will sink into oblivion and
forgetfulness. 13:263.
The spirits which are reserved have to be born into the world, and the
Lord will prepare some way for them to have tabernacles. 3:264.
I can pick out scores of men in this congregation who have driven their
children from them by using the wooden rod. Where there is severity
there is no affection or filial feeling in the hearts of either party;
the children would rather be away from father than be with him. 9:196.
Those whom I once knew as little boys are growing out of my
recollection; these young men know nothing but "Mormonism." They are
in some instances called wild and ungovernable; but these wild boys,
properly guided and directed, will make the greatest men who have ever
lived upon this earth; and I want them to throw aside their diffidence
and come up and shake hands with me, and say, "How do you do, Brother
Brigham?" for I feel warmly towards them. 11:118.
_Family Life_--If every person, who professes to be a Latter-day
Saint, was actually a Saint, our home would be a paradise, there would
be nothing heard, nothing felt, nothing realized, but praise to the
name of our God, doing our duty, and keeping his commandments. 3:254.
{315}
To gain the spiritual ascendancy over ourselves, and the
influences with which we are surrounded, through a rigid course of
self-discipline, is our first consideration, it is our first labor,
before we can pave the way for our children to grow up without sin unto
salvation. 2:131.
In my experience I have learned that the greatest difficulty that
exists in the little bickerings and strifes of man with man, woman with
woman, children with children, parents with children, brothers with
sisters, and sisters with brothers, arises from the want of rightly
understanding each other. 4:368.
In our daily pursuits in life, of whatever nature and kind, Latter-day
Saints, and especially those who hold important positions in the
Kingdom of God, should maintain a uniform and even temper, both
when at home and when abroad. They should not suffer reverses and
unpleasant circumstances to sour their natures and render them fretful
and unsocial at home, speaking words full of bitterness and biting
acrimony to their wives and children, creating gloom and sorrow in
their habitations, making themselves feared rather than loved by their
families. Anger should never be permitted to rise in our bosoms, and
words suggested by angry feelings should never be permitted to pass our
lips. "A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up
anger." "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous;" but "the discretion
of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a
transgression." 11:136.
Fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters are no more to me than are any
other persons, unless they embrace this work. Here are my fathers,
my mothers, my sisters, and my brethren in the Kingdom, and I have
none outside of it, neither in any part of the earth, nor in all the
eternity of {316} the Gods. In this Kingdom are my acquaintances,
relatives, and friends,--my soul, my affections, my all. 8:199.
If a child or relative of mine forsakes the Gospel, the holy
Priesthood, his God, and the Kingdom of God, farewell to that child or
relative, whether near or distant. I own none as relatives, only those
who love and serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All that belong
to my Father's house I own. I love them, I delight in their society,
no matter whether they are poor or rich, learned or unlearned, if they
observe the laws of the Kingdom of God and live according to it. 9:155.
If children have sinned against their parents, or husbands against
their wives, or wives against their husbands, let them confess their
faults one to another and forgive each other, and there let the
confession stop; and then let them ask pardon from their God. Confess
your sins to whoever you have sinned against, and let it stop there.
If you have committed a sin against the community, confess to them.
If you have sinned in your family, confess there. Confess your sins,
iniquities, and follies, where that confession belongs, and learn to
classify your actions. 4:78.
Let us live so that the spirit of our religion will live within us,
then we have peace, joy, happiness and contentment, which makes such
pleasant fathers, pleasant mothers, pleasant children, pleasant
households, neighbors, communities and cities. That is worth living
for, and I do think that the Latter-day Saints ought to strive for
this. 15:135.
I will illustrate the method of establishing confidence in each other
by taking, for example, the child of four or five years of age. The
mother allows that child to own a small chest in which to keep his
little trinkets, such as little bosom pins, ribbons, doll clothes,
etc. This is considered {317} by all the family the child's chest. Now let
none go into that chest and take anything from it, without the consent
of the child. This is a very small matter, some may think; but begin
at as small a point as this to create confidence, and let it grow up
from little to much. Wives, let your husband's stores alone, if they
have not committed them to your charge. Husbands, commit that to your
wives that belongs to them, and never search their boxes without their
consent. I can boast of this. I have lived in the marriage relation
nearly thirty years, and I never was the man to open my wife's chest,
without her consent, except once, and that was to get out a likeness
that I wanted on the instant, and she was not at home to get it for
me. That was the first time I ever opened a trunk in my life, that
belonged to my wife, or to my child. The child's little chest, with its
contents, is as sacred to him, as mine is to me. If this principle were
strictly carried out by every man, woman, and child among the Saints,
it would make them a blessed people indeed. 1:315.
I wish the daughters of Israel to far exceed their mothers in wisdom.
And I wish these young men and boys to far exceed their fathers. I wish
my sons to far exceed me in goodness and virtue. 2:17.
I say to our young men, be faithful, for you do not know what is before
you, and abstain from bad company and bad habits. Let me say to the
boys sixteen years old and even younger, make up your minds to mark
out the path of rectitude for yourselves, and when evil is presented,
let it pass by unnoticed by you, and preserve yourselves in truth,
in righteousness, virtue and holiness before the Lord. You were born
in the Kingdom of God; it is to be built up; the earth has to be
renovated, and the people sanctified, {318} after they are gathered
from the nations, and it requires considerable skill and ability to do
this; let our young men prepare themselves to aid and do their part in
this great work. I want you to remember this teaching with regard to
our youth. 11.118.
_Importance of Early Training_--We see the infant in its mother's
arms. What is this infant here for? What is the design in the creation
of this little infant child? It lies here in its mothers' arms; it
would not resist, in the least, if it were dropped into a caldron of
boiling oil; if it were thrown into fire it would not know it until
it felt the flames; it might be laid down here, and the wolf might
come and lick its face, and it would not know but that its mother was
soothing it. You see this foundation, the starting point, the germ of
intelligence embodied in this infant, calculated to grow and expand
into manhood, then to the capacity of an angel, and so onward to
eternal exaltation. But here is the foundation. Sent to school, the
child learns to read, and continues to improve as long as it lives. Is
this the end of the knowledge of man? No. It is only the beginning. It
is the first stage of all the intelligence that the philosopher in his
reflections, taking the starry world before him, and looking into the
immensity of the creations of God, can imagine. Here is the first place
where we learn, this is the foot of the hill. 19:46.
When children are old enough to labor in the field, then the father
will take them in charge. If children are not taught by their mothers,
in the days of their youth, to revere and follow the counsels of their
fathers, it will be hard indeed for the father ever to control them.
1:68.
Parents, have you ever noticed that your children have exercised faith
for you when you have been sick? The little {319} daughter, seeing
you sick, will lift her heart with a pure, angelic-like prayer to
heaven; and disease is rebuked when that kind of faith is exercised.
God bless the children! I pray that they may live and be reared up
in righteousness, that God may have a people that will spread and
establish one universal reign of peace, and possess the powers of the
world to come. 8:117.
_Influence of the Mother_--Let mothers commence to teach their
children while in their laps, there do you teach them to love the Lord,
and keep his commandments. Teach them to keep your commandments, and
you will teach them to keep the commandments of your husbands. It is
not the prerogative of a child to dictate to his mother, or his father;
and it is not the prerogative of the father to rise up and dictate to
his God whom he serves. 1:68.
If you, mothers, will live your religion, then in the love and fear of
God teach your children constantly and thoroughly in the way of life
and salvation, training them up in the way they should go, when they
are old they will not depart from it. I promise you this, it is as true
as the shining sun, it is an eternal truth. In this duty we fail; we
do not bring up our children in the way they should go, or there would
be no turning away, wandering here and there from the society of the
Saints. We let our children do too much as they have a mind to; if they
want this or that their wishes must be gratified. 19:92.
If a mother wishes to control her child, in the first place let her
learn to control herself, then she may be successful in bringing the
child into perfect subjection to her will. 14:277.
The first thing that is taught by the mother to the child {320} should
be true; we should never allow ourselves to teach our children one
thing and practice another. 13:244.
I have often thought and said, "How necessary it is for mothers,
who are the first teachers of their children and who make the first
impressions on their young minds, to be strict." How careful they
should be never to impress a false idea on the mind of a child! They
should never teach them anything unless they know it is correct in
every respect. They should never say a word, especially in the hearing
of a child that is improper. How natural it is for women to talk baby
talk to their children; and it seems just as natural for the men to do
so. It is just as natural for me as to draw my breath to talk nonsense
to a child on my lap, and yet I have been trying to break myself of it
ever since I began to have a family. 14:105.
_Teach Children the Gospel_--If we do not take the pains to train
our children, to teach and instruct them concerning these revealed
truths, the condemnation will be upon us, as parents, or at least in a
measure. 19:92.
Teach your children from their youth, never to set their hearts
immoderately upon an object of this world. 3:357.
Bring up your children in the love and fear of the Lord; study their
dispositions and their temperaments, and deal with them accordingly,
never allowing yourself to correct them in the heat of passion; teach
them to love you rather than to fear you, and let it be your constant
care that the children that God has so kindly given you are taught
in their early youth the importance of the oracles of God, and the
beauty of the principles of our holy religion, that when they grow
to the years of man and womanhood they may always cherish a tender
regard for them and never forsake the truth. I do not wish you to lay
the stress and importance {321} upon outward ceremonies that many do.
Parents, teach your children by precept and example, the importance of
addressing the Throne of grace; teach them how to live, how to draw
from the elements the necessaries of life, and teach them the laws of
life that they may know how to preserve themselves in health and be
able to minister to others. And when instructing them in the principles
of the Gospel, teach them that they are true, truth sent down from
heaven for our salvation, and that the Gospel incorporates every truth
whether in heaven, in earth, or in hell; and teach them, too, that we
hold the keys of eternal life, and that they must obey and observe the
ordinances and laws pertaining to this holy Priesthood, which God has
revealed and restored for the exaltation of the children of men. 19:221.
If the law of Christ becomes the tradition of this people, the children
will be brought up according to the law of the celestial kingdom, else
they are not brought up in the way they should go. 3:327.
Latter-day Saints, have your children come to meeting. Sisters, let
your little girls go to Sunday school or come to meeting! Brethren,
let your children go to Sunday school, or to meeting, and advise your
neighbors to do the same. 14:118.
In the morning, it is true, there are many in the Sunday school, and
that we recommend; but in the afterpart of the day, where are these
school children? Are they playing in the streets, or are they visiting?
In going to Sunday school they have done their duty so far; but they
ought to be here. In their youth they ought to learn the principles and
doctrines of their faith, the arguments for truth, and the advantages
of truth. 15:83.
Teach your children honesty and uprightness, and teach {322} them also
never to injure others. As I say to my Sisters sometimes, "Look here,
my dear sister, if your child quarrels with your neighbor's child, do
not chasten your neighbor's child. Go and make peace, be a peace-maker.
Teach your child never to do a wrong; and if your neighbor's child has
injured you or yours, or taken anything from you, never mind. You stop
until you find out. Perhaps the child has meant no wrong. You should
learn the facts in the case, and go with a meek, humble, quiet spirit,
and peace will result." 13:252.
_Parents Should Teach by Example:_ If parents will continually
set before their children examples worthy of their imitation and the
approval of our Father in Heaven, they will turn the current, and the
tide of feelings of their children, and they, eventually, will desire
righteousness more than evil. 14:195.
Let the father and mother, who are members of this Church and Kingdom,
take a righteous course, and strive with all their might never to do
a wrong, but to do good all their lives; if they have one child or
one hundred children, if they conduct themselves towards them as they
should, binding them to the Lord by their faith and prayers, I care
not where those children go, they are bound up to their parents by an
everlasting tie, and no power of earth or hell can separate them from
their parents in eternity; they will return again to the fountain from
whence they sprang. 11:215.
We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing
to see our children do. We should set them an example that we wish
them to imitate. Do we realize this? How often we see parents demand
obedience, good behavior, kind words, pleasant looks, a sweet voice
{323} and a bright eye from a child or children when they themselves
are full of bitterness and scolding! How inconsistent and unreasonable
this is! 14:192.
Parents should never drive their children, but lead them along, giving
them knowledge as their minds are prepared to receive it. Chastening
may be necessary betimes, but parents should govern their children by
faith rather than by the rod, leading them kindly by good example into
all truth and holiness. 12:174.
Our children will have the love of the truth, if we but live our
religion. Parents should take that course that their children can say,
"I never knew my father to deceive or take advantage of a neighbor; I
never knew my father to take to himself that which did not belong to
him, never, never! No, but he said, 'Son, or daughter, be honest, true,
virtuous, kind, industrious, prudent and full of good works.'" Such
teachings from parents to their children will abide with them forever,
unless they sin against the Holy Ghost, and some few, perhaps, will do
this. 14:195.
_Guides for Child Training_--We can guide, direct, and prune a
tender sprout, and it inclines to our direction, if it is wisely and
skilfully applied. So, if we surround a child with healthy and salutary
influences, give him suitable instructions and store his mind with
truthful traditions, may be that will direct his feet in the way of
life. 9:248.
A child loves the smiles of its mother, but hates her frowns. I tell
the mothers not to allow the children to indulge in evils, but at the
same time to treat them with mildness. If a child is required to step
in a certain direction, and it does not seem willing to do so, gently
put it in the desired way, and say, There, my little dear, you must
step when I speak to you. Children need directing and {324} teaching
what is right in a kind, affectionate manner. 8:74.
You cannot break down the indomitable will of the human family. I have
known children to be so abused and whipped as to render them almost or
entirely worthless, and still the indomitable will remained. 6:332.
Now understand it--when parents whip their children for reading novels,
and never let them go to the theater, or to any place of recreation and
amusement, but bind them to the moral law, until duty becomes loathsome
to them; when they are freed by age from the rigorous training of their
parents, they are more fit for companions to devils, than to be the
children of such religious parents. 2:94.
It never hurts my feelings to see young exuberant life and animation
manifest themselves. Do not be discouraged about the follies of the
young. 7:336.
You see, hear and witness a good deal of contention among
children--some of you do, if not all--and I will give you a few words
with regard to your future lives, that you may have children that are
not contentious, not quarrelsome. Always be good-natured yourselves,
is the first step. Never allow yourselves to become out of temper and
get fretful. Why, mother says, "this is a very mischievous little boy
or little girl." What do you see? That amount of vitality in those
little children that they cannot be still. If they cannot do anything
else they will tip over the chairs, cut up and pull away at anything
to raise a row. They are so full of life that they cannot contain
themselves; and they are something like ourselves--boys. They have so
much vitality in them that their bones fairly ache with strength. They
have such an amount of vitality--life, strength and activity, that they
must dispose of them; and the young ones will contend with each other.
Do not be out of temper {325} yourselves. Always sympathize with them
and soothe them. Be mild and pleasant. 19:69.
I believe in indulging children, in a reasonable way. If the little
girls want dolls, shall they have them? Yes. But must they be taken to
the dressmaker's to be dressed? No. Let the girls learn to cut and sew
the clothing for their dolls, and in a few years they will know how to
make a dress for themselves and others. Let the little boys have tools,
and let them make their sleds, little wagons, etc., and when they grow
up, they are acquainted with the use of tools and can build a carriage,
a house, or anything else. 9:173.
Be careful of the clothing, you have. Do not let your children's
clothing lie underfoot when you undress them at night, but teach
your boys and girls, when they come into the house, to find a place
for their hats, cloaks, and bonnets, that, when they want them, they
can put their hands upon them in a moment. When they take off their
boots and shoes, let them be deposited where they can be found in the
dark, that, if the children are obliged to get up at night, perhaps
in case of fire, they can find their clothing, and not be under the
necessity of being turned out naked. If a person can put his hand on
his clothing, he can dress in the dark. 9:172-3.
What did you promise your little girl if she would do so and so? Did
you promise her a present for well doing? "Yes." Have you recollected
it? "No, it has gone from my mind," says the mother. If she does ill
have you promised her a chastisement? "Yes." Did you keep your word?
You have not, and the child forms the conclusion in its own mind
directly that the mother tells that which is not true--she says she
will do this or that, and she does not do it. It {326} is an easy
lesson for mothers to learn to pass their time with their children and
never give them a false impression. Think before you speak; promise
your children nothing. If you wish to make them presents, do so; if you
promise a chastisement, keep your word, but be cautious! 13:244.
Mothers, will you be missionaries? We will appoint you a mission to
teach your children their duty, and instead of ruffles and fine dresses
to adorn the body, teach them that which will adorn their minds. Let
what you have to clothe them with be neat and clean and nice. Teach
them cleanness and purity of body and the principles of salvation, and
they will delight to come to these meetings. 14:220.
I delight to see the mother teach her daughters to be housekeepers, to
be particular, clean, and neat; to sew, spin, and weave; to make butter
and cheese; and I have no objection to their learning to cultivate
flowers, herbs, and useful shrubs in the gardens. It is good for their
health to rise early in the morning and work in the soil an hour or
two before breakfast, this practice is especially beneficial to those
who have weak lungs. And while you delight in raising flowers, etc.,
do not neglect to learn how to take care of the cream, and how to make
of it good wholesome butter, and of the milk good healthy nutritious
cheese; neither forget your sewing, spinning, and weaving; and I would
not have them neglect to learn music and would encourage them to read
history and the Scriptures, to take up a newspaper, geography, and
other publications, and make themselves acquainted with the manners and
customs of distant kingdoms and nations, with their laws, religion,
geographical location on the face of the world, their climate, natural
productions, the extent of their commerce, and the {327} nature of
their political organization; in fine, let our boys and girls be
thoroughly instructed in every useful branch of physical and mental
education. Let this education begin early. Teach little children the
principles of order; the little girl to put the broom in its right
place, to arrange the stove furniture in the neatest possible way, and
everything in its own place. Teach them to lay away their clothing
neatly, and where it can be found; and when they tear their frocks and
aprons teach them how to mend the rent so neatly that the place cannot
be seen at a short distance; and instead of asking your husbands to
buy them ribbons and frills, teach them to make them of the material
we can produce. Teach the little boys to lay away the garden hoe, the
spade, etc., where they will not be destroyed by rust; and let them
have access to tools that they may learn their use, and develop their
mechanical skill while young; and see that they gather up the tools
when they have done with them, and deposit them in the proper place.
Let both males and females encourage within them mechanical ingenuity,
and seek constantly to understand the world they are in, and what use
to make of their existence. 9:188-189.
I would like to see the time when our sisters will take more pains
to beautify their children. When your children arise in the morning,
instead of sending them out of doors to wash in cold, hard water, with
a little soft soap, and wiping them as though you would tear the skin
off them, creating roughness and darkness of skin, take a piece of soft
flannel, and wipe the faces of your children smooth and nice, dry them
with a soft cloth; and instead of giving them pork for their breakfast,
give them good wholesome bread and sweet milk, baked potatoes and also
buttermilk if they like it, and a little fruit, and I would have no
objections {328} to their eating a little rice. Rice is an excellent
food for children, and I wish some of the brethren would cultivate it
in these valleys. Upland rice will flourish in this country. Train up
your children to be beautiful and fair, instead of neglecting them
until they are sunburned and become like the natives of our mountains.
12:201.
_Need of Parent Training_--You should go to work to study and see
what you can do for the recovery of your children. If a child is taken
sick with fever, give it something to stay that fever or relieve that
stomach and bowels, so that mortification may not set in. Treat the
child with prudence and care, with faith and patience, and be careful
in not overcharging it with medicine. If you take too much medicine
into the system, it is worse than too much food. But you will always
find that an ounce of preventive is worth a pound of cure. Study and
learn something for yourselves. It is the privilege of a mother to have
faith and to administer to her child; this she can do herself, as well
as sending for the Elders to have the benefit of their faith. 13:155. {329}
CHAPTER XVIII
_SOME WOMANLY DUTIES_
_The Housewife_--I am addressing myself to the ladies of the
Kingdom of God, to those who know how to keep their houses, furniture
and beds pure and clean, who can cook food for their husbands, and
children in a way that it will be clean, tasteful and wholesome. The
woman that can do this I call a lady. In this view I differ from the
world generally; for the lady of the world is not supposed to know
anything about what is going on in the kitchen; her highest ambition is
to be sure and be in the fashion, at no matter what cost to her husband
or father; she considers that she may as well be out of the world as
out of the fashion. 11:138.
A good housewife, whether she possesses much or little, will have a
place for everything she has in the house, and make her house orderly
and comfortable, and everything when wanted can be found in its place.
9:157.
If I had nothing but a piece of an old newspaper folded for a holder
I would have it where I could put my hand on it in a moment, in the
dark if I wanted it. And so with the dishcloth, the broom, the chairs,
tables, sofas, and everything about the house, so that if you had to
get up in the night you could lay your hand on whatever you wanted
instantly. Have a place for everything and everything in its place.
14:89.
When I go into a house, I can soon know whether the woman is an
economical housekeeper or not; and if I stay a few days, I can tell
whether a husband can get rich or not. If she is determined on her own
course, and will waste and {330} spoil the food entrusted to her, that
man will always be poor. 4:313.
It is an old saying that a woman can throw out of the window with a
spoon as fast as a man can throw into the door with a shovel; but a
good house-keeper will be saving and economical and teach her children
to be good housekeepers, and how to take care of everything that is put
in their charge. 12:195.
Ladies, if you are the means of plunging this whole people into debt so
as to distress them, will there be anything required of you? I think
there will, for you will be judged according to your works. Are not the
men as extravagant as the women? Yes, certainly they are, and just as
foolish. I could point out instances by the score and by the hundred of
men who are just as unwise, shortsighted, and foolish as the women can
be; but a condemnation of the male portion of the community will not
justify the female portion of it. 14:105.
Now, sisters, if you will consider these things you will readily
see that time is all the capital stock there is on the earth; and
you should consider your time golden, it is actually wealth, and,
if properly used, it brings that which will add to your comfort,
convenience, and satisfaction. Let us consider this, and no longer sit
with hands folded, wasting time, for it is the duty of every man and of
every woman to do all that is possible to promote the Kingdom of God on
the earth. 18:77.
If there are women who want to do good, let them do their own work,
and save their sixpences and dollars for the building of temples,
tabernacles, meeting-houses, school-houses, educating the youth,
preaching the Gospel, and gathering the poor. 11:351. {331}
What I say of housewives will fully apply to farmers and mechanics. I
labored many years as a mechanic, and in the darkest night I could put
my hand upon any tool I used. You may call this boasting, but it is
not. It is merely mentioning the order in which I kept my shop. 8:296.
Count the steps that a woman takes when she is doing her work, let them
be measured, and it will be found that in many instances she had taken
steps enough to have traveled from fifteen to twenty miles a day; I
will warrant this to be the case. 4:101.
_Woman's Fashions_--Beauty must be sought in the expression of
the countenance, combined with neatness and cleanliness and graceful
manners. 18:75.
Anything is ridiculous, more or less, that is not comely. 14:17.
Let the beauty of your adorning be the work of your hands. 19:75.
I love to see the human form and the human face adorned, but let our
adorning be the workmanship of our hands, from the elements with
which we are constantly surrounded. I love beauty whether adorned or
unadorned. I love chaste and refined manners, especially when they are
founded upon virtue. 10:6.
In the works of God, you see an eternal variety, consequently we do not
ask the people to become Quakers, and all the men wear wide-brimmed
hats, and the ladies wear drab or cream-colored silk bonnets projecting
in the front, perhaps six or seven inches, rounded on the corners, with
a cape behind. 14:17.
The daughters of Israel should understand what fashions they should
have, without borrowing from the impure and unrighteous. 12:220. {332}
Create your own fashions, and make your clothing to please yourselves,
independent of outside influences; and make your hats and bonnets to
shade you. I wish you, sisters, to listen to these counsels, and place
yourselves in a condition to administer to the poor. Get your husbands
to provide you with a little of this and a little of that of which you
can make something by adding your own labor. I do not mean that you
shall apply to them for five dollars and ten dollars to spend for that
which is of no profit, but manufacture something that will be useful as
well as beautiful and comely. 12:202.
Not flaunting, flirting and gossiping, as a great many are, and
thinking continually of their dresses, and of this that and the other
that will minister to and gratify their vanity. Such women seldom think
of their prayers. 15:162.
I am ashamed to see the tight clothes--to see the shape of the ladies.
19:75.
Ask your mothers, then, to make your clothes suitable and becoming; and
keep your hair smooth and nice. The hair is given to the female for
adornment; and therefore let the ladies, young and old, adorn their
heads with their hair. Mothers should study and children should study
to preserve the skin of the children from being ruined by dirt, and the
heat of a scorching sun, and to keep themselves clean and pure. 19:65.
If I were a lady and had a piece of cloth to make me a dress, I would
cut it so as to cover my person handsomely and neatly; and whether it
was cut according to the fashion or not, custom would soon make it
beautiful. 15:38.
It adds no beauty to a lady, in my opinion, to adorn her with fine
feathers. When I look at a woman, I look at her face, which is composed
of her forehead, cheeks, nose, {333} mouth and chin, and I like to
see it clean, her hair combed neat and nice, and her eyes bright and
sparkling; and if they are so, what do I care what she has on her head,
or how or of what material her dress is made? Not the least in the
world. 18:74.
The Lord instructs us in a revelation, to let our clothing be plain:
"Let all thy garments be plain, and their beauty the beauty of the work
of thine own hands." He never said to us, "Do not make a silk or satin
ribbon, or fine broadcloth," but he has said to us, "Make the articles
of clothing that you wear;" if we do not, we shall find by and by that
we shall not be able to get them. 10:311.
Let the sisters take care of themselves, and make themselves beautiful,
and if any of you are so superstitious and ignorant as to say that this
is pride, I can say that you are not informed as to the pride which
is sinful before the Lord, you are also ignorant as to the excellency
of the heavens, and of the beauty which dwells in the society of the
Gods. Were you to see an angel, you would see a beautiful and lovely
creature. Make yourselves like angels in goodness and beauty. Let the
mothers in Israel make their sons and daughters healthy and beautiful,
by cleanliness and a proper diet. Whether you have much or little
clothing for your children, it can be kept clean and healthy, and
be made to fit their persons neatly. Make your children lovely and
fair that you may delight in them. Cease to send out your children to
herd sheep with their skins exposed to the hot sun, until their hands
and faces appear as though they lived in an ash heap. I call upon my
sisters to lead out in these things. 12:201.
It is a disgrace to a community to drag their cloth in the dirt. How
many women are there here today who {334} walked to this Tabernacle
without throwing dirt every step they took, not only on themselves but
upon those who walked near them? I shun them; when I see them coming.
I try to make my way in some other direction in order to avoid their
dust. I can get enough of it without receiving it from them. If there
is a nuisance in the path, they are sure to wipe up a portion of it
with their dress, and then trail it on to their carpet or into the
bedrooms and distribute it through the house.
On the other hand I will say, ladies, if we ask you to make your
dresses a little shorter, do not be extravagant and cut them so short
that we can see the tops of your stockings. Bring them down to the top
of your shoes, and have them so that you can walk and clear the dust,
and do not expose your persons. Have your dresses neat and comely, and
conduct yourselves, in the strictest sense of the word, in chastity.
12:299.
If my mother and her grandmother got one silk dress, and they lived
to a hundred years old, it was all that they wanted. I think my
grandmother's silk dress came down to her children. She put her silk
dress on when I went to see her. It was, I think, her wedding dress,
and she had been married some seventy years. 19:74.
That which is convenient should be beautiful. 15:38.
As for fashion, it does not trouble me, my fashion is convenience and
comfort. 14:21.
_Some Duties of the Relief Societies_--These societies are for the
improvement of our manners, our dress, our habits, and our methods of
living. 19:68.
The sisters in our Female Relief Societies have done great good. Can
you tell the amount of good that the mothers and daughters in Israel
are capable of doing? No, {335} it is impossible. And the good they do
will follow them to all eternity. 13:34.
As I have often told my sisters in the Female Relief Societies, we have
sisters here who, if they had the privilege of studying, would make
just as good mathematicians or accountants as any man; and we think
they ought to have the privilege to study these branches of knowledge
that they may develop the powers with which they are endowed. We
believe that women are useful, not only to sweep houses, wash dishes,
make beds, and raise babies, but that they should stand behind the
counter, study law or physic, or become good bookkeepers and be able to
do the business in any counting house, and all this to enlarge their
sphere of usefulness for the benefit of society at large.
In following these things they but answer the design of their creation.
13:61.
Now, ladies, go to and organize yourselves into industrial societies,
and get your husbands to produce you some straw, and commence bonnet
and hat making. If every Ward would commence and continue this and
other industrial pursuits, it would not be long before the females of
the Wards of our Territory would have stores in their Wards, and means
sufficient to send and get the articles which they need, that cannot
yet be manufactured here and which they may want to distribute. 12:195.
When the sisters, for instance, meet together at a quilting or for a
visit, if every one speaks, believes and loves the truth, and there is
nothing in them that is deceptive, how easy it is to converse and pass
the time! We all delight in the truth; and if a wrong, or that which
is false, is manifested it must be corrected or banished, and truth be
adopted in the place thereof. It is the easiest life to lead {336} on
the face of the earth. How do I know it? By experience; I never tried
the opposite much. 14:76.
I will here say to the Latter-day Saints, if you will feed the poor
with a willing heart and ready hand, neither you, nor your children,
will ever be found begging bread. In these things the people are right;
they are right in establishing Female Relief Societies, that the hearts
of the widow and the orphan may be made glad by the blessings which are
so abundantly and so freely poured out upon them. 12:171.
Sisters, do you see any children around your neighborhood poorly clad
and without shoes? If you do, I say to you, Female Relief Societies,
pick up these children and relieve their necessities, and send them to
school. And if you see any young, middle-aged or old ladies in need
find them something to do that will enable them to sustain themselves;
but don't relieve the idle, for relieving those who are able but
unwilling to work is ruinous to any community. The time we spend here
is our life, our substance, our capital, our fortune, and that time
should be used profitably. Take these old ladies, there are a great
many of them around rather poor, and give them something to do; that is
their delight. You will hardly find an old lady in the community who
has not been brought up to work; and they would rather knit stockings
or do some other useful labor than eat the bread of charity. Relieve
the wants of every individual in need in your neighborhoods. This is in
the capacity and in the power of the Female Relief Societies when it is
not in the power of the Bishops. 14:107.
I wish to call the attention of our sisters to our Relief Societies.
We are happy to say that many of them have done a great deal. We wish
them to continue and progress. {337} In our Relief Societies we wish
to introduce many improvements. We wish our sisters of experience to
teach the young girls not to be so anxious for the gratification of
their imaginary wants, but to confine themselves more to their real
necessities. Fancy has no bounds, and I often think it is without
form and comeliness. We are too apt to give way to the imagination
of our hearts, but if we will be guided by wisdom, our judgment will
be corrected, and we will find that we can improve very much. We can
improve the language we use. 12:298.
The ladies can learn to keep books as well as the men; we have some
few, already, who are just as good accountants as any of our brethren.
Why not teach more of them to keep books and sell goods, and let them
do this business, and let the men go to raising sheep, wheat, or
cattle, or go and do something or other to beautify the earth and help
to make it like the Garden of Eden, instead of spending their time in a
lazy, loafing manner? 12:374-5.
I have a short sermon for my sisters. I wish you, under the direction
of your Bishops and wise men, to establish your Relief Societies, and
organize yourselves under the direction of the brethren, and establish
yourselves for doing business, gathering up your little amounts of
means that would otherwise go to waste, and put them to usury, and
make more of them, and thus keep gathering in. Let this be commenced
forthwith. 12:201. {338}
CHAPTER XIX
_OBEDIENCE_
_Counsel_--How my heart longs to see the brethren and sisters in
a condition that when the words of truth and virtue--righteous words
of counsel--are poured upon them, they will meet like drops of water
meeting each other. How I long to see the brethren, when they hear the
words of truth poured upon them, ready to receive those words because
they are perfectly congenial to their feelings, and every soul exclaim,
"Those words savor of the Spirit that is in me; they are my delight, my
meat, and my drink; they are the streams of eternal life. How congenial
they are, instead of their being contrary to my feelings." 9:3.
If we hearken to counsel, we shall be the best people in the world; we
shall be as a bright light set upon a hill, that cannot be hid, or like
a candle upon a candlestick. 12:173.
If I or any other man give counsel that meets with opposition, that
intrudes upon the affections, meditations, and feelings of the people,
and is harsh to their ears, bitter to their souls, it is either not
the words of truth, or they have not the fountain of life within them,
one of the two. If the Lord speaks from the heavens, reveals his will,
and it comes in contact with our feelings and notions of things, or
with our judgments, we are destitute of that fountain of truth which we
should possess. If our hearts are filled with the Spirit of truth, with
the Spirit of the Lord, no matter what the true words from heaven are,
when God speaks, all his subjects should shout, "Hallelujah! praise
God! We are ready to receive those words, for they are true." 9:3-4.
{339}
Every man in the Kingdom of God would give the same counsel upon each
subject, if he would wait until he had the mind of Christ upon it. Then
all would have one word and mind, and all men would see eye to eye.
5:100.
If you would always pause and say, I have no counsel for you, I have no
answer for you on this subject, because I have no manifestation of the
Spirit, and be willing to let everybody in the world know that you are
ignorant when you are, you would become wise a great deal quicker than
to give counsel on your own judgment, without the Spirit of revelation.
5:100.
The Latter-day Saints who hearken to the words of the Lord, given to
them touching their political, social, and financial concerns, I say,
and say it boldly, that they will have wisdom which is altogether
superior to the wisdom of the children of darkness, or the children of
this world. I know this by the revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and by the results of my own actions. They who have hearkened to the
counsels given to them in temporal matters, have invariably bettered
their condition temporally and spiritually. 12:118.
_Obedience_--When the Lord commands the people, let them obey.
2:123.
Every son and daughter of God is expected to obey with a willing heart
every word which the Lord has spoken, and which he will in the future
speak to us. It is expected that we hearken to the revelations of his
will, and adhere to them, cleave to them with all our might; for this
is salvation, and any thing short of this clips the salvation and the
glory of the Saints. 2:2.
Obedience is one of the plainest, most every-day and home principles
that you ever thought or know anything {340} about. In the first place,
learn that you have a father, and then learn strict obedience to that
parent. Is not that a plain, domestic, home principle? 6:173.
I cannot save you. I can tell you how to save yourselves, but you must
do the will of God. 10:317.
How shall we know what to do? By being obedient to every requirement of
the Gospel. 8:148.
A mere theory amounts to but little, while practice and obedience have
to do with stern realities. 9:330.
Every good and wholesome law we should obey strictly, and do it with a
good and honest-heart. 11:134.
Blessed are they who obey when the Lord gives a direct commandment, but
more blessed are they who obey without a direct commandment. 12:128.
Do you think that people will obey the truth because it is true, unless
they love it? No, they will not. Truth is obeyed when it is loved.
Strict obedience to the truth will alone enable people to dwell in the
presence of the Almighty. 7:55.
The Lord has sent forth his laws, commandments, and ordinances to the
children of men, and requires them to be strictly obeyed, and we do
not wish to transgress those laws, but to keep them. We do not wish to
change his ordinances, but to observe them; we do not wish to break the
everlasting covenant, but to keep that with our fathers, with Jesus,
with our Father in Heaven, with holy angels, and to live according to
them. 16:31.
If a man is called to go and labor for the poor, if his Bishop calls
upon him to go into the canyon after a load of wood for the poor, and
he goes there, with his heart uplifted to God, and with his eye single
to the building up of the Kingdom, and gets the load of wood and lays
it at the {341} door of the Bishop for the poor, for the widow or for
those who cannot help themselves, he is just as much in the line of his
duty in so doing as though he were on his knees praying. 11:293.
This people have got to become of one heart and one mind. They have
to know the will of God and do it, for to know the will of God is one
thing, and to bring our wills, our dispositions, into subjection to
that which we do understand to be the will of God is another. 3:54-5.
We believe in obeying the laws of the land, we should also obey the
laws of God. 16:45.
Some of you may ask, "Is there a single ordinance to be dispensed
with? Is there one of the commandments that God has enjoined upon the
people, that he will excuse them from obeying?" Not one, no matter how
trifling or small in our own estimation. No matter if we esteem them
non-essential, or least or last of all the commandments of the house of
God, we are under obligation to observe them. 8:339.
With regard to the obedience of heavenly beings, to which reference has
been made to-day; they live pure and holy, and they have attained unto
this power through suffering. Many of them have drunk of the bitter cup
even to the dregs. They have learned that righteousness will prevail,
that truth is the foundation of their very existence. 11:15.
The most effectual way to establish the religion of Heaven is to live
it, rather than to die for it: I think I am safe in saying that there
are many of the Latter-day Saints who are more willing to die for their
religion than to live it faithfully. There is no other proof can be
adduced to God, angels, and men, that a people faithfully live their
{342} religion, than that they repent truly of their sins, obey the law
of baptism for the remission of sins, and then continue to do the works
of righteousness day by day. 9:333.
There are a great many texts which might be used, very comprehensive
and full of meaning, but I know of none, either in the Old or New
Testament, more so than that saying, said to have been made by
the Savior, and I have no doubt it was, "If ye love me, keep my
commandments."
How long? For a day? Keep the commandments of the Lord for a week?
Observe and do his will for a month or a year? There is no promise to
any individual, that I have any knowledge of, that he shall receive
the reward of the just, unless he is faithful to the end. If we fully
understand and faithfully carry out in our lives the saying of Jesus,
"If ye love me, keep my commandments," we shall be prepared to go back
and dwell in the presence of the Father and the Son.
What are his commandments? Did he ever teach the people anything that
is wrong? If we read the requirements made by Jesus, by the Father, or
by any messenger sent from the heavens to the children of men, we shall
find nothing that will injure any human being or that will destroy
the soul of one of the sons or daughters of Adam and Eve. Many think
that the sayings and doings of some of the prophets and servants of
God, in ancient and modern times, said and done in obedience to the
commands of the Lord Almighty, tend to evil; but it is not so. All
God's requirements tend to do good to his children. Any notion to the
contrary is the result of ignorance. The human family are enveloped
in ignorance, so far as the origin and object of their existence here
is concerned. Their ignorance, superstition, darkness and blindness
are very {343} apparent to all who are in the least enlightened by
the Spirit of truth. They seek to hide themselves in ignorance and
blindness rather than learn who they are and the object of their being
here. What do the human family know of God or Jesus, or of the words
which I have quoted "If ye love me, keep my commandments?" "Search the
Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life," says Jesus,
"and they are they which testify of me." They testify of the Savior, of
his doctrines and requirements, and of the ordinances of his house; the
plan of salvation is there portrayed, and any person who follows its
dictation may redeem himself from the thraldom of sin, and know, by the
Spirit, that Jesus is the Christ. All who will take this course will
know by revelation that God is our Father; they will understand the
relationship they hold to him and to their fellow-beings. The world may
in vain ask the question, "Who are we?" But the Gospel tells us that
we are the sons and daughters of that God whom we serve. Some say, "We
are the children of Adam and Eve." So we are, and they are the children
of our Heavenly Father. We are all the children of Adam and Eve, and
they are the offspring of him who dwells in the heavens, the highest
Intelligence that dwells anywhere that we have any knowledge of. Here
we find ourselves, and when infants, the most helpless, and needing
the most care and attention of any creatures that come into being on
the face of the earth. Here we find in ourselves the germ and the
foundation, the embryo of exaltation, glory, immortality and eternal
lives. As we grow up we receive strength, knowledge and wisdom, some
more and some less; but only by keeping the commands of the Lord Jesus
can we have the privilege of {344} knowing the things pertaining to
eternity and our relationship to the heavens. 13:310.
The most excellent human or divine laws are of no use to earthly or
heavenly beings, unless they are faithfully observed. Law is for the
protection of the law-abider; and the penalty of the law is for the
law-breaker. 9:332.
People will never be taken and sacrificed for their ignorance, when
they have had no opportunity to know and understand the truth. Such a
proceeding would be contrary to the economy of heaven. But after we
receive and understand things as they are, if we then disobey, we may
look for the chastening hand of the Almighty. 3:246.
Walk up, O ye Latter-day Saints, and wake up! Come to the Lord, forsake
your covetousness, your back-slidings, forsake the spirit of the world,
and return to the Lord with full purpose of heart until you get the
Spirit of Christ within you, that you, like others, can cry, "Abba
Father, the Lord, he is God, and I am his servant." 15:6.
We have nothing to sacrifice. All we have to do is to love and serve
our God, and do everything we can to bring knowledge to ourselves and
to the people. 6:196.
When the Gospel is preached to the honest in heart they receive it
by faith, but when they obey it labor is required. To practice the
Gospel requires time, faith, the heart's affections and a great deal
of labor. Here many stop. They hear and believe, but before they go on
to practice they begin to think that they were mistaken, and unbelief
enters into their hearts. 16:40.
When we get to understand all knowledge, all wisdom, that it is
necessary for us to understand in the flesh, we will be like clay in
the hands of the potter, willing to be moulded and fashioned according
to the will of him who {345} has called us to this great and glorious
work, of purifying ourselves and our fellow-beings, and of preparing
the nations of the earth for the glory that awaits them through
obedience. 19:93.
I believe that it is a hell intolerable for a people, a family or a
single person, to strive to grasp truth with one hand, and error with
the other, to profess to walk in obedience to the commandments of God,
and, at the same time, mingle heart and hand with the wicked. 3:254.
_Effect of Obedience_--Great peace have they who love the law of
the Lord and abide in his commandments. 8:121.
If you wish to receive and enjoy the favor of our Heavenly Father, do
his will. 8:33.
When will this people become Saints indeed? Not until they observe
every counsel that is given to them of this kind, doing with their
might the things that are required of them. 11:139.
All who receive eternal life and salvation will receive it on no other
conditions than believing in the Son of God and obeying the principles
that he has laid down. Can we devise any other means and plan of
salvation? We cannot. 13:213.
The Saints who live their religion will be exalted, for they never
will deny any revelation which the Lord has given or may give, though,
when there is a doctrine coming to them which they cannot comprehend
fully, they may be found saying, "The Lord sendeth this unto me,
and I pray that he will save and preserve me from denying anything
which proceedeth from him, and give me patience to wait until I can
understand it for myself."
Such persons will never deny, but will allow those subjects which they
do not understand, to remain until the {346} visions of their minds
become open. This is the course which I have invariably pursued, and if
anything came that I could not understand, I would pray until I could
comprehend it.
Do not reject anything because it is new or strange, and do not sneer
nor jeer at what comes from the Lord, for if we do, we endanger our
salvation. It is given to us, as agents, to choose or refuse, as
brother S. W. Richards has set before you, but we are agents within
limits; if it were not so there would be no law. 3:266.
By obeying the ordinances of God, mankind glorify God, but if they
do not obey him, they do not detract one particle from his glory and
power. The commandments of God are given to us expressly for our
benefit, and if we live in obedience to them we shall live so as to
understand the mind and will of God for ourselves, and concerning
ourselves as individuals. 12:126.
How shall we know that we obey him? There is but one method by which we
can know it, and that is by the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord
witnessing unto our spirit that we are his, that we love him, and that
he loves us. It is by the spirit of revelation we know this. We have no
witness to ourselves internally, without the spirit of revelation. We
have no witness outwardly, only by obedience to the ordinances. 12:99.
Law is made for the lawless. Let the Saints live their religion, and
there is not a law that can justly infringe upon them. 8:140.
There is no law against doing good. There is no law against love. There
is no law against serving God. There is no law against charity and
benevolence. There is no law {347} against the principles of eternal
life. Live them, and no righteous law of man can reach you. 8:140.
When the law of God is written on the hearts of a people, every person
will know his place. 8:296.
When men and women talk about giving everything for the salvation which
they anticipate and live for, behold, they have nothing to give; nor
have they anything to do, only to do their duty. And what is that? To
improve upon that which is committed to their possession--to prove
themselves worthy to their Father and God, that ere long they may be
worthy to receive crowns of glory, immortality and eternal life. Then
we shall be beyond the power of Satan. 6:196.
So long as the Latter-day Saints will live their religion, they shall
never be confounded, worlds without end. Never be afraid; your hearts
are brave, your arms are strong, and God is our defense. 10:40.
Those who live their religion will enjoy the Spirit, and that enjoyment
will increase; and if we will be faithful, the Lord will make our
feet as firm in these valleys as are the everlasting riches in these
mountains, and no power can remove us. He will give us a sure place
in these mountains until we go forth and redeem Zion. Do right, be
faithful, and make no calculations about removing before the time
comes. 8:285.
_Obedience and Free Agency_--Here is a brother who says, "Why,
yes, you may have some of my property or even take it all; but I
want to be a man for myself; I do not want to be dictated; I want to
preserve my own freedom; I do not want to be a slave." What an idea!
It is from the enemy, and because a person has not the Spirit of the
Lord to see how things are. There is not a man of {348} us but what is
willing to acknowledge at once that God demands strict obedience to
his requirements. But in rendering that strict obedience, are we made
slaves? No, it is the only way on the face of the earth for you and me
to become free, and we shall become slaves of our own passions, and of
the wicked one, and servants to the Devil, if we take any other course,
and we shall be eventually cast into hell with the devils. Now to say
that I do not enjoy the volition of my own will just as much when I
pray as I would to swear, is a false principle, it is false ground to
take. You take the man who swears, and he has no more freedom, and acts
no more on his own will than the man who prays; the man who yields
strict obedience to the requirements of Heaven, acts upon the volition
of his own will and exercises his freedom just as much as when he was
a slave to passion; and I think it is much better and more honorable
for us, whether children or adults, youthful, middle-aged or old, it
is better to live by and better to die by, to have our hearts pure,
and to yield strict obedience to the principles of life which the Lord
has revealed, than be a slave to sin and wickedness. All that the
Lord requires of us is strict obedience to the laws of life. All the
sacrifice that the Lord asks of his people is strict obedience to our
own covenants that we have made with our God, and that is to serve him
with an undivided heart. 18:246.
One of the simplest things in the world is to control a people. Is
there any particular art in making this people obedient? There is just
one. If you, Elders of Israel, can get the art of preaching the Holy
Ghost into the hearts of the people, you will have an obedient people.
This is the only art required. Teach the people truth, teach them
correct principles; show them what is for their greatest good {349} and
don't you think they will follow in that path? They will, just as far
as it is consistent with their weaknesses and the power of darkness
that is over the inhabitants of the earth--with us as with others.
12:257.
A person before he can understand the law and government of God must
see and understand the propriety of it and see its beauties. So it
is with the whole system of salvation. Not that I would say we are
machines, for we have our agency; but God has placed us here, and he
exacts strict obedience to his laws before we can derive the benefit
and blessings their observance will yield. You may take a beautiful
machine of any kind you please, and when the machinist has finished his
work and set it in perfect order, how could it be expected to operate
satisfactorily if a hook here or a journal yonder were to say, I am not
going to stay here, or, I am going to jump out of place and am going
somewhere else; and then another piece of the machinery would jump out
of its place into another part of the machine. What would be the state
of such a machine? Confusion and disorganization would soon result and
the machinist might very properly say, what a pity that I bestowed so
much labor on such unruly members of my machine. 13:241.
The world will not receive the Gospel, unless they can have it on their
own terms, and will persecute the few that do receive it. 9:331.
We as a people, will be chastened until we can wholly submit ourselves
to the Lord and be Saints indeed. 5:354.
_Effects of Disobedience_--When light comes, if the people reject
that light, it will condemn them, and will add to their sorrow and
affliction. 6:288.
If we live our religion we shall prosper, and if we live {350} in the
neglect of our duty, and continue to do so, there will be tribulation
and anguish here, and the chastening hand of the Almighty will be on
this people. 3:340.
I feel in my heart to bless you; it is full of blessings and not
cursing. It is something that does not occupy my feelings to curse any
individual, but I will modify this by saying those who ought not to be
cursed. Who ought to be? Those who know their Master's will, and do it
not; they are worthy of many stripes; it is not those who do not know,
and do not do, but those who know it, and do not do it--they are the
ones to be chastised. 1:248.
As soon as you are overcome by the spirit of the world, you forget
every good deed and kindness that has been extended to you, and you
only remember the transpiring and infliction of what you deemed to be
evil that would have resulted in good, had you done right. 3:358.
It is the misapplied intelligence God has given us that makes all the
mischief on the earth. That intelligence he designed to carry out the
purposes of his will, and endowed it with capabilities to grow, spread
abroad, accumulate, and endeavor to enjoy greater happiness, glory,
and honor, and continue to expand wider and wider, until eternity
is comprehended by it; if not applied to this purpose, but to the
grovelling things of earth, it will be taken away, and given to one who
has made better use of this gift of God. 2:124-5.
If we will only practice what we profess, I tell you we are at the
defiance of hell. 2:186.
For a man to undertake to live a Saint and walk in darkness is one of
the hardest tasks that he can undertake. You cannot imagine a position
that will sink a person more deeply in perplexity and trouble than to
try to be a Saint without living as a Saint should--without enjoying
the {351} spirit of his religion. It is our privilege to live so as to
enjoy the spirit of our religion. That is designed to restore us to
the presence of the Gods. Gods exist, and we had better strive to be
prepared to be one with them. 7:238.
Anything that is impure must, sooner or later, perish; no matter
whether it is in the faith and practice of an individual, town, nation,
or government. That kingdom, principality, power or person that is not
controlled by principles that are pure and holy must eventually pass
away and perish. 14:75.
I know it is hard to receive chastisement, for no chastisement is
joyous, but grievous at the time it is given; but if a person will
receive chastisement and pray for the Holy Spirit to rest upon him,
that he may have the Spirit of truth in his heart, and cleave to that
which is pleasing to the Lord, the Lord will give him grace to bear the
chastisement, and he will submit to and receive it, knowing that it is
for his good. 3:47.
Men must quit swearing and taking the name of God in vain; they must
refrain from lying, stealing, cheating, and doing that which they know
they ought not to do, or they must be severed from this Church and
Kingdom. 4:307.
The Latter-day Saints, in all their travels, have not been as
rebellious as the Children of Israel were. 11:279. {352}
CHAPTER XX
_GRATITUDE, HUMILITY, DEVOTION, LIBERALITY, HONESTY_
_Gratitude_--I do not know of any, excepting the unpardonable sin,
that is greater than the sin of ingratitude. 14:277.
We rejoice because the Lord is ours, because we are sown in weakness
for the express purpose of attaining to greater power and perfection.
In everything the Saints may rejoice--in persecution, because it
is necessary to purge them, and prepare the wicked for their doom;
in sickness and in pain, though they are hard to bear, because we
are thereby made acquainted with pain, with sorrow, and with every
affliction that mortals can endure, for by contrast all things are
demonstrated to our senses. We have reason to rejoice exceedingly that
faith is in the world, that the Lord reigns, and does his pleasure
among the inhabitants of the earth. Do you ask if I rejoice because
the Devil has the advantage over the inhabitants of the earth, and
has afflicted mankind? I most assuredly answer in the affirmative; I
rejoice in this as much as in anything else. I rejoice because I am
afflicted. I rejoice because lam poor. I rejoice because I am cast
down. Why? Because I shall be lifted up again. I rejoice that I am poor
because I shall be made rich; that I am afflicted, because I shall be
comforted, and prepared to enjoy the felicity of perfect happiness, for
it is impossible to properly appreciate happiness except by enduring
the opposite. 1:359.
_Humility_--I delight extremely in plain simplicity. 4:341. {353}
The humble will live, their spirits will be buoyant, and they will live
to a great age. 8:181.
We have to humble ourselves and become like little children in our
feelings--to become humble and childlike in spirit, in order to receive
the first illuminations of the spirit of the Gospel, then we have the
privilege of growing, of increasing in knowledge, in wisdom, and in
understanding. 3:192.
The hearts of the meek and humble are full of joy and comfort
continually. 4:22.
When a person sees things as they are, flattery and reproach are all
the same to him, he sees no difference. If he finds that he is pleasing
God and his brethren, he is exceedingly rejoiced, and feels an increase
of humility and resignation. When a man is proud and arrogant, flattery
fills him with vanity and injures him; but it is not so when he is
increasing in the faith of God. 12:50.
I exhort the brethren not to boast over our enemies' downfall. Boast
not, brethren. God has come out of his hiding-place, and has commenced
to vex the nations that have rejected us, and he will vex them with a
sore vexation. 8:324.
_Devotion to the Gospel_--To the Latter-day Saints I say, live
your religion, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, live by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God, and we shall be prospered. 13:318.
A man, or a woman, desiring to know the will of God, and having an
opportunity to know it, will apply their hearts to this wisdom until
it becomes easy and familiar to them, and they will love to do good
instead of evil. 3:363.
To enjoy the protection of the Almighty, we have got {354} to live our
religion--to live so that we have the mind of Christ within us. 4:358.
All I ask of you is to apply your hearts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and be Saints. I will not ask anything else on this earth of you, only
to live so as to know the mind and will of God when you receive it,
and then abide in it. If you will do that, you will be prepared to do
a great many things, and you will find that there is much good to be
done. 3:375.
When you know how to be a Saint today, you are in a fair way to know
how to be a Saint tomorrow. And if you can continue to be a Saint
today, you can through the week, and through the year, and you can fill
up your whole life in performing the duty and labor of a Saint. 2:53.
If I am organized and capacitated to receive this glory and this
exaltation, I must be the friend of him who has brought me forth and
instituted this exaltation for me; I must not be his enemy at any time.
4:198.
I have sought to teach you how to get rich, but I never taught you to
neglect your duty; I never instructed you nor taught you to forsake
the Lord; and today I would rather not own one farthing, and take my
valise in my hand, as I did at the rise of the Church, and travel
among the nations of the earth, and beg my bread from door to door,
than to neglect my duty and lose the Spirit of Almighty God. If I have
wealth and cannot use it to the glory of God and the building up of his
Kingdom, I ask the Lord to take it from me. 13:280.
There is not a wicked man on the face of the earth but what reveres a
pure servant of God. They may not acknowledge it with their organs of
speech, but in their hearts, sentiments and feelings they revere such
a character. {355} When they see a pure and holy man or woman, say
they, "I wish I was as good as you are." Then let us take a pride in
acknowledging our religion and living it, by being virtuous, true and
good in everything, and then take pride in educating your minds until
you can conquer and control yourselves in everything. Educate your
children in all the knowledge the world can give them. God has given it
to the world, it is all his. Every true principle, every true science,
every art, and all the knowledge that men possess, or that they ever
did or ever will possess, is from God. We should take pains and pride
to instill this knowledge into the minds of our neighbors, and our
brethren, and rear our children so that the learning and education of
the world may be theirs, and that virtue, truth and holiness may crown
their lives that they may be saved in the Kingdom of God. 12:326.
I say to this community, Be humble, be faithful to your God, true to
his Church, benevolent to the strangers that may pass through our
Territory, and kind to all people, serving the Lord with all your
might, trusting in him; but never fear the frowns of an enemy, nor
be moved by the flatteries of friends or of enemies from the path of
right. Serve your God; believe in him, and never be ashamed of him, and
sustain your character before him.
I say to the aged, to the middle-aged, and to the young--All be true to
your God, true to your brethren, and kind to all, serving God with all
your heart. And may he bless you for Jesus' sake. Amen. 1:146.
While speaking the other day to the people, I observed that "the race
was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong," neither riches
to men of wisdom. I happened to cast my eyes upon Ira Ames, who was
sitting in the congregation. {356} I knew he had been in the Church a
considerable length of time, I have been personally acquainted with him
for twenty years. My eye also caught many more of the first Saints at
the same time. These men know that "Mormonism" is true, they have moved
steadily forward, and have not sought to become noted characters as
many have; but, unseen as it were, they have maintained their footing
steadily in the right path. I could place my hand upon many in this
congregation, who will win the race, though they are not very swift,
to outward appearance, and they make no great pretensions; they are
found continually attending to their own business. They do not appear
to be great warriors, or as if they were likely to win the battle. But
what is their true character? They have faith today, they are filled
with faith, their words are few, but they are full of integrity. You
will find them tomorrow as they were yesterday, or are today. Visit
them when you will, or under what circumstances, and you find them
unalterably the same; and finally when you have spent your life with
them, you will find that their lives throughout have been well spent,
full of faith, hope, charity, and good works, as far as they have had
the ability. These are the ones who will win the race, conquer in the
battle, and obtain the peace and righteousness of eternity. 1:89.
You may examine from the beginning to this day, and continue to watch
in the future, and where you find a man who wishes to steady the ark
of God, without being called to do so, you will find a dark spot in
him. The man full of light and intelligence discerns that God steadies
his own ark, dictates his own affairs, guides his people, controls
his kingdom, governs nations, and holds the hearts of all living in
his hands, and turns them hither and thither at his {357} pleasure,
not infringing upon their agency. There is not the least danger of
disagreeing with persons enjoying the Holy Spirit. 8:66.
To be great is to be good before the Heavens and before all good men.
10:111.
_Give Freely_--Let us not love the things of this world above the
things of God, but strip for the race and harness for the battle of the
Gospel plan of salvation. 10:328.
How contracted in mind and short-sighted we must be to permit the
perishable things of this world to swerve us in the least degree from
our fidelity to the truth. It shows that we lack knowledge which we
should possess. 11:283.
Suppose that you are required to do ten pieces of work, but of the ten
only one is necessary for the promotion of the Kingdom of God; which
had you better do--perform the ten pieces of labor, to be sure of doing
the right piece, or neglect the whole ten because you do not know which
the right one is? Had you not better do the whole ten pieces, that you
may be sure of performing that which the Lord really requires at your
hands? 8:12-13.
I wish you to understand, however, that a man giving his means to build
up the Kingdom of God is no proof to me that he is true in heart. I
have long since learned, that a person may give a gift with an impure
design. 10:268.
Man may think, and some of them do, that we have a right to work for
ourselves; but I say we have no time to do that in the narrow, selfish
sense generally entertained when speaking about working for self. We
have no time allotted to us here on the earth to work for ourselves
in that sense; and yet when laboring in the most disinterested and
fervent manner for the cause and Kingdom of God, it is all for
ourselves. Though our time be entirely occupied {358} in laboring for
the advancement of the Kingdom of God on the earth we are in reality
laboring most effectually for self, for all our interest and welfare,
both in time and eternity, are circumscribed and bound up in that
Kingdom. 14:101.
_Be Honest_--Woe to those who profess to be Saints and are not
honest. Only be honest with yourselves, and you will be honest to the
brethren. 2:53.
Men must be honest, they must live faithfully before their God,
and honor their calling and being on the earth. You ask if that is
possible? Yes; the doctrine which we have embraced takes away the stony
hearts. 3:118-119.
We need to learn, practice, study, know and understand how angels live
with each other. When this community comes to the point to be perfectly
honest and upright, you will never find a poor person; none will lack,
all will have sufficient. Every man, woman, and child will have all
they need just as soon as they all become honest. When the majority of
the community are dishonest, it maketh the honest portion poor, for the
dishonest serve and enrich themselves at their expense. 6:76.
It is much better to be honest; to live here uprightly, and forsake and
shun evil, than it is to be dishonest. It is the easiest path in the
world to be honest,--to be upright before God; and when people learn
this, they will practice it. 5:295.
Honest hearts produce honest actions--holy desires produce
corresponding outward works.
Fulfil your contracts and sacredly keep your word. 10:97.
I have no fellowship for a man that will make a promise and not fulfil
it. 13:301. {359}
Simple truth, simplicity, honesty, uprightness, justice, mercy, love,
kindness, do good to all and evil to none, how easy it is to live by
such principles! A thousand times easier than to practice deception!
14:76.
_Honesty in Labor_--I have tried to suppress dishonesty in
individuals, and have tried thereby to make them honest. If I hire a
carpenter and pay him three dollars a day, and he is three days in
making a six-panel door that a good workman can make in one, or even a
door and a half, I do not want to pay him three dollars a day for that
labor. 6:73.
We want the Saints to increase in goodness, until our mechanics, for
instance, are so honest and reliable that this Railroad Company will
say, "Give us a 'Mormon' Elder for an engineer, then none need have
the least fear to ride, for if he knows there is danger he will take
every measure necessary to preserve the lives of those entrusted to
his care." I want to see our Elders so full of integrity that they
will be preferred by this Company for their engine builders, watchmen,
engineers, clerks, and business managers. If we live our religion and
are worthy the name of Latter-day Saints, we are just the men that all
such business can be entrusted to with perfect safety; if it can not it
will prove that we do not live our religion. 12:300.
If you see honest persons, you see those who are ready to take hold and
labor with their might, even though they have but one potato in a day;
they will suffer rather than impoverish the Church. 3:340.
One liar is like a bad king. A corrupt and wicked king can corrupt a
whole nation. One liar can deceive thousands. 16:30.
A very simple person can tell the truth, but it takes a {360} very
smart person to tell a lie and make it appear like the truth. 11:304.
_Consistency and Sincerity_--O, consistency, thou art one of the
fairest jewels in the life of a Saint. 11:136.
If we teach righteousness, let us also practice righteousness in every
sense of the word; if we teach morality, let us be moral; let us see to
it that we preserve ourselves within the bounds of all the good which
we teach to others. I am sure this course will be good to live by and
good to die by, and when we get through the journey of life, here, what
a consolation it will be to us to know that we have done as we have
wished others to do by us in all respects. 11:130.
There is not one man in this city, nor in the Territory, who hates the
truth and the Latter-day Saints, whose influence I dread, no, not even
the hundredth part, as I do a smooth, slick hypocrite who professes to
be a Latter-day Saint. The former cannot sow the seeds of infidelity
and unbelief in the hearts of the people; but the latter can. 18:359.
A person who is a thief, a liar, and a murderer in his heart, but
professes to be a Saint, is more odious in the sight of God, angels and
good men, than a person who comes out and openly declares that he is
our enemy. I know how to take such a man, but a devil with a Saint's
cloak on is one of the meanest characters you can imagine. I say,
blessings on the head of a wicked Gentile who is my avowed enemy, far
sooner than upon an enemy cloaked with a Saint's profession. 3:120.
But I hope and trust in the Lord my God that I shall never be left to
praise this people, to speak well of them, for the purpose of cheering
and comforting them by the art {361} of flattery; to lead them on by
smooth speeches day after day, week after week, month after month, and
year after year, and let them roll sin as a sweet morsel under their
tongues, and be guilty of transgressing the law of God. I hope I shall
never be left to flatter this people, or any people, on the earth, in
their iniquity, but far rather chasten them for their wickedness and
praise them for their goodness. 4:22.
The religion that we have embraced must last a man from Monday morning
until Monday morning, and from Saturday night until Saturday night,
and from one new year until another; it must be in all our thoughts
and words, in all our ways and dealings. We come here to tell the
people how to be saved; we know how, consequently we can tell others.
Suppose our calling tomorrow is to conduct a railroad, to go into
some philosophical business, or no matter what, our minds, our faith
or religion, our God and his Spirit are with us; and if we should
happen to be found in a room dedicated for purposes of amusement and
an accident should occur, and an Elder engaged in the dance is called
upon to go and lay hands on the sick, if he is not prepared to exercise
his calling and his faith in God as much there as at any other time
and in any other place, he never should be found there, for none have
a legal right to the amusements which the Lord has ordained for his
children except those who acknowledge his hand in all things and keep
his commandments. 14:117. {362}
CHAPTER XXI
_HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL ENJOYMENTS_
_Saints Should be Happy_--Then learn to be happy when you have the
privilege. 5:294.
The whole world are after happiness. It is not found in gold and
silver, but it is in peace and love. 12:314.
What will give a man joy? That which will give him peace. 7:3.
If the heart is cheerful, all is light and glory within; there is no
sorrow. 6:41.
When man is industrious and righteous, then is he happy. 9:244.
The person who enjoys the experience of the knowledge of the Kingdom of
God on the earth, and at the same time has the love of God within him,
is the happiest of any individuals on the earth. 18:236.
What principal object have human beings in view? Happiness. Give
me glory, give me power, give me wealth, give me a good name, give
me influence with my fellowmen, give me all these, and it does not
follow that I am thereby made happy; that depends altogether upon what
principle those acquisitions were gained. 7:3.
The only heaven for you is that which you make yourselves. My heaven is
here--(laying his hand upon his heart). I carry it with me. When do I
expect it in its perfection? When I come up in the resurrection; then I
shall have it, and not till then. 4:57.
You never saw a true Saint in the world that had sorrow, neither can
you find one. If persons are destitute of the fountain of living water,
or the principles of eternal life, {363} then they are sorrowful. If
the words of life dwell within us, and we have the hope of eternal
life and glory, and let that spark within us kindle to a flame, to the
consuming of the least and last remains of selfishness, we never can
walk in darkness and are strangers to doubt and fear. 6:41.
If this is the work of God, let us understand its beauty and glory.
I do not say that all are like myself; but from the day I commenced
preaching the Gospel to this present moment, I never had a feeling in
my heart to occupy much time in preaching hell to the people, or in
telling them much about being damned. There are the kingdoms and worlds
which God has prepared, and which are waiting for the just. There are
more beauty, glory, excellency, knowledge, power, and heavenly things
than I have time to talk about, without spending my time in talking
about the hells prepared for the damned. I have not time to talk much
about them. 8:42.
It does make the Devil mad. That is true, it makes him mad that he
cannot afflict this people so as to make them have a sad countenance.
4:299.
To make ourselves happy is incorporated in the great design of man's
existence. I have learned not to fret myself about that which I cannot
help. If I can do good, I will do it; and if I cannot reach a thing, I
will content myself to be without it. This makes me happy all the day
long. 2:95.
Where is happiness, real happiness? Nowhere but in God. By possessing
the spirit of our holy religion, we are happy in the morning, we are
happy at noon, we are happy in the evening; for the spirit of love
and union is with us, and we rejoice in the spirit because, it is of
God, and we rejoice in God, for he is the giver of every good thing.
Every {364} Latter-day Saint, who has experienced the love of God in
his heart, after having received the remission of his sins, through
baptism, and the laying on of hands, realizes that he is filled with
joy, and happiness, and consolation. He may be in pain, in error, in
poverty, or in prison, if necessity demands, still, he is joyful. This
is our experience, and each and every Latter-day Saint can bear witness
to it. 18:213.
Truly happy is that man or woman, or that people, who enjoys the
privileges of the Gospel of the Son of God, and who know how to
appreciate his blessings. 1:309.
Men and women, for slight causes, make shipwreck of faith, lose the
spirit of the Gospel, losing the object for which they left their homes
and their friends. We are all searching for happiness; we hope for it,
we think we live for it, it is our aim in this life. But do we live so
as to enjoy the happiness we so much desire? There is only one way for
Latter-day Saints to be happy, which is simply to live their religion,
or in other words believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ in every part,
obeying the gospel of liberty with full purpose of heart, which sets
us free indeed. If we will, as a community, obey the law of God, and
comply with the ordinances of salvation, then we may expect to find
the happiness we so much desire, but if we do not pursue this course
we cannot enjoy the unalloyed happiness which is to be found in the
Gospel. To profess to be a Saint, and not enjoy the spirit of it, tries
every fibre of the heart, and is one of the most painful experiences
that man can suffer. 12:168.
_Social Amusements_--There is no true enjoyment in life--nothing
that can be a blessing to an individual or to a {365} community, but
what is ordained of God to bless his people. 6:143.
We want to see every countenance full of cheerfulness, and every eye
bright with the hope of future happiness. 12:314.
We are made to enjoy all that God enjoys, to inherit all he inherits,
to possess all the power that he possesses, all the excellency with
which he is endowed--all things are to be brought into subjection to
him by his faithful children, that they may enjoy all things with
him; these considerations bring peace to the heart that is opened to
understanding. 10:171.
A gathering and social spirit seems to be the order of heaven--of
the spirit that is in the Gospel we have embraced. Though it may be
esteemed as a fault--as an unwarrantable act to separate ourselves
from those who do not believe as we believe, yet such is the nature
of a portion of our religion pertaining to the performance of outward
duties. If the Latter-day Saints can associate together, free from the
contaminating influences that are in the world, it is a blessing and a
great privilege. What would induce a child to grow up in the wickedness
of the wicked world, if it never saw or heard any of it? 7:267.
Is there anything immoral in recreation? If I see my sons and daughters
enjoying themselves, chatting, visiting, riding, going to a party or
a dance, is there anything immoral in that? I watch very closely, and
if I hear a word, see a look, or a sneer at divine things or anything
derogatory to a good moral character, I feel it in a moment, and I say,
"If you follow that it will not lead to good, it is evil; it will not
lead to the fountain of life and intelligence; follow, only, the path
that leads to life everlasting." {366}
It is the privilege of the Saints to enjoy every good thing, for the
earth and its fulness belong to the Lord, and he has promised all
to his faithful Saints; but it must be enjoyed without spirit of
covetousness and selfishness--without the spirit of lust, and in the
spirit of the Gospel; then the sun will shine sweetly upon us; each day
will be filled with delight, and all things will be filled with beauty,
giving joy, pleasure, and rest to the Saints. 8:82.
We are to learn how to enjoy the things of life--how to pass our mortal
existence here. There is no enjoyment, no comfort, no pleasure, nothing
that the human heart can imagine, with all the spirit of revelation
we can get, that tends to beautify, happify, make comfortable and
peaceful, and exalt the feelings of mortals, but what the Lord has in
store for his people. He never objected to their taking comfort. He
never revealed any doctrine, that I have any knowledge of, but what in
its nature is calculated to fill with peace and glory, and lift every
sentiment and impulse of the heart above every low, sad, deathly, false
and grovelling feeling. The Lord wishes us to live that we may enjoy
the fulness of the glory that pertains to the upper world, and bid
farewell to all that gloomy, dark, deathly feeling that is spread over
the inhabitants of the earth. 8:128-129.
Our organism makes us capable of exquisite enjoyment. Do I not love my
wife, my son, my daughter, my brother, my sister, my father, and my
mother? And do I not love to associate with my friends? I do, and love
to reflect and talk on eternal principles. 7:138.
We say to the Bishops and to everybody, exercise yourselves, provide
innocent amusement for the youth, attract the minds of the children,
and get the upper hand of them {367} and be on the lead. I see mothers
right among us whose course is very imprudent with their children.
You ought always to take the lead of your children in their minds
and affections. Instead of being behind with the whip, always be in
advance, then you can say, "Come along," and you will have no use for
the rod. They will delight to follow you, and will like your words and
ways, because you are always comforting them and giving them pleasure
and enjoyment. If they get a little naughty, stop them when they have
gone far enough. We say to the brethren, humor your wives and children
as far as you can, but when they transgress, and transcend certain
bounds we want them to stop. If you are in the lead they will stop,
they cannot run over you; but if you are behind they will run away from
you. Husbands, always be in advance of your wives, and then if they
undertake to do something that is very displeasing to you they will run
right against you, and then stop and sit down because they can't go any
further. Do you know how to do this? "No," says one, "I don't know that
I do." Well, then, learn by searching after truth, according to the
revelations given in this book. Search after truth in all good books,
and learn the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God, and put them
together and you will be able to benefit yourselves. 12:313.
Our work, our every-day labor, our whole lives are within the scope of
our religion. This is what we believe and what we try to practice. Yet
the Lord permits a great many things that he never commands. I have
frequently heard my old brethren in the Christian world make remarks
about the impropriety of indulging in pastimes and amusements. The
Lord never commanded me to dance, yet I have danced: you all know it,
for my life is before the world. {368} Yet while the Lord has never
commanded me to do it, he has permitted it. I do not know that he
ever commanded the boys to go and play at ball, yet he permits it. I
am not aware that he ever commanded us to build a theater, but he has
permitted it, and I can give the reason why. Recreation and diversion
are as necessary to our well-being as the more serious pursuits of
life. There is not a man in the world but what, if kept at any one
branch of business or study, will become like a machine. Our pursuits
should be so diversified as to develop every trait of character and
diversity of talent. If you would develop every power and faculty
possessed by your children, they must have the privilege of engaging
in and enjoying a diversity of amusements and studies; to attain great
excellence, however, they cannot all be kept to any one individual
branch of study. I recollect once while in England, in the district of
country called the "Potteries," seeing a man pass along the street,
his head, perhaps, within sixteen or eighteen inches of the ground. I
inquired what occupation he had followed for a living, and learned that
he had never done anything in his life but turned a tea cup, and he
was then seventy-four years of age. How do we know but what, if he had
had the privilege, he would have made a statesman or a fine physician,
an excellent mechanic or a good judge? We cannot tell. This shows the
necessity of the mind being kept active and having the opportunity of
indulging in every exercise it can enjoy in order to attain to a full
development of its powers. 13:61.
Little boys play with their wagons, tops, marbles, etc.; little girls
with their dolls, cradles, and skipping ropes. They are in the height
of their enjoyment, while there sits the mother whose mind comprehends
all the children can {369} enjoy, and then she can see enjoyment far
beyond what they are then capable of enjoying. Perhaps her vision is
open to see forward into the eternity before her, and that she will be
able to preserve her identity in her future existence. Do you not see
how easy it is for her to circumscribe all those little children can
enjoy? Her feeling is, "I am delighted: it is a great satisfaction to
see my children enjoy themselves." But how would she like to engage in
their plays? "It is my joy to see them enjoy themselves." Do you like
to get together in your parties? How are you looked upon by beings
in the eternal worlds? Precisely as a mother looks upon her children
when they are enjoying themselves and passing their time so kindly
with each other. Says the mother, "I do delight in seeing my children
enjoy themselves." I also delight in enjoying myself with the brethren
and sisters, and giving to my natural organization the food that the
natural body requires. The body requires food, and the immortal spirit
requires food; the whole organization requires something to feast upon,
and we get up amusements to satisfy it. 8:358-9.
I repeat that it is not your lawful privilege to yield to anything
in the shape of amusement, until you have performed every duty, and
obtained the power of God to enable you to withstand and resist all
foul spirits that might attack you, and lead you astray; until you have
command over them, and by your faith, obtained, through prayer and
supplication, the blessings of the Holy Spirit, and it rests upon, and
abides continually with you. 1:113.
In all your social communications, or whatever your associations
are, let all the dark, discontented, murmuring, unhappy, miserable
feelings--all the evil fruit of the mind, {370} fall from the tree in
silence and unnoticed; and so let it perish, without taking it up to
present to your neighbors. But when you have joy and happiness, light
and intelligence, truth and virtue, offer that fruit abundantly to your
neighbors, and it will do them good, and so strengthen the hands of
your fellow-beings, even though you may be looked upon as an outcast,
vile people, not worthy of the society of what are commonly deemed the
intelligent portion of the world. 7:269.
I have frequently told the people at our places of recreation, if they
cannot go there with the Spirit of the Lord, they had better stay at
home. 11:283.
On every such occasion, it is right, reasonable, and necessary, that
every heart be directed to the Lord. When we have had sufficient
recreation for our good, let that suffice. It is all right; then let
our minds labor instead of our bodies; and in all our exercises of body
and mind, it is good to remember the Lord. 1:30.
I am most perfectly satisfied to associate with those whose hearts are
filled with peace, with praise and adoration to our God, and whose
lives are full of good works. Their voices to me are like sweet music.
I have not the least desire to mingle with or look upon the faces of
those who hate God and his cause. 8:57.
We are now enjoying our pastimes. We often meet together and worship
the Lord by singing, praying, and preaching, fasting, and communing
with each other in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Now we are
met in the capacity of a social community--for what? That our minds
may rest, and our bodies receive that recreation which is proper and
necessary to keep up an equilibrium, to promote healthy action to the
whole system. {371}
Let our minds sing for joy, and let life diffuse itself into every
avenue of the body; for the object of our meeting is for its exercise,
for its good.
This party was gotten up by the members of the Legislature, to rest
their minds, to convene in a social capacity, and enjoy the society
of each other, with their families, and to give renewed activity and
energy, which will invigorate and strengthen them in the discharge of
the arduous duties devolving upon them. 1:29.
Our present situation, and the enjoyments of this evening, will become
subjects of pleasant and agreeable reflection, when we shall be
separated from this community, and go to the right and to the left;
then these moments of festive joy will be remembered with pleasing
emotions, and cherished in fond memory in after years. 1:30.
Is there any harm in Sunday school parties? No! It is one of the most
harmless kinds of enjoyment when conducted aright. If they wish to
dance, let them dance; let them talk and play; but not do any wrong.
They must not get angry with each other; and if any do wrong instruct
them to do right. If our children are thus taught, they will be
patterns of piety and their conduct will be worthy of imitation. 12:239.
One of the most useful amusements we could have would be for the
Seventies and High Priests to meet here, instead of in their small
halls, and lecture. Which is the most delightful, to satisfy the wants
of the natural body, or those of the intelligent part within us? Which
is the most precious? Both. 8:358.
My first remarks will be concerning such exercises as we have seen
here this morning. The Latter-day Saints have many pastimes, and they
enjoy themselves in social {372} society with one another. Yet I
think, in my reflections, that we should have an increase--and we are
having partially an increase of recreation for our youth. We have very
few holidays. When the 4th of July comes, we have our amusements and
exercises. When the 24th of July comes, we hail it as the anniversary
of a day of deliverance. On reflection, I have come to the conclusion
that it would be better if we would pay more attention to these public
exercises, and direct the minds of our children by observing them,
taking a course to have them avoid getting into the habit of drinking
and every kind of rowdyism, and other things that are unbecoming; and
in all of our amusements have objects of improvement that are worthy
of pursuit. We should have more of the children attend Sunday school,
and the teachers should continually place objects before them that
will lead them to study to improve in their manners, in their words,
in their looks and in their behavior; and that will guide their minds
aright. You will find we can place before them objects that will do
them much good in their thoughts and reflections, that will improve
their young and tender minds, and have an influence upon their future
lives for good; and we can thus bring them up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord by taking a course to lead their minds. 12:238-9.
I am satisfied that those persons who stamp, clap hands, whistle,
and make other noisy and boisterous demonstrations in the theaters,
so untimed and uncalled for, have but little sense, and know not
the difference between a happy smile of satisfaction to cheer the
countenance of a friend, or a contemptuous sneer that brings the curses
of man upon man. 9:290.
