Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, July 8, 1860.

I will say a few words before we dismiss, and I wish to say that which will be comforting and consoling to those who delight in the truth—that which will be pleasing to our Father in Heaven, and be sanctioned by his Holy Spirit, by angels, and by the Saints who live upon the earth.

You hear much said by some about their sacrifices. As they use the term, it is without meaning to me. Divines exclaim—“Come, and give all for Christ.” I would like to know what the children of men have to give—what they have to sacrifice. To my understanding, the term is used improperly. We are but stewards over what our Father puts in our possession. We possess houses, farms, gardens, orchards, vineyards, and plea– sant locations; but are they actually ours? No. Is there a foot or an inch of this earth that rightly belongs to us? No. God has put it in our possession, and has given us ability to take from the elements to make habitations to shelter ourselves; but are the elements ours?

Suppose the Lord should cause a tornado to pass through here, as he has lately done in some places in the States, and destroy all we possess, can we say to the winds, Cease blowing? Or suppose he should cause lightning to destroy our buildings, can we stop it? No. We have power to plough, sow, till, and irrigate; but can we, of ourselves, produce one spear of grass, or one kernel of grain? No. With me, it is folly to say that we own anything; and to speak of giving or sacrificing, as many do, is a misapplication of terms.

The spirits of the human family are pure and holy at the time they enter tabernacles; but the Lord has so ordered that the enemy has great power over our tabernacles, whose organization pertains to the earth. Through this plan arises our probationary warfare. Our tabernacles are conceived in sin, and sin conceives in them; and our spirits are striving to bring our bodies into subjection, and to overcome the Devil and the evils in the world. This war and striving to overcome that evil power must continue until we triumph. To accomplish this, we must so yield obedience to the Divine influence as to learn the principles of eternal life—to learn to bring the whole man—all the passions, sympathies, and feelings in subjection to the spirit. Our spirits are warring against the flesh, and the flesh against our spirits; and all we have to do is to let the spirits that have come from our Father in heaven reign triumphant, and bring into subjection everything that tends to evil: then we are Christ’s.

The Savior has not finished his work, and cannot receive the fulness of his glory until the influence and power of the wicked are overcome and brought into subjection. When the wicked inhabitants of the earth, the beasts of the field, fowls of the air, fish of the sea, all mineral substances, and all else pertaining to this earth, are overcome, then he will take the kingdom, present it to the Father, and say, “Here is the work you gave me to do—you made the appointment—I have wrought faithfully, and here are my brethren and sisters who have wrought with me. We have wrought faithfully together; we have overcome the flesh, hell, and the Devil. I have overcome, they have followed in my footsteps, and here are all thou hast given me; I have lost none, except the son of perdition.”

Jesus suffered himself to be crowned with thorns and crucified; but suppose he had said, “I will not make this great sacrifice; I am the Almighty; I will dash my enemies to pieces, and I will not die for the world,” what would have been the result? Jesus would have become a son of perdition; he would have lost every power and right to the kingdom he was about to redeem—would have become no better than the son of the morning who contended against him, and would have contended against righteousness from that time, and against whoever the Lord would then appoint to destroy sin and death, and him that had the power of it.

We can follow darkness and death, if we choose; but let us cling to light instead of darkness, malice, hatred, wrath, and bitterness; for Jesus will make an end of all evil. Himself is all that man has to give for wisdom. When you do this, it is not giving facts for facts, but it is exchanging falsehood for facts, and folly for truth. What have you to give for life everlasting? You are your Father’s. We cannot own anything, in the strict sense of the word, until we have power to bring into existence and hold in existence, independent of all other powers. One will say, “I have given a thousand dollars towards building up the kingdom of God,” when strictly he did not own a dollar. You take the money you have in your possession and put it in another place, or to another use; and though you thus use millions of gold and other property, unless you do so with that spirit of charity in which the widow cast in her mite, it will avail you nothing.

We have received this and that, but it is not ours; it is committed to us as agents. We have nothing of our own, and will not have until we have power to sustain our own lives. You have not power to sustain your own lives, and yet you have done much. You can own nothing until you have filled your missions on earth, and gained power with the Almighty, when you will be clothed with glory, power, and dominion. When the Lord says, “This is yours, my son; I give you power to control all under your jurisdiction;” then you can consider that your own.

Our religion has been a continual feast to me. With me it is Glory! Hallelujah! Praise God! instead of sorrow and grief. Give me the knowledge, power, and blessings that I have the capacity of receiving, and I do not care how the Devil originated, nor anything about him. I want the wisdom, knowledge, and power of God. Give me the religion that lifts me higher in the scale of intelligence—that gives me the power to endure—that when I attain the state of peace and rest prepared for the righteous, I may enjoy to all eternity the society of the sanctified.

We have been keeping the commandments of the Lord, and should continue to do so more diligently; for he has commanded us to do so—to strive to overcome the evils and put away the follies and sins which have been sown in our nature by the fall of our first parents, and let every feeling and affection be centered upon him and the things of his kingdom, that when we awake in the morning of the resurrection we may be crowned with honor and glory in our Father’s kingdom. When the wicked appear, they will learn that God is a consuming fire, while that which is for him is eternal in its nature. The principles of our religion are good. If we will obey them, we shall reign eternally with the Father and the Son. There are kingdoms also prepared somewhere for those who obey not the celestial law.

May the Lord bless you! Amen.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, July 8, 1860.

Our minds are capable of receiving and digesting a certain number of ideas; but we are not able to comprehend a great many at one time. We can hear all that a speaker is disposed to say; but whether we can comprehend it, be it much, or, as in many instances, little, is another and very important consideration. Some minds can comprehend but very little at a time.

What we have just heard is very good. True, we have been taught those principles from our youth. There are but very few in Christendom who have not been taught those principles in childhood by their parents, and in maturer years by their schoolteachers and priests. The character of the Savior has been exalted as much as our language will permit.

Brother Joseph Young, in his remarks, frequently quoted the words of the Savior, as recorded by his Apostle, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” I would be pleased to see the divine who can thoroughly acquaint us with that Being whom we call God—the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. From our youth, we have heard much in regard to the Father and the Son, but in a mystified manner, so far as treated upon by the divines and theologians of the so-called “orthodox” churches. How many of you can give us sound, sensible ideas relative to the character of our Father in heaven? If the Elders of Israel, who speak to us from Sabbath to Sabbath, and who go forth into the world to preach the Gospel of life, cannot, no man on the earth can. How much have we learned in regard to it? How far have our understandings expanded to comprehend the character of that Being we call God? Or even to comprehend the character of his Son Jesus Christ, whom we call our Savior?

The character of the Father is plainly portrayed in the Bible, so far as it is necessary for it to be revealed; but who can tell anything about him? All that we hear from this one, that one, and the other, is but very little. We have formerly been in the habit of hearing—“Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh,” and there having the subject left. With the world things pertaining to eternity are such a mystery that all is left in the dark—left with the mantle of ignorance cast around it. But, God be praised, the veil begins to be thinner, and will be withdrawn for us, if we are faithful. The work that God has commenced in this our day is calculated to remove the veil of the covering from all the face of the earth, that all flesh may see his glory together. And if the principles of the holy Priesthood that we have received continue to be carried out by the people at large, the veil will be taken away, so that we can comprehend that Being who is such a mystery to the great portion of the human family.

Jesus was appointed, from the beginning, to die for our redemption, and he suffered an excruciating death on the cross. A person possessing the power of the Gods has that power to sustain him in all his trials and sufferings. He has power and faith to endure unto sweating blood, to bearing thorns, and to being nailed upon a cross, as patiently as did our Savior. Is this speaking disparagingly of his character? Not in the least. Many of our people have suffered unto death. Could a God do more? He could not. Could he suffer more? Only in proportion to his intelligence, faith, and power, which also proportionally sustain him in his sufferings. Many of the Saints have been pierced with bayonets, riddled with bullets, beaten to death, and slain in various other ways, for their testimony of Jesus. They paid the debt. Jesus fulfilled the obligations he had entered into as the heir of all things pertaining to this earth. He is the King—the Ruler, and the results of the acts of the people he brings forth, and will continue to do so, till he reigns King of nations as he now reigns King of Saints. When he again visits this earth, he will come to thoroughly purge his kingdom from wickedness, and, as ruler of the nations, to dictate and administer to them as the heir to the kingdom; and the Gentiles will be as much mistaken in regard to his second advent as the Jews were in relation to the first.

The eyes of the Gentiles are like the eyes of the fool, wandering to the ends of the earth. They are deceived, blinded, and far from understanding the things of God. All who would understand the things of God must understand them by the Spirit of God. In reflecting upon his providences, it often seems singular that every person cannot understand the things of God; but when you understand the Gospel plan, you will comprehend that it is the most reasonable way of dealing with the human family. You will discern that purity, holiness, justice, perfection, and all that adorns the character of the Deity are contributing to the salvation of man.

Those who acknowledge the hand of God in all things, and abide in his commandments, are the only ones who will sustain the principles of truth and purity. If their influence upon the character is not good and pure, how will they produce that pure feeling, pure faith, and pure godliness which prepare a person to dwell in eternal burnings? Should we not abide in and be influenced by the commandments of God? We should; for, without the spirit of revelation, no man can understand the things of God, nor his dealings and designs in relation to the inhabitants of the earth.

While brother Joseph was referring to the providences of God, I was led to reflect that there is no act, no principle, no power belonging to the Deity that is not purely philosophical. The birth of the Savior was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood—was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers.

