Made by Elder C. W. Penrose, in the Ogden Tabernacle, January 19th, 1879.

I am more than pleased this morning to have the privilege of assembling with you, to see the faces of so many of my old friends, and to enjoy the blessings of the Spirit of God and the instructions of this Conference. I believe we realize to a great extent the importance of the subject that has been presented to us this morning by Brother F. M. Lyman. I have thought upon it a great many times in reflecting upon the condition of the Latter-day Saints and the prospects that lie before them, and in viewing also the apathy and carelessness of a great many, and the influx of the people amongst us who are not of our faith. I have sometimes almost dreaded the consequences that may ensue, unless we become more united in our feelings and efforts to build up the Kingdom of God and to maintain the liberties that God has bestowed upon us. The people of Ogden are peculiarly situated. A great many people have come here who are not of our faith, some good people and some not so good. But their sympathies and feelings both religious and political are dissimilar to ours; they are not of us, their interests are not identical with ours, and although they may seem for the time to be friendly and to have an interest with us in our local affairs, yet our experience has demonstrated to us the truth of a certain saying of our Lord Jesus Christ, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” It would seem in our history that sometimes this was not the case, some people having come among us whose feelings appeared to be in consonance with ours and who were friendly disposed towards us, but their faith not being our faith, although their views to some extent were in harmony with ours, yet we have found in our experience that these words of the Savior held good even with them. Something is sure to arise to draw the dividing line; some circumstance transpires which places them where they belong, and they then occupy their true position. They are outside the covenant of the Gospel, and their sympathies and feelings and faith cannot be identified with ours. They are of the world, we are not; we have come out of the world. This may seem strange to some; but it is true as God is true. Christ laid this rule down, and we shall find that it is perfectly correct.

The great necessity for us as Saints of God is to become really and truly united, not only in thought, but in our faith and desires and sympathies one toward another, and in our fellowship as brethren and sisters in Christ. We must cherish an active, living faith, showing our faith by our works in our efforts to arrive at a perfect union. I see the necessity of this in our political affairs. When I look back at the last election, I am reminded of the few votes, comparatively, that were cast in this city. This shows something wrong. What is it? There is a carelessness growing upon the people, and we perceive it to some extent in our religious affairs and public meetings, but we see it more clearly when it comes to voting, for many who have a right to vote stay away from the polls. We call the attention of our brethren and sisters to these matters, and say to every Latter-day Saint who has the right of franchise, it is your duty to vote. The franchise is not given to us as an ornament or plaything, but as a power to be used with our best judgment in the maintenance of truth and liberty. The spirit of the Gospel is the spirit of liberty, the Gospel itself is the perfect law of liberty; and every move that may be made, having for its object the maintenance of liberty, we ought to regard in the light of the Gospel, in the light of duty.

There is a great deal of talk, and has been for years past, of separating religion from politics. I believe that we need a little more religion in our politics than we already have, and I believe that if there were more true religion in politics throughout the world it would be better for humanity. I am certain that it is absolutely necessary for us who have come here, having separated ourselves from the world, for the purpose of building up the kingdom of God, in order to accomplish this to permit our religion to enter into our lives and govern us in all we do, whether it be secular or religious. We cannot act separately, singly and alone; the Spirit of the Lord, which is the spirit of the everlasting Gospel, should dictate us in all we do in a public as well as a private capacity, and when we are so influenced we will act with a due regard to the interests of our brethren and sisters. We did not come here for gold and silver, no matter how much of these precious metals there may be hid up in the mountains around us. We did not come here for flocks and herds, for houses and lands, for orchards and vineyards or for substance or earthly wealth of any kind. All these of course we desire to obtain, and it is a blessing to have them, for with them we can the better assist in rolling forth the kingdom of God; but the acquiring of such wealth was not the object we had in coming here; it was rather to build up a better system of society and establish upon the earth that divine order that exists where our Father dwells, a few of the principles of which have been revealed to us through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We came here, in other words, to find out the will of God, and then do it. We must keep that object before us all the time, no matter in what capacity we act, whether as members of the Church or as members of society, whether we act in political or religious matters, we must keep the fact before us that the main object of our lives is to establish the kingdom of God upon the earth, that He whose right it is to reign may rule. And when we go to the polls, whether it be to vote for our municipal officers or otherwise, we must go there as Latter-day Saints, to be true to our religious covenants; we cannot say, religion, you stand aside, I am a politician today. We must be Latter-day Saints all the time, in every act of our lives. And this carelessness in regard to voting we must get rid of; we must understand that the exercise of the franchise is required of us, and knowing this we should have the manhood to use it; and the sisters who enjoy the privilege of voting, should understand that the same obligation rests upon them as well as upon the men. This blessing is given to them to be used for the good of their brethren and sisters, for the benefit of the community of which they form a part.

It is necessary that we be as one, one in spirit and acts, and we must aim all the day long for the accomplishment of the work entrusted to us. Every member must be alive and continue to be alive. The sign of life is motion, but a great many of the brethren and sisters appear to be either dead or asleep in regard to these matters. We must do better if we would preserve ourselves from the burdens which the people of Tooele county have had to bear and are now bearing; if we would maintain our liberty and keep the balance of power, we must exercise the powers conferred upon us, and if we do not, we shall have to reap the consequences. This union we talk so much about, and which we say is essential to our strength, how shall we increase it? For we need an increase of union, particularly in some places. We will take Ogden, for instance, how shall we establish union and preserve it here? I have thought there is one thing that needs to be impressed upon us, and that is har– mony of feeling and of thought between the heads and the body of the people. In order to establish that and continue it, there needs to be an identity of interests in our hearts. It will not do for our brethren, when they meet each other, to shake hands and enter into a formal conversation, and then, when they separate, have something evil to say of each other. We must try to establish real harmony; the head must be in harmony with the feet, and the spirit that is in the head should flow to the extremities of the body. We must try to establish an essential union. Not merely a grasp of hands and a tying together by rules, but the binding of heart to heart, that the spirit may have free course, run, and be diffused among the people. And in order to establish this, I have thought that we have need to be frank and free, and open one to another. I do not believe in that kind of discussion which produces contention, which comes from the devil; but I do believe in that free speech which establishes mutual understanding, tends to bind men together, and produces true affinity. We should be bound together by essential union—a union of heart and soul. How can this be brought about? By being true and honest one towards another, that there may be real confidence in our midst. Because one man may differ from another, even though with one called to preside over him, is that to say that such a man is rebellious? I think not. There should be a distinction Between honest difference and stubbornness and contention. We cannot all see alike yet, neither is it expected that we should in our present imperfect condition. As there is a difference in each other’s countenances, so there is in each other’s minds, and the only way to harmonize the difference of opinion that may exist among us, is to so live that the light of the Spirit of God can shine in our hearts. Some men are quick to perceive a truth; others are slow. Some men will grasp at an idea and comprehend it in a moment, while it takes others a long time, simply because they are slower of intellect, or because they do not happen to see from the same standpoint as we do. We must be patient, and try to convince one another when we happen to disagree. How? By threats and denunciations? No; but by real forbearance, the same as God exercises towards us. Do we ourselves carry out His purposes as He has revealed them! I think not. I confess I do not. I can see the standard of righteousness, of nobility, and purity before me, but, alas! I know I have not reached it; yet I want to keep on striving until I get up to that standard, and I believe these desires are in your hearts. God exercises patience towards us, and this is the spirit we must exercise one towards another, until we can be brought to see eye to eye. There will be a time when the watchmen upon Mount Zion will sing together with perfect harmony. “Thy watchmen shall lift up their voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” But the Lord will never bring Zion from above until Zion from beneath is prepared to meet it.

Then I would say, let us cherish forbearance and let us be frank and encourage frankness; I do not mean contention, that is a very different thing and comes from a different source. There is an essential union and there is an apparent union. I would not give a fig for the last, but the first is worth all we possess. If we only appear to be united and bound together and the bands should once be broken, separation would ensue, all would be confusion and the strength we possess would be wasted; but if we take such a course as will enable us to see alike and act alike, we will have veritable strength. Then let us try to establish such a union by being free and frank with and true to each other. To illustrate my idea: A lady gets a new bonnet, and she meets a lady friend and asks how she looks. “O how nice!” says the latter, it suits you admirably; it becomes you so much.” She turns around when her friend is gone, and says to another lady, “What a fright she looks in that poke of a bonnet!” So men will be friendly to each other’s faces and false when their backs are turned. We should be free and frank and outspoken; but that is not to say we should be unwise and abrupt in our expressions, because we are very sensitive and easily get offended. We may even drop an innocent remark, which a person may take umbrage at and feel that we are his enemies when we are in reality his friends, and the same feelings are likely to result from joking, when really no offense is intended.

But the greatest cause of disunion is promise-breaking. One of the evils that is spoken of to be prevalent in the last days is that men should become “trucebreakers;” this is, they should be guilty of making promises only to break them. I believe it can be truthfully said of some who call themselves Latter-day Saints, that they give their word to a brother, and almost before the breath is cold they falsify their promise; they make contracts in writing, and almost before the ink is dry they break them. If we make a promise to perform a piece of work, we should try to keep it, even if it appears to be to our injury. If we promise to pay a brother, we must do it or make it right with him, and not try to excuse ourselves by saying, “Oh, it is only a brother;” whereas, if it were a “gentile,” we would very likely keep our promise. We must be true to our words under all circumstances and to all persons; if we borrow, we must pay our debt; if we cannot possibly do it, we must give our creditor the best satisfaction we can. When we meet with one another, and agree to carry out certain measures, let us do it, or not promise to do it. And when we meet together in our meetings, and any measures are brought forward in which the public are interested, or nominations are to be made for any of our public officers, and we feel that we cannot agree with the measures proposed, or have just cause to oppose the nominations, do not sit mum in the meeting, and as soon as it is over commence to kindle the spirit of opposition among our brethren. In all our political matters, if the elders and the people get together and come to a clear understanding with regard to the men who are to occupy certain positions, in the manner that I have alluded to, I cannot see how there can be any division, or how those who are not of us, who are in the minority, can expect to succeed in electing opposition candidates to fill our public offices. It cannot be done. We have the majority in numbers, and if we have a thorough union of power, our strength will be preserved. But our weakness is in our carelessness and apathy. We have the right to do good, the right to vote, but do not exercise it.

When we disapprove of any man put up to occupy any position, let us be sure in our minds that what causes that disapprobation is not any private pique against him. We have no right to vote against a man from our private feelings. If a man be put up for public position, and we have a private pique against him, that should not weigh a feather. A man is put up because he is considered fit for the position, and when the majority agree upon a certain person, we should fall into line, the minority should give way to the majority. And when we disagree with our brethren, it should not be because of any private feelings. One may say, “Oh, I do not want that man.” Why? “Well, he said so and so against me, or he did not do so and so for me.” It is not a matter whether you like a man personally or not. The question is, is he fit for the position. Is he the right man for the place? Do the majority of my brethren want such and such a man? If so, I will wave my differences and vote for him who is considered best fit for the position. These things are of far more importance than many of us think they are. In times past we have had the balance of power in our elections, and all things have gone on smoothly whether we have voted or not. But the time will come when the thing will be more evenly divided, and we must get in the habit of exercising every power that God has conferred upon us for the building up of his kingdom and for our mutual benefit. When a bishop of a ward calls upon a man to perform any public duty he should be willing to step forward to do his part; and every woman should feel that she would like to see her husband do quite as much as any other woman’s husband, and not only in religious matters but in all things for the welfare of the community of which we form a part. Let us all be active members of the church and let us all be active members of the body politic—let us be real, live Latter-day Saints, and let the spirit of the Gospel flow to every part, that all may be invigorated, particle clinging to particle, for when each particle clings to the other particles this is the sign of life in a man, but when particles seem to have a desire to separate, that is indicative of dissolution, that mysterious change which we call death; when we pull apart that is a sign of spiritual death in the midst of the Latter-day Saints.

I desire to see the church and kingdom of God alive in all its parts; I desire to see every member imbued with the spirit of God, and every man holding the holy priesthood feeling that spirit and power that belong to it, for I know there is virtue, and power and strength in it. I know that it is a reality. I know that when a man is ordained to the holy priesthood, if he seeks for the spirit of his calling, he can draw nearer to God than he could without it; I know he can do more good to humanity with it than he could possibly do without it. I know that the priesthood of God is effective; that there is life and vigor in it, and that through it a man has access to God the Eternal Father, and has power to help his fellow man. We should be a nation of kings and priests unto God, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people zealous of good works. This is what we should be, my brethren and sisters. And here, in Weber County particularly, where the out– side element seems to be gathering, and which is naturally aggressive, always ready to try and wrest from us our vested rights, it behooves you to be earliest and sincere and united, and to be diligent in your efforts to hold for God and his kingdom those rights and liberties which he has given to us. God intended that his people whom he has gathered to this land should possess it, and that they should not be ruled over by their enemies, as long, at least, as they are in the majority. Then shall we give up our strength to the minority who desire to take away our rights, and who have tried all the day long to destroy our best men? I think we will not; I think we will be more energetic and cling to one another, and, if we have differences we will try to settle them. Brethren, if you have hard feelings against a brother, go to him like a man, and tell him that he has done so and so, and that it is your desire to have the thing straightened out; and if you cannot make it right yourselves call to your aid the services of a teacher, and rather let us sacrifice our feelings than allow that genial spirit which belongs to true brotherhood to be crushed out of our hearts. Let every man and woman in this congregation today feel that any difficulties they may have had with their brethren or sisters shall be buried from today, and shall not be harbored any longer. Say in your hearts, before I will have anything rankle or tarnish my feelings, I will go to my brother or to my sister and confess my weakness and thus get rid of it. And if we will be free and frank and honest, and say what is in our hearts, without fear or favor, there will be more union in our midst, and the Spirit of God will dwell with us, and we will see new beauties in our religion every day, and we will seek the society of our brethren rather than shun them; but, on the other hand, if we harbor hard feelings in our hearts without divulging them or seeking relief, we may depend upon it that it will, if allowed to go unchecked, result in a separation from the very men for whom we today profess fellowship, and in our own overthrow and death. We are children of the covenant, and should be bound together by the influence of the Holy Ghost, whose ties are stronger than those which exist between man and wife; that influence will make us one, even as the earth is one, though composed of millions of atoms. In the beginning, we are told, God spake, chaos heard, and worlds came into order. The scattered particles came together and they were solidified, consolidated, and this little earth now rolling in space shows the effects of this real essential union of parts. God has spoken to the chaotic particles of humanity; he has gathered us together to this place to make us one; and we should live together and work together, and present a strong phalanx of power, as real brethren and sisters in very deed, that the spirit of union may be in our hearts, and in every deed and act, which should be made in each other’s interest, and not for individualism and self. The spirit of individualism is, every man for himself; the spirit of the Gospel is, every man for his brother; and it is this influence that prompts a man to say, “Let me love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my strength, and let me love my neighbor as myself, and seek his interests as well as my own.” This is the Spirit of God; it is the spirit of the everlasting Gospel; it is the spirit of peace, and joy, and consolation and comfort, and there is real, true happiness in it. What a miserable feeling it is not to be able to meet a man frankly and cordially. How different when friends and brethren meet. Their countenances at once brighten, and there is a glow and warmth which bespeak their feelings for each other; it is a feeling of joy and satisfaction, and those who possess it desire to bless and do good to their fellow men.

I feel the importance of these simple truths; they are necessary to our growth as a community, and to our progress as individuals. God has revealed them for our guidance and salvation, both temporally and spiritually. Let us ponder upon them, and let nothing come be– tween us and the Priesthood of God. Let us be united in all things, and when the time comes for us to vote for our municipal officers, let us have a clear understanding before hand, and then unite on it; and I will promise you that if you will do your part, God will do his part, and we will come off more than conquerors. And the day will not be far distant when the Priesthood of God will have the balance of power, and the rule and dominion now in the hands of the wicked upon the face of all the earth will be taken away from the corrupt and the wicked, and given unto the hands of the Saints of the Most High God, and he will reign forever and ever. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered at the Quarterly Conference of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion, in the Salt Lake Theater, Sunday Afternoon, Jan. 6, 1879.

I have been interested in listening to the remarks that have been made by the brethren who have addressed us during this Conference: and I propose myself to offer a few reflections that have passed through my mind while listening to the teaching and instruction that has been presented.

There is a feeling prevailing more or less among all the branches of the human family, that the nation or people to which they belong is superior in many respects to others, either in government, in morals, in science, in manufactures, in the arts or in religion, as the case may be, and the Latter-day Saints are not without this sentiment. We feel that God has blessed us more abundantly with wisdom and knowledge regarding himself, his ways, his laws and in relation to eternal things, through our obedience to his will than he has others, and that we are moving in a higher plane than the rest of the sons and daughters of Adam. Admitting this to be correct, there is nothing whereof we as individuals or as a people ought to boast. If we have received any intelligence or knowledge pertaining either to the present or the future, it has been solely through the communications that God has been pleased to make known to us. For naturally we are very like other men—not much taller, not much shorter, not much more intelligent, not much more ignorant, than they are. There is not so great a diversity among peoples as some imagine, other things being equal; it may be well for us to reflect a little on the position we occupy in relation to others, in relation to our God, in relation to the world in which we live and the peoples by which we are surrounded; to reflect upon the past, the present, and the future; and to comprehend, if possible, our true status before the Almighty and before all men.

It is indeed true that God has conferred upon us many great and peculiar blessings for which we are indebted to him; but at the same the Lord feels interested in the welfare of all men, and all peoples of all nations, of all creeds and all religions—not in their religions as religions, but in the people who profess to believe in them; and he is acquainted with the peculiar ideas, habits, dispositions and feel– ings of men everywhere. One of the old apostles in speaking upon these things, says, “God hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth; and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitations; that they should seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” It is further said, “that we are all his offspring,” and again “that he is the God and the Father of the spirits of all flesh;” and consequently he is interested in the welfare of all the human family, everywhere—among all peoples, all nations, all kindreds and all tongues.

Now if this be the case, which we have no reason to doubt—then he is interested in all the human family, and will try to promote their welfare and happiness so far as he is capable of doing, according to certain laws by which he himself is governed, as well as all things in creation, and the learning we have heard so much about is simply a knowledge of some principles associated with those laws which are generally denominated the laws of nature. In relation to the nations or peoples the Lord will do as well by them as they will let him, and as far as the laws by which he is governed will permit, just the same as we would towards our children. We fathers and mothers, have children; they do not always do as we would like to have them do; but we wish to look over their frailties and imperfections as much as possible; but when it comes to certain points, then both father and mother have to stop. If our children violate the laws of the land, they have to be judged by those laws and we cannot prevent it, neither should we try to. Still our feelings are drawn out towards our families, and it is right and natural they should be, for these paternal feelings are planted in the human breast by the Almighty. It is therefore proper that we should have affection and to manifest kindness, forbearance and long-suffering towards all our children and all those with whom we are associated. God has this kind of feeling towards his children; and it is a portion of the spirit that emanates from him that prompts this affection and regard for our offspring.

These things are connected also with other matters. We try to look after the welfare of our children; we try—that is, those who are not utterly depraved—to lead them in the right paths, and to influence their minds and their morals and to teach them correctly both in relation to religion, education and morals, as well as secular matters, in order that they may become intelligent men and women, capable of sustaining themselves, that they may improve the talents God has given them, and that they may be able to comprehend some few of the laws, at least, by which the creations, the worlds are governed and the principles by which we are surrounded in this world, as also a knowledge of the laws of life. This is all very proper; and it is also proper that men should cultivate pleasant relations and have a good kind feeling towards others. One of the greatest evils alluded to in holy writ that, it is said, would develop itself in the last days is thus delineated: “in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves” instead of having that kind, brotherly, affectionate feeling towards others, they shall be “lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those who are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” This is spoken of as being one of the greatest evils that could exist among men.

As I before stated, we have a regard for our children, and God has also a regard for us. We wish to train our children in the way we wish them to go; other people wish to do the same. Talk about the Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists and other denominations, no matter what their ideas or feelings may be, no matter how inconsistent and foolish we may regard their manner of worship, yet many of them are quite sincere in trying to benefit their children. And God is sincere in trying to promote their happiness and welfare as well as he is ours, both in regard to this world and the world to come. And hence he will do the best he possibly can with all peoples. But as I stated before, being governed by law, he can only treat them “according to the deeds done in the body, whether those deeds be good or evil.” And when that judgment takes place all men will have to abide its award; there is no appeal from it. No court to which they can have access whereby they can change the decree of the Almighty. The Lord knows this and he has prepared certain classes, so to speak, in his school here upon the earth for his people and for all the world. And he has provided a means of instruction for the inhabitants of the earth, looking upon them as eternal, immortal beings, having to do with time and eternity. But all things, as I remarked, are under the influence, control and government of law, just as much as the planetary system with which we are connected is governed by law. It makes no difference what a few of us may do, or how the world may act, the sun rises and sets regularly, the earth revolves upon its axis, and so it is with all the planetary systems; there is no confusion, no disorder in any of the movements of the heavenly bodies. They are governed by a science and intelligence that is beyond the reach of men in mortality; yet they move strictly according to certain laws by which all of them have been, are and will be governed. And these laws are under the surveillance and control of the great lawgiver, who manages, controls and directs all these worlds. If it were not the case they would move through space in wild confusion, and system would rush against system, and worlds upon worlds would be destroyed, together with their inhabitants. But they are governed by a superhuman power, by a spirit and intelligence that dwells in the bosom of the Gods, about which mankind knows but very little. It is so with regard to all the forces of nature—the earth on which we stand, the elements of which it is composed, the air we breathe, the water we drink and everything in nature is governed strictly according to immutable, eternal, unchangeable laws, practical, philosophical, and strictly scientific, if these terms are preferred; but they are, nevertheless, placed there by the Almighty.

Now, in regard to the world, and the position we occupy in it. There is something peculiar about the relationship we sustain to the world of mankind with which we are surrounded. It is not proper for us to be censorious, to upbraid people for things that they do not comprehend and that are beyond their ken; we should be courteous and charitable to all, and not find fault with men because they do not comprehend things as we understand them. But try to understand our true position and the relationship we sustain to our heavenly Father, to his laws, to the peoples with whom we associate, and to the world in which we live.

We read of many prominent men who have existed in the world in various ages. For instance, there was Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, Jesus and his disciples, the people who came to this continent, Ether, and the brother of Jared, Lehi and Nephi, Alma, Moroni, and many other prominent individuals who held intercourse with the Almighty, who were placed by the Lord in a position whereby they could receive communications from him, could learn his will and teach it to others. We look upon these men as great men, and justly too, as wise men, as intelligent and philanthropic men; as men who were interested not only in their welfare, but in the welfare of the peoples by whom they were surrounded and the world in which they lived. These men did not come as the censors of the world; they did not come to aggrandize themselves, to build themselves up, nor to control or coerce others. What was the great blessing conferred upon Abraham? “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed;” not cursed, not destroyed, not annihilated; but as a messenger of God, as the elect of heaven, as a man whom he had chosen to accomplish his work, and whom he would use through those principles that existed in eternity to pour blessings upon fallen humanity. That was the feeling which was manifested, as I understand it. It is true that Abraham, when a parcel of thieves came along in the shape of a confederation of kings, and took away his nephew and others, and despoiled them of their goods, that he gathered together his household, pursued them and smote many of them, and delivered those they designed to oppress and brought the captives back again to their own places. And when he had done it, what then? Why, said they, Abraham you have done a good deed, you have delivered us and brought back this spoil, take what you please. But he told them that he did not want any of it: “You were injured, robbed and despoiled, and carried captive: these men came upon you and fraudulently despoiled you of your goods; and here is my nephew, Lot, who is an honorable man and one in whom I am particularly interested, and I was only doing for you what one man ought to do for another; I will take none of the spoils. Here are these young men who were with me, you may give them what you like, but you shall not have cause to say that you made Abraham rich.”

Prominent men who were the descendants of Abraham acted in the same way; true benevolence makes all cosmopolitans. It has been the feeling, the design of all good men to benefit their fellow men; and even the philosophy of the heathen has advocated this to a certain extent. What was the message of Moses when he was sent as a deliverer to the children of Israel, whom the ungodly Egyptians had oppressed and made slaves of? He, as the sent of God, delivered a message, Thus saith the Lord, let my people Israel go. A message of mercy to Israel, and not even injurious to the Egyptians, unless opposed by them. Did he deliver them by any inherent wisdom or intelligence in him? No, but by the power of the Almighty, by the revelations of God and by the intelligence that God gave to him. His labor was especially a message to deliver Israel from bondage and unjust oppression. He brought them out, and God worked with him. And when their enemies pursued them, he protected them; he opened the sea and made the waves stand up while they passed over dry shod. Some of these philosophical people—I do not call them scientists, but ignoramuses—say, that is contrary to the laws of nature. But it is not contrary to the laws of God, nor the power of God, for he can do things just as he pleases, and manage them according to his own will and purposes; and he is acquainted with other laws in nature, of which men are ignorant. Moses, we are told, was a stranger in a strange land, where he saw a bush that burned with fire and the bush was not consumed (it might be said that this was contrary to nature’s laws also); and a voice spoke to him which proceeded from the bush, telling him to take the shoes from off his feet, for the ground whereon he stood was holy; also telling him that he was a chosen messenger of the Lord to accomplish a certain work. And the Lord taught and instructed him. And Moses went before the king of Egypt and the powers thereof, and delivered the message that God had given unto him. It was not a very agreeable message for them to hear, nor a very pleasant one for him to communicate. But he was a man of God and had the fear of God before him; the Lord had selected him as an instrument, and although comprehending his weaknesses he shrank not from the responsibility, but went forth in the name of Israel’s God to perform the commission committed to his care, and he delivered the Israelites. It is true they were rebellious and ignorant, and it is true they were self-willed, and many of them were very corrupt; it is true they could not endure the light of the blessings of the Gospel; and it is also true that when God would have made of them a kingdom of priests they could not receive that priesthood, nor be governed by its influence. He then took from them the Melchizedek Priesthood, leaving them the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood, because they would not and were not competent to magnify the duties of the greater, and of that they were necessarily deprived. What then? God did the best he could with them as he has done with every nation and every people; he, however, sent prophets among them from time to time.