Never give way to vain laughter. I have seldom {373} laughed aloud for
twenty or thirty years without regretting it, and I always blush for
those who laugh aloud without meaning. 9:290.
_Dancing_--Those that have kept their covenants and served their
God, if they wish to exercise themselves in any way, to rest their
minds and tire their bodies, go and enjoy yourselves in the dance, and
let God be in all your thoughts in this as in all other things, and he
will bless you. 6:149.
There are many of our aged brethren and sisters, who, through the
traditions of their fathers and the requirements of a false religion,
were never inside a ball-room or a theater until they became Latter-day
Saints, and now they seem more anxious for this kind of amusement
than are our children. This arises from the fact they have been
starved for many years for that amusement which is designed to buoy up
their spirits and make their bodies vigorous and strong, and tens of
thousands have sunk into untimely graves for want of such exercises to
the body and the mind. They require mutual nourishment to make them
sound and healthy. Every faculty and power of both body and mind is a
gift from God. Never say that means used to create and continue healthy
action of body and mind are from hell. 9:244.
I want it distinctly understood, that fiddling and dancing are no part
of our worship. The question may be asked, What are they for, then? I
answer, that my body may keep pace with my mind. My mind labors like
a man logging, all the time; and this is the reason why I am fond of
these pastimes--they give me a privilege to throw everything off,
and shake myself, that my body may exercise, and my mind rest. What
for? To get strength, and be renewed and quickened, and enlivened,
and animated, so {374} that my mind may not wear out. Experience
tells us that the most of the inhabitants of the earth wear out their
bodies without wearing their minds at all, through the sufferings
they endure from hard labor, with distress, poverty, and want. While
on the other hand, a great portion of mankind wear out their bodies
without laboring, only in anxiety. But when men are brought to labor
entirely in the field of intelligence, there are few minds to be
found possessing strength enough to bear all things; the mind becomes
overcharged, and when this is the case, it begins to wear upon the
body, which will sink for want of the proper exercises. This is the
reason why I believe in and practice what I do. 1:30.
There is no music in hell, for all good music belongs to heaven.
Sweet harmonious sounds give exquisite joy to human beings capable of
appreciating music. I delight in hearing harmonious tones made by the
human voice, by musical instruments, and by both combined. Every sweet
musical sound that can be made belongs to the Saints and is for the
Saints. Every flower, shrub and tree to beautify, and to gratify the
taste and smell, and every sensation that gives to man joy and felicity
are for the Saints who receive them from the Most High. 9:244.
It you happen to be in a party where I am and wearing dresses made with
your own hands, I shall take pleasure in dancing with you in preference
to the lady dressed in silks and satins. 9:190.
I am opposed to making a cotillion hall a place of worship. 9:194.
I am opposed to having cotillions or theatrical performances in this
Tabernacle. I am opposed to making this a fun hall, I do not mean
for wickedness, I mean for the {375} recuperation of our spirits and
bodies. I am not willing that they should convert the house that has
been set apart for religious meetings into a dancing hall. 9:195.
[IMAGE: THE OLD TABERNACLE, SALT LAKE CITY]
[IMAGE: THE PRESENT TABERNACLE, SALT LAKE CITY]
Those who cannot serve God with a pure heart in the dance should not
dance. 6:148.
If you want to dance, run a foot race, pitch quoits, or play at ball,
do it, and exercise your bodies, and let your minds rest. 6:149.
If you wish to dance, dance; and you are just as much prepared for a
prayer meeting after dancing as ever you were, if you are Saints. If
you desire to ask God for anything, you are as well prepared to do so
in the dance as in any other place, if you are Saints. Are your eyes
open to know that everything in the earth, in hell, or in heaven, is
ordained for the use of intelligent beings? 6:148.
_The Theater_--Is there evil in the theater; in the ball room; in
the place of worship; in the dwelling; in the world? Yes, when men are
inclined to do evil in any of these places. There is evil in persons
meeting simply for a chit chat, if they will allow themselves to commit
evil while thus engaged. 9:243.
I built that theater to attract the young of our community and to
provide amusement for the boys and girls, rather than have them running
all over creation for recreation. Long before that was built I said to
the Bishops, "Get up your parties and pleasure grounds to amuse the
people." 12:312-313.
Upon the stage of a theater can be represented in character, evil and
its consequences, good and its happy results and rewards; the weakness
and the follies of man, the magnanimity of virtue and the greatness of
truth. The stage can be made to aid the pulpit in impressing upon the
minds {376} of a community an enlightened sense of a virtuous life,
also a proper horror of the enormity of sin and a just dread of its
consequences. The path of sin with its thorns and pitfalls, its gins
and snares can be revealed, and how to shun it. 9:243.
Tragedy is favored by the outside world; I am not in favor of it. I
do not wish murder and all its horrors and the villainy leading to it
portrayed before our women and children; I do not want the child to
carry home with it the fear of the fagot, the sword, the pistol, or
the dagger, and suffer in the night from frightful dreams. I want such
plays performed as will make the spectators feel well; and I wish those
who perform to select a class of plays that will improve the public
mind, and exalt the literary taste of the community. 9:245.
_Excursions_--If the people should conclude to take short
excursions with their families, except the smallest children, it would
be much to their comfort, and would cheer them up. 2:283.
I would be very pleased to learn that your Bishop, Brother Miller,
was preparing a place for parties; with a little pond to float boats
on, and other means of enjoyment, where the people could assemble to
have their exercises. Get the young minds to follow after you in these
things, and they will follow after you in every precept that is good.
And I would like to hear of other Bishops taking steps to prepare
suitable places for the same purpose. 12:239. {377}
CHAPTER XXII
_EDUCATION_
_Knowledge and Intelligence_--Education is a good thing, and
blessed is the man who has it, and can use it for the dissemination of
the Gospel without being puffed up with pride. 11:214.
When we speak upon education, it is not to be understood that it alone
consists in a man's learning the letters of the alphabet, in being
trained in every branch of scholastic lore, in becoming a proficient
in the knowledge of the sciences, and a classical scholar, but also in
learning to classify himself and others. 1:66.
Find a true philosopher and you find one who has the true principles of
Christianity. He delights in them; and sees and understands the hand of
Providence guiding and directing in all the affairs of this life. 14:82.
A firm, unchangeable course of righteousness through life is what
secures to a person true intelligence. 8:32.
Intelligent beings are organized to become Gods, even the Sons of
God, to dwell in the presence of the Gods, and become associated with
the highest intelligencies that dwell in eternity. We are now in the
school, and must practice upon what we receive. 8:160.
When we have faith to understand that he must dictate, and that we
must be perfectly submissive to him, then we shall begin to rapidly
collect the intelligence that is bestowed upon the nations, for all
this intelligence belongs to Zion. All the knowledge, wisdom, power,
and glory that have been bestowed upon the nations of the earth, from
the {378} days of Adam till now, must be gathered home to Zion. 8:278.
This people have embraced the philosophy of eternal lives, and in
view of this we should cease to be children and become philosophers,
understanding our own existence, its purpose and intimate design,
then our days will not become a blank through ignorance, but every
day will bring with it its useful and profitable employment. God has
placed us here, given us the ability we possess, and supplied the means
upon which we can operate to produce social, national, and eternal
happiness. 9:190.
When a man is capable of correcting you, and of giving you light, and
true doctrine, do not get up an altercation, but submit to be taught
like little children, and strive with all your might to understand.
1:47.
Learning a, b, c, d, does not hinder me learning e, f, g. 16:27.
_A Religion of Improvement_--Ours is a religion of improvement; it
is not contracted and confined; but is calculated to expand the minds
of the children of men and lead them up into the state of intelligence
that will be an honor to our being. 10:290.
Every art and science known and studied by the children of men is
comprised within the Gospel. Where did the knowledge come from which
has enabled man to accomplish such great achievements in science and
mechanism within the last few years? We know that knowledge is from
God, but why do they not acknowledge him? Because they are blind to
their own interests, they do not see and understand things as they
are. Who taught men to chain the lightning? Did man unaided of himself
discover that? No, he received the knowledge from the Supreme {379}
Being. From him, too, has every art and science proceeded, although
the credit is given to this individual, and that individual. But where
did they get the knowledge from, have they it in and of themselves?
No, they must acknowledge that, if they cannot make one spear of
grass grow, nor one hair white or black without artificial aid, they
are dependent upon the Supreme Being just the same as the poor and
the ignorant. Where have we received the knowledge to construct the
labor-saving machinery for which the present age is remarkable? From
Heaven. Where have we received our knowledge of astronomy, or the
power to make glasses to penetrate the immensity of space? We received
it from the same Being that Moses, and those who were before him,
received their knowledge from; the same Being who told Noah that
the world should be drowned and its people destroyed. From him has
every astronomer, artist and mechanician that ever lived on the earth
obtained his knowledge. By him, too, has the power to receive from one
another, been bestowed, and to search into the deep things pertaining
to this earth and every principle connected with it. 12:257.
It is highly gratifying to the Lord, to angels, and to all good men,
to see intelligent beings organized to receive a great amount of
intelligence--seeking to possess eternal life. 8:136.
The Lord has chosen the poor of this world,--rich in faith--and
the time will come when he will give the earth to his poor for an
everlasting inheritance. I speak this for the comfort of my brethren
and sisters who have been poor. They have come here, and what do we
see? The youth, the middle-aged and the old improving in letters, in
mechanism and in the arts and sciences. We bring them {380} here to
improve them, and if the Lord will bless us sufficiently, and the
people will bless themselves, we will have a nation that understands
all things pertaining to the earth that it is possible for man
to grasp. Will this people be praiseworthy? Yes, and honored and
honorable. Will they be looked to as examples? Yes; and it is the
duty of the Latter-day Saints to live their religion so that all the
world can say there is a pattern for us, not only in our business and
worship, but in our knowledge of things that are, things that have been
and of things that are yet to come, until the knowledge of Zion shall
reach the uttermost parts of the earth, and the kings and great men
shall say, "Let us go up to Zion and learn wisdom." 12:257.
The greatest difficulty we have to meet is what may be termed
ignorance, or want of understanding in the people. 7:63.
Not only does the religion of Jesus Christ make the people acquainted
with the things of God, and develop within them moral excellence and
purity, but it holds out every encouragement and inducement possible,
for them to increase in knowledge and intelligence, in every branch of
mechanism, or in the arts and sciences, for all wisdom, and all the
arts and sciences in the world are from God, and are designed for the
good of his people. 13:147.
_Knowledge to be Sought_--The religion embraced by the Latter-day
Saints, if only slightly understood, prompts them to search diligently
after knowledge. There is no other people in existence more eager to
see, hear, learn, and understand truth. 8:6.
Let there be a mutual desire in every man to disseminate knowledge,
that all may know. I have always followed {381} out the rule of
dispensing what I know to others, and been blessed in so doing. 9:370.
Put forth your ability to learn as fast as you can, and gather all the
strength of mind and principle of faith you possibly can, and then
distribute your knowledge to the people. 8:146.
We, who believe in and have obeyed this Gospel, look forward with the
anticipation of obtaining a great amount of knowledge and wisdom. When
we embraced the Gospel, the spirit opened up to our minds the fact that
the wisdom, the knowledge and the power of God would increase in the
midst of the Saints. This is our experience, knowing for myself, what
the Spirit of the Lord brings to the understanding, testify what it
reveals to others. 18:236.
Let us train our minds until we delight in that which is good, lovely
and holy, seeking continually after that intelligence which will enable
us effectually to build up Zion, which consists in building houses,
tabernacles, temples, streets, and every convenience and necessity to
embellish and beautify, seeking to do the will of the Lord all the days
of our lives, improving our minds in all scientific and mechanical
knowledge, seeking diligently to understand the great design and plan
of all created things, that we may know what to do with our lives and
how to improve upon the facilities placed within our reach. 10:177.
If we wish to be taught, to receive, and understand, we must train
ourselves. 6:99.
We are in a great school, and we should be diligent to learn, and
continue to store up the knowledge of heaven and of earth, and read
good books, although I cannot say that I would recommend the reading
of all books, for it is not all books which are good. Read good books,
and extract {382} from them wisdom and understanding as much as you
possibly can, aided by the Spirit of God. 12:124.
Every man and woman that has talent and hides it will be called a
slothful servant. Improve day by day upon the capital you have. In
proportion as we are capacitated to receive, so it is our duty to do.
7:7.
It is our duty and calling, as ministers of the same salvation and
Gospel, to gather every item of truth and reject every error. Whether
a truth be found with professed infidels, or with the Universalists,
or the Church of Rome, or the Methodists, the Church of England, the
Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, the Shakers, or any other of
the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have
more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church
(Jesus, their Elder Brother, being at their head) to gather up all the
truths in the world pertaining to life and salvation, to the Gospel we
preach, to mechanism of every kind, to the sciences, and to philosophy,
wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people
and bring it to Zion. 7:283.
_Continuous Education_--This is our labor, our business, and our
calling--to grow in grace and in knowledge from day to day and from
year to year. 6:268.
I shall not cease learning while I live, nor when I arrive in the
spirit-world; but shall there learn with greater facility; and when
I again receive my body, I shall learn a thousand times more in a
thousand times less time; and then I do not mean to cease learning, but
shall still continue my researches. 8:10.
We shall never see the time when we shall not need to be taught, nor
when there will not be an object to be gained. I never expect to see
the time that there will not {383} be a superior power and a superior
knowledge, and, consequently, incitements to further progress and
further improvement. 10:221.
If I do not learn what is in the world, from first to last, somebody
will be wiser than I am. I intend to know the whole of it, both good
and bad. Shall I practice evil? No; neither have I told you to practice
it, but to learn by the light of truth every principle there is in
existence in the world. 2:94.
We need constant instruction, and our great heavenly Teacher requires
of us to be diligent pupils in his school, that we may in time reach
his glorified presence. If we will not lay to heart the rules of
education which our Teacher gives us to study, and continue to advance
from one branch of learning to another, we never can be scholars of the
first class and become endowed with the science, power, excellency,
brightness and glory of the heavenly hosts; and unless we are educated
as they are, we cannot associate with them. 10:266.
And inasmuch as the Lord Almighty has designed us to know all that is
in the earth, both the good and the evil, and to learn not only what
is in heaven, but what is in hell, you need not expect ever to get
through learning. Though I mean to learn all that is in heaven, earth,
and hell. Do I need to commit iniquity to do it? No. If I were to go
into the bowels of hell to find out what is there, that does not make
it necessary that I should commit one evil, or blaspheme in any way the
name of my Maker. 2:94.
The extent of knowledge incorporated within the salvation extended to
the children of men, will vastly exceed the researches of the human
family, and when they have {384} passed the veil, they will then
understand that they have but just commenced to learn. Brother Morley
says he never expects to be too old to learn; I believe that doctrine.
Could we live to the age of Methuselah, and eat the fruits which the
earth would produce in her strength, as did Adam and Eve before the
transgression, and spend our lives in searching after the principles of
eternal life, we would find, when one eternity had passed to us, that
we had been but children thus far, babies just commencing to learn the
things which pertain to the eternities of the Gods.
We might ask, when shall we cease to learn? I will give you my opinion
about it: never, never. 3:202.
If we continue to learn all that we can, pertaining to the salvation
which is purchased and presented to us through the Son of God, is there
a time when a person will cease to learn? Yes, when he has sinned
against God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost--God's
minister; when he has denied the Lord, defied him and committed the sin
that in the Bible is termed the unpardonable sin--the sin against the
Holy Ghost. That is the time when a person will cease to learn, and
from that time forth, will descend in ignorance, forgetting that which
they formerly knew. They will cease to increase, but must decrease.
These are the only characters who will ever cease to learn, both in
time and eternity. 3:203.
I ask, have the great and learned men completed their education? No,
they are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the
truth. 1:70.
I will not say, as do many, that the more I learn the more I am
satisfied that I know nothing; for the more I learn the more I discern
an eternity of knowledge to improve upon. {385}
One scholar in a school may far outstrip the rest; but give them
sufficient time, and they can learn what the quick, bright scholar has
learned so easily and quickly. If we are capacitated to learn one thing
today, we can learn another tomorrow. It is the height of folly to say
that a man can only learn so much and no more. The further literary men
advance in their studies, the more they discern there is to learn, and
the more anxious they are to learn.
We may live here year after year, and store up knowledge all the time,
and yet not have an opportunity of exhibiting it to others; it is on
hand; whenever the time comes it should be used. 6:274.
Experience has taught us that it requires time to acquire certain
branches of mechanism, also all principles and ideas that we wish to
become masters of. The closer people apply their minds to any correct
purpose the faster they can grow and increase in the knowledge of the
truth. When they learn to master their feelings, they can soon learn
to master their reflections and thoughts in the degree requisite for
attaining the objects they are seeking. But while they yield to a
feeling or spirit that distracts their minds from a subject they wish
to study and learn, so long they will never gain the mastery of their
minds. 6:94.
No matter what your circumstances ate, whether you are in prosperity
or in adversity, you can learn from every person, transaction, and
circumstance around you. 4:287.
_Effects of Education_--The results of the education and
traditions of the inhabitants of the earth, are interwoven with their
feelings, and are like a cloak that envelops them, in the capacity of
societies, neighborhoods, people, or individuals; they frame that kind
of government and religion, {386} and pursue that course collectively
or individually, that seemeth good to themselves. 3:88.
Every principle of true philosophy convinces a person who understands
the spirit of the Gospel and has received the good word of life, that
the darkness is in proportion to the light that has been forsaken.
Rear a child in a cell which only admits a small glimmer of light, and
the child will pass its time with some degree of satisfaction, when a
person accustomed to the bright light of day could not at first see
anything. And the greater the light bestowed upon an individual or upon
a people, the greater the darkness when that light is forsaken. 8:121.
Will education feed and clothe you, keep you warm on a cold day, or
enable you to build a house? Not at all. Should we cry down education
on this account? No. What is it for? The improvement of the mind; to
instruct us in all arts and sciences, in the history of the world, in
the laws of nations; to enable us to understand the laws and principles
of life, and how to be useful while we live. 14:83.
What is the religion of the day? What are all the civil laws and
governments of the day? They are merely traditions, without a single
exception. Do the people realize this--that it is the force of their
education that makes right and wrong with them? It is not the line
which the Lord has drawn out; it is not the law which the Lord has
given them; it is not the righteousness which is according to the
character of him who has created all things, and by his own law governs
and controls all things; but by the prejudice of education--the
prepossessed feeling that is begotten in the hearts of the children of
men, by surrounding objects. 3:86.
If I should hear a man advocate the erroneous principles {387} he had
imbibed through education, and oppose those principles, some might
imagine that I was opposed to that man, when, in fact, I am only
opposed to every evil and erroneous principle he advances. 6:331.
There is not a law of God, nor a law of any nation that exercises so
strong an influence upon us as do our traditions at times, to, bind us
to certain customs, habits and ceremonies. 8:58.
_Educate our Children_--Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, obey
his doctrine, cease your warring and contention, beat your swords
into ploughshares and your spears into pruning hooks; make railroads,
build colleges, teach the children, give them the learning of the
world and the things of God; elevate their minds, that they may not
only understand the earth we walk upon, but the air we breathe, the
water we drink, and all the elements pertaining to the earth; and then
search other worlds, and become acquainted with the planetary system,
the dwellings of the angels and the heavenly beings, that they may
ultimately be prepared for a higher state of being, and finally be
associated with them. I wish we would do it; I pray the Lord to do it,
but he will not, unless we help him. 14:210.
The education of our children is worthy of our attention, and the
instruction of the Elders from this stand. It is a subject that should
be thoroughly impressed upon the minds of parents and the rising
generation; and those who wish to preach from this text may do so.
13:262.
It is a duty we owe to our children to educate and train them in every
principle of honor and good manners, in a knowledge of God and his
ways, and in popular school education. I am happy to hear the little
children sing, and {388} hope they are also learning to read and write,
and are progressing in every useful branch of learning. 11:111.
See that your children are properly educated in the rudiments of
their mother tongue, and then let them proceed to higher branches of
learning; let them become more informed in every department of true
and useful learning than their fathers are. When they have become
well acquainted with their language, let them study other languages,
and make themselves fully acquainted with the manners, customs, laws,
governments and literature of other nations, peoples, and tongues. Let
them also learn all the truth pertaining to the arts and sciences, and
how to apply the same to their temporal wants. Let them study things
that are upon the earth, that are in the earth, and that are in the
heavens. 8:9.
I wish this people to pay particular attention to the education
of their children. If we can do no more, we should give them the
facilities of a common education, that when our sons are sent into the
world as ministers of salvation and as representatives of the Kingdom
of God in the mountains, they can mingle with the best society and
intelligibly and sensibly present the principles of truth to mankind,
for all truth is the offspring of heaven, and is incorporated in the
religion which we have embraced.
Every accomplishment, every polished grace, every useful attainment
in mathematics, music, and in all science and art belongs to the
Saints, and they should avail themselves as expeditiously as possible
of the wealth of knowledge the sciences offer to every diligent and
persevering scholar. 10:224.
The education of youth is an important text for the brethren to preach
from. A very high value should be {389} placed upon it by the Saints.
We have the privilege of enjoying the spirit of revelation and the
knowledge which comes from above, and in addition to this, every branch
of education known in the world should be taught among and acquired by
us. 13:263.
My policy is to keep everybody busy in building up this Kingdom;
in building houses; in breaking up land; in setting out fruit and
ornamental trees; in laying out fine gardens, pleasant walks, and
beautiful groves; and in building academies and other places of
learning.
There are hundreds of young men here who can go to school, which is far
better than to waste their time. Study languages, get knowledge and
understanding; and while doing this, get wisdom from God, and forget it
not, and learn how to apply it, that you may be good with it all the
days of your lives. 2:145.
_Establish Schools_--Is it not a blessing to have schools in
our community, where our teachers can teach our children correct
principles, and impart to them education that will be useful? 8:92.
Let a few schools be started by those who are capable of teaching
the sciences. The science of architecture, for instance, is worthy
the attention of every student. It yields a great amount of real
pleasure to be able to understand the grand architectural designs of
those magnificent structures that are scattered over Europe and other
countries. 9:173.
Go to work and start some schools, go to school and study; have the
girls go, and teach them chemistry, so that they can take any of these
rocks and analyze them. The sciences can be learned without much
difficulty. I want to have schools to entertain the minds of the people
and draw {390} them out to learn the arts and sciences. Send the old
children to school, and the young ones also; there is nothing I would
like better than to learn chemistry, botany, geology, and mineralogy,
so that I could tell what I walk on, the properties of the air I
breathe, what I drink, etc. 16:170.
Let our teachers ask the Father, in the name of Jesus, to bestow upon
them and upon their scholars the Spirit of wisdom and intelligence from
heaven; ask for skill to control and ability to teach on the part of
the teacher, and willingness to be controlled and adaptability to be
taught on the part of the scholars. Let parents aid the teacher in his
labors, by seeing that their children attend school punctually, with a
proper supply of books, slates, pencils, etc., and permit not a good
diligent, faithful school-teacher to suffer for the common necessaries
of life, while he is laboring to educate and bless their children.
9:369.
I will now urge it upon the people--the young men and middle-aged--to
get up schools and study. If they are disposed to study physic or
surgery, all right; they will know then what to do if a person is
sickly, or has his elbow, wrist, or shoulder put out of joint, or his
arm or any bone broken. It is just as important to learn such things
as it is to learn to plant potatoes. Pay more attention to arithmetic
and other things that are useful, instead of acquiring a little French
and German and other fanciful studies that are not of so much practical
importance. I do not know how long it will be before we call upon the
brethren and sisters to enter upon business in an entirely different
way from what they have done. I have been an advocate for our printing
to be done by females, and as for men being in stores, you might as
well set them to knitting stockings as to sell tape. Such business
ought to be done by the sisters. It would {391} enable them to sustain
themselves, and would be far better than for them to spend their time
in the parlor or in walking the streets. Hardy men have no business
behind the counter; they who are not able to hoe potatoes, go to the
canyon, cut down the trees, saw the lumber, etc., can attend to that
business. Study arithmetic and bookkeeping. Introduce stenography into
every school; it is an excellent thing to learn. By its means we can
commit our thoughts and reflections to paper with ease and rapidity,
and thus preserve that which will be of benefit to ourselves and
others, and which would otherwise be forever lost. Introduce every kind
of useful studies into our schools. Get up classes for the study of
law. The laws of this Territory, of the United States, of the different
States, of England, and foreign lands. Do this instead of riding over
the prairies hunting and wasting your time, which is property that
belongs to the Lord our God, and if we do not make good use of it we
shall be held accountable. 12:31-32.
Let good schools be established throughout all the settlements of
the Saints in Utah. Let good teachers, who are Latter-day Saints in
principle and at heart, be employed to educate our children. A good
school teacher is one of the most essential members in society; he
relieves parents, in part, of a great responsibility and labor; we
should, therefore, make the business of school teaching a permanent
institution, and the remuneration should be in amount and in kind equal
to the receipts of our best mechanics; it should also be promptly and
willingly paid, and school commissioners and trustees should see to
it that teachers are properly qualified and do earn their pay. Could
I have my wish, I would introduce into our system of education every
real improvement. 10:225. {392}
Understand men and women as they are, and not understand them as you
are. 8:37.
_What to Study_--It is our privilege and our duty to search all
things upon the face of the earth, and learn what there is for man to
enjoy, what God has ordained for the benefit and happiness of mankind,
and then make use of it without sinning against him. 9:243.
Learn everything that the children of men know, and be prepared for
the most refined society upon the face of the earth, then improve upon
this until we are prepared and permitted to enter the society of the
blessed--the holy angels that dwell in the presence of God, for our
God, because of his purity, is a consuming fire. 16:77.
We should be a people of profound learning pertaining to the things of
the world. We should be familiar with the various languages, for we
wish to send missionaries to the different nations and to the islands
of the sea. We wish missionaries who may go to France to be able to
speak the French language fluently, and those who may go to Germany,
Italy, Spain, and so on to all nations, to be familiar with the
languages of those nations.
We also wish them to understand the geography, habits, customs, and
laws of nations and kingdoms, whether they be barbarians or civilized.
This is recommended in the revelations given to us. In them we are
taught to study the best books, that we may become as well acquainted
with the geography of the world as we are with our gardens, and as
families with the people--so far at least as they are portrayed in
print--as we are with our families and neighbors. 8:40.
How gladly would we understand every principle pertaining to science
and art, and become thoroughly acquainted {393} with every intricate
operation of nature, and with all the chemical changes that are
constantly going on around us! How delightful this would be, and what
a boundless field of truth and power is open for us to explore! We are
only just approaching the shores of the vast ocean of information that
pertains to this physical world, to say nothing of that which pertains
to the heavens, to angels and celestial beings, to the place of their
habitation, to the manner of their life, and their progress to still
higher degrees of perfection. 9:167.
Our education should be such as to improve our minds and fit us for
increased usefulness; to make us of greater service to the human
family; to enable us to stop our rude methods of living, speaking, and
thinking. 14:83.
Learn to be good for something. 11:298.
If we could only learn enough to be self-preserving and
self-sustaining, we should then have learned what the Gods have learned
before us, and what we must eventually learn before we can be exalted.
9:169.
Learn all you can. Learn how to raise calves, chickens, lambs, and all
kinds of useful fowls and animals; learn how to till the ground to the
best advantage for raising all useful products of the soil; and learn
how to manufacture molasses and sugar from the sugar-cane. Raise flax,
husbands, and let your wives learn to manufacture fine linen. 9:173.
Let the boys from ten to twenty years of age get up schools to learn
sword exercise, musket and rifle exercise, and, in short, every act
of war. Shall we need this knowledge? No matter; it is good to be
acquainted with this kind of exercise. 9:173.
If I could get my own feelings answered I would have law in our school
books, and have our youth study law at {394} school. Then lead their
minds to study the decisions and counsels of the just and the wise, and
not forever be studying how to get the advantage of their neighbor.
This is wisdom. 16:9.
I have a few things to lay before the Conference, one of which
is--and I think my brethren will agree with me that this is wise and
practicable--for from one to five thousand of our young and middle-aged
men to turn their attention to the study of law. I would not speak
lightly in the least of law, we are sustained by it; but what is called
the practice of law is not always the administration of justice, and
would not be so considered in many courts. 16:9.
Every Elder should have at least one trade, and if possible more than
one. 10:77.
I am happy to see our children engaged in the study and practice of
music. Let them be educated in every useful branch of learning, for
we, as a people, have in the future to excel the nations of the earth
in religion, science and philosophy. Great advancement has been made
in knowledge by the learned of this world, still there is yet much
to learn. The hidden powers of nature which give life, growth, and
existence to all things have not yet been approached by the wisdom of
this world. There exists around us, in the works of God, an everlasting
variety--no two leaves, no two blades of grass are alike. Natural
philosophy, so far as known, marks these phenomena of nature, and
reveals her wonders, but is incapable of revealing the modus operandi
of the production.
Let the children in our schools be taught everything that is necessary
with regard to doctrine and principle, and then how to live; and let
mothers teach their daughters regarding themselves, and how they
should live in their {395} sphere of existence, that they may be good
wives and good mothers. Let the sisters study economy in the labor
and management of their homes. I am satisfied that more than one-half
of the labor that is done in our houses can be saved by a judicious
exercise of thought and good judgment Then be wise in these things, and
we shall not need tea and coffee, or any other stimulant stronger than
our natural food. 12:122-123.
Study to apply your labor to advantage, and you will accomplish much
more, without wearing yourselves out so fast. If you have to roll
a log, cut down a tree, etc., study how to take advantage of the
work. Contrive to accomplish your work with the least expenditure of
strength. 8:297.
I would advise you to read books that are worth reading; read reliable
history, and search wisdom out of the best books you can procure. 9:173.
"Shall I sit down and read the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Book
of Covenants all the time?" says one. Yes, if you please, and when you
have done, you may be nothing but a sectarian after all. It is your
duty to study to know everything upon the face of the earth in addition
to reading those books. We should not only study good, and its effects
upon our race, but also evil, and its consequences. 2:93-94.
All men should study to learn the nature of mankind, and to discern
that divinity inherent in them. A spirit and power of research is
planted within, yet they remain undeveloped. 7:1.
Novel reading--is it profitable? I would rather that persons read
novels than read nothing. 9:173.
I hope to see the time when we shall have a reformation {396} in the
orthography of the English language, among this people, for it is
greatly needed. Such a reformation would be a great benefit, and would
make the acquirement of an education much easier than at present.
12:174.
I long for the time that a point of the finger, or motion of the hand,
will express every idea without utterance. When a man is full of the
light of eternity, then the eye is not the only medium through which he
sees, his ear is not the only medium by which he hears, nor the brain
the only means by which he understands. When the whole body is full
of the Holy Ghost, he can see behind him with as much ease, without
turning, his head, as he can see before him. If, you have not that
experience, you ought to have. It is not the optic nerve alone that
gives the knowledge of surrounding objects to the mind, but it is that
which God has placed in man--a system of intelligence that attracts
knowledge, as light cleaves to light, intelligence to intelligence, and
truth to truth. It is this which lays in man a proper foundation for
all education. I shall yet see the time that I can converse with this
people, and not speak to them, but the expression of my countenance
will tell the congregation what I wish to convey, without opening my
mouth.
_Religious Education_--We have established a school in Salt Lake
City for the instruction of the Elders of Israel in the doctrines which
are contained in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and book of Doctrine and
Covenants, etc., and that is also the place where questions may be
asked, and instructions given touching all doctrines and principles
that may be entertained by them. That is also the place where
correction may be given and explanations be made upon all matters which
pertain to the temporal and spiritual lives {397} of the Saints. It is
about two months since that school was established. 12:159.
We are starting the School of the Prophets. We have been in this
school all the time. The revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ to the
human family are all the learning we can ever possess. Much of this
knowledge is obtained from books, which have been written by men who
have contemplated deeply on various subjects, and the revelation of
Jesus have opened their minds, whether they knew it or acknowledged
it or not. We will start this School of the Prophets to increase in
knowledge. 12:1106.
There are a great many branches of education: some go to college to
learn languages, some to study law, some to study physic, and some to
study astronomy, and various other branches of science. We want every
branch of science taught in this place that is taught in the world.
But our favorite study is that branch which particularly belongs to
the Elders of Israel--namely, theology. Every Elder should become a
profound theologian--should understand this branch better than all the
world. 6:317.
The Christian world is actually coming to the point that they will
dismiss the Bible from their schools; and by and by they will dismiss
it from their pulpits and get one to suit themselves; they will hew out
for themselves cisterns that will hold no water. 13:213.
_Science and Religion_--I am not astonished that infidelity
prevails to a great extent among the inhabitants of the earth, for the
religious teachers of the people advance many ideas and notions for
truth which are in opposition to and contradict facts demonstrated by
science, and which are generally understood. You take, for instance,
our geologists, and they tell us that this earth has been in existence
{398} for thousands and millions of years. They think, and they have
good reason for their faith, that their researches and investigations
enable them to demonstrate that this earth has been in existence as
long as they assert it has; and they say, "If the Lord, as religionists
declare, made the earth out of nothing in six days, six thousand years
ago, our studies are all vain; but by what we can learn from nature
and the immutable laws of the Creator as revealed therein, we know
that your theories are incorrect and consequently we must reject your
religions as false and vain; we must be what you call infidels, with
the demonstrated truths of science in our possession; or, rejecting
those truths, become enthusiasts in, what you call, Christianity."
In these respects we differ from the Christian world, for our
religion will not clash with or contradict the facts of science in
any particular. You may take geology, for instance, and it is true
science; not that I would say for a moment that all the conclusions and
deductions of its professors are true, but its leading principles are;
they are facts--they are eternal; and to assert that the Lord made this
earth out of nothing is preposterous and impossible. God never made
something out of nothing; it is not in the economy or law by which the
worlds were, are, or will exist. There is an eternity before us, and
it is full of matter; and if we but understand enough of the Lord and
his ways, we would say that he took of this matter and organized this
earth from it. How long it has been organized it is not for me to say,
and I do not care anything about it. As for the Bible account of the
creation we may say that the Lord gave it to Moses. If we understood
the process of creation there would be no mystery about it, it would
be all reasonable and plain, for there is no mystery except to {399}
the ignorant. This we know by what we have learned naturally since we
have had a being on the earth. We can now take a hymn book and read
its contents; but if we had never learned letters and knew nothing
about type or paper or their uses, and should take up a book and look
at it, it would be a great mystery; and still more so would it be to
see a person read line after line, and give expression therefrom to
the sentiments of himself or others. But this is no mystery to us now,
because we have learned our letters, and then learned to place those
letters into syllables, the syllables into words, and the words into
sentences.
Fifty or a hundred years ago, if any one had told the people of the
East Indies that water could be congealed, and form ice so thick
and hard that you could walk on and drive teams over it, they would
probably have said, "We do not believe a word of it." Why? Because they
did not know anything about it. A proper reply for all mankind to make
under similar circumstances would be, "We do not know anything about
what you say, and do not know whether we should have faith in it or
not. Perhaps we should, but we have no evidence at present on which to
found such a belief." You go down south here among some of our native
Indian tribes, where some of the very best of blankets are made, and
you will find them twisting their yarn with their fingers and little
sticks, and their loom attached to the limbs of trees for weaving
purposes. Show them a loom such as white people use, and it would be
a perfect mystery to them. Sixty or seventy years ago a loom worked
by water power would have been a mystery to an American, but there is
no mystery in that today, because the process is understood. So it is
with the East Indians and ice, for the chemist now, by a chemical {400}
process, will congeal the water and make ice of it before their eyes,
and it is in this way, by testimony, evidence, and demonstration that
ignorance and prejudice are removed, faith implanted and knowledge
acquired. It is so with regard to all the facts in existence that we do
not understand. 14:115.
There is no ingenious mind that has ever invented anything beneficial
to the human family but what he obtained it from the one Source,
whether he knows or believes it or not. There is only one Source whence
men obtain wisdom, and that is God, the Fountain of all wisdom; and
though men may claim to make their discoveries by their own wisdom, by
meditation and reflection, they are indebted to our Father in Heaven
for all. 13:148.
It has been observed here this morning that we are called fanatics.
Bless me! That is nothing. Who has not been called a fanatic who has
discovered anything new in philosophy or science? We have all read of
Galileo the astronomer, who, contrary to the system of astronomy that
had been received for ages before his day, taught that the sun, and
not the earth, was the center of our planetary system? For this the
learned astronomer was called "fanatic," and subjected to persecution
and imprisonment of the most rigorous character. So it has been with
others who have discovered and explained new truths in science and
philosophy which have been in opposition to long-established theories;
and the opposition they have encountered has endured until the truth of
their discoveries has been demonstrated by time. The term "fanatic" is
not applied to professors of religion only. How was it with Dr. Morse,
when shut up in the attic of an old building in Baltimore for more {401} than
a year, with a little wire stretched round the room, experimenting upon
it with his battery, he told a friend that by means of that he could
sit there and talk to Congress in Washington? Was he not considered
a fanatic, and wild, and crazy? Certainly he was; and so it was with
Robert Fulton, when he was conducting his experiments with steam and
endeavoring to apply it so as to propel a vessel through the water. And
all great discoverers in art, science, or mechanism have been denounced
as fanatics and crazy; and it has been declared by their contemporaries
that they did not know what they were saying, and they were thought to
be almost as wild and incoherent as the generality of the people now
think George Francis Train to be. 13:270.
How difficult it is to teach the natural man, who comprehends nothing
more than that which he sees with the natural eye! How hard it is
for him to believe! How difficult would be the task to make the
philosopher, who, for many years, has argued himself into the belief
that his spirit is no more after his body sleeps in the grave, believe
that his intelligence came from eternity, and is as eternal, in its
nature, as the elements, or as the Gods. Such doctrine by him would
be considered vanity and foolishness, it would be entirely beyond his
comprehension. It is difficult, indeed, to remove an opinion or belief
into which he has argued himself from the mind of the natural man. Talk
to him about angels, heavens, God, immortality, and eternal lives, and
it is like sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal to his ears; it has no
music to him; there is nothing in it that charms his senses, soothes
his feelings, attracts his attention, or engages his affections, in the
least; to him it is all vanity. 1:2. {402}
True principles will abide, while all false principles will fall with
those who choose and cleave to them. 7:65.
We should seek substantial information, and trust little to that kind
of so-called learning that is based upon theory. We should pluck fruit
from the tree of knowledge, and taste, then shall our eyes be open to
see, our ears to hear and our hearts to understand. I would recommend
the same course to those who have not embraced and tasted the sweets
of "Mormonism." We should get wisdom by reading and by study. We
should introduce the best books into our schools for the education and
improvement of our children. Let our school teachers seek constantly to
fasten upon the young mind useful information, and banish from their
schools, every study that only tends to perplex the student and waste
his valuable time. 9:369.
_The Body and the Mind_--Some think too much, and should labor
more, others labor too much and should think more, and thus maintain
an equilibrium between the mental and physical members of the
individual; then you will enjoy health and vigor, will be active, and
ready to discern truly, and judge quickly. Men who do much thinking,
philosophers for instance, should apply their bodies to more manual
labor in order to make their bodies more healthy and their minds more
vigorous and active. 3:248.
_Studies in Sunday Schools_--We wish in our Sunday and day
schools, that they who are inclined to any particular branch of study
may have the privilege to study it. 13:61.
_Wisdom_--The person that applies his heart to wisdom, and seeks
diligently for understanding, will grow to be mighty in Israel. 3:363.
Let wisdom be sown in your hearts, and let it bring forth a bountiful
harvest. It is more profitable to you than {403} all the gold and
silver and other riches of earth. Let wisdom spring up in your hearts,
and cultivate it. 8:140.
After all our endeavors to obtain wisdom from the best books, etc.,
there still remains an open fountain for all; "If any man lack wisdom
let him ask of God." Let every Latter-day Saint constantly practice
himself in the performance of every good word and work, to acknowledge
God to be God, to be strict in keeping his laws, and learning to love
mercy, eschew evil and delight in constantly doing that which is
pleasing to God. This is the only sure way to obtain influence with God
and all good men. 9:370.
As we prepare materials to build a house or temple, so man can prepare
himself for the reception of eternal wisdom. We go where the materials
for a house are, and prepare them to answer our purpose; so we may go
to where eternal wisdom dwells and there diligently seek to possess it,
for its price is above rubies. 9:250.
Who is it that understands wisdom before God? In some respects we have
to define it for ourselves--each for himself--according to our own
views, judgment and faith, and the observance of the Word of Wisdom or
the interpretation of God's requirements on this subject, must be left
partially, with the people. 14:20.
It is our privilege to be as wise in our generation as the children of
this world; and not only so, but it is our duty to be as wise in our
generation as the children of this world. We have the true light and
knowledge and we ought to know as much as the philosophical world, or
as any other people on the earth. We ought at least to know as much
about politics as do the political world, or as do any other people. I
expect that we do; and if we only apply our minds in the proper time
and channel, we know as much {404} about the Christian world as do
any other people, and we ought to know as much about the whole world
as do any other people. In fact, we ought to know more upon all those
matters than any other people; for we are privileged with far superior
advantages, through faith and obedience to the Gospel. 4:356.
We pray for wisdom, but God will as soon put bread and meat in our
cupboards without any endeavor of ours, as he will give us wisdom
without our trying to get it. If a man wants a farm, let him make it;
if he wishes an orchard he plants it; if he wants a house for his
family to live in, he must gather the materials and build it. He will
give us wisdom in these things, but he will not come down to do the
manual labor. 9:250.
This people are increasing in the wisdom which cometh from God, and
their power to organize the crude elements around them into the
necessaries of life is in ratio to their increase of intelligence and
application of labor. In this way we ought to understand these great
principles. We need not seek for a revelation to know how to make
cloth, when the mode is plainly marked before our eyes. Sheep produce
a textile material, and how to make it into cloth has been known time
out of mind; we can raise sheep in abundance. I do not look for power
from the heavens that will produce for us wool, cloth, iron, food, or
anything we need, without being made with hands. We should understand
what is required of us to sustain ourselves. 9:255.
It is the privilege of man to search out the wisdom of God pertaining
to the earth and the heavens. 9:242.
Real wisdom is a real pleasure; real wisdom, prudence, and
understanding, is a real comfort. 19:96.
I want our children to go and hear all there is to hear, {405} for the
whole sum of it will be wound up as I once heard one of the finest
speakers America has ever produced say, when speaking on the soul
of man. After laboring long on the subject, he straightened himself
up--he was a fine looking man--and, said he, "My brethren and sisters,
I must come to the conclusion that the soul of man is an immaterial
substance." Said I, "Bah!" 14:198. {406}
CHAPTER XXIII
_SELF CONTROL_
_The Will of Man_--You call it will. It is the divinity God has
placed in his intelligent creatures. 8:209.
Have we a will? Yes. It is an endowment, a trait of the character of
the Gods, with which all intelligence is endowed, in heaven and on
earth,--the power to accept or reject. 9:106.
God has placed within us a will, and we should be satisfied to have
it controlled by the will of the Almighty. Let the human will be
indomitable for right. It has been the custom of parents to break the
will until it is weakened, and the noble, God-like powers of the child
are reduced to a comparative state of imbecility and cowardice. Let
that heaven-born property of human agents be properly tempered and
wisely directed, instead of pursuing the opposite course, and it will
conquer in the cause of right. Break not the spirit of any person, but
guide it to feel that it is its greatest delight and highest ambition
to be controlled by the revelations of Jesus Christ, then the will of
man becomes God-like in overcoming the evil that is sown in the flesh,
until God shall reign within us to will and do of his good pleasure.
9:150.
Take people in every capacity of life, and their wills are first and
foremost. You can gain and lead the affections of the people, but you
cannot scare them, nor whip them, nor burn them to do right against
their wills. The human family will die to gratify their wills. Then
learn to rightly direct those wills, and you can direct the influence
and power of the people. 8:363. {407}
There is no man or woman on the earth in the habit of stealing, but
what can cease the practice right square if they are disposed. And so
with the liar, he can stop lying, and lie no more, and tell the truth.
It only wants the will to do it, and that will brought into exercise to
enable the liar to be truthful, the thief to be honest, and the swearer
to stop his evil speaking. 18:77.
We want the spirit, knowledge, power and principle within us to govern
and control our tempers; there is no danger of having too much if we
will only control them by the Spirit of the Almighty. Every intelligent
being on the earth is tempered for glory, beauty, excellency and
knowledge here, and for immortality and eternal lives in the worlds to
come. But every being who attains to this must be sanctified before
God and be completely under the control of his Spirit. If I am thus
controlled by the Spirit of the Most High, I am a king. I am supreme
so far as the control of self is concerned; and it also enables me to
control my wives and children. And when they thus see that I am under
the government and control of the good Spirit, they will be perfectly
submissive to my dictates. 13:272.
Now I charge you again, and I charge myself not to get angry. Never let
anger arise in your hearts. No, Brigham, never let anger arise in your
heart, never, never! Although you may be called upon to chastise and to
speak to the people sharply, do not let anger arise in you, no, never!
14:156.
_Self Control Necessary_--We are trying to govern ourselves, and
if we continue trying and faint not, we shall assuredly conquer. 11:256.
Let the people study to bring their thinking or reflecting faculties
into subjection. 6:94.
Learn to control yourselves; learn to be in the hands of {408} God as
clay in the hands of the potter; and if he will turn our enemies away,
praised be his name. But if it should become a duty to take the sword,
let us do it manfully and in the strength of Israel's God. 5:229.
I answer, it is the absolute and imperative duty of the Elders of
Israel to try and control themselves and their families and their
brethren, until they can hold control over all things in righteousness.
10:333.
I have frequently said that the greatest endowment God ever gave to man
is good, sound, solid sense to know how to govern ourselves. 9:250.
No man can ever become a ruler in the Kingdom of God, until he can
perfectly rule himself; then is he capable of raising a family of
children who will rise up and call him blessed. 9:334.
No man ever did, or ever will rule judiciously on this earth, with
honor to himself and glory to his God, unless he first learn to rule
and control himself. A man must first learn to rule himself rightly
before his knowledge can be fully brought to bear for the correct
government of a family, a neighborhood, or nation, over which it is his
lot to preside. 3:256.
In this probation, we have evil to contend with, and we must overcome
it in ourselves, or we never shall overcome it anywhere else. 6:99.
You have been taught the standard of right. Now subdue your rebellious
passions, dismiss everything that you know or consider to be wrong, and
embrace that which is better. 6:74.
Let each person be determined, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to overcome every besetment--to be the master of himself, that the
Spirit God has put in your tabernacles {409} shall rule; then you can
converse, live, labor, go here or there, do this or that, and converse
and deal with your brethren as you ought. 8:139.
You cannot inherit eternal life, unless your appetites are brought in
subjection to the spirit that lives within you, that spirit which our
Father in Heaven gave. I mean the Father of your spirits, of those
spirits which he has put into these tabernacles. The tabernacle must be
brought in subjection to the spirit perfectly, or your bodies cannot
be raised to inherit eternal life; if they do come forth, they must
dwell in a lower kingdom. Seek diligently, until you bring all into
subjection to the law of Christ. 4:200.
We often hear people excuse themselves for their uncouth manners and
offensive language, by remarking "I am no hypocrite," thus taking to
themselves credit for that which is really no credit to them. When evil
arises within me, let me throw a cloak over it, subdue it, instead
of acting it out upon the false presumption that I am honest and no
hypocrite. Let not thy tongue give utterance to the evil that is in
thine heart, but command thy tongue to be silent until good shall
prevail over the evil, until thy wrath has passed away and the good
Spirit shall move thy tongue to blessings and words of kindness. So
far I believe in being a hypocrite. This is practical with me. When my
feelings are aroused to anger by the ill-doings of others, I hold them
as I would hold a wild horse, and I gain the victory. Some think and
say that it makes them feel better when they are mad, as they call it,
to give vent to their madness in abusive and unbecoming language. This,
however, is a mistake. Instead of its making you feel better, it is
making bad worse. When you think and say it makes you better you give
credit to a falsehood. When the wrath {410} and bitterness of the human
heart are moulded into words and hurled with violence at one another,
without any check or hindrance, the fire has no sooner expended itself
than it is again re-kindled through some trifling course, until the
course of nature is set on fire; "and it is set on fire of hell."
11:255.
Be patient; do not murmur at the dealings of Providence. The Lord
rules in the heavens and works his pleasure upon the earth. Can you
comprehend the meaning of the Prophet Amos in the question: "Shall
there be evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it?" His
providences are constantly ruling and overruling, to a greater or less
degree, in the affairs of the children of men. 7:237.
The sooner an individual resists temptation to do, say, or think wrong,
while he has light to correct his judgment, the quicker he will gain
strength and power to overcome every temptation to evil. 6:94.
I am trying to civilize myself. Are you trying to do the same? If
we have succeeded in this, then we have control over our words and
over our actions, and also, so far as our influence goes, over our
associates. If we are civilized ourselves, we shall be partially
prepared to receive the things that our Father and God has in store
for all such as prepare themselves to become recipients of his choice
gifts--for enlightenment, for intelligence, for glory, for power, and
for every qualification he wishes to bestow upon his children here upon
the earth, to prepare them to dwell in mansions of eternal light. 8:7.
Until we can subdue our own passions, and bring every human feeling
and aspiration into subjection to the will of God, we are not really
capable of guiding and dictating others to the full possession of
victory in the Kingdom of God. {411} To conquer and subdue, and school
ourselves until we bring everything into subjection to the law of
Christ, is our work. 11:13.
The thousands and tens of thousands of incidents that make up the
sum of human lives, whether for good or evil, depend on a momentary
watchfulness and care. 8:52.
A righteous person will never be discouraged, but will constantly
contend against his evil passions, and against evil in his family and
neighborhood; and the Lord will utterly cleanse his thrashing floor as
with the besom of destruction. 8:151.
Many men will say they have a violent temper, and try to excuse
themselves for actions of which they are ashamed. I will say, there
is not a man in this house who has a more indomitable and unyielding
temper than myself. But there is not a man in the world who cannot
overcome his passion, if he will struggle earnestly to do so. If you
find passion coming on you, go off to some place where you cannot
be heard; let none of your family see you or hear you, while it is
upon you, but struggle till it leaves you; and pray for strength
to overcome. As I have said many times to the Elders, pray in your
families; and if, when the time for prayer comes, you have not the
spirit of prayer upon you, and your knees are unwilling to bow, say to
them "Knees, get down there;" make them bend, and remain there until
you obtain the Spirit of the Lord. If the spirit yields to the body, it
becomes corrupt; but if the body yields to the spirit it becomes pure
and holy. 11:290.
Thirty years' experience has taught me that every moment of my life
must be holiness to the Lord, resulting from equity, justice, mercy,
and uprightness in all my actions, {412} which is the only course by
which I can preserve the Spirit of the Almighty to myself. 9:220.
_Check Your Words_--If you first gain power to check your words,
you will then begin to have power to check your judgment, and at length
actually gain power to check your thoughts and reflections. 6:98.
You should succeed in bringing your tongues into subjection, so as
never to let them speak evil, so that they will perfectly obey your
judgment and the discretion God has given you, and are perfectly
obedient to the will of the holy Gospel. 3:195.
There is an old maxim, and in many cases an excellent one. It is,
"Think twice before you speak, and three times before you act." If we
train ourselves to think what we are about to do, before we do it,
and have understanding to know, and power to perform the good, we can
thereby avoid the evil that is present with us. 1:92.
It is also a precious gift, that some people seem to be possessed of,
to have knowledge enough not to talk until they can say something to
advantage and benefit to themselves, or others, or both. 9:86.
If any are in the habit of taking the name of God in vain, cease doing
so today, tomorrow and throughout the coming week, and so continue,
and you will soon gain strength to overcome the habit entirely; you
will gain power over your words. Some are in the habit of talking about
their neighbors, of vending stories they know nothing about, only that
Aunt Sally said that Cousin Fanny told Aunt Betsy that old Aunt Ruth
said something or other, or somebody had had a dream; and by the time
the story or dream reaches you, it has assumed the semblance of a fact,
and you are very foolishly spending your time in {413} talking about
things that amount to nothing, or that you have no concern with. A
report is started that such a one has done wrong, and, by the time it
has gone its round, has become anointed with the salve of the backbiter
and talebearer--become endowed with their spirit. One and another
falls in with it and says, "That is true--your cause is just, you are
exactly right, and the other is surely wrong," when they know nothing
about the matter, thereby engendering entirely groundless ill feelings
against each other. Before we condemn, we should wait until the heavens
clearly indicate a fault in a father, brother, sister, wife, husband,
or neighbor. And if heaven declares a fault, wait until the Holy Ghost
manifests to you that such is a fault. Let the Father reveal to you
that the person you are thinking or talking about is actually wrong.
Traduce no person. When you know what right is, and are capable of
correcting a person that is wrong, then it is time enough for you to
judge. 6:97-98.
_Cease Your Anger_--No man or people possessing wisdom will give
vent to wrath, for that is calculated to weaken, to destroy, to blot
out of existence. 7:10.
Cease your anger, and sullenness of temper, and serve the Lord with
cheerfulness, and singleness of heart. You need not expect salvation,
except you can administer the same salvation to others, both in precept
and example. If you expect compassion from me, administer the same to
me. If you wish kind words and kind treatment from me, give me the same
blessing you desire yourself; and that is the way you will be saved.
1:245.
Do not get so angry that you cannot pray; do not allow yourselves to
become so angry that you cannot feed an enemy--even your worst enemy,
if an opportunity should {414} present itself. There is a wicked anger,
and there is a righteous anger. The Lord does not suffer wicked anger
to be in his heart; but there is anger in his bosom, and he will hold a
controversy with the nations, and will sift them, and no power can stay
his hand. 5:228.
If you give way to your angry feelings, it sets on fire the whole
course of nature, and is set on fire of hell; and you are then apt to
set those on fire who are contending with you. When you feel as though
you would burst, tell the old boiler to burst, and just laugh at the
temptation to speak evil. If you will continue to do that, you will
soon be so masters of yourselves as to be able, if not to tame, to
control your tongues--able to speak when you ought, and to be silent
when you ought. 6:75.
_Learn to Know Ourselves_--The greatest lesson you can learn is
to know yourselves. When we know ourselves, we know our neighbors.
When we know precisely how to deal with ourselves, we know how to deal
with our neighbors. You have come here to learn this. You cannot learn
it immediately, neither can all the philosophy of the age teach it to
you; you have to come here to get a practical experience and to know
yourselves. You will then begin to learn more perfectly the things
of God. No being can thoroughly know himself, without understanding
more or less of the things of God; neither can any being learn and
understand the things of God, without knowing himself: he must know
himself, or he never can know God. 8:334.
But people cannot judge themselves as they can others, nor look upon
their own conduct as they do upon the conduct of others. We must learn
to look at ourselves, to judge ourselves, and know how to deal with
ourselves and {415} that will enable us to bring ourselves into perfect
subjection to the law of Christ. 6:73.
There is a trait in the character of man which is frequently made
manifest in the Saints. It is simply this--to see faults in others
when we do not examine our own. When you see people, professing to be
Latter-day Saints, examining the faults of others, you may know that
they are not walking in the path of obedience as strictly as they
should. 11:292.
_Let Us Mind Our Own Business_--I will repeat part of the "Mormon
Creed," viz: "Let every man mind his own business." If this is
observed, every man will have business sufficient on hand, so as not
to afford time to trouble himself with the business of other people.
2:92-93.
If we will faithfully mind our own concerns, live our religion, do
good to all men, preach the Gospel to the nations of the earth, gather
up the honest in heart, build up and establish Zion in the earth, and
send the Gospel to the House of Israel, and live and serve God in all
things, all will be well with us, we have no cause for fear in the
least. 19:5.
The question may be asked: "Are we never to know the doings of others?
Are we never to look to see how others are walking and progressing in
this Gospel? Must we forever and forever confine our minds to thinking
of ourselves, and our eyes to looking at ourselves?" I can merely say
that if persons only understand the path of duty and walk therein,
attending strictly to whatever is required of them, they will have
plenty to do to examine themselves and to purify their own hearts; and
if they look at their neighbors and examine their conduct, they will
look for good and not for evil. 11:292. {416}
My position in the presence of God, before the angels and upon the face
of the earth, is that it is easier and more delightful to serve God
than to serve ourselves and the Devil. 13:1. {417}
CHAPTER XXIV
_OUR FELLOW MEN_
_Love Each Other_--Go on until we are perfect, loving our neighbor
more than we love ourselves. 19:49.
Put away all unkind feelings, and let all your meditations be correct.
8:72.
It is folly in the extreme for persons to say that they love God; when
they do not love their brethren; and it is of no use for them to say
that they have confidence in God, when they have none in righteous men.
4:297.
We are not here isolated and alone, differently formed and composed
of different material from the rest of the human race. We belong to
and are part of this family, consequently we are under obligations one
to another, and the Latter-day Saints in these mountains are under
obligations to their brethren and sisters scattered in the nations who,
through indigent circumstances, are unable to gather to themselves the
comforts of life. 13:301.
Be just as independent as a God to do good. Love mercy, eschew evil, be
a savior to yourselves and to your families, and to your fellow beings
just as much as you possibly can, and go on with your independence and
do not yield yourselves servants to obey an evil principle or an evil
being. 15:7.
It should be satisfactory evidence that you are in the path of life,
if you love God and your brethren with all your hearts. You may see,
or think you see, a thousand faults in your brethren; yet they are
organized as you are; they are flesh of your flesh, bone of your bone;
they are of your Father who is in heaven; we are all his children, and
{418} should be satisfied with each other as far as possible. The main
difficulty in the hearts of those who are dissatisfied is, they are not
satisfied with themselves. 8:287.
We should commence our labors of love and kindness with the family to
which we belong; and then extend them to others. 11:288.
A man or woman who has embraced, and who enjoys, the principles of this
Church, ought to live like an angel. They ought never to be angry with
each other, but live in the light of the truth continually, and every
man be kind to his neighbor. 1:245.
The Latter-day Saints have got to learn that the interest of their
brethren is their own interest, or they never can be saved in the
celestial kingdom of God. 3:331.
Let us have compassion upon each other, and let the strong tenderly
nurse the weak into strength, and let those who can see guide the blind
until they can see the way for themselves. 10:213.
When you see a neighbor begin to slip, pray for him that he may have
the Spirit of the Gospel as he once had. And if you feel this Spirit
within yourselves, pray for an increase of that light you received when
you first received the Gospel, and you will save yourself and house.
8:164.
Envy not those who do better than you do; do not pursue them with
malice, but try to shape and frame your life by theirs. 11:256.
Reason as to why it is that you can remember an injury better than a
kindness; why you can retain hatred longer than love. Is it through
your fallen nature? Is it because you were begotten and born in sin?
Or is it not rather because the power of the tempter has control over
you, and because the world is full of evil principles, and you have
{419} adhered to them? Yes, this is the cause, and you must acknowledge
it. The whole world is contaminated with a spirit to remember evil and
forget the good. 3:356.
I have examined myself very closely; I have been trying to know myself,
to govern myself, and purify my own heart. The worst evil I can imagine
or wish to come upon the enemies of truth is, that they be obliged to
live by holy principles, and to deal by their fellow-creatures as they
would wish to be dealt by. 8:13-14.
Be kind to all as our Father in Heaven is kind. He sends his rain upon
the just and the unjust; and gives the sun to shine upon the evil and
the good. So let our goodness extend to all the works of his hands,
where we can; but do not yield to the spirit and influence of evil. Do
not encourage wickedness in our midst. 12:220.
Do I say, Love your enemies? Yes, upon certain principles. But you are
not required to love their wickedness; you are only required to love
them so far as concerns a desire and effort to turn them from their
evil ways, that they may be saved through obedience to the Gospel. 8:71.
If there is nothing in the heart which governs us, and controls to an
evil effect, the tongue of itself will never produce evil. 3:196.
_Let Us Be Merciful_--The genius of our religion is to have mercy
upon all, do good to all, as far as they will let us do good to them.
11:282.
God bless the humble and the righteous, and may he have compassion upon
us because of the weakness that is in our nature. And considering the
great weakness and ignorance of mortals, let us have mercy upon each
other. 9:158.
Let us be just, merciful, faithful and true, and let us {420} live our
religion, and we shall be taught all things pertaining to the building
up of Zion. 10:177.
The merciful man shall find mercy. When a man designedly does wrong, he
ought to be chastised for that wrong, receiving according to his works.
If a man does wrong through ignorance, and manifests sincere sorrow for
the wrong, he is the one whom we should forgive seventy times in a day,
if necessary, and not the one who has designedly done wrong and repents
not. 7:244.
Men should act upon the principle of righteousness, because it is
right, and is a principle which they love to cherish and see practiced
by all men. They should love mercy, because of its benevolence,
charity, love, clemency, and all of its lovely attributes, and be
inspired thereby to deal justly, fairly, honorably, meting out to
others their just deservings. 1:119.
When we hold unrighteous, ungodly persons in fellowship, it injures the
whole body of Christ; but we do it because we have compassion for them.
10:284.
Be steadfast, always abiding in the truth. Never encourage malice or
hatred in your hearts; that does not belong to a Saint. I can say in
truth, that with all the abuse I have ever met, driven from my home,
robbed of my substance, I do not know that a spirit of malice has ever
rested in my heart. I have asked the Lord to mete out justice to those
who have oppressed us, and the Lord will take his own time and way for
doing this. It is in his hands, and not in mine, and I am glad of it,
for I could not deal with the wicked as they should be dealt with.
10:297.
_Show Charity_--Only a few men on the earth understand the charity
that fills the bosom of our Savior. We should have charity; we should
do all we can to reclaim the lost {421} sons and daughters of Adam and
Eve, and bring them back to be saved in the presence of our Father and
God. If we do this, our charity will extend to the utmost extent that
it is designed for the charity of God to extend in the midst of this
people. 8:175.
Let all Latter-day Saints learn that the weaknesses of their brethren
are not sins. When men or women undesignedly commit a wrong, do not
attribute that to them as a sin. Let us learn to be compassionate one
with another; let mercy and kindness soften every angry and fretful
temper, that we may become long suffering and beneficent in all our
communications one with another. 9:334.
Let us be patient with one another. I do not altogether look at things
as you do. My judgment is not in all things like yours, nor yours like
mine. When you judge a man or woman, judge the intentions of the heart.
It is not by words, particularly, nor by actions, that men will be
judged in the great day of the Lord; but, in connection with words and
actions, the sentiments and intentions of the heart will be taken, and
by these will men be judged. 8:10.
Ye mighty men of God, make sure the path for your own feet to walk to
eternal life, and take as many with you as you can. Take them as they
are, understand them as they are, and deal with them as they are; look
at them as God looks at them, and then you can judge them as he would
judge them. 8:10.
Respect one another; do not speak lightly of each other. Some, if they
get a little pique against an individual, are disposed to cast him
down to hell, as not worthy of a place upon earth. O fools! not to
understand that those you condemn are the workmanship of God, as well
as yourselves! God overlooks their weaknesses; and so far as they do
good, {422} they are as acceptable as we are. Thank God that you know
better, and be full of mercy and kindness. 8:149.
Suppose that in this community there are ten beggars who beg from door
to door for something to eat, and that nine of them are imposters who
beg to escape work, and with an evil heart practice imposition upon
the generous and sympathetic, and that only one of the ten who visit
your doors is worthy of your bounty; which is best, to give food to the
ten, to make sure of helping the truly needy one, or to repulse the
ten because you do not know which is the worthy one? You will all say,
administer charitable gifts to the ten, rather than turn away the only
truly worthy and truly needy person among them. If you do this, it will
make no difference in your blessings, whether you administer to worthy
or unworthy persons, inasmuch as you give alms with a single eye to
assist the truly needy. 8:12.
My experience has taught me, and it has become a principle with me,
that it is never any benefit to give, out and out, to man or woman,
money, food, clothing, or anything else, if they are able-bodied, and
can work and earn what they need, when there is anything on the earth,
for them to do. This is my principle, and I try to act upon it. To
pursue a contrary course would ruin any community in the world and make
them idlers. People trained in this way have no interest in working;
"but," say they, "we can beg, or we can get this, that, or the other."
No, my plan and counsel would be, let every person, able to work, work
and earn what he needs; and if the poor come around me--able-bodied men
and women--take them and put them into the house. "Do you need them?"
No; but I will teach this girl to do housework, and teach that woman to
sew and do other kinds of work, that they may be profitable when they
{423} get married or go for themselves. "Will you give them anything to
wear?" O, yes make them comfortable, give them plenty to eat and teach
them to labor and earn what they need; for the bone and sinew of men
and women are the capital of the world. 11:297.
To give to the idler is as wicked as anything else. Never give anything
to the idler. 16:19.
Set the poor to work--setting out orchards, splitting rails, digging
ditches, making fences, or anything useful, and so enable them to buy
meal and flour and the necessaries of life. 12:60-61.
Have the poor got greedy eyes? Are they covetous and penurious? I shall
go a little too far if I am not careful. I must guard myself, because
the Lord has chosen the poor of this world. But what kind of poor? Now
the poor may be divided into three classes. In the first place there is
the Lord's poor, of which you may pick up one here and another there,
one in a city, two in a family. Is there any other kind? Yes, you come
across a certain class that may be called the Devil's poor. Is there
any other class? Yes, there is another class, who, long before I ever
mentioned them, were denominated poor devils. Hence we have the Lord's
poor, the Devil's poor, and poor devils. 12:57.
_Establish Confidence_--Preserve your honor, and your integrity,
and ever cherish the confidence that men repose in you. 11:256.
Want of confidence is the parent of moral imbecility and intellectual
weakness. 10:20.
But if we lack confidence in each other, and be jealous of each other,
our peace will be destroyed. If we cultivate the principles of unshaken
confidence in each other, our joy will be full. 1:33. {424}
If we could obtain that faith and confidence in each other, and in our
God, that when we ask a favor, we could do so with a full assurance and
knowledge that we should receive, do you not perceive that it would
lead us directly to do as we would be done by, in every transaction and
circumstance of life? It would prompt us to do, not only as much as
requested, but more. If your brother should request you to go with him
a mile, you would go two; if he should sue you for your coat, you would
give him your cloak also. This principle prompts us to do all we can
to promote the interest of each other, the cause of God on the earth,
and whatever the Lord desires us to do; makes us ready and willing to
perform it at once. 1:115.
If you wish to establish a confidence such as the Gods enjoy, let us
cease from every evil act, and from the contemplation of every evil
design; never infringe upon another's rights, but let each one sustain
his brother in the enjoyment of his privileges and rights, holding
them as sacred as our own salvation. If confidence has been lost,
this is the surest and only successful way to restore it. Hear it, ye
preachers, ye Apostles, and Prophets; ye Elders, High Priests, and
Seventies; ye Priests, Teachers, Deacons, and Bishops; every man and
woman in the Church of God throughout the world; commence to preach
this discourse at home, beginning with your own heart; then teach your
wives and your children; then let it spread its warning and cheering
influence, like the genial sunbeam, from family to family, until the
whole Church of-Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is united as the
heart of one man. 1:315.
Let us from this time forth live so as to create confidence in all men
with whom we deal and come in contact; and treasure up each particle
of confidence we obtain as {425} one of the most precious possessions
mortals can possibly possess. When by my good actions I have created
confidence in my neighbor towards me, I pray that I may never do
anything that will destroy it. 11:256.
The work in which you and I have enlisted is to restore confidence in
the minds of the people; and when I hear of circumstances transpiring
in which brethren forfeit their word I regard it as a blot upon the
character of this people. We should keep our word with each other. And
if we have difficulty or misunderstanding with each other, talk it
over, canvass the subject thoroughly, seriously and discreetly, and we
shall find that all difficulties will be remedied in this way easier
than any other; and we shall also find that nearly every difficulty
that arises in the midst of the inhabitants of the earth, is through
misunderstanding; and if a wrong in intent and design really exists, if
the matter is canvassed over, the wrong-doer is generally willing to
come to terms. 14:278.
_Avoid Contention_--I consider it as a disgrace to the community,
and in the eyes of the Lord, and of angels, and in the eyes of all the
Prophets and Revelators that have ever lived upon the earth, when a
community will descend to a low, degraded state of contention with each
other. 1:32.
I wish men would look upon that eternity which is before them. In the
great morning of the resurrection, with what grief would they look upon
their little trifling affairs of this probation; they would say, "O! do
not mention it, for it is a source of mortification to me to think that
I ever should be guilty of doing wrong, or of neglecting to do good to
my fellowmen, even if they have abused me." 1:32:
When a difference of judgment exists between two {426} parties, let
them come together and lay their difficulties at each other's feet,
laying themselves down in the cradle of humility, and say, "brother
(or sister) I want to do right; yea, I will even wrong myself, to
make you right." Do you not think that a man or woman, acting in that
manner towards his or her neighbor, would be justified by the law of
righteousness? Their judgments come together, and they are agreed:
there would, consequently, be no need of calling in a third person to
settle the difference. After taking this course, if you cannot come
together, then call in a third person and settle it. 6:319.
Contentions frequently arise to so alienating a degree that brethren
have no faith in each other's honesty and integrity, when, perhaps,
both parties have stumbled over a little, selfish, ignorant, personal
misunderstanding, are carrying it to the extent of wishing to cut each
other off from the Church. Very frequently such cases are presented
before me. Unravel the difficulty, and it is found to have started
in a trifling misunderstanding in relation to some small matter; all
the trouble has arisen from a most frivolous cause. Avoid nursing
misunderstandings into difficulties. Some talk with a heavy, deep
stress upon their words, without intending anything harsh or unkind.
8:72.
If your neighbors talk about you, and you think that they do wrong in
speaking evil of you, do not let them know that you ever heard a word,
and conduct yourselves as if they always did right, and it will mortify
them, and they will say, "We'll not try this game any longer." 19:70.
Let us make ourselves capable of doing at least a little good, and
this will occupy our minds upon something that is indeed profitable to
others, and will somewhat divert our {427} attention from worshiping
ourselves and blaming everybody that does not do the same. 10:205.
Now, if you do not want to quarrel, take measures to prevent it. 12:315.
_Do Not Deal Out Judgment_--Cease looking at others. Cease to
judge each other. 6:74.
Kindness, love, and affection are the best rod to use upon the
refractory. 9:195.
Away with all little meannesses, and deal out kindness to all. Chasten,
where chastening will answer best; but try persuasion before you try
the rod. 8:63.
Do not throw away a man or a woman, old or young. If they commit an
evil today, and another tomorrow, but wish to be Saints and to be
forgiven, do you forgive them, not only seven times, but seventy times
seven in a-day, if their hearts are fully set to do right. Let us make
it a point to pass over their weaknesses and say, "God bless you in
trying to be better in time to come," and act as wise stewards in the
Kingdom of God. 8:368.
You are not as you should be, unless you can correct every person you
know to be wrong, without having personal ill-feelings against them.
8:191.
Judge not, that ye be not judged. Let no man judge his fellow being,
unless he knows he has the mind of Christ within him. We ought to
reflect seriously upon this point; how often it is said--"Such a person
has done wrong, and he cannot be a Saint, or he would not do so." How
do you know? We hear some swear and lie; they trample upon the rights
of their neighbor, break the Sabbath by staying away from meeting,
riding about the city, hunting horses and cattle, or working in the
canyons. Do not judge such persons, for you do not know the design of
the Lord {428} concerning them; therefore, do not say they are not
Saints. What shall we do with them? Bear with them. The brethren and
sisters from the old countries frequently place great confidence in the
American Elders who have been their pastors, but some trifling thing
occurs that does not appear right to them, and they say in a moment,
"That Elder is not a Latter-day Saint." Judge no man. A person who
would say another is not a Latter-day Saint, for some trifling affair
in human life proves that he does not possess the Spirit of God. Think
of this, brethren and sisters; write it down, that you may refresh your
memories with it; carry it with you and look at it often. If I judge my
brethren and sisters, unless I judge them by the revelations of Jesus
Christ, I have not the spirit of Christ; if I had, I should judge no
man. 1:339.
I am very thankful that it is not our province, in our present
condition, to judge the world; if it were, we would ruin everything. We
have not sufficient wisdom, our minds are not filled with the knowledge
and power of God; the spirit needs to contend with the flesh a little
more until it shall be successful in subduing its passions, until the
whole soul is brought into perfect harmony with the mind and will of
God. And we must also acquire the discretion that God exercises in
being able to look into futurity, and to ascertain and know the results
of our acts away in the future, even in eternity, before we will be
capable of judging. 19:7.
If you are ever called upon to chasten a person, never chasten beyond
the balm you have within you to bind up. 9:124-5.
When a man has power over his neighbor, over his fellow-being, and puts
him in torment, which is like the {429} flames of everlasting fire,
so that he never dares to speak his mind, or walk across the street,
or attend to any branch of business without a continual fear of his
oppressor, and of the rod hanging over him for punishment, it is worse
than to kill and eat him. That is as the torment of hell. 2:140.
_Respect for Neighbors_--Treat the passing strangers with kindness
and respect; treat all kindly and respectfully who respect you and your
rights as American citizens. 10:249.
Here is truth--here are life and salvation. Will you have them? If
you say, "Nay," all right; for you have the privilege of making your
own choice. It has never altered my feelings towards individuals, as
men or as women, whether they believe as I do or not. Can you live as
neighbors with me? I can with you; and it is no particular concern of
mine whether you believe with me or not. 7:165.
In our intercourse with outsiders--do not call them Gentiles--let our
example be such as is worthy of imitation; then every one among them
who is honest will say, "I guess you are right, I think I will come and
stay with you." 12:273.
_Lady and Gentleman Defined_--Now, my brethren and sisters, from
the high and from the lower circles of life, find if you can on the
face of the earth a gentleman or lady, in the strict sense of the word,
and you will find a man or woman that would border very closely on an
angel. Every word that they speak will be seasoned with grace; every
act of their lives would be as nigh as mortals can come to angels;
nothing pertaining to them low, degrading or disgraceful. You find
a gentleman and you will find a man who possesses a heart full of
charity, faith and love, full of {430} good works, whose hand is always
open to do good to every creature. You find a lady, and she is one who
is ready to impart wisdom, knowledge, truth, and every virtuous and
holy principle to her sisters and her fellow beings. These are the true
lady and gentleman; but they are of a higher order than those we now
call ladies and gentlemen. 12:259.
_The Negro_--The seed of Ham, which is the seed of Cain descending
through Ham, will, according to the curse put upon him, serve his
brethren, and be a "servant of servants" to his fellow-creatures, until
God removes the curse; and no power can hinder it. 2:184.
_The Generous Nature_--It floods my heart with sorrow to see so
many Elders of Israel who wish everybody to come to their standard and
be measured by their measure. Every man must be just so long, to fit
their iron bedstead, or be cut off to the right length; if too short,
he must be stretched, to fill the requirement.
The faithful will exercise faith, and pray always for all who are
within the reach of mercy. The good desire good to all. 11:273.
If they see an erring brother or sister, whose course does not comport
with their particular ideas of things, they conclude at once that he or
she cannot be a Saint, and withdraw their fellowship, concluding that,
if they are in the path of truth, others must have precisely their
weight and dimensions.
The ignorance I see, in this particular, among this great people is
lamentable. Let us not narrow ourselves up; for the world, with all its
variety of useful information and its rich hoard of hidden treasure,
is before us; and eternity, with all its sparkling intelligence, lofty
aspirations, and unspeakable glories, is before us, and ready to aid us
in the {431} scale of advancement and every useful improvement. 8:9.
Serve the Lord, and try not to find fault with each other. Live so that
you will not have any fault to find with yourselves, and never mind
the faults of your brethren, for each person has enough of his own to
attend to. 8:291.
To be gentle and kind, modest and truthful, to be full of faith
and integrity, doing no wrong is of God; goodness sheds a halo
of loveliness around every person who possesses it, making their
countenances beam with light, and their society desirable because of
its excellency. They are loved of God, of holy angels, and of all the
good on earth, while they are hated, envied, admired and feared by the
wicked. 11:240.
We ought to be ourselves and not anybody else. We do not wish to be
anybody else, neither do we wish to be anybody but Saints. 3:363.
Every moment of human life should be devoted to doing good somewhere
and in some way. 9:296.
If every person in the community would correct his own errors each day
he lives, the errors of the whole would continually be effectually
corrected. It is an individual business, over which each man must
preside, until every fault in our whole lives is corrected and we are
sanctified before the Lord. 6:316.
It is good to hold on to an old friend; and, no matter how many new
friends I have, I always hold fast to the old ones, and never let them
go, unless their wicked conduct breaks the thread of fellowship between
us. 10:42.
What comes of litigation? Poverty and degradation to any community that
will encourage it. Will it build cities, open farms, build railroads,
erect telegraph lines and {432} improve a country? It will not; but it
will bring any community to ruin. 11:259.
He will bless any man, any family, or any people who is liberal. As it
is written in the good book, "The liberal man deviseth liberal things,"
and if he deviseth liberal things by his liberality he shall stand. The
Lord will bless that people that is full of charity, kindness and good
works. 13:279.
I also say, Cease speaking evil one of another, and cease being
dishonest. Masters, deal honestly and justly with those whom you hire,
who are called servants. Servants, deal honestly and uprightly with
those who employ you, who are called masters, that confidence and the
spirit of brotherhood may be kindled, where now, in too many instances,
the desire to take advantage exists. 18:233. {432}
CHAPTER XXV
_UNITY AND CO-OPERATION_
_Be of One Mind and One Heart_--I pray, my brethren, the Bishops,
the Elders, the Seventies, the Apostles, yea, every man and woman and
child who has named the name of Christ, to be of one heart and of one
mind, for if we do not become of one heart and mind we shall surely
perish by the way. 12:156.
If we were one, we should then prove to heaven, to God our Father, to
Jesus Christ our Elder Brother, to the angels, to the good upon the
earth, and to all mankind that we are the disciples of the Lord Jesus
Christ. If we are not one, we are not in the true sense of the word the
disciples of the Lord Jesus. 11:273.