Do you understand yourselves, brethren and sisters? Only to a small degree; and there are as yet but few who can strictly govern themselves. The foundation for all intelligence is placed in man to be developed to produce great and more powerful results than he has ever thought of. You may place all the world’s wisdom in one man, and ask him whence he received his intelli– gence, and he cannot tell. Ask him, “Do you believe man has a soul? Do you believe his soul lives when he dies?” He will answer, “Yes; but I cannot tell where.” Or inquire of him, “Do you believe that the soul had an existence previous to its coming here?” He will reply, “I do not know.” Can you answer such questions? Yes; for you have been taught concerning these things. Have you been taught the character of the Father? Yes.

Will you improve upon the gifts bestowed upon you? Let me ask you, as a favor, to bless yourselves and friends by conquering and controlling yourselves—a principle that you should cultivate; then you may control others. But unless you control the passions that pertain to fallen nature—make all your faculties subservient to the principles God has revealed, you will never arrive at that state of happiness, glory, joy, peace, and eternal felicity that you are anticipating. Then learn to govern yourselves.

Were any professed Saints present, and there may be, who indulge in paltry pilfering, thieving, carousing, tippling, cursing, &c., I would advise them to contemplate their conduct with shamefacedness. Shame, also, to those women who run after the Gentiles! Such women are so corrupt that they are a distress to their sex. Are there any here of that class? I expect there are a few who will say, “Brother Brigham, how are you?” and shake hands, and then go and lie with a Gentile. I don’t want such persons to shake hands with me.

Brother Joseph has exhorted you to revere the character of our Savior. He who does not will sooner or later suffer. The Lord will bring us to an account for all we do, before that tribunal that will punish for all disgraceful conduct. Shame to those men and women who call themselves Latter-day Saints, and act disgracefully! You ought to be as pure and holy as angels. We are commanded to be pure as Christ is pure, and holy as he is holy. He passed through the trials, became sanctified, and prepared himself to dwell with the Gods; and he dwells in the midst of eternal burnings, where the principles and all that pertains to the celestial kingdom are a consuming fire to all that is impure. He has been exalted, crowned, and has received thrones, principalities, and powers; and he commands us to walk in his footsteps, in reference to every principle that pertains to eternal lives. Let us do this, that the whole body, from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, may be sanctified. Those who come short of this will be judged accordingly.

As to the persecution, the slander, and malicious acts aimed at us, who can expect anything else from the wicked and ignorant? Christ and Baal are not reconciled; the Lord will hold no fellowship with the Devil. But Satan will contend until he is driven from the earth. He is the adversary, the opposer, and accuser of the brethren. He opposes the Son of God in the great struggle between truth and error. This victory must be gained in our houses, neighborhoods, towns, counties, and states; and this common enemy of all Saints will continue to offer his opposition until driven from the earth, and will contend for every inch of ground.

Let us walk in the footsteps of our Father and of our Savior, cling to the principles of life, and live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Live to purify yourselves, and you will be able to overcome every power of the enemy. Children are now born who will live until every son of Adam will have the privilege of receiving the principles of eternal life.

God bless the Elders who preach to the nations, the sisters who pray for the kingdom, the men who labor in the fields and elsewhere, and all who ask Him to bless and build up his Zion, and bring in the reign of righteousness and peace, that all who desire may rejoice in the blessings of the government of God among men. God bless them, and the children of the Saints, in the name of Jesus.

Parents, have you ever noticed that your children have exercised faith for you when you have been sick? The little daughter, seeing you sick, will lift her heart with a pure, angelic-like prayer to heaven; and disease is rebuked when that kind of faith is exercised. God bless the children! I pray that they may live and be reared up in righteousness, that God may have a people that will spread and establish one universal reign of peace, and possess the powers of the world to come. This is my prayer constantly.

God bless you! Amen.

Address by Elder Orson Pratt, Sen., July 4th, 1860.

I rise, not for the purpose of delivering a lengthy address before this assembly. I do not claim to be an orator, a statesmen, or a politician; but I am an American citizen, in common with you all; and I am proud of the name.

I look back upon my ancestors as American citizens also, not only from the foundation of this republic, but from the first settlement of this country. They were among the “Pilgrims” that landed upon our eastern shore seven generations ago.

We have listened to a very eloquent address on the rise of the American nation—on the achievement of our national Independence, in relation to establishing the great platform of American liberty—viz., the American Constitution.

Much might be said upon each of these topics. Much might be said in relation to the sufferings endured by the colonies before they achieved their independence. Much might be said in relation to the battles fought by our fathers to obtain that liberty which they and we their children enjoy. It is not my intention to dwell upon these subjects; but I will call your attention, upon this occasion, to some of the rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution of our country.

A few years sufficed to demonstrate the inadequacy of the “Articles of Confederation,” to obviate which the Constitution was established, conferring increased power upon the General Government. That its power might be clearly understood, Article X of the amendments was ratified as follows—“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” It will be perceived that there are no prohibitions upon citizens outside the boundaries of States.

In the Constitution we find certain rights and privileges guaranteed to ALL American citizens. We there find certain powers delegated to the General Government, and certain powers reserved in the respective State governments, or to American citizens.

We read, in the 4th section of the 4th article of the Constitution, words to this effect—“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican form of government.” This one item in the Constitution is a power granted to the American Congress—to the American nation. They were limited by the Constitution in regard to the form of government that should be established upon American soil. They have not the right, by that Constitution, to organize a government upon any other than Republican principles. They have not the right to establish a monarchy upon this soil: the Constitution forbids or prohibits their doing so. In a national capacity, under the Constitution, they have not the right to guarantee any but a Republican form of government, which government of right emanates from the people to be governed. This is the very nature of a Republican form of government, as we American citizens understand it. It differs from various other governments whose history we have read. It differs from the Republican governments of past ages. We read that Republican governments existed in some of the ancient nations. They existed for a short period, and then ceased. But their forms and the forms of the governments now in the European nations are of a kind more or less different from the one with which we, as American citizens, are blest. It is not necessary, however, for me, in the few remarks I shall make, to dwell upon the various kingdoms and empires of the old world. Doubtless the citizens of Utah are sufficiently acquainted with the history of those nations to know that our American Government differs from them all in unreservedly granting to the people the power to govern themselves—the power to appoint their own officers—the power to enact their own laws; and Congress has no power granted by the Constitution to interfere with that system. But the Congress, the United States as a Union, are restricted in this particular; they are prohibited from granting any other than a Republican form of government upon the American continent.

Let us briefly turn our attention to the State Governments, and see if the Parent Government has fulfilled its pledge, in the Constitution, by granting Republican forms of government to the several States that have been admitted into our Union. Yes, they have permitted them to elect their own officers, enact their own laws, vote at Presidential elections, and have a representation in Congress, and a voice and vote in the governmental affairs of the nation.

How is it with the Territories? Is a Republican form of government extended to the Territories, according to the spirit and letter of the Constitution? In the first place, where can you find one item, from the beginning to the end, that grants to Congress the right to establish a Territorial government, unless petitioned by the people so to do? It cannot be found. And should citizens in a Territory petition Congress to grant to them a form of government, Congress are restricted to granting a form strictly and fully Republican. Some urge that a part of the 3rd section of Article IV—“The Congress shall have power to dispose of, and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the Territory or other property belonging to the United States,” gives Congress the right to legislate for American citizens who chance to reside in Territories. But the portion thus relied upon relates only to the disposition of Government property, and does not grant the power to dispose of the inhabitants that may dwell upon the public lands in Territories, as though the people thereof belonged to the United States as property.

My opinion is that Congress has no more power to exercise legislative jurisdiction over American citizens in Territories than it has over American citizens in States. In other words, that American citizens in Territories, equally with those in States, have the plainly guaranteed right to govern themselves. People from the various States settle upon the public domain; and shall simply crossing an air line in the same country prevent them from enjoying a Republican form of government, having a voice in the selection of their rulers, and the privilege of making their own laws without being subject to have them disapproved by Congress? If this is not the case in the treatment of Territories, I consider there is an infringement. It lies in the foundation—in the organization itself. And should the people living upon the public domain petition Congress to comply with certain conditions that were in vogue in the old monarchial nations of the world, and have their petitions granted according to its letter and spirit; they have no reason to complain. Still, it is assumed power in Congress to grant a territorial government.

But suppose we petition, in good faith, that Congress would notice that part of the Constitution that directs the giving of a Republican form of government, and we get something else, what shall we do then? It may suit the condition of the people, and it may not.

There are many rights that are named in the Constitution, and many that the Constitution says nothing about. These rights I shall not attempt to define. We have rights in regard to observing the Sabbath, and worshipping God according to the dictates of our conscience. We also have social and political rights guaranteed to us and to all the American people. All these might be taken up and reasoned upon; but you are acquainted with them.

If I were to petition Congress, I should petition that this old relic of the mother Government should be done away; and that when Congress granted a Government, they should grant a Republican instead of a monarchial one, and let all the people have the same privileges.

“But,” says one, “there is a great disparity in numbers.” What of that? Look at New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and many of the old States, where we find not only hundreds of thousands, but millions of inhabitants, and then look at Rhode Island, Delaware, and Maryland, and see the difference. If this disparity exists in States, why should it be brought up against a Territory? Those smaller States have the same representation in the Senate of the United States as the larger ones. Why, then, bring up this disparity of numbers? Some say we must not admit the Territories, because the disparity in Congress would be so great. It is all folly to bring up this argument.

Having said this much upon the rights guaranteed to American citizens, I will merely state that it is my opinion that it is the privilege of people settling upon the public domain to form a Republican “Provisional Government,” according to the feelings of the people, until Congress shall admit them into the Union.

Discourse by President Heber C. Kimball, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, July 1, 1860.

I have been very much interested with the discourse we heard this forenoon. It is what I call practical religion; and you will understand my feelings when I tell you that I consider there is no religion of any kind that is of any use, except that which is practical.