Now we will pass on. What was the message that Jesus came to proclaim to the people, a message of destruction? A message of death? A message of condemnation? No, no; it was a message of glad tidings and great joy to all peoples. And what did he tell his disciples to go and preach? Destruction to all people? No; his commission to them was: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Where? To all the world. And what was the nature of that Gospel? Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, which would place men in a position whereby they could have communication with God their heavenly Father, having a hope blooming with immortality and eternal life that entered within the veil, whither Christ their forerunner had gone. Hence it was a message of mercy, salvation and exaltation to all people who would receive it. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” If they were condemned, if they suffered the wrath of God, it was not because they had not life and salvation held out to them; it was because they rejected that life and salvation through the preaching of his word and the atonement of his only begotten Son. Was there anything injurious in this? No, nothing of the kind. It was in the interests of humanity; it was for the welfare of the world; it was to teach man, through those heavenly principles which he had communicated, the laws of God, to put them in possession of those rich treasures of eternal life, opening the kingdom of heaven to the believer who would obey his laws and be governed by them. This is the message that God has always proclaimed to the people.

When Joseph Smith came, what did he preach? Just the same as all the others had done. Was it because of any peculiar philosophy, or any remarkable intelligence that he had in and of himself in the first place to comprehend those principles that he revealed? No. It is true that he was a chosen instrument of the Almighty for that purpose; it is true that being one of the seed of Abraham, that peculiar blessing belonging to him. It is true that Abraham in former years through his genealogy was made acquainted with the rights pertaining to the priesthood, and that Joseph Smith had those rights in common with Abraham, being one of his seed. And it is true that he was selected for this purpose; but until the Lord made himself known unto him and revealed his purposes, he knew nothing about the things of God any more than you or I did. I know this for I have talked with him upon these subjects. Well what was the nature of his mission? It was to restore the ancient Gospel; it was to bring forth the record of the Gospel upon this continent, which the people who lived here in former years had forfeited, because of their transgressions; it was that the stick of Joseph in the hands of Ephraim might be united with the stick of Judah, in their testimony, evidence, prophecies, doctrines and ordinances, developing correct principles, that things as they exist in the heavens might be made more plain to men upon the earth, and that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word should be established. Was it to condemn the world? Not unless the world rejected it. What was the Gospel Joseph taught? Just the same as that which Jesus and his disciples taught. He called upon the people to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and they should receive the Holy Ghost. And did he and his brethren go forth and preach this doctrine? They did. And was the promise they made fulfilled to those who believed and obeyed? It was; and you are my witnesses today that these things are true, it having been made known to us by the Holy Spirit of promise, the Holy Ghost, which takes of the things of the Father and reveals them unto man. And is anybody harmed by this? What is injured? Whose rights are interfered with? Whose principles are trampled under foot. Nobody’s! Is anybody forced to obey this Gospel? No! Has anybody been coerced into any measure pertaining to these matters? No! It has always been proclaimed and is today, “It is all free grace, it is all free will.” Would you curtail anybody in their religious rights? Not by any means; I would leave them with their God. If they cannot comprehend, or comprehending have not the inclination to obey correct principle, I would leave them with their God, in whose hands we all are, and in whose hands are the issues of life and death. If men do not love the truth we cannot help it; if men become corrupt and unrighteous and full of infidelity we cannot help it, we did not place them in that position, it is their own act. Can you find a set of men today in the wide world, men who are filled with more philanthropy and benevolence, or greater benefactors to mankind than these Elders who are around me? You cannot find them on this little earth; you cannot find men anywhere that have and will make the sacrifices for principle that the Elders of this Church have done. I see those around me that have traveled hundreds and thousands of miles without purse or scrip, in the midst of persecution, contumely and reproach, to deliver the message of life to the people, because God had commanded it, and because they were desirous to promote the weal and happiness of the human family. How have they been treated? Just as Jesus was treated; just as his Apostles and just as the prophets of old were treated. Men have always killed the prophets and stoned those who were sent to them. But then what of that? That is all the worse for those who did this; they have the hardest row to hoe, for they as well as we have yet to appear before the Judge of the whole earth, and he will say, I called but you refused; I stretched out my hand but you heeded it not; hence, “I will laugh at your calamity; and will mock when your fear cometh.” That is the way he puts it. I offered you light; I offered you truth; I offered you intelligence; I desired to promote your happiness, your well being, but you would not have it, and therefore you are left without excuse. Are they his children? Yes. Does he feel sorry to see them act that way? Yes; but he cannot help it, he is governed by law, and those laws are inexorable and just and they cannot be departed from.

What next? As eternal beings we all have to stand before him to be judged; and he has provided different degrees of glory—the celestial, the terrestrial, and the telestial glories—which are provided according to certain unchangeable laws which cannot be controverted. What will he do with them? For those who are ready to listen to him and be brought under the influence of the Spirit of God and be led by the principles of revelation and the light of heaven, and who are willing to yield obedience to his commands at all times and carry out his purposes upon the earth, and who are willing to abide a celestial law, he has prepared for them a celestial glory, that they may be with him forever and ever. And what about the others? They are not prepared to go there any more than lead is prepared to stand the same test as gold or silver; and there they cannot go. And there is a great gulf between them. But he will do with them just as well as he can. A great many of these people in the world, thousands and hundreds of millions of them, will be a great deal better off through the interposition of the Almighty than they have any idea of. But they cannot enter into the celestial kingdom of God; where God and Christ are they cannot come.

God has made use of various means, in various ages of the world, to teach and lead men in the right path. He sent forth his servants in different ages into the vineyard, and gathered a few here and a few there who would obey his law, that they might be saved in his kingdom. And what, let me ask, have the other people of the world to do with it? They would not listen to the words of life; can the messengers of God help it? No, they cannot. Theirs is not a very enviable position. It was not a very pleasant thing for Moses to go to the Egyptian king to tell him the message he had to bear, nor to see the plagues roll on one after another. But God set him to work at it, and he did it. It was the Lord that managed that matter; he was simply the instrument. Who was it that inspired the prophets to predict many things that were very unpleasant to the ear? It was God. Could they have helped it? No. And when Joseph Smith came, for instance, could he help being born? No. And being born, could he help being called by the Almighty? No. He had either to do the thing that God required at his hand, or not do it, and have suffered the consequences; and if he had not done it others would, for God’s work is destined to be performed. But he did his part of it, and did it well and faithfully, and I know it, for I was there when he was killed by some of our highly reverend Christian brethren.

You Elders of Israel who meet together in the capacity of a Conference, you have had the priesthood conferred upon you. Where did it come from? From the Lord. The Aaronic Priesthood was delivered by John the Baptist, who held it in former times upon the earth. He communicated that to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. And then Peter, James and John, who had operated in the Melchizedek Priesthood in their day, came and conferred it upon them, then the apostleship was organized, and then the order of the priesthood was manifested unto us as it exists in the heavens. Why? That we might be put in possession of principles that emanate from God, and that we might be able to act our part in carrying out the purposes of God; not only pertaining to ourselves, but more especially to the nations of the earth, and then to operate for the dead as well as the living. Had we anything to do with it particularly? I did not introduce it, neither did Brigham Young, nor Parley P. Pratt, nor Orson Hyde, nor Heber C. Kimball, nor Joseph Smith; no man introduced it only as God gave it. Joseph Smith was made use of as an instrument in introducing it; and then having organized the Church in all its various branches, with Presidents, Apostles, Patriarchs, High Priests, Seventies, Elders, Priests, Teachers, and Deacons, with Bishops and High Councils, and all the various organizations of the Church. These things were given us for what? To gratify our ambition? To enable us to ride over and trample under foot our fellow creatures? To place power and authority upon us? No, not for any individual affair, not for any man’s emolument or aggrandizement. Although there is nothing more honorable, nothing more dignified, nothing which a man ought so much to aspire to, as to be a servant of the living God, and to be commissioned by him to do his work upon the earth. And what is it for? To spread correct principles among men; to combat priestcraft, states-craft, oppression, fraud and iniquity of all kinds, and to introduce among men those pure and holy principles by which the Gods are governed in the eternal worlds. It is not for you and me particularly; the Lord could get along very well without us, if we could without him. But God, and the holy priesthood behind the veil, that have lived and operated upon the earth, and who operate in eternity, felt interested in regard to the things that we are connected with, and interested in the welfare of the world. We talk about the wisdom of men. What true wisdom or intelligence has man that he receives not from the Almighty? I will tell you what the wisdom of men will come to by and by, and it is not so far in the future as many people think, “when the wisdom of the wise shall fail, and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid,” their power and glory will fade, and you will see their thrones totter to their base; it is not long before you will see war, desolation, carnage and death run riot through the nations, plagues, pestilence and famine depopulating the earth. And then where will their wisdom, philosophy and intelligence be? Men get a little smattering of knowledge and philosophy, and of some of the lesser laws that God has planted in nature, and they give glory to themselves, as did the Babylonish monarch who said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?” They do not know that they are poor, blind, foolish, ignorant, naked, destitute, and in the way of death. The nations of the earth, with their false philosophy, with their wealth, their corruptions, their power and might, will become, by and by like the chaff of the summer’s threshingfloor before the wind, as represented by the Prophet Daniel. Why? Because eternal justice cries to the great God in relation to all the people of the earth. That is the reason, and because of their own acts and of their own corruptions. Hear what the Lord has coupled with his commission to his servants in this our day, and, when he said it, he said that which is verily true; Go forth and bear your testimony to the world; and after your testimony cometh the testimony of war and of fire, and of sword and bloodshed, and the waves of the sea heaving beyond their bounds, etc. He gives them fair warning, and they heed it not; but these things must and will most assuredly come.

What next? Does he destroy them for their good sometimes? Yes. After Noah had preached the Gospel to the antediluvian world, and after their cup of iniquity was full, and Zion and her cities had fled, then followed the judgments of God; then came desolation and destruction. And why this wholesale sweeping out of existence of humanity? To stop them from propagating a corrupt species. Was not that right? Yes it was. He said, I will cut them off; I will prepare a prison for them, in which they shall be confined for generations, where they shall not have power to propagate their species; for these pure spirits in the eternal worlds shall not be contaminated with their corruptions: I will take them off the earth, and I will raise up another people. And He did do it. What then? He was still merciful. When Jesus was put to death in the flesh, he remembered them. “He went,” says Peter, “and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometimes were disobedient, when once the longsuffer– ing of God waited in the days of Noah, etc.” What did he preach? The Gospel. And what is it he has told us to do today? Not only to preach the Gospel and gather the people, but to build Temples. What for? To administer in them. Who for? For the dead who have died without a knowledge of the Gospel, that they might participate with us in the blessings which they had not the privilege of enjoying on the earth. We are doing this; hence we are doing more than preaching the Gospel to the living; we are making preparations for saving the dead, according to the word of God.

Reference was made this morning to the wisdom and learning of the world. I don’t know where it is. I have traveled quite extensively in various parts of the earth, and I must say that I have not met with their intelligence. I tell you what I have met with very frequently; I have witnessed a great deal of ignorance, superstition and wickedness, and any amount of corruption, and notwithstanding the little advancement that some few have made in the true principles of science, what do they know of things as they exist before God? I told a few scientific gentlemen whom I happened to meet with a few days ago, a few things that Joseph Smith, that unlettered, ignorant boy told me in regard to the heavenly bodies and certain things associated with them, and when I had done so, one of them said, Mr. Taylor, those are some of the most comprehensive ideas I ever heard in my life. I said these ideas are from Joseph Smith, that unlearned man; but God gave them to him by revelation. Another remarked: I have read a good deal and studied a good deal; but I have a great deal to learn yet. Was it anything I knew? No, I simply told them something that Joseph Smith told me. We have a great many ignorant, learned fools; but when you meet sensible, intelligent men, as these were, they will acknowledge principle when it is presented to them. But many men have not the understanding to do it. Talking about saving themselves, who among the philosophers can save themselves? Who knows anything of God or heaven? They know a very little of the earth whereon we dwell, much less do they know of things pertaining to the heavens or of God or of eternity. And let me tell them furthermore, that no man knoweth the things of God, save by the spirit of God—or, to use the text as it is given: “For what man knoweth the things of man, save by the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” And they cannot get that spirit without first obeying the first principles of the Gospel of Christ. Talk about their intelligence, it is a curious sort of intelligence to me. What do they do when they have to grapple with the sting of death, and when it stares them in the face? Why, they take a leap in the dark. And this darkness is the end of all their philosophy and all their science. And the little they do know in divining the laws of God is only with regard to some very few of the fundamental principles of those laws that God has planted everywhere throughout the universe and I do not therefore have that reverence for their theories, notions and vagaries, nor do I attach that importance to their intelligence that some people do.

I remember on a certain occasion, while in Paris, France, (I have referred to this subject before, but it will not hurt to repeat it again) quite a number of professed philosophers called on me and presented so many foolish, dreamy, intangible, mysterious, incomprehensible ideas and visionary theories, that I thought of all the ignoramuses I ever met with, they beat all. They have a certain kind of bread in that city, a kind of light cake, which they make there. It is so light that you could blow it away with a breath, and you might eat all day of it and not be satisfied. A brother who was there visiting me asked if I knew the name of that bread. I said I did not know the French name for it, but could give it a name. What name would you give it, he asked? Well, I said, you may call it philosophy or fried froth, just as you please.

Professor Huxley, in visiting Niagara Falls, made some remarks which I remember were published and copied extensively in the papers, to the effect that here was another evidence afforded of the many thousands or millions of years (I forget the number now) that it had taken to wash away the rocks below these falls. And this evidence was advanced in support of geological ideas. I thought to myself; yes, professor Huxley is a very learned man. I wonder if he knew that rock was once in a friable, plastic condition, when, by the force of the watery element the soft stratum might be disintegrated, excavated and removed by the washing process in perhaps a very few days. We have seen large gaps washed away out of some of our ditches in a few hours. Such are common occurrences here. If a change were to take place in the elements comprising such washouts; which might very easily occur here as elsewhere, and they become petrified, the same condition of things would exist as may be seen at Niagara Falls, and some other philosopher hereafter might expatiate on the years it took to remove so much rock. If we have to submit to their theories, we should really be in a sorry condition. I, for one, will not fall down and worship at any such shrine.

We talk about our organizations; are they right according to the order of God? Yes. Will they exist in the heavens? Yes. Are we all magnifying our calling? No; we are not. We have indeed a sort of skeleton fixed up; but I think sometimes it needs flesh on the bones and the breath of life, the spirit of the living God breathed into it. We need to realize the position we occupy and the duties devolving upon us. We see this in almost everything around us associated with the Church and kingdom of God. While many men are diligent and their whole hearts are engaged in the work of God, there are a great many astride of the fence, saying Good Lord and Good Devil, not knowing whose hands they will fall into. And yet they are High Priests, and Seventies and Elders. What will be the condition of such! We are told that, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” Yet to all such he will say, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” You say, that means the outsiders. No, it does not. Do they do many wonderful works in the name of Jesus? No; if they do anything, it is done in the name of themselves or of the Devil. Sometimes they will do things in the name of God; but it is simply an act of blasphemy. This means you, Latter-day Saints, who heal the sick, cast out devils, and do many wonderful things in the name of Jesus. And yet how many we see among this people of this class, that become careless, and treat lightly the ordinances of God’s house and the priesthood of the Son of God; yet they think they are going, by and by, to slide into the kingdom of God. But I tell you unless they are righteous and keep their covenants they will never go there. Hear it, ye Latter-day Saints! Hear it, ye Seventies and High Priests! “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” You have the priesthood, and if you do not magnify that priesthood God will require it at your hands. He expects us all to be alive and energetic, honoring our calling, our priesthood and our God, for he expects it of all of us. Now hear it, for as sure as God lives it will be so. It will not be “how we apples swim!” You must swim yourselves; for every man “will be judged according to the deeds done in the body.” If you aim at a celestial glory, you must have a celestial spirit and be governed by it. You must be honest, virtuous and benevolent; you must be men full of the Holy Ghost, magnifying your calling, and honoring your priesthood, if you would obtain an entrance into the kingdom of God. And so in regard to the sisters, they stand precisely on the same ground. What are we to do? To listen to and be guided by the world? No; but to regulate our temporal and spiritual affairs—things per– taining to time and things pertaining to eternity, according to the influence, the law, and direction of the Almighty.

Let us come again to this intelligence. Who would know today anywhere in the world how to build a temple that would be accepted of the Lord? Nobody. Who would know how to administer in them acceptably to him when built? Nobody. Let them bring forth their wise men, if they have any, and tell us how we shall obtain an inheritance in the kingdom of God. This is something they cannot do. Why? Because they have not the Gospel; and it is the Gospel that brings life and immortality to light, and this is the kind of intelligence we are after. To redeem and save the living and the dead; to build up the Zion of our God, that a people may be prepared who shall be pure in heart, and prepared to associate with the intelligences around the throne of God.

These are some things associated with our duties and responsibilities. Have the apostles duties to perform? Yes. Does God require it at their hands! Yes. If they do not do it, will he hold them guiltless? No. Have the Seventies? Yes. What are they? To go to the nations of the earth as bearers of the Gospel. That is your duty, you Seventies; and if you do not do it God will remove your candlestick out of its place. Do you hear it, you Seventies? And you High Priests and Elders, God has not conferred the priesthood upon you to dream about, to trifle or tamper with or treat it with contempt: he will spew you out of his mouth unless you take another course, many of you. God expects his message to go to all nations, and the priesthood ought to be seeking after God and to be clothed upon with the power of God and with the light of revelation, that they may stand forth as his messengers to the nations: and then by and by, after having cleared their garments from the blood of this generation, to go and administer for the dead in the temples of the Lord, and keep laboring and doing until God shall have accomplished his purposes.

What else are you going to do? To build up the kingdom of heaven upon the earth, where the voice of God shall rule and where the law of God shall have the dominion, and where men shall be instructed with laws of heaven and be taught of God. A great many revelations and changes have yet to take place, we have got to put ourselves in a position to be guided and directed of the Lord in temporal as well as spiritual things, or we will never obtain that glory for which many of us are looking.

Well, what shall we do? Do right, following the counsels of those who are placed over us. Follow the counsel of the Twelve, you whose business it is to do it; follow the counsel of your bishops, you who live in the wards, and you bishops follow the counsel of the presidents of Stakes, and you presidents of Stakes seek for and follow the counsel of the Twelve. And you people, be taught of your teachers; and you teachers, get the Spirit of the Lord that you may teach aright, and you Seventies and Elders prepare yourselves to go to the nations of the earth. Say, here am I, send me; I am on hand, I am ready to fulfil my duty and to magnify my calling, and with the help of the Lord I will lift up a warning voice to my fellow men. And as High Councils to sit in judgment with honesty, truth, fidelity and integrity, without fear or favor of any man to act and administer in righteousness. And you Bishops, act as fathers over the flock of Christ, that you may magnify your calling, and that in your judgment you may seek for the inspiration of the Almighty, that you may administer justice among the people; that righteousness may prevail in Zion, and that it may spread and grow and increase, that the glory of God may rest upon us, and that we may rejoice together in the fullness of the Gospel of peace. And will it go on? It will. Will the kingdom spread? It will, “until the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God, and his Christ; and he will reign forever and ever.” And about the wicked and the ungodly, protect yourselves against them as well as you can; unite yourselves together and be one, and never mind their ideas and feelings. God has called us to be one, to be united; and that man who tampers with the Gentiles and with their vices and follies will go down to death. We are sent to teach the principles of life, not to be taught of them; and we are required to be governed by the principles, laws, intelligence and truth that come from God, that we may magnify our calling, build up His kingdom, gather together the elect, save the living and redeem the dead, and then when we get through, unite with the assembled throng in the Celestial kingdom of God; and honor and praise and glory and power and majesty and dominion be ascribed to Him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever. Amen.

Discourse by Elder Erastus Snow, delivered at Brigham City, on Sunday Morning, October, 1879.

I feel somewhat weary in body from the effects of labor and infirmities; and were I to consult my own feelings I would be inclined to waive this privilege, and sit and listen to my brethren. Indeed, I may say I rather counted upon a rest in coming to Brigham City; yet I never allow myself to shrink from bearing that portion that properly attaches me in life to the calling and duties devolving upon me. I feel that we are all here in a school, that we have a work to perform; and if when we shall have done that work we shall be satisfied with it, we will not regret having worn ourselves out in accomplishing it. But on the contrary we shall rejoice at our success in having got safely through and entered into the “rest” which is prepared for the people of God in the future state. This is a scriptural phrase, implying that there is a rest beyond for the people of God. But I have sometimes thought that strictly speaking rest was only a change, and that a change was rest; because to be absolutely at rest, to be entirely free from labor and care would be inconsistent with our existence; in such a condition our being would be a blank, a nonentity. The course of God, we are told by the prophet Nephi, is one eternal round; that like eternity, it has neither beginning nor end, and is illustrated in the Book of Abraham by the hieroglyphic of the circle. You may start upon this ring at any given point, and in traversing it you will come to the same point—it is without beginning, without end.

We sometimes speak of eternity in contradistinction to time; and often say, “through time and into eternity;” and again “from eternity to eternity,” which is simply another form of expressing the same idea, and “pass through time into eternity.” In other words, time is a short period allotted to man in his probationary state—and we use the word time in contradistinction to the word eternity, merely for the accommodation of man in his finite sphere, that we may comprehend and learn to measure periods. And for this purpose the Lord gave unto Adam his reckoning after the move– ments of the planets, which would appear to him stationary, or at least comparatively so, making a suitable standard by which man in his mortal state may measure periods and count out the days and the months and the years and the cycles.

The Scriptures speak of a time “when time shall be no more.” And the Apostle John in his visions, while banished to the Isle of Patmos, heard the angel say, “time shall be no more.” We may not fully comprehend the meaning and the purport of this expression. All phrases or expressions whether used by men, angels or God have a relative meaning, as one thing is compared with another; and to understand the full force of them, we must understand that to which it has reference by comparison. I simply understand by this, that so far as we are concerned, time will be no more when we shall be merged into eternity, and we cease to reckon our periods by the diurnal revolutions of the earth, and the changes of the moon, etc.; when we shall enter into a sphere where we can mingle with the gods and become acquainted with their reckoning, and the eternal periods or cycles of revolutions of numberless creations in space, which today the most profound astronomers of the earth are unable to fathom or mark their place of beginning. And this is called eternity by man, and, as far as man is concerned, is in contradistinction to other periods and modes of reckoning known and in use among the Gods. For they have their periods and reckoning as well as we, only on a vast and, to us, incomprehensible scale. We are in a state of progression, very small beginnings, but onward and upward for a more exalted sphere, in which they move. But I conceive of no stopping place; I conceive of no absolute resting place, but only, as before remarked, a change, a change in our circumstances and conditions, and consequently a change in our labors.