When truth comes, receive it as from the Lord, and let everything be
simplified to us as unto children, for the Lord has ordained that we
may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the truth, and be able
to receive more knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, and it is not
possible for us to receive it any other way, only as we apply our
hearts strictly to overcome every evil and cleave to that which is
pleasing to the Lord--to that which tends to life and salvation. This
is the only channel in which we can become of one heart, and of one
mind. 3:355.
Jesus offered up one of the most essential prayers that could possibly
be offered up by a human or heavenly being--no matter who, pertaining
to the salvation of the people, and embodying a principle without which
none can be saved, when he prayed the Father to make his disciples
one, as he and his Father were one. He knew that if they did {434} not
become one, they could not be saved in the celestial kingdom of God.
If persons do not see as he did while in the flesh, hear as he heard,
understand as he understood, and become precisely as he was, according
to their several capacities and callings, they can never dwell with him
and his Father. 6:96.
The Church of Jesus Christ could not exist, and be divided up into
parties. Where such disunion exists in any government, it ultimately
becomes the means of the utter overthrow of that government or
people, unless a timely remedy is applied. Party spirit once made its
appearance in heaven, but was promptly checked. 9:332.
That perfect union, which must ultimately be enjoyed by the Latter-day
Saints, can only be brought about by every man and woman living so as
to keep their minds pure and unspotted like a piece of clean, white
paper, being constantly free from the love of the world, that the
spirit of revelation may easily indite upon the heart whatever is the
mind and will of the Lord. We cannot be truly the members of Christ's
mystical body without living in this way, that the Spirit may indite
as easily upon the heart the things of God, as these brethren, our
reporters can write with ink on paper. 11:19.
_Perfect Oneness Will Save a People_--We must become of one heart
and mind, in order to fully enjoy the blessings we anticipate. 6:41.
If we are united, we are independent of the powers of hell and of the
world. 5:257.
Unity of purpose and action, in carrying out the will of our Father,
has been my theme all the day long. 18:356.
A perfect oneness will save a people, because intelligent beings cannot
become perfectly one, only by acting upon {435} principles that pertain
to eternal life. Wicked men may be partially united in evil; but, in
the very nature of things, such a union is of short duration. The
very principle upon which they are partially united will itself breed
contention and disunion to destroy the temporary compact. Only the line
of truth and righteousness can secure to any kingdom or people, either
of earthly or heavenly existence, an eternal continuation of perfect
union; for only truth and those who are sanctified by it can dwell in
celestial glory. 7:277.
The Savior sought continually to impress upon the minds of his
disciples that a perfect oneness reigned among all celestial
beings--that the Father and the Son and their Minister, the Holy
Ghost, were one in their administration in heaven and among the people
pertaining to this earth. Between them and all the heavenly hosts
there can be no disunion, no discord, no wavering on a suggestion, on
a thought or reflection, on a feeling or manifestation; for such a
principle would differ widely from the character of him who dictates
them, who makes his throne the habitation of justice, mercy, equity,
and truth. If the heavenly hosts were not one, they would be entirely
unfit to dwell in the eternal burnings with the Father and Ruler of the
universe. 7:276.
All who keep the faith are of one heart and one mind, and this
testimony is so confirmed to all that we cannot be mistaken. 18:231.
How is it that the Latter-day Saints feel and understand alike, are of
one heart and one mind, no matter where they may be when they receive
the Gospel, whether in the north, or the south, the east or the west,
even to the uttermost parts of the earth? They receive that which was
promised by the Savior when he was about to leave the earth, namely,
{436} the Comforter, that holy unction from on high which recognizes
one God, one faith, one baptism, whose mind is the will of God the
Father, in whom there dwelleth unity of faith and action, and in whom
there cannot be division or confusion; when they received this further
light, it matters not whether they have seen each other or not, they
have at once become brothers and sisters, having been adopted into the
family of Christ through the bonds of the everlasting covenant, and all
can then exclaim, in the beautiful language of Ruth, "Thy people shall
be my people, and their God my God!" And the fact that we receive this
Comforter, the Holy Ghost, is proof that the spirit in warring with the
flesh has overcome, and by continuing in this state of victory over our
sinful bodies we become the sons and daughters of God. Christ having
made us free, and whoever the Son makes free is free indeed. Having
fought the good fight we then shall be prepared to lay our bodies down
to rest to await the morning of the resurrection when they will come
forth and be reunited with the spirits, the faithful, as it is said,
receiving crowns, glory, immortality and eternal lives, even a fulness
with the Father, when Jesus shall present his work to the Father,
saying, "Father, here is the work thou gavest me to do." Then will
they become Gods, even the sons of God; then will they become eternal
fathers, eternal mothers, eternal sons and eternal daughters; being
eternal in their organization they go from glory to glory, from power
to power; they will never cease to increase and to multiply, worlds
without end. When they receive their crowns, their dominions, they then
will be prepared to frame earths like unto ours and to people them in
the same manner as we have been brought forth by our parents, by our
Father and God. 18:259. {437}
To be a Saint is to be as Jesus was; to be assimilated to the spirit
and character which he exhibited while here on earth. 12:310.
_Unity in God's Work, the Strength of Zion_--Who can resist the
power possessed by the Latter-day Saints in their union? And the
stronger our union, the more mighty are the bands of our strength.
9:241.
I wish the people to understand that they have no interest apart from
the Lord our God. The moment you have a divided interest, that moment
you sever yourselves from eternal principles. 4:31.
The faith of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is calculated to unite the
people in one, and to bring them back to the unity and faith of those
who obeyed the Gospel anciently, and finally to bring them back to
glory. 5:228.
We have not in our society an aristocratic circle. Whether a brother
wears a coon skin cap or a fine beaver hat is all the same to us. If
a person is a faithful servant of God we do not object to his coming
to meeting, though he has only a piece of buffalo skin to wear on his
head. We partake of the Sacrament with him, hail him in the street as
a brother and a friend, converse with him, meet with him in social
parties and greet him as an equal. 9:188.
We have been gathered from many nations, and speak many languages; we
have been ruled by different nationalities, and educated in different
religions, yet we dwell together in Utah under one government, believe
in the same God and worship him in the same way, and we are all one
in Christ Jesus. The world wonder at this, and fear the union that
prevails among this, as they are called, singular people. Why is this?
It is because the Spirit of the Lord Almighty is in the people, and
they follow its dictates, and {438} they hearken to the truth, and live
by it; this unites them in one, and causeth them to dwell together in
peace. 11:124.
I will give you a text: Except I am one with my good brethren, do not
say that I am a Latter-day Saint. We must be one. Our faith must be
concentrated in one great work--the building up of the Kingdom of God
on the earth, and our works must aim at the accomplishment of that
great purpose. 7:280.
We have come here to build up Zion. How shall we do it? I have told
you a great many times. There is one thing I will say in regard to it.
We have got to be united in our efforts. We should go to work with a
united faith like the heart of one man; and whatever we do should be
performed in the name of the Lord, and we will then be blessed and
prospered in all we do. We have a work on hand whose magnitude can
hardly be told. 13:155.
Now, besides being our duty to pray, it is our duty to live in peace
with one another. It is also our duty to love the Gospel and the spirit
of the Gospel, so that we can become one in the Lord, not out of him,
that our faith, our affections for the truth, the kingdom of heaven,
our acts, all our labor will be concentrated in the salvation of the
children of men, and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on the
earth. This is co-operation on a very large scale. This is the work of
redemption that is entered into by the Latter-day Saints. Unitedly we
perform these duties, we stand, we endure, we increase and multiply,
we strengthen and spread abroad, and shall continue so to do until the
kingdoms of this world are the kingdoms of our God and his Christ.
15:63.
To Saint and sinner, believer and unbeliever, I wish here to offer one
word of advice and counsel, by revealing the {439} mystery that abides
with this people called Latter-day Saints; it is the Spirit of the
living God that leads them; it is the Spirit of the Almighty that binds
them together, it is the influence of the Holy Ghost that makes them
love each other like little children; it is the Spirit of Jesus Christ
that makes them willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Truth;
and it was that same Spirit that caused Joseph, our martyred Prophet,
to lay down his life for the testimony of what the Lord revealed to
him. This mystery, the great mystery of "Mormonism," is, that the
Spirit of the Lord binds the hearts of the people together. Let the
world look at it. 1:145.
If we will live so that Christ can make us one through our obedience,
where are wars and contentions? All will cease. Where is the spirit of
bickering? There will be no more of it. 14:209.
The religion of heaven unites the hearts of the people and makes them
one. You may gather a people together, and no matter-how widely they
differ in politics, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will make them one, even
if among them were found members of all the political parties in the
country. If members of all these various organizations were to obey
the Gospel and gather together, the religion of heaven would clear
their hearts of all political rubbish and make them one in voting for
principles and measures, instead of men, and I think that any religion
that will not do this is very feeble in its effects. 14:159.
_Advantage of Temporal Unity_--Would you like to live at ease and
get rich? Would you like to keep your homes in this city? I know you
would. You can do so by being one in all things. 11:278.
I want you to be united. If we should build up and organize {440} a
community, we would have to do it on the principle of oneness, and it
is one of the simplest things I know of. A city of one hundred thousand
or a million of people could be united into a perfect family, and
they would work together as beautifully as the different parts of the
carding machine work together. Why, we could organize millions into a
family under the Order of Enoch. 16:170.
I can see no good accruing to this community in maintaining a divided
interest; our interest must be one throughout, in order to produce the
good we desire.
If we will work unitedly, we can work ourselves into wealth, health,
prosperity and power, and this is required of us. It is the duty of a
Saint of God to gain all the influence he can on this earth, and to use
every particle of that influence to do good. If this is not his duty, I
do not understand what the duty of man is. 12:376.
If we would work together in our farming, in our mechanism, be obedient
and work as a family for the good of all, it would be almost impossible
for anybody to guess the success we would have. But we have got to
do it in the Lord. We must not do it with a covetous heart. Always
be ready and willing that the Lord should have it all, and do what
he pleases with it. I have asked a favor of the Lord in this thing,
and that is not to place me in such circumstances that what he has
given me shall go into the hands of our enemies. God forbid that! But
let it go for the preaching of the Gospel, to sustain and to gather
the poor, to build factories, make farms, and set the poor to work,
as I have hundreds and thousands that had not anything to do. I have
fed and clothed them and taken care of them until they have become
comparatively independent. I have made no man poor, but thousands
and thousands {441} rich, that is, the Lord has, through your humble
servant. 15:166.
Suppose there was a union of effort in every political and financial
matter undertaken for the benefit of the whole people, who cannot
see the good that would result? We have tried this to some extent in
relation to our markets here; but suppose we were fully agreed on the
point, we could demand a fair price for our products, and we need not
be imposed upon by traders and traffickers. If we were agreed we could
supply ourselves from distant markets, say with our clothing, at a far
less cost than now. 12:35.
Now the object is to improve the minds of the inhabitants of the
earth, until we learn what we are here for, and become one before the
Lord, that we may rejoice together and be equal. Not to make all poor,
no. The whole world is before us. The earth is here, and the fulness
thereof is here. It was made for man; and one man was not made to
trample his fellowman under his feet, and enjoy all his heart desires,
while the thousands suffer. We will take a moral view, a political
view, and we see the inequality that exists in the human family. We
take the inhabitants of the civilized world, and how many laboring men
are there in proportion to the inhabitants? About one to every five
that are producers, and the supposition is that ten hours work by the
one to three persons in the twenty-four hours will support the five. It
is an unequal condition to mankind. We see servants that labor early
and late, and that have not the opportunity of measuring their hours
ten in twenty-four. They cannot go to school, nor hardly get clothing
to go to meeting in on the Sabbath. I have seen many cases of this
kind in Europe, when the young lady would have to take her clothing
on a Saturday night and {442} wash it, in order that she might go to
meeting on the Sunday with a clean dress on. Who is she laboring for?
For those who, many of them, are living in luxury. And, to serve the
classes that are living on them, the poor, laboring men and women are
toiling, working their lives out to earn that which will keep a little
life within them. Is this equality? No. What is going to be done?
The Latter-day Saints will never accomplish their mission until this
inequality shall cease on the earth. 19:46.
_Unity Does Not Mean Individual Uniformity_--How could you ever
get a people equal with regard to their possessions? They never can be,
no more than they can be in the appearance of their faces. 4:29.
We never shall become one to that extent that we shall look alike or
possess precisely the same mental power and ability; this is not the
design of heaven. But we expect to become one in all our operations to
bring forth the fulness of the Kingdom of God on the earth, that Jesus
may come and reign King of nations as he does King of Saints. Shall we
call this a union for political purposes? I say it is good policy for
people to be of one heart and mind in all their operations. 12:35.
_The Co-operative Movement_--This co-operative movement is only a
stepping stone to what is called the Order of Enoch, but which is in
reality the Order of Heaven. It was revealed to Enoch when he built up
his city and gathered the people together and sanctified them, so that
they became so holy and pure that they could not live among the rest of
the people and the Lord took them away. 13:2.
Now, I will tell you the facts about this movement. We started the
co-operative system here when we thought we would wait no longer; we
opened the Wholesale Co-operative {443} Store; and since that, retail
stores have been established, although some of the latter were opened
before the wholesale store was opened. I know this, that as soon as
this movement was commenced the price of goods came down from twenty
to thirty percent. I recollect very well, after our vote last October
Conference, that it was soon buzzed around, "Why you can get calico
down street at eighteen and seventeen cents a yard;" and it came down
to sixteen. But when it came down to sixteen cents, who had a chance to
buy any? Why, nobody unless it was just a few yards that were sold to
them as a favor. But when it came to the Wholesale Co-operative Store
the price was put at sixteen cents, and retail stores are selling it
today at seventeen and a half or eighteen cents a yard. 12:373.
What I have in my mind with regard to this co-operative business is
this: There are very few people who cannot get twenty-five dollars
to put into one of these co-operative stores. There are hundreds and
thousands of women who, by prudence and industry, can obtain this sum.
And we say to you put your capital into one of these stores. What
for? To bring you interest for your money. Put your time and talents
to usury. We have the parable before us. If we have one, two, three
or five talents, of what advantage will they be if we wrap them in a
napkin and lay them away? None at all. Put them out to usury. These
co-operative stores are instituted to give the poor a little advantage
as well as the rich.
Brethren, if you will start here and operate together in farming, in
making cheese, in herding sheep and cattle and every other kind of
work, and get a factory here and cooperative store--I have been told
there is no co-operative store here--get a good co-operative store, and
operate together {444} in sheep-raising, store-keeping, manufacturing
and everything else, no matter what it is, by-and-by, when we can plant
ourselves upon a foundation that we cannot be broken up, we shall then
proceed to arrange a family organization for which we are not yet quite
prepared. You know, right here in this place, commence to carry on your
business in a co-operative capacity. In every instance I could show
every one of you what a great advantage would be gained in working
together; I could reason it out here just how much advantage there is
in co-operation in your lumbering and in your herding. You have men
here, I suppose, who have had an arm shot off; they cannot go into the
canyons and get out wood. Another, perhaps, has had a leg cut off; he
cannot run here and there like some of you; but he can do something; he
will make a first-rate shopman, and at keeping books, perhaps, he will
be one of the best. He cannot take the scythe and mow; he cannot attend
to a threshing machine; he cannot go into the woods lumbering; he could
not herd well,--but he could go into the factory, and he can do many
things. Well, we can do this and keep up co-operation. I can take fifty
men who have not a cent, and if they would do as I would wish them to
do, they would soon be worth their thousands, every one of them. 16:169.
I am prepared to prove to any sensible congregation, any good
philosopher or thinking person or people, who have steady brain and
nerve to look at things as they are, that can tell white from black and
daylight from midnight darkness, that the closer the connection in a
business point of view that a community hold themselves together, the
greater will be their joy and wealth. I am prepared to prove, from all
the facts that have existed or that now exist {445} in all branches of
human affairs, that union is strength, and that division is weakness
and confusion. 13:267.
If the people called Latter-day Saints do not become one in temporal
things, as they are in spiritual things, they will not redeem and build
up the Zion of God upon the earth. This co-operative movement is a
stepping stone. We say to the people, take advantage of it, it is your
privilege. Instead of giving it into the hands of a few individuals to
make their hundreds and thousands, let the people generally, enjoy the
benefit arising from the sale of merchandise. I have already told you
that this will stop the operations of many little traders, but it will
make them producers as well as consumers. You will find that if the
people unitedly hearken to the counsel that is given them, it will not
be long before the hats, caps, bonnets, boots and shoes, pants, coats,
vests and underclothing of this entire community will all be made in
our midst. 13:3. {446}
CHAPTER XXVI
_THRIFT AND INDUSTRY_
_Faith and Works_--They who secure eternal life are doers of the
word as well as hearers. 14:37.
The grand difficulty with the people is they do not do quite as well as
they know how; it is that which hinders us from accomplishing the work
given us to do. 19:220.
Unless you improve upon it, every correct principle advanced through
the authority of the holy Priesthood becomes to you a dead letter.
But if you have the life within you, you, will grow, whether you stay
at home or come to meeting; and every true principle, power, and
manifestation that God gives you, you will improve upon and treasure up
in your hearts. 8:120.
Know whether you ought to do a thing or not, and if you ought not, let
it alone. That is the way to live. 14:161.
_Time Should Be Spent Wisely_--What have we? Our time. Spend it
as you will. Time is given to you; and when this is spent to the best
possible advantage for promoting truth upon the earth, it is placed
to our account, and blessed are you; but when we spend our time in
idleness and folly it will be placed against us. 19:75.
We have to give an account of the days we spend in folly. 19:75.
Idleness and wastefulness are not according to the rules of heaven.
Preserve all you can, that you may have abundance to bless your friends
and your enemies. 14:44.
Do those things that are necessary to be done and let those alone that
are not necessary, and we shall accomplish more than we do now. 3:160.
{447}
Of the time that is allotted to man here on the earth there is none to
lose or to run to waste. After suitable rest and relaxation there is
not a day, hour or minute that we should spend in idleness, but every
minute of every day of our lives we should strive to improve our minds
and to increase the faith of the holy Gospel, in charity, patience, and
good works, that we may grow in the knowledge of the truth as it is
spoken and prophesied of and written about. 13:310.
I told them that we brought nothing but knowledge to direct them in
their labors and to teach them how to employ their time. This is the
greatest wealth we possess--to know how to direct our labors rightly,
spending every hour advantageously for the benefit of our wives and
children and neighbors. 12:172.
_Labor Indispensable_--Is not the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God
on earth a temporal labor all the time? It will be built up by physical
force and means, by manual labor more than by any particular mental
effort of the mind. 3:122.
Everything connected with building up Zion requires actual, severe
labor. It is nonsense to talk about building up any kingdom except by
labor; it requires the labor of every part of our organization, whether
it be mental, physical, or spiritual, and that is the only way to build
up the Kingdom of God. 3:122.
If we are to build up the Kingdom of God, or establish Zion upon the
earth, we have to labor with our hands, plan with our minds, and devise
ways and means to accomplish that object. 3:51.
You count me out fifty, a hundred, five hundred, or a thousand of the
poorest men and women you can find in {448} this community; with the
means that I have in my possession, I will take these ten, fifty,
hundred, five hundred, or a thousand people, and put them to labor; but
only enough to benefit their health and to make their food and sleep
sweet unto them, and in ten years I will make that community wealthy.
In ten years I will put six, a hundred, or a thousand individuals, whom
we have to support now by donations, in a position not only to support
themselves, but they shall be wealthy, shall ride in their carriages,
have fine houses to live in, orchards to go to, flocks and herds and
everything to make them comfortable. 14:88.
As was observed this morning, in a wholesome, lovely, excellent
discourse, we will have to go to work and get the gold out of the
mountains to lay down, if we ever walk in streets paved with gold.
The angels that now walk in their golden streets, and they have the
tree of life within their paradise, had to obtain that gold and put it
there. When we have streets paved with gold, we will have placed it
there ourselves. When we enjoy a Zion in its beauty and glory, it will
be when we have built it. If we enjoy the Zion that we now anticipate,
it will be after we redeem and prepare it. If we live in the city of
the New Jerusalem, it will be because we lay the foundation and build
it. If we do not as individuals complete that work, we shall lay the
foundation for our children and our children's children, as Adam has.
If we are to be saved in an ark, as Noah and his family were, it will
be because we build it. If the Gospel is preached to the nations, it is
because the Elders of Israel in their poverty, without purse or scrip,
preach the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. 8:354-55.
My faith does not lead me to think the Lord will provide us with
roast pigs, bread already buttered, etc.; he {449} will give us the
ability to raise the grain, to obtain the fruits of the earth, to make
habitations, to procure a few boards to make a box, and when harvest
comes, giving us the grain, it is for us to preserve it--to save the
wheat until we have one, two, five, or seven years' provisions on hand,
until there is enough of the staff of life saved by the people to bread
themselves and those who will come here seeking for safety. 10:293.
_Let Nothing Go To Waste_--Take things calm and easy, pick up
everything, let nothing go to waste. 14:88.
Never let anything go to waste. Be prudent, save everything, and what
you get more than you can take care of yourselves, ask your neighbors
to help you consume. 1:250.
Never consider that you have bread enough around you to suffer your
children to waste a crust or a crumb of it. If a man is worth millions
of bushels of wheat and corn, he is not wealthy enough to suffer his
servant girl to sweep a single kernel of it into the fire; let it be
eaten by something and pass again into the earth, and thus fulfil the
purpose for which it grew. Remember it, do not waste anything, but take
care of everything. 1:253.
There is not a family in this city, where there are two, three, four,
or five persons, but what can save enough from their table, from the
waste made by the children, and what must be swept in the fire and out
of the door, to make pork sufficient to last them through the year, or
at least all they should eat. 4:314.
Go to the poorest family in this community, and I will venture to say
that they waste rags enough every year to buy the school books that are
needed for their children, and do even more. 16:16. {450}
If you wish to get rich, save what you get. A fool can earn money; but
it takes a wise man to save and dispose of it to his own advantage.
11:301.
It is to our advantage to take good care of the blessings God bestows
upon us; if we pursue the opposite course, we cut off the power and
glory God designs we should inherit. It is through our own carefulness,
frugality, and judgment which God has given us, that we are enabled to
preserve our grain, our flocks and herds, wives and children, houses
and lands, and increase them around us, continually gaining power and
influence for ourselves as individuals and for the Kingdom of God as a
whole. 9:171.
You may see some little girls around the streets here with their
mothers' skirts on, or their sun bonnets, and with their aprons full of
dirt. Your husbands buy you calico, but you do not know what to do with
it. It is to be carefully worn until the last thread is worn out, and
then put into the rag bag to make paper with. 4:319.
It is good policy and economy to sustain each other. 12:63.
Use just enough of your earnings to make your bodies and your families
happy and comfortable, and save the residue. 9:295;
_We Must be a Self-Sustaining People_--We want you henceforth to
be a self-sustaining people. Hear it, O Israel! hear it, neighbors,
friends and enemies, this is what the Lord requires of this people.
12:285.
Ye Latter-day Saints, learn to sustain yourselves, produce everything
you need to eat, drink or wear; and if you cannot obtain all you wish
for today, learn to do without that which you cannot purchase and pay
for; and bring {451} your minds into subjection that you must and will
live within your means. 12:231.
Who are deserving of praise? The persons who take care of themselves
or the ones who always trust in the great mercies of the Lord to take
care of them? It is just as consistent to expect that the Lord will
supply us with fruit when we do not plant the trees; or that when we
do not plow and sow and are saved the labor of harvesting, we should
cry to the Lord to save us from want, as to ask him to save us from the
consequences of our own folly, disobedience and waste. 12:243-244.
Implicit faith and confidence in God is for you and me to do everything
we can to sustain and preserve ourselves; and the community that works
together, heart and hand, to accomplish this, their efforts will be
like the efforts of one man. 4:25.
Brethren, learn. You have learned a good deal, it is true; but learn
more; learn to sustain yourselves; lay up grain and flour, and save it
against a day of scarcity. Sisters, do not ask your husbands to sell
the last bushel of grain you have to buy something for you out of the
stores, but aid your husbands in storing it up against a day of want,
and always have a year's, or two, provision on hand. 12:204.
Instead of searching after what the Lord is going to do for us, let us
inquire what we can do for ourselves. 9:172.
The first revelation given to Adam was of a temporal nature. Most
of the revelations he received pertained to his life here. That was
also the case in the revelations to Noah. We have but very few of
the instructions the Lord gave to Enoch, concerning his city; but,
doubtless, most of the revelations he received pertained to a temporal
nature {452} and condition. And certainly the revelations Noah
received, so far as in our possession, almost exclusively pertained to
this life. The same principle was carried out in the days of Moses, and
in the days of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We may say that
eight or nine-tenths of the doctrines and principles set forth in the
revelations given to those men were of a temporal nature.
As soon as Moses was called upon to go and deliver Israel, the
revelations the Lord gave to him were of a temporal nature, pertaining
to the temporal life of the children of Israel--instructing Moses how
to deliver them from bondage and lead them from the servile state in
which they then were. He taught them in the same manner while they were
traveling through the wilderness; and so it continued down to the days
of the judges, and then to Saul, whom the Lord permitted them to make a
king, and then through the teachings of the Prophets. 6:170.
Whatever the Latter-day Saints have gained has been obtained by sheer
wrestling and unconquerable resolution. 13:93.
As an instance, we have men who quarry rock out of the mountains; and
we would say to those men, can you go and quarry rock without the
suitable instruments? Says one, "I must have so many picks and wedges,
and I must have so many drills of different sizes, and so many sledges
and hammers." Another man says, "I am going to make the tools; I have
the ability, and I will make the instruments from the ore in the
mountain." You remember what Nephi did. When he came to the sea, and
prepared to build his barge, the Lord showed him the ore, and Nephi
made the tools with which he formed his barge. He did not have to go
back to Jerusalem to get tools. I would like to see a {453} little more
of that skill displayed here than I do at the present time. I am using
this comparison to show that we, in our poverty, have this work to do.
8:354.
_The Elements of Wealth are Around Us_--I say to my brethren and
sisters, come let us learn how to gather around us from the elements an
abundance of every comfort of life, and convert them to our wants and
happiness. Let us not remain ignorant, with the ignorant, but let us
show the ignorant how to be wise. 10:6.
The Lord has done his share of the work; he has surrounded us with
the elements containing wheat, meat, flax, wool, silk, fruit, and
everything with which to build up, beautify and glorify the Zion of the
last days, and it is our business to mould these elements to our wants
and necessities, according to the knowledge we now have and the wisdom
we can obtain from the heavens through our faithfulness. In this way
will the Lord bring again Zion upon the earth, and in no other. 9:283.
While we have a rich soil in this valley, and seed to put in the
ground, we need not ask God to feed us, nor follow us round with a loaf
of bread begging of us to eat it. He will not do it, neither would I,
were I the Lord. We can feed ourselves here; and if we are ever placed
in circumstances where we cannot, it will then be time enough for the
Lord to work a miracle to sustain us. 1:108.
It is our duty to be active and diligent in doing everything we can to
sustain ourselves, to build up his Kingdom, to defend ourselves against
our enemies, to lay our plans wisely, and to prosecute every method
that can be devised to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth, and
to sanctify and prepare ourselves to dwell in his presence. Yet, after
all this, if the Lord should not help--if he should {454} not lend his
aid to our endeavors, all our labors will prove in vain. 2:279-280.
This world is before us. The gold, silver and precious stones are in
the mountains, in the rivers, in the plains, in the sands and in the
waters, they all belong to this world, and you and I belong to this
world. Is there enough to make each of us a finger ring? Certainly
there is. Is there enough to make us a breast pin? Certainly there is.
Is there enough to make jewelry for the ladies to set their diamonds
and precious stones in? Certainly there is. Is there enough to make
the silver plate, the spoons, platters, plates and knives and forks?
There is. There is plenty of it in the earth for all these purposes.
Then what on earth are you and I quarrelling about it for? Go to work
systematically and take it from the mountains, and put it to the use
that we want it, without contending against each other, and filching
the pockets of each other. The world is full of it. If it goes from
my pocket it is still in the world, it still belongs to-this little
ball, this little speck in God's creation, so small that from the sun
I expect you would have to have a telescope that would magnify it
many times to see it; and from any of the fixed stars I do not expect
that it has ever been seen, only by the celestials--mortals could
not see this earth at that distance. And here people are contending,
quarrelling, seeking how to get the advantage of each other, and how
to get all the wealth there is in the world; wanting to rule nations,
wanting to be president, king or ruler. What would they do if they
were? Most of them would make everybody around them miserable, that
is what they would do. There are very few men on the earth who try to
make people happy. Occasionally there have been emperors and monarchs
who have made {455} their people happy but they have been very rare.
But suppose we go to work to gather up all that there is in the bosom
and upon the surface of our mother earth and bring it into use, is
there any lack? There is not, there is enough for all. Then do look
at these things as they are, Latter-day Saints, and you who are not
Latter-day Saints, look at things as they are. And I do hope and pray
for your sakes, outsiders, and for the sakes of those who profess to
be Latter-day Saints, that we shall have good peace for a time here,
so that we can build our furnaces, open our mines, make our railroads,
till the soil, follow our mercantile business uninterrupted; that we
may attend to the business of beautifying the earth. 15:19.
_Agriculture_--The increase of our children, and their growing up
to maturity, increases our responsibilities. More land must be brought
into cultivation to supply their wants. This will press the necessity
of digging canals to guide the waters of our large streams over the
immense tracts of bench and bottom lands which now lie waste. We want
our children to remain near us, where there is an abundance of land
and water, and not go hundreds of miles away to seek homes. In these
great public improvements the people should enter with heart and soul,
and freely invest in them their surplus property and means, and thus
prepare to locate the vast multitudes of our children which are growing
up, and strengthen our hands, and solidify still more--make still more
compact our present organized spiritual and national institutions.
11:116.
You have a living off an acre and a quarter of land. Such a little
farm well tilled and well managed, and the products of it economically
applied, will do wonders towards keeping and educating a small family.
Let the little {456} children do their part, when they are not
engaged in their studies, in knitting their stockings and mittens,
braiding straw for their hats, or spinning yarn for their frocks and
underclothing. If this people would strictly observe these simple
principles of economy, they would soon become so rich that they would
not have room sufficient to hold their abundance; their store-houses
would run over with fulness. 11:142.
Now, cultivate your farms and gardens well, and drive your stock to
where they can live through the winter, if you have not feed for them.
Do not keep so many cattle, or, in other words, more than you can well
provide for and make profitable to yourselves and to the Kingdom of
God. We have hundreds and thousands of fat cattle upon the ranges, and
yet we have no beef to eat, or very little. Kill your cattle when they
are fat, and salt down the meat, that you may have meat to eat in the
winter and some to dispose of to your neighbors for their labor to
extend your improvements. Lay up your meat, and not let it die on your
hands. Such a course is not right. Cattle are made for our use, let us
take care of them. 11:142.
I intend to plant and sow, not only in the month of May, but in the
month of June, and in the month of July, and I will continue my labors
to raise what is necessary to sustain life, as long as the season
lasts. 2:280.
Let groves of olive trees be planted, and vineyards of the most
approved varieties of grapes, and let sweet potatoes be raised in
abundance, and all trees and roots that bear fruit in the ground and
above the ground that can be used as food for man and beast, that
plenty may flow in the land like a river, and contentment be enthroned
in every {457} household, while industry, frugality, and peace prevail
everywhere. 10:227.
Instead of people being poor, we already have too much, unless we take
better care of it. I heard a man who is living in this city--one who
has always been well off--state that he used to keep twelve cows when
he first came here, and was often nearly destitute of milk and butter.
After a few years; the number of his cows was reduced to six, and he
said that the six did him more good than the twelve had done. In two
years more, they were reduced to two, and the two cows have done him
much more good than the twelve or the six did, for they could be and
were more properly attended to. 4:317.
Everything which we use to feed the life of man or beast, not a grain
of it should be permitted to go to waste, but should be made to pass
through the stomach of some animal; everything, also, which will
fertilize our gardens and our fields should be sedulously saved and
wisely husbanded, that nothing may be lost which contains the elements
of food and raiment for man and sustenance for beast. 11:130.
Save your hay; save your chaff; save your straw; save your wheat; save
your oats; save your barley, and everything that can be saved and
preserved against a day of want. 12:241.
Wives, go into the garden and raise the salad and numerous other
articles within your judgment and strength. Who hindered you from
making a little vinegar last year? People are frequently running round
and asking, "Where can I buy some vinegar?" When I was keeping a house,
if my neighbors had a million hogsheads of vinegar, I had no need to
buy a spoonful of it, for I would make a plenty {458} for my own use,
and would have eggs, butter, and pork, of my own production, and manage
to secure beef, and salt it away nicely, and we had all the essentials
for comfortable diet. 4:318.
What hinders you from raising something to feed a cow? Nothing. Who
hinders you from planting your garden with corn, and having the suckers
and the fodder? Who hinders you from raising carrots, parsnips, etc.,
to feed a cow with through the winter? This you can do on a little more
than a quarter of an acre, but will you do it? 4:317.
The riches of a kingdom or nation do not consist so much in the fulness
of its treasury as in the fertility of its soil and the industry of its
people. 10:266.
Our wants are many, but our real necessities are very few. Let us
govern our wants by our necessities, and we shall find that we are not
compelled to spend our money for naught. Let us save our money to enter
and pay for our land, to buy flocks of sheep and improve them, and to
buy machinery and start more woolen factories. 12:289.
We are not anxious to obtain gold; if we can obtain it by raising
potatoes and wheat, all right. "Can't you make yourselves rich by
speculating?" We do not wish to. "Can't you make yourselves rich by
going to the gold mines?" We are right in the midst of them. "Why don't
you dig the gold from the earth?" Because it demoralizes any community
or nation on the earth to give them gold and silver to their hearts'
content; it will ruin any nation. But give them iron and coal, good
hard work, plenty to eat, good schools and good doctrine, and it will
make them a healthy, wealthy and happy people. 13:176.
Purchase cows, for if we have not already supplied you with cows, we
are able and willing to do so. Most, if not {459} all, have already
been furnished with cows. What did you do with the calves? "We sold
them for a trifle." Why did you not raise them? Do you not know that
they would very soon be valuable? No, but you waste your calves,
neglect buying pigs, and live without milk, and many of the easily
procured comforts of life. 4:315.
The time will come that gold will hold no comparison in value to a
bushel of wheat. 1:250.
When a farmer has done with his ploughs, he should put them under
shelter until they are again wanted. When harness is taken off, it
should be so hung up that you can go at any time of night and find it,
or a saddle, bridle, saddle-blanket, or any other trapping, and be
ready at once. 8:296.
_Manufacturing_--I pray the Lord to hedge up the way and shut
down the gate so, that we may be compelled to depend upon our own
manufacturing for the comforts of life. 7:67.
Also raise flax, and prepare it for the women to manufacture into
summer clothing. 4:316.
Save your wool, and send it to the factory. If we want a little cotton
cloth, we can raise it in the southern country; and we could raise
some here as well as in some other places. We can raise about two
gatherings. 19:73.
I want them to save their wool and to keep it in this Territory. If
we have not factories sufficient to work up all the wool that grows
in this Territory, and in these mountains, we will send and get more
machinery, and build more factories, and work up the wool for the
people. 15:159.
Go and build a tannery, that the hides that come off our beef cattle,
can be made into leather. 19:73.
We want glass. Some man will come along, by and by, {460} and take the
quartz rock, rig up a little furnace and make glass. 9:31.
By-and-by some man will come along, not worth fifty dollars, and take
the feldspar, which enters so largely into our granite rock, and make
the best of chinaware. 9:31.
Dye-stuffs have opened another drain through which considerable of our
money has passed off. Wherever Indian corn will flourish madder can be
produced in great quantities, yet we have been paying out our money to
strangers for this article. Indigo can be successfully and profitably
raised in this region. 10:226. Importing sugar has been a great drain
upon our floating currency. I am satisfied that it is altogether
unnecessary to purchase sugar in a foreign market. The sorghum is a
profitable crop, in Great Salt Lake and the adjoining counties, for the
manufacture of molasses; in this section it can be profitably raised
for the manufacture of sugar. I have tasted samples of sugar produced
from the sorghum raised in the south of Utah, and a better quality of
raw sugar I never saw. Let some enterprising persons prosecute this
branch of home-production, and thus effectually stop another outlet for
our money. Sugar ranks high among the staples of life, and should be
produced in great abundance. 10:226.
Go to and raise silk. You can do it, and those who cannot set
themselves to work we will set them to work gathering straw, and making
straw hats and straw bonnets; we will set others to gathering willow,
and others to making baskets; we will set others to gathering flags and
rushes, and to making mats, and bottoming chairs and making carpets.
12:202.
As I told the people, when we first came into this valley {461} in
1847, there is plenty of silk in the elements here, as much as in any
other part of the earth. 9:32.
The capitalists may say, 'What are we to do with our means?' Go and
build factories and have one, two, or three thousand spindles going.
Send for fifty, a hundred, or a thousand sheep and raise wool. Some of
you go to raising flax and build a factory to manufacture it, and do
not take every advantage and pocket every dollar that is to be made.
You are rich and I want to turn the stream so as to do good to the
whole community. 13:36.
_Commerce_--It may be said that we shall always be poor without
commerce; we shall always be poor with it, unless we command it; and
unless we can do this, we are better without it. 11:134.
But, again, with regard to this railroad; when it is through, even in
ordinary times it opens to us the market, and we are at the door of
New York, right at the threshold of the emporium of the United States.
We can send our butter, eggs, cheese, and fruits and receive in return
oysters, clams, cod fish, mackerel, oranges, and lemons. Let me say
more to you--do up your peaches in the best style, for they will want
them. 12:54.
Whatsoever administers to the sustenance, comfort and health of mankind
forms the basis of the commerce of the world. Gold and silver in coin
are only valuable as mediums to facilitate exchange. They can be made
useful to us and add to our comfort when made into cups, plates, etc.,
in our household economy. 10:227.
Recollect that in trading there is great advantage in turning over your
capital often. 13:35.
Are our merchants honest? I could not be honest and do as they do; they
make five hundred percent on some of {462} their goods, and that, too,
from an innocent, confiding, poor, industrious people. 11:114.
_Capital and Labor_--All the capital there is upon the earth is
the bone and sinew of workingmen and women. Were it not for that,
the gold and the silver and the precious stones would remain in the
mountains, upon the plains and in the valleys, and never would be
gathered or brought into use. The timber would continue to grow, but
none of it would be brought into service, and the earth would remain as
it is; but it is the activity and labor of the inhabitants of the earth
that bring forth the wealth. Labor builds our meeting-houses, temples,
court houses, fine halls for music and fine school houses; it is labor
that teaches our children, and makes them acquainted with the various
branches of education, that makes them proficient in their own language
and in other languages, and in every branch of knowledge understood by
the children of men; and all this enhances the wealth and the glory and
the comfort of any people on the earth. 16:66.
We say to the-Latter-day Saints, work for these capitalists, and
work honestly and faithfully, and they will pay you faithfully. I am
acquainted with a good many of them, and as far as I know them, I do
not know but every one is an honorable man. They are capitalists, they
want to make money, and they want to make it honestly and according to
the principles of honest dealing. If they have means and are determined
to risk it in opening mines you work for them by the day. Haul their
ores, build their furnaces and take your pay for it, and enter your
lands, build houses, improve your farms, buy your stock, and make
yourselves better off. 14:85.
There are many in the city of New York who never {463} went to school
a day in their lives; they are wallowing in the gutter, ragged, dirty,
and filthy. They learn sharpness, it is true; but where do they sleep?
By the wayside, or crawl into some old building--girls and boys, and
live there by the thousand. They have not a shelter to place their
heads under, but when night comes their only refuge is old buildings,
hovels, and corners of streets forsaken by the police, and there they
must spend the night. Why not take such characters and bring them
out to this country, or to California, Oregon, or to the plains of
Illinois, Wisconsin, etc., and make a town, settle up the country,
and make these poor, miserable creatures better off? You would prove
yourselves worthy of existence on the earth if you would. 14:84.
To pay people the wages they want here would prevent us from raising
silk profitably. We look forward to the period when the price of labor
here will be brought to a reasonable and judicious standard. 12:202.
Time and the ability to labor are the capital stock of the whole world
of mankind, and we are all indebted to God for the ability to use
time to advantage, and he will require of us a strict account of the
disposition we make of this ability; and he will not only require an
account of our acts, but our words and thoughts will also be brought
into judgment. 18:73.
A young woman, compelled to labor for her daily bread, applies for work
to some lady in comfortable circumstances. The lady perhaps says, "What
wages do you want?" "I do not know. What will you give me?" The reply
is, probably, "Well, I will give you fifty cents a week and your board,
but I shall want you to do my washing, ironing, milking, scrubbing, and
cooking," the whole of it, most {464} likely, keeping the poor girl
at work from five o'clock in the morning until ten at night. Yet her
poverty leaves her no choice, and she is compelled to become a slave
in order to procure, day by day, her breakfast, dinner, and supper. It
is probable that if her father be alive he is too poor to help her;
and if she has a mother she may be a widow and unable to rescue her
from a life of toil and slavery. A lady, whom I knew in my youth, the
wife of a minister, where I used to attend meeting, said once to some
of her sisters in the church, "Do you suppose that we shall be under
the necessity of eating with our hired help when we get into heaven?
We do not do it here, and I have an idea that there will be two tables
in heaven." Yet she was a lady of refinement and education, still the
traditions that had been woven into her very being proved the folly she
possessed to ask such a question. 14:99.
Let mechanics and every man who has capital create business and give
employment and means into the hands of laborers; build good and
commodious houses, magnificent temples, spacious tabernacles, lofty
halls, and every other kind of structure that will give character
and grandeur to our cities and create respect for our people. Let us
make mechanics of our boys, and educate them in every useful branch
of science and in the history and laws of kingdoms and nations, that
they may be fitted to fill any station in life, from a ploughman to a
philosopher. 10:270.
The non-producer must live on the products of those who labor. There is
no other way. If we all labor a few hours a day, we could then spend
the remainder of our time in rest and the improvement of our minds.
This would give an opportunity to the children to be educated in the
{465} learning of the day, and to possess all the wisdom of man. 19:47.
Do not oppress the poor, but trust in God, and you will go neither
hungry, naked, nor thirsty. If you oppress the poor, the day will come
when you will be naked, thirsty, and hungry, and will not be able to
get anything to supply your wants. 8:73.
_Build Good Houses and Beautiful Cities_--Let the people build
good houses, plant good vineyards and orchards, make good roads,
build beautiful cities in which may be found magnificent edifices for
the convenience of the public, handsome streets skirted with shade
trees, fountains of water, crystal streams, and every tree, shrub and
flower that will flourish in this climate, to make our mountain home
a paradise and our hearts wells of gratitude to the God of Joseph,
enjoying it all with thankful hearts, saying constantly, "not mine but
thy will be done, O Father." 10:3.
Beautify your gardens, your houses, your farms; beautify the city. This
will make us happy, and produce plenty. The earth is a good earth, the
elements are good if we will use them for our own benefit, in truth and
righteousness. Then let us be content, and go to with our mights to
make ourselves healthy, wealthy, and beautiful, and preserve ourselves
in the best possible manner, and live just as long as we can, and do
all the good we can. 15:20.
Every improvement that we make not only adds to our comfort but to our
wealth. 16:64.
Make good houses; learn how to build; become good mechanics and
business men, that you may know how to build a house, a barn, or a
store-house, how to make a farm, and how to raise stock, and take
every care of it by providing {466} proper shelter and every suitable
convenience for keeping it through the winter; and prove yourselves
worthy of the greater riches that will be committed to you than this
valley and what it can produce. 8:289.
_Accumulate Property_--Efforts to accumulate property in the
correct channel are far from being an injury to any community, on the
contrary they are highly beneficial, provided individuals, with all
that they have, always hold themselves in readiness to advance the
interests of the Kingdom of God on the earth. Let every man and woman
be industrious, prudent, and economical in their acts and feelings, and
while gathering to themselves, let each one strive to identify his or
her interests with the interests of this community, with those of their
neighbor and neighborhood, let them seek their happiness and welfare in
that of all, and we will be blessed and prospered. 3:330.
To do right can be reduced to perfect simplicity in a few words, viz.,
from this time henceforth, let no person work, or transact any kind of
business whatever, that he cannot do in the name of the Lord. 1:337.
This life is worth as much as any life that any being can possess in
time or in eternity. There is no life more precious to us in the eye
of eternal wisdom and justice than the life which we now possess. Our
first duty is to take care of this life. 11:113.
To be prudent and saving, and to use the elements in our possession for
our benefit and the benefit of our fellow beings is wise and righteous;
but to be slothful, wasteful, lazy and indolent, to spend our time and
means for naught, is unrighteous. 16:16.
We all believe that the Lord will fight our battles; but how? Will
he do it while we are unconcerned and make {467} no effort whatever
for our own safety when an enemy is upon us? If we make no efforts to
guard our towns, our houses, our cities, our wives and children, will
the Lord guard them for us? He will not; but if we pursue the opposite
course and strive to help him to accomplish his designs, then will
he fight our battles. We are baptized for the remission of sins; but
it would be quite as reasonable to expect remission of sins without
baptism, as to expect the Lord to fight our battles without our taking
every precaution to be prepared to defend ourselves. The Lord requires
us to be quite as willing to fight our own battles as to have him fight
them for us. If we are not ready for an enemy when he comes upon us,
we have not lived up to the requirements of him who guides the ship of
Zion, or who dictates the affairs of his Kingdom. 11:131.
_Debt_--Pay your debts, we will help you to do so, but do not run
into debt any more. 14:105.
Be prompt in everything, and especially to pay your debts. 14:279.
A man who will run into debt, when he has no prospect of paying it back
again, does not understand the principles that should prevail in a well
regulated community, or he is wilfully dishonest. 11:258.
A man who will not pay his honest debts is no Latter-day Saint, if he
has the means to pay them. 11:258.
It is bad enough, quite bad enough, to borrow from an enemy and not to
repay him; to do this is beneath the character of any human being; but
all who will borrow from a friend, and especially from the poor, are
undeserving the fellowship of the Saints if they do not repay. 14:276. {468}
CHAPTER XXVII
_WEALTH_
_Wealth Belongs to the Lord_--Earthly riches are concealed in
the elements God has given to man, and the essence of wealth is power
to organize from these elements every comfort and convenience of life
for our sustenance here, and for eternal existence hereafter. The
possession of all the gold and silver in the world would not satisfy
the cravings of the immortal soul of man. The gift of the Holy Spirit
of the Lord alone can produce a good, wholesome, contented mind.
Instead of looking for gold and silver, look to the heavens and try
to learn wisdom until you can organize the native elements for your
benefit; then, and not until then, will you begin to possess the true
riches. 10:35.
There is any amount of property, and gold and silver in the earth
and on the earth, and the Lord gives to this one and that one--the
wicked as well as the righteous--to see what they will do with it, but
it all belongs to him. He has handed over a goodly portion to this
people, and, through our faith, patience and industry, we have made
us good, comfortable homes here, and there are many who are tolerably
well off, and if they were in many parts of the world they would be
called wealthy. But it is not ours, and all we have to do is to try
and find out what the Lord wants us to do with what we have in our
possession, and then go and do it. If we step beyond this, or to the
right or to the left, we step into an illegitimate train of business.
Our legitimate business is to do what the Lord wants us to do with that
which he bestows upon us, and dispose of {469} it just as he dictates,
whether it is to give all, one-tenth, or the surplus. 16:10.
No person on the earth can truly call anything his own, and never
will until he has passed the ordeals we are all now passing, and has
received his body again in a glorious resurrection, to be crowned by
him who will be ordained and set apart to set a crown upon our heads.
Then will be given to us that which we now only seem to own, and we
will be forever one with the Father and the Son, and not until then.
9:106.
The elements are to be brought into shape and operation for the
benefit, happiness, beauty, excellency, glory, and exaltation of the
children of men that dwell upon the earth. 9:242.
_Uncertainty of Temporal Possessions_--Do you not know that the
possession of your property is like a shadow, or the dew of the morning
before the noonday sun, that you cannot have any assurance of its
control for a single moment! It is the unseen hand of Providence that
controls it. 1:114.
We cannot trust to the certainty of mortal possessions; they are
transitory, and a dependence upon them will plunge into hopeless
disappointment all those who trust in them. 2:122.
We should find that the things of this world called riches, are in
reality not riches. Wee should find they are like mirages to the
ignorant, mere phenomena to the inhabitants of the earth; to-day
they are, to-morrow they are not; they were, but now they are gone,
it is not known where. The earthly king upon his throne, who reigns
triumphantly over his subjects, is blasted, with all his kingdom, and
brought to naught at one breath of him who possesses true riches. Let
him who possesses the true riches say to the {470} elements around
that kingdom, "produce no wheat, nor oil, nor wine, but let there be a
famine upon that people," in such a circumstance where is the wealth of
that king, his power, his grandeur, and his crown? There is no bread,
no oil, there are no flocks, no herds, for they have perished upon the
plains, his wheat is blasted, and all his crops are mildewed. What good
does his wealth do him? His subjects are lying all around him lifeless
for want of bread; he may cry to them, but in vain; his wealth, power,
and influence have vanished, they are swept away like the flimsy fabric
of a cobweb. 1:266.
_The Sin of Covetousness_--How the Devil will play with a man who
so worships gain! 10:174.
I am more afraid of covetousness in our Elders than I ami of the hordes
of hell. 5:353.
Those who are covetous and greedy, anxious to grasp the whole world,
are all the time uneasy, and are constantly laying their plans and
contriving how to obtain this, that, and the other. 3:119.
Men are greedy for the vain things of this world. In their hearts they
are covetous. It is true that the things of this world are designed to
make us comfortable, and they make some people as happy as they can be
here; but riches can never make the Latter-day Saints happy. Riches of
themselves cannot produce permanent happiness; only the Spirit that
comes from above can do that. 7:135.
When I cast my eyes upon the inhabitants of the earth and see the
weakness, and I may say, the height of folly in the hearts of the
kings, rulers, and the great, and those who should be wise and good
and noble; when I see them grovelling in the dust; longing, craving,
desiring, contending for the things of this life, I think, O foolish
men, to set {471} your hearts on the thing's of this life! To-day they
are seeking after the honors and glories of the world, and by the time
the sun is hidden by the western mountains the breath is gone out
of their nostrils, they sink to their mother earth. Where are their
riches then? Gone forever. As Job says, "Naked I came into the world."
Destitute and forlorn, they have to travel a path that is untried and
unknown to them, and wend their way into the spirit world. They know
not where they are going nor for what. The designs of the Creator are
hidden from their eyes; darkness, ignorance, mourning and groaning
take hold of them and they pass into eternity. And this is the end of
them concerning this life as far as they know. A man or a woman who
places the wealth of this world and the things of time in the scales
against the things of God and the wisdom of eternity, has no eyes to
see, no ears to hear, no heart to understand. What are riches for? For
blessings, to do good. Then let us dispense that which the Lord gives
us to the best possible use for the building up of his Kingdom, for
the promotion of the truth on the earth, that we may see and enjoy the
blessings of the Zion of God here upon this earth. I look around among
the world of mankind and see them grabbing, scrambling, contending,
and every one seeking to aggrandize himself, and to accomplish his
own individual purposes, passing the community by, walking upon the
heads of his neighbors--all are seeking, planning, contriving in their
wakeful hours, and when asleep dreaming, "How can I get the advantage
of my neighbor? How can I spoil him, that I may ascend the ladder of
fame?" This is entirely a mistaken idea. You see that nobleman seeking
the benefit of all around him, trying to bring, we will say, his
servants, if you please, his tenants, to his knowledge, to {472} like
blessings that he enjoys, to dispense his wisdom and talent among them
and to make them equal with himself. As they ascend and increase, so
does he, and he is in the advance. All eyes are upon that king or that
nobleman, and the feelings of those around him are, "God bless him! How
I love him! How I delight in him! He seeks to bless and to fill me with
joy, to crown my labors with success, to give me comfort, that I may
enjoy the world as well as himself." But the man who seeks honor and
glory at the expense of his fellow-men is not worthy of the society of
the intelligent. 15:18.
I hope to see the day when there will be no such thing as one man
taking usury from another. 13:92.
_True Riches_--There is no such thing as a man being truly rich
until he has power over death, hell, the grave, and him that hath the
power of death, which is the Devil. For what are the riches, the wealth
possessed by the inhabitants of the earth? Why, they are a phantom, a
mere shadow, a bubble on the wave, that bursts with the least breath
of air. Suppose I possessed millions on millions of wealth of every
description I could think of or ask for, and I took a sudden pain in
my head, which threw me entirely out of my mind, and baffled the skill
of the most eminent physicians, what good would that money do me, in
the absence of the power to say to that pain, "Depart"? But suppose I
possessed power to say to the pain, "Go thou to the land from whence
thou comest;" and say, "Come, health, and give strength to my body;"
and when I want death, to say, "Come you, for I have claim upon you, a
right, a warranty deed, for this body must be dissolved;" says death,
"I want it, to prey upon;" but again I can say to death, "Depart from
me, thou canst not touch me;" would I not be {473} rich indeed? How is
it now? Let the slightest accident come upon one of the human family,
and they are no more. Do we then possess true riches in this state? We
do not. 1:271.
To possess this world's goods is not in reality wealth, it is not
riches, it is nothing more nor less than that which is common to all
men, to the just and the unjust, to the Saint and to the sinner. The
sun rises upon the evil and the good; the Lord sends his rain upon the
just and upon the unjust; this is manifest before our eyes, and in our
daily experience. Old King Solomon, the wise man, says, the race is not
to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither riches to men of
wisdom. The truth of this saying comes within our daily observation.
Those whom we consider swift are not always the ones that gain the
mastery in the race, but those who are considered not so fleet, or not
fleet at all, often gain the prize. It is, I may say, the unseen hand
of Providence, that over-ruling power that controls the destinies of
men and nations, that so ordains these things. The weak, trembling, and
feeble, are the ones frequently who gain the battle; and the ignorant,
foolish, and unwise will blunder into wealth. This is all before us, it
is the common lot of man; in short, I may say, it is the philosophical
providence of a philosophical world. 1:267.
_Gold is Not Wealth_--What use is gold when you get enough to eat,
drink, and wear without it? 1:250.
There is no happiness in gold, not the least. It is very convenient
as an article of exchange, in purchasing what we need; and instead
of finding comfort and happiness in gold, you exchange it to obtain
happiness, or that which may conduce to it. There is no real wealth in
gold. People talk about being wealthy--about being rich; but place the
{474} richest banking company in the world upon a barren rock, with
their gold piled around them, with no possible chance of exchanging it,
and destitute of the creature comforts, and they would be poor indeed.
Where then is their joy, their comfort, their great wealth? They have
none. 8:168.
True wealth consists in the skill to produce conveniences and comforts
from the elements. All the power and dignity that wealth can bestow
is a mere shadow, the substance is found in the bone and sinew of the
toiling millions. Well directed labor is the true power that supplies
our wants. It gives regal grandeur to potentates, education and
supplies to religious and political ministers, and supplies the wants
of the thousands of millions of earth's sons and daughters. There are
conditions and panics in society that all the power of earthly wealth
cannot avert. 10:189.
It has been supposed that wealth gives power. In a depraved state
of society, in a certain sense it does, if opening a wide field for
unrighteous monopolies, by which the poor are robbed and oppressed
and the wealthy are more enriched, is power. In a depraved state of
society money can buy positions and titles, can cover up a multitude
of incapabilities, can open wide the gates of fashionable society to
the lowest and most depraved of human beings; it divides society into
castes without any reference to goodness, virtue or truth. It is made
to pander to the most brutal passions of the human soul; it is made to
subvert every wholesome law of God and man, and to trample down every
sacred bond that should tie society together in a national, municipal,
domestic and every other relationship. Wealth thus used is used out of
its legitimate channel. 10:3.
_How to Become Wealthy_--When men act upon the {475} principles
which will secure to them eternal salvation, they are sure of obtaining
all their hearts' desire, sooner or later; if it does not come today,
it may come tomorrow; if it does not come in this time, it will in the
next. 2:122.
I am not for hoarding up gold and other property to lie useless, I wish
to put everything to a good use. I never keep a dollar lying idly by
me, for I wish all the means to be put into active operation. 3:160.
I can witness one fact, and so can others, that by paying attention to
the building up of the Kingdom of God alone we have got rich in the
things of this world; and if any man can tell how we can get rich in
any other way, he can do more than I can. We leave our business and our
families and go out to preach the peaceable things of the Kingdom, and
pay attention to that, never thinking of our business or our families,
except when we ask the Lord to bless our families in common with all
the families of the Saints everywhere. 11:116.
Do you want wealth? If you do, do not be in a hurry. Do you want the
riches pertaining to this world? Yes, we acknowledge we do. Then, be
calm, contented, composed; keep your pulses correct, do not let them
get up to a hundred and twenty, but keep them as high as you can,
ranging from seventy to seventy-six; and when there is an appointment
for a meeting be sure to attend that meeting. If there is to be a
two-days' meeting, come to it; spend the time here and learn what is
going on. Watch closely, hear every word that is spoken, let every
heart be lifted to God for wisdom, and know and understand every word
of prophecy, every revelation that may be given, every counsel that may
be presented to the people, that you may be able to weigh, measure,
comprehend and decide between {476} that which is of God and that which
is not of God. Refuse the evil, learn wisdom, and grow in grace and in
the knowledge of the truth. 15:35.
The course pursued by men of business in the world has a tendency to
make a few rich, and to sink the masses of the people in poverty and
degradation. 11:348.
This is the counsel I have for the Latter-day Saints today. Stop,
do not be in a hurry. I do not know that I could find a man in our
community but what wishes wealth, would like to have everything in his
possession that would conduce to his comfort and convenience. Do you
know how to get it? "Well," replies one, "if I do not, I wish I did;
but I do not seem to be exactly fortunate--fortune is somewhat against
me." I will tell you the reason of this--you are in too much of a
hurry; you do not go to meeting enough, you do not pray enough, you do
not read the Scriptures enough, you do not meditate enough, you are all
the time on the wing, and in such a hurry that you do not know what to
do first. This is not the way to get rich. I merely use the term "rich"
to lead the mind along, until we obtain eternal riches in the celestial
kingdom of God. Here we wish for riches in a comparative sense, we wish
for the comforts of life. If we desire them let us take a course to get
them. Let me reduce this to a simple saying--one of the most simple and
homely that can be used--"Keep your dish right side up," so that when
the shower of porridge does come, you can catch your dish full. 15:36.
These are a few words of consolation to the brethren who wish to keep
their riches, and with them I promise you leanness of soul, darkness of
mind, narrow and contracted hearts, and the bowels of your compassion
will be shut up, and by and by you will be overcome with the spirit
{477} of apostasy and forsake your God and your brethren. 12:127.
My policy is to get rich; I am a miser in eternal things. Do I want to
become rich in the things of this earth? Yes, if the Lord wishes me to
have such riches, and I can use them to good advantage. My policy is to
keep every man, woman, and child busily employed, that they may have no
idle time for hatching mischief in the night, and for making plans to
accomplish their own ruin. 2:144.
I told you the other day what makes me rich, it is the labor of those
whom I feed and clothe; still I do not feel that I have a dollar
in the world that is my own, it is the Lord's and he has made me a
steward over it; and if I can know where the Lord is pleased to have it
appropriated, there it shall go. 3:118.
One-third or one-fourth of the time that is spent to procure a living
would be sufficient, if your labor were rightly directed. People think
they are going to get rich by hard work--by working sixteen hours out
of the twenty-four; but it is not so. A great many of our brethren can
hardly spend time to go to meeting. Six days is more time than we need
to labor. 8:355.
The great majority of men and women do not know how to take care of
themselves. Let me refer the whole of you to a circumstance in Winter
Quarters. We left Nauvoo in February, 1846, made our own roads through
Iowa, except some 40 or 50 miles, built bridges, cut down timber,
turned out 500 men to go to Mexico, came this side of the Missouri
river, and there wintered. How did you live there? Do you know how
you got anything to eat? Brethren came to me, saying, "We must go to
Missouri. Can we not take our families and go to Missouri and get
work?" Do you know, to this day, how you lived? I will tell you, and
then {478} you will remember it. I had not five dollars in money to
start with; but I went to work and built a mill, which we knew we
should want only for a few months, that cost 3,600 dollars. I gave
notice that I would employ every man and pay him for his labor. If
I had a sixpence, I turned it into 25 cents; and a half-bushel of
potatoes I turned into half-a-bushel of wheat. How did I do that? By
faith. I went to Brother Neff, who had just come in the place, and
asked him for and received 2,600 dollars, though he did not know where
the money was going. He kept the mill another year, and it died on his
hands. I say, God bless him forever! for it was the money he brought
from Pennsylvania that preserved thousands of men, women, and children
from starving. I handled and dictated it, and everything went off
smoothly and prosperously. 6:173.
Shall I give you my ideas in brief with regard to business and business
transactions? Here for instance, a merchant comes to our neighborhood
with a stock of goods; he sells them at from two to ten hundred per
cent, above what they cost. As a matter of course he soon becomes
wealthy, and after a time he will be called a millionaire, when perhaps
he was not worth a dollar when he commenced to trade. You will hear
many say of such person, what a nice man he is, and what a great
financier he is! My feeling of such a man is, he is a great cheat, a
deceiver, a liar! He imposes on the people, he takes that which does
not belong to him, and is a living monument of falsehood. Such a man is
not a financier! The financier is he that brings the lumber from the
canyons and shapes it for the use of his fellowman, employing mechanics
and laborers to produce from the elements and the crude material
everything necessary for the sustenance and comfort of man; {479} one
who builds tanneries to work up the hides instead of letting them rot
and waste or be sent out of the country to be made into leather and
then brought back in the shape of boots and shoes; and that can take
the wool, the furs and straw and convert the same into cloth, into
hats and bonnets, and that will plant out mulberry trees and raise the
silk, and thus give employment to men, women and children, as you have
commenced to do here, bringing the elements into successful use for
the benefit of man, and reclaiming a barren wilderness, converting it
into a fruitful field, making it to blossom as the rose; such a man I
would call a financier, a benefactor of his fellow man. But the great
majority of men who have amassed great wealth have done it at the
expense of their fellows. 19:97.
_Wealth Must Be Used_--Few men know what to do with riches when
they possess them. 1:250.
You know very well that it is against my doctrine and feelings for men
to scrape together the wealth of the world and let it waste and do no
good. 9:186.
Then do not hoard up your gold; if you do, it will canker, but put out
every dollar to usury. Instead of your souls being bound up in your
cattle and other property, put it all where it should be placed for the
benefit of the Kingdom of God on earth and for his glory. 9:191.
A man has no right with property, which, according to the laws of the
land, legally belongs to him, if he does not want to use it; he ought
to possess no more than he can put to usury, and cause to do good to
himself and his fellowman. When will a man accumulate money enough to
justify him in salting it down, or, in other words, laying it away in
the chest, to lock it up, there to lie, doing no manner of good either
to himself or his neighbor. It is {480} impossible for a man ever to do
it. No man should keep money or property by him that he cannot put to
usury for the advancement of that property in value or amount, and for
the good of the community in which he lives; if he does, it becomes a
dead weight upon him. Every man who has got cattle, money, or wealth of
any description, bone and sinew, should put it out to usury. If a man
has the arm, body, head, the component parts of a system to constitute
him a laboring man, and has nothing in the world to depend upon but his
hands, let him put them to usury. Never hide up anything in a napkin,
but put it forth to bring an increase. If you have got property of any
kind, that you do not know what to do with, lay it out in making a
farm, or building a saw mill or a woolen factory, and go to with your
mights to put all your property to usury.
If you have more oxen and other cattle than you need, put them in the
hands of other men, and receive their labor in return, and put that
labor where it will increase your property value. 1:252.
If a man comes in the midst of this people with money, let him use
it in beautifying his inheritance in Zion, and in increasing his
capital by thus putting out his money to usury. Let him go and make a
great farm, and stock it well, and fortify all around with a good and
efficient fence. What for? Why for the purpose of spending his money.
Then let him cut it up into fields, and adorn it with trees, and build
a fine house upon it. What for? Why for the purpose of spending his
money. What will he do when his money is gone? The money thus spent,
with a wise and prudent hand, is in a situation to accumulate and
increase a hundred-fold. When he has done making his farm, and his
means still increase by his diligent use of it, he can {481} then
commence and build a woolen factory for instance; he can send and buy
the sheep and have them brought here, and have them herded here, and
shear them here, and take care of them, then set the boys and girls
to cleaning, carding, spinning, and weaving the wool into cloth, and
thus employ hundreds and thousands of the brethren and sisters who have
come from the manufacturing districts of the old country, and have not
been accustomed to dig in the earth for their livelihood, who have
not learned anything else but to work in the factory. This would feed
them and clothe them, and put within their reach the comforts of life;
it would also create at home a steady market for the produce of the
agriculturist, and the labor of the mechanic. 1:253.
_Wealth Brings Happiness Only When Used for the Gospel_--All the
real business we have on hand is to promote our religion. 4:355.
If you come naked and barefooted (I would not care if you had naught
but a deer skin around you when you arrive here), and bring your God
and your religion, you are a thousand times better than if you come
with wagon loads of silver and gold and left your God behind. 4:204.
If, by industrious habits and honorable dealings, you obtain thousands
or millions, little or much, it is your duty to use all that is put in
your possession, as judiciously as you have knowledge, to build up the
Kingdom of God on the earth. 4:29.
If we are destroyed through the possession of wealth, it will be
because we destroy ourselves. If we possessed hundreds of millions of
coin, and devoted that means to building up the Kingdom of God and
doing good to his creatures, with an eye single to his glory, we would
be as much blessed and as much entitled to salvation as the poor {482}
beggar that begs from door to door; the faithful rich man is as much
entitled to the revelations of Jesus Christ as is the faithful poor
man. 10:300.
We must watch and pray, and look well to our walk and conversation, and
live near to our God, that the love of this world may not choke the
precious seed of truth, and feel ready, if necessary, to offer up all
things, even life itself, for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake. 11:111.
Look out, ye men of Israel, and be careful that you love not the
world or the things of the world in their present state, and in your
loftiness and pride, forget the Lord your God. We ought to care no more
for the silver and the gold, and the property that is so much sought
for by the wicked world, than for the soil or the gravel upon which we
tread. 11:18.
I do not care what becomes of the things of this world, of the gold, of
the silver, of the houses and of the lands, so we have power to gather
the House of Israel, redeem Zion, and establish the Kingdom of God on
the earth. I would not give a cent for all the rest. True, these things
which the Lord bestows upon us are for our comfort, for our happiness
and convenience, but everything must be devoted to the upbuilding of
the Kingdom of God on the earth. 3:361.
It is thought by many that the possession of gold and silver will
produce for them happiness, and, hence, thousands hunt the mountains
for the precious metals; in this they are mistaken. The possession
of wealth alone does not produce happiness, although it will produce
comfort, when it can be exchanged for the essentials and luxuries of
life. When wealth is obtained by purloining, or in any other unfair
and dishonorable way, fear of detection and punishment {483} robs the
possessor of all human happiness. When wealth is honorably obtained by
man, still the possession of it is embittered by the thought that death
will soon strip them of it and others will possess it. What hopes have
they in the future, after they get through with this sorrowful world?
They know nothing about the future; they see nothing but death and
hell. Solid comfort and unalloyed joy are unknown to them. 11:15.
Men and women who are trying to make themselves happy in the possession
of wealth or power will miss it, for nothing short of the Gospel of the
Son of God can make the inhabitants of the earth happy, and prepare
them to enjoy heaven here and hereafter. 11:329.
It matters little, though we have many times left our houses and other
possessions, having been driven from them by our enemies; for the
earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof; the gold and the silver
they are taking from the earth are all in his hands to dispose of at
his pleasure. He sets up kingdoms and casts them down at his pleasure.
The fulness of the earth is in his hands, but it cannot be enjoyed, in
the full sense of the term, without enjoying it in connection with his
Kingdom. 8:161-2.
Though I possessed millions of money and property, that does not excuse
me from performing the labor that it is my calling to perform, so far
as I have strength and ability, any more than the poorest man in the
community is excused. The more we are blessed with means, the more we
are blessed with responsibility; the more we are blessed with wisdom
and ability, the more we are placed under the necessity of using that
wisdom and ability in the spread of righteousness, the subjugation of
sin and misery, and the amelioration of the condition of mankind. The
man that {484} has only one talent and the man that has five talents
have responsibility accordingly. If we have a world of means, we have a
world of responsibility. If we have an eternity of knowledge, we shall
have an eternity of business to transact and to occupy every particle
of the knowledge bestowed upon us. 9:172.
_Some Dangers of Wealth_--The question will not arise with the
Lord, nor with the messengers of the Almighty, how much wealth a man
has got, but how has he come by this wealth and what will he do with
it? 11:294.
If the Lord ever revealed anything to me, he has shown me that the
Elders of Israel must let speculation alone and attend to the duties
of their calling, otherwise they will have little or no power in their
missions or upon their return. 8:179.
The Latter-day Saints who turn their attention to money-making soon
become cold in their feelings toward the ordinances of the house of
God. They neglect their prayers, become unwilling to pay any donations;
the law of tithing gets too great a task for them; and they finally
forsake their God, and the providences of heaven seem to be shut from
them--all in consequence of this lust after the things of this world,
which will certainly perish in handling, and in their use they will
fade away and go from us. 18:213.
If I had only seen in my young days an interest manifested by those
who had wealth, power and influence to reach down a hand to take
the suffering, ignorant poor and elevate them to the standard they
occupied, and to place them in possession of every comfort, it would
have been a matter of great joy to me. But it was not so then, neither
is it now. Men generally use their wealth for selfish purposes, {485}
and do not seek to devote it to God and to the glory of his name.
13:147.
Do not be anxious to have this people become rich, and possess the
affection of the world. I have been fearful lest we come to fellowship
the world. 10:298.
Some say, "If we had a gold mine, we would do well." If I knew where
there was a gold mine, I would not tell you. I do not want you to find
one, and I do not mean that you shall; or, if you do, it shall be over
my faith. We have gold enough in the world, and it is all the Lord's,
and we do not deserve more than we get. Let us make good use of that,
and send out the Elders. 8:204.
I would as soon see a man worshiping a little god made of brass or of
wood as to see him worship his property. 6:196.
Never pray for riches; do not entertain such a foolish thought. In my
deep poverty, when I knew not where I could procure the next morsel of
food for myself and family, I have prayed God to open the way that I
might get something to keep myself and family from dying. Those who do
more than this are off, more or less, from the track that leads to life
eternal. 7:138.
We are the greatest speculators in the world. We have the greatest
speculation on hand that can be found in all the earth. I never denied
being a speculator. I never denied being a miser, or of feeling eager
for riches; but some men will chase a picayune five thousand miles when
I would not turn round for it, and yet we are preachers of the same
Gospel, and brethren in the same Kingdom of God. You may consider this
is a little strong; but the speculation I am after, is to exchange
this world, which, in its present state, passes away, for a world that
is eternal {486} and unchangeable, for a glorified world filled with
eternal riches, for the world that is made an inheritance for the Gods
of eternity. 1:326.
_The Poor_--The poor are the people of God, and they shall inherit
the earth. 8:186.
The Gospel of life and salvation does not reduce those who obey it to
beggary; but it takes the poor and the ignorant, makes them wise and
happy, and surrounds them with the comforts of life and everything
desirable, and teaches them to serve God with all their hearts. 14:121.
If a man comes to me and says he is out of food, what of that? He is
out of food; that is all. If a man comes along and says, "My family is
destitute of food and clothing," what of that? Simply that they are
destitute of food and clothing, and still they may be gentlemen and
ladies, for all that, and be honoring their tabernacles and being on
the earth.
The customs of the world have made it degrading to ask for food, but
it is not, when a person cannot honestly procure it in any other way.
The man who is hungry and destitute has as good a right to my food as
any other person, and I should feel as happy in associating with him,
if he had a good heart, as with those who have an abundance, or with
the princes of the earth. They all are esteemed by me, not according to
the wealth and position they hold, but according to the character they
have. 3:245.
The Lord's poor do not forget their covenants, while the Devil's poor
pay no regard to their promises. 3:2.
What causes poverty among this people? It is the want of discretion,
calculation, sound judgment. I am paying men more or less by the day,
and where do you see those who get the least wages? Seated back in the
barber's chair {487} three or four times a week. Next at a store to get
a box of blacking to put upon fifteen dollar boots, if they can get
them. They must have four or five dollar handkerchiefs, as fine things
for their wives and children, and as much in quantity as any other man
has. At the end of the year there are two or three hundred dollars on
the debit side of their accounts. 9:297.
Let the poor, those who have to depend upon their brethren for bread,
after they have done all they can to obtain it themselves be thankful,
and take no more than they require to use in a frugal manner. 3:375.
The poor are filled with idolatry as well as the rich, and covet the
means of those who have helped them; the rich also have the same spirit
of idolatry, and stick to what they have. Let the poor be honest, let
the rich be liberal, and lay their plans to assist the poor, to build
up the Kingdom of God, and at the same time enrich themselves, for that
is the way to build up God's Kingdom. 3:6.
Poor men, or poor women, who have nothing, and covet that which is
not their own, are just as wicked in their hearts, as the miserly man
who hoards up his gold and silver, and will not put it out to use. I
wish the poor to understand, and act as they would wish others to act
towards them in like circumstances. 2:52.
If the poor had all the surplus property of the rich many of them would
waste it on the lusts of the flesh, and destroy themselves in using
it. For this reason the Lord does not require the rich to give all
their substance to the poor. It is true that when the young man came to
Jesus to know what he must do to be saved, he told him, finally, "sell
all that thou hast and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven, and come, follow me;" and a great {488} many think
that he told the young man to give away all that he had, but Jesus
did not require any such thing, neither did he say so, but simply,
"distribute to the poor." If the poor knew what to do with what they
have many, yea very many, in this land would have all that is necessary
to make them comfortable. 13:302.
If they had the privilege of dictating the affairs of this people, or
of any other, they would divide the substance of the rich among the
poor, and make all what they call equal. But the question would arise
with me at once, how long would they remain equal? Make the rich and
the poor of this community, or of any other, equal by the distribution
of their earthly substance, and how long would it be before a certain
portion of them would be calling upon the other portion, for something
with which to sustain themselves? The cry would soon be--"I have no
bread, no house, no team, no farm; I have nothing." And in a very few
years, at the most, large properties would thus pass from the hands of
such individuals, and would be distributed among those who know how to
accumulate wealth and to preserve it when accumulated. 12:56.
It is a disgrace to every man and woman that has sense enough to live,
not to take care of their own relatives, their own poor, and plan for
them to do something they are able to do. 8:145. {489}
CHAPTER XXVIII
_MISSIONARY WORK_
_The Gospel to be Preached to all Men_--The Gospel must be
preached to the world, that the wicked may be left without excuse. 4:58.
It is necessary that all have the privilege of receiving or rejecting
eternal truth, that they may be prepared to be saved, or be prepared to
be damned. 7:139.
Our Father in Heaven, Jesus, our Elder Brother and the Savior of the
world, and the whole heavens, are calling upon this people to prepare
to save the nations of the earth, also the millions who have slept
without the Gospel. 18:77.
The Lord has called me to this work, and I feel as though I will do it.
We will send the Gospel to the nations; and when one nation turns us
away we will go to another and gather up the honest in heart, and the
rest we care not for until we come on Mount Zion as saviors, to attend
to the ordinances of the house of God for them. 8:230-1.
The Lord has restored the Priesthood in our day for the salvation of
Israel. Does he design to save anybody else? Yes; he will save the
House of Esau, and I hope to live until I see Mount Zion established,
and saviors come up to save those poor, miserable beings who are
continually persecuting us--all who have not sinned against the Holy
Ghost. Our labor is to save ourselves, to save the House of Israel, to
save the House of Esau, and all the Gentile nations--every one that can
be saved. 7:281.
This Kingdom or work is proffered to the whole of the human family,
even to all who will accept it, upon the terms of strict obedience to
all its ordinances and requirements, {490} and to its organization of
Prophets and Apostles, gifts and blessings and graces. 11:249.
There are, doubtless, millions of just as honest people among the
several religious denominations as are amongst the professedly
Latter-day Saints. But they have not the Gospel, they are in darkness
with regard to the plan of salvation, and their teachers are blind
guides, totally unable to give the people the living word, the way of
life. If they live up to the best light and knowledge they have and
can get, they are safe, and in a saved condition. What is the sin of
the ministry and people of the present Christian denominations? It is
that light has come to them and they reject it. The condemnation of the
Jewish nation was that light had come into the world, but they chose
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil; so says the
Savior. The same Gospel that Jesus taught to those who rejected him is
entrusted to us to preach to the whole world with the same consequences
which must reach them at some time, in some condition. 17:262.
I shall be very happy when I can know that the people of the East
Indian Archipelago, and the people on every island and continent, both
the high and the low, the ignorant and intelligent, have received the
words of eternal life, and have had bestowed upon them the power of the
eternal Priesthood of the Son of God, by which they may become truly
civilized. 8:7.
The day will come when the Gospel will be presented to the kings and
queens and great ones of the earth; but it will be presented with a
different influence from that with which it has been presented to the
poor, but it will be the same Gospel. We shall not present any other
Gospel; it is the same from everlasting to everlasting. 13:150. {491}
The Elders have also preached through the different nations of Europe
so far as they were allowed to do so. In some countries the law would
not permit them; but the Lord will yet revolutionize those nations
until the door will be opened and the Gospel will be preached to all.
12:256.