I read in the Book of Mormon, Bible, and in the revelations that are given and written for our instruction and benefit, and for the benefit of the people who lived in past ages, that the Lord says, in speaking of those that have favor with him—the meek, the humble, and those that have a contrite spirit—that manifest their faith by their works and call upon him continually, I will administer to them and impart unto them my will. The Lord our God lives, and it is because he lives that we live; for if the Lord had been dead, we should have been dead. He certainly does exist and dwell in the heavens, and I am aware of it.

During my experience in the Church, I have been placed in many situations, and thousands of items have been presented to my mind that would be of great service to the people. I have called upon the Lord and asked him for a great many things, and he has heard and answered me; and I have endeavored to take a course that would give me favor with him, with his Son, and with the Holy Ghost, that I might have things brought to my remembrance—that I might have a knowledge of things present and things to come.

This is our privilege, brethren, and it is the privilege of all the men that live upon the earth. We are Saints, and we should all live in that manner that would insure us all the blessings that are promised to the faithful Saints. Every man that has received the Priesthood, whether an Apostle, Prophet, High Priest, Elder, Bishop, Priest, or Teacher—all should live as one man—be of one heart and one mind. In regard to those things we have heard with regard to living and practicing our religion, that we may be able to build up Zion and establish the New Jerusalem. Unless we are very diligent, we shall be very far behind the times when the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven, adorned as a bride for her husband. Now, I believe that Enoch went away from here on a piece of earth, but I do not believe that he remained idle all the time: they have been improving and cultivating the earth—they have been multiplying and increasing the inhabitants where they live. So it is with the lost tribes of Israel: they are not asleep. God speaks to them through their Prophets, and they are learning to be obedient and to be subject to the law of God.

It is the privilege of the Elders of Israel to rise by the power of God, by living the religion of Jesus Christ.

Brethren, go to work and adorn the earth, adorn your habitations, and improve in everything that is good, that you may be qualified hereafter to do a good work. I have worked in my day, and learned two mechanical trades—the potter’s and blacksmithing, and worked considerable as a carpenter; but I never saw a blacksmith yet that was perfect, or one that could not improve more and more in making edge tools and other things. In fact, I never saw a mechanic perfect in his business; for there is always an advancement, an improvement in blacksmithing, in machinery, and in every branch of business. I learned the potter’s art, as I have said, and have carried on the business. I always found that I could improve, and I never saw a journeyman but I could learn from. It is so in England and everywhere else. I saw new styles in Staffordshire, England, when I was there. I saw something there that was very beautiful, and superior to anything I had ever seen before. So it is in building, in manufacturing. This, you know, will apply to our sisters as well as to our Elders. In short, we should all try to improve in everything that is good. I never saw a better time than it is today to improve in everything that is good, and then continue the work tomorrow, the next day, and so on.

[Blessed the sacramental cup.]

I wish to talk about things that are present with us, that pertain to us. We are continually talking about being the saviors of men. Now, how is it possible for one of us—I will take myself for an example, and I will repeat—If I do not take a course to preserve myself and my family, my wives and children, to provide for, and feed and clothe a small family, I want to know what I can do for a large one. We have to learn this, and that if we cannot take a course to lay up wheat, corn, meat, and the comforts of life, make cloth for our families, we cannot make cloth nor provide for others. If we do not take a course to provide for those around us, can we provide for our friends? We cannot. Then here is the place for us to begin—right here in the mountains.

We are out of bread: we have none in the Tithing Office only what we have drawn from Iron, San Pete, and Box Elder counties. Are we not in a fine condition? Suppose the Lord should deal with us as he is dealing with the people in California and those in Missouri, what should we do? I saw it in the papers that they have got as beautiful straw as ever grew, but there is not a kernel of wheat in it. If this should be the case with us, or if the Lord should send a hailstorm to destroy our grain, would we not be in a bad situation, as a people?

I can tell you it is time for us to be humble, prayerful, to live our religion—not only those men who hold office—not merely those who are selected to lead prayer circles and to pray according to the holy order, but it is for all; and we should ask our Father to bless these mountains and valleys—to bless our crops, our herds, and flocks; for every soul of you knows that by them our natural lives exist. Then, supposing your wheat is preserved, and mine is cut off, and that there are three-fourths of this people without bread, gentlemen, you have got to divide with us until we are all out. Now don’t you see that it depends upon one man as much as another? Do you think I would like to lock up my drawers and bins, and tie up my sacks? No. And if any of you want to do it, we should not let you: we would talk to our Bishops, and let them open the bins and take out a little, and then pay you for it. We do not want it of you for nothing at such times; we want to pay you the gold and silver for your grain, or whatever we receive from you. Suppose that each of you had your hats full of gold and silver, it would not make bread; and if you put yeast in it, it would not rise.

I have seen the time when my hat full of gold would not buy a barrel of flour, and then again I have seen the time when it could be got for almost nothing. I contend that every man that holds the Priesthood ought to be a savior temporally as well as spiritually, for we are in duty bound to try to save our natural lives. I would not give much for a spirit without a body, because it takes the spirit and body to make the soul of man: the temporal and the spiritual must be united to make the man.

The Lord is beginning to pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon his people, and he is also pouring out his wrath upon the wicked, especially the Missourians and others in the States. Their cattle are dying with disease, their crops are being cut off; and while these things are taking place, you and I ought to be humble and faithful: we ought to be good stewards, and lay up stores for that time which is to come, and thereby prepare for a day of scarcity.

Brethren, do you believe that there will be thousands and hundreds of thousands that will flock to this people for bread, for meat, for clothing, and for the comforts of life? Such will be the case, and I do not know but it will come before we are ready for it. There has never been a greater prospect of grain than there is at the present time; but we cannot tell how it will be next year at this time. There are hundreds of men in this Church that would not have believed that this people would have been brought down to the scarcity of wheat they are now.

Where is the wheat we boasted about having? The army down at Camp Floyd have got three years’ provisions on hand; and in case of famine, they would have to feed us. But don’t you see they have got the power in their own hands? And we have placed that power in their possession. What do we find in the Bible upon this subject? “The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.” They make preparation for that which is to come, more so than many of this people do.

Now, you know that you have tried to make it appear that brother Brigham has sold his grain to the army: but he says he has not, and I know he has not; neither have I. I have hauled wheat to the camp that the merchants have bought of this people, and I have got my pay for it. When I was on my last trip, it was reported that I was sending my wheat to Fort Hall; but I never sent any there. I do not suppose there is a man here that believes that President Young and myself have sold our wheat and flour, or provisions of any kind: but they seem to have a mind to make a scapegoat of us; but in this they have done wrong. If we had done as many of you have, you would not have had a mouthful; for there are many of you who do not raise any, and who have none but what you get from the Tithing Office and from private individuals. I have talked with brother Brigham, and he says that if this army were to go away, and another come in two years, this people would do just as they have done; but we must stick to them. It makes me feel, and it ought to make you feel. We put our grain into the hands of those men that should execute the law and see that we are protected. But they have come here to take your lives and mine; and if you would destroy all that kind of wickedness that has been introduced, live your religion, ye Elders of Israel, and honor your high callings.

I have done just as I have said: I have let my wheat out to my brethren. I could have had two dollars per bushel, but I would not have taken three dollars; and I still have some wheat in my bin.

I want to see the brethren and sisters engaged in home manufactures. My family are making cloth now, and it would be a good thing if all the people in this Territory would go to making cloth to clothe themselves with. What! says one, make cloth now, when there are plenty of goods? Yes; I am going to make more cloth this year than ever I did before. There are people in this congregation that I could point out who have decided to please themselves about making cloths and everything else; but I can tell you we have to learn to pursue that course that will make us independent. We must learn to keep our grain, take care of our stock, keep what we have got, and get what we can honestly; and we should never slacken in the principles of industry, in mechanism, or in the economy of life. Are you taking that course, brethren? Are you, brother Heber? I am: I can prove it. I never saw a time when it was more needed than it is now, and it will be more needed yet. Some will turn round and say, If you are just, you will teach us what God’s will is pertaining to us. The Lord has said that he will provide for his Saints, and nourish them, and send his angels to protect them. Don’t you see he is a jealous God? He is jealous of the nations of the earth, and he is going to scourge them for their iniquities.

These are my feelings, and these are things that I know, and I speak in soberness, in sincerity, and in truth. Am I going to bow down and let my enemies have power over me? No, sir; no person will prohibit or attempt to prohibit anyone doing right, except those that do not wish to keep the commandments of God—such, for instance, as the thief, the robber, the whore and whoremonger, and those that try to make all the lies they can.

Brethren, let us gird up our loins and be faithful in all things. Will you go naked and hungry? No, not if you will do right: there will be an abundance for all that do right. I have been as poor as the poorest of you. I have been so poor that I have seen many times when I had not a change of shirts. I have also been with brother Brigham when we were both very poor; and when you talk about going through troubles and trials, I think of what I have passed through for the Gospel’s sake, in connection with my brethren; but in the midst of those trials I have always been the happiest. What have we sacrificed? Nothing at all, when we consider that all belongs to our Father. Why do you want to get up in the meetings of the Saints and tell how you have sacrificed? Think of this in the future.

Have we not been among false brethren? Yes, we have suffered from that source. When Joseph had to flee, and there was hardly a person that you could trust, that was a trying time. You have left your homes, you have left nations of tyranny and oppression, and have come to these peaceful valleys, where the devils have been made subject to the Priesthood of the Most High.