I speak now of man as an immortal being, having no reference to this earthly house of our tabernacles; for this mortal house which we occupy for the period of a few short years upon the earth, will not be associated with the immortal man—the god in embryo. The clothing we wear covers the nakedness of the body; it answers a good purpose for a little season—until it becomes worn out, when it is cast aside as of no further use for that purpose. So with the outer house of our tabernacles. This mortality serves the purposes intended for a few short years until it is worn out with use, like the farmer’s agricultural implements, like the machinist’s or mechanic’s tools, or any other piece of machinery—for the human body is one of the finest and most perfect pieces of machinery known upon the earth; there is none superior. Indeed, most of the mechanism employed by men in various branches of industry is founded on the anatomical structure of the human body; the angles, the joints, the tendrils, the cords by which they are bound together; the wonderful construction not only of the outer portions of the body, but the very fine mechanism of the nervous system, and also that of the eye, the ear, and of the means of sensation, and that by which knowledge is communicated from one part of the body to the other. If the finger be abused or injured, a telegraphic communication is made to the seat of knowledge—the government of the body; conveying the information that a finger is in danger; and wherever pain is felt, in whatever part of the body, it is but the ringing of the bell of alarm, living notice of a hostile attack, and to make preparations for defense, lest the enemy making the assault take possession of the citadel and destroy it. The wonderful mechanism of the nervous system, through which the spirit makes its impressions upon the body, is, as it were, an intermediate organism between the fine spiritual body and the coarser elements of our tabernacles. And those who have given the most time and study to this wonderful machine are led to fully appreciate and endorse the saying of the Psalmist, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Its adaptability to the uses and purposes intended, with its remarkable endurance when suitably guarded and protected against disease and what we term accident, is in itself sufficient to call forth the admiration of all intelligent beings. We look upon an aged person, say, 70, 80, 90 or 100 years old, and realize that there is a machine, a mechanical structure—shall we call it a model representing perpetual motion? Not exactly, but a machine that has been in motion say, 100 years; a double action pump that has been constantly going, distributing the fluids of the system by way of keeping up a constant circulation of the blood; sometimes working very hard to remove obstructions arising from colds and other causes to keep the channels from becoming stopped up, and at other times working slowly. And the functions of the body are ofttimes kept in such constant use for such a period of time without the touch of the mechanic to repair a break unless it may, perchance, be the surgeon’s saw to remove a disabled limb that threatens to encumber the whole body, or the tying up of a broken artery to prevent the escape of the vital fluid. But otherwise the most skillful physician is unable to make a single repair or improve any part or portion of it; and the most he can do is to give something to be taken into the stomach to effect a chemical change on the fluids of the system, to neutralize perhaps an excess of the acids, thus working a change in the quality of the blood, and consequently a change in the deposits that are being made in all parts of the system by the circulation of this fluid. But this wonderful machine is kept in motion by what power? We say it is the power of God; we say it is in Him we live and move and have our being. And, yet, He always works through means, all His wonderful works being performed by agents; but He is not confined to one agent nor any special method in performing His works. But there is a spirit in this earthly tabernacle of ours that is relative to our Father and God, and who is the owner of this tabernacle, and for whom the tabernacle is organized as his dwelling house. It is this spirit that keeps the functions of this tabernacle in motion; when this spirit leaves the body, it is either because the Father calls it away, wishing to use it in another sphere, considering the time it has spent in this tabernacle sufficient for the purposes required, and therefore takes it to a higher school, through special design to do a special work; or it may be, it has used its tabernacle until it is so worn out that it has become like a bow which has been long and constantly bent—it has lost its elasticity; its bones impaired in strength, its muscles stiffened, and the whole frame ready, like our old clothes, to be thrown aside; and the spirit comes to the conclusion that it has had its run with this old tabernacle and that it is time this old garment were laid aside for a new one. Our Father comes to this conclusion and gives the spirit a ticket of leave, and removes it into another sphere. But this is all necessary as a school for us. The various pains and sorrows to be endured in life are all necessary in their time and place; the trials as we term them, are all necessary in their place, they are all a part of the scheme of education or training to prepare us for the future. One of the sacred writers, in speaking of Jesus, said: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” And again: “For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.” It is measured out to you and me in the providence of the Lord; but for him there was a storehouse to draw upon, as it were, without measure. He could continue to heal the sick and raise the dead and perform great and marvelous things, and yet the supply of vitality was not in the least abated. Mortals less gifted and less favored who should be the means of healing many sick by the power of God, would feel that in taking their infirmities upon them, they were sinking under the weight, and would want to hie themselves away to rest and recuperate their exhausted frames. Jesus was an exception in this respect; he took upon himself our infirmities and bore our sickness, as had been predicted by Isaiah the prophet. He truly did heal the sick wherever he went; and some found that if they could even touch the hem of his garment the disease from which they suffered could be rebuked; and one instance is given where this was done, in which case we are told, virtue went out of him. But notwithstanding the great burden that he bore, together with the vast amount of vitality that was at various times communicated from him to others, he did not faint under the load; his mortality did not give way. But no man, unsupported as he was, could have done it without sinking under this weight; none other could have grappled with devils and cast them out of individuals and held them at bay, as he did, without suffering from bodily exhaustion, and therefore had to seek retirement and rest. He, however, waged war constantly, and was well prepared for this work, having an inexhaustible source of strength to draw from, the Spirit having been given to him without measure. But at length the time came when the Father said, You must succumb, you must be made the offering. And at this dark hour the power of the Father withdrew itself measurably from him, and he was left to be taken by his enemies, and, like a lamb, was led to the slaughter, but he opened not his mouth, because his hour had come. And when he was led to exclaim in his last agony upon the cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The Father did not deign to answer; the time had not yet come to explain it and tell him. But after a little, when he passed the ordeal, made the sacrifice, and by the power of God was raised from the dead, then all was clear, all was explained and comprehended fully. It was necessary that the Father should thus measurably forsake his Son, leaving him to his enemies, otherwise they never could have fulfilled what had been prophesied concerning him. So we may say with others, it is only a sample for us to reflect upon, that may be equally applicable to us all in our times and seasons.

It is not necessary, in the providence of God, that we should all be martyrs; it is not necessary that all should suffer death upon the cross, because it was the will of the Father that Jesus should so suffer, neither is it necessary that all the Saints of this last dispensation should perish because our prophet perished, but yet it may be necessary that some should, that a sufficient number of faithful witnesses of God and of his Christ should suffer, and even perish by the hands of their enemies, to prove and show unto the world—the unbelieving and unthinking—that their testimony is true, and that they are ready not only to bear testimony in word, but in deed, to sustain and honor their testimony through their lives; and also in their death; and greater love than this no man can have for his friend or for his bosom companion, not even David and Jonathan, whose love for each other is said to have surpassed the love of woman. No one can give a stronger assurance of his devotion to the principles he has received and which he teaches to his fellow man, than to patiently endure suffering, for their sake, and, if need be, to continue that suffering and endurance even unto death.

In the economy of heaven, it has been deemed necessary, at various periods of the world’s history, that such witnesses of Christ should suffer death for their testimony’s sake, and that others may yet have to suffer in our own time is probable. Nay, the Scriptures give us clearly to understand that such will be the case, that more or less will suffer, but to what extent the servants of the Lord may be called upon to thus suffer is not given us to know, nor is it necessary we should. For what difference does it make when we have performed a good work or so far completed it that the Lord accepts of it and is willing for us to pass behind the veil, and perhaps gives his consent whether we go by a bullet or through violence at the hands of our enemies, or whether it be by a lingering sickness? In most cases the former would be preferable, so far as we are personally concerned, for in such the pain and suffering would be slight, although it would be calculated to shock the sensibilities of living friends who would mourn over us.

In philosophizing upon these things, I scarcely have a tremor or thought or care in relation to the death I may suffer, or when it shall come, or how it shall come. It matters not when or where or under what circumstances it may be, my feeling is as it always has been—it will be all right. I take no more thought or care of this matter that the infant child does about the preparation of its food. The Lord cares for us and such matters, and will order them in their time and season.

But there is a principle involved. When a man is faced by his enemies, when the wicked conspire against the righteous, threatening death and destruction if he does not turn truant and deny our God and obey their behests; all this is calculated to try the faith of the people and put them to the test, as to whether they have more confidence in God and his promises, than in his Satanic majesty and the host of his servants upon the earth, who in many instances offer them what they have not power to give. They remind me of the devil when he took the Savior into a high mountain and showed him all the riches of the earth, promising to give him all he could see if he would only fall down and worship him. The Savior re– plied: “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” He did not revile him by telling the poor devil that he did not own anything, that he had not the power to give what he proposed to; but merely quoted the Scripture referred to, which was applicable and suitable for the occasion. And I for one propose to obey the command; and this is all we need say to our enemies when they place us in similar circumstances. They may say, “you are a very great people in your way; you are a very economical and frugal people in your way, and are predisposed to be peaceful. You have redeemed the desert from sterility, and built up fine homes, and made roads, railroads, and telegraph lines, and you possess all the elements and natural advantages calculated to make a people prosperous and happy, and a nation great; and there are many good things to commend in you. But then, you have one evil existing and encouraged among you which we deplore and which we are desirous and determined to eradicate. Now, if you will renounce that and cast it from you, we will give you the right hand of fellowship and be friends, and all the fullness of the earth is yours; and we will welcome your delegate, your representatives and your senators to Congress, and we will give them a seat by our side, and we will even call off our dogs of war, and withdraw our governor, and judges and marshals and attorneys whom we send to harass you, and also the little cur dogs that follow along barking at your heels; we will call them off, and let you possess the earth in peace if you will only deny your principles and lay aside those which we pronounce to be evil, and fall down and worship God as we do.” Whether we will be true in all these things; whether we have the same confidence in God, the God we serve, who has led us all our lives and been true to us in all conditions and circumstances, and to the promises made to us up to the present time; whether we will still trust in him, and face the cannon’s mouth, if need be, or face death in any form it may come, or imprisonment, if that form of treatment is preferred, or anything that they have power to inflict upon us, rather than deny our God. “How far will they go,” says one? I answer, just as far as our Father permits them, and no farther. He has set bounds to the waves of the ocean and he has also set bounds to the wrath of the wicked. He controls the elements that war in the heavens—the fearful thunderstorm—that darkens the firmament and that shakes the earth with its roar, the vivid lightnings that add terror to the scene, the tumultuous waves that leap and dash in the fury of the gale, and the earthquake that bellows forth its lurid flames, which make men tremble at the gaze. But He speaks, and all is still; the thunders are hushed, the clouds dispersed, the lightnings cease and the belching of the earthquake is heard no more; all is peace and quiet. So with the wrath of man and of nations that may be heard raging in the midst of the wicked, under the control of the prince and power of the air, who works and controls in the midst of discordant kings and rulers who array themselves against each other. Nations are at loggerheads, and war is proclaimed; the energies of war are set in array, and misery and death stalk in their wake. And again by some slight means, the Lord changes the fate of nations and turns the fortunes of war, and changes the tide of events, and all human calculations fail. He causes some angel of his to put some obstruction in the way of the march of some general and his army so that he arrives, perhaps, at the scene of battle five minutes too late; he causes a chariot wheel to fall off or some slight accident to happen to an engine of destruction, and the best calculations of the shrewdest officer and the proudest king fail and their works come to nought. He sets up and pulls down men and nations at his pleasure. He did this in the case of the first great and proud monarch of the world—the King of Babylon who swayed universal scepter upon the earth. He was a strong-minded, and strong-willed and haughty monarch; but God taught him by an extraordinary and humiliating experience to know that the Lord, the Most High God rules in the heavens and also controls the affairs of men as it pleases him. And his bitter experience God caused to be written as a warning to kings and rulers and the great ones of the earth; and they are lessons of warning equally appropriate to every human soul.

I have occupied more time than I intended or thought I could. I pray God to bless us in all our labors, that union, peace and love may abide in your midst and in your habitations, and that prosperity may attend you in your business, that the difficulties which annoy you and impede your progress may be removed and the dark clouds that today seem to hang over your heads, be dispersed and the genial warmth of the sun’s rays again be felt among you, that the hearts of the Saints may be cheered, and those who feel the weight and responsibility of carrying on the work you have so nobly undertaken, be encouraged and relieved from any apprehensions they might have felt in consequence of the misfortunes and losses you have recently sustained, which may God grant, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered at the 17th Ward Meetinghouse, on Sunday Afternoon, December 15, 1878.

We meet together from time to time to attend to the worship of the Almighty, because we think it is proper for us to pay due respect unto the Lord God, our heavenly Father; we assemble ourselves for the purpose of praying to him, of singing his praises, of speaking of principles, doctrines, ordinances and other matters in which we are individually and collectively interested, all of which is more or less connected with the worship of our God.

There is something associated with our religious views that differs materially from those of many others. The Lord has revealed unto us his will, or law; he has given unto us a knowledge of the principles of truth and righteousness; and he is seeking by the means he has appointed—the medium of the everlasting Gospel, to prepare us for the events that will necessarily take place in a short time, and to enable us to introduce among men those pure, holy and heavenly principles which exist with the Gods in the eternal worlds, and to prepare us, through the medium of the Gospel, to operate with him and with the holy priesthood that has existed in former ages, in the development of the purposes of God upon the earth. It is a great and important work in which we are engaged, and we need continually the direction and the guidance of the Almighty; for it stands to reason, when we reflect upon it, that no man, as is spoken of in the Scriptures, can know the things of God unless they are revealed to him by the Spirit of God. We talk of these things sometimes rather flippantly, and probably, in many instances without due reflection. But when we look upon man as he is organized, and the limit and bounds of his intelligence, and then reflect upon the position that he sustains to the Almighty, we shall find that there is nothing very mysterious in these remarks, but that there is a great amount of truth and reason associated therewith. For instance, men know very little about themselves, or about the things of man or how to control their passions and habits and the various evils with which they are surrounded and have to combat. They know very little about the true condition of man and his relation to God, to the world, to the past, present, or future, as is evidenced by the position of the world everywhere wherever we turn our attention. We are beginning to find out some few things in relation to the laws of nature and the earth on which we dwell, but our knowledge of these things is very small comparatively, and yet we boast sometimes quite freely of our intelligence. But when we reflect on our true position, we know very little in reality even about the world in which we live, or about the properties of matter or the elements with which we are surrounded; and yet a few years ago the world knew much less than we know today. I can remember the time very well when there was no such thing as steamboats. I remember sailing across the Atlantic more times than one when no such thing as a steamboat was used for that purpose. I remember the time, too, when there were no such things as locomotives or railroads; and many of you know very well how it was in regard to the telegraph, the photograph and a great many other things. They are simply certain principles that exist in the laws of nature that have been unveiled to us; but there are thousands of other things that we know very little about. And then what do we know about the future? What do we know about the heavens that are above us? We can get some scanty ideas and we boast very much of them, but really there is not very much to boast of when we reflect upon these things. These things are simple principles that we have become acquainted with through study and research by chemical analysis and the development of eternal laws. We are simply becoming acquainted with some of the principles that exist in nature. The question necessarily arises, who placed those principles there? Who organized this earth on which we dwell and man upon it and all creation as it exists? Some superior intelligence, or power—we call it the power of God. “By faith we understand that the worlds were made by the power of God, so that things which are now seen were not made of things that do appear.” There is not a particle of the human system but what is full of intelligence and displays forethought, prescience, design, skill and creative power; and everything bespeaks the handiwork of a wise, intelligent, omnipotent Creator, or God. When a little boy I used to ask myself, Who am I? Where did I come from? What am I doing here? And why am I here? etc. These things still puzzle us, at least many of them do, yet these are thoughts we cannot help reflecting upon. We see children born into the world, and we see spring and summer, autumn and winter follow each other in regular succession, and we ask ourselves, By what power were these things brought about? Why are we here, and what is the object of all these things which we see around us? Not to say anything about the worlds with which we are environed. For speaking of ourselves, we are only a speck in creation; there is nothing to or of us scarcely, or in the world we inhabit, in comparison to the myriads of worlds with which we are surrounded.

Now we frequently want to know the object of our existence and why we are here; and the Saints will still go a little further by asking, Why have we to battle with the affairs of this world, and to struggle, to be tried and tempted? And we go still further and ask, when we see our friends pass away from this state of existence one after another, and the body that was once full of life, animation and vitality now lying helpless and void of life, and our minds reach back into the years that are past and we think of the thousands of millions, yea, of myriads who have inhabited this earth and who have gone into another state of existence, and we are led to ask ourselves, Why is it thus? And we are led to ask ourselves further, Why are we thus situated? And why should we thus come into life, have an existence and then fade and decay? And it is proper that we should have such thoughts and such reflections. Who can unravel these things? Who can tell us upon natural principles the meaning of this strange phenomena, the whys and wherefores in relation to these matters? Nobody. We have peculiar feelings and sensations in common with all men in regard to the future. But what are the views, ideas and feelings of men generally in relation to these matters? And if they have views, what is the source of their intelligence? What scientist, philosopher, or divine can unravel to us many of these mysterious principles which we see every day exhibited before us? It is very difficult for man to comprehend, and nothing as I said before, but the Spirit which organized the creations of God can reveal those principles and give us a knowledge of that fitness of things as they exist in the mind of the Creator, of our relationship to God and to each other and the world in which we exist and the worlds that are to come. Nothing but superhuman intelligence, even the inspiration of the Almighty, can reveal these things. We have ten thousand ideas, notions and feelings; the world is full of every kind of theory in relation to these matters. But what does it amount to? We may theorize as much as we please, but unless we receive some communication from the beings possessing intelligence superior to anything mortal, that are associated with these vast creations and know something of their origin and object, what can we know? We need communication with and revelation from God enlightening us thereon, or we shall still be in the dark and know nothing concerning the future and many things of the present and past. Some of our poets in rather beautiful metaphor point us to some place “beyond the bounds of time and space,” where we are to look forward to a heavenly place, the Saint’s secure abode. There is something very pleasing about such reflections, but at the same time there is something very foolish. I do not know how or upon what principle we are to get beyond the bounds of time and space; it is beyond my comprehension, and I very much question whether the person who wrote it could; in fact I know he could not. We sing sometimes, too, about “singing ourselves away to everlasting bliss.” What is this and where is it? How shall we enjoy it and under what circumstances? Certainly those who talk about these things display no intelligence. We can never comprehend anything about these things but by the revelations of God either made directly to us or to us through others.

Now we Latter-day Saints are indebted—I was going to say to Joseph Smith, for what knowledge we have; but this would not be strictly true, for we are not indebted to him or any other man for the knowledge we possess; we are indebted to the Lord, and the Prophet Joseph was made use of by him as the medium to reveal, in the midst of the chaotic mass that existed in the world, the principles of life, light and intelligence and the laws by which the Gods are governed in the eternal worlds, to teach us what course we should pursue, that we might act wisely, prudently and intelligently, and comprehend the position we occupy here upon the earth, and the relationship that subsists between man and his Maker, and that we might understand things pertaining to the future as well as things pertaining to the present. And the religion we have had unfolded to us is to prepare us to take part in these things both in this world and the world to come; to teach us how to approach our Maker and to get further knowledge of his laws and the principles of truth that have been revealed to us. The world generally treats these things very lightly. The reason is they do not comprehend them, and therein lies the difficulty. And we only know them in part and see them in part and comprehend them in part; but without communion with the Almighty we certainly should not have understood anything at all about these things. There is something very peculiar in the world and we as well as others are sometimes apt to be quite narrow and contracted in our ideas pertaining to the world in which we live and the people with whom we are surrounded. We are told that “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” And I would state further that all true intelligence which men possess in regard to the laws, nature and their operations, as well as any moral, scientific or philosophical ideas we may form that are correct proceed from the same source, whether acknowledged by men or not. And furthermore, whatever correct religious ideas that the world possess in relation to the future state, proceed from that portion of the Spirit that is given to every man to profit withal—not unto us only, but to every man, and to the influence of that Spirit all men are indebted for the degree of honor and integrity that exists among men. It is true there is very little comparatively, but for the amount there is they are indebted to God just as much as we are. The Apostle Paul, on a certain occasion, said that God had not left himself without witness. This is a general principle that exists everywhere and among all mankind. But there is another principle which is separate and distinct from that, and that is the principle that brings men into closer communion with the Almighty. And what is that? It is the Spirit of the Lord in a more eminent degree, and is called in the Scriptures the Holy Ghost. How do men obtain that? Through a certain medium that God has appointed, viz., by faith, repentance, baptism administered by proper authority and laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Now the Lord has had his “witness” upon the earth in different ages of time. When he has had this witness the Gospel has generally been associated therewith; it is a part and parcel of the great program. There is a very foolish idea prevailing in the world, that there was no such thing as the Gospel until Jesus came. It is the greatest folly in creation. No Gospel until Jesus introduced it! Say you, “Do not the Scriptures say that life and immortality are brought about through the Gospel?” Yes. “And did not Jesus introduce the Gospel?” Yes. “Well, then, if he came and introduced the Gospel, why do you say that they had the Gospel before?” They always had the Gospel whenever men had a knowledge of God. It is the Gospel that brings life and immortality to light; it is the Gospel that places man in a position to obtain a just knowledge of God and of the eternities to come, of their position on the earth, and of their position as it will be hereafter. It is that very principle that brings, as we are told, life and immortality to light. And if you will trace out the records of either the Book of Mormon or the Bible or those of any people that have lived upon the earth, and find anywhere a people that had a knowledge of life and immortality, then I will point you out a people that had the Gospel. It was through that principle that men before the flood had a knowledge of God and had communication with him. It was through that that Enoch understood the principles of heaven, and applied those to his position, and it was by that power and through that principle that he, with the cities in which he lived, was translated, as well as the thousands who lived then and also after that time were translated; it was through the principle and power of the Gospel that brings life and immortality to light. It was through the same principle that Noah was saved; he had communication with God, who revealed to him what was coming on the earth and the results of it. God warned him and prepared him and told him what to do and how to do it, and he pursued the course given him, and he received his reward. It was through that principle that Abraham comprehended God and had revelation and communication with him, for without it he would have known nothing about God. But he understood, through the records of his fathers, of certain privileges that are mentioned in his history—certain privileges pertaining to himself and his progenitors, which he traced clear back to the days of Adam, by which he learned that he was an heir to the holy priesthood; and when he ascertained this he sought an ordination from the Lord. And when he was persecuted for his faith he left the land in which he lived, and he did so at the insistance of the Lord: “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.” And the Lord greatly favored him and blessed him, and said unto him: “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Was that so? Yes, it has been fulfilled. Let us look at this for a moment and see whether it has or not. Who were Isaac and Jacob? Did they have communication with God? Yes. How did they obtain it? Through the medium of the Gospel and through the promises made to their father Abraham. And when Israel was in Egypt who delivered them? Moses. And who was Moses? A descendant of Abraham. Did he lead the people out of Egyptian bondage? Yes; God manifested his power in their behalf. Did Moses have the Gospel? Yes, and so did Abraham. The Apostle Paul says, in his epistle to the Galatians, “that God foreseeing that he would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” The Israelites had the Gospel preached to them in the wilderness; but, as the Apostle says in speaking of them, “The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” But Moses did lead some of them into the presence of God—those who were prepared to receive it; the others, when they heard the thunders and saw the lightning and heard the voice of God, they said unto Moses, “Speak thou unto us and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die;” we are not prepared for this glory, for this kind of manifestation which has been given unto us.

Well, they were foolish; they departed from correct principles, they violated the laws of God and therefore incurred his displeasure, and his Spirit was withdrawn from them, and the Gospel was taken from them and they were left under a law of carnal commandments, and the law was given them as a schoolmaster, we are told, until Christ came. And what did Christ do? He restored the fulness of the Gospel that they had forfeited, because of their former transgressions. What next? We go to the promise made to Abraham, which was that in him and in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed. Moses, as I have said was of his seed, and he was the deliverer of the whole of that nation. And who were the prophets that existed among ancient Israel? They were descendants of Abraham; and to them came the word of God and the light of revelation. Who was Jesus? After the flesh of the seed of Abraham. Who were his Twelve Apostles? Of the seed of Abraham. Who were the people that came to this continent—Lehi and his family, about 600 years B.C.? Of the seed of Abraham. Who were the Apostles they had among them that spread forth among the millions that then lived upon this continent? Of the seed of Abraham. Who was Joseph Smith? Of the seed of Abraham; and he, we are told, was to be the son of Joseph, and should himself be called Joseph. And he was raised up for what purpose? To injure or destroy mankind? No; but to bring life and immortality to light through the Gospel. He, like other prominent men of God, came in the fulness of times to do the work which the Lord had appointed unto him, being called of God and taught of God; and being thus taught he possessed an intelligence second to none on the earth. He introduced principles, that no philosopher, or scientist, or all the wisdom of this world combined was capable of developing; neither was it possible for anybody to bring to light such principles, unless through the revelations of God—principles of truth, principles of intelligence, principles which affect man in time and in eternity; principles which affect the world in which we live; principles which affect thousands and myriads that have lived before; principles of salvation that extend to all nations and all peoples living or dead, pertaining to time and pertaining to eternity.

In what manner were these principles to be made known? How were men to get acquainted with these things? By being brought into communion with the Lord. And how was this to be done? Jesus, when upon the earth, ordained and set apart others and told them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. What Gospel? That Gospel that brings life and immortality to light; that Gospel that brings men into communication with their Maker; that Gospel that will show us who we are and what we are, and why we are here, and the object of our existence, and what lies before us. Jesus said to his disciples in his day, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Was he with them? Yes. How did they preach? They called upon the people to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. Who did? Men authorized of God and commissioned of him, and not by somebody else. And what then? If they did this, they should receive the Holy Ghost. And what should that do for them? It should take of the things of God and show them unto them; it should bring life and immortality to light; it should place them in communication with the Lord; it should enable them to comprehend principles that no man could comprehend nor ever ought to comprehend, without the Spirit; it should bring to their remembrance things that were past; it should lead them into all truth, and it, should show them things to come. Was it so? Yes. Did they have that Spirit? Yes. The spirit of prophecy? Yes. The spirit of revelation? Yes. Did they have the ministry of angels? Yes. Was the vision of all truth open to their mind? Yes. They comprehended the manifestations of God until the winding up scene, and until the dead small and great shall stand before God, and until this earth shall not only be redeemed but become celestialized, and celestial beings inhabit it. They understood these things and prophesied and wrote about them. Is it so with our Gospel? Precisely the same. Have we had these things communicated to us? We have. Have the Elders been called upon to go forth to the nation’s of the earth to call upon people to repent and be baptized as in former times? They have. Have most of you heard this Gospel preached among the different nations of the earth? You have. Have you received it? Have you obeyed it? Yes. Did you receive the Holy Ghost accompanying it? You did, and you know and can bear testimony of it. It is the selfsame Gospel; and why the same? Because it is the everlasting Gospel, not something started eighteen hundred years ago. Says John; “I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, etc.” What Gospel? The everlasting Gospel; the Gospel that existed with the Gods before this world rolled into existence or the morning stars sang together for joy; the Gospel that was preached to Adam and which he preached to his posterity; the Gospel that was preached by Enoch and Noah, by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the ancient prophets; the Gospel that was preached by Jesus and his Disciples when he commanded them to go and preach it to all nations; in fine, the Gospel that brings life and immortality to light. It can be said of us as of them of whom it was said, “Ye have been baptized into one baptism, and have all partaken of the same spirit.” Did they? Yes. It was not many baptisms, it was not many faiths and many ideas and many notions; but it was “one faith, one Lord and one baptism and one God who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

There are a great many things associated with these principles in which the children of men are very deeply interested and in which more especially the Latter-day Saints are very, very deeply interested. The Lord has gathered us from among the nations of the earth, just as he told some of his ancient prophets, who wrote it, that he would do. And one of them while wrapped in prophetic vision gazed upon the purposes of Jehovah in relation to this generation, and saw the people of God gathering together, exclaimed: “Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?” And another says: “I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” What will you do with them when you get them there? “I will give you pastors according to mine own heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” “Saviors shall come upon mount Zion,” says another, “and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” Very peculiar expressions and very significant some of these remarks are. Yet they were made by men when under the influence of the Holy Ghost, the spirit of revelation which unfolded to their view things that should transpire in the latter days which is emphatically, what is called in the Scriptures, “The dispensation of the fulness of times,” when he would “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” He would gather his people in one to commence with, and hence our position today in these valleys of the mountains. Why are we here? We came here because it was according to the eternal purposes of God that we should gather together; and because God has restored this principle among other principles through the ministration of holy angels, and by the manifestation of his power by the revelation of his will through the ancient priesthood that existed upon the earth. And what made us gather together? You could hardly tell, many of you, if I were to ask you. I know very well that when you received this Gospel in foreign lands you could not rest until you gathered to Zion; and there was a correspondent feeling among the Saints here to help to bring about these things. Before the railroad across the plains was built, you used to send out your teams as many as five hundred at a time. What made you do it? It was the spirit of the gathering that associated itself with the latter-day dispensation, if there were time I might tell you how peculiarly some people were moved upon.

The Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery baptized each other. Why? Because John the Baptist appeared and conferred upon them this priesthood, and they went and administered in it. Why did Joseph Smith and others lay hands upon men for the reception of the Holy Ghost? Because Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the priesthood and of this Gospel in former days conferred that power upon them and they operated in it. Why did the people feel inclined to gather? Because Moses who was at the head of the gathering dispensation and to whom the keys of this dispensation were given, came and conferred upon them the power to gather the house of Israel and the ten tribes from their dispersion; and when you received this Gospel you received this as a part. This dispensation of the fulness of times embraces all other dispensations that have ever existed upon the earth, with all their powers. That is the reason you desired so to gather together, and for these peculiar impulses which many of you could not account for.

Why do we build temples? Because Elijah appeared and conferred the powers of his priesthood which were to “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.” And why do you expend so much—even your enemies are complaining because of the millions of dollars that are used in the erection of temples. Why do you do it? Simply because God has commanded us to do it and we know it and because the spirit attending this peculiar work rests upon us until we feel its impulses in our very bones. And is it a trouble to do it? No. We feel a pleasure in it. And then when we build our temples we feel a pleasure in administering in them, not only for ourselves but for our fathers and mothers and those of our progenitors who have died without the Gospel and then to help to save all that have been worthy of salvation that have ever lived upon the earth. And we have got to continue our labors in this direction, we have only just commenced; and if this little thing troubles men all the consolation I can give them is that they will be worse troubled yet. If others know not what we are doing, we do; we know in whom we have believed, and consequently we operate in these things.

Now then, what shall we do? Continue to do good; continue to live our religion; continue to carry out the purposes of God; continue to humble ourselves before the Lord and cultivate his Holy Spirit that we may comprehend his laws and know his will concerning us. You have received the Holy Ghost. Now I will tell you a piece of instruction that Joseph Smith once gave me, and it won’t hurt you. Said he, “Elder Taylor, you have received the Holy Ghost: now follow the leadings of that spirit; and if you do, by-and-by it will become in you a principle of revelation that you will know all things as they come along and understand what is right and what is wrong in relation to them.” That is just as applicable to you if you can receive it and live up to it and enjoy it.

Well, what are we? We ought to be the Saints of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. We ought to be full of charity, of brotherly kindness and affection and love one towards another and love towards all men. We ought to feel as our heavenly Father does. What does he do? “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” He will save all men to such a degree of salvation and exaltation as they are capable of receiving; but he cannot bestow upon people what they are not prepared to receive. There is a celestial glory and a terrestrial glory and a telestial glory; “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.” But there is, we must bear in mind, a celestial glory which is one, and there is a terrestrial glory which is one, etc. And we want as Latter-day Saints to comprehend the position we occupy; and while God has conferred many great and precious privileges upon us, we want to appreciate them and honor them. Are we Seventies? We ought to be full of light and life and the power and spirit of the Living God and feel that we are messengers to the nations of the earth; we ought to feel the word of God burning like fire in our bones, feeling desirous to go and snatch men from the powers of darkness and the chains of corruption with which they are bound, and lead them in the paths of life. We ought to be prepared to go forth weeping, bearing precious seed that we might come back again rejoicing bringing our sheaves with us. If we are High Priests, we ought to magnify our calling in that portion of the priesthood and to prepare ourselves for the duties and responsibilities that are devolving upon us associated with that priesthood, that we may be prepared according to the revelations we have received in regard to these subjects, to preside over and among the different Stakes when they shall be organized and to be prepared to operate in all things according to the mind and will of God. If we are Elders we should seek to magnify our calling in every particular, and put away from us every evil and satisfy ourselves that we are accepted of God, living so that it will be a pleasure as well as a duty to carry out the will of God in all things. If we are fathers, we should treat our children properly and train them in the fear of God; we should treat our wives with mercy and tenderness and with love; we ought to bear with their infirmities and sustain them in the pathway of life, pour joy and happiness into their bosoms, and help them to bear the struggles and difficulties that they have to cope with. If we are wives, we should try to make a heaven of our homes. And as children and as parents and as Latter-day Saints and as Elders of Israel, we should seek by the prayer of faith to fulfil the various duties that devolve upon us, that we may honor our God, magnify our calling and fill the measure of our creation here upon the earth, and purge ourselves from all unrighteousness, and be full of love, kindness, generosity and philanthropy, and also full of honesty, of truthfulness and integrity, feeling in our hearts to say, O God, search me and try me and prove me, and if there is any evil in me, help me to purge it out from me, and help me to honor and magnify my priesthood and every duty devolving upon me. And as fathers and mothers we should never utter a word or do an act that we should be ashamed for God, or angels, or our children to hear or see. And if we will do right and cherish and cultivate the spirit of God to the extent that it can prevail and predominate in our midst, we will see Zion arise and shine, and the glory of God will rest upon her.

God help us to do right and preserve our purity, keep his laws and lead us in the paths of life, that while we live upon the earth we may operate with him in the salvation of the living and the dead, and be saved ultimately in his celestial kingdom, having fought the good fight, finished our course, and kept the faith. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered at Ogden, on Sunday, December 8, 1878.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the Saints here; and I have been quite interested in the remarks you have heard this morning from Bro. Joseph F. Smith. There are a great many principles associated with the Gospel of the Son of God; and Bro. Joseph has presented some things that are quite interesting and then there may be a few things said on the other side of the question that are equally true. Those doctrines he has taught are true; they are in accordance with the spirit of the Gospel. We ought always live with reference to eternity, feeling full of kindness, benevolence, charity and long suffering to all, respecting always the motives and circumstances of others. Then on the other hand while we do that, it is not right for others to take advantage of that benevolence because a man is a good man and an honorable man, a man that fears God and who is lenient, kind, merciful and forgiving, it is not right for others to take advantage of such goodness and praiseworthy actions; there are two sides to all these matters, the question of debtor and creditor is not all on one side. I will mention a thing here which has been alluded to before, and which will serve to make plain my meaning, I refer to the operations of the Perpetual Emigrating Fund. There has been a very large amount expended for the gathering of the poor Saints to this country. Have any been pressed by that Fund for the payment of what they owe it? No. Yet there are many of you who have gone with your teams—if you have not gone, you have sent them—to assist this people. What for? Because you felt it in your heart to do it, and because you were called upon to do it, and because you were doing it in obedience to a command of God. You not only furnished teams, but you furnished provisions for the emigrating Saints. Now they, on the other hand, covenanted and gave their notes for the payment of this indebtedness, which if paid according to promise, would have been used to emigrate other Saints similarly situated. Was it right for you to bring them here and to supply them with food, etc.? Yes. It is right for us to engage in such enterprises? Yes, because the Gospel requires it at our hands, and the love of God and the love of our brethren. This was done in good faith. Should not this be met? There are a million of dollars due today on this account. Is it right that it should be so? No. Have these debtors been pressed, or has anybody seized them by the throat, saying, Pay me what thou owest? Not that I am aware of. Have they been dragged before courts of justice? No. But still the debt remains unpaid; and there is a question that arises in my mind. Will it remain there, until it removes itself or not? This is a little on the other side of the question, and this is not a small thing either, and it is something we are all familiar with. If this matter has not been pressed, it makes the obligation none the less sacred. We are told to pay our debts, to meet our obligations, to deal justly and righteously one with another. And I wish we had no debts to pay; I wish we could so live as to keep out of debt and meet our obligations day by day. But then we do not do this; if we did we should be much better and more pleasantly situated and feel more comfortable in our feelings and dispositions. And if people do not do these things, what then? There is a way appointed by the Lord, and that is to adjust them before the bishops’ courts. We as Latter-day Saints ought to be governed by the laws of the church and not by the laws of the land, until the law of God is complied with. How far would you take them? Just as far as the law of God prescribes. If a man sin against another is it good and charitable and kind to forgive him? Yes. Now, I will speak of myself. I never sued a man either before our own courts or any other courts. Why? Because I never thought the thing worth enough; I never thought money and property worth enough to go to law about. I think so yet, I think it rather too small an affair to break up those fraternal relations that should exist between brother and brother. Then do you believe in owing people and not paying them? No, I do not. I believe in meeting engagements honorably and honestly before God. But will men be blessed for being forgiving? Well, I think so. And I think that, as Latter-day Saints, we will have a good chance of obtaining quite a blessing on account of our forbearance in relation to those having obligations before referred to; for there is, as I have said, a million of dollars owing among the people, and I do not think they have been pressed to pay it. But I wish people would do nearly right. I wish they would act honorably and uprightly and consistently and properly, and all meet their obligations and pursue an upright course. But there is again another question to be adjusted in this matter. It is not the value of the money alone nor how it will affect me; but how are others affected by it? A perpetual fund was established, which fund contemplated a continual help, a continual return of the money loaned and perpetual fund kept always on hand, for the assistance of those requiring aid. This fund was not designed as a gift, but as a loan; but now it happens that this fund is crippled, because men have not returned their loans. It is not therefore a matter as between ourselves, but one that affects hundreds that are very much worse off than those who owe these debts. The cry is continually coming to our ears for help. The poverty, distress, and trouble in Europe are on the increase, and we have continually to hear the wails of the poor; they look to us for help, but those debtors have got their means and are using it. There is another cry; it is not those debtors being oppressed by us; but the un– gathered poor being defrauded by those who have borrowed money and do not return it. It may become quite a question as to how far we are justified in permitting those who have been assisted, by this public fund by withholding what they justly owe, to block the wheels of the institution and deprive others, who may be more meritorious than themselves, of obtaining that relief which is justly their due. But do you believe in being grasping? No. Do you believe in covetousness? No, I do not. I think that as Latter-day Saints we ought to have our minds fixed on something else—something more elevating, more exalting, more honorable, and more in accordance with the position we occupy and the principles we profess to believe in.

As this subject has been broached, I wish now to speak a little in regard to our manner of doing business. We are mixed up a good deal at present—you, here in Ogden, are especially, and we in Salt Lake are too—with Gentile institutions, and their practice is strictly upon the ground referred to by brother Joseph, “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, pay me that thou owest,” etc., which in one sense is all very correct; but there is a better way to settle difficulties, which is by mixing up with it a little charity and benevolence, and then it does very well. But when we talk about “popping men through” the courts who do not do thus and so, as has been referred to, I tell you what you should do, whenever a man would attempt to “pop” you through the courts of the law of the land, you should “pop” him through the courts of our Church; you should bring him up for violating the laws of the Church, for going to law before the ungodly, instead of using the means that God has appointed. We think, as Latter-day Saints, that the laws of God are a little in advance of the laws of the land; and, in fact, it is not an infrequent thing for men not belonging to our Church to express themselves desirous to bring their cases for trial before our High Council, believing they could get better justice than they could before the courts of the world; I believe it with all my heart. Latter-day Saints, we ought to be controlled by correct principles; and if anybody is sinned against, we have our remedy. If the brother that Brother Joseph F. Smith has referred to, instead of cherishing and harboring those unpleasant feelings, had gone to his brother who had given him offense, and told him that his feelings were hurt at some word he had spoken, and he thought he would come and talk the matter squarely to him, that little affair would have been settled, and good feelings would have existed between them. But then, supposing after being so waited on, your brother would not hear you, it would then be proper to wait on him again, taking with you another brother; and if he still persisted to manifest hard feelings, it would then be proper to report him to the Church, and let the matter be brought to the notice of the Teachers or the Priests, as the case might be. If he refuse to hearken to their counsel, let a charge be preferred against him to his Bishop who, with his counselors, should hear and decide the case according to the evidence, with all long-suffering and humility and justice and prayer before God, to guide him in his decision. And when they operate together in this way, such things will be disposed of aright. And if either party should be dissatisfied with the decision, an appeal could he taken to a higher court—the High Council. And when that body of men sit upon the case and render their decision in the matter, and if the brother refuse to hear them, what then? He is cut off the Church. “But (a man may say) it is a matter of dollars and cents, and if a man owe me $5,000, I cannot afford to lose it, and what recourse have I?” Bring him up before the Church, and if he will not listen to the counsel of the Church authorities, let him be dealt with by this council. And what will be the result? He will be severed from the Church. “And am I to lose my money?” No, not necessarily so; he is outside of the Church, and now you can “pop him through” by the law, if that be the term you use. And this is why we take such pains in electing our representatives to our legislature. We try to select good men in order that we may have good laws enacted, and then we try to get good Probate Judges. Brother Richards here is a Probate Judge, and is he a good man? I think he is. Is he an Apostle? Yes. Well, would it be right to take your case to him as a Probate Judge? No; if you were to, we would deal with you for your fellowship. You say, “That’s a curious doctrine.” You have agreed to be governed by the laws of the Church, and I mention this to show you what would be right in regard to principles of that kind. And if after summoning the parties referred to before the Bishop’s Court, and from there the case be carried before the High Council, and then he would not do right, the consequence would be that he would be cut off from the Church, and then you would be at liberty to summon him before Brother Richards, as a Judge of Probate. But there possibly might be an appeal from the High Council, and Brother Richards, in a Church capacity, might be one to consider the case, then that would be all right.

I speak of these things to show what our duties are, and the position we occupy. Do you remember what the Apostle Paul said when talking to some of the former-day Saints on this subject? The people to whom he addressed himself were doubtless like some of our easy-going brethren, who are always in trouble a good deal, and are always wanting to “pop ’em through.” Says he, in the 6th chapter of Corinthians, “Dare any of you, having a matter against a brother, go to law before the unjust? Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren. But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now, therefore, there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not, rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” etc., and is it not said too, in speaking of the Twelve, that they shall sit upon twelve thrones, and shall judge the Twelve Tribes of Israel? And does not the Church today possess the same officers as it did anciently, and are they not set apart by the revelation of God, and ordained by the holy Priesthood to occupy this position? Are these men not competent to judge of the comparatively trivial things associated with this life? And yet you will take your brother before ungodly men to be judged of them. I tell you the hand of God will follow you if you do it. And we do not want any such thing done by any calling themselves Latter-day Saints; and Israel cannot do such things with the approbation of God, or the councils of his Church. And I will give you fair warning, and I call upon Brother Peery here, who is President of this Stake, to carry it out, that when he finds any Latter-day Saint under his jurisdiction going to law with his brother before the ungodly, to bring him up and deal with him for his fellowship. This is a correct principle before God; and as Saints of God we should be governed by his laws, and not by the laws of the world. But these laws are made and provided for our protection, and when it is proper and right we can make use of them in common with other citizens. But we have laws among ourselves, and all honorable men among us will submit to the decisions of our Church authorities, and those who are not honorable we do not want, and we will cut them off.

I attended your monthly priesthood meeting yesterday. I find there has been a little feeling about the districting of your city, which ought not to exist. We sometimes get a little zealous in those local matters, each has his own ideas, and is desirous of carrying them out. I do not know that I have any idea of my own about these matters. I am desirous to ascertain the will of God and if I know that, I want to do it regardless of my opinion, that does not amount to much. But if we can know the will of God and understand the principles of life, and then abide by them, all will be well. And as to what imaginary line or district you live in, I do not think it makes much difference. We want a little of this good feeling of brotherhood about which Brother Joseph has been speaking so pleasantly. Jesus says: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” That is of more value a great deal than dollars and cents, if you could but understand it. It is worth ten thousand million times more, for they perish with their using. You brought nothing into the world; you can take nothing out. By and by, and a little space of ground six feet by two is all you will want, and your money and your property you will leave for others to handle. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Blessed are whom? The liar, the hypocrite, the thief, the rogue, the debauchee? No; but “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Let us hunt after these things, and seek to possess more of these principles which were taught and inculcated by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We have introduced among us the kingdom of God. What is meant by it? The law, the rule, the government of God. Now, the Lord has laid down a perfect law in relation to our temporal affairs and we would not see so much squabbling among us if we could carry it out. I refer to what we call the United Order. But we cannot bear it, it seems too much for us, as much as we talk and boast of our intelligence we cannot come to some of these little principles of the Gospel. Some of us can manage to pay our tithing, and some of us cannot. And then some of us can believe a little in cooperation, and we think that it is a terrible stride; to me that is one of the least things that God ever instituted among men and I sometimes think if we cannot do that we had better quit. Talk about being Gods and organizing worlds; why if we fail in such a comparatively small undertaking, I do not think we have faith enough to drag a sitting hen from her nest. If we cannot be united in some of these little things, how can we in greater things? We were talking about the principle of cooperation in our priesthood meeting; and I thought I would refer to it here. And we are getting up County or rather Stake organizations throughout Zion. And we want in all of our temporal affairs to deal justly one with another. We want to sustain cooperation, and then we want cooperation to sustain us. It is not all on one side; there are two sides. If we sustain cooperation, we will call upon cooperation to sustain us; and all the settlements throughout the Territory will be represented, just the same as the Saints today are represented in the Church through the Presidents of Stakes, and we will try to do right ourselves, and then we will try and see that they do right. We will sustain them with good, honest efforts, and we want square up and down operations on both sides, carrying out the principles of cooperation honestly and truthfully before God and man. This is what we expect and we expect it from your President, his Counselors and also from the Bishops and from all the people. And if you cannot do this never talk about making worlds.

The world is opposed to us. They say they are not. Well, would you injure them? No; I would not hurt a hair of their heads or deprive them of any right they enjoy, either religious or political. We want to treat all men kindly and with due respect; but we do not want to be governed by their religious views, nor put our children under their teachings. We want to look after the education of our children and see that they are placed under proper teachers and receive proper training, and not be placed in the hands of the enemies of the Church and kingdom of God.

Now brethren if we are Latter-day Saints, let us be consistent with our belief and profession. I profess to be a Latter-day Saint, and I, believe in the doctrines that the Lord has revealed to us with all my heart; and I do not care who knows it. Now I am told in the revelations to bring up my children in the fear of God. I believe that this kingdom which the Lord has set up will grow and increase until the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God and his Christ. And this you believe as well as I do. We believe in celestial glory; and we believe in terrestrial and telestial glory; or in other words, we believe there will be a separation finally of the good from the bad. Now we are engaged gathering together, or separating ourselves from the world and building our temples and administering in them for the living and the dead, and we spend millions of dollars in the accomplishment of this object, that we may become united and linked together by eternal covenants that shall exist in all time and throughout eternity. And then, when we have done all this go and deliberately turn our children over to whom? To men who do not believe the Gospel, to men who, according to your faith, are never going to the celestial kingdom of God. They will get as big a glory as they are prepared for, but they are not going there. And you will turn your children over to them. And you call yourselves Latter-day Saints, do you? I will suppose a case. You expect to be saved in the celestial kingdom of God. Well, supposing your expectations are realized, which I sometimes doubt, and you look down, down somewhere in a terrestrial or telestial kingdom, as the case may be, and you there see your children, the offspring that God had given you to train up in his fear, to honor him and keep his commandments, and perceive that between you and them there is a great gulf, as represented by the Savior in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. And supposing they could converse with you—which, however, they could not do—but if such were the case, what would be their feelings towards you? It would be, Father, mother, you are to blame for this. I would have been with you if you had not tampered with the principles of life and salvation in permitting me to be decoyed away by false teachers, who taught incorrect principles. And this is the result of it. But then I very much question men and women’s getting into the celestial kingdom of God who have no more knowledge about the principles of life and salvation than to go and tamper with the sacred offspring, the principle of life which God entrusted to your care, to thus shuffle it off to imbibe the spirit of unbelief, which leads to destruction and death. I very much doubt in my mind the capability of such people getting there. We had better look after ourselves a little. God has given us light and he expects us to be governed by it. In speaking of Abraham he says, “I know him.” What do you know of him? That he will fear me. What else? “That he will command his children after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord. To do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

Well, the time is passing, but before closing, I wish to say a word or two in regard to this cooperation in temporal things. They are very little things, but they form a kind of stepping stone towards other and more important events. A closer union which we shall expect to inaugurate by-and-by, but which we are not prepared to yet. But for the time being it is expected that as honorable men and women, we will honestly and truly carry out our covenants in regard to these little temporal things; and let us be one, for the Lord has plainly told us, if ye are not one, ye are not mine. If ye are not mine, whose are ye? You can figure that up just as you please. These are the facts in relation to this matter, we are desirous to bring about these things. What for? For the sake of making money? No. Money is of little importance where truth is concerned. I would not care if all the money was out of existence, but I do care about the principles, and the laws of God, about men being what they profess to be, and not hypocrites, belying their profession. We expect to see these things carried out in honesty and truth, because it is the order which God has introduced as a steppingstone to something in the future. We build temples and administer in them. How? Precisely according to the revelations which God has given to us; but when it comes to our temporal affairs, we would ride over and almost totally ignore the laws which he has given to us to govern them. Jesus says, “In vain you say to me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say.” And I say, In vain you will say, Lord, Lord, if you cannot attend to these little things; and those who will not, God will shake out from among his people. Now hear it, ye Latter-day Saints! and be not de– ceived: God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.” We should be governed by correct principles in the fear of God; and should righteously, uprightly, and virtuously preserve our bodies and spirits pure, and keep all the laws of God and seek to comprehend his will in regard to all things, and feel that we are here to build up the kingdom of God and not ourselves, to establish the principles of righteousness and of truth and the laws of heaven, and not our ideas and theories; for through the ordinances of God and through obedience to his laws come the blessings of God to Israel in time and through all eternity.

God bless you and lead you in the paths of life, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered at Bountiful, Davis County, on Sunday Afternoon, December 1, 1878.

I am pleased to meet with the Saints in this place; and I have been very much interested in the remarks that have been made by the brethren who have spoken to us this morning as well as this afternoon. I think they have laid before us many good and precious principles which will result in our good, if we can only appreciate them and be governed by them.

We are living in a very eventful day, in a time that is pregnant with great events; and it is necessary that we prepare ourselves so that we may be able to conform ourselves to the circumstances with which we are surrounded, and to fulfil the various duties that devolve upon us individually and collectively.

The brethren who have addressed you have spoken more particularly upon temporal things—a subject which is very appropriate and important, because, although we may believe it is right, proper and profitable for us to be united in temporal matters, whatever our faith may be we do not quite carry it out. We make a stagger at it, but we do not seem to appreciate fully the position we occupy, and it is very difficult for men to comprehend these things. We have established organizations in the several Stakes, which are all very well so far as they go; they are the framework—the bones, and sinews and arteries and flesh (comparing them with the human body); they are very beautiful and symmetrical in all their parts. But they need the Spirit of God to breathe upon them to quicken them with its lifegiving vitality, energy and power, that they may fulfil their various functions as living, breathing and intelligent powers, that we may truly comprehend the position which we occupy in these various stakes, both officers and people, and we all of us may be active and alive and energetic in the pursuit of those principles which God has developed as necessary for our present and eternal happiness.

There is order in all the creations of God. The planetary system by which we are surrounded and with which we are associated is governed by the strictest principles of law; all those magnificent bodies move in their several orbits in the midst of the power of God, sustained and directed by his Almighty hand. And everything in nature is also governed by law.

Today we can talk of railroads and steamboats. I remember the time, and many of you old people also remember, when there were no such things in existence. Well, but did not steam possess the same properties five thousand years ago as it does today? Yes it did; the properties were precisely the same but we did not understand it, that’s all. The principles were the same, and there is an eternal law by which all these things are governed. The same thing applies to electricity. You remember very well when it took several months to send a message to Washington and receive an answer; now we can do it in as many minutes. But did not that principle always exist? Yes; but man did not know how to avail himself of it. I remember the time, too, very well when there was no such thing as gas, when whale oil was used, which produced a light that just about made darkness visible. We knew nothing about kerosene, or gasoline, or gas or any of these superior artificial lights; but then the principles existed then as they do now, but we did not understand them. We did not comprehend the position of things and it is only quite recently that some of these discoveries have been brought into operation. The art of photography has not been long known. When I was a boy people would have laughed at you if you had talked of taking a man’s likeness in a minute’s time; yet it is done. Did not light always possess the same properties? Yes, but man did not understand it. The same thing applies to the mineral world, the vegetable kingdom, the animal creation, and all the works of God. They are all governed by certain laws. The vegetables which you grow here, how were they organized? God organized them and placed them upon the earth, and gave them power to propagate their species; so also with regard to the animal creation, as well as birds, fishes, insects, &c.