Had I the choice whether to go to the Saints and gather Saints, or to
go where the Gospel was preached by the ancient Apostles of the Lord
Jesus Christ, among the children of the people who have formerly had
the Gospel preached to them, I would engage to go to the States and
gather one hundred Saints to one that could be gathered from among the
children of those who heard Peter, Paul, and others of the ancient
Apostles preach the Gospel. 4:306.
Though the people in the States are daily becoming more hardened
against the truth, yet if I were in New York this day, and it was my
business to be there, I would not be there long before I would have
many Elders preaching through different parts of that city; I would
have them preaching in the English, Danish, French, German, and other
languages. And soon would have Elders dispersed all over the State, and
would raise up new friends enough to sustain me, that is, if the Lord
would help me, and if he did not, I would leave. 4:37.
_Help to Save Every Person_--What is Babylon? It is the confused
world: come out of her, then, and cease to partake of her sins, for if
you do not you will be partakers of her plagues. 12:282.
If to all eternity you could praise God, through being the means of
saving one soul, I may say the least or most inferior intelligence upon
the earth, pertaining to the human family,--if you could be the means
of saving one such {492} person, how great would be your joy in the
heavens! Then let us save many, and our joy will be great in proportion
to the number of souls we save. Let us destroy none. 9:124.
A true servant of God takes more pleasure in saving the meanest
capacity organized in human form upon the face of the earth than a
wicked person can in leading hosts astray. Let a Prophet of God,
an Apostle, or any servant of the Lord Jesus have the privilege of
bringing the very smallest degree of organized intelligence up higher
and higher until it is capable of receiving the intelligence of angels,
and it will give more consolation and happiness than to lead all the
posterity of Adam into a wrong path. 8:59.
We had better gather nine that are unworthy than to neglect the tenth
if he is worthy. 15:18.
We gather the poorest of the people, the unlearned, and a few of the
learned; but generally, we gather those who are poor, who wish to be
redeemed; who feel the oppression the high and the proud have made
them endure; they have felt a wish to be delivered, and consequently
their ears were open to receive the truth. Take those who are in the
enjoyment of all the luxuries of this life, and their ears are stopped
up; they cannot hear. 12:256.
And when you are called to preach the Gospel on foreign missions, take
a course to save every person. There is no man or woman within the
pale of saving grace but that is worth saving. There is no intelligent
being, except those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost, but that is
worth, I may say, all the life of an Elder to save in the Kingdom of
God. 9:124.
This people are mostly gathered from what are termed the laboring and
middle classes. We have not gathered {493} into this Church men that
are by the world esteemed profound in their principles, ideas, and
judgment. We have none in this Church that are called by them expert
statesmen. How frequently it is cast at the Elders, when they are
abroad preaching, that Joseph Smith, the founder of their Church and
religion, was only a poor illiterate boy. That used to be advanced
as one of the strongest arguments that could be produced against the
doctrine of salvation, by the wise and learned of this world, though it
is no argument at all. The Lord should have revealed himself to some
of the learned priests or talented men of the age, say they, who could
have done some good and borne off the Gospel by their influence and
learning, and not to a poor, ignorant, unlettered youth. Not many wise,
not many mighty, not many noble, speaking after the manner of men, are
called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise, the weak things of the world to confound the things that are
mighty; and base things of the world--things which are despised by the
world, hath God in his wisdom chosen; yea, and things which are not,
to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his
presence. 6:70.
It is the House of Israel we are after, and we care not whether they
come from the east, the west, the north, or the south; from China,
Russia, England, California, North or South America, or some other
locality; and it is the very lad on whom Father Jacob laid his hands,
that will save the House of Israel. The Book of Mormon came to Ephraim,
for Joseph Smith was a pure Ephraimite. 2:268.
If this net does not gather the good and the bad we should have no idea
that it is the net that Jesus spoke about when he said that it should
gather of all kinds. 14:78. {494}
I may say that this Gospel is to spread to the nations of the earth,
Israel is to be gathered, Zion redeemed, and the land of Joseph, which
is the land of Zion, is to be in the possession of the Saints, if the
Lord Almighty lets me live; and if I go behind the veil somebody else
must see to it. My brethren must bear it off shoulder to shoulder.
3:361.
_Words to Departing Missionaries_--We wish the brethren to
understand the facts just as they are; that is, there is neither man or
woman in this Church who is not on a mission. That mission will last
as long as they live, and it is to do good, to promote righteousness,
to teach the principles of truth, and to prevail upon themselves and
everybody around them to live those principles that they may obtain
eternal life. 12:19.
When I came into this Church, I started right out as a missionary, and
took a text, and began to travel on a circuit. Truth is my text, the
Gospel of salvation my subject, and the world my circuit. 9:137.
We do not wish a man to enter on a mission, unless his soul is in it.
2:267.
The brethren who have been called upon foreign missions we expect to
respond to the call cheerfully. 4:264.
Go forth and preach the Gospel, gain an experience, learn wisdom, and
walk humbly before your God, that you may receive the Holy Ghost to
guide and direct you, and teach you all things past, present, and to
come. 8:176.
Go trusting in God, and continue to trust in him, and he will open
your way and multiply blessings upon you, and your souls will be
satisfied with his goodness. I cannot promise you any good in taking an
unrighteous course; your lives must be examples of good works. 8:73.
I think that the brethren were required to go and preach {495} "without
purse and scrip," and that is what I am now trying to get them to
do--to go "without purse and scrip," and not beg the poor Saints to
death. Let us support the Elders, instead of making the poor do it. We
are able to send these men out to preach the Gospel, and they may go
"without purse or scrip." 8:169.
I wish the Elders to go forth as I have taught them. If you have a
clean shirt and one to be washed, then be satisfied. If you are clothed
so as to be comfortable, be satisfied, and do not let your minds reach
out after anything, only to preach the Gospel and gather the souls of
men. That is all the business you have upon your hands--it is your
whole mission; and trust in God to get home--trust in the Lord to go
from place to place, and the way will be opened for you. 8:185.
Those who now go forth upon missions will feel more of the power of God
than they ever had, and will speak as men having authority, asking no
odds of the wicked. 8:172.
I would like to impress upon the minds of the brethren, that he who
goes forth in the name of the Lord; trusting in him with all his heart,
will never want for wisdom to answer any question that is asked him, or
to give any counsel that may be required to lead the people in the way
of life and salvation, and he will never be confounded worlds without
end. Go in the name of the Lord, trust in the name of the Lord, lean
upon the Lord, and call upon the Lord fervently and without ceasing,
and pay no attention to the world. You will see plenty of the world--it
will be before you all the time--but if you live so as to possess the
Holy Ghost you will be able to understand more in relation to it in one
day than you could in a dozen days without it, and you will at once see
the difference between {496} the wisdom of men and the wisdom of God,
and you can weigh things in the balance and estimate them at their true
worth. 12:34.
If the Elders cannot go with clean hands and pure hearts, they had
better stay here. Do not go thinking, when you arrive at the Missouri
River, at the Mississippi, at the Ohio, or at the Atlantic, that then
you will purify yourselves; but start from here with clean hands and
pure hearts, and be pure from the crown of the head to the soles of
your feet; then live so every hour. Go in that manner, and in that
manner labor, and return again as clean as a piece of pure white paper.
This is the way to go; and if you do not do that, your hearts will ache.
Will you be liable to fall into temptation and be overtaken by sin?
Yes, unless you live so as to have the revelation of Jesus Christ
continually, not only to live in it today or while you are preaching,
in a prayer meeting, or in a conference; and when you are out of these
meetings, when you are guarded more particularly by the Spirit, say
that you can get along without the Holy Ghost. You must have it all
the time--on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and every day through the week,
and from year to year, from the time you leave home until you return;
so that when you come back, you may not be afraid if the Lord Almighty
should come into the midst of the Saints and reveal all the acts and
doings and designs of your hearts in your missions; but be found clean
like a piece of white paper. That is the way for the Elders to live in
their ministry at home and abroad. 6:273-4.
I want to say for the consolation of the Elders of Israel and those
who go forth to preside, you need have no trouble with regard to the
building up of this Kingdom, only do {497} your duty in the sphere to
which you are assigned. 14:79.
Elders who go forth to proclaim the Gospel, unless they do something
to clip their faith, or cause them to apostatize from their religion,
so that they are left in the dark, are generally on the increase in
improvement, grow in grace and in knowledge. They are advancing in the
principles of truth, while the world are receding from the truth they
once had; consequently, it appears to the Elders, and to those who
go from the Saints into the world, that it is growing wicked faster
than it really is, and the Elders do not always realize that their
advancement in truth produces much of the appearance of the great
distance between them and the world. 3:221-2.
If those who are going to preach do not go with that faith that
pertains to eternal life, and that spirit that is like a well of water,
springing up into everlasting life, their labors will be vain. They may
be the best theoretical theologians in the world--may be able to preach
a Bible and a half in a sermon, to read history without a book, and
understand all the dealings with men from the days of Adam till now;
and, without the Spirit of the living God to guide them, they will not
be able to accomplish anything to their credit towards building up his
Kingdom. They must realize that success in preaching the Gospel springs
not from the wisdom of this world. They must so live as to enjoy the
power of God. 8:70-71.
Don't carry your wives or your children in your hearts or in your
affections with you one rod. Dedicate them to the Lord God of Israel,
and leave them at home; and when you are in England, or among other
nations, no matter where, when you pray for your families, pray for
them as being in the Great Salt Lake Valley, and do not bring them
{498} close to you, as though they were in your carpet-bag. Pray for
them where they are. You must feel--if they live, all right; if they
die, all right; if I die, all right; if I live, all right; for we are
the Lord's, and we shall soon meet again. 6:276.
I wish to say to you that are left here, whose husbands and fathers
are going away for a season--don't cling to them one particle, but let
them go as cheerfully as you would give a weary traveler a cup of cold
water. If you live, it is all right; and if you fall asleep before they
return, it is all right. Don't send your hearts after them one step,
nor suffer your spirits to cling to them one moment. Then you, wives,
in very deed will be blessed and be helpmeets to your husbands. 6:276.
Many have such feelings, that they are greater who are in the world
preaching the Gospel than those who remain here. It is a grand mistake.
6:274.
Look over the history of the Church of the living God on the earth from
the days of Adam until now, and I will ensure that you cannot find the
equal to the excessive labor of the Elders of Israel in our day in
spreading the Truth through the world to save mankind. I have no idea
that it was done in the days of Enoch; for the human family had then
spread over the earth but little, and the Elders did not have to travel
scores of thousands of miles without purse or scrip among the wicked.
So also in the days of Noah; they had but a short distance to travel.
In the days of the Israelites, of the Prophets, of Jesus Christ, and
the Apostles, what was their labor in the extent of its field, compared
with that of this people? Very small. You may trace the course of their
travel, and you will find that it {499} was far less than that of the
Elders of Israel in our day. 5:351.
If you go on a mission to preach the Gospel with lightness and
frivolity in your hearts, looking for this and that, and to learn what
is in the world, and not having your minds riveted--yes, I may say
riveted--on the cross of Christ, you will go and return in vain. Go
forth weeping, bearing precious seed, full of the power of God, and
full of faith to heal the sick even by the touch of your hand, rebuking
and casting out foul spirits, and causing the poor among men to
rejoice, and you will return bringing your sheaves with you. Let your
minds be centered on your missions and labor earnestly to bring souls
to Christ. 12:33-34.
_Advice to Missionaries in the Field_--The travels and labors
of the Elders about to go on missions will throw them into positions
which will cause them to seek unto the Lord. They need to live their
religion, to go forth with pure hearts and clean hands, and then preach
the Gospel by the power of God sent down from heaven. They should touch
not and taste not of sin, and when they return they should come pure
and clean, ready to meet the Saints with open countenances. 8:178.
When you reach your respective fields of labor in the States, in
England, or elsewhere, do not begin to pull down your predecessors.
So far as their conduct will permit, speak of them as your brethren,
and as men who have done the best they knew how. Testify that you know
them to be good men, when you know that they have been doing according
to their best judgment and understanding; and do not say hard words
about your predecessors in the vineyard. Not one who does this will
gain anything by it. {500} Do not discourage, deride, or bring anything
against any of your predecessors to lessen the character of any one who
has done the best he knew how. 8:181.
Gather the Saints, but do not flatter; invite, but do not urge, and by
no means compel any one. 8:72.
If you have a happy influence with your brethren and sisters, preserve
it, for it is more choice than fine gold. How many times have I told
the Elders, "When you go on missions, be careful to preserve your
God-like dignity and integrity." 8:346.
The Elders who are going abroad should deal out kindness to those they
are sent to watch over, and your smiles will be far better than your
cursings could be. 8:74.
You know that I have said that, if it were now my calling to go and
preach the Gospel, I could make as many converts as I ever did; for I
would go in such a manner that the bitterly prejudiced would have to
labor hard to find out that I was a "Mormon" until I had induced them
to love the truth. Then they would say, "If that is 'Mormonism' I want
it." 5:5.
I wish the Elders of Israel to understand mankind as they are--to go to
the people and take them as they are. 9:121.
I wish you all to understand that no Elders go to any place among the
world but what the wicked find fault with the people of God. 4:78.
Let me now say to my brethren, the Elders of Israel, it is always
proper to ask kindly and affectionately the people to perform what you
wish performed, instead of ordering them to do it. This principle is
always good for parents and teachers to observe. 10:228.
Elders of Israel, learn to be spiritual physicians. Carry {501} the
medicine with you to deal out to every patient as he needs it. If a
patient has chills and fever in his spirit, you must carry the medicine
to cure it. 9:125.
Never suffer yourselves to mingle in any of those recreations that tend
to sin and iniquity, while you are away from the body of the Church,
where you cannot so fully control yourselves. 1:48.
I recollect, in England, sending an Elder to Bristol, to open a door
there, and see if anybody would believe. He had a little more than
thirty miles to walk; he starts off one morning, and arrives at
Bristol; he preached the gospel to them, and sealed them all up to
damnation, and was back next morning. He was just as good a man, too,
as we had. It was want of knowledge caused him to do so. I go and
preach to the people, and tell them at the end of every sermon, He that
believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; and he that believeth not,
shall be damned. I continue preaching there day after day, week after
week, and month after month, and yet nobody believes my testimony, that
I know of, and I don't see any signs of it. "What shall I do in this
case, if I am sent to preach there?" you may inquire. You must continue
to preach there, until those who sent you shall tell you to leave
that field of labor; and if the people don't manifest by their works,
that they believe, as long as they come to hear me, I will continue
to plead with them until they bend their dispositions to the Gospel?
Why? Because I must be patient with them, as the Lord is patient with
me; as the Lord is merciful to me, I will be merciful to others; as
he continues to be merciful to me, consequently I must continue in
long-suffering to be merciful to others--patiently waiting, with all
diligence, until the people will believe, and until they are prepared
to {502} become heirs to a celestial kingdom, or angels to the Devil.
3:91.
In the first place, I want to say to the Elders who go forth to preach
the Gospel--no matter who may apply to you for baptism, even if you
have good reason to believe they are unworthy, if they require it,
forbid them not, but perform that duty and administer the ordinance for
them; it clears the skirts of your garments, and the responsibility is
upon them. 14:78.
The meek and lowly Jesus sent his disciples without purse or scrip;
and when the honest in heart see our Elders go in the same manner
that Jesus' disciples did, with the doctrine that he delivered to his
disciples, and preach without purse or scrip, our Elders will find
plenty of honest-hearted persons who will receive their testimony.
But when the Elders go into the great cities, hire large halls and
hire carriages to ride to their pulpit in, the people say it is a
speculation, and such Elders do not have much of the Spirit of the Lord
to preach to the people. 13:90.
When you reach your fields of labor, do the best you can; and when the
enemy comes along and tells you that you are somebody, say, "Mr. Devil,
it is none of your business. What I have spoken is what the Lord gave
to me. I have presented it to the people, and that is all I have to
do with it." If you cannot preach as nicely and smoothly as you wish,
and a feeling rises that you cannot preach at all--that you had better
return home, tell Satan to get behind you--that he has no power to
dictate whether you preach a word or not, for you are in the Lord's
service. So live that the Spirit of the Lord can instruct your minds
at all times, and you can then defy the Devil and all his emissaries.
If you have nothing from the Lord to present {503} to the people, be
as willing to be silent as you would to preach what might be termed a
splendid discourse. 8:55.
I do not think there was worse said about the Savior and his disciples
in ancient days than has been said about the people of Utah in modern
times. Take no notice of this, but attend to the business about which
you have been sent. Tell this generation the truth, and pass along. Do
not contend or argue much but pass along peaceably and preach the first
principles of the Gospel. 8:56.
If you should have visits here from those professing to be Christians,
and they intimate a desire to preach to you, by all means invite them
to do so. Accord to every reputable person who may visit you, and who
may wish to occupy the stands of your meeting houses to preach to
you, the privilege of doing so, no matter whether he be a Catholic,
Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Baptist, Free-will Baptist, Methodist,
or whatever he may be; and if he wishes to speak to your children let
him do so. Of course you have the power to correct whatever false
teachings or impressions, if any, your children may hear or receive.
14:195.
When men enjoy the spirit of their missions and realize their calling
and standing before the Lord and the people, it constitutes the
happiest portions of their lives. 8:53.
Some inquire, "Why cannot we serve God in other countries as well as
here?" You can just as well in England, in France, in Germany, in
Italy, on the islands of the sea, in the United States, in California,
or anywhere else, as you can here. 2:253.
_The Returned Missionary_--Come home with your heads up. Keep
yourselves clean, from the crowns of your heads to the soles of your
feet; be pure in heart,--otherwise you will return bowed down in spirit
and with a fallen countenance, {504} and will feel as though you never
could rise again. 2:253.
I wish to make this request: that the Elders who return from missions
consider themselves just as much on a mission here as in England or in
any other part of the world. 14:220.
We frequently call the brethren to go on missions to preach the Gospel,
and they will go and labor as faithfully as men can do, fervent in
spirit, in prayer, in laying on hands, in preaching to and teaching the
people how to be saved. In a few years they come home, and throwing
off their coats and hats, they will say, "Religion, stand aside, I am
going to work now to get something for myself and my family." This
is folly in the extreme. When a man returns from a mission where he
has been preaching the Gospel he ought to be just as ready to come to
this pulpit to preach as if he were in England, France, Germany, or on
the islands of the sea. And when he has been at home a week, a month,
a year, or ten years, the spirit of preaching and the spirit of the
Gospel ought to be within him like a river flowing forth to the people
in good words, teachings, precepts, and examples. If this is not the
case he does not fill his mission. 14:100.
Do not come from your missions leaving behind you people whom you
have oppressed, from whom you have begged their money. I would work
my way there and back again, or beg from strangers, before I would
take one dime from the Saints, unless they of their own free will and
accord wished to make me presents, and were able to do so without
distressing themselves. True, I have seen the time, and so have many of
my brethren, when my heart has ached to see men and women go without
food day after {505} day for the sake of feeding me, when I could
feed myself; but any other course would not satisfy them. Under such
circumstances you must humor the people and yield to their feelings.
8:55.
Those faithful Elders who have testified of this work to thousands of
people on the continents and islands of the seas will see the fruits of
their labors, whether they have said five words or thousands. They may
not see these fruits immediately, and perhaps, in many cases, not until
the Millennium; but the savor of their testimony will pass down from
father to son. 8:142.
_The Gospel is Preached With Authority_--When a man who is called
and ordained of God goes forth he preaches the ordinances, faith in
Christ and obedience to him as our Savior. He declares that the first
step to be taken, after believing in the Father and the Son, is to go
down into the waters of baptism and there be immersed in the water,
and come up out of the water as Jesus did. Some may inquire why the
Latter-day Saints are so strenuous on this point? We do it for the
remission of sins; Jesus did this to fulfil all righteousness. 14:96.
Perhaps some may say that I have too much faith in the prophecies of
God, in the latter-day work, and in the administration of individuals
that now live and have lived on the earth in our day. Be it so, no
matter to me. I am here to testify in the name of the God of Israel
that for many years past there have been men traveling through the
length and breadth of the earth who possess the same power and
authority as that with which Jesus endowed his Apostles when he told
them to go into all the world and "preach the Gospel to every creature,
and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that
believeth not shall be {506} damned, and these signs shall follow them
that believe. In my name they shall cast out devils, heal the sick,
speak with new tongues," etc. 14:131.
_The Spirit, Not Logic or Debate, Makes Converts_--Let one go
forth who is careful to prove logically all he says by numerous
quotations from the revelations, and let another travel with him who
can say, by the power of the Holy Ghost, Thus saith the Lord, and tell
what the people should believe--what they should do--how they should
live, and teach them to yield to the principles of salvation,--though
he may not be capable of producing a single logical argument, though
he may tremble under a sense of his weakness, cleaving to the Lord for
strength, as such men generally do, you will invariably find that the
man who testifies by the power of the Holy Ghost will convince and
gather many more of the honest and upright than will the merely logical
reasoner. 8:53.
However good and useful a classical education may be in the possession
of a good and wise man, yet it is not essentially necessary for him
to have it, to tell the simple truth which is given to mankind by
the revelations of God, because it can be told by the simple and the
unlearned. 11:215.
Debate and argument have not that saving effect that has testifying to
the truth as the Lord reveals it to the Elder by the Spirit. I think
you will all agree with me in this; at least, such is my experience.
I do not wish to be understood as throwing a straw in the way of the
Elders storing their minds with all the arguments they can gather to
urge in defense of their religion, nor do I wish to hinder them in the
least from learning all they can with regard {507} to religions and
governments. The more knowledge the Elders have the better. 8:53.
I had only traveled a short time to testify to the people, before I
learned this one fact, that you might prove doctrine from the Bible
till doomsday, and it would merely convince a people, but would not
convert them. You might read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation,
and prove every iota that you advance, and that alone would have no
converting influence upon the people. Nothing short of a testimony
by the power of the Holy Ghost would bring light and knowledge to
them--bring them in their hearts to repentance. Nothing short of that
would ever do. You have frequently heard me say that I would rather
hear an Elder, either here or in the world, speak only five words
accompanied by the power of God, and they would do more good than to
hear long sermons without the Spirit. That is true, and we know it.
5:327.
When a false theory has to be maintained, it requires to be set forth
with much care; it requires study, and learning, and cunning sophistry
to gild over a falsehood and give it the semblance of truth, and make
it plausible and congenial to the feelings of the people; but the
most simple and unlearned person can tell you the truth. A child can
tell you the truth, in child-like language, while falsehood requires
the lawyer and the priest to tell it to make it at all plausible; it
requires a scholastic education to make falsehood pass for truth.
11:214.
The servants of God have truth, and nothing but truth, to present to
the world, that the world may be sanctified by the truth. The truth
needeth no polish to make it lovely and desirable to those who love it.
11:234.
They must eventually either acknowledge that he is the {508} Son of God
and that his Gospel is the only Gospel, or they must take infidelity.
Sooner or later the sects, one after another, will deny the Savior and
every one of the ordinances of his Gospel, until they are all enveloped
in infidelity, or they must accept the whole. Strange as it may appear,
they are now following shadows, phantoms of the brain, and mischievous
manifestations. 14:74.
What should the wicked hear? They should hear a man testify that Joseph
Smith was and is a Prophet of God, that he was a good man, and that he
did plant and establish the Kingdom of God on the earth, and we know
it. "How shall I know?" says one. By obeying the commandments given to
you. The Lord has said, go into the waters of baptism and be baptized
for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive a witness that I
am telling you the truth. How? By baptism and the laying on of hands
alone? No. By seeing the sick healed? No, but by the Spirit that shall
come unto you through obedience, which will make you feel like little
children, and cause you to delight in doing good, to love your Father
in Heaven and the society of the righteous. Have you malice and wrath
then? No, it is taken from you, and you feel like the child in its
mother's lap. You will feel kind to your children, to your brothers
and sisters, to your parents and neighbors, and to all around you; you
will feel a glow, as of fire, burning within you; and if you open your
mouths to talk you will declare ideas which you did not formerly think
of; they will flow into your mind, even such as you have not thought
of for years. The Scriptures will be opened to you, and you will see
how clear and reasonable everything is which this or that Elder teaches
you. Your hearts will be comforted, you can lie down and sleep in
peace, and {509} wake up with feelings as pleasant as the breezes of
summer. This is witness to you. 3:211.
The Latter-day Saints realize that there is no period of man's
existence not incorporated with the plan of salvation, and directly
pointing to a future existence. Consequently, when we stand here to
speak to the people, let every man speak what is in his heart. If
one of our Elders is capable of giving us a lecture upon any of the
sciences, let it be delivered in the spirit of meekness--in the spirit
of the holy Gospel. If, on the Sabbath day, when we are assembled here
to worship the Lord, one of the Elders should be prompted to give us
a lecture on any branch of education with which he is acquainted, is
it outside the pale of our religion? I think not. If any of the Elders
are disposed to give a lecture to parents and children on letters,
on the rudiments of the English language, it is in my religion, it
is a part of my faith. Or if an Elder shall give us a lecture upon
astronomy, chemistry, or geology, our religion embraces it all. It
matters not what the subject be, if it tends to improve the mind, exalt
the feelings, and enlarge the capacity. The truth that is in all the
arts and sciences forms a part of our religion. Faith is no more a part
of it than any other true principle of philosophy. Were I to give you
a lecture today upon farming, would I be speaking upon a matter that
transcends the bounds of our religion? Agriculture is a part of it as
well as any other truth. Were I to lecture on business principles of
any kind, our religion embraces it; and what it does not circumscribe,
it would be well for us to dispense with at once and forever. 1:334.
_Humility and Devotion, the Essentials_--The Kingdom of our God,
that is set upon the earth, does not require men {510} of many words
and flaming oratorical talents, to establish truth and righteousness.
It is not the many words that accomplish the designs of our Father in
Heaven, with him it is the acts of the people more than their words;
this I was convinced of before I embraced the Gospel. Had it not been
that I clearly saw and understood that the Lord Almighty would take the
weak things of this world to confound the mighty, the wise, and the
talented, there was nothing that could have induced me, or persuaded
me, to have ever become a public speaker. 4:20.
On the other hand, I do not wish any of the brethren to be discouraged,
for if you feel that you cannot say a single word, no matter, if you
will only be faithful to your God and to your religion, and be humble,
and cleave unto righteousness, and forsake iniquity and sin, the Lord
will guide you and give you words in due season. 2:268.
I have known some of the Elders when they thought they would be called
out to preach, keep away from meeting lest they should be called upon,
for they feel their littleness, their nothingness, their inability
to rise up and preach to the people. They do not feel that they are
anybody, and why should they expose their weaknesses? I have noticed
one thing in regard to this--quite as many of these men become giants
in the cause of truth, as there are of any other class; for when they
get away they begin to lean on the Lord, and to seek unto him, and
feeling their weaknesses, they ask him to give them wisdom to speak to
the people as occasion may require. Others can rise up here and preach
a flaming discourse, insomuch that you would think they were going to
tear down the nations; but when they go out into the world they often
accomplish but little. 2:267. {511}
_Preach Only That Which is Known_--With regard to doctrinal
points, that which we do not understand should not be talked about in,
this stand; and the Elders of Israel should never contend about any
point of doctrine that does not pertain to the present day's salvation.
7:47.
I will give a caution to my brethren, the Elders--never undertake to
teach a thing that you do not understand. Such things will come into
your minds; but without launching out on such subjects, questions may
be asked and answered, and we gain knowledge from each other. There is
plenty within the scope of our own brains that, by the assistance of
the Spirit of the Lord, will enable us to tell many things--more than
the world, or even more than the Saints can receive. 13:263.
If you do not understand a doctrine or a portion of Scripture, when
information is asked of you, say that the Lord has not revealed that to
you, or that he has not opened your understanding to grasp it, and that
you do not feel safe in giving an interpretation until he does. 8:56.
_Hints for Preachers_--Short sermons fitly spoken, are better than
long ones ill spoken. 3:249.
The spirit of truth will do more to bring persons to light and
knowledge, than flowery words. 4:21.
I wish to see the Elders get up here and manifest their spirits, and
speak as they feel when they are alone in their meditations. 3:237.
I care little for a man's language, if his spirit proves to me that he
has the love of God within him. 9:290.
The preacher needs the power of the Holy Ghost to deal out to each
heart a word in due season, and the hearers need the Holy Ghost to
bring forth the fruits of the preached word of God to his glory. 8:167.
{512}
No man ever preached a Gospel sermon, except by the gift and power of
the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. Without this power, there is no
light in the preaching. 8:138.
Elders in this Church--men who have been members for years,--often
speak of principles in the abstract, when they would be better
understood if they spoke of them in connection with other kindred
principles. 8:259.
Perfection in conveying ideas is not yet given to the children of men.
Our language is altogether inadequate for always conveying our ideas
with unmistakable precision, and the same ideas are generally advanced
in different words by different persons. 8:259.
When a person opens his mouth, no matter what he talks about, to a
person of quick discernment he will disclose more or less of his true
sentiments. You cannot hide the heart, when the mouth is open. If you
want to keep your heart secret, keep your mouth shut. 6:74.
There are two thousand persons in this assembly, and if only half
a dozen of them have done wrong, I could not chastise them without
appearing to chastise the whole congregation, which in reality is not
so. By chastising the guilty, however, it is impossible to spot the
conscience of good men and women, whose hearts are clean and pure as a
piece of white paper. 1:92.
We can form some kind of an idea how a man feels by looking at him,
but if you wish a man to portray himself faithfully you must get him
to talk, and I will insure that the organs of speech will show out the
true state of the mind, sooner or later, and reveal the fruit of his
heart. No man can hide it if he is allowed to talk; he will be sure to
manifest his true feelings. 3:237. {513}
If you wish to impress on the minds of individuals or an audience
anything that you desire them to remember, you will have to use
language accordingly. 14:193.
When we hear a man that can speak of heavenly things, and present
them to the people in a way that they can be understood, you may
know that to that man the avenue is open, and he, by some power, has
communication with heavenly beings; and when the highest intelligence
is exhibited, he, perhaps, has communication with the highest
intelligence that exists. 8:206.
I do not like to hear men make excuses, although it is natural, and I
put up with it. I wish they could see and understand that they have had
advantages above many of their brethren--that they have been greatly
blessed, and should never complain, but should stand up here and
exercise themselves according to the best of their ability, and do all
the good possible for them to do. 5:97.
The truth is easily understood, and as easily told. The agriculturist
and the mechanic can tell the truth, and become efficient ministers
of it, by living faithfully in accordance with what they know of the
Gospel; for in this way they obtain the Holy Ghost, which giveth
utterance. 11:214.
When people are hungry they need substantial food; when they are
thirsty they need substantial drink. Moses' smiting the rock would not
have benefited the people in the least, if water had not gushed out.
It is the duty of the true minister of Christ to instruct the people
of God how to get their food today, and to teach them by precept and
example how to become an independent nation. 11:133.
It is my business to teach mankind how to live, how to honor their
present existence, how to treat their bodies so as to live to a good
old age on the earth, and have power {514} to do good and not evil
all their days, and be ready to enter into the rest prepared for the
Saints. 10:27.
It yields solid satisfaction to hear men testify of the truth of the
Gospel. It is always peculiarly interesting to me to hear the Saints
tell their experience. It is to me one of the best of sermons to hear
men and women relate to each other how the Lord has wrought upon
their understanding and brought them into the path of truth, life,
and salvation. I would rather hear men tell their own experience, and
testify that Joseph was a Prophet of the Lord, and that the Book of
Mormon, the Bible, and other revelations of God, are true; that they
know it by the gift and power of God; that they have conversed with
angels, have had the power of the Holy Ghost upon them, giving them
visions and revelations, than hear any kind of preaching that ever
saluted my ears. 1:89.
A man who wishes to receive light and knowledge, to increase in the
faith of the Holy Gospel, and to grow in the knowledge of the truth
as it is in Jesus Christ, will find that when he imparts knowledge to
others he will also grow and increase. Be not miserly in your feelings,
but get knowledge and understanding by freely imparting it to others,
and be not like a man who selfishly hoards his gold; for that man
will not thus increase upon the amount, but will become contracted in
his views and feelings. So the man who will not impart freely of the
knowledge he has received, will become so contracted in his mind that
he cannot receive truth when it is presented to him. Wherever you see
an opportunity to do good, do it, for that is the way to increase and
grow in the knowledge of the truth. 2:267.
If a congregation wish to be instructed so as to understand alike and
alike receive an increase of wisdom and {515} knowledge, their minds
must be intent on the subject before them. They must not suffer their
thoughts to be roaming over the earth; they must not permit their minds
to be scanning and traversing their every-day duties and avocations.
6:93-4.
Elders of Israel and Bishops, be fathers, and take a course by which
you will win the affections of the people. How? With your silken
lips? No, no; but with the fear of the Almighty. Do you know that men
and women of God love truth? They do not love sophistry, it is an
abomination to them. 4:283.
A few words now, with regard to preaching. The greatest and loudest
sermon that can be preached, or that ever was preached on the face of
the earth, is practice. No other is equal to it. 12:271-2.
If you will reflect upon what class of speakers have most edified you,
no matter whether they are taught or untaught in, the learning of the
schools, you will readily discover that it has been those whose minds
were stored with good ideas, and who spoke so that you could readily
and easily understand them, whether their language was couched in the
most approved style or not. When you hear individuals speak whose minds
are stored with rich ideas, do they not benefit you the most? I care
but little about your language, hand out the ideas, and let us know
what you have stored in your minds. 3:243-4.
I have the same diffidence in my feelings that most public speakers
have, and am apt to think that others can speak better and more
edifying than I can. There are but few public speakers but what feel
more or less timidity. That is probably not so much a man-fearing
spirit as it is a natural delicacy or timidity. All of you have
doubtless to {516} some extent realized the same feeling, either in
large or small assemblies, and also in social conversation. People
generally are more or less disturbed and thrown off their balance by
the sound of their own voices, especially when speaking to an audience,
even after being much used to addressing assemblies. Some of our most
eloquent and interesting speakers would rather do almost anything than
speak to the congregations that assemble here. That diffidence or
timidity we must dispense with. When it becomes our duty to talk, we
ought to be willing to talk. If we never exhibit the knowledge within
us, the people will not know really whether we have any. 6:93.
If an Elder in preaching the Gospel, does not feel that he has the
power to preach life and salvation, and legally to administer the
ordinances, and that, too, by the power of God, he will not fill his
mission to his own credit, nor to the good of the people, and the
advancement and honor of the Kingdom of God. From all I can read, from
all I can gather, from the revelations from God to man, and from the
revelations of the Spirit to me, no man can successfully preach the
Gospel and be owned, blessed, and acknowledged by the heavens, unless
he preaches by the power of God through direct revelation. Not but
that, in a great many instances, a man may not be manifestly under
the immediate and powerful influences and direction of revelation to
dictate him all the time in his meditations and reasonings, and yet can
advance many good ideas that he has gathered by means of his natural
reasoning. But to magnify and make honorable the calling of an Elder
in this Church, I cannot conceive, in my understanding, any other true
principle by which it can be done, only when perfectly controlled by
the Spirit of the Lord. 8:52-53. {517}
When a "Mormon" Elder offers evidence of this great work to
unbelievers, they tell him that he is a party concerned, and his
evidence cannot be taken with regard to Joseph Smith's mission. I ask
the Christian world, Where are your witnesses that Jesus is the Christ?
Who are those who testified of his mission, and how many are there?
Eight persons testified of him, and their testimony is recorded, and
they were his disciples and parties concerned; yet at this day all the
Christian world is ready to receive their testimony. I testify that
this work of God in which we are engaged has been commenced to gather
the House of Israel and establish Zion in the last days, and has more
outward and weighty evidence to prove that it is of God than there was
in the days of Jesus to prove that he was the Christ. When the Book of
Mormon came forth it was testified to by twelve witnesses, and who can
dispute their testimony? No living person on the earth can do it; and
besides the testimony of these twelve witnesses, hundreds and thousands
have received a witness to themselves from the heavens, and who can
dispute their testimony? No living person on the earth can do it. This
infidel world inquires, "Where do you get your testimony?" We answer,
we get it from the heavens. Were we to ask them where they get the
knowledge they possess, they reply, "We do not know; it came to us; we
know not its source." We have testimony that the Bible is true, that
the prophecies contained in it are true, that Jesus is the Son of God,
and came to redeem the world. Have the so-called Christian world this
kind of testimony? They have not. All the testimony they can boast of
is the testimony of eight men who lived nearly two thousand years ago.
The infidel world cannot {518} receive their testimony, because they
were parties concerned. 12:208.
Brother Whiting says that he is a man of but few words. I am satisfied
that there is greater wisdom with many who say but little, than there
is with those who talk so much; as for the multitude of words, they
are but of little consequence, the ideas are by far the greatest
importance. 4:20. {519}
CHAPTER XXIX
_VISIONS, MYSTERIES AND MIRACLES_
_Visions of a Personal Nature_--I ask, Is there a reason for men
and women being exposed more constantly and more powerfully, to the
power of the enemy, by having visions than by not having them? There is
and it is simply this--God never bestows upon his people, or upon an
individual, superior blessings without a severe trial to prove them, to
prove that individual, or that people, to see whether they will keep
their covenants with him, and keep in remembrance what he has shown
them. Then the greater the vision, the greater the display of the power
of the enemy.
So when individuals are blessed with visions, revelations, and great
manifestations, look out, then the Devil is nigh you, and you will be
tempted in proportion to the visions, revelation, or manifestation you
have received. 3:205-206.
If the Lord Almighty should reveal to a High Priest, or to any other
than the head, things that are true, or that have been and will be,
and show to him the destiny of this people twenty-five years from now,
or a new doctrine that will in five, ten, or twenty years hence become
the doctrine of this Church and Kingdom, but which has not yet been
revealed to this people, and reveal it to him by the same Spirit, the
same messenger, the same voice, the same power that gave revelations to
Joseph when he was living, it would be a blessing to that High Priest,
or individual; but he must rarely divulge it to a second person on
the face of the earth, until God reveals it through the proper source
to become {520} the property of the people at large. Therefore when
you hear Elders say that God does not reveal through the President of
the Church that which they know, and tell wonderful things, you may
generally set it down as a God's truth that the revelation they have
had is from the Devil, and not from God. If they had received from the
proper source, the same power that revealed to them would have shown
them that they must keep the things revealed in their own bosoms, and
they seldom would have a desire to disclose them to the second person.
3:318.
_Leave Mysteries Alone_--Now, brethren, preach the things that we
verily believe, and when we come to points of doctrine that we do not
know, even if we have good reason to believe them, if our philosophy
teaches us they are true, pass them by and teach only to the people
that which we do know. 13:265.
What is a mystery? We do not know, it is beyond our comprehension. When
we talk about mystery, we talk about eternal obscurity; for that which
is known, ceases to be a mystery; and all that is known, we may know as
we progress in the scale of our intelligence. That which is eternally
beyond the comprehension of all our intelligence is mystery. 1:274.
These are the mysteries of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, to know
how to purify and sanctify our affections, the earth upon which we
stand, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the houses in which we
dwell and the cities which we build, that when strangers come into our
country they may feel a hallowed influence and acknowledge a power to
which they are strangers. 10:176.
Jesus said to his disciples, to them it was given to know the mysteries
of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them that {521} were without, it was
not given. If we were to examine the subject closely, we should learn
that a very scanty portion of the things of the Kingdom were ever
revealed, even to the disciples. If we were prepared to gaze upon the
mysteries of the Kingdom, as they are with God, we should then know
that only a very small portion of them has been handed out here and
there. God, by his Spirit, has revealed many things to his people, but,
in almost all cases, he has straightway shut up the vision of the mind.
He will let his servants gaze upon eternal things for a moment, but
straightway the vision is closed, and they are left as they were, that
they may learn to act by faith, or as the Apostle has it, not walking
by sight, but by faith. 1:264.
You may now be inclined to say, "We wish to hear the mysteries of the
kingdoms of the Gods who have existed from eternity, and of all the
kingdoms in which they will dwell; we desire to have these things
portrayed to our understandings."
Allow me to inform you that you are in the midst of it all now, that
you are in just as good a kingdom as you will ever attain to, from now
to all eternity, unless you make it yourselves by the grace of God, by
the will of God, which is a code of laws perfectly calculated to govern
and control eternal matter. 3:336.
If they will only live up to it, there has already been enough taught
the brethren who have lived here for years to prepare them to enter
into the strait gate and into the New Jerusalem, and be prepared to
enjoy the society of the holy angels. 8:177.
_Providences of God, All Miracles_--The providences of God are all
a miracle to the human family until they understand them. There are no
miracles, only to those who are {522} ignorant. A miracle is supposed
to be a result without a cause, but there is no such thing. There
is a cause for every result we see; and if we see a result without
understanding the cause we call it a miracle. 14:79.
The Gospel plan is so devised, that a miracle to make people believe
would only be a condemnation to them. When you hear people tell what
they have seen--that they have seen great and powerful miracles
wrought, and they could not help believing, remember that "devils
believe and tremble," because they cannot help it. When the voice of
the Good Shepherd is heard, the honest in heart believe and receive it.
It is good to taste with the inward taste, to see with the inward eyes,
and to enjoy with the sensations of the ever-living spirit. No person,
unless he is an adulterer, a fornicator, covetous, or an idolator, will
ever require a miracle; in other words, no good, honest person ever
will. 8:42.
You have gathered the idea from me that it is not the miracles that are
performed before a person's eyes that convince him that one is of God,
or of the Devil; yet, if the Lord designs that a person should heal the
sick, the individual can do so; but is that to convince the wicked that
the operator is sent of God? No, it is a blessing on the Saints, and
the wicked have nothing to-do with it, they have no business to hear
of it; that is for the Saints, it is especially for their benefit, and
theirs alone. 3:211.
This, in my own mind, is argued out perfectly, upon natural principles.
It is natural for me to believe that, if I plough the ground and sow
wheat, in the proper season I shall reap a crop of wheat; this is
the natural result. It was precisely so with the miracles that Jesus
wrought upon the earth? At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, when they
{523} had drunk all the wine, they went to the Savior and asked him
what they should do. He ordered them to fill up their pots with water,
and after having done so they drew forth of that water and found that
it was wine. I believe that was real wine; I do not believe that it
was done on the principle that such things are done in these days by
wicked men, who, by means of what they term psychology, electrobiology,
mesmerism, etc., influence men and make them believe that water is
wine, and other things of a similar character. The Savior converted the
water into wine. He knew how to call the necessary elements together in
order to fill the water with the properties of wine. The elements are
all around us; we eat, drink and breathe them, and Jesus, understanding
the process of calling them together, performed no miracle except to
those who were ignorant of that process. It was the same with the woman
who was healed by touching the hem of his garment; she was healed by
faith, but it was no miracle to Jesus. He understood the process, and
although he was pressed by the crowd, behind and before, and on each
side, so that he could scarcely make his way through it, the moment
she touched him he felt virtue leave him and enquired who touched him.
This was no miracle to him. He had the issues of life and death in
his power; he had power to lay down his life and power to take it up
again. This is what he says, and we must believe this if we believe
the history of the Savior and the sayings of the Apostles recorded in
the New Testament. Jesus had this power in and of himself; the Father
bequeathed it to him; it was his legacy, and he had the power to lay
down his life and take it again. He had the streams and issues of
life within him and when he said "Live" to individuals, they lived.
The diseases that are {524} and ever have been prevalent among the
human family are from beneath, and are entailed upon them through the
fall--through the disobedience of our first parents; but Jesus, having
the issues of life at his command, could counteract those diseases
at his pleasure. The case of the Centurion's servant is a striking
instance of this. The Centurion sent and besought Jesus to heal his
servant. "Say in a word," said he, "and my servant shall be healed."
Jesus, seeing the man's earnestness and solicitude, said, "I have not
found so great faith, no, not in Israel." And it is said that they who
were sent, returned to the Centurion's house and found the servant
healed. Jesus counteracted the disease preying upon the system of this
man, but to himself, knowing the principle by which the disease was
rebuked, it was no miracle. 13:140-141.
As quick as I admit that the history Moses gives of himself is true,
I cannot have any question in the world but what in ancient days they
understood in a measure how to command the elements. The magicians of
Egypt were instructed in things pertaining to true riches, and had
obtained keys and powers enough to produce a bogus in opposition to the
true coin, as it were, and thus they deceived the king and the people.
They could cause frogs to come upon the land, as well as Moses could.
They could turn the waters of Egypt into blood, and in many more things
compete with Moses. There was one thing, however, they could not do,
though they produced a very good bogus, but it was not quite the true
coin. When they threw their staffs on the floor before the king, these
could not swallow the staff of Moses, but the staff of Moses swallowed
the staffs of the magicians. I have no {525} doubt that men can perform
many such wonders by the principles of natural philosophy. 1:270.
_Miracles for Believers_--Miracles, or these extraordinary
manifestations of the power of God, are not for the unbeliever; they
are to console the Saints, and to strengthen and confirm the faith of
those who love, fear, and serve God, and not for outsiders. 12:97.
"Why do not the people speak with tongues?" We do, and we speak with
tongues that you can understand, and Paul says he would rather speak
five or ten words in a language that can be understood, than many in a
language that cannot be. This is what may be conveyed. 15:133.
_Faith Not Dependent on Miracles_--I do not want to see a miracle
to confirm the truth of any doctrine or saying that is revealed to
me. If I can see that it is calculated to purify the hearts of the
people and to sanctify their affections, and to reconcile them to God
and to his law and government, it satisfies me; and so far as this
goes, I might say that I am like the Christian world, in the belief
that miracles are no longer needed. But I believe that miracles are as
absolutely necessary now as they ever were. 13:140.
Take the case of the Children of Israel and the miracles that were
wrought in their deliverance from the land of Egypt. The question
arises, was it through their faith, or because of the promises which
God had made to their fathers? * * * It was not because of the
righteousness of the Children of Israel, but because of the promises
of the Lord to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for he must fulfil the
promises made to his servants. He wanted at one time to destroy the
whole people, and told Moses to let him alone that he might destroy
them because of their wickedness {526} and rebellion, and he would make
of him (Moses) a great nation; but Moses pleaded in their behalf, and
called upon the Lord to remember his promises, and they were preserved.
12:242-243.
Do you suppose that Jesus Christ healed every person that was sick, or
that all the devils were cast out in the country where he sojourned?
I do not. Working miracles, healing the sick, raising the dead, and
the like, were almost as rare in his day as in this our day. Once in a
while the people would have faith in his power, and what is called a
miracle would be performed, but the sick, the blind, the deaf and dumb,
the crazy, and those possessed with different kinds of devils were
around him, and only now and then could his faith have power to take
effect, on account of the want of faith in the individuals. 3:45-46.
If we have faith to feel that the issues of life and death are in our
power, we can say to disease, "Be ye rebuked in the name of Jesus,
and let life and health come into the system of this individual, from
God, to counteract this disease;" and our faith will bring this by the
laying on of hands by administering the ordinance of the holy Gospel.
13:141.
Men who have professedly seen the most, known and understood the
most, in this Church, and who have testified in the presence of large
congregations, in the name of Israel's God, that they have seen Jesus,
etc., have been the very men who have left this Kingdom, before others
who had to live by faith. 3:205.
You will recollect that I have often told you that miracles would not
save a person, and I say that they never should. If I were to see a
man come in here this day, and say, "I am the great one whom the Lord
has sent," {527} and cause fire to come down in our sight, through
the ceiling that is over our heads, I would not believe any more for
that. It is no matter what he does, I cannot believe any more on that
account. What will make me believe? What made the twelve Apostles
of Jesus Christ witnesses? What constituted them Apostles--special
witnesses to the world? Was it seeing miracles? No. What was it? The
visions of their minds were opened, and it was necessary that a few
should receive light, knowledge, and intelligence, that all the powers
of earth and hell could not gainsay or compete with. That witness
was within them, and yet, after all that was done for them, after
all that Jesus showed them, and after all the power of the spirit of
revelation which they possessed, you find that one of them apostatized,
turned away and sold his Lord and Master for thirty pieces of silver,
in consequence of his not being firm to his covenant in the hour of
darkness and temptation. Another of them was ready to say, "I do not
know anything about the Lord Jesus Christ," and denied him.
Some are apt now to say, "I don't know anything about this Mormonism,
I don't know about the Priesthood." Did you not once know? "I thought
I did, but now I find myself deceived." What is the reason? Because
they give way to temptation; they may have had great light, knowledge,
and understanding, the visions of their minds may have been opened
and eternity exhibited to their view, but when this is closed up, in
proportion to the light given to them, so is the darkness that comes
upon them to try them. 3:206-207.
A sister who receives the gift of tongues is not thereby empowered to
dictate her president, or the Church. All gifts and endowments given of
the Lord to members of his {528} Church are not given to control the
Church; but they are under the control and guidance of the Priesthood,
and are judged by it. Some have erred upon this point, and have been
led captive by the Devil. 11:136.
If you say that you want mysteries, commandments, and revelations, I
reply that scarcely a Sabbath passes over your heads, those of you who
come here, without your having the revelations of Jesus Christ poured
upon you like water on the ground. 3:336-337.
Some are very anxious that I should have visions. I have all that
the Lord gives to me; and all that he keeps back he may; for that is
no concern of mine. We are on the old ship Zion; and if God is not
at the helm, the old ship will wreck and go to the Devil. As for my
taking charge of the Kingdom of God on the earth, exclusively and
independently of direction from heaven, I shall not do any such thing.
If the Lord does not direct the old ship and act as captain and pilot,
it will go to destruction.
He is at the helm, and will stay there. If you and I will bring our
feelings to the point I have just spoken of, he will continue to guide
the welfare of Zion and all its rights. 5.352. {529}
CHAPTER XXX
_TRIALS AND PERSECUTION_
_Trials are Necessary_--We are now in a day of trial to prove
ourselves worthy or unworthy of the life which is to come. 12:167.
If we have correct doctrines, and will fashion our lives to them, we
may sanctify ourselves without being chastened. 12:310.
The people of the Most High God must be tried. It is written that they
will be tried in all things, even as Abraham was tried. If we are
called to go upon mount Moriah to sacrifice a few of our Isaacs, it is
no matter; we may just as well do that as anything else. I think there
is a prospect for the Saints to have all the trials they wish for, or
can desire. 4:369.
All intelligent beings who are crowned with crowns of glory,
immortality, and eternal lives must pass through every ordeal appointed
for intelligent beings to pass through, to gain their glory and
exaltation. Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be
suffered to come upon the few, to prepare them to enjoy the presence
of the Lord. If we obtain the glory that Abraham obtained, we must do
so by the same means that he did. If we are ever prepared to enjoy the
society of Enoch, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or of
their faithful children, and of the faithful Prophets and Apostles,
we must pass through the same experience, and gain the knowledge,
intelligence, and endowments that will prepare us to enter into the
celestial kingdom of our Father and God. How many of the Latter-day
Saints will endure all these {530} things, and be prepared to enjoy
the presence of the Father and the Son? You can answer that question
at your leisure. Every trial and experience you have passed through is
necessary for your salvation. 8:150.
Should our lives be extended to a thousand years, still we may live and
learn. Every vicissitude we pass through is necessary for experience
and example, and for preparation to enjoy that reward which is for the
faithful. 9:292.
If Adam had not sinned, and if his posterity had continued upon the
earth, they could not have known sin, or the bitter from the sweet,
neither would they have known righteousness, for the plain and simple
reason that every effect can only be fully manifested by its opposite.
If the Saints could realize things as they are when they are called
to pass through trials, and to suffer what they call sacrifices,
they would acknowledge them to be the greatest blessings that could
be bestowed upon them. But put them in possession of true principles
and true enjoyments, without the opposite, and they could not know
enjoyment, they could not realize happiness. They could not tell
light from darkness, because they have no knowledge of darkness and
consequently are destitute of a realizing sense of light. If they
should not taste the bitter, how could they realize the sweet? They
could not. 2:301-302.
You will learn this in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and in the
revelations given through Joseph. We must know and understand the
opposition that is in all things, in order to discern, choose, and
receive that which we do know will exalt us to the presence of God.
You cannot know the one without knowing the other. This is a true
principle. 4:373.
Now if you possess the light of the Holy Spirit, you {531} can see
clearly that trials in the flesh are actually necessary. 2:8.
_Purpose of Persecution_--Let any people enjoy peace and quiet,
unmolested, undisturbed,--never be persecuted for their religion,
and they are very likely to neglect their duty, to become cold and
indifferent, and lose their faith. 7:42.
He led this people in different parts of the United States, and the
finger of scorn has been pointed at them. Officers of the Government of
the United States have lifted their heel against them, and this people
have been driven from town to town, from county to county, and from
state to state. The Lord has his design in this. You may ask what his
design is. You all know that the Saints must be made pure, to enter
into the celestial kingdom. It is recorded that Jesus was made perfect
through suffering. If he was made perfect through suffering, why
should we imagine for one moment that we can be prepared to enter into
the kingdom of rest with him and the Father, without passing through
similar ordeals? 8:66.
We are infinitely more blessed by the persecutions and injustice we
have suffered, than we could have been if we had remained in our
habitations from which we have been driven--than if we had been
suffered to occupy our farms, gardens, stores, mills, machinery and
everything we had in our former possessions. 10:38.
_Persecution May Be Expected_--I wish to inform you, brethren and
sisters, who have just arrived in these valleys, that all your trials
hitherto are but trifling in comparison to the trials you will now be
called to meet and pass through. 8:163.
War has been declared against the Saints over twenty-seven {532} years,
and our enemies have only fallen back so as to gain strength and
pretexts for making another attack. Will that spirit increase? If it
does, and we love our religion, let me tell you that we will increase
faster than our enemies will. 5:340.
Only be faithful, brethren and sisters, and I promise that you shall
have all such privileges as shall be for your good. You need not
be discouraged, or mourn, because you were not in Jackson County
persecutions, or were not driven from Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois,
and stripped, robbed and plundered of all your property. Do not mourn
and feel bad, because you were not in Nauvoo; have no fears, for if
the word of the Lord is true, you shall yet be tried in all things; so
rejoice, and pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks, even
if it is in the spoiling of your goods, for it is the hand of God that
leads us, and will continue so to do. Let every man and woman sanctify
themselves before the Lord, and every providence of the Almighty shall
be sanctified for good of them. 1:279.
The ancient Saints were, and the Saints of latter days have been,
driven from pillar to post, their name a hiss and a by-word, and their
character traduced to the lowest degree. I will appeal to men in this
congregation, who have lived for years in the society of the world, who
are judges, magistrates, sheriffs, merchants, mechanics, and farmers,
if anything was ever alleged against their character until they joined
the Latter-day Saints. But where are your characters now in the world?
Your former friends now have found out that you always were miserable
creatures, they now declare they never had any confidence in you, for
you always were enthusiastic beings, and knew not what you were doing.
They always believed you would prove yourselves {533} dishonest, etc.
This has been the character given to the Saints by the world in all
ages. 1:236.
[IMAGE: BRIGHAM YOUNG AS A YOUNG MAN]
[IMAGE: BRIGHAM YOUNG MATURED]
[IMAGE: THE HOME OF BRIGHAM YOUNG IN NAUVOO]
_Meet Trials Cheerfully_--We are the happiest people when we have
what are called trials; for then the Spirit of God is more abundantly
bestowed upon the faithful. If the Lord requires it, I would as soon
consume all I have and go into the mountains with my family as to do a
good many other things. 5:332.
I say to the Latter-day Saints, all we have to do is to learn of God.
Let the liars lie on, and let the swearers swear on, and they will
go to perdition. All we have to do is to go onward and upward, and
keep the commandments of our Father and God; and he will confound our
enemies. 19:50.
There is not a hardship, there is not a disappointment, there is not a
trial, there is not a hard time, that comes upon this people in this
place, but that I am more thankful for than I am for full granaries.
4:51.
We have passed through a great many scenes, we may say, of tribulation,
though I would have all my brethren understand that I do not take
this to myself, for all that I have passed through has been joy and
joyful to me; but we have seemingly sacrificed a great deal, and passed
through many scenes of trial and temptations, no doubt of this. We have
had to suffer temptation more or less, and we have taken the spoiling
of our goods joyfully. I have, myself, five times before I came to this
valley, left everything that the Lord had blessed me with pertaining
to this world's goods, which, for the country where I lived, was not a
very little. 18:237.
As to trials, why bless your hearts, the man or woman who enjoys the
spirit of our religion has no trials; but the {534} man or woman who
tries to live according to the Gospel of the Son of God, and at the
same time clings to the spirit of the world, has trials and sorrows
acute and keen, and that, too, continually.
Cast off the yoke of the enemy, and put on the yoke of Christ, and you
will say that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. This I know by
experience. 16:123.
I have heard a great many tell about what they have suffered for
Christ's sake. I am happy to say I never had occasion to. I have
enjoyed a great deal, but so far as suffering goes I have compared it
a great many times, in my feelings and before congregations, to a man
wearing an old, worn-out, tattered and dirty coat, and somebody comes
along and gives him one that is new, whole and beautiful. This is the
comparison I draw when I think of what I have suffered for the Gospel's
sake--I have thrown away an old coat and have put on a new one. No
man or woman ever heard me tell about suffering. "Did you not leave a
handsome property in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois?" Yes. "And have you
not suffered through that?" No, I have been growing better and better
all the time, and so have this people. And you may take the history of
the world from the days of Adam down, and I am at the defiance of any
historian to prove that the Saints have ever suffered as much as the
sinners. This is my belief about the religion of Jesus Christ. Some
may say, "Did not the children of Israel suffer?" Yes. "Why?" Because
of their iniquity. They transgressed the laws God had given them; they
changed the ordinances and broke the everlasting covenant, and for
their sin and disobedience they were led into captivity. If they had
been obedient, I reckon they would have been led direct to the Holy
Land, and stayed there. {535} Some may say, "Now, Mr. Speaker, you have
been driven from your home, was it for righteousness?" No, I expect
not. I expect it was to chasten me and make me better. 13:147.
_Cause of Persecution_--Hatred and persecution have been the lot
of every man that ever lived upon the earth holding the oracles of
the Kingdom of Heaven to deliver to the children of men. Wicked men,
Satan, and all the powers of hell and hate are at war with every holy
principle that God wishes to place in the possession of his children.
That is the true reason of the hatred and persecution meted out to us.
8:13.
Do you know that that very principle caused the death of all the
Prophets, from the days of Adam until now? Let a Prophet arise upon the
earth, and never reveal the evils of men, and do you suppose that the
wicked would desire to kill him? No, for he would cease to be a Prophet
of the Lord, and they would invite him to their feasts, and hail him as
a friend and brother. Why? Because it would be impossible for him to
be anything but one of them. It is impossible for a Prophet of Christ
to live in an adulterous generation without speaking of the wickedness
of the people, without revealing their faults and their failings, and
there is nothing short of death that will stay him from it, for a
Prophet of God will do as he pleases. 3:48.
The false religion that is in the world, is what raises this "hue and
cry," misguides the people, and opposes itself against the Kingdom of
God on the earth. Now if we would only fall in with the wicked all
would be right, and then no person would wish to persecute us. 2:181.
Why should we have enemies? "Why is it," say our objectors, "that
you cannot mingle and mix in society like {536} other religious
denominations?" It has been seen that the people would not permit us
to dwell in their midst in peace. We have been universally driven by
illegal force, by mobs, murderers, and assassins, as unworthy of having
a place amongst the abodes of civilized man, until, as a last resort,
we found peace in these distant valleys. It is because our religion is
the only true one. It is because we have the only true authority, upon
the face of the whole earth, to administer in the ordinances of the
Gospel. It is because the keys of this dispensation were committed by
messengers sent from the Celestial world unto Joseph Smith, and are now
held on the earth by this people. It is because Christ and Lucifer are
enemies, and cannot be made friends; and Lucifer, knowing that we have
this Priesthood, this power, this authority, seeks our overthrow. 2:177.
All hell is moved against this people, because we are of one heart and
of one mind. 5:228.
It is light, intelligence, the power of God that make the wicked
tremble and wish "Mormonism" out of the way. If it were a false
doctrine or a false theory, the Devil would not endeavor to disturb
it, wicked men would not fear it, Heaven would not smile upon it, nor
give a revelation to any man or woman to believe it, and we should
have poor success; and Heaven forbid that we should have success or
gain influence upon any other principle than the revelations of Jesus
Christ. 7:160.
We were not persecuted because we believed in having many wives, for
that principle was not known to our persecutors until we came to these
mountains, although the revelation was received by Joseph Smith and
written a year before his death. 14:119.
We are Christians professedly, according to our religion. {537} People
have gathered to themselves certain ideas, and laid them down as
systems, calling them religion, all professing to believe and obey the
Scriptures. Their religions are peculiar to themselves--our religion is
peculiar to God, to angels, and to the righteous of time and eternity.
Why are we persecuted because of our religion? Why was Joseph Smith
persecuted? Why was he hunted from neighborhood to neighborhood,
from city to city, from state to state, and at last suffered death?
Because he received revelations from the Father, from the Son, and was
ministered to by holy angels, and published to the world the direct
will of the Lord concerning his children on the earth. Again, why was
he persecuted? Because he revealed to all mankind a religion so plain
and so easily understood, consistent with the Bible, and so true. It
is now as it was in the days of the Savior; let people believe and
practice these simple, God-like truths, and it will be as it was in the
old world, they will say, if this man be let alone he will come and
take away our peace and nation. 18:231.
_Disobedience Causes Persecution_--When we look at the Latter-day
Saints, we ask, is there any necessity of their being persecuted?
Yes, if they are disobedient. Is there any necessity of chastening a
son or a daughter? Yes, if they are disobedient. But suppose they are
perfectly obedient to every requirement of their parents, is there any
necessity of chastening them then? If there is, I do not understand
the principle of it. I have not yet been able to see the necessity
of chastening an obedient child, neither have I been able to see the
necessity of chastisement from the Lord upon a people who are perfectly
obedient. Have this people been chastened? Yes, they have. 12:308.
We have been persecuted, driven, smitten, cast out, {538} robbed and
hated; and I may say it was for our coldness and neglect of duty; and
if we did not exactly deserve it, there have been times when we did
deserve it. If we did not deserve it at the time, it was good for
and gave us an experience, though I must say that one of the hardest
lessons for me to learn on earth is to love a man who hates me and
would put me to death if he had the power. I do not think I have got
this lesson by heart, and I do not know how long I shall have to live
to learn it. I am trying. 14:97.
Those who turn away from the holy commandments will meet trials that
are trials indeed. They will feel the wrath of the Almighty upon
them. Those who are still and are good children will receive the rich
blessing of their Father and God. Be still, and let your faith rest on
the Lord Almighty. 7:136.
_Result of Persecution_--Every time you kick "Mormonism" you kick
it upstairs; you never kick it downstairs. The Lord Almighty so orders
it. 7:145.
Can you destroy a true religion by persecuting it? No. 7:145.
Joseph could not have been perfected, though he had lived a thousand
years, if he had received no persecution. If he had lived a thousand
years, and led this people, and preached the Gospel without
persecution, he would not have been perfected as well as he was at
the age of thirty-nine years. You may calculate, when this people are
called to go through scenes of affliction and suffering, are driven
from their homes, and cast down, and scattered, and smitten, and
peeled, the Almighty is rolling on his work with greater rapidity. 2:7.
Well, do you think that persecution has done us good? {539} Yes. I
sit and laugh, and rejoice exceedingly when I see persecution. I care
no more about it than I do about the whistling of the north wind, the
croaking of the crane that flies over my head, or the crackling of the
thorns under the pot. The Lord has all things in his hand; therefore
let it come, for it will give me experience. 2:8.
Every time they persecute and try to overcome this people, they elevate
us, weaken their own hands, and strengthen the hands and the arms
of this people. And every time they undertake to lessen our number,
they increase it. And when they try to destroy the faith and virtue
of this people, the Lord strengthens the feeble knees, and confirms
the wavering in faith and power in God, in light, and intelligence.
Righteousness and power with God increase in this people in proportion
as the Devil struggles to destroy it. 8:225-6.
If we did not have to bear the iron hand of persecution, the principles
we believe in, which attract the attention of the good and the evil
upon the earth and which occupy so many tongues and circumscribe their
philosophy, would be embraced by thousands who are now indifferent to
them. The evil-doer would crowd upon our borders; and we have plenty of
them now without receiving any more. They would crowd into this Church.
18:359.
I say the same now. Let us alone, and we will send Elders to the
uttermost parts of the earth, and gather out Israel, wherever they are;
and if you persecute us, we will do it the quicker, because we are
naturally dull when let alone, and are disposed to take a little sleep,
a little slumber, and a little rest. If you let us alone, we will do it
a little more leisurely; but if you persecute us, we will sit up nights
to preach the Gospel. 2:320.
Moses was not to blame because Pharaoh's heart became {540} more and
more hard. He was not to blame because an overwhelming destruction came
upon that devoted army. Neither is God, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith,
myself, or the Apostles and Prophets of this last dispensation to blame
for the unbelief of this nation, and for the dark and lowering tempest
that now threatens to overthrow them with a terrible destruction.
Still, as Pharaoh's heart became harder and harder, so will it be with
the persecutors of God's people and purposes in the latter times, until
they are utterly destroyed. 10:4.
_Cannot Overtake Falsehood_--We have been asked a good many
times, "Why do you not publish the truth in regard to these lies
which are circulated about you?" We might do this if we owned all the
papers published in Christendom. Who will publish a letter from me
or my brethren? Who will publish the truth from us? If it gets into
one paper, it is slipped under the counter or somewhere else; but it
never gets into a second. They will send forth lies concerning us very
readily. The old adage is that a lie will creep through the keyhole
and go a thousand miles while truth is getting out of doors; and
our experience has proved this. We have not the influence and power
necessary to refute the falsehoods circulated about us. We depend on
God, who sits in the heavens. Our trust is in him who created the
heavens, who formed the earth, and who has brought forth his children
on the earth, and who has given the intelligence which they possess.
13:177.
If I now had in my possession one hundred million dollars in cash, I
could buy the favor of the publishers of newspapers and control their
presses; with that amount I could make this people popular, though I
expect that popularity would send us to hell. 3:160. {541}
_Danger of Persecuting the Saints_--When men lift their hands
against the Latter-day Saints, they lift them against the Almighty.
11:119.
He who lifts his heel against the Lord and against his anointed will
find himself a poor, pusillanimous, weak instrument in the hands of the
Devil to accomplish his designs. 8:33.
When men operate against this people, they may spend all they possess
and all their ability, and it will pass away like an empty sound, and
they will be forgotten. Such persons have always come to naught, and
all who fight against the people of the Most High will continue to come
to naught. 3:259.
Tell the world--sound it in the ears of kings and rulers, that they
are persecuting a people to whose God they will have to pay every
debt they contract; they will be brought into judgment for every act
against this Kingdom. This is the Kingdom of God; these are the people
of God, as are all who receive the truth and follow its principles.
As to parentage, we are no more the children of God than are the rest
of the inhabitants of the earth. Originally, as to our parents, as
to our organization and that which pertains to our life, we are all
the children of one Father, whether we be Jew or Gentile, bond or
free, black or white, noble or ignoble. The difference we see arises
in consequence of the different use made of the agency given to man.
8:194-5.
The sufferings that have come upon the Latter-day Saints, through
persecution, will not compare in severity with the sufferings which
have come upon the wicked in our own day. 11:274.
_Persecution Comes From Efforts of Few_--Now to tell the truth,
there are but few, in comparison with the numbers {542} that now live,
who are rabid against and seek to destroy the Kingdom of God. A great
portion of the human family are honorable men and women, and they would
just as soon that "Mormonism" should live as any other ism. The few who
seek to destroy the Kingdom of God are priests, politicians, and office
seekers, and they would care nothing about it, only they are afraid we
will take away their place and station. 11:323. {543}
CHAPTER XXXI
_POLITICAL GOVERNMENT_
_Theocratic Government_--I believe in a true republican theocracy,
and also in a true democratic theocracy, as the term democratic is now
used; for they are to me, in their present use, convertible terms.
6:346.
What do I understand by a theocratic government? One in which all laws
are enacted and executed in righteousness, and whose officers possess
that power which proceedeth from the Almighty. That is the kind of
government I allude to when I speak of a theocratic government, or the
Kingdom of God upon the earth. It is, in short, the eternal powers of
the Gods. 6:346-7.
If the Kingdom of God, or a theocratic government, was established on
the earth, many practices now prevalent would be abolished.
One community would not be permitted to array itself in opposition to
another to coerce them to their standard; one denomination would not
be suffered to persecute another because they differed in religious
belief and mode of worship. Every one would be fully protected in
the enjoyment of all religious and social rights, and no state, no
government, no community, no person would have the privilege of
infringing on the rights of another; one Christian community would not
rise up and persecute another. 6:343.
But few, if any, understand what a theocratic government is. In every
sense of the word, it is a republican government, and differs but
little in form from our National, State, and Territorial Governments;
but its subjects will {544} recognize the will and dictation of
the Almighty. The Kingdom of God circumscribes and comprehends the
municipal laws for the people in their outward government, to which
pertain the Gospel covenants, by which the people can be saved; and
those covenants pertain to fellowship and faithfulness.
The Gospel covenants are for those who believe and obey; municipal laws
are for both Saint and sinner.
The Constitution and laws of the United States resemble a theocracy
more closely than any government now on the earth, or that ever has
been so far as we know, except the government of the Children of Israel
to the time when they elected a king.
All governments are more or less under the control of the Almighty,
and, in their forms, have sprung from the laws that he has from time
to time given to man. Those laws, in passing from generation to
generation, have been more or less adulterated, and the result has been
the various forms of government now in force among the nations; for, as
the Prophet says of Israel, "They have transgressed the laws, changed
the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant."
Whoever lives to see the Kingdom of God fully established upon the
earth will see a government that will protect every person in his
rights. If that government was now reigning upon this land of Joseph,
you would see the Roman Catholic, the Greek Catholic, the Episcopalian,
the Presbyterian, the Methodist, the Baptist, the Quaker, the Shaker,
the Hindoo, the Mahometan, and every class of worshipers most strictly
protected in all their municipal rights and in the privileges of
worshiping who, what, and when they pleased, not infringing upon the
rights of others. {545} Does any candid person in his sound judgment
desire any greater liberty? 6:342-343.
In the sincere observances of the principles of true religion and
virtue, we recognize the base, the only sure foundation of enlightened
society and well-established government. 2:178.
I have had some people ask me how I manage and control the people. I do
it by telling them the truth and letting them do just as they have a
mind to. 14:162.
_Republican Government_--There is no other platform that any
government can stand upon and endure, but the platform of truth and
virtue. 10:108.
How can a republican government stand? There is only one way for it
to stand. It can endure; but how? It can endure, as the government of
heaven endures, upon the eternal rock of truth and virtue; and that is
the only basis upon which any government can endure. 9:4.
What is a true republican government is easily answered. It is a
government or institution that is perfect--perfect in its laws and
ordinances, having for its object the perfection of mankind in
righteousness. This is true democracy. 7:10.
Individual self-government lies at the root of all true and effective
government, whether in heaven or on earth. Those who govern should be
wiser and better than the governed, that the lesser may be blessed
of the greater. Were this so, then the people would willingly repose
their dearest interests to the trusts of their rulers or leaders, and
with a feeling of pleasure bow to and carry out to the letter their
instructions and conclusions on all matters that pertained to the
general good. This will apply to great kingdoms and mighty nations,
to small companies of immigrants crossing the plains, or to the home
circle. A republican government in the hands {546} of a wicked people
must terminate in woe to that people, but in the hands of the righteous
it is everlasting, while its power reaches to heaven. 10:19.
Suppose this people inhabiting these mountains are broken off entirely
from the nations of the world, rendering no allegiance to any earthly
power combined or isolated; free to make laws, to obey them, or to
break them; free to act, to choose, and to refuse, and, in every
sense of the word, to do as they please, without any fixed order
of government whatever, and they make a constitution a system of
government for mutual protection and advancement in the principles of
right, to be framed according to the best wisdom that can be found in
this community;--I say, let them govern themselves by a republican
system of government, selecting a man from their midst to preside over
them. 7:11.
A true system of civilization will not encourage the existence of every
abomination and crime in a community but will lead them to observe the
laws Heaven has laid down for the regulation of the life of man. There
is no other civilization. A truly civilized person is one who is a real
gentleman or lady; in language and manners he is truly refined, and
gives way to no practice that is unhallowed or uncomely. This is what
we are after, and trying to attain to. 12:287.
I believe in a true republican government; but where is the man
capable of exhibiting in their true character the principles of such a
government? 7:10.
The man who fights with coolness and calculation in moral and domestic
reform will win every time. 10:205.
_God and Governments_--Every government not ordained of God, as we
have just been hearing, will, in its time, crumble to the dust and be
lost in the fog of forgetfulness. 14:93.
If your eyes were opened, you would see his hand in the {547} midst
of the nations of the earth in the setting up of governments and
in the down-fall of kingdoms--in the revolutions, wars, famine,
distress, and wretchedness among the inhabitants of the earth. In these
manifestations you would discern the footsteps of the Almighty just as
plainly as you may see the footsteps of your children upon the soft
earth. 7:144.
Why are they thus led to sow the seeds of their own destruction?
Because the kingdoms of this world are not designed to stand. When men
are placed at the head of government who are actually controlled by the
power of God--by the Holy Ghost--they can lay plans, they can frame
constitutions, they can form governments and laws that have not the
seeds of death within them, and no other men can do it. 4:267.
In the laws of every government now on this earth, there are certain
principles in their constitutions that will ere long sap the
foundations of their existence; and so it will be, so long as men
continue to persist in ruling and making laws, in regulating and
controlling by human wisdom alone, and in issuing their mandates and
sending their officers to administer laws, made by the wisdom of man.
4:267.
If a nation transgresses wholesome laws and oppresses any of its
citizens or another nation, until the cup of its iniquity is full,
through acts that are perfectly under its own control, God will
hurl those who are in authority from their power, and they will be
forgotten; and he will take another people, though poor and despised,
a hiss and a by-word among the popular nations, and instill into them
power and wisdom; and they will increase and prosper, until they in
turn become a great nation on the earth. 6:146.
Great and mighty empires are raised to the summit of human greatness
by him, to bring to pass his inscrutable purposes, {548} and at his
pleasure they are swept from existence and lost in the oblivion of
antiquity. All these mighty changes are pointing to and preparing the
way for the introduction of his Kingdom in the latter times, that will
stand forever and grow in greatness and power until a holy, lasting,
religious and political peace shall make the hearts of the poor among
men exult with joy in the Holy One of Israel, and that his Kingdom is
everywhere triumphant. 9:368.
_Fitness of Rulers_--No being is fit to rule, govern, and dictate,
until he has been controlled, governed, and dictated,--has yielded
obedience to law, and proved himself worthy, by magnifying the law that
was over him, to be master of that law. 8:324.
What is the reign of a king who cannot control his passions? Will not
his subjects sorrow? Yes, they will feel the weight of his wrath, and
their backs will ache, and their heads will ache, and they will receive
the lash from a heavy hand. 8:324.
_Labor and Politics_--Put a community in possession of knowledge
by means of which they can obtain what they need by the labor of their
bodies and their brains, then, instead of being paupers they will be
free, independent and happy, and these distinctions of classes will
cease, and there will be but one class, one grade, one great family.
16:20.
Do you wish to possess enlarged influence in a political point of
view? Gather around you the poor and honest of mankind and bestow your
charity on them, not by giving them in the way that charity is almost
universally understood, but supply them labor that will pay an interest
on the outlay of means and, at the same time, afford food, raiment
and shelter to the laborer; in this way the man of means becomes a
benefactor to his race. 10:193. {549}
If you wish to gain power in the minds of any people, give them
the same opportunity that you possess to become independent and
self-sustaining, and endow them with all the wisdom and knowledge that
they are capable of receiving, and let them increase with you and
unitedly grow and become strong. 10:190.
_Saints and Politics_--I stand for Constitutional law, and if
any transgress, let them be tried by it, and, if guilty, suffer its
penalty. 10:109.
I say God speed everybody that is for freedom and equal rights! I am
with you. Whom do we want to fill our public offices? We want the
best men that we can find for governor, president and statesmen, and
for every other office of trust and responsibility; and when we have
obtained them, we will pray for them and give them our faith and
influence to do the will of God and to preserve themselves and the
people in truth and righteousness. 13:274.
If we live our religion, honor our God and his Priesthood, then we
shall honor every wholesome government and law there is upon the
earth and become aliens to all unrighteous, unjust and unlawful
administrators, wherever they may be found. In the various nations,
kingdoms and governments of the world are to be found laws, ordinances
and statutes as good as can be made for mortal man. 10:41.
Are we a political people? Yes, very political indeed. But what party
do you belong to or would you vote for? I will tell you whom we will
vote for: we will vote for the man who will sustain the principles of
civil and religious liberty, the man who knows the most and who has the
best heart and brain for a statesman; and we do not care a farthing
whether he is a whig, a democrat, a barnburner, a republican, a new
light or anything else. These are our politics. 13:149. {550}
If nobody will speak for us, let us speak for ourselves; if no person
else will do anything for us, let us do something for ourselves. This
is right; it is politically right, religiously right, nationally right,
socially and morally right, and it is right in every sense of the word
for us to sustain ourselves. 11:140.
Let those called Latter-day Saints so learn wisdom as to carry out the
true principles of government, that they may be able to govern and
control all things wisely. 7:64.
_The Constitution of the United States, an Inspired Document_--We
mean to sustain the Constitution of the United States and all righteous
laws. 9:157.
We will cling to the Constitution of our country, and to the government
that reveres that sacred charter of freemen's rights; and, if
necessary, pour out our best blood for the defense of every good and
righteous principle. 10:41.
It was observed this morning that the Government of the United States
was the best or most wholesome one on the earth, and the best adapted
to our condition. That is very true. 2:310.