So far as I am concerned, I can say that I have sacrificed ignorance to get light—I have sacrificed to overcome the Devil, and I will rise with those that rise and come off victorious. I consider that I have sacrificed nothing for God, but that the sacrifices I have made are for my own individual benefit, and to benefit the Almighty.

This is my testimony, and you know it as well as I do. Then do not talk about these sufferings. Do not go down to the grog shops and get drunk, fall and break your noses, and then tell how much you have suffered for the Gospel’s sake. Do not go without clothes when you might have plenty. Go to work and purchase a ewe sheep, and then you will soon have plenty; yes, you will soon have a large flock. Our chorister had but two sheep four years ago, and now he has a nice little flock, and has sold some; and you can do as well, if you will try—yes, every man and woman. How nice you look watching and taking care of a ewe sheep! Far better than you do with those little bonnets, for they are a cursed disgrace to the Saints; and all good men would say Amen.

Why don’t you raise sheep, and make your own dresses instead of putting on those rotten rags? Brother Brigham, Am I scolding? [President B. Young: “I don’t know.“] He says he don’t know; and if he don’t, how is it likely that you should?

O my Father and God, where is the honest man? I have lost confidence in the world, and in those that lay schemes of iniquity.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, June 24, 1860.

I arise, by the request of brother Kimball, to speak to the congregation. What I may say I do not know at the present time; but one thing I do know, and that is, I earnestly desire the gift of the Holy Spirit, to enable me to speak to the edification of those present; and then, whatever is said will be right, and we shall be mutually instructed, and our minds informed.

One of the great fundamental principles of our religion is the Divine authority which God has sent down from heaven and conferred upon man. It lies at the foundation of the great work that we have embraced. Without it, we are nothing—we are mere ciphers; we are no better off than the rest of the world. No matter how many truths we might embrace in our faith, and how many principles we might advance for the instruction of one another, nor however much knowledge we might gain and impart one to another, yet, if we were not in possession of this principle of authority from heaven, all would be vain—all would be useless; all we could do would be like the turning to and fro of the door upon its hinges. Our ordinances would be in vain, our baptisms would be in vain, our confirmations would be in vain, our preaching and our testimonies would be in vain, and, finally, there would be nothing pertaining to our religion that would be serviceable or saveable in its nature. But let authority be sent down from heaven and conferred upon man, so that he will have the right to act in the name of the Lord, and so that he will have the right to administer ordinances in his name, and to act, to preach, to testify, and exhort in the name of the Lord.

Then what is done will stand; it will be lawful, it will be eternal, it will be recognized in the heavens in the day of judgment, and it will be sanctioned by all the pure and holy beings that are saved. When, therefore, we teach this generation, we teach this as one of the great fundamental principles of our religion.

That authority has been given, not from man, not from any individual or combinations of men, but it has been given from a superior source and a superior power, and eventually it has been conferred upon us, giving us the legal right to administer to the human family. This authority, when acted upon and when properly received, is saveable in its nature, and without it we may despair of obtaining salvation in the kingdom of God. We might as well give up first as last. But we do verily know (for with us it is not belief or guesswork)—but we have a knowledge, that God has given this authority: we know it for ourselves; we know it as individuals, and not for the rest of mankind, but each individual for himself, provided he has received the gift of the Holy Ghost; and if he has not received that gift and blessing, he does not know it, for no man can know the things of God but by the Spirit of God. No man can know by his natural eyesight, nor even see the things of God; they are to be spiritually discerned. No man can know by the hearing of the ear—by the testimonies that are given to other individuals, nor by the miracles that are performed; in short, no man can know the things of God unless he has received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Egyptians did not know, when Moses and Aaron performed miracles, that they were the servants of God. They saw water apparently turned into blood; they saw frogs and insects come before their eyes; but they saw the magicians do the same things, and they had not sufficient knowledge to know the difference between the powers of the children of God and those possessed by themselves. Although they believed, yet they did not know, for want of the Holy Spirit. Their hearts were not sufficiently prepared to receive that heavenly light, that divine gift by which that power was among them.

How easily we may be operated upon, and how liable we are to be led astray by the opposite power! How easily the children of Israel were led astray! Their minds darkened and their faith was destroyed, because they did not retain this authority and power in their hearts. The thunders of Mount Sinai, the clouds and darkness, and all the magnificent scenery that surrounded them did not create within them that living, abiding testimony that comes by the Holy Ghost. There, in the midst of all these scenes, they could build a calf, fall down before it, and acknowledge it to be their god. They could say, not only in their own hearts, but to one another, “These be thy gods, O Israel!” While mountains were covered with vast clouds, while the lightnings were yet striking down, and while the whole mountain of Sinai was trembling because of the power of God, yet that power was not recognized—it was not respected, but a golden calf was considered to be the god that brought them out of the land of Egypt.

How vain, then, without the Holy Ghost, his abiding witness, this authority that comes from heaven and the knowledge of it! By this authority, sent down from heaven, we obtain a knowledge of future events; by it we obtain a knowledge as the fathers did—we receive that which is promised upon our heads, even that which is promised in regard to our posterity to the latest generations; by it we shall obtain all that was promised in relation to our ancestors—also that which is promised in relation to Priesthood, power, greatness, and glory. All these things are given through the authority that God has ordained and bestowed on man here upon the earth.

[Blessed the sacramental cup.]

Mankind have assumed to themselves various degrees of authority. Mankind have assumed to themselves, from the earliest ages, after our creation, to establish by their own authority civil governments, and also to establish by their own authority ecclesiastical or church governments. These governments that have assumed authority to rule, and reign, and govern the people, will crumble to ashes before the might, the strength, and power of the kingdom of our God. One, perhaps, has assumed authority after one method; another has assumed it after another: one has established one form of government, and another form: one has erected a standard of religion to guide the human mind in relation to their welfare and happiness, and another has set up a separate creed; and we find that our world, from ages immemorial, has been under all kinds of authority and government, civil and ecclesiastical; and the nations of the earth have honored these governments, more or less.

Perhaps it may be said that the Lord is the Author of all these governments. That we may admit in one sense, and in one sense only, because he controls those governments to a certain extent, as we have been told from this stand. But is the Lord the Author of a government that admits of no authority from heaven? He may permit those governments to exist, and he may control the result of their actions for the glory of his name and for his own benefit; but to suppose that the Lord has directly established the monarchical governments that have existed for ages that are past, and the Republican governments that have existed through or in different generations, and the various other governments, some of which have stood the test of centuries—to suppose that the Almighty organized all of them, I say, would be inconsistent.

But some might say, Is it not better to have these forms of government than to have none at all? Admit that it is better than to let every man go which way he pleases; and therefore, when the Lord saw that the people were so far departed from heaven and from him, and from the form given from heaven, he may have suffered those forms of government to be established, and that, too, for the benefit of the inhabitants of the earth; and he may have had, and may still hold, his hand indirectly over the wise men of the earth, and move upon their hearts to establish many good and wise principles for the benefit of the people. All this he has done for his name’s glory; therefore we acknowledge the hand of the Lord in controlling all the governments and kingdoms of the earth. But where is that heavenly, divine authority that comes down from above? Where is it to be found in the present generation, among all the nations and kingdoms in the four quarters of our globe, except it be in these mountains? Where has it been in ages that are past, since the Apostles fell asleep? You may traverse our earth from one side to the other to find a government established by the Almighty, and you cannot do it. Or, if you do not want to find a people who will say that God was at the foundation of the establishment of their governments, find a people who will say that God directs in their movements, in their councils, in their senates, in their houses of parliament—find a nation that will acknowledge that God governs them by the spirit of revelation. You cannot find such a one: there are none such in existence among the nations abroad, for they all say they do not acknowledge the principle. If you go over to the Old World, and travel from one end to the other and ask the question, Do you acknowledge God in your movements—in making war one with another? Does God give you revelation to guide you? Have you any Prophets that are appointed by divine authority, who can say, “Thus saith the Lord God concerning this people?” You will find the united testimony of kings and senators to be that God does not speak in this our day—there is no such thing as revelation in this generation. Then go to the ecclesiastical governors and ask the same question. Go to the Pope that pretends to occupy the chair of St. Peter, and he will say, “Oh, I occupy the same position as Peter—the same apostleship and calling.” Do you act in the same duties? He will answer, “Oh, yes, I guide and direct my people as Peter did; but there is no revelation now; for, since the days of John the Revelator, the canon of Scripture has been closed up, and we are to be guided by their revelations; but we are not to have any more.”

This is what the Pope would tell you; it is what the cardinals would say; and the bishops and clergy would all tell you that the canon of Scripture is forever closed. They have no God to decide relative to their principles and doctrines, and to correct errors that may creep into their church. In the next place, you may go to all the reformers and other branches of the ecclesiastical government, and with one united voice they will all tell you the same thing—viz., that the Bible contains all that is necessary and that can conduce to the benefit of the people. No prophet, no inspired man in our day, and has not been for many generations past; and hence there have been no additions to our Scriptures. This is the state of the whole world, apart from this divine authority that is claimed by the Latter-day Saints in these mountains.

If the question be asked us by all the nations and kingdoms upon the earth, “Do you profess to be guided in your councils by revelation from the heavens?” There would scarcely be a voice in the negative. I believe they would all answer in the affirmative, and say, “We believe in revelation from on high; we believe that angels have come and administered to the Apostles and Prophets, that intelligence has been sent down from heaven, that Prophets and Revelators have been in our midst, and that revelations have been given from the commencement of the Church, and that we know that the counsels and great movements of our Church have been dictated by revelation.” And here is where we differ from the whole world.

It must be remembered that this is not one of those points that are generally supposed to be nonessential: it is as different from many of those disputed questions as the sun at its meridian splendor is from the moon making her appearance in midday. This is a great and an important question.