We talk sometimes about our temporal things. If we could understand things as God does, we should not be much troubled about them. If for a moment we reflect upon all the creations that live upon this little globe—those that move in the air, the waters and on the land, we find there is a wisdom, an intelligence that provides for all. There is a prescient and an omnipotent power that governs, controls and shapes the affairs of this world according to the counsel of his will, and especially so in all matters pertaining to the human family. As one nation rises up and another falls, it is by his power that it is done. Nations and peoples may be in prosperity for a short time, but one touch of the finger of the Almighty and they wither, crumble and decay. Change succeeds change in human affairs, but the laws of God in everything are correct and true in every stage and phase of nature, everything on the earth, in the waters and in the atmosphere is governed by unchangeable, eternal laws. There are some bodies that will unite; there are others that will not unite. You cannot, for instance, mix oil and water; you may shake them up together, but soon each one adheres to his own element. The sisters sometimes say they have good or bad luck, as the case may be, in the making of soap; but in reality there is no luck about it, for you would find that if you have the same properties equal in strength and quantity, using the same process, that the same results would be reached ninety-nine times out of every hundred, and you would find that you could afford to throw the other one in too—the conditions being the same. And so it is with the various minerals in all their organizations and conditions. They assume certain forms and they are known by geologists by their shapes, etc., and they are always true to them. And so it is with all the elements with which we are surrounded in the atmosphere, in the earth and in the water. We think we have learned a great deal, but if we did but know it we are only at the foot of the hill; and when we are able to comprehend things as God does we shall comprehend a great many principles that have never entered into our hearts to conceive of, although we are surrounded with those materials and are even treading them under our feet. To speak of these laws, God himself is governed by law, and the Priesthood in the eternal world are governed by law, just as much as his works are. Our earth rolls upon its axis and we have day and night, summer and winter, seedtime and harvest. When men comprehend the laws by which the planets are governed they can tell you to a quarter of a second when an eclipse will take place, and when our earth will be in conjunction with other planets. Why? Because they are governed by eternal laws. There are a great many things by which we are governed of which we know very little and with which we have very little to do. For instance, I will mention the flowing of the blood; What has man to do with that? Nothing; still it flows and courses through the body. I have noticed an aged person, and seen his pulse begin to falter, as though the machinery of life were about to stand still, after having been in motion for perhaps sixty or one hundred years, during which time the pulse had continued to beat without any action on his part, day and night, asleep or awake. There is another principle that God has planted within us which we call breathing. We continue to breathe, and what effort of the will does it require? No more than it does to cause the blood to flow. We are machines; God has made us and he is our Father. He has planted within us the breath of life and we continue to inhale and breathe day after day, month after month, and year after year. And when that stops, what then? Just the same as when the blood ceases to circulate in our veins—we pass away. And yet these emanate from God, and they are planted within us and we have nothing much to do with them. We have organs, and it seems as if the Lord plays in them; in his hands is the breath of life, and in him we live and move from day to day and from year to year, because he suffers us to. He once said to his disciples: “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat; neither for your body, what you shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” He watches over all, he cares for all, he is interested in all; and in him we live, move and have our being.

What next? Are we mortal? Yes. Are we immortal? Yes. Have we to do with time? Yes. We have also to do with eternity. We are the offspring of God; and God in these last days has seen fit to place us in communication with himself. He has, through the revelations of himself and of his Son Jesus Christ, by the ministry of holy angels and by the restoration of the holy priesthood which emanates from God, and by which he himself is governed, placed us in a position whereby we can fulfil the object of our creation. The world generally are not situated as we are; they do not comprehend things as we do, and hence in many instances they feel very bitter and acrimonious towards us. What is the matter? They do not understand our position; and we did not understand these things until they were communicated to us by the Spirit of the living God, and we could not, nor can any man obtain a knowledge of these things only by the laws which God has laid down. There may be lightning in abundance, but it cannot be used for the conveying of intelligence from place to place only as it is governed by law. If you communicate to any part of the world through this means, you must have the wires laid and the instruments properly connected and adjusted, and then you must know how to operate them; if you don’t know how to do this your labor is in vain—the wire, the instruments, etc., are useless. You might possess a most magnificent steam engine, but unless charged with steam of what use could it be? But let the fire and water be put to it, and have a good engineer to manage it, and you may then travel from your settlement here to Salt Lake City or to Ogden quite rapidly. But without these things would the engine be of any use? None whatever.

There are certain eternal laws that have existed from before the foundation of the world. There has been a priesthood also in existence always, and hence it is called the everlasting priesthood, and it administers in time and in eternity. That priesthood has been conferred upon man together with the right of the Gospel; and we are told how man can get into possession of the Holy Spirit of God, and how he can be placed in communication with God, just the same as you would place one town in communication with another by means of the electric wire. We are told how to do that, and that is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; by repentance and baptism for the remission of sin, and by having hands laid upon our heads for the reception of the Holy Ghost. This is a way which God has appointed—an eternal law which man cannot gainsay nor depart from any more than they can from any other law of God. He has given us other views in relation to these matters. He has revealed things concerning the relationship that exists between husband and wife between children and parents and between the various quorum organizations of his church. He has placed in our power certain principles which are the offspring of God, which have emanated from him, in regard to endowments and anointings and other intelligence which it would not be proper to speak of at the present time. Where did all these originate? In the first place in the one great principle that God had revealed himself to the human family and had restored the everlasting Gospel, and that with it came all these other things—apostles and high priests and elders and patriarchs and bishops and high councilors and all the various organizations of the Church and kingdom of God as they now exist upon the earth, all occupying their own peculiar place and position. What for? For the building up of a something that is called Zion or the pure in heart. What for? For my aggrandizement? for yours? for my individual interests or for yours? No. But in the interest of God and of Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, of Adam and of all the ancient patriarchs and apostles and men of God who have lived before, both on the Asiatic and American continent, with the powers that exist in the heavens that may be revealed through the medium which He has appointed to men who dwell upon the earth; that we might stand in and occupy our true position before God, not acting and operating of ourselves or by ourselves or by anything inherent in us or by virtue of any intelligence with which we individually may be endowed, but by that alone which God communicates. To whom are we indebted for the light we have today? Some might say to Joseph Smith. Yes, as the instrument, but primarily to God and the Priesthood behind the veil. Could Joseph Smith have revealed anything if it had not been communicated to him? No. Could Brigham Young? No. Could anybody else? No; no man can reveal anything pertaining to these matters only as it is given to him, and he is permitted by the Lord, who is the Author of all light, intelligence and knowledge which we, his children, possess. And he has gathered us together for the purpose of instructing us that we may operate with him and by him and through the intelligence which he imparts, in building up his Zion of the last days. The world say we are exclusive. We cannot help that. Are we exclusive? To a certain extent, yes. For instance, I know there is a law which God has given. Can I ignore that law and expect, blessings from God? No. Can you? No, you cannot. Can men climb any other way into the favor of God than that which he has appointed? No, they cannot. What will you do? We will try and help the Lord to do the very best he can for them; and we will do the best we can for them. One thing we can do, and we are set apart many of us for that purpose, and that is to go and preach the Gospel to every creature. This the Lord requires at our hands, especially we Seventies, Elders and Apostles. We can do all that is in our power for the people in this way.

And what next? Can we make them believe? No. Can we make them obey the Gospel? No. We would not if we could, because if there was any force made use of for the accomplishment of that object, it would only result in evil instead of good. We are told by Joseph Smith that “No power or influence can, or ought to be maintained, by virtue of the Priesthood only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness and pure knowledge.” They are not to be exercised by force. This is the way I look at these things, and I take the same view of our temporal af– fairs of which we have heard so much today. Should I wish to control any man? No, I would show him the right way. Should I feel indignant at the follies of men and wish to destroy people? No. David, we are told, prayed to the Lord that his enemies might be sent to hell quickly; Jesus said, when suffering at the hands of cruel men all that human nature could endure, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” I like the latter better than the former. Who are the people of the world? They are the children of God. If they are not heirs with God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, they are all his offspring. And what is he going to do with them? The very best he can; and we will try and help him do it. We will set them good patterns; we will teach them by precept and example better ways, and seek to the Lord for wisdom to govern us, and then try and benefit them. But shall we allow them to destroy us? No. Shall we allow our children to be taught by them? No, never by them, for they know not the way of life, and are enemies to God and his laws. God has given unto us children, and he not only expects obedience from us, but expects us, as he did Abraham, to command our children after us to obey the Lord. Then do not let us give them over to the powers of darkness to he taught by the enemies of God and His people. But let us study their interests, both for time and eternity, and set them good examples, and keep them from the contamination of the world. I heard a statement of a circumstance said to have transpired in one of those schools in Salt Lake City, which was something like this; A teacher interrogating the children of a certain school asked—Who is the great false prophet of the 19th century? In answering, a child mentioned John Taylor. I was a little amused at it; although I suppose it was intended that they should have given the name of Joseph Smith, but the little one made a mistake. But what of the idea of our children attending the schools of people who teach and catechize them in this way? Don’t you think it rather humiliating? I think we are descending very low when we can submit to their tuition. We do not want to partake of their feelings nor contract their ways, nor to be degraded with either their social or religious principles, but at the same time we wish to do them all the good we can. If they lie about us, never mind that; we can stand all they can say about us. Would we want to injure them? I hope not. We ought to deal with and treat everybody aright, acting justly and honorably with all. But then we do not want them to be our teachers. They would think they were doing God’s service if they could by any influence lead us astray. What will the Lord do with them? He will put the more worthy of them in a terrestrial kingdom, and the other class will inherit a telestial kingdom, but they will never get into the celestial kingdom, unless it be through the medium of that priesthood conferred upon us by the Lord. Then do we wish our children to be taught by those who would seek to degrade and lead them to another and a lower place than that we hope to enjoy? Certainly not. What was said of Abraham, speaking of his children? the Lord says, “I know Abraham.” What do you know? “That he will fear me and command his children and his household after him, etc.” We want to be very careful about training our children, we should act, honestly before them; for if they see father or mother act dishonestly, the children will be likely to follow their example. We should be careful too not to be found speaking harshly or using hard words in their presence. But rather do as the old lady used to do when teaching school; when the children would come to a word they could not pronounce, she would tell them to skip it and call it “hard-word.” Let our lives and actions and conduct bespeak that we are men of God, that we are acting uprightly and righteously and performing the will of God upon the earth.

Well, now, a little further in relation to these things. Shall we benefit? Yes, we will do all the good we can. But if men lie and become fraudulent, and delight in abominations and are void of principle, then we will say, with him of old, “My soul enter thou not into their secret; and mine honor, with him be not thou united.” We are gathered here for the express purpose of carrying out the purposes of God; the world, however, do not understand it. But I tell you what they will do, by-and-by. You will see them flocking to Zion by thousands and tens of thousands; and they will say, “We don’t know anything about your religion, we don’t care much about religious matters, but you are honest and honorable, and upright and just, and you have a good, just and secure government, and we want to put ourselves under your protection, for we cannot feel safe anywhere else.” There is a scripture which says, the time will come “when he that will not take up his sword to fight against his neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety.” And they will come. But we must prepare ourselves; we have got to have the invigorating influence of the Spirit of God to permeate all of our organizations, all feeling that we are under the guidance and protection of the Almighty, every man in his place, and every man according to the order of the priesthood in which God has placed him. Does a bishop expect the members of his ward to be subject to him? Yes. Should they be? Yes. And should not they themselves be subject to the President of the Stake? Yes. Then if the President of a Stake expects obedience from those under him he must be subject to those over him. The Priests, Teachers and Deacons in their place, the Bishops in theirs; the Presidents of Stakes in theirs; the High Priests, Seventies, and all others, magnifying their respective callings, filling the positions they occupy, holding themselves as minute men, clothed upon with the power of God and the holy priesthood which rests upon them. And when more of that spirit is in existence among the elders of Israel, they will feel the word of God like fire in their bones, and they will desire to go forth carrying the word of life and salvation to their fellow men who are scattered throughout the earth. A good many are beginning to feel like that now, the fire is beginning to burn a little more, and if we continue to fulfil our duties—and do not go and ask people to believe something we can hardly believe ourselves; but go full of faith, seeking all the while unto God for more intelligence, his Holy Spirit will beam upon the altar of our hearts; the revelations of God will be unfolded and we shall feel in our hearts to exclaim, O, God, let me go forth to lift up a warning voice for thy judgments are approaching, the nations are shaking, thrones are tottering and will be cast down, and wars and commotions are spreading abroad, and I want to go and snatch those who are honest “as brands from the burning;” so that when I have accomplished my work I can feel that my garments are spotless from the blood of all men. This is the kind of feeling we should have and be governed by. As for these other matters of a temporal nature before referred to, if we cannot cooperate together and do it honestly and in good faith, as this is one of the very best things that can be required of us, it is very little that we can do. We should cultivate the Spirit of God ourselves; we ought to drink freely of that water which the Savior told the woman of Samaria that he was able, to give to her, even that water that would, “be in her as a well springing up to everlasting life.” We have drank already at that well; it remains now for us to permit it to bubble and burst forth, to flow and spread its revivifying influence all around. We ought to have a heaven upon earth—to be really the Zion of our God, the pure in heart, each one seeking another’s welfare. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.” We have hardly got to that yet; but supposing Paul were to come along and say a little further—each one preferring his neighbor. That part of it we will let alone awhile. But if we could feel we are the children of God, all animated by that same Holy Spirit, producing peace and joy, and all welded together in one common brotherhood, in the bonds of the everlasting Gospel, all operating with God and the holy priesthood who have lived in other ages, to carry out his purposes upon the earth, and assisting to redeem the earth and establish his kingdom, never more to be thrown down. If we could feel like this, we should drop our individuality and self-esteem a little, we should seek to do not our own will, but the will of Him who sent us.

I find that the time is passing. In conclusion let me say, brethren, love one another, be kind to each other; if you have difficulties, settle them honorably. I do not know a man upon the earth that I have a solitary feeling against. I would not entertain such feelings, because they make one feel miserable. Forgive one another; bear with one another’s infirmities. We are not all alike. Our faces are different, our habits are different, although made of the same material and possessing the same kind of an organization. So dissi– milar are we that you can hardly find two people alike. I do not want everybody to think as I do. I am willing to grant every one a great amount of leeway in regard to these things; but I would like to see everybody do right and cleave to God. And as for a great many other little things I care very little about them. Let men treat their wives kindly; and then you wives can afford to treat your husbands the same, can’t you? Let all cultivate charity and forbearance, and how much better it will make you feel! Children, obey your parents; and parents treat your children kindly, and let us all seek to do the will of God upon the earth. May God bless you, brethren and sisters, and lead you in the paths of life; and may God help us all to do right, and may the fear and blessing of God rest upon all Israel and upon all that love the truth everywhere, and may our enemies be confounded in all their plottings against Zion, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered at Ogden on Sunday Afternoon, September 22, 1878.

As has been remarked, by others, I have been very much interested in the remarks which have been made. They are things in which we are all concerned. They are part of our religion, part of our faith, part of the principles of the Gospel which we have embraced; and as I stated at the priesthood meeting yesterday, so I repeat now, for my part I do not know how to get around them if I would. I cannot find any loophole whereby I can be excused. It is true, as remarked by brother Snow, we are not now called upon to enter into these things in their fullness and perfection, but we are called upon to make steps towards it. We have been partly in the United Order, many of us, but we have not known it. For instance, I remember the time, and many of you do, so far back as Far West, in Missouri, when we were surrounded with difficulties and had to leave the State in consequence of persecutions and the intolerant feeling and persecution that existed there. We agreed among ourselves to help one another, to use all the means, all the teams and all the pro– perty we had to help each other out of the State, until there should not be a person left there, that wished to come away. We fulfilled it; and yet, properly and technically speaking, we were not in the United Order, but we were stimulated by the principles of union, liberality and communion, if you please. We did the same thing, when in Nauvoo, after the Prophet Joseph was killed, and mob violence again prevailed, and prosecution, tyranny and persecution were rife. We had to leave that country. Was it because we had injured anyone? No. Because we had violated any law? No. Because we had interfered with anybody’s right’s? No. Because we were troublesome in the community? No; but because we were Latter-day Saints and because we chose to believe in a religion revealed to us by God, and which the people would not let us do and live in peace among them. What next? We met in the Temple of the Lord, and there, with uplifted hands before God, we entered into a covenant that we would help one another out with our means, as we had done in the State of Missouri; and as we were coming to this country we would not rest until there should not be a Latter-day Saint there who desired to come to this land. Did we fulfill that? We did; we carried it out to the very letter; we fulfilled our covenants and sent our teams back year after year, until there was not one left in that country that desired to come to Zion. Was not this a United Order? Yes it was, in part, and we have done a great deal of the same kind of thing since we came here. So soon as we fulfilled that covenant, we organized a Perpetual Emigration Fund Company, under the direction of President Young, having for its object the gathering of the poor from distant lands; and thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars were subscribed and used for that purpose. It was organized on a wise principle, not exactly what you would call the United Order; yet it was an order calculated to benefit our poor brethren to bring them from their distant homes to unite with us in Zion. Many of you present remember when we sent our boys with our teams, loaded with provisions to bring them from the frontiers. I am very sorry to say that a great many of them have not lived up to the principles of that order in making good their indebtedness, as it was calculated they would do in order to make the fund perpetual in its operations, using the same means to bring others here who were situated in a condition similar to that of themselves. I say again, I am very sorry to have to say that a great many have failed thus far to repay the amount used to emigrate them, although in very many cases they are abundantly able to do so. Brother Carrington, who is President of the Fund, informs me that there is now due the Perpetual Emi– gration Fund the sum of about one million dollars, without interest; and if the interest were added it would be about double that amount. That is one thing wherein we have failed in part to make good our agreement; but a great many have met their obligations promptly and honorably. I wish we could say the same of all those who have been assisted by this Fund. I hope that those who are still owing for their emigration will be led to reflect upon these things, and consider the situation of the brethren who are now in the same position as they themselves were some years ago.

This is a principle of union which has been abused; but it is right, and shall we cease our endeavors in this direction because it has been abused by thoughtless or dishonest men? No, we will try and do what we can, with the aid of the Lord, to deliver scattered Israel from the oppression and poverty under which many are suffering. I would remark that of this sum now due to the Fund, there is quite a large amount that has been advanced by the Church to help out the poor. And if you were to hear the letters that I receive, if you were addressed and supplicated and importuned as I am from time to time in relation to these things, describing the terrible condition and poverty under which the people are laboring, you would feel that if common honesty could not induce you to meet your obligations, that at least the sympathies of human nature would prompt you to extend to others that same kindness that has been extended to you. We should reflect upon these things, and at least try to make them right.

But to return to the United Order; when the Bishops in those days came around to you and informed you that so many men and teams, with the necessary provisions, were needed to go east to bring in the poor Saints, they were furnished. The Presidency and Twelve made the calculations and apportionment of those teams. They were then handed to the Bishops, and they called upon you, and you furnished from one to two hundred, and as many as five hundred started out in one season. I think this looked very much like the United Order. Many of you, perhaps, have gone yourselves, or else you have sent your boys to perform this labor; and you did not let praying for them suffice, but you sent them food, and you felt as we ought always to feel for one another. We have done a great many such things. Now we are called upon to build temples. Are we doing it? Yes. I suppose there are today upwards of 500 men engaged in building temples throughout the Territory. So taking the temple at Manti, in Sanpete Valley, the temple in Salt Lake City and the temple in Logan, Cache Valley, all these things are going on just about as well as we could reasonably expect, and the people are contributing of their means and their substance quite as liberally as we could expect. Is this the United Order? Why, yes. What are we doing it for? For ourselves? Yes. For anybody else? Yes; for our fathers and mothers, uncles and aunts, and for those we do not know anything about. We are building them because God has commanded it, and because the ordinances of God will be performed in these houses; and so far as this is concerned, we are in the United Order. Now, then, we have tried to introduce home manufactures, a combination of effort, not, as has been remarked, strictly according to the plan laid down in the Doctrine and Covenants; we have not got to that yet, we are not prepared for it, we are not edu– cated to that standard yet; but we are aiming at it, and in some places the people are entering into it, not exactly according to any particular law laid down in the Doctrine and Covenants, but approaching it as near as circumstances will admit of it, in the present state of society and with our present surroundings. The great majority of the people today who have gone into Arizona are approaching as near as they can to what we term the United Order. Brother Snow has been operating for quite a while in that way, and the result is that today in that little out-of-the-way settlement, Brigham City, notwithstanding the many difficulties it has had to cope with, having had its woolen factory burned down as well as quite a number of other damaging misfortunes, there is not a man, woman or child that wants labor there but what can get it. I wish we could say the same of all the settlements of this Territory, I think we should be in a better position than we are today. In Brigham City the people make their own cloth, their own boots and shoes, and almost everything they need to sustain themselves, having upwards of forty industrial departments all in running order. Well, but you say, “the prices they have to pay for their goods are altogether too high, and what a pity that is.” Shall I tell you why they fix their prices at a high rate? It is because the people are desirous to have big wages. If they all agree among themselves to fix the prices of their goods at certain rates, who is injured by it? I can tell you how it is with them. The carpenter says to the shoemaker, See here, you have charged me very high for those shoes, and the shoemaker says, Yes, but then you charged me very high for my doors and sash; while the farmer charges very high for his wheat and flour. It makes no material difference whether they charge fifty cents or ten dollars, so long as they agree among themselves. A man working there is asked how much he gets a day; Oh, three and a half and four dollars a day. That is pretty good wages for a common hand, especially for these times, you know. And he feels pretty well in telling you this part of it; but he does not tell you how much the other folks get. Can a man get a house built? Yes. Why? Because they have the masons and carpenters, etc., and the expense attending it is charged to his account. Then, if he wants to get butter, he does not put his hands in his pockets to feel for the money, for perhaps there would not be any there if he did; but he puts his hand in his pocket for an order, which procures him his butter. Then, if he wants a hat, he can get it; and the same may be said of furniture, and so on all through the chapter. I think this is a pretty good united order, and I think if we could have these things all over the Territory, we should be doing much better than we are. And I certainly cannot but praise the course that Brother Snow has pursued in relation to these matters. In a place called Orderville, too, they are doing very well; they have things pretty much in common, and there is a good, kind and a generous spirit prevailing among them. I remember talking to a sister, who was quite an accomplished lady, and on seeing an old man there, who was quite infirm tottering along, I said to her, What kind of employment do you put such people to. She answered, that she did not think it necessary to put such a man to any employment; he has seen a great many years of hard toil, and if we can feed him and clothe him and take care of him in his de– clining years, perhaps somebody with the same spirit will take care of us when we get old and infirm. Is not that a good spirit? I think it is; I think it a right kind of feeling, a feeling we should all have one towards another, all being bound together by the bonds of the everlasting gospel, which makes us love one another as God loves us; and feel for one another’s welfare, and pursue that course which will tend to bring about these results. In Cache County, in Davis County, in Tooele County, and other places, they are trying to establish the same order of things as fast as they can. Here is Brother Farr, he went to work, with others, and built a factory; he ought to be sustained by the Latter-day Saints. They should take their wool to him; and if he charges you a big price for his cloth, do with him as they do in Brigham City; you charge him a big price for your wool. But let us sustain one another, and place things on a proper basis, and not be governed by the rules of the Gentiles. Gentileism and Mormonism do not fit very well; the things of God and the things of the devil never did and never will fit well. Tanneries are being introduced in many places among us; and a very good article of leather is being manufactured, from which boots and shoes and harness are made. The first thing started in relation to these things was cooperation. President Young told us it was the will of God that we should enter into it; and we did, but we made awful bungling at it, the same as we have with a great many other things. But is it right to cooperate? Yes. But we find people beginning to pull off in their own interests. If we go on a little further in the way we are going, we shall take a retrograde path, instead of going forward. But the ship of Zion is onward; the “little stone” is hewn out of the mountain without hands, and will roll until it fills the whole earth; and under the direction of God we have a duty devolving upon us as his Priesthood, to carry out his will upon the earth. And shall we, because of individual interests and personalities draw off from things that God has ordained? I say no, never! No, never! But let us unite closer together, and harmonize our temporal interests, until we shall manufacture everything we need to make us independent of the world.

We took a vote at the Priesthood meeting, yesterday, and so far as I could discern, the brethren all voted to sustain cooperation, and that those in the merchandise business will purchase of the coop.

But some may say, have not the cooperative organizations made many blunders? Yes, they have, and in many instances acted very foolishly. But shall we give up the principle of cooperation because of the unwise acts of a few individuals? We do not act thus in regard to other matters. We baptize men into the Church, and lay our hands upon them that they may receive the Holy Ghost, and after they have thus been blessed with the light, spirit and power of God, many of them act very foolishly, violate their covenants, and transgress the laws of God. Shall we, therefore, repudiate baptism and the laying on of hands because of their folly and wickedness? Certainly not. The Lord has provided a way to purge the Church, and those men are dealt with according to the laws of the Church, and are rooted out. This is the way that we ought to manage in our temporal affairs. If the people do wrong, deal with them according to the laws of the Church, and if the cooperatives do wrong, professing to be governed by correct principle, deal with them in the same way, and let those wrongs be righted and evil eradicated.

But we do not want to find fault nor cast reflections on our brethren in the Coop., nor on those out of it; but merely to touch upon some important principles necessary for building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth. As I have said, we took a vote yesterday, and the brethren agreed to sustain cooperation, and I would like to know from this congregation, whether you will sustain cooperation as directed by the Priesthood or not. All that are in favor of doing so, hold up the right hand. [The congregation voted unanimously.] Let us stick to our covenants, and get as near to correct principles as we can, and God will help us. We want to be united in other things as well—in our elections, for instance, we should act as a unit. Other men are not ashamed to use their influence and operate in behalf of their party; why should we? As American citizens, have we not the same right? Yes, we have. Then let us be one and operate as one, for God and his kingdom. And let us, as we are told in the Doctrine and Covenants, select the wisest, the most prudent, intelligent men, and put them in office, and maintain them in it. That is the way for us to do; not be pulling apart, each one pursuing the devices and desires of his own heart. The members of the Church of England pray to the Lord every Sunday to forgive them for following the devices and desires of their own hearts. Are we in the Church and Kingdom of God? Are we instructed of God? If we are let us honor our calling, and show to God, to angels, and men, that we are true to our trust that he has conferred upon us; and go on in the good work and aim at more union. And while we have done a great deal of good, let us try to do more. And in regard to schools and the education of the young, I would endorse most emphatically what brother Cannon has said in relation to this matter. We have committed to our care pearls of great price; we have become the fathers and mothers of lives, and the Gods and the Holy Priesthood in the eternal worlds have been watching us and our movements in relation to these things. We do not want a posterity to grow up that will be ignorant, depraved, corrupt, and fallen, that will depart from every principle of right; but one that will be intelligent and wise, possessing literary and scientific attainments, and a knowledge of everything that is good, praiseworthy, intellectual and beneficial in the world, and become acquainted with the earth on which we stand, and the elements of which it is composed, and by which we are surrounded, and know how to control them and manage them, and how to put to the best use everything that comes within our reach. And above all other things, teach our children the fear of God. Let our teachers be men of God, imbued with the Spirit of God, that they may lead them forth in the paths of life, and warn them against the various evils and iniquities that prevail in the world, that they may bear off this kingdom when we get through, and be valiant in the truths of God. Teach them how to approach God, that they may call upon him and he will hear them, and by their means we will build up and establish Zion, and roll forth that kingdom which God has designed shall rule and reign over the nations of the earth. We want to prepare them for these things; and to study from the best books as well as by faith, and become acquainted with the laws of nations, and of kingdoms and governments, and with everything calculated to exalt, ennoble, and dignify the human family. We should build good commodious schoolhouses, and furnish them well; and then secure the services of the best teachers you can, and thus “Train up your children in the way they should go.” Solomon said, if you do, “when they are old, they will not depart from it.”