To accuse us of being unfriendly to the Government, is to accuse us
of hostility to our religion, for no item of inspiration is held
more sacred with us than the Constitution under which she acts. As a
religious society, we, in common with all other denominations, claim
its protection. 2:175.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence and the framers of
the Constitution were inspired from on high to do that work. But was
that which was given to them perfect, not admitting of any addition
whatever? No; for if men know anything, they must know that the
Almighty has never yet found a man in mortality that was capable, at
the first intimation, at the first impulse, to receive anything in a
state of {551} entire perfection. They laid the foundation, and it
was for after generations to rear the superstructure upon it. It is a
progressive--a gradual work. 7:14.
The general Constitution of our country is good, and a wholesome
government could be framed upon it, for it was dictated by the
invisible operations of the Almighty; he moved upon Columbus to launch
forth upon the trackless deep to discover the American Continent; he
moved upon the signers of the Declaration of Independence; and he moved
upon Washington to fight and conquer, in the same way as he moved upon
ancient and modern Prophets, each being inspired to accomplish the
particular work he was called to perform in the times, seasons, and
dispensations of the Almighty. God's purpose, in raising up these men
and inspiring them with daring sufficient to surmount every opposing
power, was to prepare the way for the formation of a true republican
government. They laid its foundation; but when others came to build
upon it, they reared a superstructure far short of their privileges, if
they had walked uprightly as they should have done. 7:13.
We believe that the Lord has been preparing that when he should bring
forth his work, that, when the set time should fully come, there
might be a place upon his footstool where sufficient liberty of
conscience should exist, that his Saints might dwell in peace under
the broad panoply of constitutional law and equal rights. In this
view we consider that the men in the Revolution were inspired by the
Almighty, to throw off the shackles of the mother government, with her
established religion. For this cause were Adams, Jefferson, Franklin,
Washington, and a host of others inspired to deeds of resistance to
the acts of the King of Great Britain, who might also have been led to
those aggressive acts, for ought we know, to bring to pass the purposes
of God, in thus establishing a new {552} government upon a principle of
greater freedom, a basis of self-government allowing the free exercise
of religious worship.
It was the voice of the Lord inspiring all those worthy men who bore
influence in those trying times, not only to go forth in battle but
to exercise wisdom in council, fortitude, courage, and endurance in
the tented field, as well as subsequently to form and adopt those wise
and efficient measures which secured to themselves and succeeding
generations, the blessing of a free and independent government.
This government, so formed, has been blessed by the Almighty until she
spreads her sails in every sea, and her power is felt in every land.
2:170.
This, then, is our position towards the Government of the United
States and towards the world, to put down iniquity, and exalt virtue;
to declare the word of God which he revealed unto us, and build up
his Kingdom upon the earth. And, know all men, Governments, Nations,
Kindreds, Tongues, and People, that this is our calling, intention,
and design. We aim to live our religion, and have communion with our
God. We aim to clear our skirts of the blood of this generation, by
our faithfulness in preaching the truth of heaven in all plainness and
simplicity; and I have often said, and repeat it now, that all other
considerations of whatever name or nature, sink into insignificance in
comparison with this. To serve God and keep his commandments, are first
and foremost with me. If this is higher law, so be it. As it is with
me, so should it be with every department of the Government; for this
doctrine is based upon the principles of virtue and integrity; with
it, the Government, her Constitution, and free institutions are safe;
without it no power can avert their speedy destruction. It is the life
giving power to the Government; it is the vital {553} element on which
she exists and prospers; in its absence she sinks to rise no more.
2:176.
_The Saints Will Yet Save the Constitution_--When the day comes in
which the Kingdom of God will bear rule, the flag of the United States
will proudly flutter unsullied on the flag staff of liberty and equal
rights, without a spot to sully its fair surface; the glorious flag our
fathers have bequeathed to us will then be unfurled to the breeze by
those who have power to hoist it aloft and defend its sanctity. 2:317.
How long will it be before the words of the prophet Joseph will be
fulfilled? He said if the Constitution of the United States were saved
at all it must be done by this people. It will not be many years before
these words come to pass. 12:204.
When the Constitution of the United States hangs, as it were, upon a
single thread, they will have to call for the "Mormon" Elders to save
it from utter destruction; and they will step forth and do it. 2:182.
The present Constitution, with a few alterations of a trifling nature,
is just as good as we want; and if it is sustained on this land of
Joseph, it will be done by us and our posterity. 8:324.
I expect to see the day when the Elders of Israel will protect and
sustain civil and religious liberty and every constitutional right
bequeathed to us by our fathers, and spread these rights abroad in
connection with the Gospel for the salvation of all nations. I shall
see this whether I live or die. 11:262.
_Religious Liberty Should be Observed_--The Government of the
United States, and the President of the United States ought to
treat the religion of the Latter-day Saints as they do Methodism,
Presbyterianism, Quakerism, Shakerism, and many other isms, and say,
"Here, I wish you to hold your tongues about the 'Mormons,' for they
have just as good a {554} right to their religion as you have to
yours." And when the people petition for this or that (as the right
of petition should never be denied), it is the duty of those who are
addressed to hearken to the petitions of the people 2:186.
Are not our religious sentiments as sacred to us as to any other
portion of the community? And should it not be the duty, as well as
the pride, of every American citizen to extend that provision of the
Constitution to us which he claims for himself? And is not that sacred
instrument invaded and broken as much in debarring and excluding this
people from its privileges, rights, and blessings, as it would be if
your rights and privileges were thus invaded? No, gentlemen, we have
broken no laws, our glorious Constitution guarantees unto us all that
we claim. Under its broad folds, in its obvious meaning and intents,
we are safe, and can always rejoice in peace. All that we have ever
claimed, or wish to, on the part of the Government, is the just
administration of the powers and privileges of the National Compact.
2:172.
I pause now to ask, Had not Joseph Smith a right to promulgate and
establish a different, a new religion and form of worship in this
Government? Every one must admit he had. This right was always held
sacred, for upon it was based the religious liberty of every citizen
of the Republic. It was a privilege held sacred in the bosom of
every class of people; no judge dared invade its holy precincts. No
legislator nor governor ventured to obstruct the free exercise thereof.
Whenever the iron hand of oppression and persecution has fallen upon
this people, our opposers have broken their own laws, set at defiance
and trampled under foot every principle of equal rights, justice,
and liberty found written in that rich legacy of our fathers, _The
Constitution of the United States_. 2:171.
Whether our religion is believed by any other people or {555} not, it
is by us, and no power or authority in the Government can lawfully or
righteously molest us in the peaceable and quiet enjoyment thereof. It
cannot be done without law, and surely the Government has no right to
make any law concerning it, or to prevent the free exercise thereof.
2:177.
The Government of the United States has never engaged in a crusade
against us as a people, although she has remained silent, or refused
us, when appealed to for redress of grievances. She has permitted us
to be driven from our own lands, for which she had taken our money,
and that too with her letters patent in our hands, guaranteeing to
us peaceable possession. She has calmly looked on and permitted one
of the fundamental and dearest provisions of the Constitution to be
broken; she has permitted us to be driven and trampled under foot
with impunity. Under these circumstances, what course is left for us
to pursue? I answer that, instead of seeking to destroy the very best
Government in the world, as seems to be the fears of some, we, like all
other good citizens, should seek to place those men in power who will
feel the obligations and responsibilities they are under to a mighty
people; who would feel and realize the important trusts reposed in
them by the voice of the people who call them to administer law under
the solemn sanction of an oath of fidelity to that heaven inspired
instrument, to the inviolate preservation of which we look for the
perpetuity of our free institutions. 2:175.
_Opposed to Corrupt Administrators of Law_--I do not lift my voice
against the great and glorious Government guaranteed to every citizen
by our Constitution, but against those corrupt administrators who
trample the Constitution and just laws under their feet. 5:232.
It is a pretty bold stand for this people to take, to say that they
will not be controlled by the corrupt administrators of our {556}
general Government. We will be controlled by them, if they will be
controlled by the Constitution and laws; but they will not. Many of
them do not care any more about the Constitution and the laws that
they make than they do about the laws of another nation. That class
trample the rights of the people under their feet, while there are
many who would like to honor them. All we have ever asked for is our
Constitutional rights. We wish the laws of our Government honored,
and we have ever honored them; but they are trampled under foot by
administrators. 5:231.
I repeat that the Constitution, laws, and institutions of our
Government are as good as can be, with the intelligence now possessed
by the people. But they, as also the laws of other nations, are too
often administered in unrighteousness; and we do not and cannot love
and respect the acts of the administrators of our laws, unless they act
justly in their offices. 6:344.
_The President of the United States_--As I have already stated,
the President of the United States should be a perfect pattern for
all the people to walk after; so also should the Vice-President, the
members of the Cabinet, and of Congress, the Governors of States and
Territories, and in fine, all the officers in the Government, be
patterns for the people to imitate. 2:183.
And the people should concentrate their feelings, their influence, and
their faith to select the best man they can find to be their President,
if he has nothing more to eat than potatoes and salt--a man who will
not aspire to become greater than the people who appoint him, but be
contented to live as they live, be clothed as they are clothed, and in
every good thing be one with them. 7:12-13.
When the best man is elected President, let him select the best men he
can find for his counselors or cabinet; and let all {557} the officers
within the province of the Chief Magistrate to appoint, be selected
upon the same principle to officiate wisely in different parts of the
nation. 6:345.
The Government of the United States is republican in form, and
should be in its administration, and requires a man for President
who is capable of communicating to the understanding of the people,
according to their capacity, information upon all points pertaining
to the just administration of the Government. He should understand
what administrative policy would be most beneficial to the nation. He
should also have the knowledge and disposition to wisely exercise the
appointing power, so far as it is constitutionally within his control,
and select only good and capable men for the office. He should not only
carry out the legal and just wishes of his constituents, but should be
able to enlighten their understanding and correct their judgment. And
all good officers in a truly republican administration will constantly
labor for the security of the rights of all, irrespective of sect or
party. 7:63.
In the free and independent Government of the United States, who
in the eyes of the Almighty ought to have the privilege of sitting
in the Presidential chair, to be countenanced, adored, loved, and
reverenced in his capacity, and be justified therein by the heavenly
hosts? It is that man who is sanctified before God, and who loves the
Lord Jesus with all his heart, or in other words, who is endowed with
wisdom from on high, and has revelations, visions, and dreams, giving
him understanding to provide for the welfare of every portion of the
nation, and a willingness to preserve to every one their fair and just
religious rights, as well as political, for the good and benefit of
all. In the eyes of eternal justice, only such a man has a right to
that office. They are afraid to put a man there who is a professor of
religion, lest he favor his own party. A {558} man is a fool that would
do that, when he has laws to preserve and keep inviolate towards all
religious denominations. 2:188-189.
In our Government a President is elected for four years, and by custom
re-elected but once, thus limiting the time of any one person to but
eight years at most. Would it not be better to extend that period
during life or good behavior; and when the people have elected the best
man to that office, continue him in it as long as he will serve them?
Would it not be better for the States to elect their Governors upon the
same principle; and if they officiate unjustly, hurl them from office?
If a good man is thus elected and continues to do his duty, he will
keep in advance of the people; and if he does not, he does not magnify
his office. Such is the Kingdom of God, in comparison. 6:345.
Is a man fit to be President of the United States, who will bow and
succumb to the whims of the people? No. A President should learn the
true situation of his constituents, and deal out even-handed justice to
all, utterly regardless of the clamor of party. 5:126.
We want men to rule the nation who care more for and love better the
nations' welfare than gold and silver, fame, or popularity. 7:12.
Who is the most suitable judge between man and man? The man who is
the most capable of judging between right and wrong; let him sit upon
the judgment seat, and do not ask him whether he is a Democrat, a
Whig, a Tory, or a Republican. Is he a just man, and will he render
an impartial judgment? If so, I care not to what political party he
belongs; I am content that he should adjudicate between me and my
neighbor. 10:193.
_Political Parties_--It has been told me from my youth up {559}
that opposition is the life of business, especially in the political
arena. It is opposition that has ruined our nation, and has been, is
and will be the ruin of all nations. 10:190.
When the people's affections are interwoven with a republican
government administered in all its purity, if the administrators act
not in virtue and truth it is but natural that the people become
disaffected with mal-administration, and divide and sub-divide into
parties, until the body politic is shivered to pieces. 10:108.
Parties in our Government have no better idea than to think the
Republic stands all the firmer upon opposition; but I say that it is
not so. A republican government consists in letting the people rule by
their united voice, without a dissension,--in learning what is for the
best, and unitedly doing it. That is true republicanism. 5:228.
_States' Rights_--Suppose there is a division between the North
and South, and the fifteen slave States try to form a permanent
government, can they do it? I tell you they cannot. How long will
it be before some other States, perhaps New York, forms a separate
government? And if a State has a right to secede, so has a Territory,
and so has a county from a State or Territory, and a town from a
county, and a family from a neighborhood, and you will have perfect
anarchy. 8:322.
If we are what we profess to be--a republican Government, there is
no State in the Union but what should be amenable to the general
Government holding to the old English rights in Rhode Island. Then
Congress, with the President at their head, could meet and veto every
act made by any department of the Government, if it was necessary.
So let Congress come together when any of the States transcend the
bounds of right and hold them amenable for their actions. The general
Government should never give any portion of the nation license {560} to
say they are free and independent. This should only apply to the nation
as a whole. 7:13.
So it is with States and Territories. Let them be unduly fostered
and sustained by the general Government, and it will lead them into
idleness, inactivity, and corruption; they will not be as spirited and
active as when they are made to rely upon their own resources. 2:321.
_Forebodings of the Civil War_--The nation that gave me and
many of you birth is very nigh to the hours of sorrow. Their cup is
very nigh filled to the brim. They reject the servants of God; they
reject the Gospel of salvation; they turn away from the principles of
truth and righteousness; and they are sinking in their own sins and
corruptions. I would that they would have mercy on themselves: I will
pray the Lord to have mercy on them, but I pray them to have mercy on
themselves to return to the Lord, forsake their wickedness and learn
righteousness, and then God would have mercy on them, and bestow his
blessings upon them, if they would receive them. 4:371.
What will be their condition when the Spirit of the Lord is withdrawn?
They will whet the knife to cut each other's throats, and as Brother
Hooper remarked, try to make Mason and Dixon's the dividing line; but
that will not remain, for they will cross it to destroy each other, and
the sword and fire will be prevalent in the land. 8:147-8.
Yes, his mercy yearns over the Nation that has striven for a score
of years to rid the earth of the Priesthood of the Son of God and to
destroy the last Saint. He has mercy upon them, he bears with them, he
pleads with them by his Spirit, and occasionally sends his angels to
administer to them. Marvel not, then, that I pray for every soul that
can be saved. 8:124. {561}
_War_--If I had my wish, I should entirely stop the shedding of
human blood. 10:108.
There is a spirit which prompts the nations to prepare for war,
desolation, and bloodshed--to waste each other away. 8:174.
From the authority of all history, the deadly weapons now stored up and
being manufactured will be used until the people are wasted away, and
there is no help for it. The spirit of revolution goes on through the
nations: it never goes back. 8:157.
Do not be discouraged when you hear of wars, and rumors of wars, and
tumults, and contentions, and fighting, and bloodshed; for behold they
are at the thresholds of our doors. 4:369.
Does one nation rise up to war with another without having motives,
and those which they will substantiate as being good and sufficient?
Will one people rise up to war with another people, except the motive
that moves them is of a nature to justify them in their own minds and
judgment for doing so? No. There is not a people upon the face of this
earth that would do so; they all calculate to do that which seemeth
good to them. 3:88.
The difficulty with the whole world in their divisions and
sub-divisions, is that they have no more confidence in each other than
they have in their God, and that is none at all, no, not one particle.
This confuses nations, and breaks them up; it weakens them, and they
tumble to pieces. It disturbs cities and countries, and really the
seeds of destruction are within those kingdoms where the people have
not confidence in each other. 4:296.
Wars, commotions, tumults, strife, nation contending against nation,
and people against people, have all been governed {562} and controlled
by him whose right it is to control such matters.
Among wicked nations, or among Saints, among the ancient Israelites,
Philistines, and Romans, the hand of the Lord was felt; in short, all
the powers that have been upon the earth, have been dictated, governed,
controlled, and the final issue of their existence has been brought to
pass, according to the wisdom of the Almighty. Then my testimony is, it
is all right. 1:163.
Of one thing I am sure; God never institutes war; God is not the
author of confusion or of war; they are the results of the acts of the
children of men. Confusion and war necessarily come as the results of
the foolish acts and policy of men; but they do not come because God
desires they should come. If the people, generally, would turn to the
Lord, there would never be any war. Let men turn from their iniquities
and sins, and, instead of being covetous and wicked, turn to God and
seek to promote peace and happiness throughout the land, and wars
would cease. We expect to see the day when swords shall be turned into
ploughshares, spears into pruning hooks, and when men shall learn war
no more. This is what we want. We are for peace, plenty and happiness
to all the human family. 13:149.
Our traditions have been such that we are not apt to look upon war
between two nations as murder; but suppose that one family should rise
up against another and begin to slay them, would they not be taken up
and tried for murder? Then why not nations that rise up and slay each
other in a scientific way be equally guilty of murder? "But observe
the martial array, how splendid! See the furious war horses, with
their glittering trappings. Then the honor and glory and pride of the
reigning king must be sustained, and the strength and power {563} and
wealth of the nation must be displayed in some way; and what better way
than to make war upon neighboring nations, under some slight pretext?"
Does it justify the slaying of men, women, and children that otherwise
would have remained at home in peace, because a great army is doing the
work? No: the guilty will be damned for it. 7:137.
The very Indians who massacre men, women, and children on the plains,
have their religious ceremonies and pray to their God for success in
killing men, women, and children. The French and Austrians meet and
slay one another by hundreds and thousands; and thousands of women and
children who were not engaged in battle are also sacrificed by the
folly of those Christian wars. The instigators of those wars are just
as guilty of murder, before God, as the Indians are for killing the
men, women, and children who are passing through their country. What is
the difference in the eyes of our Father and God? It is just as much
murder to kill, unjustly, a million at a blow as it is to kill one,
though Dr. Young has stated that "One murder makes a villain; millions
make a hero." Were I to make war upon an innocent people, because I had
the power, to possess myself of their territory, their silver, gold,
and other property, and be the cause of slaying, say fifty thousand
strong, hale, hearty men, and devolving consequent suffering upon one
hundred thousand women and children, who would suffer through privation
and want, I am very much more guilty of murder than is the man who
kills only one person to obtain his pocket-book. 7:137.
_Woman Suffrage_--Now, sisters, I want you to vote also, because
women are the characters that rule the ballot box. 1:218. {564}
CHAPTER XXXII
_DEATH AND RESURRECTION_
_The Body Must Return to Mother Earth_--Every person possessing
the principle of eternal life should look upon his body as of the earth
earthy. Our bodies must return to their mother earth. True, to most
people it is a wretched thought that our spirits must, for a longer
or shorter period, be separated from our bodies, and thousands and
millions have been subject to this affliction throughout their lives.
If they understood the design of this probation and the true principles
of eternal life, it is but a small matter for the body to suffer and
die. 7:240.
The Lord has pleased to organize tabernacles here, and put spirits into
them, and they then become intelligent beings. By and by, sooner or
later, the body, this that is tangible to you, that you can feel, see,
handle, etc., returns to its mother dust. Is the spirit dead? No. You
believe the spirit still exists, when this body has crumbled to the
earth again, and the spirit that God puts into the tabernacle goes into
the world of spirits. What is their situation? Is there any opportunity
for them whatever? Yes, there is. 2:138.
"Well," says Mr. B.: "If you have got this great power, and can heal
the sick by the laying on of hands, come with me and heal the sick in
our neighborhood; or how is it that any of you 'Mormons' die at all?"
Take your time, Mr. B. The Bible teaches me I am dust, and to dust I
must return. It is not for me to thwart the plans of Jehovah, or do
away with any item of doctrine the Lord has taught me. From dust I am,
and to dust I must return. So it is with the rest of us, we shall all
die and be buried in the silent grave. 1:240. {565}
We shall suffer no more in putting off this flesh and leaving the
spirit houseless than the child, in its capacity, does in its first
efforts to breathe the breath of this mortal life. 8:28.
Our bodies are composed of visible, tangible matter, as you all
understand; you also know that they are born into this world. They then
begin to partake of the elements adapted to their organization and
growth, increase to manhood, become old, decay, and pass again into the
dust. Now in the first place, though I have explained this many times,
what we call death is the operation of life, inherent in the matter of
which the body is composed, and which causes the decomposition after
the spirit has left the body. Were that not the fact, the body, from
which has fled the spirit, would remain to all eternity, just as it was
when the spirit left it, and would not decay.
What is commonly called death does not destroy the body, it only causes
a separation of spirit and body, but the principle of life, inherent
in the native elements, of which the body is composed, still continues
with the particles of that body and causes it to decay, to dissolve
itself into the elements of which it was composed, and all of which
continues to have life. When the spirit given to man leaves the body,
the tabernacle begins to decompose. Is that death? No, death only
separates the spirit and body, and a principle of life still operates
in the untenanted tabernacle, but in a different way, and producing
different effects from those observed while it was tenanted by the
spirit. There is not a particle of element which is not filled with
life, and all space is filled with element; there is no such thing as
empty space, though some philosophers contend that there is.
Life in various proportions, combinations, conditions, etc., fills all
matter. Is there life in a tree when it ceases to put forth leaves? You
see it standing upright, and when it ceases {566} to bear leaves and
fruit you say it is dead, but that is a mistake. It still has life,
but that life operates upon the tree in another way, and continues
to operate until it resolves it to the native elements. It is life
in another condition that begins to operate upon man, upon animal,
upon vegetation, and upon minerals when we see the change termed
dissolution. There is life in the material of the fleshly tabernacle,
independent of the spirit given of God to undergo this probation.
There is life in all matter, throughout the vast extent of all the
eternities; it is in the rock, the sand, the dust, in water, air, the
gases, and in short, in every description and organization of matter,
whether it be solid, liquid, or gaseous, particle operating with
particle.
I have heard some philosophers argue that because no body could move
without displacing other matter, therefore there must be empty space.
That reasoning is nonsense to me, because eternity is, was, and will
continue to be full of matter and life. We put a ship in motion on the
water, and have we created an empty space? No, we have only changed
the position of matter. Men and animals move upon the earth, birds
and fishes cleave the elements they are organized to operate in, but
do they leave a track of empty space? No, for all eternity is full of
matter and life. True, element is capable of contraction and expansion,
but that does not by any means imply empty space. You see life in
human beings and in the growing vegetation, and when that spirit of
life departs, another condition of life at once begins to operate upon
the organization which remains. By way of illustration I will quote
one passage from the Book of Job, who in his afflictions was visited
by several friends, and after he had concluded that they were all
miserable comforters, he exclaimed, "Though worms destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God." To make this passage clearer {567}
to your comprehension, I will paraphrase it, Though my spirit leave my
body, and though worms destroy its present organization, yet in the
morning of the resurrection I shall behold the face of my Savior, in
this same tabernacle; that is my understanding of the idea so briefly
expressed by Job. 3:276-7.
_Man Should Live Out His Days_--It is not the design of the Father
that the earthly career of any should terminate until they have lived
out their days; and the reason that so few do live out their days
is because of the force of sin in the world and the power of death
over the human family. To these causes, and not to the design of the
Creator, may be attributed the fact that disease stalks abroad, laying
low the aged, middle-aged, youth, and infants, and the human family
generally by millions. 14:230.
So live that when you wake in the spirit-world you can truthfully say,
"I could not better my mortal life, were I to live it over again." I
exhort you, for the sake of the House of Israel, for the sake of Zion
which we are to build up, to so live, from this time, henceforth, and
forever, that your characters may with pleasure be scrutinized by holy
beings. Live godly lives, which you cannot do without living moral
lives. 8:164.
_We Should Not Mourn for the Righteous Dead_--Those who have
honored their calling and Priesthood to the end die in the Lord, and
their works do follow them. 13:75.
It is a great cause of joy and rejoicing and comfort to his friends to
know that a person has passed away in peace from this life, and has
secured to himself a glorious resurrection. The earth and the fulness
of the earth and all that pertains to this earth in an earthly capacity
is no comparison with the glory, joy and peace and happiness of the
soul that departs in peace. 12:186.
Mourning for the righteous dead springs from the ignorance {568}
and weakness that are planted within the mortal tabernacle, the
organization of this house for the spirit to dwell in. No matter what
pain we suffer, no matter what we pass through, we cling to our mother
earth, and dislike to have any of her children leave us. We love to
keep together the social family relation that we bear one to another,
and do not like to part with each other; but could we have knowledge
and see into eternity, if we were perfectly free from the weakness,
blindness, and lethargy with which we are clothed in the flesh, we
should have no disposition to weep or mourn. 4:131.
Nothing remains here for us but to pay our last respects to that which
came from mother earth. It was formed and fashioned and the spirit was
put into it, and it has grown and become what it is, and the spirit
having departed, the body lies ready to return to the bosom of its
mother, there to rest until the morning of the resurrection. But the
life and intelligence which once dwelt in that body still live, and
Sister Aurelia moves, talks, walks, enjoys and beholds that which we
cannot enjoy and behold while we are in these tabernacles of clay. She
is in glory; she has passed the ordeals and has reached a position
in which the power of Satan has no influence upon her. The advantage
of this Priesthood is that when persons yield obedience to it, they
secure to themselves the sanction of him who is its author, and who
has bestowed it upon the children of men. His power is around them and
defends them; and when they pass into the spirit world they are out of
the reach of the power of Satan. Where the pure in heart are the wicked
cannot come. This is the state of the spirit world. 14:229.
When death is past, the power of Satan has no more influence over a
faithful individual; that spirit is free, and can command the power of
Satan. The penalty demanded by the {569} fall has been fully paid; all
is accomplished pertaining to it, when the tabernacle of a faithful
person is returned to the earth. All that was lost is passed away,
and that person will again receive his body. When he is in the spirit
world, he is free from those contaminating and condemning influences
of Satan that we are now subject to. Here our bodies are subject to
being killed by our enemies--our names to being cast out as evil. We
are persecuted, hated, not beloved: though I presume that we are as
much beloved here as the spirits of the Saints are in the spirit world
by those spirits who hate righteousness. It is the same warfare, but we
will have power over them. Those who have passed through the veil have
power over the evil spirits to command, and they must obey. 7:240-241.
Shall we rejoice that we have the opportunity of paying the last
respects due to this lifeless clay, which a few days ago was alive and
active, full of spirit, attending the High Council, giving decisions
full of knowledge? Yes, we will rejoice. It is a matter of rejoicing
more than the day of his birth. It is true it is grievous to part
with our friends. We are creatures of passion, of sympathy, of love,
and it is painful for us to part with our friends. We would keep
them in the mortal house, though they should suffer pain. Are we not
selfish in this? Should we not rather rejoice at the departure of
those whose lives have been devoted to doing good, to a good old age?
Brother Spencer has lived beyond what is counted to be the common
age of man some four or five years; his judgment was as active as it
was twenty-five years ago. He has been faithful in this holy war. He
instructed all with whom he met in the way of life. He never gave
counsel but what marked the way to life everlasting. 13:75.
_Our Identity Will Be Preserved_--And the thought of {570} being
annihilated--of being blotted out of existence--is most horrid, even to
that class called infidels. 5:53.
This intelligence must endure. We must preserve our identity before the
Lord, who has sent his Son and angels, and is sending the Holy Ghost,
and his ministers, and revelations, to comfort, cheer, guide, and
direct the affairs of his Kingdom on the earth. 8:155.
I am after life; I want to preserve my identity, so that you can see
Brigham in the eternal worlds just as you see him now. I want to see
that eternal principle of life dwelling within us which will exalt us
eternally in the presence of our Father and God. 7:57.
The Gospel of life and salvation reveals to each individual who
receives it that this world is only a place of temporary duration,
existence, trials, etc. Its present fashion and uses are but for a few
days, while we were created to exist eternally. The wicked can see no
further than this world is concerned. We understand that when we are
unclothed in this present state, then we are prepared to be clothed
upon with immortality--that when we put off these bodies we put on
immortality. These bodies will return to dust, but our hope and faith
are that we will receive these bodies again from the elements--that we
will receive the very organization that we have here, and that, if we
are faithful to the principles of freedom, we shall then be prepared to
endure eternally. 5:53.
_Our Bodies Will be Resurrected_--After the spirit leaves the
body, it remains without a tabernacle in the spirit world until the
Lord, by his law that he has ordained, brings to pass the resurrection
of the dead. When the angel who holds the keys of the resurrection
shall sound his trumpet, then the peculiar fundamental particles that
organized our bodies here, if we do honor to them, though they be
deposited in the depths of the {571} sea, and though one particle is in
the north, another in the south, another in the east, and another in
the west, will be brought together again in the twinkling of an eye,
and our spirits will take possession of them. We shall then be prepared
to dwell with the Father and the Son, and we never can be prepared to
dwell with them until then. Spirits, when they leave their bodies, do
not dwell with the Father and the Son, but live in the Spirit world,
where there are places prepared for them. Those who do honor to their
tabernacles, and love and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, must put
off this mortality, or they cannot put on immortality. This body must
be changed, else it cannot be prepared to dwell in the glory of the
Father. 8:28.
The only true riches in existence are for you and me to secure for
ourselves a holy resurrection. 1:272.
After the body and spirit are separated by death, what, pertaining to
this earth, shall we receive first? The body; that is the first object
of a divine affection beyond the grave. We first come in possession
of the body. The spirit has overcome the body, and the body is made
subject in every respect to that divine principle God has planted in
the person. The spirit within is pure and holy, and goes back pure and
holy to God, dwells in the spirit world pure and holy, and, by and
by, will have the privilege of coming and taking the body again. Some
person holding the keys of the resurrection, having previously passed
through that ordeal, will be delegated to resurrect our bodies, and our
spirits will be there and prepared to enter into their bodies. Then,
when we are prepared to receive our bodies, they are the first earthly
objects that bear divinity personified in the capacity of the man. Only
the body dies; the spirit is looking forth. 9:139.
But this our place of abode is only temporary; we are on a {572}
journey; we have only to winter and summer, as it were. Brother Grant
has got through here, and has gone to his spiritual place of abode for
a season. Not that he has reached his journey's end, nor will he, until
he has again received this body that now lies before me. Every material
part and portion pertaining to his body, to the temporal organization
that constitutes the man, will clothe his spirit again, before he is
prepared to receive the place and habitation that is prepared for him;
yet he has gone to his spiritual home for a season. 4:129.
Yes, we will lay down these bodies in the grave. What for? That the
dust, our mother earth, that composes the house of the spirit, may
be purified by passing through this ordeal, and be prepared to be
called up and united with the intelligent heavenly body that God has
prepared. This is nothing but a change. It is not the dissolution of
the creature; it is merely putting off the flesh that pertains to this
world.
The particles of this earth that now compose this body will be
rearranged, and the spirit will be clothed with an immortal tabernacle.
Let the spirit reign predominant over the flesh, and bring into
subjection the whole man, every feeling and every desire of his heart,
and let him be devoted wholly, body and spirit, to the end for which
the has been created. When the flesh is brought into subjection, it is
made worthy through that means. 8:43.
We are here in circumstances to bury our dead according to the order
of the Priesthood. But some of our brethren die upon the ocean; they
cannot be buried in a burying ground, but they are sewed up in canvas
and cast into the sea, and perhaps in two minutes after they are in
the bowels of the shark, yet those persons will come forth in the
resurrection, and receive all the glory of which they are worthy, and
be clothed upon with all the beauty of resurrected Saints, as much so
as if they had {573} been laid away in a gold or silver coffin, and in
a place expressly for burying the dead. 9:193.
The resurrection from the dead may also, with propriety, be called a
birth. 8:260.
The blood he spilled upon Mount Calvary he did not receive again into
his veins. That was poured out, and when he was resurrected, another
element took the place of the blood. It will be so with every person
who receives a resurrection; the blood will not be resurrected with
the body, being designed only to sustain the life of the present
organization. When that is dissolved, and we again obtain our bodies
by the power of the resurrection, that which we now call the life of
the body, and which is formed from the food we eat and the water we
drink will be supplanted by another element; for flesh and blood cannot
inherit the Kingdom of God. 7:163.
_Jesus, the First Fruits of the Resurrection_--Jesus is the
first begotten from the dead, as you will understand. Neither Enoch,
Elijah, Moses, nor any other man that ever lived on earth, no matter
how strictly he lived, ever obtained a resurrection until after Jesus
Christ's body was called from the tomb by the angel. He was the first
begotten from the dead. He is the Master of the resurrection--the first
flesh that lived here after receiving the glory of the resurrection.
8:260.
You read about a first resurrection. If there is a first, there is a
second. And if a second, may there not be a third, and a fourth, and so
on? Yes; and happy are they who have a part in the first resurrection.
Yes, more blessed are they than any others. But blessed also are
they that will have part in the second resurrection, for they will
be brought forth to enjoy a kingdom that is more glorious than the
sectarian world ever dreamed of. 7:287.
_The Resurrected Body_--We bear the image of our {574} earthly
parents in their fallen state, but by obedience to the Gospel of
salvation, and the renovating influences of the Holy Ghost, and the
holy resurrection, we shall put on the image of the heavenly, in
beauty, glory, power and goodness. Jesus Christ was so like his Father
that on one occasion in answer to a request, "Show us the Father," he
said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." 11:123.
In the resurrection everything that is necessary will be brought from
the elements to clothe and to beautify the resurrected Saints, who will
receive their reward. I do not trouble myself about my dead. If they
are stripped of their clothing, I do not want to know it. 9:192.
When the body comes forth again, it will be divine, Godlike according
to the capacity and ordinations of the Lord. Some are fore-ordained to
one station, and some to another. We want a house, and when we get it
and our spirits enter into it, then we can begin to look forth--for
what? For our friends. We want them resurrected. Here is this friend
and that friend, until by and by all are resurrected. And the earth is
resurrected? Yes, and every living thing on the earth that has abided
the law by which it was made. Then that which you and I respect, are
fond of, and love with an earthly love, will become divine, and we can
then love it with that affection which it is not now worthy of. 9:140.
Our bodies are now mortal. In the resurrection there will be a reunion
of the spirits and bodies, and they will walk, talk, eat, drink, and
enjoy. Those who have passed these ordeals are society for angels--for
the Gods, and are the ones who will come into the Temple of the Lord
that is to be built in the latter days, when saviors shall come up
upon Mount Zion, and will say, "Here, my children, I want this and
this done. Here are the names of such and such ones, of our fathers,
and {575} mothers--our ancestors; we will bring them up. Go forth, you
who have not passed the ordeals of death and the resurrection--you who
live in the flesh, and attend to the ordinances for those who have died
without the law." Those who are resurrected will thus dictate in the
temple. When the Saints pass through death, they cannot officiate in
this sinful world, but they will dictate those who are here. "Go, now,
and be baptized for the honorable--for those who would have received
the law of God and the true religion, if they had lived; be baptized
for the heathen--for all who were honest; officiate for them, and save
them, and bring them up. Be baptized for them, anointed for them,
washed and sealed for them, and fulfil all the ordinances which cannot
be dispensed with." They will all be performed for the living and the
dead upon Mount Zion. 8:225.
_Resurrection Necessary to Full Salvation_--No man can enter the
celestial kingdom and be crowned with a celestial glory, until he gets
his resurrected body; but Joseph and the faithful who have died have
gained a victory over the power of the Devil, which you and I have not
yet gained. So long as we live in these tabernacles, so long we will
be subject to the temptations and power of the Devil; but when we lay
them down, if we have been faithful, we have gained the victory so far;
but even then we are not so far advanced at once as to be beyond the
neighborhood of evil spirits. 3:371. {576}
CHAPTER XXXIII
_THE SPIRIT WORLD_
_All Go to the Spirit World_--When we get through this state of
being, to the next room, I may call it, we are not going to stop there.
We shall still go on, doing all the good we can, administering and
officiating for all whom we are permitted to administer and officiate
for, and then go on to the next, and to the next, until the Lord shall
crown all who have been faithful on this earth, and the work pertaining
to the earth is finished, and the Savior, whom we have been helping,
has completed his task, and the earth, with all things pertaining to
it, is presented to the Father. Then these faithful ones will receive
their blessings and crowns, and their inheritances will be set off
to them and be given to them, and they will then go on, worlds upon
worlds, increasing for ever and ever. 16:70.
No spirit of Saint or sinner, of the Prophet or him that kills the
Prophet, is prepared for their final state; all pass through the veil
from this state and go into the world of spirits; and there they dwell
waiting for their final destiny. 6:294.
_Where Is the Spirit World_--Is the spirit world here? It is not
beyond the sun, but is on this earth that was organized for the people
that have lived and that do and will live upon it. No other people can
have it, and we can have no other kingdom until we are prepared to
inhabit this eternally. 3:372.
When you lay down this tabernacle, where are you going? Into the
spiritual world. Are you going into Abraham's bosom? No, not anywhere
nigh there but {577} into the spirit world. Where is the spirit world?
It is right here. Do the good and evil spirits go together? Yes, they
do. Do they both inhabit one kingdom? Yes, they do. Do they go to the
sun? No. Do they go beyond the boundaries of the organized earth? No,
they do not. They are brought forth upon this earth, for the express
purpose of inhabiting it to all eternity. Where else are you going?
Nowhere else, only as you may be permitted. 3:369.
You are in the presence of God, and when your eyes are opened you will
understand it. Brother Grant's spirit is in the presence of God; and he
is with Joseph, when he is not required to be somewhere else. He is at
work for the benefit of Zion, for that is all the business that Joseph
and the Elders of this Church have on hand. 4:133.
It reads that the spirit goes to God who gave it. Let me render this
scripture a little plainer; when the spirits leave their bodies they
are in the presence of our Father and God, they are prepared then to
see, hear and understand spiritual things. But where is the spirit
world? It is incorporated within this celestial system. Can you see
it with your natural eyes? No. Can you see spirits in this room? No.
Suppose the Lord should touch your eyes that you might see, could you
then see the spirits? Yes, as plainly as you now see bodies, as did the
servant of Elijah. If the Lord would permit it, and it was his will
that it should be done, you could see the spirits that have departed
from this world, as plainly as you now see bodies with your natural
eyes. 3:368.
The Prophet lays down his body, he lays down his life, and his spirit
goes to the world of spirits; the persecutor of the Prophet dies, and
he goes to Hades; they both go to {578} one place, and they are not to
be separated yet. Now understand, that this is part of the great sermon
the Lord is preaching in his providence, the righteous and the wicked
are together in Hades.
If we go back to our mother country, the States, we find there the
righteous, and we there find the wicked; if we go to California, we
there find the righteous and the wicked; all dwelling together; and
when we go beyond this veil, and leave our bodies which were taken from
mother earth, and which must return, our spirits will pass beyond the
veil; we go where both Saints and sinners go; they all go to one place.
3:94.
If the wicked wish to escape from his presence, they must go where he
is not, where he does not live, where his influence does not preside.
To find such a place is impossible, except they go beyond the bounds of
time and space. 2:94.
_Labors in the Spirit World_--They must go into prison, both
Saints and sinners. The good and bad, the righteous and the unrighteous
must go to the house of prison, or Paradise, and Jesus went and opened
the doors of salvation to them. And unless they lost the keys of
salvation on account of transgression, as has been the case on this
earth, spirits clothed with the Priesthood have ministered to them from
that day to this. And if they lost the keys by transgression, some one
who had been in the flesh, Joseph, for instance, had to take those keys
to them. And he is calling one after another to his aid, as the Lord
sees he wants help. 4:285.
Compare those inhabitants on the earth who have heard the Gospel in
our day, with the millions who have never heard it, or had the keys of
salvation presented to them, and {579} you will conclude at once as
I do, that there is an almighty work to perform in the spirit world.
Joseph has not yet got through there. When he finishes his mission
in the spirit world, he will be resurrected, but he has not yet done
there. Reflect upon the millions and millions and millions of people
that have lived and died without hearing the Gospel on the earth,
without the keys of the Kingdom. They were not prepared for celestial
glory, and there was no power that could prepare them without the keys
of this Priesthood. 4:285.
Jesus was the first man that ever went to preach to the spirits in
prison, holding the keys of the Gospel of salvation to them. Those keys
were delivered to him in the day and hour that he went into the spirit
world, and with them he opened the door of salvation to the spirits in
prison. 3:370.
Father Smith and Carlos and Brother Partridge, yes, and every other
good Saint, are just as busy in the spirit world as you and I are here.
They can see us, but we cannot see them unless our eyes were opened.
What are they doing there? They are preaching, preaching all the time,
and preparing the way for us to hasten our work in building temples
here and elsewhere, and to go back to Jackson County and build the
great temple of the Lord. They are hurrying to get ready by the time we
are ready, and we are all hurrying to get ready by the time our Elder
Brother is ready. 3:369-370.
When men overcome as our faithful brethren have, and go where they see
Joseph, who will dictate them and be their head and Prophet all the
time, they have power over all disembodied evil spirits, for they have
overcome them. Those evil spirits are under the command and control of
every man that has had the Priesthood on him, and has {580} honored it
in the flesh, just as much as my hand is under my control. 4:132.
Every faithful man's labor will continue as long as the labor of Jesus,
until all things are redeemed that can be redeemed, and presented to
the Father. There is a great work before us. 13:77.
The spirits that dwell in these tabernacles on this earth, when they
leave them go directly into this world of spirits. What! A congregated
mass of inhabitants there in spirit, mingling with each other, as they
do here? Yes, brethren, they are there together, and if they associate
together, and collect together, in clans and in societies as they do
here, it is their privilege. No doubt they yet, more or less, see,
hear, converse and have to do with each other, both good and bad. If
the Elders of Israel in these latter times go and preach to the spirits
in prison, they associate with them, precisely as our Elders associate
with the wicked in the flesh, when they go to preach to them. 2:137.
If a person is baptized for the remission of sins, and dies a short
time thereafter, he is not prepared at once to enjoy a fulness of the
glory promised to the faithful in the Gospel; for he must be schooled,
while in the spirit, in the other departments of the house of God,
passing on from truth to truth, from intelligence to intelligence,
until he is prepared to again receive his body and to enter into the
presence of the Father and the Son. We cannot enter into celestial
glory in our present state of ignorance and mental darkness. 7:332.
Suppose, then, that a man is evil in his heart--wholly given up to
wickedness, and in that condition dies, his spirit will enter the
spirit world intent upon evil. On the other hand, if we are striving
with all the powers and faculties {581} God has given us to improve
upon our talents, to prepare ourselves to dwell in eternal life,
and the grave receives our bodies while we are thus engaged, with
what disposition will our spirits enter their next state? They will
be still striving to do the things of God, only in a much greater
degree--learning, increasing, growing in grace and in the knowledge of
the truth. 7:333.
If we are faithful to our religion, when we go into the spirit world,
the fallen spirits--Lucifer and the third part of the heavenly hosts
that came with him, and the spirits of wicked men who have dwelt upon
this earth, the whole of them combined will have no influence over our
spirits. Is not that an advantage? Yes. All the rest of the children of
men are more or less subject to them, and they are subject to them as
they were while here in the flesh. 7:240.
Spirits are just as familiar with spirits as bodies are with bodies,
though spirits are composed of matter so refined as not to be tangible
to this coarser organization. They walk, converse, and have their
meetings; and the spirits of good men like Joseph and the Elders, who
have left this Church on earth for a season to operate in another
sphere, are rallying all their powers and going from place to place
preaching the Gospel, and Joseph is directing them, saying, go ahead,
my brethren, and if they hedge up your way, walk up and command them to
disperse. You have the Priesthood and can disperse them, but if any of
them wish to hear the Gospel, preach to them.
Can they baptize them? No. What can they do? They can preach the
Gospel, and when we have the privilege of building up Zion, the time
will come for saviors to come up on Mount Zion. Some of those who
are not in mortality will come along and say, "Here are a thousand
names I wish you {582} to attend to in this temple, and when you
have got through with them I will give you another thousand;" and
the Elders of Israel and their wives will go forth to officiate for
their forefathers, the men for the men, and the women for the women.
3:371-372.
_Life in the Spirit World_--We have more friends behind the veil
than on this side, and they will hail us more joyfully than you were
ever welcomed by your parents and friends in this world; and you will
rejoice more when you meet them than you ever rejoiced to see a friend
in this life; and then we shall go on from step to step, from rejoicing
to rejoicing, and from one intelligence and power to another, our
happiness becoming more and more exquisite and sensible as we proceed
in the words and powers of life. 6:349.
When the breath leaves the body, your life has not become extinct;
your life is still in existence. And when you are in the spirit world,
everything there will appear as natural as things now do. Spirits
will be familiar with spirits in the spirit world--will converse,
behold, and exercise every variety of communication with one another as
familiarly and naturally as while here in tabernacles. There, as here,
all things will be natural, and you will understand them as you now
understand natural things. You will there see that those spirits we are
speaking of are active; they sleep not. And you will learn that they
are striving with all their might--laboring and toiling diligently as
any individual would to accomplish an act in this world--to destroy the
children of men. 7:239.
I can say with regard to parting with our friends, and going ourselves,
that I have been near enough to understand eternity so that I have had
to exercise a great deal {583} more faith to desire to live than I ever
exercised in my whole life to live. The brightness and glory of the
next apartment is inexpressible. It is not encumbered so that when we
advance in years we have to be stubbing along and be careful lest we
fall down. We see our youth, even, frequently stubbing their toes and
falling down. But yonder, how different! They move with ease and like
lightning. If we want to visit Jerusalem, or this, that, or the other
place--and I presume we will be permitted if we desire--there we are,
looking at its streets. If we want to behold Jerusalem as it was in the
days of the Savior; or if we want to see the Garden of Eden as it was
when created, there we are, and we see it as it existed spiritually,
for it was created first spiritually and then temporally, and
spiritually it still remains. And when there we may behold the earth as
at the dawn of creation, or we may visit any city we please that exists
upon its surface. If we wish to understand how they are living here on
these western islands, or in China, we are there; in fact, we are like
the light of the morning, or, I will not say the electric fluid, but
its operations on the wires. God has revealed some little things, with
regard to his movements and power, and the operation and motion of the
lightning furnish a fine illustration of the ability of the Almighty.
When we pass into the spirit world we shall possess a measure of this
power. Here, we are continually troubled with ills and ailments of
various kinds. In the spirit world we are free from all this and enjoy
life, glory, and intelligence; and we have the Father to speak to us,
Jesus to speak to us, and angels to speak to us, and we shall enjoy the
society of the just and the pure who are in the spirit world until the
resurrection. 14:231. {584}
CHAPTER XXXIV
_ETERNAL JUDGMENT_
_Judgment According to Works_--This is a subject I have reflected
upon a great deal, and I have come to the conclusion that we shall be
judged according to the deeds done in the body and according to the
thoughts and intents of the heart. 14:99.
There are none ticketed for the pit, unless they fill up that ticket
themselves through their own misconduct. 4:268.
I do know that the trying day will soon come to you and to me; and ere
long we will have to lay down these tabernacles and go into the spirit
world. And I do know that as we lie down, so judgment will find us, and
that is scriptural; "as the tree falls so it shall lie," or in other
words, as death leaves us so judgment will find us. 4:52.
The sectarian doctrine of final rewards and punishments is as strange
to me as their bodyless, partless, and passionless God. Every man
will receive according to the deeds done in the body, whether they be
good or bad. All men, excepting those who sin against the Holy Ghost,
who shed innocent blood or who consent thereto, will be saved in some
kingdom; for in my Father's house, says Jesus, are many mansions.
11:125.
How many kingdoms there are has not been told to us; they are
innumerable. The disciples of Jesus were to dwell with him. Where will
the rest go? Into kingdoms prepared for them, where they will live and
endure. Jesus will bring forth, by his own redemption, every son and
daughter of Adam, except the sons of perdition, who will be cast into
hell. Others will suffer the wrath of God--will suffer {585} all the
Lord can demand at their hands, or justice can require of them; and
when they have suffered the wrath of God till the utmost farthing is
paid, they will be brought out of prison. Is this dangerous doctrine to
preach? Some consider it dangerous; but it is true that every person
who does not sin away the day of grace, and become an angel to the
Devil, will be brought forth to inherit a kingdom of glory. 8:154.
How many glories and kingdoms will there be in eternity? You will see
the same variety in eternity as you see in the world. 6:293.
We read in the Bible, that there is one glory of the sun, another
glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. In the book
of Doctrine and Covenants, these glories are called telestial,
terrestrial, and celestial, which is the highest. These are worlds,
different departments, or mansions, in our Father's house. Now those
men, or those women, who know no more about the power of God, and the
influences of the Holy Spirit, than to be led entirely by another
person, suspending their own understanding, and pinning their faith
upon another's sleeve, will never be capable of entering into the
celestial glory, to be crowned as they anticipate; they will never be
capable of becoming Gods. They cannot rule themselves, to say nothing
of ruling others, but they must be dictated to in every trifle, like a
child. They cannot control themselves in the least, but James, Peter,
or somebody else must control them. They never can become Gods, nor
be crowned as rulers with glory, immortality, and eternal lives. They
never can hold sceptres of glory, majesty, and power in the celestial
kingdom. Who will? Those who are valiant and inspired with the true
independence of heaven, who will go forth boldly {586} in the service
of their God, leaving others to do as they please, determined to do
right, though all mankind besides should take the opposite course.
1:312.
More will prove faithful than will apostatize. A certain class of this
people will go into the celestial kingdom, while others cannot enter
there, because they cannot abide a celestial law; but they will attain
to as good a kingdom as they desire and live for. 8:39.
The punishment of God is God-like. It endures forever, because there
never will be a time when people ought not to be damned, and there must
always be a hell to send them to. How long the damned remain in hell,
I know not, nor what degree of suffering they endure. If we could by
any means compute how much wickedness they are guilty of, it might be
possible to ascertain the amount of suffering they will receive. They
will receive according as their deeds have been while in the body.
God's punishment is eternal, but that does not prove that a wicked
person will remain eternally in a state of punishment. 9:147.
You hear some of them preach and teach that which I never taught; you
hear them preach people into hell. Such doctrine never entered into my
heart; but you hear others preach, that people will go there to dwell
throughout the endless ages of eternity. Such persons know no more
about eternity, and are no more capable of instructing others upon the
subject, than a little child. 1:352.
But when the light of the knowledge of God comes to a man, and he
rejects it, that is his condemnation. 2:140.
All who believe, have honest hearts, and bring forth fruits of
righteousness, are the elect of God and heirs to all things. All who
refuse to obey the holy commandments of the Lord and the ordinances of
his house will be judged out {587} of their own mouths, will condemn
themselves as they do now, will be accounted unworthy and will have no
part or lot with the righteous. 8:83.
"Well," says one, "if I am pretty sure to get a state of glory better
than this, I guess I will not take the trouble to inherit anything
more." Well, run the risk of it, every man on the earth has the
privilege. The Gospel is preached, sin revives, some die and some
contend against it--some receive it and some do not; but this is the
sin of the people--truth is told them and they reject it. This is the
sin of the world. "Light has come into the world, but men love darkness
rather than light, because their deeds are evil." So said Jesus in his
day. We say, here is the Gospel of life and salvation, and everyone
that will receive it, glory, honor, immortality and eternal life are
theirs; if they reject it, they take their chance. 15:128.
_Honesty in Action Will Temper Judgment_--A man or woman must know
the ways of God before they can become ungodly. Persons may be sinners,
may be unrighteous, may be wicked, who have never heard the plan of
salvation, who are even unacquainted with the history of the Son of
Man, or who have heard of the name of the Savior, and, perhaps, the
history of his life while on the earth, but have been taught unbelief
through their tradition and education; but to be ungodly, in the strict
sense of the word, they must measurably understand godliness. 4:58.
Don't cast them down to hell for their honest belief. 2:140.
If you do evil ignorantly and in good faith, I promise you it shall
result in good. 7:139.
It has appeared to me, from my childhood to this day, as a piece of
complete nonsense, to talk about the inhabitants {588} of the earth
being thus irretrievably lost--to talk of my father and mother, and
yours, or our ancestors, who have lived faithfully according to the
best light they had; but because they had not the everlasting covenant
and the holy Priesthood in their midst, that they should go to hell and
roast there to all eternity. It is nonsense to me; it always was, and
is yet. 6:291.
So far as morality is concerned, millions of the inhabitants of the
earth live according to the best light they have--according to the
best knowledge they possess. I have told you frequently that they will
receive according to their works; and all, who live according to the
best principles in their possession, or that they can understand, will
receive peace, glory, comfort, joy and a crown that will be far beyond
what they are anticipating. They will not be lost. 6:332.
I say to every priest on the face of the earth, I do not care whether
they be Christian, Pagan or Mohammedan, you should live according to
the best light you have; and if you do you will receive all the glory
you ever anticipated. We should not be prejudiced against you in the
least; even if you are against us and declare falsehoods about us we
should not retaliate. But how prone we are to rebuke if we are rebuked,
or if we receive a sharp word to return one. The Latter-day Saints have
to overcome this; and the world may cry out and say all manner of evil
against us, but, my brethren and sisters, let us so live that it will
be said falsely. 14:151.
The very heathen we were talking about; if they have a law, no matter
who made it, and do the best they know how, they will have a glory
which is beyond your imagination, by any description I might give; you
cannot conceive {589} of the least portion of the glory of God prepared
for his beings, the workmanship of his hands. 3:93.
None will become angels to the Devil except those who have sinned
against the Holy Ghost. 11:271.
_Hell Defined_--Any person knowing and understanding the
Scriptures as they are, and understanding the mind and will of God,
can understand at once that when he is shut out from the presence of
the Lord, when he does not hear his voice, sees not his face, receives
not the ministering of his angels or ministering spirits, and has no
messenger from the heavens to visit him, he must surely be in hell.
2:137.
Were the wicked, in their sins, under the necessity of walking into the
presence of the Father and Son, hand-in-hand with those who believe
that all will be saved--that Jesus will leave none, their condition
would be more excruciating and unendurable than to dwell in the lake
that burns with fire and brimstone. The fatalist's doctrine consigns
to hell the infant not a span long, while the adulterer, whoremonger,
thief, liar, false swearer, murderer, and every other abominable
character, if they but repent on the gallows or their death-beds, are,
by the same doctrine, forced into the presence of the Father and the
Son, which, could they enter there, would be a hell to them. 8:153-4.
There is not a man or woman, who violates the covenants made with their
God, that will not be required to pay the debt. The blood of Christ
will never wipe that out, your own blood must atone for it; and the
judgments of the Almighty will come, sooner or later, and every man and
woman will have to atone for breaking their covenants. To what degree?
Will they have to go to hell? They are in hell enough now. I do not
wish them in a greater hell, {590} when their consciences condemn them
all the time. Let compassion reign in our bosoms. Try to comprehend how
weak we are, how we are organized, how the spirit and the flesh are
continually at war. 3:247.
Will I prophesy evil? No. Let us prophesy good. But the justice and
mercy of God must have their demands. 8:195.
_The Second Death_--What is that we call death, compared to the
agonies of the second death? If people could see it, as Joseph and
Sidney saw it, they would pray that the vision be closed up; for they
could not endure the sight. Neither could they endure the sight of the
Father and the Son in their glory, for it would consume them. 18:217.
It is a curious idea, but one in favor of which there is much
testimony, that when people take the downward road, one that is
calculated to destroy them, they will actually in every sense of the
word be destroyed. Will they be what is termed annihilated? No, there
is no such thing as annihilation, for you cannot destroy the elements
of which things are made. 2:302.
None will be lost or turned away except those who sin against the Holy
Ghost. 16:32.
_Measure of Human Judgment_--Every man and woman has got to have
clean hands and a pure heart, to execute judgment, else they had better
let the matter alone. 3:247.
I have a certain knowledge within me that the Elders of Israel will
never be permitted to lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the
plummet, with regard to the wicked and ungodly, until they understand
righteous principles, and live to them. 7:46.
You may judge of the truth you hear today and of that which you will
hear in times to come; for we shall be judges {591} of ourselves as
well as of our enemies, and we shall also judge angels. 5:258.
When the judgment is given to the Saints, it will be because of their
righteousness, because they will judge even as the angels and as the
Gods, and not as the wicked do. 19:7. {592}
CHAPTER XXXV
_SALVATION_
_Universal Salvation_--Salvation is the full existence of man, of
the angels, and the Gods; it is eternal life--the life which was, which
is, and which is to come. And we, as human beings, are heirs to all
this life, if we apply ourselves strictly to obey the requirements of
the law of God, and continue in faithfulness. 12:111.
The economy of heaven is to gather in all, and save everybody who can
be saved. 11:262.
People should understand that there is no man born upon the face of the
earth but what can be saved in the Kingdom of God, if he is disposed to
be. 8:160.
I have heard a great many sermons, prayers and exhortations for people
to go and get religion and have their names written in the "Lamb's Book
of Life." I want to inform the whole world, all the sons and daughters
of Adam, that their names are written there, and there they will remain
to all eternity unless they by their evil acts blot them out. 13:149.
There never was any person over-saved; all who have been saved, and
that ever will be in the future, are only just saved, and then it is
not without a struggle to overcome, that calls into exercise every
energy of the soul. 2:132.
All that have lived or will live on this earth will have the privilege
of receiving the Gospel. They will have Apostles, Prophets, and
ministers there, as we have here, to guide them in the ways of truth
and righteousness, and lead them back to God. All will have a chance
for salvation and eternal life. 6:149. {593}
If our faith is one, and we are united to gain one grand object, and I,
as an individual, can possibly get into the celestial kingdom, you and
every other person, by the same rule, can also enter there. 2:132.
How many shall be preserved? All who do not deny and defy the power and
character of the Son of God--all who do not sin against the Holy Ghost.
6:292.
The heathen nations that now exist and that have existed on the
earth will all be blessed, will see the time when they will have the
privilege of receiving the blessings of the covenant established on the
earth by the Son of God, and through it will be brought into glory and
rest. 8:83.
The names of every son and daughter of Adam are already written in the
Lamb's Book of Life. Is there ever a time when they will be taken out
of it? Yes, when they become sons of perdition, and not till then.
Every person has the privilege of retaining it there for ever and ever.
If they neglect that privilege, then their names will be erased, and
not till then. All the names of the human family are written there,
and the Lord will hold them there until they come to the knowledge of
the truth, that they can rebel against him, and can sin against the
Holy Ghost; then they will be thrust down to hell, and their names be
blotted out from the Lamb's Book of Life. 6:297.
Now, the inquiry on our minds is, are all the world going to share in
these blessings? Yes, all the world. Are there none going to be lost?
Are there none going to suffer the wrath of the Almighty? I can say,
in the first place, as I have said all my life, where I have been
preaching, I never had the spirit to preach hell and damnation to the
people. I have tried a great many times--I tried last Sabbath, and I
have tried today to come to that point--the sufferings of {594} the
wicked. They will suffer, it seems; but I cannot get my heart upon
anything else, only salvation for the people. All nations are going to
share in these blessings; all are incorporated in the redemption of the
Savior. He has tasted death for every man; they are all in his power,
and he saves them all, as he says, except the sons of perdition; and
the Father has put all the creations upon this earth in his power. The
earth itself, and mankind upon it, the brute beasts, the fish of the
sea, and the fowls of heaven, the insects, and every creeping thing,
with all things pertaining to this earthly ball,--all are in the hands
of the Savior, and he has redeemed them all. 6:296-297.
Where God and Christ dwell, that is a kingdom of itself--the celestial
kingdom. 7:288.
How many Gods there are, and how many places there are in their
kindgoms, is not for me to say; but I can say this, which is a source
of much comfort, consolation, and gratification to me: Behold the
goodness, the long-suffering, the kindness, and the strong parental
feeling of our Father and God in preparing the way and providing
the means to save the children of men--not alone the Latter-day
Saints--not alone those who have the privilege of the first principles
of the celestial law, but to save all. It is a universal salvation--a
universal redemption. 8:35.
It will be a pleasure to know that we have saved all the Father gave
into our power. Jesus said that he lost none except the sons of
perdition. He will lose none of his brethren, except sons of perdition.
Let us save all the Father puts in our power. 9:124.
All heaven is anxious that the people should be saved. The heavens weep
over the people, because of their {595} hardheartedness, unbelief, and
slowness to believe and act. 4:196.
Our religion is adapted to the capacity of the whole human family. It
does not send a portion of the people to howl in torment for ever and
ever, but it reaches after the last son and daughter of Adam and Eve,
and will pluck them from the prison, unlock the doors, and burst the
bonds and bring forth every soul who will receive salvation. 12:309.
The salvation that Jesus has purchased will reach the whole human
family and save, in a kingdom or in some place where they will enjoy
to the extent of their capacity, those who reject not the Gospel and
despise not the Savior. 14:133.
There is a chance for those who have lived and for those who now
live. The Gospel has come. Truth and light and righteousness are sent
forth into the world, and those who receive them will be saved in the
celestial kingdom of God. And many of those who, through ignorance,
through tradition, superstition, and the erroneous precepts of the
fathers, do not receive them, will yet inherit a good and glorious
kingdom, and will enjoy more and receive more than ever entered into
the heart of man to conceive, unless he has had a revelation. 8:36.
_The Way to Salvation_--You will be no more perfect in your
sphere, when you are exalted to thrones, principalities, and powers,
than you are required to be and are capable of being in your sphere
today. 6:99.
No man will be saved and come into the presence of the Father, only
through the Gospel of Jesus Christ--the same for one as the other. The
Lord has his cause, his ways, his work; he will finish it up. Jesus is
laboring with his might {596} to sanctify and redeem the earth and to
bring back his brethren and sisters into the presence of the Father. We
are laboring with him for the purification of the whole human family,
that we and they may be prepared to dwell with God in his Kingdom.
13:150.
No matter what the outward appearance is--if I can know of a truth that
the hearts of the people are fully set to do the will of their Father
in Heaven, though they may falter and do a great many things through
the weaknesses of human nature, yet they will be-saved. 5:256.
And if we accept salvation on the terms it is offered to us, we
have got to be honest in every thought, in our reflections, in our
meditations, in our private circles, in our deal, in our declarations,
and in every act of our lives, fearless and regardless of every
principle of error, of every principle of falsehood that may be
presented. 5:124.
To look for salvation fifty years hence and do nothing for salvation
at the present time is preposterous. God has placed the means of
salvation within our reach, and the volition of the creature is at his
own disposal. When his sons and daughters avail themselves of the means
he has supplied for their salvation, doing good for themselves, it is
gratifying to him. 10:221.
Salvation an Individual Work--Though our interest is one as a people,
yet remember, salvation is an individual work; it is every person for
himself. I mean more by this than I have time to tell you in full, but
I will give you a hint. There are those in this Church who calculate
to be saved by the righteousness of others. They will miss their
mark. They are those who will arrive just as the gate is shut, so in
that case you may be shut out; then you will call upon some one, who,
by their own faithfulness, through the {597} mercy of Jesus Christ,
have entered in through the celestial gate, to come and open it for
you; but to do this is not their province. Such will be the fate of
those persons who vainly hope to be saved upon the righteousness and
through the influence of Brother Somebody. I forewarn you therefore to
cultivate righteousness and faithfulness in yourselves, which is the
only passport into celestial happiness. 2:132.
If Brother Brigham shall take a wrong track, and be shut out of the
Kingdom of heaven, no person will be to blame but Brother Brigham. I am
the only being in heaven, earth, or hell, that can be blamed.
This will equally apply to every Latter-day Saint. Salvation is an
individual operation. I am the only person that can possibly save
myself. When salvation is sent to me, I can reject or receive it. In
receiving it, I yield implicit obedience and submission to its great
Author throughout my life, and to those whom he shall appoint to
instruct me; in rejecting it, I follow the dictates of my own will
in preference to the will of my Creator. There are those among this
people who are influenced, controlled, and biased in their thoughts,
actions, and feelings by some other individual or family, on whom they
place their dependence for spiritual and temporal instruction, and for
salvation in the end. These persons do not depend upon themselves for
salvation, but upon another of their poor, weak, fellow mortals. 1:312.
_Many Degrees of Salvation_--When God revealed to Joseph Smith and
Sidney Rigdon that there was a place prepared for all, according to
the light they had received and their rejection of evil and practice
of good, it was a great trial to many, and some apostatized because
God was {598} not going to send to everlasting punishment heathens and
infants, but had a place of salvation, in due time, for all, and would
bless the honest and virtuous and truthful, whether they ever belonged
to any church or not. It was a new doctrine to this generation, and
many stumbled at it. 16:42.
These words set forth the fact to which Jesus referred when he said,
"In my Father's house are many mansions." How many I am not prepared
to say; but here are three distinctly spoken of: the celestial, the
highest; the terrestrial, the next below it; and the telestial, the
third. If we were to take the pains to read what the Lord has said to
his people in the latter days we should find that he has made provision
for all the inhabitants of the earth; every creature who desires, and
who strives in the least, to overcome evil and subdue iniquity within
himself or herself, and to live worthy of a glory, will possess one. We
who have received the fulness of the Gospel of the Son of God, or the
Kingdom of heaven that has come to earth, are in possession of those
laws, ordinances, commandments and revelations that will prepare us,
by strict obedience, to inherit the celestial kingdom, to go into the
presence of the Father and the Son. 14:148.
There are millions and millions of kingdoms that the people have no
conception of. The Christians of the day have no knowledge of God, of
godliness, of eternity, of the worlds that are, and that have been, and
that are coming forth. There are myriads of people pertaining to this
earth who will come up and receive a glory according to their capacity.
6:347.
Is it not a glorious thought that there are kingdoms, mansions of
glory and comfortable habitations prepared for {599} all the sons and
daughters of Adam, except the sons of perdition? All will not have part
in the first resurrection, and perhaps many will not appear in the
second; but all will be resurrected, and, except the sons of perdition,
enter kingdoms, the least of which I presume is more glorious than ever
John Wesley saw in vision. 8:196-197.
_Exaltation Proportioned to Capacity_---The man or woman who lives
worthily is now in a state of salvation. 1:6.
Is every man and woman capable of receiving the highest glory of God?
No. 9:104.
Are all spirits endowed alike? No, not by any means. Will all be equal
in the celestial kingdoms? No. Some spirits are more noble than others;
some are capable of receiving more than others. There is the same
variety in the spirit world that you behold here, yet they are of the
same parentage, of one Father, one God. 4:268.
Some are not capable of the same exaltation as are others, arising
from the difference in the conduct and capacities of people. There is
also a difference in the spirit world. It is the design, the wish, the
will, and mind of the Lord that the inhabitants of the earth should be
exalted to thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, according to
their capacities. In their exaltation, one may be capable of presiding
over ten cities, while another may not be capable of presiding over
more than five, another over only two, and another over but one. They
must all first be subjected to sin and to the calamities of mortal
flesh, in order to prove themselves worthy; then the Gospel is ready
to take hold of them and bring them up, unite them, enlighten their
understandings, and make them one in the Lord Jesus, that their
faith, prayers, hopes, affections, and all their desires may ever be
concentrated in one. 6:97. {600}
_The Celestial Kingdom_--The celestial is the highest of all.
The telestial and terrestrial are also spoken of; and how many more
kingdoms of glory there are, is not for me to say. I do not know that
they are not innumerable. This is a source of great joy to me. 8:35.
The Kingdom that this people are in pertains to the celestial kingdom;
it is a Kingdom in which we can prepare to go into the presence of the
Father and the Son. 8:197.
The men and women, who desire to obtain seats in the celestial kingdom,
will find that they must battle every day. 11:14.
As for a person being saved in the celestial kingdom of God without
being prepared to dwell in a pure and holy place, it is all nonsense
and ridiculous; and if there be any who think they can gain the
presence of the Father and the Son by fighting for, instead of living,
their religion, they will be mistaken, consequently the quicker we make
up our minds to live our religion the better it will be for us. 14:157.
Who can define the divinity of man? Only those who understand the
true principles of eternity--the principles that pertain to life and
salvation. Man, by being exalted, does not lose the power and ability
naturally given to him; but, on the contrary, by taking the road that
leads to life, he gains more power, more influence and ability during
every step he progresses therein. 7:274.
Our spirits, thousands of years ago, were first begotten; and at the
consummation of all things, when the Savior has finished his work
and presented it to the Father, he will be crowned. None of you will
receive your crowns of glory, immortality, and eternal lives before he
receives his. He will be crowned first, and then we shall be crowned,
{601} every one in his order; for the work is finished, and the Spirit
is complete in its organization with the tabernacle. The world is the
first to be redeemed, and the people last to be crowned upon it. 6:282. {602}
CHAPTER XXXVI
_TEMPLES AND SALVATION FOR THE DEAD_
_Saints Always Commanded to Build Temples_--We are going to build
temples. This law is given to the children of men. 14:95.
Concerning revelations pertaining to building temples, I will give
you the words of our beloved Prophet while he was yet living upon
the earth. Many of us that are here today, were with him from the
commencement of the Church. He was frequently speaking upon the
building of temples in Kirtland, Missouri, and Illinois. When the
people refused in Kirtland to build a temple, unless by a special
revelation, it grieved his heart that they should be so penurious in
their feelings as to require the Lord to command them to build a house
to his name. It was not only grievous to him, but to the Holy Spirit
also. He frequently said that if it were not for the covetousness of
the people, the Lord would not give revelations concerning the building
of temples, for we already knew all about them; the revelations giving
us the order of the Priesthood make known to us what is wanted in that
respect at our hands. 1:277.
We that are here are enjoying a privilege that we have no knowledge of
any other people enjoying since the days of Adam, that is, to have a
temple completed, wherein all the ordinances of the house of God can be
bestowed upon his people. Brethren and sisters, do you understand this?
It seems that a great many of the people know nothing about it. It is
true that Solomon built a temple for the purpose of giving endowments,
but from what we can learn of {603} the history of that time they gave
very few if any endowments, and one of the high priests was murdered by
wicked and corrupt men, who had already begun to apostatize, because he
would not reveal those things appertaining to the Priesthood that were
forbidden him to reveal until he came to the proper place. I will not
say but what Enoch had temples and officiated therein, but we have no
account of it. We know that he raised up a people so pure and holy that
they were not permitted to remain with the wicked inhabitants of the
earth, but were taken to another place. 18:303.
The earth, the Lord says, abides its creation; it has been baptized
with water, and will, in the future, be baptized with fire and the Holy
Ghost, to be prepared to go back into the celestial presence of God,
with all things that dwell upon it which have, like the earth, abided
the law of their creation. Taking this view of the matter, it may be
asked why we build temples. We build temples because there is not a
house on the face of the whole earth that has been reared to God's
name which will in anywise compare with his character, and that he can
consistently call his house. There are places on the earth where the
Lord can come and dwell, if he pleases. They may be found on the tops
of high mountains, or in some cavern or places where sinful man has
never marked the soil with his polluted feet.
He requires his servants to build him a house that he can come to and
where he can make known his will. 10:252.
We enjoy the privilege of entering into a temple, built to the name
of God, and receiving the ordinances of his house, with all the keys
and blessings preparatory to entering {604} into the "lives;" we also
enjoy the privilege of administering for our fathers and mothers, our
grandfathers and grandmothers, for those who have slept without the
Gospel. 19:22.
In the spirit world those who have got the victory go on to prepare the
way for those who live in the flesh, fulfilling the work of saviors on
Mount Zion.
To accomplish this work there will have to be not only one temple but
thousands of them, and thousands and tens of thousands of men and women
will go into those temples and officiate for people who have lived as
far back as the Lord shall reveal. If we are faithful enough to go back
and build that great temple which Joseph has written about, and should
the Lord acknowledge the labor of his servants, then watch, for you
will see somebody whom you have seen before, and many of you will see
him whom you have not seen before, but you will know him as soon as you
see him. 3:372.
_Temples Indispensable for Higher Ordinances_--In consequence of
our having been driven from our homes, and because of our destitute
circumstances, the Lord has permitted us to do what we have done,
namely, to use this Endowment House for temple purposes. But since,
through the mercies and blessings of God, we are able to build temples,
it is the will and commandment of God that we do so. 18:263.
Do we need a temple? We do, to prepare us to enter in through the gate
into the city where the Saints are at rest. Ordinances necessary to
this have not yet been performed and cannot be in the absence of a
suitable place. We wish a temple, not for the public congregation, but
for the Priesthood, wherein to arrange and organize fully the {605}
Priesthood in its order and degrees, to administer the ordinance of the
Priesthood to the Saints for their exaltation. 9:240.
We cannot now administer the further ordinances of God, in the fullest
sense of the word, legally unto the people, neither shall we be able to
do so until we have a temple built for that purpose. Some may consider
that I am notifying our common foe in saying this, but it is true,
notwithstanding, and our common foe knows it. We must be situated in
local circumstances wherein we can efficiently administer in those
ordinances of the house of God that cannot be administered to a people
while they are scattered abroad among the nations of the wicked. 12:162.
There are some of the sealing ordinances that cannot be administered
in the house that we are now using; we can only administer in it some
of the first ordinances of the Priesthood pertaining to the endowment.
There are more advanced ordinances that cannot be administered there;
we would, therefore, like a temple, but I am willing to wait a few
years for it. I want to see the temple built in a manner that it will
endure through the Millennium. This is not the only temple we shall
build; there will be hundreds of them built and dedicated to the Lord.
This temple will be known as the first temple built in the mountains
by the Latter-day Saints. And when the Millennium is over, and all
the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, down to the last of their
posterity, who come within the reach of the clemency of the Gospel,
have been redeemed in hundreds of temples through the administration of
their children as proxies for them, I want that temple still to stand
as a proud monument of the faith, perseverance and industry of the
Saints of God in the mountains, in the nineteenth century. 10:254. {606}
We have often told you that we want to build a temple, but not for
convening promiscuous congregations. I inform you, long before you see
the walls reared and the building completed, that it will be for the
purposes of the Priesthood, and not for meetings of the people; we
shall not hold public meetings in it. I should like to see the temple
built, in which you will see the Priesthood in its order and true
organization, each Quorum in its place. 8:202-203.
_Endowments Given in Temples_--The commandments contained in the
New Testament with regard to the ordinances of the house of God are
obligatory upon us. 13:314.
Every individual who is prepared for the celestial kingdom must go
through the same things. 3:195.
It is absolutely necessary that-the Saints should receive the further
ordinances of the house of God before this short existence shall come
to a close, that they may be prepared and fully able to pass all the
sentinels leading into the celestial kingdom and into the presence of
God. 12:163-4.
Then go on and build the temples of the Lord, that you may receive
the endowments in store for you, and possess the keys of the eternal
Priesthood, that you may receive every word, sign, and token, and be
made acquainted with the laws of angels, and of the kingdom of our
Father and our God, and know how to pass from one degree to another,
and enter fully into the joy of your Lord. 2:315.
Some of us are not dependent on the temple for our endowment blessings,
for we have received them under the hands of Joseph the Prophet, and
know where to go to bestow the same on others. You may ask me whether
the leaders of this Church have received all their endowment blessings.
I think that we have got all that you can get in your probation, if you
live to be the age of Methuselah; and {607} we can give what we possess
to others who are worthy. 10:254.
A great many of you have had your endowments, and you know what a vote
with uplifted hands means.
It is a sign which you make in token of your covenant with God and
with one another, and it is for you to perform your vows. When you
raise your hands to heaven and let them fall and then pass on with your
covenants unfulfilled, you will be cursed.
I feel sometimes like lecturing men and women severely who enter into
covenants without realizing the nature of the covenants they make, and
who use little or no effort to fulfil them.
Some Elders go to the nations and preach the Gospel of life and
salvation, and return without thoroughly understanding the nature of
the covenant. It is written in the Bible that every man should perform
his own vows, even if to his own hurt; in this way you will show to all
creation and to God that you are full of integrity. 3:332.
Most of you, my brethren, are Elders, Seventies, or High Priests;
perhaps there is not a Priest or Teacher present. The reason of this
is that when we give the brethren their endowments, we are obliged
to confer upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood; but I expect to see
the day, when we shall be so situated that we can say to a company
of brethren, You can go and receive the ordinances pertaining to the
Aaronic order of Priesthood, and then you can go into the world and
preach the Gospel, or do something that will prove whether you will
honor that Priesthood before you receive more. Now we pass them through
the ordinances of both Priesthoods in one day, but this is not as it
should be and would, if we had a temple wherein to administer {608}
these ordinances. But this is all right at present; we should not be
satisfied in any other way, and consequently we do according to the
circumstances we are placed in. 10:309.
The ordinances of the house of God are for the salvation of the human
family. We are the only ones on the earth at the present time, that we
have any knowledge of, who hold the keys of salvation committed to the
children of men from the heavens by the Lord Almighty; and inasmuch as
there are those who hold these keys, it is important that they should
be acted upon for the salvation of the human family. The building of
temples, places in which the ordinances of salvation are administered,
is necessary to carry out the plan of redemption, and it is a glorious
subject upon which to address the Saints. 13:262.
Giving endowments to a great many proves their overthrow, through
revealing things to them which they cannot keep. They are not worthy to
receive them. 4:372.
Were it not for what is revealed concerning the sealing ordinances,
children born out of the covenant could not be sealed to their parents.
18:249.
The ordinances of the house of God are expressly for the Church of the
Firstborn. 8:154.
I would rather see this people cleansed, and give the righteous their
endowments after they have waited awhile. Let the poor, and those who
are humble before the Lord, have the first chance. 2:144.
_Vicarious Work for the Dead in Temples_--We are preaching to them
the Gospel of Salvation--to the dead--through those who have lived in
this dispensation. 3:90.
There is an opportunity for men who are in the spirit to receive the
Gospel. Jesus, while his body lay in the grave two nights and one day,
went to the world of spirits to {609} show the brethren how they should
build up the kingdom, and bring spirits to the knowledge of the truth
in the spirit world; he went to set them the pattern there, as he had
done on this earth. Hence you perceive that there, spirits have the
privilege of embracing the truth.