Where is there power to govern civilly or ecclesiastically—I mean the power of God? Will he not bring all their thrones to an end? Where is there a law passed by human authority that will stand the searching glance of the Almighty? Where is there a kingdom or council organized among the nations that now exist that gets the counsel of the Almighty to direct them? All that do not obtain this direction will be rooted up in the great day to come; they will be overthrown and brought to naught. And even their domestic institutions are wrong. Where is there a nation among those governments where the people have been brought into the bonds of matrimony according to the order of God? When the great day of the Lord comes, it will come to end their marriages. There will be nothing but good feelings left between man and wife—between parents and children, because they have not been begotten, neither have their marriages been solemnized by that authority which is known on high. Then children can no longer recognize their fathers and mothers as such, neither can men and women any longer dwell together as husband and wife, when that great day shall come; for all things that are established by human authority must come to an end, and cease forever.

But when, on the other hand, we consider the authority that is given to us from heaven, we see something that will never come to an end. There will be something that will endure when the mountains and hills shall melt like wax, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. At that day there will be among the Latter-day Saints those holding that authority that is from on high—that inspiration that comes from heaven. Then, when the Great Eternal Son of the Father shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, we shall stand firm upon the rock that will endure forever, even by the authority that God has ordained.

How great reason the Latter-day Saints have to rejoice when they contemplate these great privileges and blessings, and when they contemplate that the same authority that God established in the beginning, when our first parents were upon the earth (the same authority that proceeded from the Great Eternal in the morning of creation), is again restored. Ours is an ecclesiastical Church, and an ecclesiastical state. We have something that is enduring, and this rejoices my soul when I think upon it. This present state of existence is, as the Apostle says, but a shadow, and our probation ends in death.

Many of the Latter-day Saints have been properly instructed in regard to this authority that is sent from God. Where is there an individual that has been united in the order of God who would like these bonds to be severed, and henceforth be left in conjecture? What would the world give, if they were acquainted with these divine principles? It is because they are ignorant of them that they are contented to marry in the way they do at the present time. We can see that they are principles that we need, and that are ordained by the Almighty, implanted in the bosoms of men and women. They are principles that minister to our happiness. Then why should those sacred ties be torn asunder when this body dies? Why should the pursuance of that course which sustains us in this life be broken up forever in that which is to come? Would this be consistent with the character of the All-wise Creator for him to implant certain principles, instincts, and passions in our nature, to be enjoyed in our present existence, and to break them asunder forever? No, it would not; neither has he any disposition to impart gifts, principles, and passions, and then destroy them again. To this end the Lord has ordained authority to be exercised upon the earth, and he is manifesting that it is He who rules in the heavens; and he will continue to show to the people that these ordinances, powers, privileges, and blessings enjoyed in this Church are to continue and endure forever, and that his house is a house of order. He can easily overthrow this human authority, and carry out that which is heavenly.

For the accomplishment of this, he has given the keys of the holy Priesthood, and there are many sitting before me who have received this Priesthood, and it will remain with the faithful after their graves shall have been covered up and the green grass grown thereon. It will go with them in the spirit world and aid them in disseminating the principles of salvation there, and by it they will be brought forth in the resurrection of the just.

The first speaker expressed his opinion as to the possibility of our attaining that point, or reaching that degree of perfection that will enable us to retain all the heavenly principles in our bosoms that we receive from day to day, and be able to practice upon them, and thereby overcome disease and death itself. This is all very good; but there is much to be done—many temptations to resist, and weaknesses to overcome, before we can live by the light which is in us.

If we fall into transgression and wallow in iniquity, we lose our position and our claim on the goodness and protection of our Heavenly Father; but, by a faithful adherence to the principles of virtue and righteousness, we shall prepare ourselves to come forth in the resurrection of the just, and dwell with the sanctified.

Let us shake off our imperfections and put away our follies, lift up our heads and rejoice, and call upon the name of the Lord. The promises made to us are sure, and we shall inherit them.

Consider the great blessings that have been already conferred upon us, having been sealed up by the Holy Spirit of promise to come forth with the just and inherit all things; and these have been recorded for our benefit. If we transgress, we shall have to suffer for that transgression here in the flesh; and after we lay our bodies down, we shall suffer in the spirit world, until we have suffered enough for all our sins, unless we have shed innocent blood. For those who have committed that sin there is no forgiveness in this world, nor in that which is to come.

Here is something that is permanent; here is a chance to take hold of the word of God, as described by Lehi. It is our privilege to hold fast and hold on to them. And if we should be cut off in the flesh and sent down to be punished in the spirit world, and there be buffeted by those spirits, and still retain our memories, we can say these sufferings will not endure forever, but we shall enjoy all that has been put upon our heads, and, through the Priesthood, and signs and tokens that have been revealed, come forth in the first resurrection, and pass by the sentinels and the Gods that stand to keep the way to eternal lives. And if there be thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, we shall come in possession of them, for this is the promise of the Almighty.

This is like an anchor to our souls; this is something to rejoice in beyond this world. It lays hold of eternal lives; it lays hold of eternal exaltations, of eternal thrones, of eternal authority and power to reign in the kingdom of God forever and ever.

This is the kind of authority and blessing that is calculated to satisfy mankind in relation to the things of God, and nothing else will.

May God bless us all, is my prayer. Amen.

Remarks by President Daniel H. Wells, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday, June 17, 1860.

I rejoice in the privilege of meeting with the brethren and sisters—of meeting, I may say, with Saints—with those who have gathered out from the midst of the nations of the earth for the purpose of building up the kingdom of God upon the earth with persons from almost every nation, kin– dred, tongue, and people. Actuated by a single motive, and that motive and that object the building up of the Church and kingdom of God, have this people gathered from among the nations and from the islands of the sea. Should it not rejoice our hearts to meet such characters? Should it not be a matter of pleasure to be associated with such a community, and to have a part and lot in the establishment of truth and righteousness upon the earth?

I feel to rejoice continually in connection with my brethren in this work in which we are all engaged. No matter what order of occupation we are in, it is all for this sole object—to establish righteousness and peace, and put down every species of wickedness. Our object is to establish a nucleus of power to protect and preserve righteous principles upon the earth, and the kingdom and government of the Almighty that shall never be thrown down. This is the motive, and it is a great and glorious and a noble enterprise, and its results will be pleasing, affording joy and peace in the Holy Ghost, and eventually exaltation and eternal lives.

Our minds have been touched with the light of truth—the law of heaven—the Spirit of the living God, and we have been enabled to see a few things, and we have now come together that we may learn of those principles. This work and cause which we have espoused is no idle tale, but a living, stern, and glorious reality. It was said by our Savior to the multitude, “What have ye come out to see? A reed shaken with the wind?”

We can answer that question in the negative. No; we have come for a great, grand, and glorious purpose. We have many things in connection with this purpose to perform to unite our lives, resources, and powers in the spreading abroad the truths of high Heaven, the gathering of Israel, the redemption of Zion, and the establishment of the principles of righteousness and peace upon the earth.

We have to train up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—to seek to establish the principles of righteousness among men—to put down iniquity, stop the floods of wickedness and corruption that almost overflow the earth.

It is a strong current we have to stem; it is a warfare. We have to wage war against the powers of darkness; and sometimes it seems as though the floods were so great that it would overwhelm the Saints. It frequently appears as if there were no possibility of rising above it. But our past experience has shown us that the Church and kingdom of God has risen above these things, and that it has continually increased and extended abroad, and it is still progressing, and will continue to prosper from this time forth and forever. From its commencement it has known no stopping place, neither will it ever.

We live in the generation of the world in which the set time to gather Israel has come, to bring about and accomplish the purposes of God, which must be brought about in the last days. The Lord has commenced to gather and organize his people, that they may be more fully taught in the principles of eternal life. It is now too late for the people of the wicked nations to think that they can overcome it, as did the wicked in days gone by; for this never can be done. The work of God will roll forth in power, in might and strength, sweeping sin and wickedness from the earth, and the Lord will rule King of nations as he does now King of Saints.

This, brethren and sisters, is the work for which we are assembled together, and we have the pleasure and satisfaction of knowing that we can travel hundreds of miles here without meeting with scarcely any, except these who have embraced the Gospel, and gathered to this Territory for the selfsame purpose that we ourselves have. The majority of the people in this extensive Territory have come for this cause, and with a desire to do right and live the lives of Saints.

Is there wickedness here? Yes, there are those who have been born in this kingdom, that have dishonored themselves—some of them, too, that bear the names of those who were witnesses to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, as well as others who bear the name of Prophets who are mentioned in that book. It pains my heart to see it—to hear children profaning the name of the Deity. How will we feel, if we train up our children to permit them to live in this way—in a way that they will become a disgrace to their parents? Is it an honor to be born in Zion? Is it a blessed privilege to be trained up under the genial influences of that Spirit that leads to life and to an understanding of the principles thereof? Is it not a blessing to be enabled to discover and put far from us the false traditions of our forefathers? If so, how much more the disgrace of that person who dishonors his parentage, and the Church and kingdom of God, and that will also dishonor himself? Men do this to themselves—to the kingdom of God—the cause of truth and righteousness. But thanks be to our Father that the cause of truth and righteousness cannot suffer at the hands of the wicked, but Zion will rise and shine, and her greatness and glory will be seen, and in her strength, power, and might she will tread down every opposing foe. How should we feel in regard to our children, and to training them up that they may not depart from the ways of righteousness and truth? Does it meet with the approbation of the Almighty when we neglect them? The Lord said to Abraham when he blessed him—“I know that he will command his children after him.”

If this was a reason for giving blessing to Abraham, why should not every man who will live for it get a similar blessing in this generation? And in this way man can become great and mighty in the kingdom of God, and be useful in the Church of Christ.