I am very pleased to find out that there is a great deal of interest manifested in regard to our youth. I see three of our brethren here—brothers Goddard, Evans and Willes; they have been out visiting some of the settlements in the interests of the Sunday Schools; I wish to encourage such men in their labors, for they fully realize that a great mission has been committed to them, to teach the youth of this people. And then, there is our Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations; they are very good institutions, and we have some very excellent young men, that are rising up and going among the youth, calling upon them to study and understand the laws of God. And all the Elders of Israel ought to sustain such men in their operations. And then the ladies associated with the Relief Societies have rendered themselves very efficient. Let them operate for the good of all, and as mothers in Israel, let them be united and lay aside every petty jealousy and little feelings that are wrong, and be one; and let the Bishops assist them, as well as the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Associations, in their labors in the interest of the female portion of society, and all objects of mercy and charity, or anything that comes within their reach. And I say, God bless you, sisters, and lead you in the paths of life that you may prove yourselves worthy of the highest trust committed to your care. And throughout all of our institutions, let us sustain the right and put down the wrong and be valiant for the truth, asking no odds of this world, for God is on the side of Israel, and he will defend us if we obey his laws and keep his commandments. Are we going to be broken up? Will this plan of our enemies, spoken of by brother Cannon, be accomplished? No. Will this people fail of their mission? No, but many of them will, and many of them will be rooted out. But the work of God will go on, and Zion will progress; and if we can put ourselves in the harness to fulfill the various obligations devolving upon us, God will be with us and will lead us in the right path. We want everybody to perform their duties, in all the various branches of the Priesthood, every man to operate for God, and not in his individual interests. This is what we ought to strive for, and to be on the side of Zion and operate for the welfare of Israel and for the establishment of righteousness. We want our Seventies and High Priests to wake up, and our young Elders and middle-aged Elders to feel the responsibilities of the mission that rests upon them. The world has to be evangelized, the Gospel has to be proclaimed to all nations. God has laid it especially upon the Seventies, with the others to assist them. And we call upon the Seventies and High Priests to wake up, to assume the responsibilities that devolve upon them, and prepare themselves to do the work of God. For instead of being through and having finished our work we are only just beginning to prepare ourselves for the conflict. Wars and rumors of wars are beginning to sound in our ears; the terrible day is fast approaching, and God requires it at our hands that we pre– pare to go forth to the nations of the earth to proclaim to them the words of life. Never mind what people can do among us, we ask no odds of them. God is with Israel if Israel will only be with God. And if the world will only treat us fifty percent as well as we have treated them, it is all we ask of them; and if they won’t, we will still continue to do them good. And when the day comes that all men will be brought to justice, we want to feel conscientiously free from the blood of this generation. Do we want the aged and infirm to go and preach the Gospel. No. Had there been time yesterday, I would have very much liked to have heard the brethren of the priesthood express their feelings; but I would say to you, High Priests, get together and humble yourselves before God, seek unto Him for wisdom to guide you in all your operations, and prepare your-selves to magnify your offices in the various duties of your calling, which is really that of presiding, that when changes may take place in the present Stakes, or other Stakes may be organized, you may be prepared as President and council, as Bishops and council, as High Councils, or whatever office you may be called to fill. And I would say the same to the Seventies and also to the Elders, prepare to magnify your callings. Let us humble ourselves before God, and purify ourselves and walk in uprightness before him and live our religion and magnify our calling, and be quick and active and diligent; and energetic in the performance of our duties, and the power of God will rest upon the Priesthood, and they will be prepared to go to the nations to proclaim the Gospel message to all peoples.

I do not know how many we will want to call at our approaching conference; I have had applications for twenty to fill missions in the Southern States, besides a great many other places, but whether few or many be needed, we must be in readiness at all times and under all circumstances to magnify our Priesthood and to do everything required of us. We will build our Temples and be Saviors on Mount Zion, and the kingdom will be our Lord’s.

God bless you and lead you in the paths of life. Amen.

Discourse by President John Taylor, delivered at the Regular Priesthood Meeting of the Weber Stake of Zion, Held at Ogden, on the 21st of September, 1878.

I have been desirous to meet with the priesthood of this Stake, and I have invited a number of the presidents of Stakes within this district of country to be present at this meeting, for the consideration of certain questions that have been pressing themselves upon my mind for some time, that I want to lay before the people here.

We have met here in a capacity of the holy priesthood, and all of us profess to be elders in Israel, and to be disposed at least to walk according to the order of God, and to seek to establish the principles of righteousness as far as lies in our power, and to try to build up his kingdom on the earth. That, at least, is our profession, and I believe is the sentiment of the hearts of most of the brethren now assembled. At the same time we have different ideas about many things, particularly things of a temporal nature, so called. We go in a good deal for what is called “free trade and sailor’s rights”—we want to enjoy a large amount of liberty. All these things are very popular and very correct. But in our acts and doings it is necessary that we be governed by certain laws and principles which have been given unto us by the Lord. We all concede to this. But there are some things we seem to be very much confused about, in regard to our temporal matters. During the lifetime of President Young—several years ago, it seemed as though he was wrought upon to introduce cooperation and the United Order, to quite an extent. He told us at the time that it was the word and the will of God to us. I believed it then; and I believe it now. And yet, at the same time, every kind of idea, feeling and spirit has been manifested. In many places cooperation and the United Order have been started under various forms; in some they have succeeded very well, and in other places people have acted foolishly and covetously, seeking their own personal, individual interests under the pretense of serving God and carrying out his designs. Others have been visionary and have undertaken things which were impracticable, while others have not acted in good faith at all. There has been every kind of feeling among us as a people, that is possible to exist anywhere. And I have thought sometimes in regard to our cooperative institutions, that some of those who are engaged in them and sustained by them are as much opposed to cooperation and United Order as any other class of people we have. At least, I have noticed feelings of that kind. I do not say they are general. But there are certain reflections in relation to these matters that have been pressing upon my mind for some time. And let me here ask myself a question—a question not of a personal nature; I have not come here to talk about any personal matters at all, but upon principle and upon some of those principles that we as Latter-day Saints, and as elders in Israel, profess to believe in. The question would be and my text would be today, if I wanted to take a text: Shall we sustain cooperation and the United Order, and work with that end in view in all of our operations, or shall we give it up as a bad thing unworthy of our attention? That is where the thing comes to, in my mind. At any rate, we wish to act honestly and honorably in this matter. If we believe that these principles are true, let us be governed by them; if we do not, let us abandon them at once, conclude that we have made a mistake and have no more to do with them. For we, all of us, profess to be at least honest men, and to act conscientiously. If there is anything wrong in these things, let us know the wrong; and if it is not a command of God, and not binding upon us, let us quit it. And then the question naturally arises, Are we prepared to do this? And, on the other hand, if we believe that these are principles that are inculcated by the Lord, then let us be governed by them. In fact, whichever way we decide let us carry out our decisions in good faith, and not have our sign painted on one side in white and on the other black or some other color. But let us feel as the prophet Elijah did on a certain occasion, “If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” There was a disposition in ancient Israel to have a part of God and a part of the devil or Baal—an idolatrous god which was worshipped by them. I sometimes think that in some respects we are a good deal like them. Do we believe our religion? Yes. Do we believe in the holy priesthood and that God has restored it to the earth? Yes. Do we believe that God has established his kingdom? Yes. And do we believe that the holy priesthood is under the guidance of the Lord? O, yes; but still we would like a good deal of our own way. If we must introduce something that the Lord has commanded, we would like to put it off just as far as we can, and if we cannot do it any other way we will fight against it, according to circumstances, and how things move and operate. We often wish the Lord would not exact certain things of us; we would rather have our own way. But let us look at things calmly and dispassionately. As I understand it, the Lord has gathered us together to do his will, to observe his laws and keep his commandments. And we have certain obligations devolving upon us in the holy priesthood which God requires at our hands. He requires, for instance, of the Twelve to go, when called upon, to the nations of the earth and preach the Gospel to those nations. If they were not to do it, would they be justified? No, they would not; God would require the blood of the people at their hands. That is the way I figure up these things. I do not know of any half-way house. As one of the Twelve, I do not want to dodge any of these questions, but meet them fairly and squarely. And I think I have done it; and I think the Twelve generally have. They have always been on hand to go anywhere when the Lord has re– quired them to go, whether in sickness or health, in poverty or abounding in means; no matter what their circumstances, or what individualism would have to be sacrificed, their object has ever been to do the will of God. And so it has been with a great many of the seventies, high priests and also with a great many of the elders. Their feelings have been: Let the Lord speak, and here am I, ready to do his will and carry out his designs. And this feeling exists today in the hearts of a great many; but there are also a great many who do not feel so, who want to dodge these questions. Here is Brother Eldredge, who is one of the presidents of the seventies; he knows how extremely difficult it is to get men, as we used in former years—“at the drop of the hat,” as it was termed, to go on missions. However, I do not wish to dwell upon that; I merely refer to it in passing along.

We are here, as I understand it, as Jesus was, “Not to do our own will, but the will of our Father who sent us.” If God had not felt after you, and his spirit operated upon you, you would not be here in these mountains today. What does Jesus say about these things in speaking of them? “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” You have been in the same situation; you have seen the elect of God gathered together through the medium of the holy priesthood, by the opening of the heavens and the revelation of the will of God to man and the restoration of the holy Gospel. You have been gathered together in this way, and we all have. What to do? Is it, as they used to say in the Church of England, to follow the devices and desires of our own hearts? Is it to follow out some petty scheme of our own? I do not so understand it; I understand that it is to build up the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth, and to prepare the earth and the people of the earth for the things that are coming on the earth; and to prepare ourselves, as a people, to receive further intelligence, wisdom and knowledge from God, that he may have a people in whom he can place confidence, and whom he can bless, and through them confer blessings on mankind. He expects us to build up his kingdom, and that is the first consideration with us. And this is what he told his disciples in former days, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things”—referring to our temporal concerns, which comparatively are like so many chips and whetstones—“shall be added unto you.” But these things, too, enter into our daily life and our intercourse one with another, and into the purposes of God associated with the gathering of his people together, that they may be one, that through them he can communicate his will to the human family, that there may be a nucleus formed around which the honest in heart from all the world may rally; and be in possession of the word and will of the Lord, and the light, intelligence and revelations of God our Father; that the secret of the Lord might be with those who fear him, and that they might fear him and understand the things which are approaching, and prepare the earth for those things that are coming. We appear here, as it were, in a normal school, to prepare ourselves to carry out the purposes of God upon the earth. Can you find a people anywhere on the earth that will listen to the word of God? No, you cannot; neither can you find anybody to whom God could communicate his will. We talk a good deal, and often preach a good deal, about the judgments which are to come upon the earth: wars, pestilence, famine, and distress of nations, and testify that calamity will follow so continuously that by and by it will be a vexation to hear the report thereof. We have talked about these things for years. I have myself for upwards of forty years; and as I have said before, so I repeat, that these things which await the world, are forty years nearer than they were forty years ago. God did not mock us when he told us of these things; but all that he has said concerning them through ancient prophets and through Joseph Smith are true, and as sure as God lives they will take place. I will prophesy that they will take place as sure as God lives, and they are approaching very rapidly upon us. We are told that the day will come when he that will not take up his sword against his neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety. And is that true? Yes, it is. If that should take place today, are we prepared for it? I think not. If we should go on for years as we are now going on shall we be prepared for it? We are not, today, all of us, preparing for these things. We can hardly manage a few miserable apostates and a few Gentiles, and we feel very creepy sometimes about anything that transpires, not knowing how or what may be the result; instead of being clothed upon with the spirit of God and being filled with the Holy Ghost, the light of revelation and the power of God. But we do not have this kind of feeling, and we are divided up in our interest, one man pulling against another, so much so, that we have today all kinds of Gentilism among us. Even our newspapers give circulation to certain classes of advertisements which are a living lie, and it is a shame and disgrace that such things should be seen in Zion. Some call it Gentile trickery, the tricks of trade, etc., but I call it chicanery and falsehood, and it is so in regard to many other things. Does this comport with the position we occupy as men holding the holy priesthood? I do not think it does. I think we ought to occupy a more elevated and honorable position; I think we ought to be governed by other influences, and be actuated by other motives. I think that our lives, our desires, our feelings and our acts ought to be to try to build up Zion and establish the kingdom of God upon the earth; that we should be united in our temporal as well as in our spiritual affairs, for God says: “If you are not one you are not mine.” Do you believe it? You elders of Israel, do you believe that saying? And if we are not the Lord’s then whose are we? We have our own plans, our own notions and our own theories; and as one of old expressed it, we are seeking for gain, every one from his own quarter. And we are governed to a very great extent by selfishness, and too much by our own personal feelings, and allow these things to influence us instead of being governed by those high, noble, dignified and glorious principles that dwell in the bosom of God, which emanated from him, and which dwell also in the bosoms of those who in sincerity fear God and keep his commandments.

Now, I know what many of you will say, in speaking of cooperation: “there has been a great many abuses.” Yes, I admit it—numbers of them. “What and under the name of the United Order also?” Yes, any quantity of them. Joseph Smith in his day said it was ex– tremely difficult to introduce these things because of the greed, covetousness, selfishness and wickedness of the people. I wish here to refer to one or two things connected with this subject. I spoke about the Twelve, the seventies, the elders and the high priests; and stated that a great many of them had been out preaching the Gospel, and that some of them felt as though it is hard work. It is, no doubt, very uphill business for a man to be a Saint if he is not one; and if he has not the principles of the Gospel in his heart, it must be very hard work, I may say an eternal struggle, for him to preach. But if a man has got the pure principles of the Gospel in his heart, it is quite easy for him to expound the truth. Well, now, I will take the words of Jesus: “Except a man can forsake father or mother, wife and children, houses and lands, for my sake, he cannot be my disciple.” And let me say to you, my brethren, that that Gospel is just as true today as it was then, that except a man is prepared to forsake his earthly interests for the sake of the Gospel of the Son of God, he is unworthy of it, and cannot be a true Saint. Now, this is where the hardship comes in and it also accounts for this eternal rubbing and bumping. “How much can’t I do, and how little can I do to retain fellowship with the Church; and how much can I act selfishly and yet be counted a disciple of Christ?” Did you never feel as Paul describes it—the spirit striving against the flesh? I guess you have, and you doubtless know all about it; for these are plain matters of fact. This is the position the Gospel has placed us in; and it is a very difficult thing to serve two masters, in fact it is useless for any man to attempt to do it, “for (as the Savior says) either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” And therefore Jesus said: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

But to return to the principles of cooperation and United Order. Supposing a man had come to you elders, when you were out on missions, requesting baptism at your hands, without having repented of his sins, would you have baptized him? No, you would not. But supposing he claimed to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but not in baptism; would you receive him into the Church? No, you dare not do such things. But supposing again that he believed in baptism and in the Lord Jesus Christ, and had repented of his sins, but did not believe in the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost; would you baptize him? No. And further supposing he had complied with all these requirements, and he had the opportunity to gather to Zion but did not improve the opportunity, would you consider him a very good Saint? No. Now, beside all these, the Lord has given us a law pertaining to tithing; and if he did not comply with that would you consider him a good Saint? No. And we are told to build temples, and the man who would refuse to do this work, you would consider a very poor specimen of a Latter-day Saint. Referring to the United Order, the Lord has given us to understand that whosoever refuses to comply with the requirements of that law, his name shall not be known in the records of the Church, but shall be blotted out; neither shall his children have an inheritance in Zion. Are these the words of the Lord to us? I suppose there are none here today but would say, Yes. How, then, can I or you treat lightly that which God has given us? It is the word of God to me; it is the word of God to you. And if we do not fulfil this requirement what is the result? We are told what the result will be. These things have not taken place now; but we have been wandering about from place to place, and the Lord has blessed us in a remarkable degree. And we are gathered together, as I have said, for the purpose of building up Zion, and we are supposed to be the servants of God having engaged to perform this work; and individually, I would say, I do not want to profess to be a Saint, if I am not one, nor if the work we are engaged in is not of the Lord; if the principles we believe in are false, I do not want anything to do with them; on the other hand, if they are true then I want to be governed by them, and so do you. We must carry out the word and will of God, for we cannot afford to ignore it nor any part of it. If faith, repentance and baptism and laying on of hands is right and true and demands our obedience, so does cooperation and the United Order. Some may say, here is such and such a man has been connected with the United Order, and how foolishly he has acted, and others have gone into cooperation and made a failure of it. Yes, that may be all very true, but who is to blame? Shall we stop baptizing people and make no further efforts to establish the kingdom of God upon the earth, because certain ones have acted foolishly and perhaps wickedly? Do the actions of such people render the principles of the Gospel without effect or the doctrines we teach untrue? I think you would not say so. What do we do with such cases? We purge them out, we cut them off according to the laws God has laid down; but we do not stop the operations of the Gospel, such a thought never enters our minds, for we know the work already commenced is onward and upward. Shall we then think of putting an end to these other principles because men have acted foolishly and selfishly and done wrong? No, I think not; I do not think we can choose one principle and reject another to suit ourselves. I think that all of these things, as we have received them, one after another are equally binding upon us. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out from the mouth of God.” This is as true today as it was when spoken.

I have seen a disposition among many of the brethren to pull off in every kind of way, and this spirit and tendency is spreading and growing in every part of our Territory. We have cooperative stores started, and we have the eye of God painted over the doors, with the words “Holiness to the Lord” written overhead. Do we act according to that? In a great many instances I am afraid not. But what of that? Shall we depart from these principles? I think not. What was the principle of cooperation intended for? Simply as a stepping stone for the United Order, that is all, that we might be united and operate together in the interest of building up Zion. Well, having started, what do we see? One pulling one way, another pulling another way; every one taking his own course. One man says: Such a one takes his own course, and I will take mine. Using the same line of argument, because one man commits a wrong unworthy the calling of a Latter-day Saint, his doing so is to be an excuse for my doing the same thing. As I understand it, I am called to fear God, whether anybody else does it or not; and this is your calling just as much as it is mine. We may indeed shirk it and violate the covenants we have made. The Lord has blessed us with endowments and covenants of which the world know nothing, neither can they know anything about it. And he has given unto us these things that we might be brought into closer union with God, that we might know how to save ourselves, our wives and children, as well as our fathers and progenitors who have gone before us. Having done this, what next? God has revealed certain things to the children of men now as he formerly revealed the Gospel to the children of Israel. But could they stand it? No, they could not. Moses succeeded in leading seventy of the elders of Israel to the presence of God; he would have led all Israel into his presence, but they would not be led; they turned to idolatry, to evil and corruption, and hence they became disobedient and unmanageable. And when the Lord spake to them they became terrified and said, “Let not God speak unto us lest we die.” God wants to bring us near to him, for this purpose he has introduced the Gospel with all its ordinances. Has he been true to us? Yes. And when you elders have been out preaching and baptizing people for the remission of their sins, and when confirming them members of this Church, you have said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, have they received it? They have, God bearing witness of the truth of your words and of his ministry conferred upon you.

Now then, he calls upon us to be one. What for? Because we are associated with his kingdom. With what? With his kingdom. What is his kingdom? It is his government, rule, authority, dominion, power, etc. God has introduced his kingdom after his order, and it is for him to guide that kingdom and direct it, and manage it, and manipulate it in the interest of the honest in heart, and of all nations. He has commenced it among us that he might have a little nucleus where he could communicate and reveal his will, composed of such as would carry that will out, and do his bidding and obey his behests. That is what we are here for, and not to do our own will, any more than Jesus came to do his will, but the will of his Father. What do we know about building up the kingdom of God? What do we know about the calamities that are to come? I can tell you that while we have peace today and everything runs smoothly and quietly on, the day is not far distant before the Lord will arise to shake terribly the earth, and it will be felt in this nation more keenly and more severely than any of you have seen it by a great deal, and I know it, and I bear testimony to it. We have no time to experiment in following our own notions and ideas; we have something else to do, we have got to build up the kingdom of God; and in order to do this we must of necessity unite ourselves together, and seek to know the mind of God to carry it out. And all that we do should be done with this object in view. We have all kinds of individual interests and enterprises among us; some men are operating quite considerably one way and another, and some are not. Brother Jennings, for instance, who is present with us today, besides owning stock to the extent of $90,000 in Z. C. M. I., is, with others, engaged with other pursuits of a manufacturing nature, which are very laudable. Such enterprises tend to give employment to the people, and this is what we want, and what we must have sooner or later. There is one thing, however, I would here say about forming unions and partnerships in any line of manufacture: Let them be formed with the understanding that when the proper time shall arrive they can merge into cooperation, or the United Order. It is very important that in all of our undertakings we should have at heart this feeling and work to this end, and then we may reasonably expect that it can be but a question of time to bring out a grand consolidation of all individual interests. I have been impressed in my feelings upon these subjects for some time, therefore I speak about them as I do. How many years is it since this was started, and how little we have done! I tell you if we go a little further in our drawing off, and each taking his own course, God will leave us to ourselves. But he will not leave us as long as we manifest a desire to do right; and I am pleased to say there is a feeling generally among the brethren to listen to counsel, yet at the same time we are apt to get confused, forgetting the object we have in view, amidst the variety of things that present themselves. Shall we, my brethren, give up cooperation or shall we consider men in good fellowship who are pulling off in either direction, or shall we not? What shall we do? Shall we be true to our religion, true to our faith, true to the principles that God has commanded; or shall we forsake them? We will not forsake them, and the brethren generally do not feel like doing it; but there are a few now and then who get off the track. We want to get together and unite our hearts and sympathies into one, placing ourselves under proper direction, holding ourselves in readiness to perform any work required by God at our hands. I will tell you in the name of Israel’s God that if you keep his commandments you will be the richest of all people, for God will pour wealth upon you; but if you do not, you will have to struggle a good deal more than you have done, for the Spirit and blessings of God will be withdrawn from us, just in proportion as we withdraw ourselves from God. We are living in an eventful age, an age in which many wonderful changes are to be wrought. We are told many other things of a similar nature, that he who will not take up his sword against his neighbor, must needs flee to Zion for safety. The Latter-day Saints will see the day when people will flock to Zion, and many of them will say, we do not know anything about your religion, but you are an honorable, just, industrious and virtuous people, you administer justice and equity, and the rights of man are protected and maintained. You maintain good government, extending protection to everybody, and we want to live with you and be one with you. We want to prepare ourselves for these things, for they are coming as sure as God lives. Amen.

Discourse by Elder Geo. Q. Cannon, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, September 15, 1878.

[The speaker commenced by reading the 7th chapter of St. Matthew, commencing at the 7th verse] There are many important principles embodied in these few verses which I have read in your hearing, and they are especially applicable to us as Latter-day Saints, a people professing to be the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. We claim the holiest of names, and certainly with such professions as we make, there should be holiness of life corresponding to those professions. If we are called the disciples of Jesus, the followers of the Son of God, and have any claim to that name or title, we should exemplify in our lives the principles which he taught; if we do not, then our claim to his name is baseless and may be treated with contempt.

The Lord Jesus has caused to be left on record certain principles, certain doctrines, a plan which has been properly called the plan of salvation; and He required in ancient days when upon the earth clothed in mortality, that those who professed his name and to be his followers, should believe in and practice those principles and doctrines. If they did not, they ceased to be his followers and they soon left him. His doctrines came in contact with many things that were popular in the day and age in which he lived; his teachings came in contact with the follies, the pride, and the selfishness of men, then, and in this respect they have not changed a particle. They come in contact today with the selfishness of men, with men as found in what is termed their natural condition, or more properly speaking, their fallen condition. And this is one reason for the unpopularity of the doctrines of Jesus. He taught mankind a higher life, the means of attaining to a better condition; and to require the assistance of the Holy Spirit which he promised to bestow upon those who kept his commandments to enable them to carry out in a proper manner the principles he imparted to them. If he had taught man to gratify all his inclinations; to indulge in every selfish desire; that self-denial and self-abnegation were not necessary, it is probable that he would have had many more followers than he did have; and his doctrines doubtless would have been more popular than they were. But this was not the case. The Savior started out teaching men at the beginning of his ministerial career the most pure and godlike principles, principles which were not understood and practiced by men generally, which were more heavenly, which seemed to be more fitted for a more exalted race of beings than for man in his fallen condition. Hear what he says:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

And in another place in the same chapter, he says:

“Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

And again he said; “Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.” These were peculiar doctrines. Who is there among men naturally that could practice them? Why if a man were struck on the cheek by another man, the natural impulse would be to knock him down, if he could; to return evil for evil. If a man sued another at the law and took his coat, would he be inclined to give his cloak also? No he would contend for his coat. And again: “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain”—go with him two miles. “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” This sort of teaching came directly in contact with man’s fallen nature. It is the same today, and yet they are the teachings of the Son of God, they are the principles which he taught; their practice he required then, and he requires the same today. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for those which despite– fully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

In order then to be the children of our Father in heaven, we must love our enemies, we must bless them that curse us, we must do good to them that hate us, and pray for them who despitefully use and persecute us. Now mark how pointedly the Savior puts this to those who are listening to him: “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? The wicked love one another, that is they at least affect to do so. It is natural for man to love those who love him; it requires no effort, it comes easy. It requires no particular superiority in a man to love his friend. But the Savior requires more than this; the requirement is that he shall not only love his friends and brethren, but he shall love his enemies. He shall not hate his enemies he shall not hate them that despitefully use and persecute him, but shall pray for them, allowing the feeling of forgiveness to reach after them. This feature you will find exemplified in the Savior’s entire life. Up to his last moments when upon the cross suffering the agonies of death, and although possessing all power, instead of using that power by way of revenge upon those who so cruelly treated him, he submitted himself meekly into their hands, and cried, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” He thus set all men an example which they should imitate.