You may ask if they are baptized there? No. Can they have hands laid
upon them for the gift of the Holy Ghost? No. None of the outward
ordinances that pertain to the flesh are administered there, but the
light, glory, and power of the Holy Ghost are enjoyed just as freely as
upon this earth; and there are laws which govern and control the spirit
world, and to which they are subject. 2:138.
Now a few words to the brethren and sisters upon the doctrine and
ordinances of the house of God. All who have lived on the earth
according to the best light they had, and would have received the
fulness of the Gospel had it been preached to them, are worthy of a
glorious resurrection, and will attain to this by being administered
for, in the flesh, by those who have the authority. All others will
have a resurrection, and receive a glory, except those who have
sinned against the Holy Ghost. It is supposed by this people that we
have all the ordinances in our possession for life and salvation,
and exaltation, and that we are administering in these ordinances.
This is not the case. We are in possession of all the ordinances that
can be administered in the flesh; but there are other ordinances and
administrations that must be administered beyond this world. I know
you would ask what they are. I will mention one. We have not, neither
can we receive here, the ordinance and the keys of the resurrection.
They will be given to those who have passed off this stage of action
and have received their bodies again, as many have already done and
{610} many more will. They will be ordained, by those who hold the keys
of the resurrection, to go forth and resurrect the Saints, just as we
receive the ordinance of baptism, then the keys of authority to baptize
others for the remission of their sins. This is one of the ordinances
we cannot receive here, and there are many more. We hold the authority
to dispose of, alter and change the elements; but we have not received
authority to organize native element, to even make a spear of grass
grow.
We have no such ordinance here. We organize according to men in the
flesh. By combining the elements and planting the seed, we cause
vegetables, trees, grains, etc., to come forth. We are organizing
a Kingdom here according to the pattern that the Lord has given
for people in the flesh, but not for those who have received the
resurrection, although it is a similitude. Another item: We have not
the power in the flesh to create and bring forth or produce a spirit;
but we have the power to produce a temporal body; the germ of this,
God has placed within us. And when our spirits receive our bodies, and
through our faithfulness we are worthy to be crowned, we will then
receive authority to produce both spirit and body. But these keys we
cannot receive in the flesh. Herein, brethren, you can perceive that we
have not finished, and cannot finish our work, while we live here, no
more than Jesus did while he was in the flesh.
We cannot receive, while in the flesh, the keys to form and fashion
kingdoms and to organize matter, for they are beyond our capacity and
calling, beyond this world. In the resurrection, men who have been
faithful and diligent in all things in the flesh; have kept their first
and second estate, and are worthy to be crowned Gods, even the Sons of
God, {611} will be ordained to organize matter. How much matter do you
suppose there is between here and some of the fixed stars which we can
see? Enough to frame many, very many millions of such earths as this,
yet it is now so diffused, clear and pure, that we look through it and
behold the stars. Yet the matter is there. Can you form any conception
of this? Can you form any idea of the minuteness of matter? 15:136.
Do you recollect that in about the year 1840-41, Joseph had a
revelation concerning the dead? He had been asked the question a good
many times: "What is the condition of the dead, those that lived and
died without the Gospel?" It was a matter of inquiry with him. He
considered this question for himself, and for the brethren and the
Church, "What is the condition of the dead? What will be their fate? Is
there no way today by which they can receive their blessings as there
was in the days of the Apostles, and when the Gospel was preached upon
the earth in ancient days?" When Joseph received the revelation that we
have in our possession concerning the dead, the subject was opened to
him, not in full, but in part, and he kept on receiving. When he had
first received the knowledge by the spirit of revelation how the dead
could be officiated for, there are brethren and sisters here, I can see
quite a number here who were in Nauvoo, and you recollect that when
this doctrine was first revealed, and in hurrying in the administration
of baptism for the dead, that sisters were baptized for their male
friends, were baptized for their fathers, their grandfathers, their
mothers and their grandmothers, etc. I just mention this so that
you will come to understanding, that as we knew nothing about this
matter at first, the old Saints recollect, there was little by little
given, and the subject was made plain, but little was given at once.
Consequently, in {612} the first place people were baptized for their
friends and no record was kept. Joseph afterwards kept a record. Then
women were baptized for men and men for women, etc. It would be very
strange, you know, to the eyes of the wise and those that understood
the things pertaining to eternity, if we were called upon to commence a
work that we could not finish. This, therefore, was regulated and all
set in order; for it was revealed that if a woman was baptized for a
man, she could not be ordained for him, neither could she be made an
Apostle or a Patriarch for the man, consequently the sisters are to be
baptized for their own sex only.
This doctrine of baptism for the dead is a great doctrine, one of the
most glorious doctrines that was revealed to the human family; and
there are light, power, glory, honor and immortality in it. 16:165.
There are many of the ordinances of the house of God that must be
performed in a temple that is erected expressly for the purpose. There
are other ordinances that we can administer without a temple. You
know that there are some which you have received--baptism, the laying
on of hands for the gifts of the Holy Ghost, such as the speaking in
and interpretation of tongues, prophesying, healing, discerning of
spirits, etc., and many blessings bestowed upon the people, we have the
privilege of receiving without a temple. There are other blessings,
that will not be received, and ordinances that will not be performed
according to the law that the Lord has revealed, without their being
done in a temple prepared for that purpose. We can, at the present
time, go into the Endowment House and be baptized for the dead, receive
our washings and anointing, etc., for there we have a font that
has been erected, dedicated expressly for baptizing people for the
remission of sins, for their {613} health and for their dead friends;
in this the Saints have the privilege of being baptized for their
friends. We also have the privilege of sealing women to men, without
a temple. This we can do in the Endowment House; but when we come to
other sealing ordinances, ordinances pertaining to the holy Priesthood,
to connect the chain of the Priesthood from Father Adam until now, by
sealing children to their parents, being sealed for our forefathers,
etc., they cannot be done without a temple. When the ordinances are
carried out in the temples that will be erected, men will be sealed
to their fathers, and those who have slept, clear up to Father Adam.
This will have to be done, because of the chain of the Priesthood being
broken upon the earth. The Priesthood has left the people, but in the
first place the people left the Priesthood. They transgressed the
laws, changed the ordinance, and broke the everlasting covenant, and
the Priesthood left them; but not until they had left the Priesthood.
This Priesthood has been restored again, and by its authority we shall
be connected with our fathers, by the ordinance of sealing, until we
shall form a perfect chain from Father Adam down to the closing up
scene. This ordinance will not be performed anywhere but in a temple;
neither will children be sealed to their living parents in any other
place than a temple. For instance, a man and his wife come into the
Church, and they have a family of children. These children have been
begotten out of the covenant, because the marriage of their parents is
not recognized by the Lord as performed by his authority; they have,
therefore, to be sealed to their parents, or else they cannot claim
them in eternity; they will be distributed according to the wisdom of
the Lord, who does all things right. When we had a temple prepared
in Nauvoo, many {614} of the brethren had their children, who were
out of the covenant, sealed to them, and endowments were given. Then
parents, after receiving their endowments and being sealed for time
and eternity, and they have other children; they are begotten and born
under the covenant, and they are the rightful heirs to the kingdom,
they possess the keys of the kingdom. Children born unto parents,
before the latter enter into the fulness of the covenants, have to be
sealed to them in-a temple to become legal heirs of the Priesthood.
It is true they can receive the ordinances, they can receive their
endowments, and be blessed in common with their parents; but still the
parents cannot claim them legally and lawfully in eternity unless they
are sealed to them. Yet the chain would not be complete without this
sealing ordinance being performed.
Now, to illustrate this, I will refer to my own father's family. My
father died before the endowments were given. None of his children
have been sealed to him. If you recollect, you that were in Nauvoo,
we were very much hurried in the little time we spent there after the
temple was built. The mob was there ready to destroy us; they were
ready to burn our houses, they had been doing it for a long time; but
we finished the temple according to the commandment that was given
to Joseph, and then took our departure. Our time, therefore, was
short, and we had no time to attend to this. My father's children,
consequently, have not been sealed to him. Perhaps all of his sons may
go into eternity, into the spirit world, before this can be attended
to; but this will make no difference; the heirs of the family will
attend to this if it is not for a hundred years.
It will have to be done sometime. If, however, we get a temple prepared
before the sons of my father shall all {615} have gone into the spirit
world, if there are any of them remaining, they will attend to this,
and as heirs be permitted to receive the ordinances for our father
and mother. This is only one case, and, to illustrate this subject
perfectly, I might have to refer to hundreds of examples for each case.
16:186.
We trust in God. I reckon he will fight our battles and we will be
baptized for and in behalf of the human family during a thousand years;
and we will have hundreds of temples and thousands of men and women
officiating therein for those who have fallen asleep, without having
had the privilege of hearing and obeying the Gospel, that they may be
brought forth and have a glorious resurrection, and enjoy the kingdom
which God has prepared for them. The Devil will fight hard to hinder
us, and we shall not take an inch of ground except by obedience to the
power of, and faith in, the Gospel of the Son of God. The whole world
is opposed to this doctrine. But is there any harm in it? If they could
only see it as it is in the Lord, they would rejoice in it, and instead
of fighting it, they would praise God for having revealed so glorious
a doctrine. Suppose that the notion entertained by some is true, that
after the death of our bodies our spirits sleep an eternal sleep, and I
am baptized for my father, grandfather, and so on, above, beneath, or
around about the earth! All will admit that no harm would be done in
practicing these ordinances. Then let us alone if our practices will do
no harm, why oppose us in their observance? The result might possibly
affect beneficially our progenitors, and then you who oppose would be
found fighting against God. Better let the Gospel have its course.
13:330.
Let me say to you, if it is true that no man can enter the {616}
Kingdom of God unless he is born of the water and of the Spirit, God
must provide a plan by which those who have died ignorant of the
Gospel may have the privilege of doing so, or he would appear to be a
partial being. Has he provided that way? He has. The Christian world
have taught, preached, contemplated, meditated, sung about and prayed
for the Millennium. What are you going to do during that period,
Christians? Do you know what the Millennium is for, and what work will
have to be done during that period? Suppose the Christian world were
now one in heart, faith, sentiment and works, so that the Lord could
commence the Millennium in power and glory, do you know what would be
done? Would you sit and sing yourselves away to everlasting bliss?
No, I reckon not. I think there is a work to be done then which the
whole world seems determined we shall not do. What is it? To build
temples. We never yet commenced to lay the foundation of a temple but
what all hell was in arms against us. That is the difficulty now. We
have commenced the foundation of this temple. What are we going to do
in these temples? Anything to be done there? Yes, and we will not wait
for the Millennium and the fulness of the glory of God on the earth; we
will commence as soon as we have a temple, and work for the salvation
of our forefathers; we will get their genealogies as far as we can. By
and by, we shall get them perfect. In these temples we will officiate
in the ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for our friends, for no
man can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of the water and of
the Spirit. We will officiate for those who are in the spirit world,
where Jesus went to preach to the spirits, as Peter has written in the
third chapter, verses 18, 19, 20, of his first epistle. {617}
We will also have hands laid on us for the reception of the Holy Ghost;
and then we will receive the washing and anointings for and in their
behalf, preparatory to their becoming heirs of God and joint-heirs with
Christ. Are you going to do this, Latter-day Saints? Yes. What will the
Christian world do with their dead? Let them sleep an eternal sleep,
for there are no provisions made for them in the Gospel they believe in
and have taught to them. 13:329.
We will bring up all the inhabitants of the earth, except those who
have sinned against the Holy Ghost, and save them in some kingdom
where they will receive more glory and honor than ever the Methodist
contemplated. This should be a comfort and a consolation to all the
inhabitants of the earth. They will not save themselves, millions
have not had a chance, and millions now living, through the strength
of their traditions, will not do it; their consciences and feelings
are bound up in their systems and creeds, whereas if they felt as
independent as they should feel, they would break loose and receive
the truths; but they will live and die in bondage, and we calculate to
officiate for them. Many a man I know of, who has fallen asleep, we
have been baptized for, since the Church was organized--good, honest,
honorable men, charitable to all, living good, virtuous lives. We will
not let them go down to hell; God will not. The plan of salvation is
ample to bring them all up and place them where they may enjoy all they
could anticipate. 14:97.
Can we do anything for them? Yes. What are we trying to build a temple
for? And we shall not only build a temple here, if we are successful,
and are blessed and preserved, but we shall probably commence two or
three more, and so on as fast as the work requires, for the express
purpose of redeeming our dead. When I get a revelation that {618} some
of my progenitors lived and died without the blessings of the Gospel,
or even hearing it preached, but were as honest as I am, as upright as
I am, or as any man or woman could be upon the earth; as righteous, so
far as they knew how, as any Apostle or Prophet that ever lived, I will
go and be baptized, confirmed, washed, and anointed, and go through all
the ordinances and endowments for them, that their way may be open to
the celestial kingdom.
As I have frequently told you, that is the work of the Millennium.
It is the work that has to be performed by the seed of Abraham, the
chosen seed, the royal seed, the blessed of the Lord, those the Lord
made covenants with. They will step forth, and save every son and
daughter of Adam who will receive salvation here on the earth; and all
the spirits in the spirit world will be preached to, conversed with,
and the principles of salvation carried to them, that they may have
the privilege of receiving the Gospel; and they will have plenty of
children here on the earth to officiate for them in those ordinances of
the Gospel that pertain to the flesh. 2:138.
What do you suppose the fathers would say if they could speak from the
dead? Would they not say, "We have lain here thousands of years, here
in this prison house, waiting for this dispensation to come? Here we
are, bound and fettered, in the association of those who are filthy?"
What would they whisper in our ears? Why, if they had the power the
very thunders of heaven would be in our ears, if we could but realize
the importance of the work we are engaged in. All the angels in heaven
are looking at this little handful of people, and stimulating them
to the salvation of the human family. So also are the devils in hell
looking at this people, too, and trying to overthrow us, and {619} the
people are still shaking hands with the servants of the Devil, instead
of sanctifying themselves and calling upon the Lord and doing the work
which he has commanded us and put into our hands to do. When I think
upon this subject, I want the tongues of seven thunders to wake up the
people. 18:304.
We are trying to save the living and the dead. The living can have
their choice, the dead have not. Millions of them died without the
Gospel, without the Priesthood, and without the opportunities that we
enjoy. We shall go forth in the name of Israel's God and attend to the
ordinances for them. And through the Millennium, the thousand years
that the people will love and serve God, we will build temples and
officiate therein for those who have slept for hundreds and thousands
of years--those who would have received the truth if they had had the
opportunity; and we will bring them up, and form the chain entire, back
to Adam. 14:97.
If we preserve ourselves in the truth and live so that we shall be
worthy of the celestial kingdom, by and by we can officiate for those
who have died without the Gospel--the honest, honorable, truthful,
virtuous and pure. By and by it will be said unto us, Go ye forth and
be baptized for them and receive the ordinances for them, and the
hearts of the children will be turned to the fathers who have slept in
their graves, and they will secure to them eternal life. This must be,
lest the Lord come and smite the earth with a curse. The children will
go forth and revive this law for those who have slept for thousands of
years who died without the Gospel. Jesus will prepare a way to bring
them up into his presence. But were it not for the few who will be
prepared here on the earth to officiate {620} when the Lord shall come
to reign King of nations, what would be the condition of the world?
They would sleep and sleep on; but the way is prepared for their
redemption. 14:151.
Hundreds of millions of human beings have been born, lived out their
short earthly span, and passed away, ignorant alike of themselves and
of the plan of salvation provided for them. It gives great consolation,
however, to know that this glorious plan devised by Heaven follows them
into the next existence, offering for their acceptance eternal life and
exaltation to thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers in the
presence of their Father and God, through Jesus Christ, his Son. 9:148.
If we obey this law, preserve it inviolate, live according to it, we
shall be prepared to enjoy the blessings of a celestial kingdom. Will
any others? Yes, thousands and millions of the inhabitants of the earth
who would have received and obeyed the law that we preach, if they
had had the privilege. When the Lord shall bring again Zion, and the
watchmen shall see eye to eye, and Zion shall be established, saviors
will come upon Mount Zion and save all the sons and daughters of Adam
that are capable of being saved, by administering for them. 8:35.
Our enemies will yet be glad to come to us for safety and salvation;
and we will do as Brother Kimball has said--we will save the old
veteran fathers; and the time will come when we will be baptized for
them, while those who trample upon the rights of their fellow men will
be weltering in hell. Yes, we will bring up those old revolutionary
sires and save them; for God loves men who are true to each other and
are true to him. 5:212.
_Who Should Represent the Dead_--A man is ordained {621} and
receives his washings, anointings, and endowments for the male portion
of his and his wife's progenitors, and his wife for the female portion.
3:372.
For instance, a man and his wife come into the Church; he says, "My
father and mother were good people; I would like to officiate for
them." "Well, have you any other friends in the Church?" "Nobody but
myself and my wife." Well, now, the wife is not a blood relation,
consequently she is not in reality the proper person, but she can be
appointed the heir if there are no other relatives--if there are no
sisters, this wife of his can officiate for the mother; but if the man
has a sister in the Church, it is the privilege and place of the sister
of this man, the daughter of those parents that are dead, to go and
officiate--be baptized, to go and be sealed with her brother for her
father and mother. If this man and woman have a daughter old enough
to officiate for her grandmother, she is a blood relation, and is the
heir, and can act; but if there is no daughter, the man's wife can be
appointed as the heir. 16:188.
Some brethren here are anxious to know whether they can receive
endowments for their sons or for their daughters. No, they cannot
until we have a temple; but they can officiate in the ordinances so
far as baptism and sealing are concerned. A man can be baptized for a
son who died before hearing the Gospel. A woman can be baptized for
her daughter, who died without the Gospel. Suppose that the father
of a dead son wishes to have a wife sealed to his son; if the young
woman desired as a wife is dead and have a mother or other female
relative in the Church, such mother is the heir, and she can act in
the sealing ordinances in the stead of her daughter. But if the young
woman desired as a wife have no relative in the Church, to act in her
behalf, {622} then the mother of the young man can be baptized for her,
and act as proxy for her in the sealing ordinances. We can attend to
these ordinances now before the temple is built here; but no one can
receive endowments for another, until a temple is prepared in which to
administer them. We administer just so far as the law permits us to
do. In reality we should have performed all these ordinances long ago,
if we had been obedient; we should have had temples in which we could
attend to all these ordinances. Now, the brethren have the privilege of
being baptized for their dead friends--when I say the brethren, I mean
the brethren and sisters--and these friends can be sealed. 16:187.
We will operate here, in all the ordinances of the house of God
which pertain to this side of the veil, and those who pass beyond
and secure to themselves a resurrection pertaining to the lives will
go on and receive more and more, more and more, and will receive one
after another until they are crowned Gods, even the sons of God. This
idea is very consoling. We are now baptizing for the dead, and we are
sealing for the dead, and if we had a temple prepared we should be
giving endowments for the dead--for our fathers, mothers, grandfathers,
grandmothers, uncles, aunts, relatives, friends and old associates, the
history of whom we are now getting from our friends in the East. The
Lord is stirring up the hearts of many there, and there is a perfect
mania with some to trace their genealogies and to get up printed
records of their ancestors. They do not know what they are doing it
for, but the Lord is prompting them; and it will continue and run on
from father to father, father to father, until they get the genealogy
of their forefathers as far as they possibly can. 15:138.
We want to sacrifice enough to do the will of God in {623} preparing
to bring up those who have not had the privilege of hearing the Gospel
while in the flesh, for the simple reason that, in the spirit world,
they cannot officiate in the ordinances of the house of God. They
have passed the ordeals, and are beyond the possibility of personally
officiating for the remission of their sins and for their exaltation,
consequently they are under the necessity of trusting in their friends,
their children and their children's children to officiate for them,
that they may be brought up into the celestial kingdom of God. 18:238.
_"Saviors on Mount Zion"_--We have a work to do just as important
in its sphere as the Savior's work was in its sphere. Our fathers
cannot be made perfect without us; we cannot be made perfect without
them. They have done their work and now sleep. We are now called upon
to do ours; which is to be the greatest work man ever performed on the
earth. Millions of our fellow creatures who have lived upon the earth
and died without a knowledge of the Gospel must be officiated for in
order that they may inherit eternal life (that is, all that would have
received the Gospel). And we are called upon to enter into this work.
18:213.
We are called, as it has been told you, to redeem the nations of the
earth. The fathers cannot be made perfect without us; we cannot be
made perfect without the fathers. There must be this chain in the holy
Priesthood; it must be welded together from the latest generation that
lives on the earth back to Father Adam, to bring back all that can be
saved and placed where they can receive salvation and a glory in some
kingdom. This Priesthood has to do it; this Priesthood is for this
purpose. 13:280.
Can the fathers be saved without us? No. Can we be {624} saved without
them? No, and if we do not wake up and cease to long after the things
of this earth, we will find that we as individuals will go down to
hell, although the Lord will preserve a people unto himself. Now, we
are ready to give endowments, do you have any feelings for those who
have died without having the Gospel? 18:304.
The ordinance of sealing must be performed here man to man, and woman
to man, and children to parents, etc., until the chain of generation
is made perfect in the sealing ordinances back to Father Adam; hence,
we have been commanded to gather ourselves together, to come out from
Babylon, and sanctify ourselves, and build up the Zion of our God, by
building cities and temples, redeeming countries from the solitude of
nature, until the earth is sanctified and prepared for the residence of
God and angels. 12:165.
The doctrines of the Savior reveal and place the believers in
possession of principles whereby saviors will come upon Mount Zion to
save the House of Esau, which is the Gentile nations, from sin and
death,--all except those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost. Men
and women will enter into the temples of God, and be, in comparison,
pillars there, and officiate year after year for those who have slept
thousands of years. 6:344.
When his Kingdom is established upon the earth, and Zion built up, the
Lord will send his servants as saviors upon Mount Zion. The servants
of God who have lived on the earth in ages past will reveal where
different persons have lived who have died without the Gospel, give
their names, and say, "Now go forth, ye servants of God, and exercise
your rights and privileges; go and perform the ordinances of the house
of God for those who have passed their {625} probation without the
Gospel, and for all who will receive any kind of salvation; bring them
up to inherit the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms," and
probably many other kingdoms not mentioned in the Scriptures; for every
person will receive according to his capacity and according to the
deeds done in the body, whether good or bad, much or little. 6:347.
Who will possess the earth and all its fulness? Will it not be those
whom the Lord has reserved to this honor? And they will come upon Mount
Zion as saviors to labor through the Millennium to save others. 8:191.
Suppose we are ready to go into the temples of God to officiate for our
fathers and our grandfathers--for our ancestors back for hundreds of
years, who are all looking to see what their children are doing upon
the earth. The Lord says, I have sent the keys of Elijah the Prophet--I
have imparted that doctrine to turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers. Now, all
you children, are you looking to the salvation of your fathers? Are
you seeking diligently to redeem those that have died without the
Gospel, inasmuch as they sought the Lord Almighty to obtain promises
for you? For our fathers did obtain promises that their seed should
not be forgotten. O ye children of the fathers, look at these things.
You are to enter into the temples of the Lord and officiate for your
forefathers.
Suppose we are ready to enter into the temple to be baptized and attend
to the ordinances for one hundred of our best forefathers, and Thomas
should say to John, "John, take this affair and see to it; I want to go
to this ferry to make a little money;" or, "Joseph, you know the names
of our ancestors better than I do; won't you go and see to {626} their
salvation? I have not time myself; I want to build a bridge." "James,
are you ready to perform your duties for the dead?" "No; I want to go
and keep a grocery." And you know the language that is common to such
places; the name of the Lord is blasphemed, and his servants are cursed
with bitter oaths.
What do you think of it, gentlemen, Elders in Israel? What would money
have to do with you, if you were now upon the threshold of eternity,
and eternity open to you? Would you have the apostasy, as you have
now? A little money is more to such persons than the salvation of all
the sons and daughters of Adam. I wish I had a voice like ten thousand
earthquakes, that all the world might hear and know the loving kindness
of the Lord. 6:296.
What is going to be done with them? By and by Zion will be built up;
temples are going to be reared, and the holy Priesthood is going to
take effect and rule, and every law of Christ will be obeyed, and he
will govern and reign King of nations as he now does King of Saints.
Pretty soon you will see temples reared up, and the sons of Jacob will
enter into the temples of the Lord. What will they do there? They
will do a great many things. When you see Zion redeemed and built
up--when you see the people performing the ordinances of salvation
for themselves and for others, (and they will hereafter,) you will
see simply this (but I have not time this morning to tell you, only a
little part of it): About the time that the temples of the Lord will
be built and Zion is established--pretty nigh this time, you will see
(those who are faithful enough,) the first you know, there will be
strangers in your midst, walking with you, talking with you; they will
enter into your houses and eat and drink with you, go to meeting with
you, and begin {627} to open your minds, as the Savior did the two
disciples who walked out in the country in the days of old.
About the time the temples are ready, the strangers will be along and
will converse with you, and will inquire of you, probably, if you
understand the resurrection of the dead. You might say you have heard
and read a great deal about it, but you do not properly understand it;
and they will then open your minds and tell you the principles of the
resurrection of the dead and how to save your friends; they will point
out Scriptures in the Old and New Testament, in the Book of Mormon, and
other revelations of God, saying, "Don't you recollect reading so and
so, that saviors should come up on Mount Zion?" etc., and they will
expound the Scriptures to you. You have got your temples ready; now
go forth and be baptized for those good people. There are your father
and your mother--your ancestors for many generations back--the people
that have lived upon the face of the earth since the Priesthood was
taken away, thousands and millions of them, who have lived according
to the best light and knowledge in their possession. They will expound
the Scriptures to you, and open your minds, and teach you of the
resurrection of the just and the unjust of the doctrine of salvation,
they will use the keys of the holy Priesthood, and unlock the door of
knowledge, to let you look into the palace of truth. You will exclaim,
That is all plain: why did I not understand it before? and you will
begin to feel your hearts burn within you, as they walk and talk with
you.
You will enter into the temple of the Lord and begin to offer up
ordinances before the Lord for your dead. Says this or that man, I want
to save such a person--I want to save my father; and he straightway
goes forth in the ordinance {628} of baptism, and is confirmed, and
washed, and anointed, and ordained to the blessings of the holy
Priesthood for his ancestors? Before his work is finished, a great many
of the Elders of Israel in Mount Zion will become pillars in the temple
of God, to go no more out. They will eat and drink and sleep there; and
they will often have occasion to say, "Somebody came to the temple last
night; we did not know who he was, but he was no doubt a brother, and
told us a great many things we did not before understand. He gave us
the names of a great many of our forefathers that are not on record,
and he gave me my true lineage and the names of my forefathers for
hundreds of years back. He said to me, you and I are connected in one
family; there are the names of your ancestors; take them and write them
down, and be baptized and confirmed, and save such and such ones, and
receive of the blessings of the eternal Priesthood for such and such
an individual, as you do for yourselves." This is what we are going to
do for the inhabitants of the earth. When I look at it, I do not want
to rest a great deal, but be industrious all the day long; for when
we come to think upon it, we have no time to lose, for it is a pretty
laborious work. 6:294-5.
Then in the spirit world they will say, "Do you not see somebody at
work for you? The Lord remembers you and has revealed to his servants
on the earth, what to do for you." 3:372.
When the Lord shall usher in the morning of rest, we may enter into our
labors to officiate for our dead friends back to Adam. 6:149.
_Powers of Evil Opposed to Temple Building_--Some say, "I do not
like to do it, for we never began to build a temple without the bells
of hell beginning to ring." I want to hear {629} them ring again. All
the tribes of hell will be on the move, if we uncover the walls of this
temple. But what do you think it will amount to? You have all the time
seen what it has amounted to. 8:355-6.
[Image: THE SALT LAKE TEMPLE]
I can say, for my comfort and consolation, and for yours too, that we
did build two temples, and commenced another. We completed a temple in
Kirtland and in Nauvoo; and did not the bells of hell toll all the time
we were building them? They did, every week and every day. 8:356.
_The Salt Lake Temple_--This I do know--there should be a temple
built here. I do know it is the duty of this people to commence to
build a temple. Now, some will want to know what kind of a building
it will be. Wait patiently, brethren, until it is done, and put forth
your hands willingly to finish it. I know what it will be. I scarcely
ever say much about revelations, or visions, but suffice it to say,
five years ago last July I was here, and saw in the spirit the temple
not ten feet from where we have laid the chief cornerstone. I have not
inquired what kind of a temple we should build. Why? Because it was
represented before me. I have never looked upon that ground, but the
vision of it was there. I see it as plainly as if it was in reality
before me. Wait until it is done. I will say, however, that it will
have six towers, to begin with, instead of one. Now do not any of you
apostatize because it will have six towers, and Joseph only built one.
It is easier for us to build sixteen, than it was for him to build one.
The time will come when there will be one in the centre of temples we
shall build, and, on the top, groves and fish ponds. But we shall not
see them here, at present. 1:132.
I have determined, by the help of the Lord and this people, to build
him a house. You may ask, "Will he dwell {630} in it?" He may do just
as he pleases; it is not my prerogative to dictate to the Lord. But we
will build him a house, that, if he pleases to pay us a visit, he may
have a place to dwell in, or if he should send any of his servants, we
may have suitable accommodations for them. I have built myself a house,
and the most of you have done the same, and now, shall we not build the
Lord a house? 1:376.
"Does the Lord require the building of a temple at our hands?" I can
say that he requires it just as much as ever he required one to be
built elsewhere. If you should ask, "Brother Brigham, have you any
knowledge concerning this; have you ever had a revelation from heaven
upon it?" I can answer truly, it is before me all the time, not only
today, but it was almost five years ago, when we were on this ground,
looking for locations, sending our scouting parties through the
country, to the right and to the left, to the north and the south, to
the east and the west; before we had any returns from any of them, I
knew, just as well as I now know, that this was the ground on which to
erect a temple--it was before me. 1:277.
We shall attempt to build a temple to the name of our God. This has
been attempted several times, but we have never yet had the privilege
of completing and enjoying one. Perhaps we may in this place, but if,
in the providence of God, we should not, it is all the same. It is
for us to do those things which the Lord requires at our hands, and
leave the result with him. It is for us to labor with a cheerful good
will; and if we build a temple that is worth a million of money, and
it requires all our time and means, we should leave it with cheerful
hearts, if the Lord in his providence tells us so to do. If the Lord
permits our enemies to drive us from it, why, we should abandon it with
as much {631} cheerfulness of heart as we ever enjoy a blessing. It is
no matter to us what the Lord does, or how he disposes of the labor of
his servants. But when he commands, it is for his people to obey. We
should be as cheerful in building this temple, if we knew beforehand
that we should never enter into it when it was finished, as we would
though we knew we were to live here a thousand years to enjoy it. 1:277.
I want this temple that we are now building to the name of our God, to
stand for all time to come as a monument of the industry, faithfulness,
faith, and integrity of the Latter-day Saints who were driven into
the mountains. I want to see the temple finished as soon as it is
reasonable and practicable. Whether we go in there to work or not
makes no difference; I am perfectly willing to finish it to the last
leaf of gold that shall be laid upon it, and to the last lock that
should be put on the doors, and then lock every door, and there let it
stand until the earth can rest before the Saints commence their labors
there. They receive more in the house of the Lord now than is their
due. Our brethren and sisters, baptized three, four, or six months ago,
go and get their endowments, the sealing blessings for all eternity,
the highest that can be conferred upon them, yet how lightly they are
treated! Many do not consider, they do not realize these things. They
have not the spirit of revelation, they do not live for it, hence they
do not see these things in their proper light, and we are not in such a
hurry as many think we ought to be. 11:372.
The temple will be for the endowments--for the organization and
instruction of the Priesthood. If you want to build a temple on these
conditions, you can have the privilege. But I never again want to see
one built to go into the hands of the wicked. I have asked my Father
to give me {632} power to build a temple on this block, but not until
I can forever maintain my rights in it. I would rather see it burnt
than to see it go into the hands of devils. I was thankful to see the
temple in Nauvoo on fire. Previous to crossing the Mississippi river,
we had met in that temple and handed it over to the Lord God of Israel;
and when I saw the flames, I said, "Good, Father, if you want it to be
burned up." I hoped to see it burned before I left, but I did not. I
was glad when I heard of its being destroyed by fire, and of the walls
having fallen in, and said, "Hell, you cannot now occupy it." When
the temple is built here, I want to maintain it for the use of the
Priesthood; if this cannot be, I would rather not see it built, but go
into the mountains and administer there in the ordinances of the holy
Priesthood, which is our right and privilege. I would rather do this
than to build a temple for the wicked to trample under their feet.
8:203.
_Address at the Laying of the Cornerstone of the Salt Lake
Temple_--This morning we have assembled on one of the most solemn,
interesting, joyful, and glorious occasions that ever have transpired,
or will transpire among the children of men, while the earth continues
in its present organization, and is occupied for its present purposes.
And I congratulate my brethren and sisters that it is our unspeakable
privilege to stand here this day, and minister before the Lord on an
occasion which has caused the tongues and pens of Prophets to speak and
write for many scores of centuries which are past.
When the Lord Jesus Christ tabernacled in the flesh--when he had left
the most exalted regions of his Father's glory, to suffer and shed his
blood for sinning, fallen creatures, like ourselves, and the people
crowded around him, {633} a certain man said unto him, "Master, I will
follow thee withersoever thou goest." Jesus said unto him, "Foxes have
holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath
nowhere to lay his head." And we find no record that this man followed
him any farther.
Why had not the Son of Man where to lay his head? Because his Father
had no house upon the earth--none dedicated to him, and preserved for
his exclusive use, and the benefit of his obedient children.
The Ark containing the covenant--or the Ark of the Covenant in the days
of Moses, containing the sacred records, was moved from place to place
in a cart. And so sacred was that Ark, if a man stretched forth his
hand to steady it, when the cart jostled, he was smitten, and died.
And would to God that all who attempt to do the same in this day,
figuratively speaking, might share the same fate. And they will share
it sooner or later, if they do not keep their hands, and tongues, too,
in their proper places, and stop dictating the order of the Gods of the
Eternal Worlds.
When the Ark of the Covenant rested, or when the Children of Israel had
an opportunity to rest (for they were mobbed and harrassed somewhat
like the Latter-day Saints), the Lord, through Moses, commanded a
tabernacle to be built, wherein should rest and be stationed, the Ark
of the Covenant. And particular instructions were given by revelation
to Moses, how every part of said tabernacle should be constructed,
even to the curtains--the number thereof, and of what they should be
made; and the covering, and the wood for the boards, and for the bars,
and the court, and the pins, and the vessels, and the furniture, and
everything pertaining to the tabernacle. Why did Moses need such a
particular revelation to build a tabernacle? Because {634} he had never
seen one, and did not know how to build it without revelation, without
a pattern.
Thus the Ark of the Covenant continued until the days of David, King of
Israel, standing or occupying a tabernacle, or tent. But to David, God
gave commandment that he should make preparation for a house, wherein
he, himself, might dwell, or which he might visit, and in which he
might commune with his servants when he pleased.
From the day the Children of Israel were led out of Egypt to the days
of Solomon, Jehovah had no resting place upon the earth (and for how
long a period before that day, the history is unpublished), but walked
in a tent or tabernacle, before the Ark, as it seemed him good, having
no place to lay his head.
David was not permitted to build the house which the Lord told him
should be built, because he was a "man of blood," that is, he was
beset by enemies on every hand, and had to spend his days in war and
bloodshed to save Israel (much as the Latter-day Saints have done, only
he had the privilege of defending himself and the people from mobocrats
and murderers, while we have hitherto been denied that privilege),
and, consequently, he had no time to build a house unto the Lord, but,
commanded his son Solomon, who succeeded him on the throne, to erect
the temple at Jerusalem, which God had required at his hands.
The pattern of this temple, the length and breadth, and height of the
inner and outer courts, with all the fixtures thereunto appertaining,
were given to Solomon by revelation, through the proper source. And why
was this revelation-pattern necessary? Because Solomon had never built
a temple, and did not know what was necessary in the {635} arrangement
of the different apartments, any better than Moses did what was needed
in the tabernacle.
This temple, called Solomon's temple, because Solomon was the master
workman, was completed some time previous to the appearance of the Son
of Man on the earth, in the form of the babe of Bethlehem, and had been
dedicated as the house of the Lord, and accepted as a finished work by
the Father, who commanded it to be built, that his Son might have a
resting place on the earth, when he should enter on his mission.
Why, then, did Jesus exclaim to the man who volunteered to follow him
wheresoever he went, that "the Son of Man hath not where to lay his
head?" Jesus knew the pretended saint and follower to be a hypocrite,
and that if he told him plainly that he would not fare as well as the
birds and foxes, he would leave him at once, and that would save him
much trouble.
But how could Jesus' saying, that he had "not where to lay his head,"
be true? Because the house which the Father had commanded to be built
for his reception, although completed, had become polluted, and hence
the saying, "My house is the house of prayer; but ye have made it
a den of thieves," and he made a scourge of cords, and drove the
money-changers, and dove-sellers, and faro-gamblers, all out of his
house, and overthrew their tables; but that did not purify the house,
so that he could not sleep in it, for an holy thing dwelleth not in an
unholy temple.
If Jesus could not lay his head in an unholy, polluted temple, how can
the Latter-day Saints expect that the Holy Spirit will take and abide
its residence with them, in their tabernacles and temples of clay,
unless they keep themselves pure, spotless, and undefiled? {636}
It is no wonder that the Son of Man, soon after his resurrection from
the tomb, ascended to his Father, for he had no place on earth to lay
his head; his house still remaining in the possession of his enemies,
so that no one had the privilege of purifying it, if they had the
disposition, and otherwise the power, to do it; and the occupants
thereof were professors in name, but hypocrites and apostates, from
whom no good thing can be expected.
Soon after the ascension of Jesus, through mobocracy, martyrdom, and
apostasy, the Church of Christ became extinct from the earth, the Man
Child,--the Holy Priesthood, was received up into heaven from whence it
came, and we hear no more of it on the earth, until the angels restored
it to Joseph Smith, by whose ministry the Church of Jesus Christ was
restored, reorganized on earth, twenty-three years ago this day, with
the title of Latter-day Saints to distinguish them from the Former-day
Saints.
Soon after, the Church, through our beloved Prophet Joseph, was
commanded to build a temple to the Most High, in Kirtland, Ohio. Joseph
not only received revelation and commandment to build a temple, but he
received a pattern also, as did Moses for the tabernacle, and Solomon
for his temple; for without a pattern, he could not know what was
wanted, having never seen one, and not having experienced its use.
Without revelation, Joseph could not know what was wanted, any more
than any other man, and, without commandment, the Church were too few
in number, too weak in faith, and too poor in purse, to attempt such a
mighty enterprise. But by means of all these stimulants, a mere handful
of men, living on air, and a little hominy and milk, and often salt or
no salt, when milk could not be had; the great {637} Prophet Joseph,
in the stone quarry, quarrying rock with his own hands; and the few
then in the Church, following his example of obedience and diligence
wherever most needed; with laborers on the walls, holding the sword
in one hand to protect themselves from the mob, while they placed the
stone and moved the trowel with the other, the Kirtland temple--the
second house of the Lord, that we have any published record of on the
earth, was so far completed as to be dedicated. And those first Elders
who helped to build it, received a portion of their first endowments,
or we might say more clearly, some of the first, or introductory, or
initiatory ordinances, preparatory to an endowment.
The preparatory ordinances there administered, though accompanied by
the ministrations of angels, and the presence of the Lord Jesus, were
but a faint similitude of the ordinances of the house of the Lord in
their fulness; yet many, through the instigation of the Devil, thought
they had received all, and knew as much as God; they have apostatized,
and gone to hell. But be assured, brethren, there are but few, very few
of the Elders of Israel, now on earth, who know the meaning of the word
endowment. To know, they must experience; and to experience, a temple
must be built.
Let me give you a definition in brief. Your endowment is, to receive
all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for
you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to
the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels,
being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens,
pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in
spite of earth and hell. {638}
Who has received and understands such an endowment, in this assembly?
You need not answer. Your voices would be few and far between, yet the
keys to these endowments are among you, and thousands have received
them, so that the Devil, with all his aids, need not suppose he can
again destroy the holy Priesthood from the earth, by killing a few, for
he cannot do it. God has set his hand, for the last time, to redeem his
people, the honest in heart, and Lucifer cannot hinder him.
Before these endowments could be given at Kirtland, the Saints had to
flee before mobocracy. And, by toil and daily labor, they found places
in Missouri, where they laid the cornerstones of temples, in Zion and
her stakes, and then had to retreat to Illinois, to save the lives of
those who could get away alive from Missouri, where fell the Apostle
David W. Patten, with many like associates, and where were imprisoned
in loathsome dungeons, Joseph and Hyrum, and many others. But before
all this had transpired, the temple at Kirtland had fallen into the
hands of wicked men, and by them been polluted, like the temple at
Jerusalem, and consequently it was disowned by the Father and the Son.
At Nauvoo, Joseph dedicated another temple, the third on record. He
knew what was wanted, for he had previously given most of the prominent
individuals then before him their endowment. He needed no revelation
then, of a thing he had long experienced, any more than those now do,
who have experienced the same things. It is only where experience
fails, that revelation is needed.
Before the Nauvoo temple was completed, Joseph was murdered--murdered
at sun light, under the protection of the most noble Government that
then existed, and that now {639} exists, on our earth. Has his blood
been atoned for? No! And why? A martyr's blood to true religion was
never atoned for on our earth. No man, or nation of men, without the
Priesthood, has power to make atonement for such sins. The souls of all
such, since the days of Jesus, are "under the altar," and are crying
to God, day and night, for vengeance. And shall they cry in vain? God
forbid! He has promised he will hear them in his own due time, and
recompense a righteous reward.
But what of the temple in Nauvoo? By the aid of sword in one hand, and
trowel and hammer in the other, with fire arms at hand, and a strong
band of police, and the blessings of heaven, the Saints, through
hunger, and thirst, and weariness, and watchings, and prayings, so
far completed the temple, despite the devices of the mob, that many
received a small portion of their endowment, but we know of no one who
received it in its fulness. And then, to save the lives of all the
Saints from cruel murder, we removed westward, and being led by the
all-searching eye of the great Jehovah, we arrived at this place.
Of our journey hither, we need say nothing, only, God led us. Of the
sufferings of those who were compelled to, and did, leave Nauvoo in the
winter of 1846, we need say nothing. Those who experienced it know it,
and those who did not, to tell them of it would be like exhibiting a
beautiful painting to a blind man.
We will not stop to tell you of the sufferings of widows and orphans
on Omaha lands, while their husbands and fathers were traversing the
burning plains of the south, to fight the battles of a country which
had banished them from civilization, for they secured the land on which
we dwell, from our Nation's foe, exposed the gold of California, {640}
and turned the world upside down. All these things are before you, you
know them, and we need not repeat them.
While these things were transpiring with the Saints in the wilderness,
the temple at Nauvoo passed into the hands of the enemy, who polluted
it to that extent the Lord not only ceased to occupy it, but he
loathed to have it called by his name, and permitted the wrath of its
possessors to purify it by fire, as a token of what will speedily fall
upon them and their habitations unless they repent.
But what are we here for, this day? To celebrate the birthday of our
religion! To lay the foundation of a temple to the Most High God, so
that when his Son, our Elder Brother, shall again appear, he may have a
place where he can lay his head, and not only spend a night or a day,
but find a place of peace, that he may stay till he can say, "I am
satisfied."
Brethren, shall the Son of Man be satisfied with our proceedings this
day? Shall we have a house on the earth which he can call his own?
Shall we have a place where he can lay his head, and rest over night,
and tarry as long as he pleases, and be satisfied and pleased with his
accommodations?
These are questions for you to answer. If you say yes, you have got to
do the work, or it will not be done. We do not want any whiners about
this temple. If you cannot commence cheerfully, and go through the
labor of the whole building cheerfully, start for California, and the
quicker the better. Make you a golden calf, and worship it. If your
care for the ordinances of salvation, for yourselves, your living, and
dead, is not first and foremost in your hearts, in your actions, and in
everything you possess, go! Pay your debts, if you have any, and go in
peace, and prove {641} to God and all his Saints that you are what you
profess to be, by your acts.
But if you are what you profess to be, do your duty--stay with the
Saints, pay your tithing, and be prompt in paying, as you are in
feeding your family; and the temple, of which we have now laid the
southeast corner stone, will arise in beauty and grandeur, in a manner
and time which you have not hitherto known or contemplated.
The Saints of these valleys have grown in riches, and abundance of the
comforts of life, in a manner hitherto unparalleled on the page of
history, and if they will do by their Heavenly Father as he has done
by them, soon will this temple be inclosed. But if you go in for a
speculation with passers by, as many have hitherto done, you will not
live to see the topstone of this temple laid; and your labors and toils
for yourselves and friends, dead and alive, will be worse than though
you had no existence.
We dedicate this, the southeast corner stone of this temple, to the
Most High God. May it remain in peace till it has done its work, and
until he who has inspired our hearts to fulfil the prophecies of his
holy Prophets, that the house of the Lord should be reared in the "Tops
of the Mountains" shall be satisfied, and say, "It is enough." And
may every tongue, pen, and weapon, that may rise against this or any
other corner stone of this building, feel the wrath and scourging of an
incensed God! May sinners in Zion be afraid, and fearfulness surprise
the hypocrite, from this hour. And may all who do not feel to say Amen,
go speedily to that long night, of rest from which no sleeper will
awake, till roused by the trump of the second resurrection. 2:29-33.
_St. George Temple_--Now we have a temple which will {642} all
be finished in a few days, and of which there is enough completed to
commence work therein, which has not been done since the days of Adam,
that we have any knowledge of. 18:304.
We have dedicated this spot of ground upon which we expect to erect
a temple in which to administer the ordinances of the House of God.
Into this house, when it is completed, we expect to enter to enjoy the
blessings of the Priesthood, and receive our washings, our anointings,
our endowments, and our sealings; and the brethren will be sealed to
brethren to connect the links and make perfect the chain from ourselves
to Father Adam: This is the object of the temple which we are about to
commence building at this place. 19:33.
Never have I seen to so great an extent that willingness to labor
for the cause of righteousness, which was witnessed in the temple at
St. George last winter. The Spirit of God pervaded the hearts of the
brethren and sisters, and how willing they were to labor! This work
will continue, and the brethren and sisters will go into the temples of
the Lord, to officiate for those who have died without the Gospel from
the days of Father Adam to the winding up scene, until every one is
officiated for; who can or will receive the Gospel so that all may have
the opportunity and privileges of life and salvation.
Don't you think we have a work to perform? Yes, and it will take a
thousand years to accomplish it. In the temple last winter the brethren
and sisters enjoyed themselves the best that they ever did in their
lives. So they said. And our children, just old enough to work, how
happy they were! They would exclaim, "I never knew anything about
'Mormonism' before!" If you were in the temple {643} of God working for
the living and the dead, your eyes and hearts would not be after the
fashions of the world, nor the wealth of the world. Yet the whole of
this world's wealth belongs to the Lord, and he can give to whomsoever
he pleases. 19:45.
I am aware that you wish to hear something of our labors in the south.
I will say that we have had a blessed time, such a time as no other
people on the earth have enjoyed for many centuries, that we have
any knowledge of. We have been permitted to enjoy privileges for the
possession of which we have been striving and laboring for many years.
For almost half a century we have been exerting ourselves that we might
have the privilege of entering into a temple of God, there to officiate
and receive the ordinances of his holy house, both for ourselves and
for our friends that have slept without the Gospel. This privilege and
blessing we have not enjoyed until within a very few months past. The
feeling experienced by those who have participated in the blessings
administered in the temple is something which cannot be described to
your understanding. Those only who have shared with us in the temple
ordinances know for themselves the satisfaction there is in realizing
that we are indeed co-workers with our Lord and Savior; that we bear a
humble part in the great work of salvation; that we have the privilege
of receiving and obeying the truth, and of securing to ourselves that
happiness which the Gospel alone affords; and not only of performing
these ordinances for ourselves, but of doing the necessary work for
our parents and forefathers who have slept without the Gospel, that
they may partake also of the waters of life, and be judged according
to men in the flesh. This is a privilege, a blessing, which no one can
sense unless {644} he is in possession of it. We are happy to know by
our faith and feelings through the spirit of revelation within us that
our labors have been accepted of the Lord. We have enjoyed ourselves
exceedingly in the society of each other; the aged, the middle-aged and
the youth have rejoiced and been made glad in this glorious work. 19:1.
"We are now prepared to attend to baptizing and giving endowments, and
shall appoint Tuesdays and Wednesdays for baptisms, and Thursdays and
Fridays for endowments and sealings, as a standing appointment for the
present." 18:305.
I am so thankful we have completed our temple, it is the greatest
blessing that could be bestowed upon us. I know of nothing that could
equal it. But we are not satisfied with this one, we must hurry the
building of another one, and thus another one and so on, and perform
the great work therein that is required at our hands. 19:222.
We enjoy privileges that are enjoyed by no one else on the face of the
earth. Suppose we were awake to this thing, namely, the salvation of
the-human family, this house would be crowded, as we hope it will be,
from Monday morning until Saturday night. This house (St. George) was
built here in this place purposely, where it is warm and pleasant in
the winter time, and comfortable to work, also for the Lamanites, and
also those coming from the south, and other places to receive their
endowments, and other blessings, 18:304. {645}
CHAPTER XXXVII
_MAN'S SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND SALVATION_
_Man Desires Salvation_--Honest hearts, the world over, desire to
know the right way. They have sought for it, and still seek it. There
have been people upon the earth all the time who sought diligently
with all their hearts to know the ways of the Lord. Those individuals
have produced good, inasmuch as they had the ability. And to believe
that there has been no virtue, no truth, no good upon the earth for
centuries, until the Lord revealed the Priesthood through Joseph the
Prophet, I shall say is wrong. There has been more or less virtue and
righteousness upon the earth at all times from the days of Adam until
now. That we all believe. 6:170.
Until they sin away the day of grace, there is something in all persons
that would delight to rise up and reject the evil and embrace the
truth. There is not a person on the earth so vile but, when he looks
into his own heart, honors the man of God and the woman of God--the
virtuous and holy--and despises his comrades in iniquity who are like
himself. There is not a man upon the earth, this side of saving grace,
unless he has sinned so far that the Spirit of the Lord has ceased to
strive with him and enlighten his mind, but delights in the good, in
the truth, and in the virtuous. 8:326.
Reflect for a moment upon the sensitive faculty implanted within us. We
know when we touch anything with our hands. When we discern an object
with our eyes, we know that we see. How do we know? By a principle
common to all intelligent beings--by the sensations God has {646}
placed within us. Were it not for this, the eye could not see, nor
sensation be communicated by touch. Were it not for the intelligent
principle God has placed within us, we could neither feel, see, hear,
taste, nor smell.
It is recorded that some have eyes to see, and see not; ears to hear,
and hear not; hearts have they, but they understand not. You who are
spiritually-minded, who have the visions of your minds opened--have
studied yourselves, your organizations, the power by which you have
been organized, and the influences that act upon you, can understand
that the power that has given you physical sensation is the power of
the same God that gives you understanding of the truth. The latter
power is inward. My inward eyes see, my inward hands handle, my inward
taste tastes of the word of God. The Apostle used this language. He
spoke of tasting the good word of God and the powers of the world to
come. Do you taste? Yes, by the sensations God has planted within you.
Thousands and thousands know, by their inward and invisible sensation,
things that have been, things that are, and things that are in the
future, as well as they know the color of a piece of cloth by means of
their outward or physical vision. When this inner light is taken from
them, they become darker than they were before, they cannot understand,
and turn away from the things of God. 8:41.
Descend from the busy, wealth-seeking middle classes, to the humbler
grade of society, and follow them in their various Occupations and
pursuits, and each one of them 1s seeking earnestly that which he
imagines to be salvation. The poor, ragged, trembling mendicant, who
is forced by hunger and cold to drag his feeble body from under some
temporary shelter, to seek a bit of bread, or a coin from his {647}
more fortunate fellow-mortal, if he can only obtain a few crusts of
bread to satisfy the hunger-worm that gnaws his vitals, and a few
coppers to pay his lodgings, he has attained to the summit of his
expectations, to what he sought for--salvation, and he is comparatively
happy, but his happiness vanishes with the shades of night, and his
misery comes with the morning light. From the match-maker up to the
tradesman, all have an end in view, which they suppose will bring
to them salvation. King, courtier, commanders, officers, and common
soldiers, the commodore, and sailor before the mast, the fair-skinned
Christian, and the dark-skinned savage, all, in their respective grades
and spheres of action, have a certain point in view, which, if they can
obtain, they suppose will put them in possession of salvation. 1:1.
_Humanity Loves Truth and Righteousness_--What would satisfy the
children of men, if they had it in their possession? Only truth and the
true principles and conduct flowing from its observance. True, certain
classes of the inhabitants of the earth are pretty well satisfied with
themselves, through their researches in the philosophies of the day;
and yet they are not fully satisfied. What will satisfy us? If we
understood all principles and powers that are, that have been, and that
are to come, and had wisdom sufficient to control powers and elements
with which we are associated, perhaps we would then be satisfied. If
this will not satisfy the human mind, there is nothing that will. 7:2.
The spirit which inhabits these tabernacles naturally loves truth, it
naturally loves light and intelligence, it naturally loves virtue,
God and godliness; but being so closely united with the flesh their
sympathies are blended, {648} and their union being necessary to the
possession of a fulness of joy to both, the spirit is indeed subject
to be influenced by the sin that is in the mortal body, and to be
overcome by it and by the power of the Devil, unless it is constantly
enlightened by that spirit which enlighteneth every man that cometh
into the world, and by the power of the Holy Ghost which is imparted
through the Gospel. In this, and this alone, consists the warfare
between Christ and the Devil. 11:237.
The greater portion of the inhabitants of the earth are inclined to
do right. That is true. There is a monitor in every person that would
reign there triumphantly, if permitted so to do, and lead to truth and
virtue. 8:320.
As to the mortals of the world, I have said it a great many times
and still say that there are just as good men and women on the earth
in other societies and communities as we have here, as far as they
understand; and we are after such ones. 12:326.
There are as honest men in other churches as there are in ours. 8:357.
_Human Family Alike in Sentiments_--In reality, the inhabitants
of the earth do not vary so much in their sentiments as they do in
the explaining of them to each other. This I have good reason to
believe; when feelings and ideas are explained, people vary more in
language than in sentiment, yet they differ widely in their sentiments,
feelings, customs, habits, and manner of life. 1:74.
When we see and comprehend things in the spirit, we oftimes realize an
utter inability to simplify and tell them in our language, to others;
though we may receive principles, and convey the same to others, to
some extent. It would be a great consolation to me, inasmuch as faith
comes {649} by hearing the word of God, if I had language to express
my feelings. No man can tell all that he can see in the spirit, when
the vision of the spirit is upon him. He can see and understand in the
spirit only. He cannot tell it, yet many things may be given, in part,
to others. 1:115.
_A Variety of Human Gifts_--I am sensible that people are not
gifted and capacitated alike. There is not that depth of understanding
and intensity of thought in some that there is in others, neither is
there the same scope of perception. Some are quick to apprehend, while
others are slow. 6:93.
We all enjoy the power of sight, but how differently we look at and
comprehend things! And we are very much like the people who have lived
before us. We are a strange and curious composition--no two alike.
Of all the faces before me this afternoon there are no two alike. We
might possibly find those whose judgment would be pretty much alike on
various subjects, still there are no two whose judgments are precisely
the same. Human life is a great stage, and it contains a very great
variety of scenes and scenery, of thought and of action. 16:23.
There is quite a diversity in men as to their capacity for learning,
and also in regard to retaining what they learn. Some comprehend their
lessons quickly, while others are not so gifted. I have also noticed
that some children commit their lessons quickly and well; but ask them
the meaning and intent of what they have committed, and they cannot
answer you; while others pay more attention to the intent and meaning
of what they learn. Such is the case with all persons, no matter what
their age; and some are capacitated to receive more and faster than
others. 8:158.
Let the people bring out their talents, and have the variety within
them brought forth and made manifest so {650} that we can behold it,
like the variety in the works of nature. See the variety God has
created--no two trees alike, no two leaves, no two spears of grass
alike. The same variety that we see in all the works of God, that we
see in the features, visages and forms, exists in the spirits of men.
Now let us develop the variety within us, and show to the world that
we have talent and taste, and prove to the heavens that our minds are
set on beauty and true excellence, so that we can become worthy to
enjoy the society of angels, and raise ourselves above the level of the
wicked world and begin to increase in faith, and the power that God
has given us, and so show to the world an example worthy of imitation.
11:305.
_Man's Powers are Limited_--The inhabitants of the earth have the
pleasure of performing the labors they list to do, but they have never
enjoyed the privilege of controlling the results of their labors, and
never will until they are crowned with glory, immortality and eternal
lives. We have the privilege of going to the gold mines, or staying at
home; of serving God, or not serving him; but the result of our acts is
not in our hands, it is in the hands of our Father and God. So it is
with individuals, with neighborhoods, with communities, and with the
nations of the earth. 10:331.
If the Latter-day Saints and all the world understood the philosophy
of their own being, they would bow in humble reverence to him who is
the Author of our being and the Author of all wisdom and all knowledge
known among the children of men. It is very little comparatively
that we do know, and but very little we can really comprehend. It is
believed that our scientists and philosophers are very far advanced,
and that wonderful progress has been made {651} in the nineteenth
century; but notwithstanding all the knowledge and power of philosophy
which so distinguish our age, who among our most learned can create
as simple a thing as a spear of grass, or the leaf of a tree? No one;
this can only be done through the natural process; no one can organize
the simplest particle of element independent of the laws of nature.
When the philosopher of the age reaches that perfection that one can
waft himself to the moon or to the North star, or to any other of the
fixed stars, and be there in an instant, in the same manner that Jesus
did when he ascended to the Father in heaven and returned to the earth
again, then we may begin to think we know a little. When we shall
possess the power and knowledge to cause heavenly planets to take their
position, giving them their laws and boundaries which they must obey,
and which they cannot pass, then we may begin to feel that we possess a
little wisdom and power. 18:259.
If I look through my telescope, and my friends inquire how far I
can see, I tell them I can see anything in sight, no matter how far
from me the object may be; but I cannot see anything out of sight,
or that which is beyond the power of the instrument. So it is in the
intellectual faculties of mankind; it is easy for them to see that
which is before their eyes, but when the object is out of sight, it is
a difficult matter for them to see it; and they are at a loss how to
form an estimate of it, or what position to put themselves in, so as to
see the object they desire to see. 1:351.
There is but a hair's breadth between the vulgar and sublime. There is
but a hair's breadth between the depths pot infidelity and the heights
of the faith of the Gods. Man is here like a feather trembling between
the two, liable continually to be operated upon by the power of the
enemy; {652} and it is through that power that the children of men are
made to doubt the evidences of their own senses, when, at the same
time, if they would reflect for a moment and listen to the intelligence
which God has placed within them, they would know, when they saw what
is termed a miracle, the power by which it is wrought; they would know
when they have seen with their eyes and felt with their hands, or when
they have had a heavenly vision. 7:163-164.
_Man Must Have Confidence in Himself_--We must be ourselves. 3:365.
There are a great many men who know but little about what they can do,
and there are a great many women that never consider what they can
perform; people do not fully reflect upon their own acts, upon their
own ability, and therefore do not understand what they are capable of
doing. 4:101.
It is not for any man to think he is a cipher--that what he can do will
not tell in this matter, and say, "They will get along well enough
without me." 1:53.
When a person is thinking all the time he is little better than a
machine, he perverts the purpose of his organization, and injures both
mind and body. Why? Because the mental labor does not find vent through
the organism of the tabernacle, and has not that scope--that field of
labor which it desires, and which it was wisely designed that it should
have. Think according to your labor, labor according to your thinking.
3:248.
_Man Always Dependent_--Shall we ever see the time we shall be
perfectly independent of every other being in all the eternities? No;
we shall never see that time. Many have fallen on as simple ground as
this, and were I to use Western term, I would say, "They were troubled
with a big {653} head." Such persons think they have power to do this,
that, and the other, but they are left to themselves, and the Lord
loves to show them they have no power. 1:338.
_We Must Fight Our Battles_--But some may say, "I have faith-the
Lord will turn them away." What ground have we to hope this? Have I any
good reason to say to my Father in Heaven, "Fight my battles," when he
has given me the sword to wield, the arm and the brain that I can fight
for myself? Can I ask him to fight my battles and sit quietly down
waiting for him to do so? I cannot. I can pray the people to hearken to
wisdom, to listen to counsel; but to ask God to do for me that which I
can do for myself is preposterous to my mind. 12:240-1.
_How to Know Oneself_--No man can know himself unless he knows
God, and he cannot know God unless he knows himself. 16:75.
Our Good Character Must Be Cherished--When a man by his course in life
has acquired a character that is spotless, it is a priceless jewel, and
nothing should induce him to barter it away. If the wicked try to bring
a blemish or cast a stain upon it their efforts will not be successful.
They may throw their mud, but it will not stain the garments of the
pure and holy. 13:218.
"Are our characters our own?" We may say, "Yes, we form these
characters." Suppose that we are fortunate enough to form a good,
honest character in the minds and in the faith of those who are
acquainted with us, do not those characters belong to our neighbors,
although we may be the framers of them? And I would like to ask, have
we the right to destroy them? It is a serious question with me. If we
have confidence in each other, and our conduct has been such that we
have created confidence in the feelings of {654} our neighbors toward
us, have we a right to destroy that confidence? Is it not sacrilege? I
will simply reply by giving my views with regard to myself. According
to the knowledge which I possess it is a great deal easier for an
individual to preserve a good character than to frame and make one if
it is lost. It is much easier to keep a fort when it is well armed and
defended than to give it into the hands of the enemy and then regain
it. Consequently, we had better keep our characters, if they are good,
than to suffer the enemy to rob us of them. 14:277.
_The Need of Leaders_--The whole world are sadly in want of what
they call a master-spirit. 6:44.
When I say rule, I do not mean with an iron hand, but merely to take
the lead--to lead them in the path I wish them to walk in. They may be
determined not to answer my will, but they are doing it all the time
without knowing it. 9:195.
It is not every man that is capable of filling every station, though
there is no man but what is capable of filling his proper station, and
that, too, with dignity and honor to himself. When you find a person
that is capable of receiving light and wisdom, one that can descend to
the capacity of the weakest of the weak, and can comprehend the highest
and most noble intelligence that can be obtained by man, can receive it
with all ease, and comprehend it, circumscribe it, understand it from
first to last, that is the man that can ripen for eternity in a few
years; that is the individual who is capable of occupying stations that
many cannot occupy. 4:130.
Let the people see to it that they get righteous men to be their
leaders, who will labor with their hands and administer to their
own necessities, sit in judgment, legislate, and {655} govern in
righteousness; and officers that are filled with peace; and see to
it that every man that goes forth among the people as a traveling
officer is full of the fear of the Lord, and would rather do right at a
sacrifice than do wrong for a reward. 7:12.
_Duty and Responsibility of Man_--"To mind your own business"
incorporates the whole duty of man. 10:295.
What is the duty-of a Latter-day Saint? To do all the good he can upon
the earth, living in the discharge of every duty obligatory upon him.
10:295.
His labor is to build up, not to destroy; to gather together, not to
scatter abroad; to take the ignorant and lead them to wisdom; to pick
up the poor and bring them to comfortable circumstances. This is our
labor--what we have to do. 10:316.
It is the business of a Latter-day Saint, in passing through the
street, if he sees a fence pole down, to put it up; if he sees an
animal in the mud to stop and help get it out. 10:296.
The greater our privileges and the greater the blessings bestowed upon
us, the more faithfulness and diligence are required in our callings to
save the children of men. 7:274.
There are men upon whom God has bestowed gifts and graces, and women
who are endowed with strong mental ability, and yet they cannot
receive the truth; and then the truth condemns them; it leaves them
in darkness. When they cannot receive every truth, let it be ever so
important or unimportant to them, their neglect to grasp in their faith
the truth God reveals for their benefit weakens them, comparatively,
from the crowns of their heads to the soles of their feet, and the
enemy may have the advantage over them in an hour when they think not.
8:59. {656}
Strive to be righteous, not for any speculation, but because
righteousness is lovely, pure; holy, beautiful, and exalting; it is
designed to make the soul happy and full of joy, to the extent of the
whole capacity of man, filling him with light, glory, and intelligence.
8:172.
If we do the best we know how, and yet commit many acts that are wrong
and contrary to the counsel given to us, there is hope in our case.
2:132. {657}
CHAPTER XXXVIII
_THE TESTIMONY OF THE TRUTH_
_All Latter-day Saints May Know the Gospel Is True_--It is a
special privilege and blessing of the holy Gospel to every true
believer, to know the truth for himself. 1:234.
It is both the duty and privilege of the Latter-day Saints to know that
their religion is true. 8:148.
We are the witnesses of this great work which the Lord has commenced in
the latter days. 11:213.
Let every one get a knowledge for himself that this work is true. We do
not want you to say that it is true until you know that it is; and if
you know it, that knowledge is as good to you as though the Lord came
down and told you. 8:142.
There is not a man or a woman on this earth who receives the spirit of
the Gospel but what can testify to its truth. 11:213.
We must have the testimony of the Lord Jesus to enable us to discern
between truth and error, light and darkness, him who is of God, and
him who is not of God, and to know how to place everything where it
belongs. That is the only way to be a scientific Christian; there is no
other method or process which will actually school a person so that he
can become a Saint of God, and prepare him for a celestial glory; he
must have within him the testimony of the spirit of the Gospel. 3:155.
If you are satisfied, in your sensitive powers and faculties, that God
has revealed the holy Priesthood, established his Kingdom upon the
earth, restored the fulness of the Gospel, and set his hand to gather
the House of Israel, {658} this will answer your purpose just as well
as though you went into heaven to see for yourselves. 8:261.
If I attain to the knowledge of all true principles that have ever
existed, and do not govern myself by them, they will damn me deeper in
hell than if I had never known anything about them. 1:244.
_How a Witness of the Truth Is Won_--I do not want men to come to
me or my brethren for testimony as to the truth of this work; but let
them take the Scriptures of divine truth, and there the path is pointed
out to them as plainly as ever a guideboard indicated the right path
to the weary traveler. There they are directed to go, not to Brothers
Brigham, Heber, or Daniel, to any Apostle or Elder in Israel, but to
the Father in the name of Jesus, and ask for the information they
need. Can they who take this course in honesty and sincerity receive
information? Will the Lord turn away from the honest heart seeking for
truth? No, he will not; he will prove to them, by the revelations of
his Spirit, the facts in the case. And when the mind is open to the
revelations of the Lord it comprehends them quicker and keener than
anything that is seen by the natural eye. It is not what we see with
our eyes--they may be deceived--but what is revealed by the Lord from
heaven that is sure and steadfast, and abides forever. We do not want
the people to rely on human testimony, although that cannot be confuted
and destroyed; still, there is a more sure word of prophecy that all
may gain if they will seek it earnestly before the Lord. 12:96.
You and I must have the testimony of Jesus within us, or it is of but
little use for us to pretend to be servants of God. We must have that
living witness within us. 4:368.
I will now make a few remarks upon testimony. I have {659} heard a
great many Elders in this Church, and people who were professing
Christians before this work was revealed, testifying of the things of
God. Men rise up here and say they do know that this is the work of
God, that Joseph was a Prophet, that the Book of Mormon is true, that
the revelations through Joseph Smith are true, and this is the last
dispensation and the fulness of times, wherein God has set his hand to
gather Israel for the last time, and redeem and build up Zion on this
land. How do they know this? Persons know and will continue to know
and understand, many things by the manifestations of the Spirit, that
through the organization of the tabernacle it is impossible otherwise
to convey. Much of the most important information is alone derived
through the power and testimony of the Holy Ghost in the speaker,
revealing itself to the understanding and spirit of the hearer. This is
the only way you can convey a knowledge of the invisible things of God.
8:41.
A man or woman desirous of knowing the truth, upon hearing the Gospel
of the Son of God proclaimed in truth and simplicity, should ask the
Father, in the name of Jesus, if this is true. If they do not take this
course, they try and argue themselves into the belief that they are as
honest as any man of woman can be on the face of the earth; but they
are not, they are careless as to their own best interests. 12:95.
On the other hand, nothing short of the power of the Almighty, nothing
short of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, can prove to you that this
is the work of God. Men uninspired of God cannot by their worldly
wisdom disprove it, or prevail against it; neither can they by wisdom
alone prove it to be true, either to themselves or to others. Their
{660} not being able to prevail against it does not prove it to be the
Kingdom of God, for there are many theories and systems on the earth,
incontrovertible by the wisdom of the world, which are nevertheless
false. Nothing less than the power of the Almighty, enlightening the
understanding of men, can demonstrate this glorious truth to the human
mind. 1:310.
How are we to know the voice of the Good Shepherd from the voice of
a stranger? Can any person answer this question? I can. It is very
easy. To every philosopher upon the earth, I say, your eye can be
deceived, so can mine; your ear can be deceived, so can mine; the
touch of your hand can be deceived, so can mine; but the Spirit of God
filling the creature with revelation and the light of eternity, cannot
be mistaken--the revelation which comes from God is never mistaken.
When an individual, filled with the Spirit of God, declares the truth
of heaven, the sheep hear that, the Spirit of the Lord pierces their
inmost souls and sinks deep into their hearts; by the testimony of the
Holy Ghost light springs up within them, and they see and understand
for themselves. This is the way the Gospel should be preached by every
Elder in Israel, and by this power every hearer should hear; and if we
would know the voice of the Good Shepherd, we must live so that the
Spirit of the Lord can find its way to our hearts. 16:74.
Peter was blessed, because he had eyes to see; and when he saw with his
spiritual eyes, he acknowledged it. He was not so proud and high-minded
as to turn round and deny. If the conviction of their own minds had
free course, and were not trammeled through their erroneous traditions,
millions and millions would hail this day with thanksgiving. 7:8. {661}
If there is a person in the midst of the Latter-day Saints--one who has
named the name of Christ as a Latter-day Saint, that can ask for any
more literal testimony than we have, I do not know what he would ask.
He might wish to see some person that had power to bring fire down from
heaven. Should such a person appear, the exercise of that power would
by no means prove that he was a messenger of salvation. Or suppose that
I should see a man capable of raising the dead every hour in a day,
could I merely for that believe he was sent of God? No. Some may think
it strange, but should I see a man come along here and cast his cane
on the floor, and it became a serpent and ran out of the door, would
I any more believe that man to be sent of God? No, I would not. Were
I to see a person fill the air with living creatures, turn the dust
into life, or the river Jordan into blood, do you suppose I would any
more for that consider that man sent of God? Not in the least. There
is but one witness--one testimony, pertaining to the evidence of the
Gospel of the son of God, and that is the Spirit that he diffused among
his disciples. Do his will, and we shall know whether he speaks by the
authority of the Father or of himself. Do as he commands us to do, and
we shall know of the doctrine, whether it is of God or not. It is only
by the revelations of the Spirit that we can know the things of God.
9:2.
Many men and women who have obeyed the Gospel, and have not received
from the Lord these striking testimonies, will say, "Well, I really do
not know that I can tell whether the Gospel is true or not." To all
such I say, Then you are no philosopher at all, for upon the rational
principles of common philosophy you can tell whether it is true or not.
Does it contain the seeds of life? Does it promote the {662} plants and
yield the fruits of life, or does it produce the plants and yield the
fruits of death? Not that I wish to make a mere historical convert, or
a people who believe historically, mathematically, or philosophically;
but I know and understand that the Lord never leaves his children
without a witness. 14:112.
The older portion of this community embraced the truth through the
conviction of it, and prayed unto the Lord for the light of it, and
they received the testimony of the Spirit of God; but our children do
not know the greatness of their blessings and privileges. They are
entitled to the spirit of the Gospel from their mothers' wombs; they
have it with them all the time; they are born in it. 11:215.
A great many come to me and say, "I wish to do exactly as the Lord
shall direct through you, Brother Brigham." If I had the word of
the Lord, I would not dare give it to them, unless I knew it was an
absolute duty. They never would obey it, because they are taught the
word of the Lord here all the time, but do they hearken to it? Those
who have wisdom within themselves, who have in possession the spirit of
the Gospel, know what they hear from this stand. They know truth from
error; they are satisfied, and never ask the Lord to give them more
revelation, but to give them grace to observe and keep what they have
received. 3:338.
Truth commends itself to every honest person, it matters not how
simply it is told, and when it is received it seems as though we had
been acquainted with it all our lives. It is the testimony of the
majority of the Latter-day Saints that when they first heard the
Gospel preached, as contained in the Bible and Doctrine and Covenants,
although entirely new to them, it seemed as though they already
{663} understood it, and that they must have been "Mormons" from the
beginning. 19:42.
I frequently think that the only way for a man to prove any fact in
the world is by experience. We go, for instance, into an orchard and
someone says there is a sweet apple tree, and he may say the same of
other trees, but without tasting, how shall I know they are sweet?
Unless I taste of them I cannot know it. I may take the testimony of
others who have tasted them, as to whether they are sweet, sour or
bitter, but without tasting it cannot prove to my senses that they are
so. Now, as I understand it, it is the same with all facts that have
come to the knowledge of all beings in heaven, or on earth--all facts
are proved and made manifest by their opposite. 13:59.
My testimony is based upon experience, upon my own experience, in
connection with that obtained by observing others. To me it has become
positively true--no doubt remains upon my mind, whatever, as to the
power of the revealed will of heaven to man upon the minds of the
people, when the principles of salvation are set before them by, the
authorized ministers of heaven. The heavenly truth commends itself
to every person's judgment and to their faith; and more especially
to the sense of those who wish to be honest with themselves, with
their God, and with their neighbor. Yet I must admit that all men are
not operated upon alike; the evidence of truth comes more forcibly
to the understandings of some than others. This is owing to numerous
influences. The Gospel may be preached to an individual, and the truth
commend itself to the conscience of that person, creating but a little
faith in its truth, to which there may be an addition made. If persons
can receive a little, it proves they may receive more. If they can
receive {664} the first and second principles with an upright feeling,
they may receive still more, and the words of the prophet be fulfilled.
2:1-2.
My testimony is positive. I know that there are such cities as London,
Paris, and New York--from my own experience or from that of others; I
know that the sun shines, I know that I exist and have a being, and
I testify that there is a God, and that Jesus Christ lives, and that
he is the Savior of the world. Have you been to heaven and learned to
the contrary? I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and that
he had many revelations. Who can disprove this testimony? Any one may
dispute it, but there is no one in the world who can disprove it. I
have had many revelations; I have seen and heard for myself, and know
these things are true, and nobody on earth can disprove them. The eye,
the ear, the hand, all the senses may be deceived, but the Spirit of
God cannot be deceived; and when inspired with that Spirit, the whole
man is filled with knowledge, he can see with a spiritual eye, and
he knows that which is beyond the power of man to controvert. What I
know concerning God, concerning the earth, concerning government, I
have received from the heavens, not alone through my natural ability,
and I give God the glory and the praise. Men talk about what has
been accomplished under my direction, and attribute it to my wisdom
and ability; but it is all by the power of God, and by intelligence
received from him. I say to the whole world, receive the truth, no
matter who presents it to you. 16:46.
_Why Some Men Reject the Gospel--_I have often heard men say they
were convinced that "Mormonism" was true, and that they would cleave to
it; but as for their hearts being converted, it is altogether another
thing. 6:321. {665}
Wherever the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been preached, either in these
or former days, it has met with a class of men to whom the truth looked
lovely and God-like, and the spirit within would prompt them to embrace
it; but they find themselves so advantageously connected in the world,
and have so many interests at stake if they should embrace it, they
conclude that it will not do, and here comes the warfare again. Some
few will overcome the reasonings of the flesh, and follow the dictates
of the spirit; while the great majority of this class of persons are
won over by sordid considerations and cleave to their idols. 11:237.
They-would come now by thousands and thousands, if the Latter-day
Saints were only popular. "What, these honorable men?" Yes, they would
say, "I want to be baptized. I admire your industry, and your skill
in governing. You have a system of governing that is not to be found
anywhere else. You know how to govern cities, territories, or the
world, and I would like to join you." But take care, if you join this
people without the love of God in your soul it will do you no good.
If they were to do this, they would bring in their sophistry, and
introduce that which would poison the innocent and honest and lead them
astray. I look at this, and I am satisfied that it will not do for the
Lord to make this people popular. Why? Because all hell would want to
be in the Church. The people must be kept where the finger of scorn
can be pointed at them. Although it is admitted that we are honest,
industrious, truthful, virtuous, self-denying, and, as a community,
possess every moral excellence, yet we must be looked upon as ignorant
and unworthy, and as the offscouring of society, and be hated by the
world. What is the reason of this? Christ and Baal can not become
friends. When I {666} see this people grow and spread and prosper, I
feel that there is more danger than when they are in poverty. Being
driven from city to city or into the mountains is nothing compared to
the danger of our becoming rich and being hailed by outsiders as a
first-class community. I am afraid of only one thing. What is that?
That we will not live our religion, and that we will partially slide a
little from the path of rectitude, and go part of the way to meet our
friends. 12:272.
_Testimony Not Built Upon a Man_--Some men declare that they wish
to have such confidence in their leaders as not to enquire whether this
or that is right, but to perform what they are bid to do. No man will
have that degree of confidence, unless it is founded in truth. 4:296.
_Joseph Smith a Witness of the Truth_--The Devil and his
emissaries thought if they could only destroy Joseph Smith, that the
system he had laid the foundation to build upon would crumble and fall
to rise no more; but it is evident to all, that since the death of
Joseph, the system has flourished with greater vigor than before, for
where there is a testament in full force, there must also of necessity
be the death of the testator, for a testament is of force after men are
dead. 10:304.