Then let us pursue this course, that our children may honor us in their day and generation, that they may be an honor and an ornament in the Church and kingdom of God, instead of being a disgrace to those they associate with.

Mothers have a great deal to do with this; their duties and responsibilities are great towards their children; and none need be idle in this kingdom, for all can make themselves useful, no matter what their calling is.

There is everything needed in the kingdom of God that is required for the establishment of any other kingdom, save wickedness, and that I suppose must abide until a righteous influence shall be raised broad enough and deep enough to wither and dry it up. Then let us labor to root up wickedness, and let righteousness prevail in the minds of the Saints.

These are my feelings and my desires; and I pray God to bless all with the light of his Holy Spirit to guide us in the path of virtue and rectitude, that we may be enabled to do right, walk humbly and obediently before our God, and continually do those things that shall be pleasing in his sight, that we may at all times have his smiles and approbation. This is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Discourse by Elder John Taylor, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, June 17, 1860.

It is not very often that I take a text when I attempt to preach; but I have thought, since I was invited to address you, that I would take one—two or three, perhaps, this afternoon, and make some remarks upon them. I generally like to observe passing events, and to notice words and actions of men—to study their import and bearing upon me and the community. It is upon some reflections of this kind that I am about to speak, and from which I shall take my text.

The first is a remark made by President Young. You may call it the gospel according to St. Young, St. Brigham, or what you please; and I am not very particular which book you put it in, or how you name it. In some remarks that he made to the inhabitants of Cache Valley, he said—“This people will never be driven from this Territory, except they drive themselves.” This is part of my text. Another part is contained in some remarks made by President Kimball this morning, and you may call it the gospel according to St. Heber, if you please. It is something like this—“We can all be happy, if we have a mind and disposition to labor for it.” The next is from some writer—I do not now remember his name. He says, “Man is the founder of his own destiny.”

Wherever there is a true principle presented, it is well to investigate, and see how far it is applicable to us. We find here remarks made and uttered, of the greatest importance to the human family. We do not realize or appreciate their bearing fully, neither do we comprehend how far they concern or will affect us or the society with which we are associated. As intelligent beings, as men possessed with the spirit of truth, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, as men who believe that we are acting with reference to eternity, it is well for us at all times to ponder well the path of our feet, and understand the position that we occupy on this earth, to know as near as possible the relationship that we sustain to God, to each other, to the world, and, as near as we can, the various duties that devolve upon us to attend to. These are things that we profess more or less to be governed by. We profess to have a portion of the Spirit of Truth, and we pray frequently that that Spirit may guide and direct us in our movements among the children of men. Let us endeavor to be guided by it in all our business relations, and in our intercourse with each other, that it may govern all our actions in life.

These are feelings that we often have experienced, and yet how frequently we depart from that spirit which we possess intuitively, and the instructions from those who are teaching us the principles of truth.

Now, there is nothing more true than these sayings that I have repeated over in your hearing. Take into consideration this people, and the position they occupy. What is it? And who are we? Why, we profess to be the people of God, and we are the people of God. We profess to be Saints of the Most High, and this is what we are in reality, or should be. This does not, of course, apply to those who are not Saints. We profess that this is the work of God in which we are engaged, and our profession is strictly correct. When we say this is the Church and kingdom of God, we believe it and so it is; and it is the only Church and the only kingdom that he has on this earth in this generation that we know anything about. We profess to know that God has revealed his law, that he has restored the holy Priesthood, and that he is communicating his will to the human family. We profess to believe that the kingdom of God will overrule and prevail over every other power and every other form of government and that it will go on from strength to strength, from power to power, from intelligence to intelligence, from knowledge to knowledge; and that in the due course of events, it will rule over the whole earth, until every creature upon the earth and under the earth and on the sea will be subject to the law of God, to the kingdom of God, to the dominion of God, and to the rule of the holy Priesthood.

This is our profession. We believe it: at any rate we profess to believe it; and if we do not we are hypocrites. We profess, further, to be the elect of God—set apart, elected, chosen by him to be his servants to accomplish his work upon the earth—in the first place, to establish correct principles among ourselves, and then to teach these principles to others, no matter what they relate to, whether to family matters, to the state, to a town, a corporation, or a government—no matter whether they relate to the Government of our own country, our own family, or a world. We profess to be under that Government. And further, all our opinions, all our movements, and intercourse with each other and with the nations of the earth, we believe to be governed and regulated by the law of God. These are some of our views and feelings respecting our religion and its influence upon our actions.

If these things are correct—and they most assuredly are—we are God’s people, and he is bound by everything that is calculated to bind either man or God. He is bound to take care of his people, if they take care of themselves. If they honor their calling and priesthood—if they magnify and do credit to the power and authority that is conferred upon them—if they do not deviate from correct principles, God is bound to fulfil all things according to the obligations that he is under—one of which is to provide for his Saints. Now, where does the matter rest taking it in connection with the first part of our text? Where does it necessarily rest? Does it not rest with God? It does, and he is faithful in his part. Who has ever known God to depart from correct principles? Come, let me stand up in his defense, if you please. I never have, and I am well satisfied that you never did.

There is not a man upon the earth that has put his trust in God, I do not care what part of the world he has been in, but what can say that he delivered him. I know that has been the case with me, emphatically so. I have been satisfied, when in foreign lands and in strange countries, where I had no access but to the Almighty, that he was on my side, and I know that he has answered my prayers.

We know that God lives, because we have the things that we ask at his hands. Taking it then, in this point of view, What is it that can cause us, as a people, to suffer any difficulty, or trouble, or privation? It is our own acts, our own corruptions, our own faults and weaknesses. Did we not have a sample of it this morning in the President’s remarks? He said, “I have, in years gone by, gone almost shirtless, and I have gone to men who had plenty, but they would not trust me ten dollars.” Well, he was faithful, and they could not deprive him of that to which he was entitled. They might deprive him of the necessaries of life, and of those things that would make him and his family comfortable and happy for the time being; but they could not put anything between him and the kingdom of God. That being who had promised to stand by him, and whom he continued to fear, blessed him temporally and spiritually; he supplied all his wants, enabled him to feed and administer to those individuals who were so penurious that they could not trust in God. Is not that a proof of the position I am taking? It is; and you can see proof after proof and circumstance after circumstance: I could name many of them.

I have seen those that were proud cast down; I have seen the meek exalted, and the poor made to rejoice in the Holy One of Israel, and seen peace and plenty poured into their lap, so that they have been comfortable and happy, while the other class have been cast down—become poor and destitute; or, if they have wallowed in luxury, they have since gone to the Devil.

These are things which, if you will reflect upon them, will produce good results, if they lead you to conduct and regulate your heart by the Spirit of truth and the law of God. It is well to study the world and the overruling hand of God. You will see many pursue the path of luxury and ease, and neglect their Priest– hood and their God, and the result will be as those mentioned. I speak of this as a general principle—as one that exists between God and this earth. Man, assisted by the Lord, is the founder of his own destiny. We do not always see this principle developed at once. Sometimes the hand of God is withheld, and he suffers his people to be chastened. At present this appears hard, and to some it seems urgent; yet it is for their good. This principle has existed to a great extent among the nations of the earth. They are raised up and cast down. They come into existence, grow, flourish, and expand, and are powerful; and by a touch they crumble, wither, and decay. But the nations know not God; they do not observe his laws, and have no claim upon his protection. It has been so from the commencement and it will continue so until the winding-up scene. It will apply to the human family until the earth shall be redeemed.

It is true that these things are not always visible to our senses. We sometimes see the wicked flourish, just as David said he did; but by-and-by they are cut down. There is no pity in their death, neither is there that kindly feeling that is manifested for the righteous.

Good men have had to endure affliction, privations, trials, and sorrow, it is true. Abraham had to pass through afflictions that were harrowing to his feelings. Men of God have had to wander about in sheepskins and goatskins, and been considered the scum and offscourings of society, by men who understood not their relationship to God. They appeared destitute, but were, in reality, not. They had a hope that was buoyant, and looked for a city that had foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Events of a similar kind have transpired among us. Brother Kimball and others have realized it, as those did in ancient times. There is no difference between this latter and former dispensation in this respect. Those who have held the Melchizedek Priesthood, many of whom had the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and much of the spirit of prophecy, even where there was no organization of Priesthood or of the kingdom of God upon the earth, stood as isolated characters in the world, and maintained their integrity before God. But we have a kingdom, the pattern of which has been revealed from the great God, given for our own happiness and salvation. And with the laying of the foundation of his kingdom on the earth there is a promise given unto us that the powers of darkness and all the power of hell combined shall not prevail against this kingdom. In this respect we differ from all others.

At the time that Jesus lived, the Apostles entertained this hope respecting the kingdom that he organized; but long before that, it had been prophesied that a certain power should prevail against the Saints, and that the kingdom, with its organization, should pass from the earth; and this all came to pass: but such will never be the case with this kingdom. Here is the difference between the dispensation of Jesus and the one in which we live.

The Lord organized this earth for a certain purpose, and placed you and me upon it, and also millions of beings who came here before us and passed into another state. He organized it for a certain purpose, and it will accomplish its design; so also will the human family. Should I say, then, that God is the arbiter of his own fate?

You will allow me to mix up my texts, I presume; for I do not mean to take up firstly, secondly, and thirdly; but I mean to use them wherever I think they will apply.