It is common now, it is common among newspapers, and it is common in our city to publish alms doing that everybody might know how benevolent we are; that it might be carried by the wings of lightning and published to the world what generous people we are. This city of Salt Lake does this very thing. “Take heed,” says the Savior, “that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” You get your reward when you get the praise of men. His teaching was to do good by stealth, that it might not be known, and that men might not get honor from their fellow men. “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do that they might have the glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms might be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” The whole of these teachings are full of instruction, and indicate the character of the Savior and the nature of the Gospel which he preached.

Here is another saying: “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.” This kind of teaching did not suit mankind, it came in contact with their ideas, and with their traditions, and the manner in which they had been taught. It was the praise of the world that they sought; it was to be seen of men that they worshipped, and it was to be seen of men that they gave alms. And they loved those that bestowed favors upon them, that were kind to them. They invited the rich to their feasts and not the poor. Jesus commanded his disciples to invite the poor and not the rich, as they could invite themselves. In fact, he taught doctrines that laid the axe at the root of all selfishness, and, if carried out, that would destroy it entirely, leaving no vestige of it in the human bosom.

I have already read to you the great rule that the Savior taught: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Let us Latter-day Saints ask ourselves this afternoon, partaking as we are of the Sacrament, eating the bread and drinking of the cup in remembrance of the body and the blood of our Lord and Savior; let us ask ourselves—and I include myself with all of you, for I preach to myself as much as I do to anyone of this congregation upon these points—do we remember this golden rule that the Savior gave? Do we endeavor, when dealing in any way or manner whatever with our brother or our sister, to put ourselves in his or her position and say in our hearts, that which I do to my brother or to my sister, or am about to do, is just what I would that he or she should do to me? Do we think of this? Do we carry it out? Or do we think about ourselves, and forget about our brother and sister, unmindful of their interest and the rights and the claims which they have upon us?

Well, now, I know, that situated as we are it is somewhat difficult to carry out these principles properly in their perfection, and that there has to be wisdom used. But nevertheless, here is the standard to which we are required, as Latter-day Saints and as disciples of Christ, to attain to. We must attain to it. Just as sure as we live, if we do not attain to it, where God and Christ are we never can come; we could not dwell in their presence unless we have the same spirit, the same feelings and in– clinations, having conquered the weaknesses of our fallen natures sufficiently, so that the Gospel that He taught shall be exemplified in us as it was in him. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;” it is not all those who will say unto him in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” It is not all of these whom the Savior will recognize and acknowledge, and whom he will admit into his presence and into his kingdom; but it is those that do the will of his Father in heaven; it is those that enter into the strait gate and that walk in the narrow way, and that persevere unto the end, denying themselves and overcoming every evil inclination, and bringing their dispositions into complete subjection to the mind and will of God, bringing forth the fruits of righteousness; for every tree will be known by its fruits. No corrupt tree can bring forth good fruit; no good tree can bring forth evil fruit. No Latter-day Saint, that is, a true Latter-day Saint, will bring forth the fruits of unrighteousness or wickedness. No professed Latter-day Saint who is a hypocrite, who is not of God, can bring forth fruit that will be acceptable unto him. I know how we feel as a people. The general feeling in our hearts is that we have borne witness unto the Father and unto the Son and unto angels and unto all the earth, by the course of life we have taken in joining this Church, and in taking upon us the name that has been hitherto so ignominious, in taking up our cross; and because of our obedience to the Gospel of the Son of God there is scarcely doubt in our minds respecting our future condition, that we are almost sure to enter into the celestial kingdom of God and sit down with the Father and the Son, and with the Prophets and Apostles who have gone before. I am sensible of the fact that this feeling is general. And I believe there is no people of the same number who are entitled to this feeling, than the Latter-day Saints are. I say this because there is no people who have endured so much for their religion; and they have witnessed to the heavens and the earth their willingness to forsake all things for its sake. They have taken no thought of their lives; they have taken no thought in times past as to what they should eat, as to what they should drink, or as to what they should wear and they have held themselves ready to sacrifice their all for the Gospel of the Son of God. But there are other duties, there are other obligations resting upon us as a people besides these to which I have referred. And it is necessary we should live a Godly life after we have done all these things. After we have prophesied, after we have done many wonderful works, after we have received the Holy Ghost and cast out devils, it is essentially necessary we should do other things, and that is to carry out in our lives the principles of our Lord and Master. And upon these points we need continued instruction and reproof; we need continued warning least we should be overcome by the spirit of the world and become self-deluded by imagining that our case is a good one, our condition is a sure one, and that we are secure of eternal life. We should always remember that which the Apostle Paul says—“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” There are none of us in so secure a position but what we may do things that may displease the Father.

It is necessary, as the world have been taught by the Elders of this Church from the beginning, that men should have faith in God; and it is as true today as it was anciently that faith without works is dead. It is necessary that men should repent of their sins, and it is not only necessary to repent of, but to forsake those sins and be baptized for the remission of them, and that they should receive the laying on of hands, according to the apostolic pattern, for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and without which no man can see God, nor dwell in his presence, nor prepare himself to dwell there. Man needs it all the time to be with him to assist, to guide him, acting as a monitor to him. The Elders of this Church have testified that these things are necessary and essential to salvation in the kingdom of God. It is just as necessary now as in ancient days that men should take a certain course in order to receive certain blessings, and this is the great cause of the disunion and the variety of opinions which exist in the religious world today. It is because men have departed from the truth as it was originally; it is because they have changed the ordinances of the Gospel and broken the everlasting covenant as foretold by Isaiah. And hence, when you travel through the world of Christendom today, you find every variety of religious belief. You can scarcely conceive of a doctrine that is not entertained. There is but one Christ, and Christ is believed in, or at least men profess to believe in him. But they have some three different kinds of baptism, and I have heard of more. There are as many methods of approaching the Savior and obtaining remission of sins, almost, as there are sects and denominations; and all professing to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, as though the Lord were the author of confusion, as though the Lord were the author of strife. Hence it is that there is so much infidelity, so much atheism, and so many men that deny God; for they can see nothing admirable or desirable in the professions of Christianity, as it is called. And why so? Because men have strayed from the truth; it is because they have forsaken the faith and doctrine taught by the Savior; and having departed from it, of course they are left to themselves. Every reformer that has arisen has presented some new form of doctrine; he has enunciated some new ideas, or ideas which he thought were new. He promulgated some new teachings, and has not failed to draw some followers, according to his popularity.

The Latter-day Saints believe that the Lord has spoken from the heavens. And this appears to be very objectionable. I remember the time, in my boyhood, when it was thought the worst thing—that is, before the principle of plural marriage was taught. It is very often said now, “If you were not polygamists, and did not believe in polygamy, there would be no trouble. You are a pretty good people, you ‘Mormons,’ if you would only get rid of your peculiar institutions we could got along with you.” It seems to be but a few years ago when we were not known generally as believers in plural marriage, and what was the objection to us then? “You ‘Mormons’ believe in new revelation, and we do not know what kind of revelation you may get: you may profess to receive a revelation and get a false one, and we do not know what may be the result; it is a dangerous doctrine.” Well, it is a dangerous doctrine for the wicked world. But think of it. What is there about the doctrine of revelation—continuous revelation from God, that conflicts with the Gospel as taught in ancient days? Why, we are taught in the Bible that all flesh are equal in the sight of God; that he that works righteousness is acceptable to God in every generation among every people; that God does not confine his mercies and providences and blessing to one generation, or one people, or one nation, but that he is God over the whole earth; that his salvation is as boundless as eternity, and his hand is over all his handiwork—that is, over all his creations. That he was the God of Adam and those who lived contemporary with him; was the God of Noah and was mindful of him and those who lived contemporary with him who feared him and kept his commandments; and also of the Savior and the Apostles; and he is the same God today as he was yesterday, the same God in this year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and seventy-eight, as he was in the first year of our era; and that he has not changed or grown old, that his eyes have not grown dim, or his arm less powerful to save today than it ever was. And this doctrine appeals to every human being as divine truth, as the revelation of nature to man—if you may use the word nature, if you do not like the word God—that all men of every generation are equal before God; and it is a doctrine that runs through all the teachings of every inspired man through all the ages. And I would not give a fig for a religion that did not teach it, nor a system that did not recognize it. It is not worthy of a place in a man’s belief.

We believe, then, that God has revealed himself to man again, for his own purpose, to accomplish his own design and to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. For we believe he will come that he will come to reign upon the earth and to establish righteousness and uproot iniquity, and carry out the doctrine I have read in your hearing; and establish an order of society that shall have for its basis eternal truth, some of the principles of which I have read to you. We believe he is coming for this purpose and to destroy all those man-made systems, and this inequality, and this fraud, and all wickedness that prevails. He will do it, better than Kearney, better than Labor Unions or Working-men’s Leagues. He will do it better than any man-made institution. In fact the whole of them will be overturned by him; and he will introduce a plan by which every man will recognize the value of his brother man, a plan by which the poor can rejoice, and which will prevent the oppressor and the evildoer and the strong hand of Wealth from controlling and governing the earth, as is the case today. And it is for this purpose that the Gospel has been restored; and we have commenced to practice some of the principles calculated to bring about this condition of affairs. Imperfectly we admit, very imperfectly; but nevertheless the principles themselves are true and are perfect, however imperfectly they may be believed in and carried out by those professing to be the followers of them, and, as I have said, the Lord has restored the ordinances in their ancient power and in their ancient purity; and the results we see before us today, to a certain extent, in this Territory. We are partially united; and I thank God for it; I praise him every day of my life that my lot is cast among this people, and that I am counted worthy to be a member of this Church. However humble my station may be, I still feel that I would have abundant cause for thanksgiving in the fact that I am a member of this Church and that through membership I have a claim to the fellowship of this people. Imperfect as we are, I never– theless feel thankful for the degree of union that we have attained to throughout these valleys. I am thankful for these my brethren and these my sisters. When I see their union and course of life and the disposition they manifest in the midst of the temptations which surround them, I feel thankful that the Gospel has been restored and for the power it has upon the hearts of those with whom I am associated. To me the spectacle is one that fills me with thankfulness and admiration to God, when I see these elements gathered to these mountains from so many different nations and peoples, notwithstanding our peculiarities and original differences of faith and of language education and training, to see them dwell together so peacefully as they do, loving one another and ever ready and willing to do good to each other; not to the extent probably we should do or that we are required to do, for in too many instances we forget ourselves and partake too much of the spirit of the world. But I am thankful, as I have said, for that which I do witness, for the union and love and disposition to deny ourselves, and the reverence we have for God and sacred things and also the regard we have for his Priesthood.

This Gospel to which I have referred, if taught and believed in and practiced by the inhabitants of the earth, would revolutionize the face of society; it would change the affairs of the earth, as we witness them. Instead of one man lauding it over his fellow man, as though he were made of better clay, as though he were made of porcelain, while his neighbor was made of common stuff, and thinking himself entitled to better board and bed and finer clothes, and to live in greater ease, instead of feeling that way, when the principles of the Gospel are practiced by us in their en– tirety, we will get rid entirely of these feelings, and we will seek to carry out that which he has commanded his servants, namely to love your neighbor as yourselves; and not to profess to do it; but do it. And when we trade with our neighbor, instead of taking advantage of him and of his ignorance and necessities, trade with him as we would want him to trade with us under similar circumstances, and mete out to him even handed justice, as we would wish him to do to us were our positions reversed. These are lessons required of us in the Gospel; to learn them and practice them, and then struggle with our weakness—for these are weaknesses of our nature—and they come in contact with this sort of doctrine, these heavenly and advanced principles which Jesus taught when upon the earth.

It is an easy thing to tell a true Latter-day Saint from one who only professes the religion; it is an easy thing to tell a false Prophet from a true Prophet; it is easy to tell where a man gets his doctrines from, whether from beneath or from above, by the fruits that they bring forth. The doctrines of the Lord Jesus Christ bring peace; they bear testimony to every man’s soul who practices them that they are true. And if a man wants to know whether God lives and whether Jesus is his Son, and had a right to teach the doctrines accredited to him in the Bible, let him practice those doctrines, and he will find out for himself that they are true, because there will be a spirit that will bear testimony to him of their truthfulness. He will have the spirit of heaven, the spirit of peace, the spirit of love, of charity, of patience and forgiveness, and the spirit of joy in his heart. But when he believes them and comes in contact with them, there is another spirit takes possession of him, and his joy, his peace and happiness take their flight.

Why, brethren and sisters, it is good for us on this the Lord’s day to leave our business, leave our workshop, leave our counting houses, leave our stores and our fields and farms, our gardens and cattle, and the other things that engross our attention during the six days of the week, and come here on the Lord’s Day, and ponder upon his Word and on the doctrines given unto us, and treasure them up in our hearts, and seek them a practical application in our lives as fast as we can. And the more a man seeks to do this, the more he labors in his own individual interest. In one sense it makes but little difference, and will make but little difference to me what your fate may be. It is true it would add to my happiness to see and know that my friends were saved and exalted in the presence of our Father; but the great duty devolving upon you and me, is to see that we are individually saved. It is not for me to watch and scrutinize and comment upon you, having my attention directed to your weaknesses, and then say, “There is Brother So-and-So; how unworthy he is;” or “There is Sister So-and-So, look at her conduct, and what poor management she has in her household; and how she treats her household.” It is not for you or me to do this one to another, but it is for each one of us to look at ourselves and examine our own hearts, look at and scrutinize our own conduct doing that which is right in the sight of God ourselves.

Are we individually complying with those requirements which Jesus gave his apostles? If we are, it is well with us. If we are not it matters not how many others are doing wrong, it does not help my case or excuse you in the least degree. But it is for me to do right myself; it is for me to carry out and practice in my life the principles revealed, and which I know to be true; and then whether those on the right or those on the left do wrong, it makes no difference so far as my individual salvation is concerned. And this is practical religion. If I were to sit down and begin to relate to some of my neighbors the faults of another neighbor, do you think that would add to my perfection? No, it would tend to make me more contemptible in the sight of God, and in the sight of all men more just and upright than myself. Therefore it is our duty to indulge in and practice self-examination, and self-condemnation if necessary. The man that looks at himself in the light of the Spirit of God, and who is a humble man, will not find much fault with his fellow man; for the presence of his own faults arise before him continually when he sees another man’s weaknesses, and instead of filling him with self-pride and self-justification and feeling self– righteous, it produces a feeling within him of commiseration for others, and the spirit of charity takes possession of him, and undoubtedly a prayer ascends from his heart to God in behalf of him who had given way to weakness desiring the Lord to deliver him that he might not be left to be overcome by the adversary. There is too much talking among us about one another. If we perceive a weakness in a brother or a sister, instead of talking about it, we should rather pray for him or her; it would be much better for us. If we are so perfect that we need no help ourselves, let us exercise faith for those who are not in so good condition, and pray the Lord to help them, that they may be enabled to overcome.

The Lord bless you, brethren and sisters, and help us to be that which we profess to be, not only to be Latter-day Saints in name, but in word and deed, exemplifying the principles of our religion in our lives; which I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered at the Thirteenth Ward Assembly Rooms, Sunday Evening, August 25, 1878.

There is a sentence in the Book of Mormon, (p. 510) that has come to my mind, which I will read, “And whoso receiveth this record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these.” This passage from the Book of Mormon is one that I do not remember having chosen as a foundation of any special remarks. It is one that applies directly to the present generation—the people that should live on the earth at the time that the Lord our God should bring forth this record, and affording them the opportunity of reading its contents. They were written by the Prophet Moroni, who was the only man of his nation—the Nephites, who was righteous; his nation having been destroyed a few years before he penned this sentence. It is true a few of his nation had deserted and gone to the opposite nation—the Lamanites, and a few had fled at the general destruction; but they were hunted by the Lamanites, and were destroyed as a people. Moroni, being a Prophet of God, would not join that nation in their wickedness and idolatry, and the only way he could preserve his life was to keep himself secreted and hidden from the knowledge of the Lamanites. While concealing himself from his enemies, he finished the record of the Book of Mormon. The latest date which he gives in the record is 420 years after the birth of Christ, according to the signs that were given on this American continent, concerning his birth. Thirty-six years prior to this time his nation was destroyed in what we term the State of New York, around about a hill, called by that people the Hill of Cumorah, when many hundreds of thousands of the Nephites—men, women and children, fell, during the greatest battle that they had had with the Lamanites. For 36 years this prophet of God kept himself hid, and wrote as he was prompted by the spirit of inspiration, and finally hid up the plates of gold, containing the records in the hill of Cumorah, with the promise which the Lord gave him that these records should come to light in the last days, that He himself would bring them forth by his own wisdom and power. And he also tells us his object, namely, to benefit the Gentiles who should occupy this American continent—the Promised Land, as they term it; and also for the benefit of other nations of Gentiles to whom the book should afterwards be sent; and when they should reject it, the Lord would cause it to be published to the remnants of the Lamanites inhabiting this country, whom we call American Indians, which shall be the means of revealing to them the history of their forefathers, and also certain promises made to them as a branch of the house of Israel, setting forth that many of their descendants should believe the record when it should be made known to them, and that they should be instructed in the things of God, and the curse, which has degenerated them to their present low condition, should be removed, and that they should lay down their weapons of war, and that they should cease to war and commit murders, and thefts and robberies, and that they should become a peaceable, and also a white and delightsome people. These are the predictions given in the Book of Mormon as some of the objects of the bringing forth of that record in the last days. And among other objects that the Lord had in view was, that he might enlighten the minds of the people in regard to the Gospel in all its plainness and fulness, with all its promises, blessings, gifts and ordinances; so that the people, the Gentiles, to whom this record should be sent, might have no excuse for rejecting it, and also that the Gospel might be established in the earth in its purity, according to ancient prophecies. Another object was, that he might build up his church among the Gentiles, if they should believe in this record and in the preaching of His servants when they should be sent forth in the last days among them, testifying to its truthfulness. In speaking of this work which the Lord is doing in the earth, we sometimes call it the Church of God, and we also speak of it as the kingdom of God. It is both, God himself being the King; not a civil power, not a civil government in the earth, for we already have established here upon this choice land a government wherein all classes of religious people may worship God as they please; but the Lord intended among these various religions and ecclesiastic denominations, to have a peculiar denomination, a peculiar people, a peculiar church, which he denominates his kingdom, and himself as the great lawgiver in this kingdom. Another object was that men might have more faith than what they had been in possession of in the former generations of apostasy and wickedness, and that the faith which the ancient Saints exercised might again dwell in the hearts of the children of men. For instance, a power of faith, through our repentance and through our obedience to the ordinances of baptism, to receive that greater and miraculous baptism of the Holy Ghost. And that this gift, this baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost which should be given to all the members of the Church of God, should put them in possession of certain gifts, which no other people on the face of the whole earth should have or know anything about, providing the members of the Church were worthy to possess them. I will name, in short, the various gifts that the Lord intended to be given to this people. In the latter days, when this record should be brought forth, he intended, in the first place, to raise up a great and mighty Prophet, to translate the divine book. This was fulfilled before the rise of the Church about 50 years ago. This Prophet who was raised up to perform this work was permitted to take these records out of the hill where Moroni had deposited them some 420 years after Christ. This Prophet was spoken of in the records, and the work that he should perform was also spoken of. And notwithstanding his youth and inexperience in regard to the learning and wisdom of the world, he proved himself a great and mighty man of God; he not only was the instrument in the hands of God of bringing to light the Book of Mormon, but also received numerous other revelations which are contained in this book called the Doctrine and Covenants, a book that contains nearly as much reading matter as the Book of Mormon; and besides these you will find that many of the revelations were given by him which are found in what is called the new edition of the Pearl of Great Price, published by the Deseret News Office, which gives a knowledge of things that took place in the creation much more fully than what is described in the book of Genesis, giving an account of a great many occurrences and events that transpired before the flood, also giving us much information of the Gospel that was taught in those early ages, and giving us some very important prophecies, reaching down to the present period of the world, and also prophecies that reach down still further, from the present day to the end of the world. These are not the only revelations, given through this great modern Prophet. The Lord brought to light sacred records from the Catacombs of Egypt. After several hundred men had wrought and toiled for many months in digging down one of these vast structures, they entered into its interior; they found a great number of mummies—the bodies of persons that had been preserved since the catacomb was built, and some eleven of these mummies, well preserved, were taken out by these men, and they finally fell into the hands of a person named M. H. Chandler. They were sent from Egypt to Ireland, where it was supposed he resided, but learning that he resided in America, they were sent to him. After receiving the mummies he began to take off some of the ancient covering or wrapping, and to his astonishment he found upon the breast of one of these mummies a record written upon ancient papyrus in plain characters, written both in black and red inks, or stains, or colors. And the mummies and the records were exhibited by Mr. Chandler, in New York, Philadelphia, and many of the Eastern States of our Union; and thousands of people saw them, and among them many learned men; and these characters were presented to them, and not infrequently was Mr. Chandler referred to “Joe” Smith as they used to term him, who, they said, pretended to have translated some records that he found in the western part of New York, and that if Mr. Chandler would go and see him perhaps he would translate those ancient characters. Many of these references were made with the intention of ridiculing Mr. Smith; but it so happened that in traveling through the country he visited Kirtland, Ohio, where the Prophet Joseph Smith resided, bringing the mummies and the ancient papyrus writings with him. Mr. C. had also obtained from learned men the best translation he could of some few characters, which however, was not a translation, but more in the shape of their ideas with regard to it, their acquaintance with the language not being sufficient to enable them to translate it literally. After some conversation with the Prophet Joseph, Mr. Chandler presented to him the ancient characters, asking him if he could translate them. The prophet took them and repaired to his room and inquired of the Lord concerning them. The Lord told him they were sacred records, containing the inspired writings of Abraham when he was in Egypt, and also those of Joseph, while he was in Egypt; and they had been deposited, with these mummies, which had been exhumed. And he also enquired of the Lord concerning some few characters which Mr. Chandler, gave him by way of a test, to see if he could translate them. The Prophet Joseph translated these characters and returned them, with the translation to Mr. Chandler; and who, in comparing it with the translation of the same few characters by learned men, that he had before obtained, found the two to agree. The Prophet Joseph having learned the value of these ancient writings was very anxious to obtain them, and expressed himself wishful to purchase them. But Mr. Chandler told him that he would not sell the writings, unless he could sell the mummies, for it would detract from the curiosity of his exhibition; Mr. Smith inquired of him the price which was a considerable sum, and finally purchased the mummies and the writing, all of which he retained in his possession for many years; and they were seen by all the Church that saw proper to visit the house of the Prophet Joseph and also by hundreds of strangers.