Whosoever confesseth that Joseph Smith was sent of God to reveal
the holy Gospel to the children of men, and lay the foundation for
gathering Israel, and building up the Kingdom of God on the earth, that
spirit is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that God has
sent Joseph Smith, and revealed the everlasting Gospel to and through
him, is of Antichrist, no matter whether it is found in a pulpit or on
a throne. 8:176.
This whole people were cast out for believing that God {667} spake to
Joseph Smith and chose him to be his messenger--his Apostle--to this
generation. I testify to you that we were not cast out for teaching and
practicing the Patriarchal doctrine, as our enemies now declare, for
at that time it had not been published to the world, but it was for
believing, preaching and practicing the doctrines of the New Testament;
for believing in the events to take place in the latter days, as
foretold by the ancient Prophets; and, for believing the declarations
of Joseph Smith, that Jesus was indeed the Christ and the Savior of
all men, but especially of them that believe, and that he had set his
hand the second time to gather his people, to establish his Kingdom,
to build up Zion, redeem Jerusalem, empty the earth of wickedness and
bring in everlasting righteousness. 9:366.
_A Duty to Listen to the Truth_--Do not say, "You are Mormons,
and we do not want to hear anything about you." Wait until you have
searched and researched and have obtained wisdom to understand what we
preach, or to prove it to be untrue. If you cannot prove it untrue and
are not disposed to receive it, let it alone. If it is the work of God,
it will stand. What do you say, outsiders? What do you say, Christian
world and heathen world? If we have the truth to present to you, which
will do you good here and hereafter, which will save you today and
tomorrow and every day, until it saves you in the Kingdom of God and
brings you to a perfect state of felicity and happiness in the presence
of the Father, will you have it? 12:313-314.
In the Christian world, thousands and millions of them are as close to
the truth as any man that ever lived upon the face of the earth, so far
as moral, Christian deportment is concerned. I can find a great many of
this community who live as moral lives as men and women can. Is there
{668} anything else necessary and important? Yes--so to live as to have
the light of the Spirit of truth abiding within you day by day, that
when you hear the truth, you know it as well as you know the faces of
your father's family, and also understand every manifestation produced
by erroneous principles. 6:331. {669}
CHAPTER XXXIX
_THE CHURCH AND KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH_
_Israel_--Who are Israel? They are those who are of the seed of
Abraham, who have received the promise through their forefathers; and
all the rest of the children of men, who receive the truth, are also
Israel. My heart is always drawn out for them, whenever I go to the
throne of grace. 1:107.
Israel is dispersed among all the nations of the earth; the blood of
Ephraim is mixed with the blood of all the earth. Abraham's seed is
mingled with the rebellious seed through the whole world of mankind.
16:75.
The Elders who have arisen in this Church and Kingdom are actually of
Israel. 2:268.
Those islanders and the natives of this country are of the House of
Israel--of the seed of Abraham, and to them pertain the promise; and
every soul of them, sooner or later, will be saved in the Kingdom of
God, or be destroyed root and branch. 6:199.
Again, if a pure Gentile firmly believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
and yields obedience to it, in such a case I will give you the words of
the Prophet Joseph: "The effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to
purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham."
2:269.
We are to build up and establish Zion, gather the House of Israel, and
redeem the nations of the earth. This people have this work to do,
whether we live to see it or not. This is all in our hands. 8:68.
It is obligatory upon us to see that the House of Israel {670} have
the Gospel preached to them; to do all that is in our power to gather
them to the land of their fathers, and to gather up the fulness of the
Gentiles before the Gospel can go with success to the Jews. 12:113.
We are now gathering the children of Abraham who have come through the
loins of Joseph and his sons, more especially through Ephraim, whose
children are mixed among all the nations of the earth. The sons of
Ephraim are wild and uncultivated, unruly, ungovernable. The spirit
in them is turbulent and resolute; they are the Anglo-Saxon race, and
they are upon the face of the whole earth, bearing the spirit of rule
and dictation, to go forth from conquering to conquer. They search wide
creation and scan every nook and corner of this earth to find out what
is upon and within it. I see a congregation of them before me today.
No hardship will discourage these men; they will penetrate the deepest
wilds and overcome almost insurmountable difficulties to develop
the treasures of the earth, to further their indomitable spirit for
adventure. 10:188.
_The Church and the Kingdom_--Out of this Church will grow the
Kingdom which Daniel saw. This is the very people that Daniel saw would
continue to grow and spread and prosper; and if we are not faithful,
others will take our places, for this is the Church and people that
will possess the Kingdom forever and ever. 8:143.
We shall preach on, we shall struggle on until the kingdoms of this
world shall become the Kingdom of our God and his Christ. 11:240.
This is the Kingdom of God on the earth. The people that sit before
me, in connection with the many thousands that are upon the earth, are
the people of God. If we have become so taught that the Lord sees that
we shall be capable {671} of managing, governing, and controlling the
Kingdom of God upon the earth in a more perfect manner than it has been
heretofore, you may rest assured that this people are bound to victory.
Just as fast as we are capable of rightly dispensing the principles of
power, of light, of knowledge, of intelligence, of wealth, of heaven,
and of earth, just so fast will they be bestowed upon this people.
5:327.
If this Gospel goes to the uttermost parts of the earth and fulfils its
destiny as predicted by the Prophets, by Jesus and by the Apostles,
it will eventually swallow up all the good there is on the earth; it
will take every honest, truthful and virtuous man and woman and every
good person and gather them into the fold of this Kingdom, and this
society will enlarge, spread abroad and multiply, and will increase in
knowledge until the members composing it know enough to lengthen out
their days and man's longevity returns, and they begin to live as men
did anciently. 11:303.
What will be the final result of the restoration of the Gospel,
and the destiny of the Latter-day Saints? If they are faithful to
the Priesthood which God has bestowed upon us, the Gospel will
revolutionize the whole world of mankind; the earth will be sanctified,
and God will glorify it, and the Saints will dwell upon it in the
presence of the Father and the Son. 12:113.
_An Object of the Church_--We are exhorted to make our own heaven,
our own paradise, our own Zion. 9:170.
We have an object in view, and that is to gain influence among all the
inhabitants of the earth for the purpose of establishing the Kingdom of
God in its righteousness, power and glory, and to exalt the name of the
Deity, and cause that name by which we live to be revered everywhere
that he may be honored, that his works may be honored, {672} that we
may be honored ourselves, and deport ourselves worthy of the character
of his children. 11:274.
If the Latter-day Saints think, when the Kingdom of God is established
on the earth, that all the inhabitants of the earth will join the
Church called Latter-day Saints, they are mistaken. I presume there
will be as many sects and parties then as now. Still, when the Kingdom
of God triumphs, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that
Jesus is the Christ, to the glory of the Father. Even the Jews will do
it then; but will the Jews and Gentiles be obliged to belong to the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? No; not by any means.
Jesus said to his disciples, "In my Father's house are many mansions;
were it not so I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for
you, that where I am, there ye may be also," etc. There are mansions
in sufficient numbers to suit the different classes of mankind, and a
variety will always exist to all eternity, requiring a classification
and an arrangement into societies and communities in the many mansions
which are in the Lord's house, and this will be so for ever and ever.
Then do not imagine that if the Kingdom of God is established over the
whole earth, all the people will become Latter-day Saints. They will
cease their persecutions against the Church of Jesus Christ, and they
will be willing to acknowledge that the Lord is God, and that Jesus is
the Savior of the world. 11:275.
_The Kingdom of God to Develop Gradually_--The Kingdom we are
talking about, preaching about and trying to build up is the Kingdom
of God on the earth, not in the starry heavens, nor in the sun. We are
trying to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth to which really
and properly everything that pertains to men--their feelings, their
{673} faith, their affections, their desires, and every act of their
lives--belong, that they may be ruled by it spiritually and temporally.
10:328.
In that helpless infant upon its mother's breast we see a man, an
Apostle, a Saint,--yea generations of men with kingdoms, thrones, and
dominions. Then the life of that little frail mortal is fraught with
great and mighty results, and its value is inestimable.
If this be true of an infant, what may we expect to grow out of this
infant Kingdom? We may look forward to all that belongs to greatness
and goodness, to might and power, to dominion and glory. Then how
jealously we ought to guard the rights of this infant power? How
zealous and constant we should be in maintaining its interests and
supporting its laws and sacred institutions! 9:170-171.
We are called to establish the Kingdom of God literally, just as much
as we are spiritually. If we do not build it up in a temporal point of
view, we will not accomplish what we are called to do; we will come
short of our duty, and be removed out of the way, and others will be
called to succeed us who will perform the labor we are called to do.
10:332.
I do not believe that the City of Enoch made greater advancement, in
the same period of time, than this people have done in the twenty-six
years of their career, which is saying a great deal for them. 3:374.
_The Effect of the Kingdom of God_--What is the Kingdom of God
going to accomplish on the earth? It will revolutionize not only the
United States, but the whole world, and will go forth from the morning
to the evening, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the
same, so shall be the ushering forth of the Gospel until the whole
{674} earth is deluged with it, and the righteous are gathered. 2:190.
No unrighteous person, no person who is filthy in their feelings will
ever enter into the Kingdom of God. 3:275.
As this Kingdom of God grows, spreads, increases, and prospers in its
course, it will cleanse, thoroughly purge, and purify the world from
wickedness. He who supposes his house to be built upon a rock, and well
calculated to withstand any test that may be applied to it, finds, when
it is tried by the Gospel of the Kingdom, that its foundation proves
to be sand, and the whole fabric appears nothing in which a man may
securely trust for salvation. 1:190.
When the Kingdom of God is fully set up and established on the face
of the earth, and takes the preeminence over all other nations and
kingdoms, it will protect the people in the enjoyment of all their
rights, no matter what they believe, what they profess, or what they
worship. If they wish to worship a god of their own workmanship,
instead of the true and living God, all right, if they will mind their
own business and let other people alone. 2:310.
If we wish this Church and Kingdom of God upon earth, to be like a
fine, healthy, growing tree, we should be careful not to let the dead
branches remain too long. 3:274.
_Government of the Kingdom of God_--Every kingdom will be blotted
out of existence, except the one whose ruling spirit is the Holy Ghost,
and whose king is the Lord. 2:124.
It may be asked what I mean by the Kingdom of God. The Church of Jesus
Christ has been established now for many years, and the Kingdom of God
has got to be established, even that Kingdom which will circumscribe
all the kingdoms of this world. It will yet give laws to every nation
that exists upon the earth. This is the Kingdom that {675} Daniel,
the Prophet, saw should be set up in the last days. What Daniel saw
should come to pass in the latter times is believed by nearly all the
religious societies of Christendom. The only great difference between
us and them is in the method of its establishment. 11:275.
When this Kingdom is organized in any age, the Spirit of it dwells
in the hearts of the faithful, while its visible department exists
among the people, with laws, ordinances, helps, governments, officers,
administrators, and every other appendage necessary for its complete
operation to the attainment of the end in view. 10:18.
The Lord designs to build up a Kingdom that will be both a spiritual
and temporal Kingdom upon the earth. The earth and the kingdoms thereof
will be given unto the Saints of the Most High God. Will they be
rich then? Do you not think they will possess the gold mines and the
treasures of the earth? Yes. But some cry out, "That is not yet." That
is right. How long will it be until then? As soon as we are prepared to
receive them. 10:332.
If we ever attain faith enough to obtain the Kingdom of God, as we
anticipate, we shall obtain all the wealth there is for this Kingdom
in time and eternity. We shall not rob other kingdoms, but we shall
possess the eternity of matter that lies in the path of the onward
progress of this Kingdom, and still eternity and its fulness will
continue to stretch out before us. The great powers of eternal wisdom
will be exercised to enhance the wealth, beauty, excellency and glory
of this Kingdom, previous to its being introduced into the presence of
the Father and the Son. This work we have to help perform. 10:301.
I have learned years ago that the Lord stands at the helm that guides
Zion's ship. He is its Dictator; and unless {676} we work exactly to
the line that is marked out by him, our works will be in vain. This
has been my experience from the beginning. In every branch and avenue
of our lives we must learn to work to the line of truth. It is for us
to know what ought to be done, and then do it. Though there should be
no earthly prospect of accomplishing it, we can certainly try; and if
we try with all our might, that act will prove at least a resolute
and determined mind, adorned with patience and perseverance. And if,
with all our resolute endeavors we are still unable to accomplish our
purpose, the Lord will be very likely to stretch forth his hand and
give the victory. 6:315.
If this people live to the principles they have embraced, they will
be capable of counselling the nations; for we build upon a just
foundation, and our principles are truth, righteousness, and holiness.
Let us stand by those principles until they crush out folly from these
valleys, and we become teachers of wisdom to the nations. 7:66.
_It Will Continue_--All is right. God can carry on his own work.
This Kingdom will stand forever. 8:69.
The Lord will never suffer this people to dwindle down, and be hid up
in a corner; it cannot be; neither does he want any person to help them
but himself. 1:364.
God has commenced to set up his Kingdom on the earth, and all hell and
its devils are moving against it. Hell is yawning and sending forth its
devils and their imps. What for? To destroy the Kingdom of God from the
earth. But they cannot do it. 5:75.
The soldiers of the Lord are in the mountains, in the canyons, upon the
plains, on the hills, along the mighty streams, and by the rivulets.
Thousands and thousands {677} more are for us than those who are
against us, and you need not have any fears. 5:57.
My heart is comforted. I behold the people of God, that they have been
hunted, cast out, driven from the face of men. The powers of earth and
hell have striven to destroy this Kingdom from the earth. The wicked
have succeeded in doing so in former ages; but this Kingdom they
cannot destroy, because it is the last dispensation--because it is the
fulness of times. It is the dispensation of all dispensations, and will
excel in magnificence and glory every dispensation that has ever been
committed to the children of men upon the earth. The Lord will bring
again Zion, redeem his Israel, plant his standard upon the earth, and
establish the laws of his Kingdom, and those laws will prevail. 8:36.
If there are any hearts or spirits in this city, or elsewhere, that
are fearfully wondering whether or not we are going to be destroyed,
or whether this Church will endure and become the mighty power in the
earth, according to the predictions of the servants of God, I will say
to all such trembling souls, you need entertain no such fears. You need
have only one fear, and that is with regard to yourselves, lest you
should leave the light that the Lord has imparted to you and wander
into darkness, returning to the beggarly elements of the world, lusting
again after the things of the world in their sinful state. 19:3.
We cannot help being Saints; we cannot prevent the rolling forth of
the work of God; in and of ourselves we have no power to control our
own minds and passions; but the grace of God is sufficient to give us
perfect victory. The power of the Lord our God helps us, and the Devil
and his emissaries help us--the one on the one hand, the other on {678}
the other hand. We have power to receive the truth or reject it, and we
have power to reject the evil or receive it. 8:226.
When the wicked have power to blow out the sun, that it shines no more;
when they have power to bring to a conclusion the operations of the
elements, suspend the whole system of nature, and make a footstool of
the throne of the Almighty, they may then think to check "Mormonism"
in its course, and thwart the unalterable purposes of heaven. Men may
persecute the people who believe its doctrines, report and publish
lies to bring tribulation upon their heads, earth and hell may unite
in one grand league against it, and exert their malicious powers to
the utmost, but it will stand as firm and immovable in the midst of
it all as the pillars of eternity. Men may persecute the Prophet, and
those who believe and uphold him, they may drive the Saints and kill
them, but this does not affect the truths of "Mormonism" one iota,
for they will stand when the elements melt with fervent heat, the
heavens are wrapt up like a scroll, and the solid earth is dissolved.
"Mormonism" stands upon the eternal basis of omnipotence. Jehovah is
the "Mormonism" of this people, their Priesthood and their power; and
all who adhere to it will, in the appointed day, come up into the
presence of the King Eternal, and receive a crown of life. 1:88.
_The Business of Latter-day Saints_--Our work is to bring forth
Zion, and produce the Kingdom of God in its perfection and beauty upon
the earth. 9:293.
We have no business here other than to build up and establish the
Zion of God. It must be done according to the will and law of God,
after that pattern and order by which Enoch built up and perfected the
former-day Zion, which {679} was taken away to heaven, hence the saying
went abroad that Zion had fled. By and by it will come back again,
and as Enoch prepared his people to be worthy of translation, so we,
through our faithfulness, must prepare ourselves to meet Zion from
above when it shall return to earth, and to abide the brightness and
glory of its coming. 18:356.
I have Zion in my view constantly. We are not going to wait for angels,
or for Enoch and his company to come and build up Zion, but we are
going to build it. We will raise our wheat, build our houses, fence
our farms, plant our vineyards and orchards, and produce everything
that will make our bodies comfortable and happy, and in this manner we
intend to build up Zion on the earth and purify it and cleanse it from
all pollutions. Let there be an hallowed influence go from us over all
things over which we have any power; over the soil we cultivate, over
the houses we build, and over everything we possess; and if we cease to
hold fellowship with that which is corrupt and establish the Zion of
God in our hearts, in our own houses, in our cities, and throughout our
country, we shall ultimately overcome the earth, for we are the lords
of the earth; and, instead of thorns and thistles, every useful plant
that is good for the food of man and to beautify and adorn will spring
from its bosom. 9:284.
_Individual Labor Required in the Kingdom of God_--We have all
kinds of fish in the Gospel net. 3:120.
The Lord will have a tried people. 16:28.
To be a Saint in the full sense of the word, is to be something very
nearly perfect. If, however, we are striving to the utmost of the
ability God has given us to prove that we are willing to serve him and
perform our duties, we are justified. We have the Kingdom of God to
build up, Zion {680} to redeem; we have to sanctify ourselves so that
we may be prepared to be caught up with the Church of the Firstborn,
and if we improve every day and hour, then if we die we shall be found
justified. But if we continue to live, we must become Saints in very
deed, or come short of the fulness of the glory of God that is to be
revealed. 16:41.
Many Latter-day Saints think when they have obeyed the Gospel, made a
sacrifice in forsaking their homes, perhaps their parents, husbands,
wives, children, farms, native lands, or other things held dear, that
the work is done; but it is only just commenced. The work of purifying
ourselves and preparing to build up the Zion of God on this continent
has only just begun with us when we have got as far as that. 13:313.
A great many think that the Kingdom of God is going to bless them and
exalt them, without any efforts on their part. This is not so. Every
man and woman is expected to aid the work with all the ability God has
given them. Each person belonging to the human family has a portion of
labor to perform in removing the curse from the earth and from every
living thing upon it. When this work is performed, then will they
possess all things. 10:301.
We have no correct individual interest separate from this Kingdom; if
we have true interest at all, it is in the Kingdom of God. 3:154.
_The Kingdom of God or Nothing_--When the Kingdom of God is
established, if each member of that Kingdom singly and individually
will do his or her duty it will take care of itself, for it is a
living, self-moving, self-sustaining, independent and heaven-ordained
establishment. 11:249.
The Kingdom of God is all that is real worth. All else is not worth
possessing, either here or hereafter. Without {681} it, all else would
be like a dry tree prepared for the burning--it is all consumed and the
ashes are driven to the four winds. 8:185.
To me it is the Kingdom of God or nothing upon the earth. Without it
I would not give a farthing for the wealth, glory, prestige and power
of all the world combined; for like the dew upon the grass, it passeth
away and is forgotten, and like the flower of the grass it withereth,
and is not. Death levels the most powerful monarch with the poorest
starving mendicant; and both must stand before the judgment seat of
Christ to answer for the deeds done in the body. 11:126.
With us, it is the Kingdom of God, or nothing; and we will maintain it,
or die in trying--though we shall not die in trying. It is comforting
to many to be assured that we shall not die in trying; but we shall
live in trying. We will maintain the Kingdom of God, living; and if we
do not maintain it, we shall be found dying not only a temporal, but
also an eternal death. Then take a course to live. 5:342.
If you give anything for the building up of the Kingdom of God, give
the best you have. What is the best thing you have to devote to the
Kingdom of God? It is the talents God has given you. How many? Every
one of them. What beautiful talents! What a beautiful gift! It is more
precious than fine gold that I can stand here and give you my ideas,
and you can rise up and tell me what you think and feel, and thus
exchange our ideas. It is one of the precious gifts bestowed upon human
beings. Let us devote every qualification we are in possession of to
the building up of God's Kingdom, and you will accomplish the whole of
it. 8:346. {682}
CHAPTER XL
_SOME EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL_
_The Nature of the Gospel_--We have Zion in our view in her
perfection. 4:270.
All knowledge and wisdom and every good that the heart of man can
desire is within the circuit and circle of the faith we have embraced.
13:150.
The design of the Gospel is to reveal the secrets of the hearts of the
children of men. 3:47-48.
Is there war in our religion? No; neither war nor bloodshed. Yet our
enemies cry out "bloodshed," and "Oh, what dreadful men these Mormons
are, and those Danites! how they slay and kill!" Such is all nonsense
and folly in the extreme. The wicked slay the wicked, and they will lay
it on the Saints. 12:30.
We offer life and salvation to the whole human family in the Gospel of
the Son of God, and if they are not disposed to receive it they will
suffer the consequence. It is for the Latter-day Saints to live their
religion. 12:315.
Do you know that here is the standard, the nucleus, the fountain, the
head for all the exercises of the Kingdom of God upon the face of the
whole earth? Now, let the Saints in this congregation droop in their
faith, and that spirit will spread before tomorrow morning throughout
the vast domain of this creation. Every Elder that goes abroad is
a witness of this fact. This spirit spreads through a telegraphic
influence or force that is independent of wires. Let this people at the
gathering-place wake out of their slumbers, gird on their armour, and
go forth like men of {683} war against wickedness, and every Branch
throughout the Church feels the influence in a very short time--it is
speedily imparted to all creation. The wires, as it were, are set, the
lightnings flash over them, and all feel the influence, when we are
doing our duty here. It all depends upon us here. 8:184.
The Gospel of life and salvation is the best institution that we,
as mortal beings, can invest in. Go into the financial circles of
the world, and you will find men gather and project their plans for
business, for railroads, for ship companies, for merchandizing, and
various other pursuits. You will see those engaged in these companies
associate together, confer with each other, lay their plans before each
other, investigate them, scan every branch, and every part and particle
of their business. We are engaged in a higher-toned branch of business
than any merchants or railroad men, or any institution of an earthly
nature, and it is pleasing to see the Latter-day Saints meet together
to talk over this matter, and to learn the course they should pursue to
gain the object of their pursuit. If an inquiry arises in any of your
minds with regard to this, I will answer it by saying that we are in
pursuit of all there is before us--life, light, wealth, intelligence,
all that can be possessed on the earth by mortal man, and then in a
higher state, where there will be a more perfect development of the
smattering knowledge than we received here, and all that can be enjoyed
by intelligent beings in the celestial kingdoms of our God. 15:34.
The Latter-day Saints are a very peculiar people, and they are led
in a peculiar way. We are brought into circumstances so as to be a
stumbling block to the nations, through the failings and weaknesses
of the Latter-day {684} Saints. Jesus was a stumbling block to the
nation of the Jews, and to the generation in which he lived, and to
all that knew him, and how singular it is that Jesus Christ, at this
late day, and at such a distance from the theater of his operations,
should have attained such celebrity and fame; even his disciples are
not only canonized, but almost deified, and looked upon as though they
were Gods come down to dwell with men. Every circumstance connected
with the Savior's life is looked upon as being divine. Christendom
now acknowledge that Jesus was the Son of God; they look upon him as
God manifested in the flesh according to the New Testament; yet the
generation in which he lived did not see these tokens of divinity
which this generation recognize. To them he was a "root out of dry
ground"--"a stumbling block," "a rock of offense." So with the
Latter-day Saints. They are a stumbling block to this generation. The
world see all their weaknesses and faults, and see no divinity in
the work in which they are engaged. Yet this is not to be wondered
at, inasmuch as the world could not see it in Jesus when he dwelt in
mortality. We are looked upon as a low, degraded, ignorant set of
fanatics. This is the opinion of the great majority of the learned and
refined world. Others say that our people are the dupes of a few. We do
not claim to be very wise, but we do know that that portion of mankind
called Christians in our day, who profess to be followers of the meek
and lowly Jesus, are grossly ignorant of his character, and of the
means and way of salvation which he offers to the world. The Latter-day
Saints, as a people, may not be so far advanced in the knowledge of
many of the sciences, as their neighbors; but they are learning how to
take care of themselves, which is one of the greatest arts known to
man. When the most learned {685} and scientific among men scrutinize
their own lives and experience, they are under the necessity of
acknowledging that they are faulty, weak, ignorant; they are "strangers
from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the
world." 12:206-207.
There are professing Christians in our midst, who are so strict in
their religious notions that they would rise in the morning at five
o'clock and walk miles, if necessary, rather than miss their religious
services; and they are those who are so zealous that they would measure
the soil from here into old Jerusalem with their bodies if they
could, to pay penance, as they call it. God does not require any such
sacrifices as this; neither does he require any of these sacrifices
which involve the shedding of blood or the loss of life. Such things do
not belong to God's religion, they come through sin and transgression.
Perhaps they who show such manifestations of their faith strengthen it
and do themselves some good. All that is required of us is to sacrifice
our feelings and to overcome the adversary by subduing the lust within
us for anything but the Kingdom of God on the earth, the glory of God,
and the salvation of our friends and families and of the human family
from first to last; that our whole souls may be devoted to the building
up of the Kingdom of God on the earth, and for the salvation of those
who sleep, who died without the Gospel. 18:238.
Our religion is called "Mormonism" because the ancient records revealed
to Joseph Smith were entitled, the Book of Mormon, according to the
instructions given to him by the Lord; but I will call it the Plan of
Salvation devised in the heavens for the redemption of mankind from
sin, and their restoration to the presence of God. {686}
It embraces every fact there is in the heavens and in the heaven of
heavens--every fact there is upon the surface of the earth, in the
bowels of the earth, and in the starry heavens; in fine, it embraces
all truth there is in all the eternities of the Gods. 9:149.
_Some of the Effects of the Gospel_--The religion that we have
embraced teaches us to prepare to live. 5:257.
But "Mormonism" has opened up light. Removing the curtain from the
broad sunshine, it has lighted up the souls of hundreds of thousands,
and they have been made to rejoice in the light of truth. 8:129.
With all the rest of the good that you can commit to memory, be sure
to recollect that the Gospel of salvation is expressly designed to
make Saints of sinners, to overcome evil with good, to make holy, good
men of wicked, bad men, and to make better men of good. Wherein we
are wicked; wherein we have evil passions, the Gospel will aid us in
overcoming evil. It gives us the influence, the power, the knowledge,
the wisdom, and the understanding to overcome our weaknesses and to
purify ourselves before the Lord our God. 8:160.
When people receive the Gospel, their minds are opened; they see Zion
in its glory; but they do not see the troubles on the plains, or the
troubles with false brethren. 8:71.
What are the fruits of this Gospel when it is received into the hearts
of an individual? It will make a bad man good, and a good man better;
it increases their light, knowledge, and intelligence, and enables them
to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth, as the Savior did,
until they understand men and things, the world and its doctrines,
whether Christian, heathen or pagan, and will ultimately {687} lead
them to knowledge of things in heaven, on the earth or under the earth.
13:144.
Our religion teaches us truth, virtue, holiness, faith in God and
in his Son Jesus Christ. It reveals mysteries, it brings to mind
things past and present--unfolding clearly things to come. It is the
foundation of mechanism; it is the spirit that gives intelligence to
every living being upon the earth. All true philosophy originates
from that Fountain from which we draw wisdom, knowledge, truth, and
power. What does it teach us? To love God and our fellow creatures--to
be compassionate, full of mercy, long-suffering, and patient to the
froward and to those who are ignorant. There is a glory in our religion
that no other religion that has ever been established upon the earth,
in the absence of the true Priesthood, ever possessed. It is the
fountain of all intelligence; it is to bring heaven to earth and exalt
earth to heaven, to prepare all intelligence that God has placed in
the hearts of the children of men--to mingle with the intelligence
which dwells in eternity, and to elevate the mind above the trifling
and frivolous objects of time, which tend downward to destruction.
It frees the mind of man from darkness and ignorance, gives him that
intelligence that flows from heaven, and qualifies him to comprehend
all things. This is the character of the religion we believe in.
7:140-141.
Our belief will bring peace to all men and good will to all the
inhabitants of the earth. It will induce all who sincerely follow its
dictates to cultivate righteousness and peace; to live peaceably in
their families; to praise the Lord morning and evening; to pray with
their families, and will so fill them with the spirit of peace that
they will never condemn or chasten any one unless it is well deserved.
{688} They will rise in the morning with their spirits as smooth and
serene as the sun that is rising and giving life and heat to the world;
just as calm and as smooth as the breezes on a summer evening. No
anger, no wrath, no malice, contention or strife. If a wrong arises,
the party wronged will go to his neighbor and quietly investigate
whether wrong was designed; and if the seeming transgressor is living
according to the spirit of his religion, it will be found that he had
designed no wrong, and that he will make ample amends, forgiveness will
be accorded, and the trouble will end. This is the spirit and teaching
of the Gospel.
How will perfection be obtained? By all persons in the Kingdom of God
living so as to be revelators from the heavens for themselves and for
all they preside over, that everything they have to perform in this
life--every worldly care and duty, and all their walk and conversation
before each other and before the Lord, may be marked out by the spirit
of revelation. Is this the way to perfection? It is. This is the Gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ; this is the Gospel of life and salvation.
13:215.
We ought to understand that when our lives have been filled with all
manner of wickedness, to turn and repent of our sins, to be baptized
for the remission of them, and have our names written upon the Church
records, does not prepare us for the presence of our Father and Elder
Brother. What will? A continuation of faithfulness to the doctrines of
Christ; nothing short of this will do it. 3:193-194.
It is very fortunate for those who receive this Gospel and the spirit
of it in their hearts, for it awakes within them a desire to know and
understand the things of God more than they ever did before in their
lives, and they begin to inquire, read and search, and when they go to
the {689} Father in the name of Jesus he will not leave them without a
witness. 14:135.
When people receive this Gospel, what do they sacrifice? Why, death
for life. This is what they give: darkness for light, error for truth,
doubt and unbelief for knowledge and the certainty of the things of
God. 16:1061.
The Saints in all ages have been protected, sustained and upheld by
an Almighty Power in their sufferings, and the power of the religion
of Jesus Christ has ever sustained them. The Jews anciently said, Let
his blood be upon us and upon our children, and God took them at their
word. 10:287.
You may as well undertake to terrify the Almighty on his throne, as to
terrify a Latter-day Saint of the true stripe--one who has the true
blood in him. 2:313.
The sound of the Gospel of life and salvation, to gather the House of
Israel and redeem the children of men, is a terror to all nations. 8:13.
No blessing that is sealed upon us will do us any good, unless we live
for it. 11:117.
_Personal Joy in the Gospel_--With me "Mormonism" is, "Out with
the truth." 3:255.
The great object of my life is to establish the Kingdom of God upon the
earth. 11:275.
It may be asked whether I have any idols? Yes, I have most darling
idols--my God and my religion, and they are all the idols I wish to
have. 9:106.
I feel happy. "Mormonism" has made me all I am, and the grace, the
power, and the wisdom of God will make me all that I ever will be,
either in time or eternity. 8:162.
You hear many talk about having made sacrifices; if I had that word in
my vocabulary I would blot it out. I have {690} never yet made what I
call sacrifices; in my experience I know nothing about making them.
3:223.
Again, I say, if "Mormonism" is not all I anticipated it to be, it is
nothing. If it is not in me, and I in it, if it is not all and in all
to me, I am deceived in myself. It is everything in heaven and on earth
to those who possess it truly. 2:128.
Our religion has been a continual feast to me. With me it is Glory!
Hallelujah! Praise God! instead of sorrow and grief. Give me the
knowledge, power, and blessings that I have the capacity of receiving,
and I do not care how the Devil originated, nor anything about him; I
want the wisdom, knowledge, and power of God. Give me the religion that
lifts me higher in the scale of intelligence--that gives me the power
to endure--that when I attain the state of peace and rest prepared
for the righteous, I may enjoy to all eternity the society of the
sanctified. 8:119.
The last time I spoke to you here I told you that I found my religion
just as sweet to me in my private capacity, in my secret meditations
upon my bed, and in my closet, in my office, or with my family, as it
is when I am in this stand. I love it as well--esteem it as highly;
it is as precious to my understanding, and it invigorates, buoys up,
strengthens, and fills every power of my capacity with unspeakable joy,
just as much at home as it does here. I hope this is the case with you
all. If you live your religion, it is as dear to you when you are out
of this Tabernacle as when you are here. 8:38.
I am happy; I am full of joy, comfort, and peace; all within me is
light, for I desire nothing but to do the will of my Father in heaven.
I delight not in unrighteousness, but in righteousness and truth. I
seek to promote the good and {691} happiness of myself and those with
whom I am associated. 6:40.
My business is to save the people, not to oppress, plunder, and destroy
them. It is also the duty of all the Elders to labor to save the
people. 7:229.
I am so thankful that tongue cannot express what I feel, that I have
the privilege of associating with the Saints, and of being a member in
the Kingdom of God, and that I have friends in the Church of the Living
God. 10:314.
I can say that I do not consider that I have ever suffered anything for
this Kingdom--nothing in the least. I have never sacrificed anything,
without it be the evil propensities that are sown in our nature,
springing from the seed that was sown at the fall. 8:67.
The Lord has blessed me; he has always blessed me; from the time I
commenced to build up Zion, I have been extremely blessed. I could
relate circumstances of so extraordinary a character in regard to the
providences of God to me, that my brethren and sisters would say in
their hearts, "I can hardly give credence to this." But my heart has
been set in me to do the will of God, to build up his Kingdom on the
earth, to establish Zion and its laws, and to save the people; and
I can say, truly and honestly, that the thought never came into my
mind, in all my labors, what my reward will be, or whether my crown
would be large or small, or any crown at all, a small possession, a
large possession, or no possession. I have never had any thoughts or
reflections upon this, or cared the first thing about it. All that I
have had in my mind has been that it was my duty to do the will of God,
and to labor to establish his Kingdom on the earth. I do not love,
serve or fear the Lord for the sake of getting rid of being damned, nor
for the sake of {692} getting some great gift or blessing in eternity,
but purely because the principles which God has revealed for the
salvation of the inhabitants of the earth are pure, holy and exalting
in their nature. In them there is honor and eternal increase, they lead
on from light to light, strength to strength, glory to glory, knowledge
to knowledge, and power to power. 16:70.
"Mormonism" has done everything for me that ever has been done for
me on the earth; it has made me happy; it has made me wealthy and
comfortable; it has filled me with good feelings, with joy and
rejoicing. Whereas, before I possessed the spirit of the Gospel I was
troubled with that which I hear others complain of, that is, with,
at times, feeling cast down, gloomy, and despondent; with everything
wearing to me, at times, a dreary aspect.
But have the trees, the streams, the rocks, or any part of creation
worn a gloomy aspect to me for one half minute since I came in
possession of the spirit of this Gospel? No, though before that time I
might view the most beautiful gardens, buildings, cities, plantations,
or anything else in nature, yet to me they all wore at times a shade of
death.
They appeared at times as though a vail was brooding over them, which
cast a dark shade upon all things, like the shade of the valley of
death, and I felt lonesome and bad. But since I have embraced the
Gospel not for one half minute, to the best of my recollection, has
anything worn to me a gloomy aspect; under all circumstances I have
felt pleasant and cheerful.
When surrounded by mobs, with death and destruction threatening on
every hand, I am not aware but that I felt just as joyful, just as well
in my spirit, as I do now. Prospects might appear dull and very dark,
but I have never {693} seen a time in this Gospel but what I knew that
the result would be beneficial to the cause of truth and the lovers of
righteousness, and I have always felt to joyfully acknowledge the hand
of the Lord in all things. 3:320.
I present myself before this congregation as a teacher of the way of
life and salvation. 10:318.
Permit me to say, that I am proud of my religion. It is the only thing
I pride myself in, on the earth. I may heap up gold and silver like the
mountains; I may gather around me property, goods and chattels, but
I could have no glory in that, compared with my religion; it is the
fountain of light and intelligence; it swallows up the truth contained
in all the philosophy of the world, both heathen and Christian; it
circumscribes the wisdom of man; all the wisdom and power of the world;
it reaches to that within the veil. Its bounds, its circumference, its
end, its height, and depth, are beyond the comprehension of mortals,
for it has none. 1:39.
I have an impulse within me to preach the Gospel of salvation. 4:43.
God, angels, and good men being my helpers, I will never cease to
contend, inch by inch, until we gain the ground and possess the
Kingdom. That is my feeling and faith, and we will accomplish it. I
will prophesy, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we will
possess the Kingdom of God upon the whole earth, and possess the earth.
8:166.
I know enough to let the Kingdom alone, and do my duty. It carries me,
I do not carry the Kingdom. I sail in the old ship Zion, and it bears
me safely above the raging elements; I have my sphere of action and
duties to perform {694} on board of that ship; to faithfully perform
them should be my constant and unceasing endeavor. 11:252.
For nearly thirty years I have sought to know the truth, and to
properly understand the principles of the holy Priesthood revealed from
heaven through the Prophet Joseph; and I have ceased not, when I have
had an opportunity, at the proper time and in the proper place, to
present those principles to my fellow-men. 7:131.
I love to fight the devils, but I love to overcome them. 3:224.
We have forsaken the kingdom of darkness, have come out in open
rebellion to the power of the Devil on this earth, and I for one will
fight him, so help me God, as long as there is breath in my body, and
do all in my power to overthrow his government and rule. And if he
complains that I am infringing upon his ground, I shall very politely
ask him to go to his own place, where he belongs. If any among this
community want to sustain the government of the Devil, in preference
to the Kingdom of God, I wish them to go where they belong. I want to
sustain the government of heaven, and shall stick fast to it, by the
help of God. If we sustain it, it will build us up and crown us with
victory and eternal life. 10:41.
But I am proud to say of my religion, I have studied it faithfully for
twenty-two years, day and night, at home and abroad, upon the rivers,
and upon the lakes, when travelling by sea and by land; have studied it
in the pulpit; from morning till night; whatsoever might be my pursuit,
I have studied it with as close an application as any college student
ever did any subject he wished to commit to memory; and I can say I
have only just got into the A B C of it; it leads the vision of my mind
into eternity. 1:39. {695}
_Blessings Conditioned Upon Good Works_--Every blessing the Lord
proffers to his people is on conditions. These conditions are: "Obey my
law, keep my commandments, walk in my ordinances, observe my statutes,
love mercy, preserve the law that I have given to you inviolate,
keep yourselves pure in the law, and then you are entitled to these
blessings, and not until then." 16:162.
Good actions always result in blessings. The history of the people
of God in all ages testifies that whenever they have listened to the
counsel of heaven they have always been blessed. All this people are
satisfied that they will be more blessed to hearken to good counsel
than not to do so. 12:122.
Brethren and sisters, if we wish the blessings of heaven upon us,
let us be faithful to our covenants and callings, faithful in paying
tithing, in keeping the Word of Wisdom and in building temples. 16:69.
If the brethren will take hold and perform the labors devolving upon
them, they shall be blessed in them. They will increase in health and
in wealth. The Lord will bless the people in proportion as they bless
themselves. 16:68.
I wish the people could realize that they walk, live, and abide in the
presence of the Almighty. The faithful shall have eyes to see as they
are seen, and you shall behold that you are in the midst of eternity
and in the presence of holy beings, and be enabled ere long to enjoy
their society and presence. You are greatly blessed. 8:200.
Do just as well as you know how in all things, never permitting
yourself to commit an act unless the Spirit of God within you justifies
you in doing it. And if you live every day of your lives according
to the best light and understanding you possess, glorifying God, our
Heavenly {696} Father, just as far as your knowledge extends, I will
promise you eternal life in the Kingdom of God. 19:220.
The man, or the woman, that mainly looks after the fruit, after
the luxuries of life, good food, fine apparel and at the same time
professes to be a Latter-day Saint, if he does not get that spirit
out of his heart, it will obtain a perfect victory over him; whereas
he is required to obtain a victory over his lusts and over his unwise
feelings. 4:52.
_Increasing Blessings_--Instead of the righteous being bound
tighter and tighter, they will continue to have more and more liberty,
as we are more and more faithful, and obtain more power with the
heavens and more of the power of God upon us. Let us seek diligently
unto the Lord, until we obtain the faith of Jesus in its fulness, for
those who possess this are free indeed. 10:288.
If the Lord had a people on the earth that he had perfect confidence
in, there is not a blessing in the eternities of our God, that they
could bear in the flesh, that he would not pour out upon them. Tongue
cannot tell the blessings the Lord has for a people who have proved
themselves before him. 4:79.
The greatest blessing that can be bestowed on the children of men is
power to civilize themselves after the order of the civilization of the
heavens--to prepare themselves to dwell with heavenly beings who are
capable of enduring the presence of the Gods. 8:7.
"Mormonism" keeps men and women young and handsome; and when they are
full of the Spirit of God, there are none of them but what will have a
glow upon their countenances; and that is what makes you and me young;
for the Spirit of God is with us and within us. 5:210.
_Personal Blessings Upon the People_--Brethren and {697} sisters,
may God bless you! I bless you all the time, Hallelujah! Praise the
name of Israel's God; for my soul exults in his name. 6:100.
I will say to you, my brethren and sisters, I bless you. I bless you
according to the Priesthood that I hold and the keys thereof. I bless
you in the name of Jesus Christ. 16:170.
God bless you! Peace be with you, and love be multiplied upon the
people. I pray for the good all over the earth. My desire is to see the
Kingdom of God prosper. 15:134.
May God bless you! Peace be upon you! Be fervent in spirit, humble,
teachable, and prayerful, taking care of yourselves, endeavoring to
save yourselves, and all you have any influence over, which is my
continual prayer for you, in the name of Jesus. Amen. 1:111.
Brethren and sisters, inasmuch as I have the right and privilege,
through the Priesthood, I bless you in the name of the Lord, and say,
be you blessed. These are my feelings to the Latter-day Saints, and
would be to all the human family, if they would receive my blessings,
in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 2:10.
May the Lord God Almighty bless the Saints, and every one who will
permit his blessings to come upon them. I am under the same obligations
to bless sinners as I am to bless Saints, if they will receive my
blessings. I pray for the blessings of heaven upon the work of his
hands, for we are all his children--the sons and daughters of our
Parent who dwells in the heavens. 8:261.
God bless every good man. God bless the works of nature, God bless his
own work, overthrow the wicked and ungodly and them that would destroy
their fellow beings, that war and contentions may cease on the earth. O
Lord, {698} remove these from office and place good men at the head of
the nations, that they may learn war no more, but go to, like rational
and civilized beings, sustain peace on the earth and do good to each
other. 12:289.
God bless you, and I pray that you may be blessed; but I pray you to
bless yourselves. Brethren and sisters, let us bless ourselves, by
doing the will of God, then we are right. 16:71.
I have experienced much in my life, and I will not ask you to do any
better by one another, nor by me, than I do by you, and I will bless
you all the time. I feel to bless you continually; my life is here,
my interest, my glory, my pride, my comfort, my all are here, and all
I expect to have, to all eternity is wrapped up in the midst of this
Church.
If I do not get it in this channel; I shall not have it at all. How
do you suppose I feel? I feel as a father should feel towards his
children. I have felt so for many years, even when I durst not say so;
I have felt as a mother feels towards her tender offspring, and durst
not express my feelings; but I have tried to carry out their expression
in my life. May God bless, you. Amen. 4:333.
I do not hate any man on earth or in hell. The worst wish I have for
the wicked is that they may be obliged to live according to good and
wholesome laws. 8:43.
There is not a man or woman on this earth that I hate; but I do
most cordially hate their wicked acts. I am at war with false
principles--with wickedness, sin, and abomination; and I expect to
continue my warfare until I overcome. 7:6.
I feel happy; I feel at peace with all the inhabitants of the earth;
I love my friends, and as for my enemies, I pray for them daily; and
if they do not believe I would do them {699} good, let them call at my
house, when they are hungry, and I will feed them; yea, I will do good
to those who despitefully use and persecute me. I pray for them, and
bless my friends all the time. 11:111.
If I had power, I certainly would bless the people with everything
their hearts could wish if they would not sin. I would do, as I heard
the mothers of some of my children say that went with me to St. George
this winter, that I indulged them in every thing they wanted. Why?
Because they never manifested a desire for anything wrong. And if
it were in my power I would bless all the inhabitants of the earth,
with everything in which they could glorify God, and purify their own
hearts. 18:362.
God bless you, my children, my little ones. I love you, I am a great
lover of children and innocence and purity, and I am a hater of
iniquity. I think very frequently, in looking upon the actions of
men that I do not have compassion enough; but when I see the wolf
among the lambs I am after them, to see that they do not destroy the
lambs. I would have given worlds if I could have known the truth in
my childhood, as I now hear it. I had a great desire to know it, and
the priests were after me from the time I was eight years of age. I
was infidel to their creeds, but not to the Bible, not to God, not to
holiness, but to the creeds of the children of men I was infidel, and
am to this day. I say, God bless you, my children. 19:65. {700}
CHAPTER XLI
_JOSEPH SMITH_
_A Prophet of God_--I honor and revere the name of Joseph Smith. I
delight to hear it; I love it. I love his doctrine. 13:216.
What I have received from the Lord, I have received by Joseph Smith;
he was the instrument made use of. If I drop him, I must drop these
principles; they have not been revealed, declared, or explained by any
other man since the days of the Apostles. If I lay down the Book of
Mormon, I shall have to deny that Joseph is a Prophet; and if I lay
down the doctrine and cease to preach the gathering of Israel and the
building up of Zion, I must lay down the Bible; and, consequently, I
might as well go home as undertake to preach without these three items.
6:279-280.
I feel like shouting Hallelujah, all the time, when I think that I ever
knew Joseph Smith, the Prophet whom the Lord raised up and ordained,
and to whom he gave keys and power to build up the Kingdom of God on
earth and sustain it. These keys are committed to this people, and we
have power to continue the work that Joseph commenced, until everything
is prepared for the coming of the Son of Man. This is the business of
the Latter-day Saints, and it is all the business we have on hand. 3:51.
Not that Joseph was the Savior, but he was a Prophet. As he said once;
when some one asked him, "Are you the Savior?" "No, but I can tell you
what I am--I am his brother." So we can say. 14:202.
Joseph Smith has laid the foundation of the Kingdom of {701} God in the
last days; others will rear the superstructure. 9:364.
I never saw any one, until I met Joseph Smith, who could tell me
anything about the character, personality and dwelling-place of God, or
anything satisfactory about angels, or the relationship of man to his
Maker. Yet I was as diligent as any man need to be to try and find out
these things. 16:46.
What is the nature and beauty of Joseph's mission? You know that I am
one of his Apostles. When I first heard him preach, he brought heaven
and earth together; and all the priests of the day could not tell me
anything correct about heaven, hell, God, angels, or devils; they were
as blind as Egyptian darkness. When I saw Joseph Smith, he took heaven,
figuratively speaking, and brought it down to earth; and he took the
earth, brought it up, and opened up, in plainness and simplicity,
the things of God; and that is the beauty of his mission. I had a
testimony, long before that, that he was a Prophet of the Lord, and
that was consoling. Did not Joseph do the same to your understandings?
Would he not take the Scriptures and make them so plain and simple that
everybody could understand? Every person says, "Yes, it is admirable;
it unites the heavens and the earth together," and as for time, it is
nothing, only to teach us how to live in eternity. 5:332.
When you hear a man pour out eternal things, how well you feel, to
what a nearness you seem to be brought with God. What a delight it was
to hear Brother Joseph talk upon the great principles of eternity; he
would bring them down to the capacity of a child, and he would unite
heaven with earth, this is the beauty of our religion. 4:54.
There is not that being that ever had the privilege of {702} hearing
the way of life and salvation set before him as it is written in the
New Testament, and in the Book of Mormon, and in the book of Doctrine
and Covenants, by a Latter-day Saint, that can say that Jesus lives,
that his Gospel is true, and at the same time say that Joseph Smith
was not a Prophet of God. That is strong testimony, but it is true. No
man can say that this book (laying his hand on the Bible) is true, is
the word of the Lord, is the way, is the guide-board in the path, and
a charter by which we may learn the will of God; and at the same time
say, that the Book of Mormon is untrue; if he has had the privilege of
reading it, or of hearing it read, and learning its doctrines. There
is not that person on the face of the earth who has had the privilege
of learning the Gospel of Jesus Christ from these two books, that can
say that one is true, and the other is false. No Latter-day Saint, no
man or woman, can say the Book of Mormon is true, and at the same time
say that the Bible is untrue. If one be true, both are; and if one be
false, both are false. If Jesus lives, and is the Savior of the world,
Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, and lives in the bosom of his father
Abraham. Though they have killed his body, yet he lives and beholds the
face of his Father in Heaven; and his garments are pure as the angels
that surround the throne of God; and no man on the earth can say that
Jesus lives, and deny, at the same time, my assertion about the Prophet
Joseph. This is my testimony, and it is strong. 1:38.
Who can justly say aught against Joseph Smith? I was as well acquainted
with him, as any man. I do not believe that his father and mother knew
him any better than I did. I do not think that a man lives on the earth
that knew him any better than I did; and I am bold to say that, Jesus
{703} Christ excepted, no better man ever lived or does live upon this
earth. I am his witness. He was persecuted for the same reason that any
other righteous person has been or is persecuted at the present day.
9:332.
I never have professed to be Brother Joseph, but Brother Brigham,
trying to do good to this people. I am no better, nor any more
important than another man who is trying to do good. If I am, I don't
know it. If I improve upon what the Lord has given me, and continue to
improve, I shall become like those who have gone before me; I shall be
exalted in the celestial kingdom, and be filled to overflowing with all
the power I can wield; and all the keys of knowledge I can manage will
be committed unto me. What do we want more? I shall be just like every
other man--have all that I can, in my capacity, comprehend and manage.
6:275-276.
_Called and Directed by God_--He called upon his servant Joseph
Smith, Jr., when he was but a boy, to lay the foundation of his Kingdom
for the last time. Why did he call upon Joseph Smith to do it? Because
he was disposed to do it. Was Joseph Smith the only person on earth who
could have done this work? No doubt there were many others who, under
the direction of the Lord, could have done that work; but the Lord
selected the one that pleased him, and that is sufficient. 11:253.
In all ages of the world that we have any knowledge of, when there
was a people on the earth whom God acknowledged as his people, he
has invariably dictated them in Spiritual and in temporal things.
This question was agitated year after year in the days of Joseph. The
first two Bishops in the Church--Edward Partridge was the first--I
was well acquainted with him, and Newel K. Whitney was {704} the
second--questioned the propriety of Joseph having anything to do with
temporal things. Joseph would argue the case with them a little, and
tell them how things were, and bring up scripture to show them that
it could not be otherwise--that it was impossible for the Lord to
dictate to people unless he dictated them in temporal affairs. The
very first act after believing is a temporal act. After I hear the
Gospel preached and believe it, I go down into the waters of baptism,
which is a temporal act; it is an act that pertains to my will and my
body; I will that my body shall go down into the water and be immersed
for the remission of my sins; consequently, I have to go to the Elder
who taught me the Gospel, the spiritual portion of the Kingdom, and
apply to him to administer this temporal ordinance, and he has to
do it; having taught the doctrine he officiates in the act and you
will find it through life, every circumstance, in every case, the man
that dictates the spiritual Kingdom of God, must dictate the temporal
affairs, it cannot be otherwise. I say this to you, because the idea
in the minds of a few of the people is, "Brigham ought not to meddle
with temporal affairs." They said so to Joseph, and they said so much
about it, that I went into the temple at Kirtland, and challenged the
men who were querying on this, to prove or bring up one instance where
God did not manifest his will concerning temporal things whenever he
made known his will to the children of men for establishing his Kingdom
on the earth. They always came to the floor; they had to do it, there
was nothing else for them; it prostrated every person. There were
William E. McLellin, John F. Boynton, and Lyman Johnson who belonged
to the Twelve, Frederick G. Williams, second counselor to Joseph, and
two-thirds of the High Council, all talking {705} about this, and I
went into the temple and just challenged them to show wherein the
Lord ever conferred upon any man in the world the power to dictate in
spiritual affairs, that he did not in temporal affairs? They could not
do it. I told them they could not draw the line between the spiritual
and the temporal. All things were created first spiritual, and then
temporal. Everything in the spirit world was presented as we see it
now, and this temporal earth was presented there. We were in the spirit
world, and we came here into this time, which is in eternity, nothing
in the world only a change of time and season is allotted to a change
of being that makes it time to us. It is in eternity, and we are just
as much in eternity now, as we shall be millions of years hence. But it
is time measured to finite beings, and it is changeable, and we call
it temporal, while the fact is it is all spiritual in the first place,
then temporal, then spiritual, and made immortal, consequently you
cannot divide them. I say this for those to reflect upon who think that
there is a difference between temporal and spiritual things. I do not
say, for I do not know that there are any such here. 18:243.
_Development of the Prophet_--From the day that Joseph obtained
the plates, and previous to that time, the Lord dictated him. He
directed him day by day and hour by hour. 8:66.
Joseph continued to receive revelation upon revelation, ordinance upon
ordinance, truth upon truth, until he obtained all that was necessary
for the salvation of the human family. All the inhabitants of the earth
are called of God; they are called to repent and be baptized for the
remission of sins. 16:42.
We have passed from one thing to another, and I may {706} say from
one degree of knowledge to another. When Joseph first received the
knowledge of the plates that were in the hill Cumorah, he did not then
receive the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood, he merely received the
knowledge that the plates were there, and that the Lord would bring
them forth, and that they contained the history of the aborigines
of this country. He received the knowledge that they were once in
possession of the Gospel, and from that time he went on, step by step,
until he obtained the plates, and the Urim and Thummim and had power to
translate them. This did not make him an Apostle, it did not give to
him the keys of the Kingdom, nor make him an Elder in Israel. He was
a Prophet, and had the spirit of prophecy, and had received all this
before the Lord ordained him. And when the Lord, by revelation, told
him to go to Pennsylvania, he did so, and finished the translation of
the Book of Mormon; and when the Lord, in another revelation, told him
to come back, into New York State, and to go to old Father Whitmer's,
who lived in a place opposite Waterloo, and there stop, he did so, and
had meetings, and gathered up a few who believed in his testimony. He
received the Aaronic Priesthood, and then he received the keys of the
Melchizedek Priesthood, and organized the Church. He first received the
power to baptize, and still did not know that he was to receive any
more until the Lord told him there was more for him. Then he received
the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood, and had power to confirm after
he had baptized, which he had not before. He would have stood precisely
as John the Baptist stood, had not the Lord sent his other messengers,
Peter, James and John, to ordain Joseph to the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Then, after some of the brethren had been out preaching, he had a
revelation that they should go up to {707} the State of Ohio. I knew
of them, though I was not acquainted with them before they went up
there. They were seen by some of my family, my father saw and conversed
with them. Then the way opened for a large gathering in the State of
Ohio. Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Ziba Peterson, David Whitmer,
John Whitmer, and a few others, went up there and preached the Gospel,
and they came among the members of the society called Campbellites,
formerly members of the Close Communion Baptists, their leader's name
being Alexander Campbell. This man preached the doctrine that baptism
was for the remission of sins, and that split the church; but when the
brethren came to these societies and taught them, not only baptism for
the remission of sins, but the laying on of hands for the reception of
the Holy Ghost, they believed it, and were baptized for the remission
of their sins, and received the laying on of hands for the Holy Ghost,
and then received other ordinances.
At this time [1841] came a revelation that we could be baptized for our
dead friends, but at first it was not revealed that a record should be
kept of those who were baptized; but when he received an additional
revelation to that effect, then a record was kept. Hundreds and
thousands, I suppose, were baptized before any record was kept at all,
and they were baptized over, and a record kept of the baptisms and the
names of the administrator, those who acted for the dead, and of the
dead, and of the witnesses. You can read in the book of Doctrine and
Covenants, the letter that Joseph wrote, when he was away from home, in
regard to having witnesses at these baptisms. I relate this to show you
that the Lord did not reveal everything at once. But I need not dwell
on this any longer, 18:239-40. {708}
_What Joseph Taught_--All that Joseph Smith did was to preach the
truth--the Gospel as the Lord revealed it to him--and tell the people
how to be saved, and the honest-in-heart ran together and gathered
around him and loved him as they did their own lives. He could do no
more than to preach true principles, and that will gather the Saints
in the last days, even the honest-in-heart. All who believe and obey
the Gospel of Jesus Christ are his witnesses to the truth of these
statements. 10:326.
The excellency of the glory of the character of Brother Joseph Smith
was that he could reduce heavenly things to the understanding of the
finite. When he preached to the people--revealed the things of God,
the will of God, the plan of salvation, the purposes of Jehovah, the
relation in which we stand to him and all the heavenly beings, he
reduced his teachings to the capacity of every man, woman, and child,
making them as plain as a well-defined pathway. This should have
convinced every person that ever heard of him of his divine authority
and power, for no other man was able to teach as he could, and no
person can reveal the things of God, but by the revelations of Jesus
Christ. 8:206.
No man was to be found who could teach repentance and baptism for the
remission of sins, with authority to administer in the ordinances,
until God commissioned Joseph Smith, and sent him forth with his
commandment to the people. Previous to that time, I searched everything
pertaining to the churches; I searched high and low to find whether
there was any such thing as pure religion upon the earth; I searched
for a man that could tell me something of God, of heaven, of angels and
of eternal life. I believed in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ,
but I could not believe that the Church of Christ was upon the earth.
The question {709} was frequently asked, "Is the Methodist Church, the
Quakers, or the Mother Church right?" No, I would reply, there is not
a Bible church upon the earth. I might have continued to study the
Bible and all the books that have been written, and without revelation
from God I would have been like the sounding brass or tinkling cymbal,
having no knowledge of God, of true religion, of the redemption of the
living or of the dead; I would have lived and died in ignorance; and
this was the condition of all the inhabitants of the earth. 10:311.
There was nothing of a temporal or spiritual nature suggested by Joseph
Smith in his day, for the action of the Latter-day Saints that would
not have been beneficial for them, if they had, with one heart and
mind, performed all he desired them to do. 11:18.
_Results of the Prophet's Labors_--Joseph Smith, though he spent
only fourteen years in presiding over this people, organizing the
Church, proclaiming the Gospel and receiving revelations, yet had
hundreds and thousands of men and women who were ready to go to the
death with him. 14:149.
Now, as bad as myself and my brethren are, and as far as we are from
the mark, and from the privileges we should enjoy, if Joseph Smith,
Jr., the Prophet, could have seen the people in his day as willing to
obey his voice, as they are today to obey the voice of their President,
he would have been a happy man. He lived, labored, toiled, and worked;
his courage was like the courage of an angel, and his will was like the
will of the Almighty, and he labored till they killed him. 11:322.
_Persecutions of the Prophet_--Are there not scores of men
and women here who are familiar with the death of our Prophet? Why
did people hate him? Because of his {710} influence. Did he gain
or exercise an unrighteous influence? By no means. He possessed
a righteous influence over the spirits, feelings, passions, and
dispositions of all who delighted in truth and goodness, so far as he
associated, and could guide them at his pleasure.
Am I hated for the same cause? I am. I am hated for teaching people the
way of life and salvation--for teaching them principles that pertain
to eternity, by which the Gods were and are, and by which they gain
influence and power. Obtain that influence, and you will be hated,
despised, and hunted like the roe upon the mountains. The way to obtain
that influence is pointed out--by whom? By him through whom the worlds
were created, and who has redeemed this earth and all things upon it.
7:3.
Our situation is peculiar at the present time. Has it not been peculiar
ever since Joseph found the plates? The circumstances that surrounded
him when he found the plates were singular and strange. He passed a
short life of sorrow and trouble, surrounded by enemies who sought day
and night to destroy him. If a thousand hounds were on this Temple
Block, let loose on one rabbit, it would not be a bad illustration
of the situation at times of the Prophet Joseph. He was hunted
unremittingly. We have the privilege of believing the same Gospel that
Joseph taught, and with him of being numbered with those whose names
are cast out as evil. 10:315.
June 27, 1844, a little over fourteen years after the organization of
this Church, Joseph Smith was slain. In his day there were but very
few years of rest for the Saints. They occupied Nauvoo longer than any
other one place; they lived there about seven years. We left Nauvoo
in 1846, and from that time until now this Church has not been {711}
compelled to abandon their property and homes. We came here in the
best and quickest way in our power, and have been building, fencing,
planting, sowing, and making ourselves comfortable. It is now more than
ten years since we first located here, unmolested and undisturbed. 7:42.
I lived close by where these plates were found. I knew that Joseph
found them, from outward circumstances that transpired at the time.
I shall not take time to relate but a little of the delicate, kind,
benevolent, Christian-like, I will say anti-Godlike feelings of the
priests and of the people who professed Christianity at the time that
Joseph organized this Church. The very first thing that was circulated
was this--"Did you hear that Joe Smith and his followers got together
last night, blew out the light, stripped themselves stark naked, and
there they had the holy roll?" A great many of you do not understand
this term. It came from the Shaking Quakers. I shall not attempt to
relate here the conduct attributed to them, but from that sprung the
peculiar phrase I have mentioned in your hearing this afternoon. In a
very short time we were all thieves in the estimation of our so-called
Christian neighbors. Said the priest to a beloved sister, "Sister,
did you hear of such a man, he was a member of our church a few days
since, but he has joined old Joe Smith?" Says the sister, "No, can it
be possible?" "Well, they say so," says the priest, and he himself had
fabricated the entire story. This sister would tell it to another, and
it would go all through the neighborhood that such a man, who only a
few days before had been considered by them as good a brother as they
had in their church, had become a chicken thief. But you cannot mention
any crime that this people called Latter-day Saints have not been
accused of committing by their so-called {712} Christian neighbors; and
these stories would generally commence by the priests whispering to
some sister, "Did you hear of such and such a thing?" That was enough,
all that was wanted, it became a solemn fact by the time it passed the
third mouth. 16:67.
Had Joseph Smith been an impostor and of the world, the world would
not have hated him, but would have loved its own. Had Joseph Smith
made political capital of his religion and calling, and raised up a
political party, he doubtless would have become celebrated and renowned
in the world as a great man and as a great leader. 9:332.
_Harrassed by Lawsuits_--He was poor, harrassed, distressed,
afflicted, and tormented with lawsuits, persecution upon persecution,
and it cost thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep
him alive, which a few had to sustain. Is this affliction upon them
now? It is not. The scene is reversed. And as the people once thought,
that many by one man could be made poor, they now believe, by one man
many will be made rich. At the present day I do not know where the
opportunity is to prove the people. 1:75.
Joseph Smith was arraigned before Judge Austin A. King, on a charge of
treason. The Judge inquired of Mr. Smith, "Do you believe and teach the
doctrine that in the course of time the Saints will possess the earth?"
Joseph replied that he did. "Do you believe that the Lord will raise
up a kingdom that will fill the whole earth and rule over all other
kingdoms, as the Prophet Daniel has said?" "Yes, sir, I believe that
Jesus Christ will reign King of nations as he does King of Saints?"
"Write that down, clerk; we want to fasten upon him the charge of
treason, for if he believes this, he must believe that the State of
Missouri {713} will crumble and fall to rise no more." Lawyer Doniphan
said to the Judge, "Judge, you had better make the Bible treason and
have done with it." 9:331.
Joseph, our Prophet, was hunted and driven, arrested and persecuted,
and although no law was ever made in these United States that would
bear against him, for he never broke a law, yet to my certain knowledge
he was defendant in forty-six lawsuits, and every time Mr. Priest was
at the head of and led the band or mob who hunted and persecuted him.
And when Joseph and Hyrum were slain in Carthage jail, the mob, painted
like Indians, was led by a preacher. 14:199.
Joseph Smith, in forty-six prosecutions, was never proved guilty of
one violation of the laws of his country. They accused him of treason,
because he would not fellowship their wickedness. 10:111.
_Of Good Character_--We can find no person who presents a better
character to the world, when the facts are known, than Joseph Smith,
Jr., the Prophet, and his brother, Hyrum Smith, who was murdered with
him. 14:203.
The history of Joseph and Mary is given to us by their best friends,
and precisely as we will give the history of the Prophet Joseph.
We know him to have been a good man, we know that he performed his
mission, we know that he was an honorable man and dealt justly, we know
his true character. 3:366.
But let his enemies give his character, and they will make him out
one of the basest men that ever lived. Let the enemies of Joseph and
Mary give their characters to us, and you would be strongly tempted to
believe as the Jews believe. 3:366.
_Why the Prophet Was Killed_--If it be the will of the {714} Lord
for the people to live, they will live. If it had been the will of the
Lord that Joseph and Hyrum should have lived, they would have lived. It
was necessary for Joseph to seal his testimony with his blood. Had he
been destined to live he would have lived. The Lord suffered his death
to bring justice on the nation. The debt is contracted and they have it
to pay. 13:95.
Many of the Prophets have sealed their testimony with their blood, that
their testament might go forth with force and not return void. As in
ancient days, so in modern days. When Joseph Smith sealed his testimony
with his blood, his testament from that moment was in force to all the
world; and woe to those who fight against it. 19:5.
Joseph Smith knew this, and when he went to Carthage he said, "I go to
death; I go like a lamb to the slaughter; I go to my fate." 10:194.
If Brother Joseph Smith had taken a company and come to this country,
as he intended to do, he could have been living here now, in spite of
earth and hell. 5:342.
Forty-five years ago they were determined to kill the Prophet Joseph.
I have lain upon the floor scores of nights ready to receive the
mob who sought his life. This persecution commenced with a little
neighborhood, then a town, then a county, then a state, and then the
people of the United States; and by and by other nations will be just
as bitter towards us and the doctrines we preach, as many of the people
of our own nation now are. They will struggle and strive, and plan
and devise, saying, "Let us take this course, and that course;" and
they will struggle until they will come to a stop as though they were
against a mountain of solid rock. They will do all they can to break
us up, and even destroy us; this has been the case now for the last
{715} forty-five years. Joseph Smith had forty-six lawsuits, and I was
with him through the most of them, and never was the first thing proved
against him; he was never guilty of the first violation of the law or
of good order. And when Governor Ford asked him to go to prison, as the
mob were so enraged that he could not insure his life, that he might
be safe until he returned from Nauvoo, he said: "I will pledge you the
faith of the State of Illinois for your safety." But as soon as he was
gone, the mob murdered both Joseph and his brother Hyrum, in the jail.
That was to be so. I heard Joseph say many a time, "I shall not live
until I am forty years of age." The spring before he was killed--his
death occurred the 27th of June, 1844--he hurried off the first Elders
of the Church. All right, I thought then, and I think so now. It is
all in the hands of God. They killed Joseph, and what for? For the
Gospel's sake. It was for no evil, for I was well acquainted with him.
He testified to the truth, he sealed his testimony with his blood.
Whether we believe in blood atonement or not, the Lord so ordered it,
that Joseph, as well as others of the Prophets, sealed their testimony
with their blood. 18:361.
_Joseph's Work in the Spirit World_--Jesus had a work to do on the
earth. He performed his mission, and then was slain for his testimony.
So it has been with every man who has been foreordained to perform
certain important missions. Joseph truly said, "No power can take away
my life, until my work is done." All the powers of earth and hell could
not take his life, until he had completed the work the Father gave
him to do; until that was done, he had to live. When he died he had a
mission in the spirit world, as much so as Jesus had. 4:285.
Is Joseph glorified? No, he is preaching to the spirits {716} in
prison. He will get his resurrection the first of any one in this
Kingdom, for he was the first that God made choice of to bring forth
the work of the last days.
His office is not taken from him, he has only gone to labor in another
department of the operations of the Almighty. He is still an Apostle,
still a Prophet, and is doing the work of an Apostle and Prophet; he
has gone one step beyond us and gained a victory that you and I have
not gained, still he has not yet gone into the celestial kingdom, or,
if he has, it has been by a direct command of the Almighty, and that,
too, to return again so soon as the purpose has been accomplished.
3:371.
_Nature of the Prophet and His Family_--What of Joseph Smith's
family? What of his boys? I have prayed from the beginning for Sister
Emma and for the whole family. There is not a man in this Church that
has entertained better feelings towards them. Joseph said to me, "God
will take care of my children when I am taken." They are in the hands
of God, and when they make their appearance before this people, full
of his power, there are none but what will say, "Amen! we are ready to
receive you." 8:69.
_The Twelve, the Successors of the Prophet_--At the death of
Joseph, when the Twelve returned to Nauvoo, to use a comparison, the
horses were all harnessed and the people were in the big carriage, and
where were they going? They did not know. Who would gather up the lines
and guide the team? No man would step forward, until I did. There was
not one of the Twelve with me when I went to meet Sidney Rigdon on the
meeting-ground. I went alone, and was ready alone to face and drive the
dogs from the flock. 8:317.
Now, it is no more my duty to live so as to know the {717} mind and
will of the Lord than it is the duty of my brethren, the rest of the
Twelve. I say the rest of the Twelve, because I am the President of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on the earth, and the only one that the
Lord has ever acknowledged. It is true that Thomas B. Marsh was once
President, but the Lord never acknowledged any man by revelation as
President of that Quorum but myself. At the death of Joseph I stepped
out from that position in the advance, according to the organization
of the Church, for the sake of preserving the flock of God, but not
according to my wishes, nor the desire of my heart, but it was my duty.
When I heard of the Prophet's death I said, "What will become of the
people? What will the Saints do now that the Prophet has gone?" It was
my whole desire to preserve the sheep of the flock of God, and it is so
today. Brother Kimball also stepped into the first Presidency, and we
called others and ordained them to take our place for the time being,
that the Church might be fully organized, and we expect to ordain more
when we feel like it. 18:70.
_Some Sayings of the Prophet_--Joseph used to say, "When you get
the Latter-day Saints to agree on any point, you may know it is the
voice of God." 12:301.
Will the Constitution be destroyed? No; it will be held inviolate by
this people; and, as Joseph Smith said, "The time will come when the
destiny of the nation will hang upon a single thread. At this critical
juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened
destruction." It will be so. 7:15.
Hundreds of people in this house are my witnesses, who heard Joseph
say, when asked whether we should ever dare to leave Nauvoo, "The
Saints will leave Nauvoo. I do not say they will be driven, as they
were from Jackson County, {718} Missouri, and from that State; but
they will leave here and go to the mountains. And the next time the
Saints remove, or are caused to remove, they will be turned out of the
frying-pan, not into the fire, but into the middle of the floor." If
this is not the middle of the floor, I do not know where you will find
it. 8:356.
I recollect many times when Brother Joseph, reflecting upon how many
would come into the Kingdom of God and go out again, would say,
"Brethren, I have not apostatized yet, and don't feel like doing so."
Many of you, no doubt, can call to mind his words. Joseph had to pray
all the time, exercise faith, live his religion, and magnify his
calling, to obtain the manifestations of the Lord, and to keep him
steadfast in the faith. 2:257.
Who delivered Joseph Smith from the hands of his enemies to the day of
his death? It was God; though he was brought to the brink of death time
and time again, and, to all human appearance, could not be delivered,
and there was no probability of his being saved. When he was in jail in
Missouri, and no person expected that he would ever escape from their
hands, I had the faith of Abraham, and told the brethren, "As the Lord
God liveth, he shall come out of their hands." Though he had prophesied
that he would not live to be forty years of age, yet we all cherished
hopes that that would be a false prophecy, and we should keep him
forever with us; we thought our faith would outreach it, but we were
mistaken--he at last fell a martyr to his religion. I said, "It is all
right; now the testimony is in full force; he has sealed it with his
blood, and that makes it valid." 1:364.
The question was asked a great many times of Joseph Smith, by gentlemen
who came to see him and his people, {719} "How is it that you can
control your people so easily? It appears that they do nothing but what
you say; how is it that you can govern them so easily?" Said he, "I do
not govern them at all. The Lord has revealed certain principles from
the heavens by which we are to live in these latter days. The time is
drawing near when the Lord is going to gather out his people from the
wicked, and he is going to cut short his work in righteousness, and the
principles which he has revealed I have taught to the people and they
are trying to live according to them, and they control themselves."
Gentlemen, this is the great secret now in controlling this people.
It is thought that I control them, but it is not so. It is as much as
I can do to control myself and to keep myself straight and teach the
people the principles by which they should live. 13:176.
I recollect one remark that Brother Joseph used to make frequently,
when talking to the Elders. No matter what he set them to do, whether
he wanted them to go to a foreign land on a mission, or to go into
business, he would say, "When you commence, go in at the little end of
the horn; for if you do not, but enter at the big end, you will either
have to turn round and come out at the end you went in at, or go out at
the small end, and be squeezed nigh unto death."
Let an Elder hire the best halls in large cities to begin with, and go
to lecturing, and it will take him a long time to raise a Branch of
this Church. But let him begin among the poor of the earth--those who
live in the cellars, and garrets, and back streets; "for," says the
Almighty, "I am going to take the weak things of the earth, and with
them confound the wisdom of the wise." You will see that trait {720}
in every step of "Mormonism." God has chosen the obscure and weak,
to bring them up and exalt them. Is not that the work of a God, the
performance of this work without money and without price? The Gospel
is sent to all the inhabitants of the earth--to the high and the low,
the noble and the ignoble, the young and the old. "Here is the Gospel;
you are welcome to it." "Don't you ask anything for it? Not a farthing.
It has to go to the world, without money and price." Now, compare this
with carrying the Gospel with your pockets full of money; and in the
latter case, where is your glory and honor? 8:354.
I recollect, in Far West, Joseph, talking upon these matters, said,
"The people cannot bear the revelations that the Lord has for them.
There were a great many revelations if the people could bear them." I
think it was the eighth day of July, 1831, Joseph had a revelation that
the people should consecrate their surplus property for the building
of a temple there in Far West, for the support of the Priesthood, for
the paying of the debts of the Presidency, etc., which I could give an
account of, for I was present when it came. Joseph was doing business
in Kirtland, and it seemed as though all creation was upon him, to
hamper him in every way, and they drove him from his business, and it
left him so that some of his debts had to be settled afterwards; and I
am thankful to say that they were settled up; still further, we have
sent East to New York, to Ohio, and to every place where I had any
idea that Joseph had ever done business, and inquired if there was a
man left to whom Joseph Smith, jr., the Prophet, owed a dollar, or a
sixpence. If there was we would pay it. But I have not been able to
find one. I have advertised this through every {721} neighborhood and
place where he formerly lived, consequently I have a right to conclude
that all his debts were settled. 18:242.
Brother Kimball quoted a saying of Joseph the Prophet, that he would
not worship a God who had not a Father; and I do not know that he would
if he had not a mother; the one would be as absurd as the other. If he
had a Father, he was made in his likeness. And if he is our Father we
are made after his image and likeness. He once possessed a body, as we
now do; and our bodies are as much to us, as his body to him. Every
iota of this organization is necessary to secure for us an exaltation
with the Gods. 9:286.
My name is had for good and evil upon the whole earth, as promised to
me. Thirty years ago Brother Joseph, in a lecture to the Twelve said to
me, "Your name shall be known for good and evil throughout the world,"
and it is so. The good love me, weak and humble as I am, and the wicked
hate me; but there is no individual on the earth but what I would lead
to salvation, if he would let me; I would take him by the hand, like a
child, and lead him like a father in the way that would bring him to
salvation. 10:297. {722}
CHAPTER XLII
_THE SETTLEMENT IN THE WEST_
_The Journey Across the Plains_--A short recital of the reasons,
why these children before me were born here instead of being born in
the States, I can give to you, and will endeavor to do so in a few
words.
In 1830, forty-seven years ago last March, the Book of Mormon was
printed and bound. Joseph Smith had received revelation, and plates
on which were engraved characters from which the book was translated.
Before the book was printed, before Joseph had the privilege of
testifying to the truth of the latter-day work, persecution was raised
against him. On the 6th day of April of the same year the Church of
Jesus Christ was organized. Persecution increased and continued to
increase. He left the State of New York and went to the State of Ohio.
The Gospel was preached there and many received it. A settlement was
formed, but Joseph had not the privilege of staying there long before
they hunted him so determinedly that he was forced to leave Kirtland
and the State of Ohio. He then went to Missouri. In the year 1838,
in the month of March, in company with a number of brethren, myself
included, Joseph arrived at Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri. We
had not the privilege of staying there more than for a few months
before the cry was raised against Joseph Smith, that he was guilty of
high treason. This aroused the people and the government of the state;
and in October, thirty-five hundred of the militia of the state of
Missouri were marched against a few of us in Far West. They succeeded
in taking Joseph and Hyrum {723} and sixty-five others and putting them
in prison. When Joseph had his trial, the great accusation against him
was that he believed in the fulfilment of prophecy--the prophecies that
had been made by Prophets of old and contained in Holy Writ. When Judge
King asked Joseph if he believed the predictions of Daniel the Prophet,
that in the latter-days the God of heaven would set up a kingdom which
should succeed and finally rule and hold dominion over all other
kingdoms, Joseph replied that he did believe this scripture as well as
the rest. This was considered treason! Joseph's lawyer turned to Judge
King and said, "Judge, I think you had better write it down that the
Bible is treason," and this was all they found against him. But the mob
continued until they drove the Latter-day Saints out of the state of
Missouri. We were told if we remained there the people would be upon
us. What we were guilty of we did not know, only that we believed in
the Bible and the fulfilment of prophecy, or, in other words, in the
literal reading of the word of God. They succeeded, after killing many
of the Latter-day Saints--men, women, and children, cruelly massacring
them--in driving us out of the state to the State of Illinois, where
the people received us with open arms, especially the inhabitants of
the city of Quincy; for which kindness the hearts of our people who
passed through these scenes have ever been lifted to God, petitioning
for blessings upon them. And they have been blessed. We lived in the
State of Illinois a few years; and here, as elsewhere, persecution
overtook us. It came from Missouri, centering itself upon Joseph, and
fastened itself upon others. We lived in Illinois from 1839 to 1844, by
which time they again succeeded in kindling the spirit of persecution
against Joseph and the Latter-day Saints. Treason! Treason! {724}
Treason! they cried, calling us murderers, thieves, liars, adulterers,
and the worst people on the earth. And this was done by the priests,
those pious dispensers of the Christian religion whose charity was
supposed to be extended to all men, Christian and heathen; they were
joined by drunkards, gamblers, thieves, liars, in crying against the
Latter-day Saints. They took Joseph and Hyrum, and as a guarantee for
their safety, Governor Thomas Ford pledged the faith of the State
of Illinois. They were imprisoned, on the pretense of safe keeping,
because the mob was so enraged and violent. The Governor left them in
the hands of the mob, who entered the prison and shot them dead. John
Taylor, who is present with us today, was in the prison too, and was
also shot, and was confined to his bed for several months afterwards.