Is God the arbiter of his own fate? There is no necessity for this; for God rules and reigns, and controls things at his pleasure. Will righteous men always be trodden under foot by their enemies? No; for it is contrary to the design of God: he has given us ability to choose the good and refuse the evil. We can work iniquity or righteousness, just as we please; and the Devil has taken advantage of this, and tried to surround men’s minds with such influences as would bring about their ruin, that he might lead them captive at his will. The Lord has not bound them, nor controlled them; but the result of their actions he has controlled, whenever they have taken a course that was of itself calculated to injure his people.

The Lord says, “The wrath of man shall praise me: and the remainder I will restrain.” He will let mankind pursue happiness in their own way; and according to their desire, he will let them drink the cup of their own iniquity in their own way. On the other hand, he has manifested his goodness, and will continue to do it to all his children. What does he design to accomplish? The building up of this kingdom upon the earth, the establishment of righteousness, the driving back of the Adversary, and the banishing of his Satanic Majesty from the earth. By this means, the principles of truth will be extended throughout the length and breadth of the earth, and all will bow to God and his Christ, and the chosen ones will administer the ordinances of his house forever and ever.

The Almighty had this object in view long ago: the old Prophets testified of it in generations that are passed. Job, who was said to have been a very patient man, spoke of it in his day, and the Apostles of our Lord talked about the time when Jesus would come to reign upon the earth. Visions, dreams, and reve– lations are multiplied upon this subject. The Lord is a little more capacious in his views than we are, and calculates more largely; and things that look very great and important to us are very small with him.

It is said that a thousand years with us are as one day with the Lord. He will bring to pass the work which he has designated; and what will it be? It will be the destruction of the ungodly, and the exaltation of the Saints to a celestial kingdom and glory. It will be the resurrection of the dead, and the exaltation of all who have obeyed him to thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers in worlds that are prepared for the faithful. Then he will have accomplished his purposes with regard to this world. Then those men who have suffered for a long time will feel like old Job, when he said, “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.”

It was by the Spirit of truth and the revelations of God to Job that enabled him to say, “Though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.”

Father Abraham will come forth in the resurrection of the just. He saw the day of the Lord and was glad, and he will possess and enjoy all the blessings promised unto him. He will accomplish all that is written concerning him and that has been predicted by the Prophets.

The Apostle Stephen prophesied of this, and said, “God promised to Abraham that he would give him this land, and he will fulfil his promise.” Abraham will inherit that which was promised to him upon this earth, when he has fulfilled his destiny in other respects; then the promised land will be awarded to him. I might enumerate many other circumstances and instances of a similar kind. The Lord called Joseph Smith to be a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. As soon as this was done, the Devil was ready for the opposition, and said, “I shall stand in my place, and what will Joseph Smith be able to accomplish?” We say that he will accomplish all that is required of him, despite all opposition.

One of the ancients said, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Who has been injured by the late crusade of the United States against us? With one of the best equipped armies that was ever organized in the United States, they came to crush this people and to wipe us out of existence, defiant, menacing, threatening, proud and haughty, with all the parade, the pomp, and circumstance of war: but the Lord put a hook in their nostrils, stripped them of their glory, left them shivering in the cold, and fed them on mule’s legs. Who has been hurt?

We are still here, and God is controlling matters for our good. President Young says, “It will continue to be so, if we live our religion as we understand it, and leave the wicked alone; for those who are opposing the Church of Christ cannot hurt us, and all such characters will have their portion in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.” Then let us gird up our loins and maintain the principles of truth—do all we can to root out iniquity from our midst, but let the wicked wallow in the filthiness of their own debaucheries.

We have separated ourselves from the world in which we live; we have been baptized, by immersion in water, for the remission of sins; we have had hands laid upon us for the gift of the Holy Ghost; and the question with us now is, Shall we condescend to go again into the beggarly elements of the world, or shall we continue in obedience to the law of God? If we do not obey the law which the Lord has given for our guidance, we shall go down to destruction, and our second state will be far worse than the first. We are now laying a foundation for ourselves and our posterity; and what is it that will flash upon our minds if we turn away from the truth? We shall think of the time when we thought we were the Saints of God; we shall think of our associations with this people, and these reflections will greatly increase our misery.

Are we not the framers of our own destiny? Are we not the arbitrators of our fate? This is another part of my text, and I argue from it that it is our privilege to determine our own exaltation or degradation; it is our privilege to determine our own happiness or misery in the world to come. What is it that brings happiness now—that makes us so joyous in our assembling together? It is not wealth; for you may pour wealth, honor, influ– ence, and all the luxuries of this world into the lap of man; and, destitute of the Spirit of God, he will not be happy, for that is the only source from which true happiness and comfort can come.

If I am doing right, I am preparing for thrones, principalities, and dominions, resolved by the help of God that no man shall rob me of my crown. With this view of the subject, all the outward circumstances of this life do not trouble me.

I know it is the case that many men would like to have everything they can desire or think of; and I used to think, if I were the Lord, I would give the people everything they wanted—all the money, all the honor, all the riches, and all the splendor their hearts could desire; but experience and observation have caused me to change my mind, for I know that such policy would not be good for the human family.

The Lord will try this people in all things, that they may be prepared for celestial glory.

Brethren and sisters, the time to bring our meeting to a close has come, I will therefore bring my remarks to a close, and pray God to bless you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made at Kaysville, June 13, 1860.

I have time to say but a few words. It is three years and a few days since I was last here, and you are acquainted with the scenes we have passed through since that short time.

I am rejoiced to meet and associate with the Saints. It is one of the greatest privileges and blessings I can enjoy on the face of this earth, to gather out from the wicked world with the Saints, and be far away from the contaminating influence of the breath of the ungodly.

It is a great comfort to enjoy the privilege of passing day after day, week after week, and month after month, without hearing the name of God blasphemed. Here we have the privilege of sending the Gospel to the utmost parts of the earth, of teaching our children righteousness, of setting a righteous example before our neighbors, of associating together, of praying with and for each other, and mingling our voices in praising our God. Is not this a blessing? True, we are not entirely free from wickedness; we are in a world of sin and iniquity. All the inhabitants of the earth have wandered from the path of truth, and it is our duty to lead our children and friends towards our Father and God, to forsake the wickedness that is in the world, and promote righteousness and the principles of life—the life of the body and of the mind—the existence of the spirit and the body here and to all eternity—to dwell with our Father and our God. Life is before us.

Here are the Saints, and the words of the Savior will apply to them—“He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” He does not say that his body shall not crumble to dust. It will go back to its mother earth, to be raised immortal—to be brought forth to enjoy the light, glory, and presence of our Father and God, which we cannot endure while we are in this mortal tabernacle. This body must be purified and prepared to dwell in eternal burnings, for it is there where our Father and God dwells in the perfection of glory, light, and power.

Is it not a blessing to have schools in our community, where our teachers can teach our children correct principles, and impart to them education that will be useful? Is it not a blessing to associate with each other and build up the kingdom of God? Is it not a blessing to you, mothers, to raise up Prophets and Apostles—men filled with the glory of God, to go forth and extend the work of our God?

Do I not realize, day and night, that I have the good feelings, prayers, and faith of the Saints on the earth? I do. Let me enjoy the fellowship of angels, of God, and of his Saints, and I am right.

You have my prayers continually for the welfare of the kingdom of God on the earth.

May God bless you! I know that his blessings will rest upon you, if you live for them. Amen.

Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, made in Kay’s Ward, June 13, 1860.

I have not much to say; but I feel as though I had a right in my calling, and by virtue of the holy Priesthood upon me, to bless you, and to pray the blessing of our Father and God to be with you, in connection with the blessing you have received from President Young. I feel to bless the earth, and to bless the seed you may place on the earth—you and your wives and your children, and your children’s children. I am aware that you are not fully aware of the great work that will yet spring from this people, and the great work of our Father that has to be accomplished in the latter day.

Brethren and sisters, let us go to work now and cultivate the earth. I see a great deal of land here that is vacated. I am glad of it, for some have tried to farm more than they could attend to well, and have made nothing. Let us cultivate well what we do cultivate—make gardens and adorn them, and build good houses and adorn them. What a blessing it is for this people to have the privilege of beautifying the earth and making it like it was in the beginning in the garden of Eden! It is not necessary to build such tremendous great houses, but houses that we can complete and plaster over head, and on the sides and all over, and make them beautiful.

We shall be blessed and stay in these mountains. You need not be disheartened, for we shall stay here, and all hell cannot help it. We have done as they told us, until we got into the mountains, and here we will do the will of our Father in heaven, he helping us. Let us prepare ourselves, that, when we go to Jackson County, we shall know how to do right, and make beautiful gardens, &c.

May God bless you! Amen.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made at Ogden City, June 12, 1860.

I am very thankful for the privilege of meeting with you this afternoon. There may be many present who never saw me until now, and many who are acquainted with me, but, probably, have not for years had an opportunity to speak to me. As I now have the privilege of speaking to you, please accept of my good feelings towards you, and of my good desires in your behalf. Peace be to you and to your habitations! And may God bless you!

I will not occupy much time; for I understand that, through some mistake in the appointment, many of you have been here a good part of the day. I am aware that both yourselves and your children are weary, and I think it would be a relief to the children if the teachers would supply them with water.

For many years I have been trying to promulgate the principles of eternal life, and I am thankful that we are in possession of that religion which gives food to the mind and exercise to the body, I am thankful for such a religion. It is different from the religions of the day: it is not only a Sabbath-day religion and a Monday religion, but it is an everyday religion—a religion that will feast a person all the time. It draws forth the mind, and expands the understanding of every intelligent being who will open his mind to understand and see by vision the creations of God—the worlds that are and the worlds that have been—who can grasp in the vision of his mind the truth that there never has been a time when there have not been worlds like this, and that there never will be a time when there will not be worlds organized and prepared for intelligent beings to dwell upon.