The Prophet translated the part of these writings which, as I have said is contained in the Pearl of Great Price, and known as the Book of Abraham. Thus you see one of the first gifts bestowed by the Lord for the benefit of His people, was that of revelation—the gift to translate, by the aid of the Urim and Thummim, the gift of bringing to light old and ancient records. Have any of the other denominations got this gift among them? Go and inquire through all of Christendom and do not miss one denomination. Go and ask the oldest Christian associations that are extant; go to Italy, headquarters, and ask the man that holds the greatest power and authority in the Romish Church, “Can you translate ancient records written in a language that is lost to the knowledge of man?” “No,” he would say, “we cannot, it is out of my power to do it.” Go to Russia inquire of the heads of the church of the Greek Catholics, if they can do this; and they will give you, substantially, the same answer. Then try the later, the present day denominations, inquire of every one of them, beginning with the Lutherans and the Calvinists, and the Church of England, and then put the same question to all of the branches that have sprung from them; as well as to those that have come into existence by other means; and the universal reply of the Christian denominations, numbering some 400,000,000, would be that they have not the power to do it. Ask them if they pretend to possess supernatural power from God, to accomplish a work of this nature; and they will all tell you that God has never bestowed such power upon any of their ministers. And then, if it were possible, ask the 400,000,000 of Christians, scattered throughout Asia, Europe, America and the islands of the seas, if a man can be found among them endowed, as ancient seers were, with the gift to see, or as ancient revelators were who told future events, what should befall men and nations and their final destiny; and the universal reply will be, O, no, such things are all done away. Here then the very first gift that the Lord set in his church, is a peculiar gift so far as the religions of the world are concerned, not peculiar so far as the Church of Christ is concerned, but so far as the religious world in the four quarters of the earth is concerned, we have something which they have not got, and something that is in accordance with the Bible. What man, I would ask further, among all the religions of the earth, for the last seventeen centuries, that has possessed the Urim and Thummim, the gift that would constitute him a seer and a revelator? There may have been some seventeen thousand million of people that have passed off from our globe without such gifts being among them; and they were gifts given to the people of God before the advent of the Savior, and that were enjoyed by his servants that lived contemporary with him and with those who lived after he had performed his mission to the earth, and ascended to heaven. Then, in speaking to strangers, I would say, you must give us credit of at least professing to have these great and important gifts, gifts which all the other religions of the world do not even profess to be in possession of. Let me candidly enquire, which is the most pleasing in the sight of God, for people to obtain the great and precious things which come through the operation of the Holy Ghost, or for people to have no information, no instruction for some seventeen hundred years, only what they could glean out of the writings of some of the ancient Seers, or Prophets, or Revelators, or Apostles, who have lived and who have died centuries ago? Perhaps strangers might claim that they have the writings of those favored men of God, and that they need no more, and that all the generations of men since the days that such men of God fell asleep needed no further instruction than that which was given to former-day Saints. The strangers present will readily concede this to be the sentiment, the belief and testimony of all, or nearly all the religious people upon the face of the whole earth. You also know if you have read the history of Christendom for seventeen centuries past, that their belief and testimony in this respect have been similar to those entertained by Christianity of today. Now, I ask again, which is the more Godlike, which is the more in accordance with the Bible, for a people to enjoy the same gifts that were enjoyed by the people of God in earlier dispensations, or to be obliged to depend upon some one else’s gift who has long ago passed away? Now, any consistent religious man will give his testimony on religious affairs independent of the traditions of his fathers, and would say in his own mind, it is more consistent for us to have Revelators, Prophets, Seers and Translators inspired from heaven in our Church, it is more in accordance with the Bible to be in possession of those gifts ourselves than to depend upon Reve– lators and Seers of former ages. I do not suppose for a moment that there is any consistent person but that, if left to his own reasoning, would say that this is certainly the more reasonable and the more consistent; and especially when the Bible is referred to, in which there is nothing limiting the generations that have lived upon the earth for seventeen centuries in regard to these gifts. It is more consistent then when God should raise up a Church he should have Prophets, Seers and Revelators in that Church, inspired men, men that can receive the word of the living God, upon all subjects that should come before them which might concern the people. How many millions of questions and matters of more or less magnitude might be cited for which no instruction could be found in the Bible that would be at all suitable to the circumstances. Take any one individual among the many of the human family, and you could find thousands of things, pertaining to his individual welfare and temporal circumstances, that he could never learn out of the Bible. The Lord guides and directs the temporal as well as the spiritual affairs of his people; he always has done so. How many thousands of things does a single head of a family need to know, in regard to his own temporal circumstances, what course he should take most pleasing to the Almighty, whether to pursue this course or that branch of business, or whether to pursue some other branch of business, wherein he might do the most good; and wherein he could glorify God most; and which would be the greatest blessing for his household and family, and wherein he could please the Lord and live more uprightly and more godly, and more consistently and honestly, by pursuing one branch of business rather than that of another. All these things concern every head of a family; therefore, if he had the spirit of revelation, if he could go and inquire of the Lord, if he found it to be the whisperings of his spirit which course to pursue in temporal matters, what a great blessing it would be for him; and then not for that one person only, but for all his sons as they grow up, and for his wives, if he have a number of wives. The Lord used to give revelation not only to the head of a family, but also to a man’s wives. Read, for instance, what the Lord revealed to the wives of Jacob, how he used to reveal a great many things to Rachel, a great many things to Leah, a great many things to Bilhah, and a great many things to Zilpah. These four wives were revelators; they were prophetesses; they were individuals that could inquire of the Lord, and obtain an answer from him; and we have their revelations recorded in the Scriptures. We call their revelations the Word of God to them. What a benefit it would be for a man who had three or four or half a dozen wives, who could receive the word of the Lord in relation to their several duties; how calculated it would be to produce peace, and union, and salvation in the family and household. And what great comfort it would be for a man if he had several wives, and knew by the spirit of revelation how to deal in relation to all his domestic and temporal affairs, according to the mind and will of God. Again, how great would be the benefit to a body of people—to say nothing of households and families—located for instance, in one region of the country, a people who were united together according to the law of God, desiring to advance each other’s welfare and happiness, and each man was required to love his neighbor as himself; a people who knew how to so conduct their, temporal affairs that each man’s neighbor might be benefited as well as himself; and each one looking not only for his own welfare or that of his own household, but for the welfare of the whole community, with whom he was associated, producing at last that unity and oneness which the Lord requires in the numerous revelations which he has given.

It requires revelation then; it requires revelation for one single branch of the church located in one region of the country; how much more necessary, when there are numerous branches, and that those branches should know their duties in regard to one another, that they might not work against one another’s interests in any way or manner, but on the contrary, labor for the mutual benefit of all the branches of the Church and Kingdom of God, and thus preserve means, even as Joseph did in Egypt. Joseph was a man that sought after riches, he advised King Pharaoh to seek after riches, by building storehouses, and procuring as much of the surplus grain as he could, during the seven years of plentiful harvests which he foretold, and to store it away for future use. Some people might have supposed, if they had lived in that day, that Joseph was a great speculator, and wanted to take advantage of the people, getting rich himself at their expense. But the Lord directed this; he gave a revelation, clearly showing what would be necessary for the salvation of the Egyptians and also the children of Israel who were sojourning in the land. Hence we perceive it was necessary to get revelation in regard to temporal matters, and that without it the famine would have come upon them unawares and destroyed hundreds of thousands of people, and they would have perished over all the land. Hence by a few words of revelation given through a Prophet of God, that lived in their midst, millions of people were saved alive.

If we trace the history of the people of God we shall find it a history of revelations of God to man given for the purpose of directing them as individuals, as families, as neighborhoods, as tribes and as peoples, directing them in regard to their temporal affairs, as well as concerning the great matters that pertain to a future state of existence.

I mention this in order to refer to the text which I have taken. He that receives this record, and shall not condemn it because of imperfections that are in it, the same shall know of greater things than these. That is, they shall know of greater things than what are contained in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon contains some wonderful things about the colonization of this country soon after the flood, the history of a certain nation that lived here some sixteen or seventeen centuries; then of another nation that succeeded it, and that lived here some 600 years before Christ, and down to the time that the records were hid up. Great things, historically, are revealed in this book; great things are revealed in it concerning prophecies that are yet to take place, and that have already taken place—when this record was translated. Not only this, but it contains the Gospel of the Son of God. I mean the first principles of the Gospel—the principles of faith in God and in his Son Jesus Christ; repentance—turning away from sin, from all unrighteousness; baptism by immersion in water for the remission of sins; the gift and power of the Holy Ghost to be shed forth upon those who should receive this record—that is, receive its truths and obey them. It does not mean those who should read this record and not perform the things that are contained therein; the promise is not extended to them. “Whoso receiveth this record,” that is, receives the Gospel therein contained, will assuredly believe in Christ; will assuredly repent of his sins; will assuredly be baptized for the remission of his sins; and will assuredly be confirmed by the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost. No man or woman that fails to comply with these things that I have named—believes and receives the record; they may pretend to believe the record, they may say it appears to be a very good record, and it speaks as if it might be true; but unless they do receive it, by obeying its ordinances, and its institutions, and complying with the principles of the Gospel, they would not be entitled to the promise recorded in the words of my text, “They shall know of greater things than these.” I would ask, if the Latter-day Saints know of anything, greater than that which is contained in the Book of Mormon. What a wonderful thing the Book of Mormon is, to be brought forth by an angel sent from heaven to be translated from the ancient languages of this country into our English language, to have the Urim and Thummim given to the translator by which the words were translated. What a great and wonderful thing the Book of Mormon is so far as its prophecies are concerned, so far as its history and its doctrine are concerned; and so far as its predictions of those things which are immediately in the future are concerned, what a great benefit it has been to us Latter-day Saints to read our own history before it comes to pass.

I might take up a whole discourse in showing how the Book of Mormon has been fulfilled since it has been translated up to the present time, in the bringing forth of the Gospel from among the Gentiles The persecutions that they should endure are predicted in the Book of Mormon. It is a great thing, it is a wonderful thing. In fact it is just what Isaiah said it would be in prophesying of the Book; he said it should be a marvelous work and a wonder. But the people who should receive this record should know of greater things. What greater things have we learned? We might have searched the Book of Mormon from beginning to end, and we never could have learned the perfect organization of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, such as we now find it in the midst of this people. We might have read in the Book of Mormon about the Melchizedek priesthood, as it existed among the Nephites; we might have read of the Aaronic priesthood such as also existed in this land; and we might, too, have read about the first principles of the Gospel and about Twelve Apostles chosen among the ancient Nephites; but do we read of the manner in which the Nephites were organized after they were baptized and received the Holy Ghost? No. Why? Because the Lord saw proper to withhold this from us, deeming it proper to reveal it through the patriarch Joseph, whom he would raise up, as something greater than the Book of Mormon should contain; showing that there were to be Twelve Apostles in our day. Did the Book of Mormon inform us that we were to have Twelve Apostles? No. The Lord therefore gave greater things to this people who believed the record that had come unto us, by revealing directly that we were to have raised up in this dispensation twelve men, called Apostles, and that they should go forth and preach his Gospel, first to the Gentile nations, and, when the times of the Gentiles should be ful– filled, they should go forth and preach His Gospel to the scattered remnants of the house of Israel. This was taught when the revelation was given soon after the last part of the Book of Mormon was translated; that the Lord would raise up a Church; that he would call twelve men and send them forth as Apostles, that he would build up his Church among the Gentiles first; that he would, when their times were fulfilled, send them to the house of Israel, to bring that people back to a knowledge of the Gospel.

Now this was new information to the people. They at first learned the Book of Mormon, and having learned it, having been taught concerning what God taught ancient Israel on this land, then the Lord revealed unto them greater things according to the promise in our text by telling them what should be done directly in our midst.

Then again, what could we learn from either the Bible or Book of Mormon in regard to three glories—the celestial, the terrestrial and the telestial glories? What did we know concerning those that should inhabit these various worlds of glory? Nothing at all. It was merely referred to in Paul’s writings, that there were three glories, “one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.” But Paul left us here; he did not tell us anything about the celestial, or anything about terrestrial, or telestial glories; he told us nothing about the inhabitants of these worlds, nor anything about the laws by which these different glorified worlds were governed, but merely referred to them in a few words and then dropped it. The people, to whom he was writing may have known all about the subject he so casually referred to, if they did, the knowledge they possessed was not handed down to us. But the Lord, on the 16th day of February, 1832, poured out His Spirit from on high while Joseph was engaged in the work of translating another record, and also upon his scribe, and they saw in vision the celestial world, and they were commanded to write a portion of the things which they saw; to write about the greatness and power and majesty and the knowledge of the people who inherit the celestial world. And they were also shown, in the same manner the terrestrial world and the inhabitants thereof and their glory, and what their condition would be in the eternal worlds; and then they descended also in their vision and beheld the lesser or telestial glory, and they saw the inhabitants that dwelt there and comprehended the laws by which they were governed. Some of these things they were commanded to write while there were things which they beheld which they were strictly commanded not to write, as the world was not worthy to receive them. Neither was the Church, at that time, prepared to receive a full knowledge concerning these things. But that portion which they were permitted to write they wrote, and it has been printed now some 40 years for the Saints and for the inhabitants of the world to learn concerning the future condition of all those that shall pass out of this state of existence behind the veil.

Here, then, were greater things made manifest than those in the Book of Mormon, or those in the Bible. Whoso receives this record and shall not condemn it because of imperfections, the same shall know of greater things. “But,” says one, “what imperfections could there be in the writings of an inspired man?” I will tell you. Imperfections may creep in through the printing press, unless there was some expert person to examine the printing of the Book. There might be imperfections creep in through the persons that recorded these things—Moroni and the various prophets that preceded him who wrote upon the plates. Imperfections might occur through the omission of some words. But one of the Prophets says, he knew of no imperfection in the record; nevertheless, the Lord knew all, therefore, he said, judge not, lest ye be judged; judge not with harsh judgment, lest ye be judged harshly—that is unrighteously. Probably the individual in reading the first edition of the Book of Mormon from the hands of the printer, knew of no error so far as the printing was concerned. But when we came to examine the first edition, and even all the editions, we found some few little imperfections that were introduced chiefly of a typographical nature. Well, those who will not condemn the work of God because of such little things, have the promise that they shall know of greater things than these. The Latter-day Saints are witnesses. You have upon your shelves the Book of Covenants and Commandments, the revelations of heaven; you also are in possession of the Pearl of Great Price, containing the vision of Moses, that great and glorious vision which he received on the mount, revealing to him the history of the creation of the world. The Lord saw proper to descend upon a certain mountain before Moses, and showed himself to him, and the glory of God rested upon Moses so that he stood in the presence of the Lord; and the Lord showed unto Moses the works of his hands in relation to the various creations that he had made. And when Moses began to inquire of the Lord, the Lord said unto him, No man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my glory and afterwards remain in the flesh upon the earth. Here, then, Moses began to understand that it was not for him as a mortal personage to cast his eyes forth and behold all the infinite creations of the Almighty dispersed through boundless space; but the Lord was willing that he should know in part. And Moses, when he saw the glory of God, and the things with which he was surrounded, pertaining to the planetary system, he began to wonder and marvel, as you and I would do if we had the privilege of gazing in vision upon the works of God. And while he was marveling at what he had seen, the Lord for some reason, withdrew from him, probably to try him, to see if he would be faithful to him. And when the Spirit of the Lord was taken from him, and the glory of God had withdrawn from him and the Lord himself had departed from before him, Moses was left to himself. O how weak! He fell to the earth, and for the space of many hours he did not receive his natural strength. And when in this weak, fallen condition he exclaimed, I know now that man is nothing; and he began to call upon the Lord to restore his strength. And Satan, we learn, took advantage of Moses on this occasion, while thus left to himself, and came and stood before him, and said Moses, son of man, I am the Only Begotten, worship me. Moses looked upon Satan and perceived the difference at once, between the glorious personage that had appeared to him a short time before, and the personage of Satan. And Moses in looking upon this strange visitor said, Where is thy glory that I should worship thee? Behold, I could not look upon God save his glory were upon me; but I can look upon thee in my natural state. Having said so much to him, he commanded him to depart; but being so weak his faith was not strong enough to prevail against Satan, hence he did not leave at his bidding. Moses then called upon God, and Satan began to tremble and the earth began to shake; and Satan went upon the earth, and commanded Moses, saying, I am the Only Begotten, worship me. But Moses still called upon God for strength, and the Lord heard and answered his prayers; and he then commanded Satan, in the name of the Only Begotten Son, to depart; and he was rebuked from his presence. And again Moses lifted up his voice to heaven and cried to the Lord, and the glory of God began to come upon him; and the Lord stood in his presence again, and Moses was again filled with his glory. And while he was filled with the glory of the Lord he beheld all the earth and the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a particle of the earth withheld from his vision; he saw every particle of it. He beheld it not by the natural vision, but by the Spirit of the living God.

Moses not only saw the whole of this beautiful creation in its entirety, but he doubtless beheld the laws by which every particle is governed by the law of gravitation or electricity or heat, Moses comprehended it. He was then desirous to know how the Lord created the earth, as well as other heavenly bodies; but would the Lord grant his desires in full? No; because it was not for mortal man to know so much. But Moses still plead with the Lord in this language: “Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content.” He thought that if he could not behold other worlds, if he had not the privilege granted to him of looking upon more glorious creations, it would be a satisfaction for him to look upon this earth and also the heavens. But what was the Lord’s answer to him? “The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine, and as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.” But, said the Lord, “I will reveal to you concerning this earth upon which thou standest, and also the heaven belonging to the earth, and you shall write the words which I speak to you.” This is the way that Moses obtained what is now called the book of Genesis, which gives an account of the creation. How did we learn of these things? By way of fulfillment of this promise, contained in the words of our text: “Whoso shall believe in this record and shall not condemn it because of its imperfection, the same shall know of greater things than these.” Here then we have come to a knowledge of the great and grand vision given to the Revelator Moses. God communicated to Moses concerning the creation of the heavens and this little earth upon which we dwell. He tells us that darkness came upon the face of the great deep, after the earth was created. What was there before this darkness came upon the face of the great deep, after the earth was created? What was there before this darkness came, can anyone tell us? A great many religious people, without any reflection, have supposed there was no light, from all eternity, until about six thousand years ago; that then the Lord created the sun, moon and stars, they really think that that was the first time from all the endless durations of past eternity that there was any light. I mean a great many ignorant people. But according to the revelation given to Moses, there was light before the foundations of this world were laid, before God caused darkness to come over this great deep; after he created the heavens and the earth, then God spake and said, let there be light and there was light. And as we are told, the evening and the morning was the first day. Why does it begin with the evening and not with the morning? Because darkness reigned, the Lord having caused darkness to reign over the whole face of the earth. How he did it, in what way he produced it is not revealed. At any rate, it is not said in the book of Genesis that the sun was permitted to shine forth, or that the moon gave its light on the first day; but that was something which was permitted to take place on the fourth day instead of on the first day. What then was it that existed before darkness came over the face of the deep? Was it sunshine? I think not. It was that probably which is connected with all creations in their first formation—self-luminous matter. Darkness was then made, but how we know not; it might have been by causing the light associated with those materials to become latent in the substance—not permitted to shine forth. How long this darkness continued is not revealed. How long it was before the Lord said again, “Let there be light; and there was light,” is not revealed.

Again, we find that the solid portions of the earth were entirely covered with water, for the Lord commanded the waters to be gathered together to one place; and commanded the dry land to appear. The dry land he called earth; the gathering together of the waters called he seas. How did he do this? He may have done it by a direct miracle, or he may have done it according to certain laws which he controlled, and which were always under his control. How easy it would be for him to take this globe of ours that was entirely covered by water, and set it in motion, and cause it to rotate upon its axis. Would not this cause the waters to be gathered together from the equatorial regions to the two polar regions—the Arctic and the antarctic seas, and in the intermediate regions, and thus leave the dry land in the equatorial regions?

Then again how easy it would be for him to compress the solid portions of the earth at the poles and cause the same to bulge out above the equator. Or in other words, to do this also by law, by causing the earth to turn more swiftly than it does at the present time, which would give a greater diameter through the equator than at the poles.

There are many things in the new translation besides the vision and revelation in regard to the creation, written by Joseph Smith, which are far greater than anything contained in the Bible, or in the Book of Mormon, or in the Doctrine and Covenants. I bring up these things in order to show you that God has fulfilled his promises to the present time, by giving us greater knowledge concerning the creation of our globe.

The Prophet Joseph Smith revealed to us that all the materials of our globe, and all the materials of the universe, are eternal in their nature, that their substance is eternal, not created out of nothing, according to the vagaries and foolish ideas of the religious world. The Lord told us that he created the earth out of materials that previously existed; he told us that these materials were eternal in their nature, and of everlasting duration. In what condition have these materials been for the last, say millions of ages—for instance, as many millions of years as there are sands upon the seashore? Have they been lying dormant without any control of law? Were there no electric principles or laws to govern them, was there no heat connected with them, or was there no latent principle called light, neither a gravitating power in connection with these materials? I have no doubt in my own mind but what there have been laws from all eternity—or if you do not wish to call them laws, call them forces, call them powers, call them by any name which may suit you—that have controlled these materials; and then again these laws or forces have also been under the control of a wise, supreme intelligence from all eternity to the present time. How many organizations the materials of our earth have undergone before they were organized according to the revelations given to Moses, are not revealed. How many worlds they had entered into prior to that time; how many conditions existed through the millions of ages of past duration are nowhere revealed. A great many learned men are beginning to see that the materials of our globe have been in existence, as they say, for millions of ages. Some of them have made calculations in regard to how many millions of years since such and such phenomena took place, in regard to certain materials of which our earth is composed; and because they have discovered some of these things, they have, in the weakness and foolishness of their minds, began to doubt the Mosaic history, concerning the creation. I presume if I had never heard of the Book of Mormon, or Doctrine and Covenants, or the revelations of which I am speaking, I suppose I should have been probably an infidel, so far as regards the religious sects; I could not have believed them, if I had suffered my mind to reflect. But when I come to learn and understand that God has nowhere spoken in all the revelations that he has given, that he ever made so much as one particle of this earth out of nothing; and when I found that God has never hinted or revealed any such thing; but, on the contrary, that he organized the world out of pre-existent materials that were eternal in their nature, then I could reflect back with our learned philosophers and suffer my mind to go back just as far as they dare go in their theories, and then go back to all eternity beyond that which they go, and say, these materials were in organization, and say worlds were being organized, and different conditions were taking place, and laws were being given for all these vast ages of the past, and still reconcile it with the revelations God has given in these latter times. Science and true religion never can possibly contradict each other. There never was any truth in science that would contradict any principle of revelation that God ever revealed to man. Why? Because true science is founded upon a true understanding of the laws and forces of nature. But who ordained from time to time these laws of nature in connection with the universe as we now behold them? It was the Lord whom we serve, the great Supreme Ruler of the universe, who organizes and disorganizes according to his own will and pleasure. He garnishes the heavens in his wisdom and builds the vast superstructure of the universe, as a very handiwork. He brings into life and being new worlds and disorganizes them, scattering the elements, and again brings them together by his power or by the laws he has ordained, and by his laws makes new creations, new worlds, and new universes, and inhabits them with myriads and myriads of intelligent beings. This is the work of the great Supreme Ruler of all things.

This we find out by reading the first two chapters of Genesis, as revealed anew, and many other things, of which we were profoundly ignorant, until God raised up this youth, this unlearned Prophet of the nineteenth century, to bring these things to light. By revelations given in ancient days, and renewed through this young Prophet of God, we learn that we, ourselves, did not begin to exist when we were born into this state of existence; we learn that we are of higher origin than that assigned by poor, unbelieving man. Contrast the ideas of the last few centuries with the ideas that God has revealed from heaven. They would make man look for his origin down to the very reptile and the worm that crawls upon the earth, and to the fish of the sea—as the first father, the first origin, the first oyster. Such is the reason of the learned of the last few centuries—the evolution theory; in other words, that which you learn from books, the creation of man’s folly and foolishness. But when we learn through the revelations of God that instead of man’s coming up from the poor worm of the dirt, he descended from that being who controls the universe by his power; that he descended from that being who is the fullness of all knowledge, and who sways his scepter over more planetary systems than there are sands upon the seashore. We are his offspring, we are his sons and his daughters, we are his children, he has begotten us, and we existed before the foundation of the world. Who among the wise, and the great, and those who have studied as far as human wisdom can at present reach; who among them can tell the origin of life? Who among them can tell the origin of this intelligence in man, this reasoning power, and this perceptive faculty, that enables man to grasp not only a great many things pertaining to the laws connected with their own little earth, but enables him to launch out into the regions of space for hundreds of millions of miles and find out and understand many things that govern worlds afar off. Is there no man that can tell the origin of this Intelligence? Let the trained collegiate mind, whose lifetime has been occupied in study, come forth and tell us how man obtains the first principle of knowledge, how came knowledge to be connected with matter, how came knowledge connected with flesh and bones, and blood, and skin, and sinew? That knowledge—that intelligence is Godlike; God is the author, he is father of our spirits, and we were begotten before this world rolled into existence. Once we dwelt in the presence of our Father; once we were enabled to lift our songs of praise in the celestial world, from which we emigrated; once we dwelt in the society of an innumerable convention of angels, upon a world that had passed through its stages, its ordeals, the same as this world is passing through its various mutations. That celestial world from whence we came, is more perfect than this earth, it is organized after a celestial order, a higher order and glorified by the presence of immortal, glorified, celestial beings. That is our home, from that world we came. Here is our dwelling place for a season; to that world we will return, to that being by whom we were begotten we will render an account; he who is our Father will require us to give an account of our doings in this probation. We must meet him, and behold him, in all his glory, in all his power, in all his majesty, and greatness, and superior excellency and with that infinite knowledge of which he is in possession; we must appear before him to give an account of our doings while shut out from his presence on this little world.

Here then is another thing in which the Lord has fulfilled our text. He has told us of our pre-existence; he has told us of the glory and the greatness of our ancestor, even the Supreme Being; he has told us when we existed, that it was before this world was brought into existence. Are not these greater things than are contained and explained in the Book of Mormon or the Bible? It is true the Book of Mormon barely alludes to the pre-existence of man, without explaining it. Jesus, before he appeared in the flesh, showed his spiritual form to the brother of Jared; it was not a body of flesh and bones; but a spiritual form, like the image of man. He said unto the brother of Jared, Seest thou, that thou art created after mine image? And he further says, All men in the beginning have I created after the image of the body of my Spirit; that is the spiritual form occupied by him. All men and women in the beginning were created by Him, and there never was a person, there is not anyone now living, and there never will be a man or woman, but what was in the beginning created in his image.

I do not know but what I am occupying too much time, I will briefly say, however, before closing, that certain records which God has promised to bring to light in his own due time, will far exceed anything that has been revealed through the Book of Mormon or the Bible, or that which has come to us through the Abrahamic record taken from Egyptian papyrus, or that which is contained in the vision of Moses, revealing to him the history of the creation of the world. All these will be as a drop in the bucket in comparison with the eternal knowledge that will yet flow down from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints before this generation shall pass away. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the great deep, and the things of all nations will be revealed. The records of old that were kept by the people of Asia, who have since dwindled into savages by reason of the transgressions of their fathers; and those that have been kept by the ten tribes of the north countries, where they have lived for over 25 centuries; and those records that have been kept by the people of the City of Enoch, giving an account of the dealings of God with ancient Zion, will all come forth to help fill the earth with the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the great deep. And John, when upon the Isle of Patmos, saw things in vision, which were commanded to be sealed up, and they are yet to be unsealed; and in this way we shall receive knowledge upon knowledge, revelation upon revelation, concerning not only the six or seven thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence, but concerning the materials of the earth before it was made, and the elements and materials, and all things pertaining to the future earth that is to be created when the elements of this earth shall be dissolved and pass away into space. There is nothing too great to be withheld from the Saints of God in the last dispensation of the fulness of times. Hear what the Prophet Joseph Smith said, when confined in Liberty Jail. As well may the puny arm of man attempt to stop the waters of the Missouri River as to try to prevent the Almighty from pouring down knowledge upon the Latter-day Saints. It will come; it will come like a mighty flood, it will come like a mighty ocean, and there will be no mental darkness upon the whole face of the earth. The laws by which the earth is governed, by which the materials were governed, by which intelligence produces intelligence, by which one material cleaves to another, and by which all the various mechanisms are performed, will be revealed in their times and in their seasons. And then the Lord will not stop there; but he will unfold other systems and heavens that shall come into connec– tion with ours. How, I know not; in what way, I know not. There will be telescopes, microscopes and other instruments discovered in these systems, that will so far outstretch the discoveries made at the present time, that all these things will dwindle into insignificance, and when the inhabitants of one system can converse with those of another, and when there shall be communication between all the creations that God has made with the present creation we inhabit, and when the Lord shall bring forth Zion out of all the creations he has made; then, I think, we shall begin to look back in astonishment at the littleness of the discoveries of the learned of the 19th century. Amen.