After the mob had committed these murders, they came upon us and burned
our houses and grain. When the brethren would go out to put out the
fire, the mob would lie concealed under fences, and in the darkness of
the night, they would shoot them. At last they succeeded in driving us
from the State of Illinois.
Three congressmen came in the fall of 1845, and had a conference with
the Twelve and others; they were desirous that we should leave the
United States. We told them we would do so, we had stayed long enough
with them; we agreed to leave the State of Illinois in consequence of
that religious prejudice against us that we could not stay in peace any
longer. These men said the people were prejudiced against us. Stephen
A. Douglas, one of the three, had been acquainted with us. He said,
"I know you, I know Joseph Smith; he was a good man," and this people
are a good people; but the prejudices of the priests and the ungodly
{725} are such that, said he, "Gentlemen, you cannot stay here and
live in peace." We agreed to leave. We left Nauvoo in February, 1846.
There remained behind a few of the very poor, the sick and the aged,
who suffered again from the violence of the mob; they were whipped
and beaten, and had their houses burned. We travelled west, stopping
in places, building settlements, where we left the poor who could not
travel any farther with the company. Exactly thirty years today myself,
with others, came out of what we named Emigration Canyon; we crossed
the Big and Little mountains, and came down the valley about three
quarters of a mile south of this. We located, and we looked about, and
finally we came and camped between the two forks of City Creek, one of
which ran south-west and the other west. Here we planted our standard
on this temple block and the one above it; here we pitched our camps
and determined that here we would settle and stop. Still our brethren
who tarried by the way were toiling through poverty and distress. At
one time, I was told, they would have perished from starvation, had
not the Lord sent quails among them. These birds flew against their
wagons, and they either killed or stunned themselves, and the brethren
and sisters gathered them up, which furnished them with food for days,
until they made their way in the wilderness.
Children, we are the pioneers of this country, with one exception, west
of the Mississippi river; we established the first printing press in
every state from here to the Pacific Ocean, and we were the first to
establish good schools; we were the first to plant out orchards and to
improve the desert country, making it like the Garden of Eden. 19:60.
We wish strangers to understand that we did not come here out of
choice, but because we were obliged to go somewhere, {726} and this
was the best place we could find. It was impossible for any person to
live here unless he labored hard and battled and fought against the
elements, but it was a first-rate place to raise Latter-day Saints,
and we shall be blessed in living here, and shall yet make it like the
Garden of Eden; and the Lord Almighty will hedge about his Saints and
will defend and preserve them if they will do his will. The only fear I
have is that we will not do right; if we do we will be like a city set
on a hill, our light will not be hid. 14:121.
In the year 1845 I addressed letters to all the Governors of states
and territories in the Union, asking them for an asylum, within their
borders, for the Latter-day Saints. We were refused such privilege,
either by silent contempt or a flat denial in every instance. They all
agreed that we could not come within the limits of their territory or
state. Three members of Congress came to negotiate with us to leave
the confines of the United States, and of the public domain. It was
understood that we were going to Vancouver Island; but we had our
eye on Mexico, and here we are located in the midst of what was then
northern Mexico. 11:18.
When we were driven from Nauvoo, our Elders went to the east to lay our
case before the judges, governors, and rulers of the different states
to ask for an asylum; but none was offered us. We sent men through
the eastern country to try and raise some means for the destitute
women and children, whose husbands, fathers and brothers had gone into
the Mexican war at the call of the general Government, leaving their
wives and children and aged fathers and mothers upon the open prairies
without home or shelter, and the brethren who went east hardly got
enough to bear their expenses. The great men of the nation {727} were
asked if they would do anything for the Lord's people. No; not a thing
would they do, but hoped they would perish in the wilderness. 11:17.
When I was written to in Nauvoo by the President of the United States,
through another person, inquiring, "Where are you going, Mr. Young?" I
replied that I did not know where we should land. We had men in England
trying to negotiate for Vancouver's Island, and we sent a shipload of
Saints round Cape Horn to California. Men in authority asked, "Where
are you going to?" "We may go to California, or to Vancouver's Island."
When the Pioneer company reached Green River, we met Samuel Brannan
and a few others from California, and they wanted us to go there. I
remarked, "Let us go to California, and we cannot stay there over five
years; but let us stay in the mountains, and we can raise our own
potatoes, and eat them; and I calculate to stay here." We are still on
the backbone of the animal, where the bone and the sinew are, and we
intend to stay here, and all hell cannot help themselves. 5:230-231.
Mark our settlements for six hundred miles in these mountains and then
mark the path that we made coming here, building the bridges and making
the roads across the prairies, mountains and canyons! We came here
penniless in old wagons, our friends back telling us to "take all the
provisions, you can; for you can get no more! Take all the seed grain
you can, for you can get none there!" We did this, and in addition
to all this we have gathered all the poor we could, and the Lord has
planted us in these valleys, promising that he would hide us up for a
little season until his wrath and indignation passed over the nations.
Will we trust in the Lord? Yes. 13:216. {728}
The Saints were poor when they came into this valley, twenty-five years
ago. They picked up a few buckskins, antelope skins, sheep skins,
buffalo skins, and made leggings and moccasins of them, and wrapped the
buffalo robes around them. Some had blankets and some had not; some had
shirts, and I guess some had not. One man told me that he had not a
shirt for himself or family. 15:158.
I will venture to say that not one of four out of my family had shoes
to their feet when we came to this valley. 11:288.
We printed the first papers, except about two, set out the first
orchards, raised the first wheat, kept almost the first schools, and
made the first improvements in our pioneering, in a great measure, from
the Mississippi river to the Pacific Ocean; and here we got at last,
so as to be out of the way of everybody, if possible. We thought we
would get as far as we could from the face of man; we wanted to get to
a strange land, like Abraham, that we might be where we should not be
continually wrong with somebody or other, and have them crying, "Oh,
you Mormons!" and have the priests preaching, the press printing, the
drunkard swearing, and all, high and low, rich and poor, wishing these
poor "Mormons" were out of the way. We got out of the way as far as we
could; and if we can get out of the way any farther and do any good,
we are ready to get out of the way; but I think we are as far out of
the way as we need to be; and we have got on the highway which has been
cast up, and I think we had better stay here. 14:208.
_Mormon Battalion_--When we were right in the midst of Indians,
who were said to be hostile, five hundred men were called to go to
Mexico to fight the Mexicans, and, said Mr. Benton--"If you do not send
them we will cover you up, {729} and there will be no more of you."
I do not want to think of these things, their authors belong to the
class I referred to yesterday--the enemies of mankind, those who would
destroy innocence, truth, righteousness and the Kingdom of God from the
earth. We sent these five hundred men to fight the Mexicans, and those
of us who remained behind labored and raised all that we needed to feed
ourselves in the wilderness. We had to pay our own school teachers,
raise our own bread and earn our own clothing, or go without, there was
no other choice. We did it then, and we are able to do the same today.
16:19.
With regard to our going into the wilderness, and our there being
called upon to turn out five hundred able-bodied men to go to Mexico,
we had then seen every religious and political right trampled under
foot by mobocrats; there were none left to defend our rights; we were
driven from every right which freemen ought to possess. In forming that
battalion of five hundred men, brother Kimball and myself rode day and
night, until we had raised the full number of men the Government called
for. Captain Allen said to me, using his own words, "I have fallen in
love with your people. I love them as I never loved a people before."
He was a friend to the uttermost. When he had marched that Mormon
Battalion as far as Fort Leavenworth, he was thrown upon a sick bed
where I then believed, and do now, he was nursed, taken care of, and
doctored to the silent tomb, and the battalion went on with God for
their friend.
That battalion took up their line of march from Fort Leavenworth by
way of Santa Fe, and over the desert and dreary route, and planted
themselves in: the lower part of California, to the joy of all the
officers and men that were loyal. At the time of their arrival, General
Kearney was {730} in a straitened position, and Colonel P. St. George
Cooke promptly marched the battalion to his relief, and said to him,
"We have the boys here now that can put all things right." The boys in
that battalion performed their duty faithfully. I never think of that
little company of men without the next thoughts being, "God bless them
for ever and for ever." All this we did to prove to the Government
that we were loyal. Previous to this, when we left Nauvoo, we knew
that they were going to call upon us, and we were prepared for it in
our faith and in our feelings. I knew then as well as I do now that
the Government would call for a battalion of men out of that part of
Israel, to test our loyalty to the Government. Thomas H. Benton, if
I have been rightly informed, obtained the requisition to call for
that battalion, and, in case of non-compliance with that requisition,
to call on the militia of Missouri and Iowa, and other states, if
necessary, and to call volunteers from Illinois, from which state we
had been driven, to destroy the camp of Israel. This same Mr. Benton
said to the President of the United States, in the presence of some
other persons, "Sir, they are a pestilential race, and ought to become
extinct." 10:106.
Have not this people invariably evinced their friendly feelings,
disposition, and patriotism towards the Government by every act and
proof which can be given by any people?
Permit me to draw your attention, for a moment, to a few facts in
relation to raising the battalion for the Mexican war. When the storm
cloud of persecution lowered down upon us on every side, when every
avenue was closed against us, our leaders treacherously betrayed and
slain by the authorities of the Government in which we lived, and {731}
no hope of relief could penetrate through the thick darkness and gloom
which surrounded us on every side, no voice was raised in our behalf,
and the general Government was silent to our appeals. When we had been
insulted and abused all the day long, by those in authority requiring
us to give up our arms, and by every other act of insult and abuse
which the prolific imagination of our enemies could devise to test,
as they said, our patriotism, which requisitions, be it known, were
always complied with on our part; and when we were finally compelled to
flee, for the preservation of our lives and the lives of our wives and
children to the wilderness; I ask, had we not reason to feel that our
enemies were also in favor of our destruction? Had we not, I ask, some
reason to consider them all, both in people and the Government, alike
our enemies?
And when, in addition to all this, and while fleeing from our enemies,
another test of fidelity and patriotism was contrived by them for our
destruction, and acquiesced in by the Government (through the agency
of a distinguished politician who evidently sought, and thought he
had planned, our overthrow and total annihilation) consisting of a
requisition from the war department, to furnish a battalion of five
hundred men to fight under their officers, and for them, in the
war then existing with Mexico, I ask again, could we refrain from
considering both people and Government our most deadly foes? Look
a moment at our situation, and the circumstances under which this
requisition was made. We were migrating, we knew not whither, except
that it was our intention to go beyond the reach of our enemies. We
had no home, save our wagons and tents, and no stores of provisions
and clothing; but had to earn our daily bread by leaving our families
in isolated locations for safety, and {732} going among our enemies
to labor. Were we not, even before this cruel requisition was made,
unmercifully borne down by oppression and, persecution past endurance
by any other community? But under these trying circumstances we were
required to turn out of our travelling camps five hundred of our most
efficient men, leaving the old, the young, the women upon the hands of
the residue, to take care of and support; and in case we refused to
comply with so unreasonable a requirement, we were to be deemed enemies
to the Government, and fit only for the slaughter.
Look also at the proportion of the number required of us, compared
with that of any other portion of the Republic. A requisition of only
thirty thousand from a population of more than twenty millions was all
that was wanted, and more than was furnished, amounting to only one
person and a half to a thousand inhabitants. If all other circumstances
had been equal, if we could have left our families in the enjoyment
of peace, quietness, and security in the houses from which we had
been driven, our quota of an equitable requisition would not have
exceeded four persons. Instead of this, five hundred must go, thirteen
thousand per cent above an equal ratio, even if all other things had
been equal, but under the peculiar circumstances in which it was made
comparison fails to demonstrate, and reason itself totters beneath
its enormity. And for whom were we to fight? As I have already shown,
for those that we had every reason to believe were our most deadly
foes. Could the Government have expected our compliance therewith? Did
they expect it? Did not our enemies believe that we would spurn, with
becoming resentment and indignation, such an unhallowed proposition?
And were they not prepared to make our rejection of it a pretext
{733} to inflame the Government still more against us, and thereby
accomplish their hellish purposes upon an innocent people, in their
utter extinction? And how was this proposition received, and how was it
responded to by this people? I went myself, in company with a few of my
brethren, between one and two hundred miles along the several routes of
travel, stopping at every little camp, using our influence to obtain
volunteers, and on the day appointed for the rendezvous the required
complement was made up; and this was all accomplished in about twenty
days from the time that the requisition was made known.
Our battalion went to the scene of action, not in easy berths on
steam-boats, nor with a few months' absence, but on foot over two
thousand miles across trackless deserts and barren plains, experiencing
every degree of privation, hardship, and suffering during some two
years' absence before they could rejoin their families. Thus was our
deliverance again effected by the interposition of that All-wise Being
who can discern the end from the beginning, and overrule the wicked
intentions of men to promote the advancement of his cause upon the
earth. Thus were we saved from our enemies by complying with their, as
hitherto, unjust and unparalleled exactions; again proving our loyalty
to the Government.
Here permit me to pay a tribute of respect to the memory of Captain
Allen, the bearer of this requisition from the Government. He was a
gentleman full of humane feelings, and, had he been spared, would
have smoothed the path, and made easy the performance of this duty,
so far as laid in his power. His heart was wrung with sympathy when
he saw our situation, and filled with wonder when he witnessed the
enthusiastic patriotism and ardor which so {734} promptly complied with
his requirement; again proving, as we had hundreds of times before
proved, by our acts, that we were belied by our enemies, and that we
were as ready, and even more so than any other inhabitants of the
Republic, to shoulder the musket, and go forth to fight the battles
of our common country, or stand in her defense. History furnishes no
parallel, either of the severity or injustice of the demand, or in the
alacrity, faithfulness, and patriotism with which it was answered and
complied. Thus can we cite instance after instance of persons holding
legal authority, being moved upon, through the misrepresentation and
influence of our enemies to insult us as a people, by requiring a test
of our patriotism. How long must this state of things continue? So
long as the people choose to remain in wilful ignorance with regard to
us; so long as they choose to misinterpret our views, misrepresent our
feelings, and misunderstand our policy. 2:173.
We made and broke the road from Nauvoo to this place. Some of the time
we followed Indian trails, some of the time we ran by the compass;
when we left the Missouri river we followed the Platte. And we killed
rattlesnakes by the cord in some places; and made roads and built
bridges till our backs ached. Where we could not build bridges across
rivers, we ferried our people across, until we arrived here, where we
found a few naked Indians, a few wolves and rabbits, and any amount of
crickets; but as for a green tree or a fruit tree, or any green field,
we found nothing of the kind, with the exception of a few cottonwoods
and willows on the edge of City Creek. For some 1200 or 1300 miles
we carried every particle of provision we had when we arrived here.
When we left our homes we picked up what the mob did not steal of our
{735} horses, oxen and calves, and some women drove their own teams
here. Instead of 365 pounds of breadstuff when they started from the
Missouri river, there was not half of them had half of it. We had to
bring our seed grain, our farming utensils, bureaus, secretaries,
sideboards, sofas, pianos, large looking glasses, fine chairs, carpets,
nice shovels and tongs, and other fine furniture, with all the parlor,
cook stoves, etc., and we had to bring these things piled together
with some women and children, helter skelter, topsy turvy, with broken
down horses, ring-boned, spavined, pole evil, fistula and hipped; oxen
with three legs, and cows with one teat. This was our only means of
transportation, and if we had not brought our goods in this manner
we would not have had them, for there was nothing here. You may say
this is a burlesque. Well, I mean it as such, for we, comparatively
speaking, really came here naked and barefoot. 12:286-287.
_Settlement in the Great Salt Lake Valley_--In the days of Joseph
we have sat many hours at a time conversing about this very country.
Joseph has often said, "If I were only in the Rocky Mountains with
a hundred faithful men, I would then be happy, and ask no odds of
mobocrats." 11:16.
I do not wish men to understand I had anything to do with our being
moved here, that was the providence of the Almighty; it was the power
of God that wrought out salvation for this people, I never could have
devised such a plan. 4:41.
I did not devise the great scheme of the Lord's opening the way to send
this people to these mountains. Joseph contemplated the move for years
before it took place, but he could not get here, for there was a watch
placed upon {736} him continually to see that he had no communication
with the Indians. This was in consequence of that which is written in
the Book of Mormon; one of the first evils alleged against him was that
he was going to connive with the Indians; but did he ever do anything
of the kind? No, he always strove to promote the best interest of all,
both red and white. Was it by any act of ours that this people were
driven into their midst? We are now their neighbors, we are on their
land, for it belongs to them as much as any soil ever belonged to any
man on earth; we are drinking their water, using their fuel and timber,
and raising our food from their ground. 4:41.
We have faith, we live by faith; we came to these mountains by faith.
We came here, I often say, though to the ears of some the expression
may sound rather rude, naked and barefoot, and comparatively this is
true. 13:172.
We had to have faith to come here. When we met Mr. Bridger on the Big
Sandy River, said he, "Mr. Young, I would give a thousand dollars if
I knew an ear of corn could be ripened in the Great Basin." Said I,
"Wait eighteen months and I will show you many of them." Did I say
this from knowledge? No, it was my faith; but we had not the least
encouragement--from natural reasoning and all that we could learn of
this country--of its sterility, its cold and frost, to believe that
we could ever raise anything. But we travelled on, breaking the road
through the mountains and building bridges until we arrived here, and
then we did everything we could to sustain ourselves. We had faith that
we could raise grain; was there any harm in this? Not at all. If we had
not had faith, what would have become of us? We would have gone down in
unbelief, have closed {737} up every resource for our sustenance and
should never have raised anything. 13:173.
I cannot help being here. We might have gone to Vancouver's Island; and
if we had, we should probably have been driven away or used up before
this time. But here we are in the valleys of the mountains, where the
Lord directed me to lead the people. The brethren who are in foreign
countries desire to gather to the gathering-place of the Saints, and
they have for the present to come to Great Salt Lake City. They cannot
help that. Why did we not go to San Francisco? Because the Lord told me
not: "For there are lions in the way, and they will devour the lambs,
if you take them there." What now can we do? Why, instead of being
merchants, instead of going to St. Louis to buy goods, we can go down
to our Dixie land, the southern part of our Territory, and raise cotton
and manufacture goods for ourselves. 9:105.
A great many wanted to go to the Gila River; that was proposed when
we first came to this valley. It was said to be a lovely country, and
that men could live there almost without labor. What if we had gone
there? You see what has followed us here; but what would have been
the result, if we had gone there? Long before this time we would have
been outnumbered by our enemies; there would have been more against
us than for us in our community. Suppose we had gone to Texas, where
Lyman Wight went? He tried to make all the Saints believe that Joseph
wanted to take the whole Church there. Long before this, we would have
been killed, or compelled to leave the country. We could not have lived
there. 4:344.
We came to these mountains because we had no other place to go to. We
had to leave our homes and possessions {738} on the fertile lands of
Illinois to make our dwelling places in these desert wilds, on barren,
sterile plains amid lofty, rugged mountains. None dare come here to
live until we came here, and we now find it to be one of the best
countries in the world for us. 10:223.
Five years ago we were menaced on every side by the cruel persecutions
of our inveterate enemies; hundreds of families, who had been forced
from their homes, and compelled to leave behind them their all, were
wandering as exiles in a state of abject destitution; but, by the favor
of heaven, we have been enabled to surmount all these difficulties, and
can assemble here today in the chamber of these mountains, where there
are none to make us afraid, far from our persecutors, far from the
turmoil and confusion of the old world. 1:376.
Seven years ago tomorrow, about eleven o'clock, I crossed the
Mississippi River, with my brethren, for this place, not knowing, at
that time, whither we were going, but firmly believing that the Lord
had in reserve for us a good place in the mountains, and that he would
lead us directly to it. It is but seven years since we left Nauvoo,
and we are now ready to build another temple. I look back upon our
labors with pleasure. Here are hundreds and thousands of people that
have not had the privileges that some of us have had. Do you ask,
what privileges? Why, of running the gauntlet, of passing through the
narrows. They have not had the privilege of being robbed and plundered
of their property, of being in the midst of mobs and death, as many of
us have. 1:279.
When the pioneers came into these valleys we knew nearly all the
families which composed the settlements in Upper and Lower California.
10:189. {739}
The most of the people called Latter-day Saints have been taken from
the rural and manufacturing districts of this and the old countries,
and they belonged to the poorest of the poor. Many of them, I may say
the great majority, never had anything around them to make life very
desirable; they have been acquainted with poverty and wretchedness,
hence it cannot be expected that they should manifest that refinement
and culture prevalent among the rich. Many and many a man here, who is
now able to ride in his wagon and perhaps in his carriage, for years
before he started for Zion never saw daylight. His days were spent
in the coal mines, and his daily toil would commence before light in
the morning and continue until after dark at night. Now what can be
expected from a community so many of whose members have been brought
up like this, or if not just like this, still under circumstances of
poverty and privation? Certainly not what we might expect from those
reared under more favorable circumstances. But I will tell you what
we have in our mind's eye with regard to these very people, and what
we are trying to make of them. We take the poorest we can find on
earth who will receive the truth, and we are trying to make ladies
and gentlemen of them. We are trying to educate them, to school their
children, and to so train them that they may be able to gather around
them the comforts of life, that they may pass their lives as the human
family should do--that their days, weeks, and months may be pleasant to
them. We prove that this is our design, for the result, to some extent,
is already before us. 14:103.
Talk about these rich valleys, why there is not another people on the
earth that could have come here and lived. We prayed over the land,
and dedicated it and the water, {740} air and everything pertaining to
them unto the Lord, and the smiles of heaven rested on the land and it
became productive, and today yields us the best of grain, fruit and
vegetables. 12:288.
There never has been a land, from the days of Adam until now, that has
been blessed more than this land has been blessed by our Father in
Heaven; and it will still be blessed more and more, if we are faithful
and humble, and thankful to God for the wheat and the corn, the oats,
the fruit, the vegetables, the cattle and everything he bestows upon
us, and try to use them for the building up of his Kingdom on the
earth. 10:35.
You inquire if we shall stay in these mountains. I answer yes, as
long as we please to do the will of God, our Father in Heaven. If
we are pleased to turn away from the holy commandments of the Lord
Jesus Christ, as ancient Israel did, every man turning to his own
way, we shall be scattered and peeled, driven before our enemies and
persecuted, until we learn to remember the Lord our God and are willing
to walk in his ways. 11:274.
Many may inquire, "How long shall we stay here?" We shall stay here
just as long as we ought to. "Shall we be driven, when we go?" If we
will so live as to be satisfied with ourselves, and will not drive
ourselves from our homes, we shall never be driven from them. Seek for
the best wisdom you can obtain, learn how to apply your labor, build
good houses, make fine farms, set out apple, pear, and other fruit
trees that will flourish here, also the mountain currant and raspberry
bushes, plant strawberry beds, and build up and adorn a beautiful
city. The question now arises--"Do you think it best for us to live in
cities?" Lay out your {741} cities, but not so large that you cannot
readily raise the whole city, should an enemy come upon you. 8:288.
I do not know that I have prayed for rain since I have been in these
valleys until this year, during which I believe that I have prayed two
or three times for rain, and then with a faint heart, for there is
plenty of water flowing down these canyons in crystal streams as pure
as the breezes of Zion, and it is our business to use them. 3:331.
When water is brought to the termination of the canal, which we can
accomplish in a few days, I presume that the reservoirs on the line of
the work and those portions which are excavated in full will contain
water enough to allow the people to irrigate when necessary, and thus
do away with the practice of watering only two hours a week on a city
lot, and much of that to be done in the night. And that is not all,
for by the time the water is fairly on a lot it is taken by the next
person whose right it is to use it. And lots which have had thousands
of dollars expended on them, and which would yield more than a thousand
dollars' worth of fruit and vegetables, could they be properly
irrigated, are only allowed a small stream of water for two hours once
a week, and at the same time an adjoining lot planted with corn, the
hills six feet apart and one stalk in a hill, comparatively speaking,
the balance of the ground being covered with weeds, is allotted the
same time and amount of water as the one on which the fruit trees and
other choice vegetation are worth thousands of dollars.
There ought to be a reformation in the distribution of the water. The
man who will not raise five dollars' worth of produce on his lot, has
the same water privilege as the man who could raise a thousand dollars'
worth. For instance, brother Staines gets the water for two hours in
a {742} week, and what are his fruit trees worth? He could make his
thousand dollars a year from them, if he were disposed to sell the
fruit instead of giving it away, could he have a fair portion of water.
I have a lot just below him well cultivated in fruit trees, a nursery,
and choice vegetables, I also can only have the water on my lot for two
hours in a week; when lots nearby with but little on them except weeds,
get the same water privilege, and that too in the day time, while
we have to use it in the night. Water masters ought to look to this
matter, until they have arranged a more just distribution. 3:329.
The river Jordan will be brought out and made to flow through a
substantial canal to Great Salt Lake City. When this is done, it will
not only serve as a means of irrigating, but it will form a means of
transportation from the south end of Utah Lake to Great Salt Lake City.
11:116.
As soon as that is completed from big Cottonwood to this city, we
expect to make a canal on the west side of Jordan, and take its water
along the east base of the west mountains, as there is more farming
land on the west side of that river than on the east. When that work is
accomplished we shall continue our exertions, until Provo river runs
to this city. We intend to bring it around the point of the mountain
to Little Cottonwood, from that to Big Cottonwood, and lead its waters
upon all the land from Provo canyon to this city, for there is more
water runs in that stream alone than would be needed for that purpose.
3:329.
Until the Latter-day Saints came here, not a person among all the
mountaineers and those who had traveled here, so far as we could learn,
believed that an ear of corn would ripen in these valleys. We know that
corn and {743} wheat produce abundantly here, and we know that we have
an excellent region wherein to raise cattle, horses, and every other
kind of domestic animal that we need. We also knew this when we came
here thirteen years ago this summer. Bridger said to me, "Mr. Young,
I would give a thousand dollars, if I knew that an ear of corn could
be ripened in these mountains. I have been here twenty years, and have
tried it in vain, over and over again." I told him if he would wait a
year or two we would show him what could be done. A man named Wells,
living with Miles Goodyear, where now is Ogden City, had a few beans
growing, and carried water from the river in a pail to irrigate them.
8:288. {745}
INDEX
A
Aaron 222; literal descendant of, 222.
Aaronic Priesthood, conferred by John the Baptist, 220; Bishop head of,
222; Aaron held, 222.
Abraham, 161; received Priesthood, 162.
Accountants, ladies can learn to be, 337.
Acts, more essential than words, 510.
Adam, greatest desire of, 94; receives the gospel, 159; creation of,
160.
Administering to the sick, 252; duty of fathers in, 252; remedies
should be applied before, 253; can be done by mothers, 328.
Administrators of Law, opposed to the corrupt, 555, 556.
Agency, Free, see Free Agency.
Agriculture, more lands must be brought into cultivation, 455; canals
built, 455; redeem lands which now lie in waste, 455; prepare children
for, 455; cultivate your farm and gardens, 456; plant orchards and
vineyards, 456; produce that which can be used for food of man, 456;
part of our religion, 509. See also under cotton, flax, indigo, silk,
sugar, wheat.
Allen, Captain, friend to the Saints, 729, 733; death of, 729:
Angel, duty of, 63; difference between, and Saints, 64.
Anger, pray when in, 70; check your words of, 412; never speak evil
when in, 412; no Man possessing wisdom will give vent to, 413; cease
your, 413; wicked, 414; righteous, 414; not to rise in our bosom, 315.
Annihilation, no such thing as, 73.
Anointing the sick with oil, 252.
Apostasy, 126, 132; the, 163.
Apostates, condition of, 130.
Apostles, priesthood of, 207; hold keys of Priesthood, 211, 218; to be
in Church of Christ, 211; calling of an, 216; obedience of, testified
to by President Young, 216; called from members of Zion's Camp, 219;
can be brought before Bishop, 223; to do work set them, 230; what makes
them special witnesses, 527.
Ark of Covenant, sacredness of, 633; place of its keeping, 634.
Astrology, 115.
Atonement, 42.
B
Babylon, what is, 491.
Baptism, by immersion, 245; not necessary for infants, 245; has been a
law to all worlds, 246; for all who apply, 501; a temporal act, 704.
Baptists, 9.
Baptize, you have not power to, yourselves, 248; who can legally, 248.
Beautify, build beautiful cities, 465; your gardens, 465; and make
your mountain homes a paradise, 465; and plant shade trees along the
boulevards, 465; by cultivating flowers and shrubbery, 465.
Begging, if Saints will feed poor willingly, their children will not be
found, 336.
Benton, Thomas H., attitude of, toward Saints, 730.
Bible, Gospel doctrine in, 9; words of life in, 191; Saints believers
in, 191; is true, 191; Gospel contained in, 192; to be voted out of
Christian world, 193; guide of Saints, 193; Saints preach doctrine of,
194; words of, not to be wrested, 194; standard work of Church, 195;
what infidel world says about, 196; plainness of, 198; language of, 199.
Big Cottonwood, a canal to be built from, 742.
Big Mountain, 725.
Birth Control, 305.
Bishop, should be filled with power of Holy Ghost, 206; office of,
belongs to Aaronic Priesthood, 217, 222; rights of a, 222, 223; not
called to travel abroad, 223; to act as judge, 223; and members of
ward, 223; {746} to be a married man, 223; to be perfect example, 224;
duties of a, 224, 226; to be prayed for, 225; counselors of, to be
examples, 226.
Blessings, proportioned to capacity, 146; my heart is full of, 350.
Blessed, are they who obey direct commandment, 340; more, are they who
obey without direct commandment, 340.
Bodies, will be resurrected, 570.
Body, importance of, 87; returns to Mother Earth, 564; the resurrected,
573, 574.
Bookkeepers, ladies can learn to be, 337.
Book of Doctrine and Covenants, 18.
Book of Mormon, 167; printed in March, 1830, 722.
Boynton, John F., 704.
Bridger, Jim, President Young's statement concerning corn to, 736, 743.
Business, ladies can conduct, 337.
C
Cahoon, Reynolds, one of first High Priests, 220, 221.
Cain, 160.
Campbell, Alexander, 707.
Cana of Galilee, miracle performed at, 522, 523.
Canal, to be from Big Cottonwood to Salt Lake City, 742; to be built on
west side of Jordan, 742.
Capacity, blessings proportioned to, 146.
Capitalists, need your labor, 462; honorable men, 462; want to make
money, 462; build up your farms with earnings from, 462; should bring
price of labor to a reasonable standard, 463; should create business,
464; do not oppress the poor, 465.
Capital Stock, is time, 330.
Carpentry, how to teach to children, 325.
Carthage, where Joseph and Hyrum were martyred, 724.
Catholics, 15.
Celestial beings, 150.
Celestial Kingdom, who enter, 586; where God and Christ dwell, 594;
highest of all, 598, 600; men to obtain, must battle, 600.
Celestial world, 150.
Center Stake of Zion, 174.
Centurion's Servant, healing of, no miracle, 524.
Character, of Saints traduced, 532.
Charity, show, 420; only a few men understand, 420; we should have,
420; will extend, 421; of God, 421; administer charitable gifts, 422;
true gentleman possesses, 429; Lord will bless the people that is full
of, 432.
Chastened, Saints will be, 349; we will be, if we neglect our duty, 350.
Cheating, men must quit, 351.
Child, training, guide to, 328.
Children, duties of, 313, 314; how and what to teach, 320, 321, 322;
Gospel to be taught to, 320; when and how bound up to parents, 322.
Children of Israel, more rebellious than the latter-day Saints, 351;
government of, a theocracy, 544.
Church of England, 9.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the Church, 11; has
Gospel of life and salvation, 11; how guided, 63; God is at the helm
of, 132; warfare against, 171; led by Lord Almighty, 212; who can
organize, 214; government of, 227; to be a theocratic government, 227;
how to become members of, 236.
Church of God, definition of, and kingdom, 670; object of, 671; to
develop gradually, 672; effect of, 673; filthy cannot enter, 674;
government of, 674; will continue, 676; Jehovah head of, 678; business
of, 678, 679; individual labor required in, 679; is of real worth, 680;
give best you have to, 681.
City Creek, two forks of, 725; camp made on, 725.
City of Zion, beauty of, 184; New Jerusalem to be, 185.
Civil War, forebodings of the, 560.
Cleanliness, to be taught to children, 326.
Close Communion Baptists, 707.
Clothing, proper care of, 325.
Columbus, inspired, 551. {747}
Condemnation, upon parents, if they do not properly teach their
children, 320.
Congressmen, desired Saints to leave United States, 724, 727.
Commandments, none to be dispensed with, 341; the keeping of, 342; none
of, tend to evil, 342; given for our benefit, 346.
Commerce, we must command, 461; unless we can command, better without
it, 461; railroad will furnish us a market for our, 461.
Common Consent, how to vote by, 229; authorities sustained by, 229.
Compassion, let us have, 418.
Communication between God and man, 49.
Confess sins to those sinned against, 316.
Confession of sin, when and how to be made, 244, 245, 316.
Confidence, to be established between each other, 316; established,
423; cherish, 423; want of, 423; if we lack, 423; unshaken, 423; faith
and, 424; in each other, 424; if we wish to establish, 424; if, has
been lost, 424; let us live to create, 424; treasure up each particle
of, 424; in my neighbor, 425; restore, 425.
Confounded, Saints will not be, if they live their religion, 347.
Confusion of last days, 170.
Consistency and Sincerity, practice what we teach, 360; thou art the
fairest jewels in the life of a saint, 360; flatter not the people
in their iniquity, but chasten them for their wickedness, 361; our
religion must last from Monday morning till Monday morning, 361.
Constitution of the United States--an inspired document, 550; is
theocratic, 544; will yet be saved by the Saints, 553; Saints opposed
to corrupt administrators of the, 556.
Contention, between Christ and Belial, 117; how to prevent among
children, 324; avoid, 425; a disgrace, 425; frequently arises, 426;
take measures to prevent, 427.
Control, of a people, 348; of self necessary, 407; duty of Elders to,
themselves, 408; let every man be the master of himself, 408; appetites
must be brought in subjection to spirit that lives within, 409; subdue
our own passions, 410.
Cooke, Col. P. St. George, leader of Mormon Battalion, 730.
Co-operation, be of one heart, 433; become one as the Father and Son
are one, 433; perfect union, 434; unity of purpose, 434; Church can not
exist and be divided, 434; is-stepping stone to Order of Enoch, 442;
become one in temporal things, 445.
Corn, conversation about, between President Young and Jim Bridger, 736,
743.
Cotton, raise, 459.
Council in Heaven, 82, 83.
Counsel, 338, 339; is not given without the spirit of revelation, 339;
in temporal matters, 339.
Covenant, Latter-day Saints enter new and everlasting, when they enter
this Church, 427; to sustain the Kingdom of God, 248-9.
Covetousness, the sin of, 470; Devil will play with a man who worships
gain, 470; Elders who have, 470; men who are greedy, 470; men who place
wealth of this world above the things of God have no eyes to see, 471;
takes advantage of neighbor, 471.
Cowdery, Oliver, testimony of, 168; early missionary, 220, 707.
Creation, purpose of, 87, 88.
Creations, work of God, 27.
Creeds, entitled to protection, 98.
Cumorah, plates hid in, 706.
Cursed, who ought to be, 350.
D
Daily duties, 18.
Damnation, know enough for, 6.
Dancing, go and enjoy yourselves in, 373; let God be in your thoughts
in, 373; exercise to the body and mind; 373; not in houses set apart
for religious meetings, 375; who should not be, 375.
Day of rest, needed, 258.
Dead, should not mourn for righteous, 567.
{748}
Death, came by sin, 117; defined, 141; opposed to, 151; and
resurrection, 564; separation of body and spirit, 565.
Debt, pay your, 467; do not go into, 467; man who goes into, who has
no prospect of paying, is dishonest, 467; man who will not pay, is no
Latter-day Saint, 467; borrowers who do not pay, undeserving of the
fellowship of the Saints, 467.
Deceive, cannot, the Lord, 30.
Declaration of Independence, signers of, were inspired, 550.
Decomposition, 75.
Defiler, how to treat, 300.
Denying, revelations of the Lord, 345.
Destiny of man, 31, 33, 147.
Devil, in heaven, 104; cast out of heaven, 104; does not own the earth,
105; power of, 105; mission of, 106; has not power over body, only as
man lets him, 107; enemy of God and man, 108; angels of, 121; servants
of, 348.
Devotion, to the Gospel, 353.
Devotion and Humility, essentials, 509.
Diet, 290, 292, 293.
Disease, 289, 290.
Disgrace, not to take care of poor relatives, 488.
Dishonesty, cease, 432.
Disobedience, effect of, 36; effects of, 349; causes persecution, 537.
Disobey, those who, in ignorance not punished, 344; those who,
knowingly, are punished, 344.
Divine laws, of no use unless observed, 344.
Divinity, within us, how to feed, 256.
Doctrine and Covenants, purpose of, 197.
Doctrine, righteous decision in, to be had by unanimous vote, 206;
apostles, prophets, write same, upon same subject, 209.
Douglas, Stephen A., friendly to Saints, 724.
Drive, parents should never, children, 323.
Duty, what it is, 347; if we neglect our, we will be chastened, 350.
E
Earth, millions of, 29; end of, 45; eternal abode of man, 154; and
resurrection, 155; abides law of creation, 155; baptized with water,
603; see also world.
East Indian Archipelago, 490.
Eating, 290, 293, 298.
Education, physical and mental to be given to boys and girls, 327;
continuous, 382; shall not cease in the spirit world, 382; never see
the time when we shall not need, 382; we need constant, 383; Lord
Almighty designed us to have, 388; effects of, 385; of children worthy
of our attention, 387; of the youth is important, 388; builds up the
Kingdom, 389; establish schools for, 389; what to study to obtain, 392;
improves our minds, 393; teaches to be self sustaining, 393; to apply
your labors to advantage, 395; religious, 396, 402.
Effects of Disobedience, 349.
Elder, Priesthood of, 207; not to dictate his superior in office, 228.
Elders, to do work set them, 230; should have generous natures, 430;
should exercise faith, 430; should pray always, 430; should serve the
Lord, 431; should cease speaking evil; 432; should deal honestly, 432;
course of, to save every person, 492; should improve, grow in grace and
knowledge, while preaching the Gospel, 497; successful, must have power
of God, 516.
Elements, eternal as Gods, 24.
Elohim, see God.
Emigration Canyon, named, 725.
End, when will, come the, 87
Endowment House, all ordinances can not be administered in, 612.
Endowments, 162; given in Solomon's temple, 602; men must hold
Melchizedek Priesthood before receiving, 607; given to some means their
destruction, 608; for Church of First-born, 608; definition of, 637,
638.
Enoch, 161, 179.
Enthusiasm, 12.
Ephraim, blessed by Jacob, 493.
Error, to pass away, 14.
Esau, house of, to be saved, 489. {749}
Eternal Increase, 138-146.
Eternal Life, what it is, 147, 148; condition for obtaining, 345.
Eternal progression, 24, 31; law of, 133.
Eternity, is here, 24; course of, 384; incomprehensible, 148.
Evangelists, to be in Church of Christ, 211.
Eve, in Garden of Eden, 156; temptation of, 164.
Evil, purpose of, 85; power of, 104.
Exaltation, proportioned to capacity, 599.
Exalted, Saints who live their religion will be, 345.
Example, parents should teach by, 322.
Excursions, prepare suitable places for, 376; should be made for the
comfort of families, 376.
Exercise, bodies should have, 295, 296.
Existence, object of, 24.
Experience, life a school of, 87; needed, 92; necessary for salvation,
529, 530.
Extravagant, men as, as women, 330.
F
Faith, first principle, 236, 238; is eternal, 237; is inherent in man,
237; maintain integrity by, 238; a gift of God, 238; blessings of, 240;
be full of, 241; good works follow, 241; not dependent on miracles,
525; and works, 446; do the things that are necessary by, 446; in God,
451.
Faithful, young men admonished to be, 317; will exercise faith, 430;
will pray always, 430; serve the Lord, 431.
Fall, The, 157, 158.
Falsehood, cannot be overtaken, 540.
False impressions, never give, to children, 326.
False Spirits, 110-114.
Family, 300.
Family life, 314, 315.
Fanatics, defined, 6.
Far West, 720.
Fashions, 331, 332, 333.
Fast day, origin of, 262; purpose of, 263.
Father, see God.
Faultfinding, 127.
First Cause, 38.
First Presidency, 212; influence of, 213; have oracles for human
family, 213; prevailing desire of, to save the world, 213; apostleship
not taken from, 215; privilege of, 216; powers of, 217.
Flattery, 124.
Flax, raise, 459.
Food, proper, for little children, 327, 328.
Foreordination, Saints believe in, 85, 86.
Forgetfulness, 93.
Forgive, when to, 243.
Former-day Saints, like Latter-day Saints, 168.
Free Agency, in council in heaven, 83; all rational beings have, 95,
96; man can dispose of, 97; explanation of, 98, 99; the law of liberty,
101, 347.
Freedom, man's own will and, 348.
Free grace, 86.
Frowns, a child loves the smiles of its mother but hates her, 323.
G
Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve in, 156; in America, 157; mentioned, 725.
Gathering, purpose of, 185; reasons for, to valleys of mountains, 186.
Gentile, to be made seed of Abraham, 669.
Gentleman, defined, 429.
Gift, of Holy Ghost, 218, 219.
Gila River, why Saints did not go to, 737.
Give Freely, to build up the Kingdom of God, 357.
Glories, number of, 585.
God, governed by law, 1; has power of truth, 7; elements as eternal as,
24; the Creator, 27; the Father, 27; nature of, 27, 35; his attributes,
28; omnipresence of, 30; one, 31; our Father, 31; of organization, 33;
all desire a, 34; many, 34; his abode, 34; Fatherhood of, 36; source
of all, 36; personality of, 36; Father of our spirits, 37; of temporal
experience, 37; communication with, 49; man offspring of, 76; known by
seed of {750} man, 77; his wish for his children, 89; governs by law,
90; attainment of, 150; all intelligence from, 230; sanctify, 353; live
by every word that proceeds from the mouth of, 353; desiring to know
the will of, 353; saved in the kingdom of, 355; be faithful to your,
355; all knowledge that men possess is from, 355; has in store for us,
410; at helm of ship Zion, 528; not the author of war, 562; removes the
curse, 430; who are loved of, 431.
Godhead, 27; unity of, 44.
Gods, exist, and we had better strive to be one of them, 351; our
religion is designed to restore us to the presence of the, 351.
Gold, is not wealth, 473; what used for, 473; true happiness not in,
473; true wealth, 474; with no possible chance to change, would be
destitution, 474.
Gospel, defined, 1-13; power of, 1; system of law, 1; includes all
truth, 2; comprehension of, 5; holds Priesthood, 6; purpose of, 7,
8, 9, 11; offers salvation for all, 10; is perfect, 11; saves all,
12; a daily guide, 12; not theory, 18; temporal nature of, 21; first
requirement, 32; founded on revelation, 58; what it brings, 82;
unchanged, 158; revealed to Adam, 159; importance of principles of,
235; need to have, sounded in our ears often, 250; to be taught to
children, 320; to practice requires time, faith, affection and labor,
344; devotion to, 353; apply your hearts to, 354; loose the spirit of,
364; believe the, 364; comprises every art and science known to man,
378; preach the, 415; the poor made happy by, 486; to be preached to
all men, 489; testimony of, gives solid satisfaction, 514; preached
with authority, 505; why some men reject, 665; to go to uttermost
parts of earth, 671; nature of, 682; best institution of all, 683;
why called "Mormonism", 685; effects of, 686; What it teaches, 687;
will bring peace to earth, 687; perfection to be obtained through,
688; gives desire to know things of God, 688; personal joy in, 689; a
continual feast, 690; blesses all, 691; dispels gloom, 692; proud of,
693; carries all, 693; blessings of, conditioned upon good works, 695;
increases blessings, 696.
Government of God, how to understand, 349.
Government of United States, has lifted its heel against Saints, 531.
Government, political, 543; republican, 545; how a, can stand, 545;
what is true, 545; belief in true, 546; self, lies at root of all
effective, 545; theocratic, 543.
Grant, Jedediah M., 572.
Great Salt Lake Valley, see Salt Lake Valley.
H
Happiness, cause of, 119; Saints should have, 362; the whole world are
after, 362; he who has the love of God within him has, 362; found not
in gold and silver, 362; found in peace and love, 362; incorporated in
the great design of man's existence, 363; nowhere but in God, 364; only
one way for Saints to have, 364; we are all searching for, 364; made by
wealth, when used for the Gospel, 481.
Hatred, never encourage, 420.
Healing, the sick, 251.
Health, law of, 289, 290, 294, 295, 296, 298, 299.
Heart, pure before God, 261; the people to become of one, 341.
Heathen, enlightened, 49; defined, 82; upright, 93.
Heaven, no one forced into, 99.
Heavenly beings, 341.
Hell, defined, 97, 589; is to strive to grasp truth with one hand, and
error with the other, 345; no music in, 374; covenant breakers to go
to, 589.
High Council, should be filled with power of Holy Ghost, 206; duty of,
231.
High Priest, Priesthood of, 207, 217; first ordained, 220, 221.
Holy Ghost, a minister, 29; one, 35; explanation of, 46; work of, 47;
received by laying on of hands, 248; special, gift of {751} the Father,
248; is Minister of the Father, 248, 249; mission of, 249.
Holy Spirit, all quickened by, 47; explained, 50, 51.
Homes, for young married men, 301.
Honesty, be honest with yourselves, 358; men must have, 358; honest
hearts produce, 358; in labor, 359; deal with, 432.
Hooper, William, remarks on Mason and Dixon's Line, 560.
Housekeepers, mothers to teach daughters to be, 326.
House of Israel, is objective of missionaries, 493.
Housewife, 329.
Humanity, see man.
Humble, will live, 353; ourselves and become like little children, 353;
are full of joy, 353.
Humility and Devotion, essential to Kingdom of our Lord, 509.
Husband, should be head of the family, 306; should set example for wife
and children, 306; should be affectionate and kind, 306; should learn
to bend his will to will of God, 306, 307.
I
Identity, will be preserved, 567.
Idler, wicked to give to the, 423; never give anything to the, 423.
Ignorance, of Christ and plan of salvation, 342, 343.
Illinois, persecution in, 724.
Imaginary wants, of young girls, 337.
Imitate, duty to, everything good, lovely, dignified and praiseworthy,
262.
Improvements, we make, add to our comfort, 465; learn how to build, 465.
Impure, anything, must perish, 351.
Increase, Eternal, see Eternal Increase.
Independence, sacred, 95.
Indians, who massacre are guilty of murder, 563; See also Lamanites.
Indigo, can be raised, 460.
Individuals, receive visions, 519.
Industry, build up, 465; beautify, 465; plant good vineyards and
orchards by, 465; learn how to build, 465.
Infidel, 15.
Influence, of mother, 319.
Intelligence, why given, 80; eternal, 147; received from God, 230;
misapplied, does mischief, 350; given by God is to carry out purposes
of his will, 350; good thing, 377; to become Gods by, 377; true, 377;
belongs to Zion, 377; gratifying to the Lord and angels, 377.
Inventions, 62.
Irrigation, advice to watermasters, 741.
Israel, in wilderness, 162; who are, 669.
J
Jackson County, return to, 174; Center Stake of Zion at, 174.
Jacob, blesses Ephraim, 493.
Jerusalem, 186.
Jesus Christ, his revelations sweet, 9; atonement of, 12; who he
is, 39, 40; appointment of, 41; testimony of, 43; mission of, 44;
completion of work of, 45; second coming of, 46; begotten by God, 77;
on earth, 163; coming of, 43; mission of, 44; completion of work of,
45; second coming of, 46; begotten by God, 77; on earth, 163; coming
of, 175, 176; says "Distribute to the poor," 487, 488; performs miracle
at Cana, 522, 523; first-fruits of the resurrection, 573; died for
every man, 594.
Jews, to be gathered, 187; to prepare for coming of the Messiah, 187;
to see Savior, 187.
Job, expresses idea of resurrection, 567.
Johnson, Lyman, 704.
Jordan River, to be turned into canal, 742; a canal to be made on west
side of, 742.
Judgment, do not deal out, 427, 428; eternal, 584; according to works,
584; of God, God-like, 586; to be out of own mouths, 587; honesty of
action will temper, 587; measure of human, 590; given to Saints, 591.
Justice, Lord to mete out, 420.
K
Kimball, Heber C., 215, 219.
Kingdom, of God, defined, 37; a government, that protects every person
in his rights, 544; definition of, 670; to develop gradually, 672;
effect of, 673; {752} filthy cannot enter, 674; government of, 674;
will continue, 676; or nothing, 680; give best you have to, 681.
Kingdoms, not controlled by holy and pure principles must pass away,
351.
Kirtland Temple, Joseph commanded to build, 686; Saints built, under
trials, 637; preparatory ordinances in, 637.
Know, how to, that we obey God, 346; those who, Master's will and do it
not, ought to be cursed, 350.
Knowledge, is divine, 17; by revelation, 57; of eternity learned only
by keeping commandments, 343, 344; do everything possible to bring, to
ourselves and to the people, 344.
L
Labor, Gospel in daily, 12; all, in gospel, 13; for ourselves, 35;
indispensable, 447; manual, 447; building up of Zion requires, 447;
mental, physical, spiritual, 447; cannot produce without, 462; timber
will continue to grow but not brought into service without, 462;
precious metals would remain in mountains without, 462; capitalists
need your, 462; price of labor should be brought to a reasonable
standard, 463.
Labor and politics, 548.
Lady, defined, 429.
Lamanites, children of God, 188; duty of Saints toward, 188, 189, 190;
of House of Israel, 188.
Lamb's book of life, all names written in, 593; names blotted out of,
through own acts, 593.
Land of Zion, where it is, 183; American continents are, 184.
Last Days, the, 170; the terror of, 171; in Zion, 173; rapid movements
in, 178; to increase knowledge in, 180.
Last Dispensation, 165.
Latter-day Saints, like former-day Saints, 163; have your children come
to meeting, 321; not as rebellious as the children of Israel, 351;
gather the poor, 492; character of, traduced, 532; refused privilege of
settlement in any of the states of the Union, 725.
Law, Gospel, system of, 1; God governs by, 90; nature of God's, 96;
not capable of receiving fulness of, 146; should obey every good, 340;
divine, of no use, unless faithfully observed, 344; no, against doing
good, 346; no, against love, 346; no, against serving God, 346; no,
against charity and benevolence, 346; no, against principles of eternal
life, 346.
Law of Liberty, see free agency.
Law of Moses, why given, 160.
Laying on of hands, 252.
Learn, to know ourselves, 414; liberty, religious, should be observed,
553.
Life, present, more precious, 23; eternity of, 38, 76; object of, 133;
business of, 134, 135; purpose of, 135, 136; defined, 147; long life
man's first duty, 288; fills all matter, 565, 566.
Light, if people reject, they will be condemned, 349.
Little Mountain, 725.
Lord, the, has sent forth his laws, commandments and ordinances, 340.
Love each other, 417; our fellow man, 417; our neighbor more than self,
417; God, 417; Mercy, 417; you are in the path of life if you, God,
417; labor of, 417; our enemies, 419.
Lucifer, plan of, 82; his angels, 84; enemy of Christ, 536; See also,
Devil.
Lying, men must quit, 351.
M
McLellin, Wm. E., 218, 704.
Magicians, of Egypt, perform bogus miracles, 524.
Magnetism, animal, 113.
Malice, never encourage, 420.
Man, may save himself, 7; communication with God and, 49; is eternal,
74; offspring of God, 76, 160; King of earth, 76; organized spirit,
76; child of celestial parents, 78; in image of God, 78; spirit of,
79; differs in talents, 79; power of agency of, 85; volition of, free,
85; gifts from God to, 96; desires to do, good, 102; spirit pure,
107; endures forever, 134; stained creation, 152; creation of, 160;
has degenerated, 162; {753} should live out his days, 567; desires
salvation, 645; delights in good, 645; searches for salvation, 647;
loves truth and righteousness, 647; spirit of, loves truth, 647;
honest, in other churches, 648; alike in sentiments, 648; has variety
of gifts, 649; power of, limited, 650; to have confidence in himself,
652; is dependent, 652; must fight own battles, 653; know thyself,
653; cherishes good character, 653; needs leaders, 654; duty and
responsibility of, 655; should strive to be righteous, 655; duty of, to
listen to truth, 667.
Mankind, our friends, 8.
Manner, children need directing and teaching what is right in a kind
and affectionate, 323-4.
Manufacturing, depend upon our own, 459; may the Lord hedge up the way
against foreign, 459; close the gate against foreign, 459; save your
wool for, 459; if we have not factories sufficient, will send and get
more machinery for, 459; build a tannery for, 459; glass, 459; own dye
stuffs, 460.
Marriage, early, advocated, 301, 303; relation, 302; foundation for
many blessings, 302, 303; to unbelievers not approved, 304.
Mason and Dixon's Line, 560.
Masters, deal honestly those your hire, 432.
Matter, organized, 27; eternity of, 73, 74; decomposition of, 75; mind
and, 89.
Medicine, to be used carefully, 297.
Meetings, Saints instructed to have their children come to, 321.
Melchizedek, 161.
Melchizedek Priesthood, conferred by Peter, James and John, 220; Moses
held, 222; to be conferred on men before receiving endowments, 607.
Merchants, dishonest, 461.
Mercy, let us have, 419; genius of religion to have, 419; merciful men
shall find, 420; should love, 420; let, soften every angry temper, 421;
be full of, 422.
Mesmerism, 113.
Methodists, 9.
Methuselah, 161.
Millennium, 172; consists of, 177; privileges of Saints in, 178;
temples built in, 178; work for dead to be done in, 178; men to have
own beliefs in, 182; work of building temples in, 615; purpose of, 616,
618, 619.
Mind, and matter, 89; condition of to worship the Lord, 250; keep pure
and clean, 434.
Mind our own business, Mormon creed, 415.
Ministry, Christian, sin of, 490.
Miracles, mysteries and visions, 519; providences of God, 520; only
required by the wicked, 522; performed at Cana of Galilee by Jesus,
522, 523; is knowledge how to command elements, 523, 524; bogus,
performed by magicians of Egypt, 524; for believers, 525; faith not
dependent on, 525; cannot save a person, 525.
Mischief, caused by misapplied intelligence, 350.
Misery, purpose of, 85.
Missionary work, 489; helps to Save every person, 491.
Missionaries, words to departing, 494; must be examples of good works,
494; to go without purse or scrip, 495; to go with clean hands and
pure hearts, 496; to dedicate families to the Lord, 497; modern, have
greatest work to do, 498; minds centered on bringing souls to Christ,
499; in the field, advice to, 499, 500, 501; the returned, 503; advice
to, 504, 505.
Missouri, persecution of Saints in, 722, 723.
Morley, Isaac, 221.
Mormon Battalion, why called, 729; line of march of, 730; how gathered,
731; proportion of, in regard to Nation, 732; severe conditions of
march of, 733.
Mormon Creed, Mind our own business, 415.
Mormonism, see Gospel.
Moses, 161, 162, 222, performed miracles, 524; not blamed for Pharaoh's
hard-heartedness, 539, 540.
Mother, influence of, 319; to teach children early, 319; to be strict,
320; appointed missionaries to teach their children their duties, 326;
to teach children cleanliness and purity of {754} body, 326; to teach
children the principles of salvation, 326; to teach daughters to be
house keepers, 326; can administer to their children, 328.
Mother Earth, body returns to, 564.
Mount Zion, established, 489.
Murdock, John, 221.
Mysteries, 13; visions and miracles, 519; to be left alone, 520.
Mystery, what is a, 520.
N
Nations, who make war, guilty of murder, 562, 563.
Nauvoo, 532; Saints left, in February, 1846, 725, 726.
Nauvoo Temple, burned, 632; the Prophet Knew how to build, 638; built
under trials, 639; passed into hands of enemy, 640.
Neglect, if we, our duty, we will be chastened, 350.
Negro, the seed of Ham, 430.
Neighbors, respect for, 429; treat with kindness, 429; can you live as,
429.
O
Obedience, required, 31; 338; expected to the word of the Lord, 339;
has to do with stern realities, 340; effect of, 345; and free agency,
347; benefits of, 349.
Obey, every good law, 340; how to know that we, 346.
Oneness, be of one heart, 433; perfect, will save a people, 434; unity
of purpose, 434; as he and the Father, 433; except I have, with my
brethren, I am not a Latter-day Saint, 438.
Opposites, need of, 102.
Opposition in all things, must be known, 530.
Order, principles of, to be taught to little children, 327.
Order of Enoch, unity in, 440, 442.
Ordinances, temporal labor of, 21; need of, 235; baptism an, 236; of
house of God, 341; none to be dispensed with, 341.
Original sin, 31.
Overcome by spirit of the world, results of, 350.
P
Parents, how and what to teach children, 321; to see that children go
to meetings as well as Sunday School, 321; not to chasten neighbors'
children, 322; if righteous and faithful, not separated from children
in eternity, 322; to set examples that they wish their children to
imitate, 322; not to drive but to lead children, 323; how and what
to teach their children, 322 to 328; when and how children should be
sealed to, 322; should never drive children, 323; need of training,
328; to teach children to pray, the law of health, the principles of
the Gospel, to be obedient, 331.
Parties, political, 558.
Partridge, Edward, busy in spirit world, 579.
Pastors, to be in Church of Christ, 211.
Pass away, that kingdom power or person not controlled by pure
principles must, 351.
Passions, must be moulded, 14; embitter life, 160; overcome, 411; check
your words of, 412; no man possessing wisdom will give vent to, 413.
Patriarchal doctrine, 9.
Patten, David W., 218.
Peace conditions for obtaining, 5.
People, should become of one heart and one mind, 341; must be
self-sustaining, 450; should live within their means, 451.
Perfection, gospel has, 11.
Perish, anything impure must, 351.
Persecutions and trials, 529; purpose of, 531; bring blessings, 531;
may be expected, 531; cause of, 535; caused disobedience, 537; result
of, 538; comes from efforts of a few, 541, 542; of the Saints, dangers
of, 541.
Pharaoh, hard-heartedness of, 539, 540.
Plan of Salvation, see Gospel.
Political government, 543.
Political parties, 558.
Politics and labor, 548.
Politics of the Latter-day Saints, 549.
Popularity, would send us to hell, 540.
Poor, set to work, 423; Lord has chosen the, 423; what kind of, 423;
the Lord's, 423; the devils, 423; the poor devils, {755} 422; the, are
the people of God, 486; made happy by the gospel, 486; are covetous,
487; rich to distribute to, 488; disgrace not to take care of own, 488;
the, gathered by Latter-day Saints, 492.
Possessions, uncertainty of temporal, 469; like a shadow, 469; unseen
hand of providence controls, 469; today they are, tomorrow they are
not, 469; true riches, 469; Lord can't take away, 470.
Potter, Saints like clay in hands of, 344.
Practice, has to do with stern realities, 340; of the gospel requires
time, faith, love and labor, 344; if we, what we profess at defiance of
hell, 350; is greatest sermon, 515.
Practical religion, need of 17, 18, 22; Zion built by, 19.
Pratt, Parley P., early missionary, 707.
Prayer, 65, 66; how to pray, 67; Spirit of, 67; when to offer, 68-71;
if neglected, spirit of darkness comes, 264.
Pre-appointment, 84.
Preach, what to, 13; temporal labor, 21; by the Holy Ghost, 47; only
that which is known, 511.
Preachers, hint to, 511.
Pre-existence, 72.
Presence of Almighty, strict obedience to the truth will enable people
to dwell in, 340; our religion is designed to restore us to the, of
God, 351.
Present, gospel for the, 12; of first importance, 13.
Preserve our gifts, 31.
Priestcraft, 115, 116, 117.
Priesthood, system of government, 2; part of gospel, 6; purpose of,
7; bestowed upon men, 201; perfect system of government, 201; what
it is, 201; comprises kingdom of God, 202; where keys of, are, 202;
on earth at various times, 202; purpose of, 203, 204; obedience to,
brings blessings, 203, 204, 205; power of, 204; laws based upon, 204;
exists in spirit world, 204; who shall hold, 205; everything subject
to, 205; to gain influence by, 206; of Elder same as of Apostle,
207; not destroyed at death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 208; gives
same counsel, 209; man has no right to build up church without, 210;
Apostles hold keys of, 211; will of God made known through, 211; keys
of, committed to Joseph Smith, 213; restored in our day for Salvation
of Israel, 489.
Printing press, first, west of Mississippi by Saints, 725, 728.
Profess, if we practice what we, at defiance of hell, 350.
Progeny, man is, of God, 388.
Progression, see Eternal Progression.
Promises, always keep, made to children, 325.
Progeny, man is, of God, 38.
Prophets, to be in Church of Christ; 211.
Property, accumulate, 466; let every man and woman gather to
themselves, 466.
Prosper, we shall, if we live our religion, 349.
Protestants, 15.
Provo River, mentioned, 742.
Purity, of body to be taught to children, 326.
Purse or scrip, missionaries to go without, 495, 501.
Q
Quails, sent as food for Saints, 725.
Quincy, people of, open arms for Saints, 723.
R
Rebellious, Latter-day Saints, not as the Children of Israel, 351.
Reformation, defined, 244.
Reject, do not, anything that comes from the Lord, 346.
Relief Societies, some duties of 334; members of, should enlarge
their sphere of usefulness by study, 335; should organize industrial
societies, 335; to relieve necessities of the worthy, 336.
Religion, practical, need of, 17, 18, 22; purpose of, 24; of heaven,
way to establish, 341; how to live, 341, 346; will prosper, if we live
our, 349; to restore us to the presence of God, 351; we have embraced
must last from Saturday night {756} until Saturday night, 361; our, one
of improvement, 378; not contradicted or confined, 378; to lead men
to a state of intelligence, 378; our, comprises every art and science
known to man, 378; duty, Latter-day Saints to live their, 380; of Jesus
Christ makes the people acquainted with the things of God, 380; prompts
them to search after knowledge, 380; of the day, 386; and science, 397;
false, brings on persecutions, 535.
Repentance, made manifest by obedience, 242; without, atonement of
no effect, 242; not upon the scaffold, 243; from false notions, 243;
should never cease, 244; what it is, 244.
Respect, for one another, 421; for neighbors, 429; treat the stranger
with, 429.
Restoration, the, 165.
Resurrection, faith of Job in the, 566, 567; Jesus first-fruits of,
573; necessary to full salvation, 575.
Resurrection and death, 564.
Revelation, about daily duties, 18; explained 54-58; continual, 59; how
to understand, 60; personal, 60, 62; nature of, 61; to come through
appointed channel, 212.
Revolution, inspired, 551.
Richards, Willard, 215.
Rigdon, Sidney, 214, 216, 221.
Righteousness, triumph of, 172.
Rulers, fitness of, 548.
S
Sabbath Day, how to spend, 254; those who go skating, pleasure-riding,
or on excursions on the, are weak in the faith, 254; should be observed
for temperance, good and spiritual welfare, 254.
Sacrament meetings, if neglected, spirit of darkness comes, 264.
Sacrament of Lord's Supper, 265; duty of Saints to attend, 265; more
sacred than other ordinances, 265; necessary to our salvation, 266;
required of disciples until Savior comes again, 266.
Saint, whole man a, 8; not perfect, 11; calling of a, 258.
St. George Temple, 641; site of, had been dedicated, 642; Spirit of
God in, 642; Tuesdays and Wednesdays appointed for baptisms in, 644;
Thursdays and Fridays for endowments in, 644; for work of Lamanites in,
644; completed, 644.
Saints, will not be confounded, if they live their religion, 347; know
how to be, 354; made perfect by suffering, 531; dangers of persecuting
the, 541; will yet save the Constitution, 553; and politics, 549.
Salt Lake Temple, duty of Saints to build, 629; vision of, given to
President Young, 629; to have six towers, 629; to stand as a monument
of Saints' love of God, 631; will be for endowments, 632; address at
laying cornerstone of, 632; cornerstone dedicated, 641.
Salt Lake Valley, settlement in, 735; provided by God, 736-737; reasons
for coming to, 737-738; purpose of coming to, 739; a blessed place, 740.
Salvation for all, 10, 12, 44, 49, 86, 87; present, desired, 23, 25;
secret of, 88; who will attain, 88; graded, 94; when entitled to, 242;
conditions of obtaining, 345; universal, 592; for those who overcome,
592; for heathen nations, 593; for all except sons of perdition,
594; way to, 595; through gospel, 595; comes through work, 596; and
individual work, 596; free agency in receiving, 597; degrees of, 597;
proportioned to capacity, 599; all not to receive same, 599; man
desires, 645.
Salvation for the dead, 602; when revealed, 611; not fully revealed
at first, 611; purpose of, 611, 612, 613; pertaining to parents and
children, 613, 614; do not wait until Millennium to work for, 616;
who shall perform, 618; for those who have not had the gospel, 620; a
law to be obeyed, 62; who should represent the dead in the work of,
620, 621, 622, 623; doctrine of, revealed from God, 625; greater than
worldly wealth, 626.
San Francisco, why Saints did not go to, 737. {757}
Satan, see Devil.
Savage, why so, 82.
Saving, a good house-keeper will be, 330.
Savior, see Jesus Christ.
Saviors, on Mount Zion, 623; meaning of, 623-624.
Sayings, brief, of President Young, 340.
Schools, established, 725.
School of Prophets, 32.
Scriptures, use of, 197-198.
Sealed, husband and wife should be, 301.
Second death, what it is, 590.
Sects, have some truth, 4; to deny Savior, 508.
Seed of Ham, the negro, 430.
Self-control, 107.
Self-discipline, necessary, 315.
Self-sustaining, people must be, 450.
Servants, of the devil, 348; deal honestly with those who employ you,
432.
Settlement in West, 722; journey across plains to establish, 722;
trials to make, 722; made on City Creek, 725; made by establishing
orchards, etc., 725; to be made like Garden of Eden, 725; made by
building roads, etc., 727; work to reach, 734; condition of people and
animals when they reached, 735.
Seventy, Priesthood of, 207; not separate body from Church, 221; to be
teachers, 221.
Sewing, how to teach to children, 325.
Silk, raise, 460.
Sin, purpose of, 85; permitted to come, 94; explanation of, 117-122;
doing wrong when we know we can do better, 242.
Sisters, to teach young girls as to imaginary wants, 337.
Slaves, of our own passions, 348.
Smiles, a child loves the, of its mother, but hates her frown, 323.
Smith, Joseph, 8; Priesthood restored by, 48; early revelations to,
54; appointed in councils of eternity, 165; visited by angels, 166;
was President of Church, 213; keys of Priesthood committed to, 213;
mentioned, 217; illiterate boy, argument of the wise, 492; a pure
Ephraimite, 493; a Prophet of God, Saints should testify to the wicked,
508; why persecuted, 537; persecution of, made him more perfect, 538;
had the right to establish a religion, 554; worked in stone quarry for
the Kirtland temple, 637; witness of truth, 666; a Prophet of God,
700; laid foundation of kingdom of God, 700; explained personality of
God, 701; a great teacher; 702; a good man, 703; called by God, 703;
directed by God, 703; had to do with temporal things, 704; development
of, 705; received Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods, 706; received
knowledge of plates, 706; God sent John, the Baptist and Peter, James
and John to, 706; sent missionaries to West, 707; received revelation
on work for dead, 707; teachings of, 708; could explain heavenly
things, 708; taught Gospel, 708; result of labors of, 709; persecutions
of, 709; lies circulated about, 711; not an impostor, 712; harassed by
lawsuits, 712; of good character, 713; why, was killed, 713; sealed his
testimony with his blood, 714; in forty-six lawsuits, 715; works in
spirit world, 715; nature of family of, 716; successors of, the Twelve,
716; sayings of, 717; God delivered, from enemies, 718; doctrine of
governing, 719; promised protection of Governor Ford, 724.
Smith, Joseph, Sr., busy in spirit world, 579.
Social amusements, ordained of God to bless his people, 364; we are
made to enjoy all, that God enjoys, 365; are the order of heaven, 365;
a blessing for the Latter-day Saints to associate together, 365; follow
only the path that leads to life everlasting, 365; privilege of Saints
to enjoy, 366; provide innocent, 366; are necessary, 368; to satisfy
natural organization, 369; resist all foul spirits in, 369; if you
can't go with the spirit of the Lord to, stay home, 370; to promote
healthy action to the whole system, 370; no harm in Sunday School
parties, 371; pay more {758} attention to public exercises in, 372;
noisy and boisterous demonstrations in, indicate little sense, 372;
improve the body and the mind, 402.
Solomon's temple, David commanded to prepare building of, 634; pattern
of, given, 634; why called, 635.
Son of God, see Jesus Christ.
Sons of perdition, 45; sinners against Holy Ghost are, 182.
Sorrow, purpose of, 85.
Space, no empty, 30.
Spencer, Brother, lived beyond common age, 469.
Spirit, makes converts, not logic or debate, 506.
Spirit of God, how to obtain, 18. See also Holy Ghost.
Spirit of Truth, how engaged, 22.
A of the world, what it does, 350.
Spirits, cannot be baptized, 581; can preach Gospel, 581; can bring
information, 581.
Spiritualism, 112.
Spirit world, 576; all go to, 576; where it is, 576; good and evil
spirits in, 577; labors in, 578; Jesus, first to preach to spirits in,
579; dead go to, 580; spirits familiar with spirits in, 581; life in,
582; cannot be described, 583; transportation in, 583; Joseph Smith in,
715.
Stake presidencies, duties of, 233.
Standard Church works, 195; what they contain, 196; Saints' belief in,
197.
States' Rights, 559.
Strangers preach, youth urged to hear, 264; teaching in Sunday School,
264.
Subdue, our own passions, 410; to conquer and, 411.
Sugar, raise, 460.
Sunday School, we should have more children at, 372.
Swearing, men must quit, 351.
T
Tabernacle, opposed to theatrical performances in, 374; opposed to
making it a hall of fun, 374.
Talents, to be used, 208-209; hide not your, 382; put them out to
usury, 443; to be improved, 581.
Task, to undertake to live a Saint and walk in darkness is a hard, 350.
Taylor, John, 724.
Teach, mothers to commence with children in their lap, 319; how and
what to, 320.
Teachers, to be in Church of Christ, 211.
Telegraph, a new revelation, 62.
Temper, even temper to be maintained, 315.
Temples, temporal labor in, 21; to be built in Millennium, 178; to
be built, 275-276; Saints commenced to build, 602; endowments given
in Solomon's, 603; for God to come to, 603; indispensable for higher
ordinances, 604; hundreds of, to be built, 605; endowments to be given
in, 606; ordinances of, for salvation of human family, 608; work for
dead in, 608; instruction pertaining to ordinances in, 609; during
Millennium, 615; built expressly to save people, 617; sons of Jacob
to work in, 626; angels to converse and explain work of, 627; angels
to bring list of names to, 627; some to remain in, all the time, 628;
powers of evil opposed to, 628; Saints built two, 629; to have groves
and fish ponds on, 629; David not permitted to build, 634.
Temporal, and spiritual inseparable, 13-20; labors necessary, 20;
nature of gospel, 21; revelations, 54.
Temporal matters, counsel in, 339.
Temptation, explained, 122-126.
Ten Tribes, to be gathered, 187.
Testimony, how obtained, 43, 52, 53; by revelation, 57; of gospel,
gives solid satisfaction, 514; where do you get your? 517; all Saints
may have, of gospel, 657; must have, of Jesus to know truth, 657; how
to get a, 658, 659-660; miracles do not give abiding, 661; people join
Church by reason of, 662; gained by experience, 663; is positive, 664;
not built upon man, 666; concerning Joseph Smith, 666.
Texas, 737.
Theater, is there evil in, 375; built to attract the young, 375; to
provide amusement for the boys and girls, 375; to amuse the people,
375; stage can be made to aid the pulpit, {759} 375; tragedy not
favored, 376; to improve the public mind, 376.
Theocratic government, 543; what is, 543.
Theory, amounts to but little, 340.
Time, 72; is capital stock, 330; if properly used, brings many
blessings, 330.
Tithing, law of, 269; consequences when not paid, 269; will be willing
to pay if we live our religion, 272; for what used, 269-272-273; we
pay, for our own benefit, 273; people not compelled to pay, 274; people
not cut off the Church for non-payment of, 274; is an eternal law, 274;
is for the salvation and exaltation of man, 274; use of, 275; President
of the Church to control the disbursements of, 276.
Training, importance of early, 318; guide to child, 323.
Trinity, 46.
Trials, meet cheerfully, 533; are necessary, 529; and persecutions, 529.
True believer, definition of, 241.
True riches, who obtains, 472; what are, 472; gold is not, 473.
Truth, eternal, 2-4-6-14, revealed by God, 2; is gospel, 3; gospel,
a fountain of, 14; purpose of, 15-17; love and remember, 15; not
disproved, 16; accept all, 17; is obeyed when it is loved, 340; strict
obedience to the, will alone enable people to dwell in the presence of
the Almighty, 340; gather up all, 382; in all the arts and sciences is
part of our religion, 509; manifests itself to honest persons, 662.
U
United Order, 276; God's people must enter into, before building the
Center Stake of Zion, 276; how to start and conduct, 279-280.
Unity, be of one mind, 433; Church cannot exist without, 434; perfect
union, 434; in God's work, 437; advantage of temporal, 439; in
all things, 439; in Order of Enoch, 440; does not mean individual
uniformity, 442.
Universalists, 15.
Universe, organized, 73.
Urim and Thummim, 706.
V
Vancouver Island, 727.
Virtue, 300.
Visions, personal nature of, 519; mysteries and miracles, 519.
Volition, see Free Agency.
W
War, 106; against Saints, 170; declared against Saints over 27 years,
531-532; who prompts nations to, 561; God does not institute, 562;
between nations is murder, 562-563; instigators of, guilty of murder,
563.
Warfare, between Christ and devil, 648.
Water, of itself will not wash away sins, 247; has been the means of
purification in every world that has been organized, 247; God did not
curse the, but blessed it, 247.
Waste, let nothing go to, 449; made by children, 449; poor families,
449; if you wish to get rich, do not, 450.
Whiting, Brother, man of few words, 518.
Wealth, elements of, 453; learn how to gather, 453; in the mountains,
454; belongs to this world, 454; belongs to the Lord, 468; concealed
in elements God has given to man, 468; given to wicked as well as
righteous, 468; not ours, 468; our business to do what the Lord wants
us to do with, 468; man who places, above God has no eyes to see,
471; true, 474; how to gain, 474; eternal salvation brings true, 475;
obtained by paying attention to building up of Kingdom of God, 475;
do you want, 475; few men know what to do with, 479; amassed at the
expense of others, 479; do not hoard up, 479; put to usury, 480; to
beautify Zion, 480; brings happiness when used for the Gospel, 481;
produces comfort, 482; {760} and does not bring happiness, 483; some
dangers of, 483; used for selfish purposes, 483; not used to build
Kingdom of God, 483.
Wesley, John, 210.
Wheat, save your, 457.
Whipping children, effects of, 324.
Wicked, have no power over truth, 109; what they should hear, 508.
Wickedness, 117-122.
Wife, not to lead husband, 308; responsibilities and duties of, 308-313.
Wight, Lyman, 220; wanted Saints to go to Texas, 737.
Will, the, 100.
Will, God has placed, in his intelligent creatures, 406; a trait of
God's divinity, 406; power to accept or reject, 406; ours, should be
controlled by the will of God, 406; first and foremost, 406; human
family die to gratify, 406; learn to direct, 406.
Will of God, this people must know and do, 341.
Williams, Frederick, G., 214-216; 704.
Wisdom, obtain, 20; apply your heart to, 402; seek diligently for,
402; sow in your hearts, 402; more profitable than gold, 402; obtain,
from best books, 403; if any man lack, let him ask of God, 403; our
privilege to have, 403; pray for, but add with that prayer works, 404;
this people are increasing in, 404; search out the, of God, 404.
Wives, many, not cause of persecution, 536.
Woman suffrage, 563.
Word of Wisdom, 282-283; people of God commanded to keep, 283;
Elders of Israel have no right to transgress, 283; consequences of
disobedience to, 284-286; Elders of Israel commanded to cease drinking
strong drinks, 284; Church authorities requested to cut off those who
will not cease getting drunk, 284; everlasting life in it, 285; for
what purpose given, 285.
Words, not so essential as acts, 510.
Work, 290.
World, will not receive gospel, only on their own terms, 349; See also
Earth.
Worlds, many, 31; composition of, 74.
Worship, desire to, 34; needful on every day, 257; on one day only a
folly, 257.
Y
Young, Brigham, mission of 13; has had revelations, 60; spirit of
Joseph fell upon, 214; sustained as President, 214-216; never to
apostatize, 215; brief Sayings of, 340; gospel did everything for, 629;
blesses people, 697.
Z
Zion, built by practical labor, 19; where it is, 181; make for
ourselves, 181-182; pure in heart is, 182; peace and joy in, 183;
knowledge of, shall reach the uttermost parts of the earth, 380; let us
go up to, 380; build up, 381; establish, 415; strength of, 437; come
here to build up, 438; beautify and glorify, 453.
Zion's Camp, 219.
Zion's ship, God at helm, 528.
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