Those beings bear the image of Him who is invisible—of our Father and God. Were your eyes opened to see the heavenly hosts, you would see beings similar to us. We are in our weakness and imperfection—we are in darkness; they are in light—they are in glory. We are in mortal flesh, subject to sickness, disease, pain, deformity, and death. The heavenly hosts are beings like these my brethren, only in greater perfection, having passed through the same ordeals we are now passing through. They have been made subject to vanity, as we now are; they have had to taste of the bitter cup as we have; they have had the privilege of the light and of the darkness, of the truth and of the error, which privilege we now enjoy. Life eternal has been offered to them, and they have chosen it. It is offered to us who are here assembled, and we have chosen to follow in the path in which it is to be obtained. Had we chosen, we might today have been in our native lands, as are those whom we have there left.

It is to us a matter of joy and rejoicing, a solid satisfaction, to know that there are a few among all the inhabitants of the earth who are willing to receive the words of life to prepare themselves to dwell eternally in the presence of our Father and our God. We enjoy a great privilege in being gathered out from the wicked. We now have the privilege of asso– ciating together, not only as individuals, families, neighborhoods, and cities, but God has provided the place where we can assemble, as it were, in a national capacity. We are now in the relationship, so to speak, of a limb or branch pertaining to the Federal Government, which must grow, increase, spread, and prosper exceedingly.

You have built a commodious Tabernacle, where but a few years ago was a swamp. But a few years ago, there were no inhabitants here. When we first visited this place, after the people began to move here, there was hardly a settlement between here and Great Salt Lake City. There were a few families at Willow Creek, but none north of that, and only a few between here and Great Salt Lake City. You may now ride until you are weary, and pass through settlement after settlement, neighborhood after neighborhood.

You have manifested a spirit of advancement and improvement, which is according to the Gospel of life we possess. The intelligence we possess was given to us for a purpose. We are the children of the Supreme Being of the universe. The inhabitants of the whole earth are the offspring of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Intelligence is given unto us to improve upon. Who will choose life? These my brethren and sisters. The Valleys in the Mountains are becoming filled with those who have chosen the way of life, and thousands more are in Europe and on the islands of the sea. The Gospel we preach has been proclaimed to most of the nations of the earth. God will gather his children from all nations, and bring them home to Zion. This is the land of Zion—this is the continent whereon the Lord has commenced his work for the last time, and whereon Jesus will make his appearance the second time, when he comes to gather and save the house of Israel. It is our duty to prepare for his coming.

Each person possesses an intelligence, each one has an agency, and each has his own salvation to work out, for the spirit and body to be crowned with crowns of glory, immortality, and eternal lives. Let not your hearts sink, nor your faith waver; let not your fervency slacken in the least, for the kingdom is ours. God has prospered his work on the earth. Towns and counties have risen up against it, and States have united and organized to destroy this kingdom and the government of God from the earth. The kingdoms of the world are opposed to the kingdom of God. You have seen your neighbors rise up and persecute you—you have known those who should have been your friends and assisted you forsake and persecute you, for the Gospel’s sake. You have all, more or less, experienced such treatment. Is it at an end? No.

You see persons gather here, and assist to gather hundreds and thousands, and yet some will turn away. Does this discourage you? How frequently it has been said to me—“A great many are going to California.” My reply is, Let them go; there will be plenty left. This work is on the increase, and the power of God is becoming more and more manifest before all flesh. The faith of the Gospel is increasing among the children of men, and the Saints are increasing. Compare this place with what it was here ten years ago. Has there been an increase? Yes, and a very great increase. Ten years ago, how many were there in the States and in foreign lands who wanted to come here? Not one to where there are now ten. The spirit of the Gospel is going forth among the nations, and the people are gathering out. The kingdoms of this world must become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ. To aid in accomplishing this work, we must overcome sin and every evil propensity of the natural man—every selfish and unhallowed desire. Let no man covet the things of this world, nor lust after the vain and foolish things that pertain to it.

It is the privilege of the Saints to enjoy every good thing, for the earth and its fulness belong to the Lord, and he has promised all to his faithful Saints; but it must be enjoyed without the spirit of covetousness and selfishness—without the spirit of lust, and in the spirit of the Gospel: then the sun will shine sweetly upon us; each day will be filled with delight, and all things will be filled with beauty, giving joy, pleasure, and rest to the Saints. The vegetable kingdom is made for man, to gratify the taste and add health to the body and gratification to every sense. The gold and the silver will be given to the Saints, the riches of the world will be put in their possession, and they will be legal heirs. We are now passing through a day of trial, to determine whether we will prove worthy of all we may enjoy and possess, for it must be enjoyed and possessed without the spirit of covetousness. Without the pure Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot enjoy the good things of life.

The fulness of the heavens and the earth—the mountains, the gold, and precious things in them—will all be devoted to those who are devoted to their God and their religion. The wheat, the fine flour, the oil, and the wine, the cattle upon a thousand hills, and every blessing the Lord has in store for every creature he has organized and placed upon this earth, are to fall into the hands of the legal heirs, who are the Saints. This is an unpleasant idea to unbelievers. Then why do they not believe? If there are any here who do not believe the Gospel, and think that the Saints are selfish, all they have to do is to become Saints; then they will be heirs with the rest of the Saints. There is no selfishness about it that I know of, for they have the same privilege that we have, and that any man or woman upon the earth has.

The kingdom of God is set up, the ordinances of the Gospel are dispensed to the people, life and salvation are offered to all, and who would miss entering into the kingdom of our Father and God? All who believe, have honest hearts, and bring forth fruits of righteousness, are the elect of God and heirs to all things. All who refuse to obey the holy commandments of the Lord and the ordinances of his house will be judged out of their own mouths, will condemn themselves as they do now, will be accounted unworthy, and will have no part or lot with the righteous. But the heathen nations that now exist and that have existed on the earth will all be blessed, will see the time when they will have the privilege of receiving the blessings of the covenant established on the earth by the Son of God, and through it will be brought into glory and rest.

Brethren and sisters, I wish you to continue in your ways of welldoing; I desire that your minds may be opened more and more to see and understand things as they are. This earth, in its present condition and situation, is not a fit habitation for the sanctified; but it abides the law of its creation, has been baptized with water, will be baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost, and by-and-by will be prepared for the faithful to dwell upon.

Shall we not strive to prepare ourselves as much as possible for the coming of the Son of Man? The Savior will dictate his kingdom, through his Apostles and Prophets, until all the heathen nations are virtually redeemed by the ordinances that effect redemption, that they may inherit the kingdom that is prepared for them. This work must progress. This earth must become a paradise—must be purged of the sin that has been upon it for many generations, for all sin and iniquity must be swept from it, and a people be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man. He will prepare a people long before the earth is celestialized and prepared for the presence of God. The Saints will increase, the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge will increase, and every grace of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ must increase upon the earth, until a people and place are so prepared that the Savior can come and finish the work given him to do, when he will present the kingdom to the Father.

There is a great work for the Saints to do. Progress, and improve upon, and make beautiful everything around you. Cultivate the earth and cultivate your minds. Build cities, adorn your habitations, make gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations. In the meantime, continually seek to adorn your minds with all the graces of the Spirit of Christ.

Sin must be overcome and righteousness exalted, until Jesus reigns King of nations as he reigns King of Saints. This is not unkind to the wicked, for they have the privilege of embracing the overtures of mercy, if they choose. No one will be compelled to do so. All may freely eat, drink, and satisfy themselves, or they may turn away and feed upon husks. Let everyone who wishes to go to California, go, for we do not want them here. This country is most excellent for sifting out those who are not here for the love of their religion. The mountains, the deserts, the barren plains, hard labor, and hard fare are all so calculated that those who do not love the truth will leave for California and elsewhere, and we love to have them go. Some who are now here ought to leave, unless they will repent and become good men.

Be faithful, humble, prayerful, and watchful, and be sure to live your religion. Store up your surplus grain; and when you have done that, do (to speak ironically) as some have done—take every pound of butter, every dozen of eggs, every bushel of grain, and every good thing you can lay hold of to those who would cut our throats, if they had the power. Had they the power, they would slay every soul that would not renounce this work. They have not the power, and never will have. Israel will be gathered, the poor will be gathered, and this land of Joseph will be freed from oppressors. Their power is broken, and they will go down to the pit, while Zion will arise, and wicked men and devils cannot prevent it. God has decreed this, and we are going to help him to perform it and bring righteousness upon the land; and the righteous will see the day when they can say their prayers and lie down in peace, for murderers will not be around them.

Will you let every act of your lives promote the kingdom of God? If you do, you may be sure that every person who is opposed to righteousness will be our enemy. But those who are here to steal our cattle and horses, instead of striving honestly for an honest living, had better forsake their evil habits, or go where they are more popular. The Lord Almighty will have a pure people—a people that will serve him; and we shall yet see the day when we shall be free from murderers, thieves, robbers, liars, whoremongers, drunkards, and every other description of persons who pollute the earth.

My constant prayer is that the anger which is in the hearts of the disobedient will turn upon each other, and the wicked slay the wicked, until no place can be found on the earth for those who will not observe good laws, that the righteous may live in peace. The wicked are doing so; and in the midst of their rage which has been around us, it is astonishing how the preserving and invisible hand of God has been over his people. I do not now remember that any in our Territory, during the time alluded to, who desired to live their religion, fell by the hands of the wicked, except brother William Cook. They credit this wonderful preservation to me; but they are mistaken. The Lord Almighty can control the acts, and bring forth the results far beyond the wisdom and calculation of man. He has brought to pass these purposes, and the wicked have been and are helping him. “The wrath of man shall praise him.” May the Lord God of Israel bless you and the whole house of Israel, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.